Hardship Cultivation in the Mountains!

Legend also says that after Patriarch Bodhidharma's Golden Bell Shield reached the twelfth level, he could go without food or water for a hundred days, and even consuming potent poisons would cause him no harm. He could withstand the punches and kicks of dozens of super first-rate martial artists for a day and a night without suffering even the slightest damage!

This might be an exaggeration, but it's enough to show how profound and powerful the Golden Bell Shield is!

"Alright, I will now teach you the Qi Circulation Method. Listen carefully." After explaining the Golden Bell Shield to Tang Jie, Du Jue began to impart the cultivation method, the Qi Circulation Method.

Just as Tang Tianhao had done before, Du Jue guided his true qi through Tang Jie's body, helping him familiarize himself with the circulation method.

"Such... such profound cultivation!"

As Du Jue assisted Tang Jie in circulating his qi and memorizing the Golden Bell Shield's meridian pathways, he also sensed the immense gang qi within Tang Jie's body. He marveled inwardly, wondering how Tang Jie had achieved this. At around twenty years old, he had already mastered the Boyhood Art to the Red Sun Art level and entered the Grandmaster realm, surpassing Du Jue himself!

It had taken Tang Tianhao nearly a hundred attempts to help Tang Jie memorize the Boyhood Art's circulation pathways. However, Tang Jie was no longer the same; his cultivation aptitude was far beyond what it was then. Du Jue only needed to guide Tang Jie's qi through three cycles before Tang Jie had memorized the entire circulation route.

"From now on, you're on your own. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to ask me," Du Jue said after teaching Tang Jie the Golden Bell Shield.

Cultivation is a solitary path!

"Yes, thank you, Martial Uncle Du Jue," Tang Jie replied happily.

Tang Tianhao, watching from the side, nodded in approval. Tang Jie's presence had significantly eased the tension between him and Du Jue.

Life settled into a peaceful rhythm. Tang Jie took up residence at Qingshan Temple and diligently practiced the Golden Bell Shield.

"It will take time to see any real progress with the Golden Bell Shield." Although he had taught Tang Jie the technique, Du Jue felt that Tang Jie wouldn't achieve significant results in the short term. Without reaching a profound level, the Golden Bell Shield's defensive capabilities, given Tang Jie's current cultivation, would be inferior to his Boyhood Art's gang qi protection!

However, Du Jue had clearly underestimated Tang Jie's martial arts aptitude!

"The first level of the Golden Bell Shield involves practicing qi circulation and breathing, connecting all the meridians in the body, cultivating a breath of Golden Bell true qi, and tempering the body. Upon completion, it will halve the pain when struck..."

In his room, Tang Jie sat cross-legged, circulating his qi and breathing according to the Golden Bell Shield's methods, practicing cycle after cycle.

Within Tang Jie's body, a faint aura gradually began to form. Unlike the robust aura of the Boyhood Art, this aura, though still weak, exuded an unyielding and indestructible quality.

"Hoo!"

The faint qi sensation within his body began to circulate rapidly, at an astonishing speed!

With each cycle, the weak qi sensation grew stronger.

Time flew by. The days of secluded cultivation passed quickly. The desolate and serene Great Green Mountain was an ideal place for cultivation. In the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.

And on this particular evening, Tang Jie's Golden Bell Shield successfully entered the first level!

Within Tang Jie's body, the Golden Bell Shield true qi was born and flowed gently. If he were to suffer a heavy blow, this Golden Bell true qi would automatically protect him, weakening the attack and halving the pain!

"Potential Points have increased to 26!" Tang Jie rejoiced. With the completion of the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, he noticed his Potential Points had increased again, rising from 25 to 26.

If Du Jue knew that Tang Jie had only taken ten days to master the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, he would be utterly astonished.

The Golden Bell Shield was divided into twelve levels. The difficulty of mastering the first level was lower than that of the first layer of the Boyhood Art, yet an ordinary practitioner would still need over a year or two to achieve it!

As for Du Jue himself, despite his good aptitude and talent, it had taken him nearly half a year. Yet Tang Jie had achieved the first level in just ten days – the speed was simply terrifying!

"Strange... I feel like there's a connection between the Golden Bell Shield and the Boyhood Art. They seem to complement each other." After mastering the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, Tang Jie frowned slightly. With his martial arts talent, he could vaguely sense a complementary relationship between the Boyhood Art and the Golden Bell Shield, although the feeling was very faint!

Since both the Golden Bell Shield and the Boyhood Art were created by Patriarch Bodhidharma, it wasn't surprising that they would have some connection or common ground.

"Continue practicing the second level!" Tang Jie didn't pause and proceeded to cultivate the second level of the Golden Bell Shield.

Tang Jie's Boyhood Art had already reached the Red Sun Art realm. While he could still refine his gang qi to be more potent and denser, the consumption was becoming unsustainable. Tang Jie had exhausted his spirit stones after cultivating the Red Sun Art, rendering the Spirit Gathering Plate unusable, which significantly reduced his efficiency. This was why Tang Jie decided to cultivate the Golden Bell Shield as well – it never hurt to have more skills!

The second level of the Golden Bell Shield, upon completion, would result in a substantial amount of Golden Bell true qi, providing a protective effect. When attacked, it would weaken the damage, prevent internal organ injuries from shock, and greatly enhance his resistance to blows!

The difficulty of the second level of the Golden Bell Shield was higher than the first. Tang Jie spent a full half-month to master it!

Upon completing the second level of the Golden Bell Shield, Tang Jie's Potential Points increased by another point, reaching a total of 27.

"Still not enough!"

For Tang Jie, who had cultivated the Boyhood Art to the Red Sun Art level, the Golden Bell Shield wouldn't be of much help unless it reached a profound level. If the Golden Bell Shield's protective capabilities were still inferior to his gang qi, then there was no point in practicing it!

The days of arduous cultivation in the mountains passed quickly. Qingshan Temple was sparsely visited, with only occasional travelers stopping by.

Amidst these quiet days, spring turned to autumn, and another winter arrived. It had been exactly one year since Tang Jie came to Qingshan Temple on the Great Green Mountain.

In the early hours of this day, fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Tang Jie was still cultivating. Having mastered the Boyhood Art, he possessed abundant energy, needing only to sleep for three days to fully recover his spirit and stamina.

"Boom!"

Within Tang Jie's body, a stream of pale golden true qi circulated rapidly. Finally, upon reaching its peak, it broke through a certain limit. The Golden Bell true qi within Tang Jie's body surged dramatically, permeating his entire body and casting a golden hue upon his bare torso. His lean muscles took on a metallic sheen!

"Hoo!"

Tang Jie exhaled a breath of hot air and slowly opened his eyes, a look of joy appearing in them.

Name: Tang Jie

Martial Arts: Boyhood Art (Fifth Layer Red Sun Art 3%), Golden Bell Shield (Seventh Level 1%), Iron Cutting Saber Art (Mastered 41%), Basic Flying Knife (Peak Mastery 25%)

Potential Points: 35

"Finally, I've cultivated the Golden Bell Shield to the seventh level!"

A deep smile spread across Tang Jie's face. After a year of arduous training, his progress was remarkable. Tang Jie's Golden Bell Shield had successfully entered the seventh level!

Upon reaching the seventh level of the Golden Bell Shield, the internal cultivation of the Golden Bell Shield would become incredibly profound. The Golden Bell true qi could protect vital points of the body, rendering him unharmed when struck by swords or clubs. Furthermore, it would generate a rebounding force, the Golden Bell Force, when attacked, capable of shattering enemy weapons and breaking the bones of attackers!

Mastering the seventh level of the Golden Bell Shield placed him among the top-tier martial artists!