Mountain Hardship Training!

There was even a legend that after Patriarch Bodhidharma reached the twelfth level of the Golden Bell Shield, he could go a hundred days without eating or drinking. Even after swallowing the deadliest poison, he would remain completely unharmed, and even if dozens of top-tier martial artists punched and kicked him for an entire day and night, they would still struggle to injure him in the slightest!

That might have been somewhat exaggerated, but it was enough to show how profound and powerful the Golden Bell Shield was!

"All right. I'll teach you the Qi Circulation Method now. Make sure you remember it." After explaining some things about the Golden Bell Shield to Tang Jie, Du Jue began teaching him how to cultivate it—the Qi Circulation Method.

Just as Tang Tianhao had done back then, Du Jue circulated his own true qi through Tang Jie's body, allowing him to familiarize himself with the method of circulating qi.

"Such... such profound skill!"

While helping Tang Jie memorize the qi circulation route of the Golden Bell Shield, Du Jue also detected the immense astral qi within Tang Jie's body. He secretly marveled, truly unable to understand how Tang Jie had cultivated it. At around twenty years of age, he had already cultivated the Boyhood Art to the Red Sun Art and entered the grandmaster realm—far surpassing Du Jue!

Back then, Tang Tianhao had helped Tang Jie circulate his qi nearly a hundred times before Tang Jie memorized the Boyhood Art's qi circulation route. But Tang Jie now was no longer the same as before. His cultivation aptitude was worlds apart from what it had been. Du Jue only helped him circulate his qi through three complete cycles before Tang Jie memorized the route.

"From here on, you can only rely on yourself. If you encounter anything you don't understand, you can come ask me." After teaching Tang Jie the Golden Bell Shield, Du Jue said this.

Cultivation could only rely on oneself!

"Mm, thank you, Martial Uncle Du Jue." Tang Jie said happily.

Tang Tianhao watched from the side and secretly nodded as well. Because of Tang Jie, his relationship with Du Jue had eased considerably.

The days quickly settled into peace. Tang Jie stayed at Qingshan Temple and diligently cultivated the Golden Bell Shield.

"The Golden Bell Shield can't show any results in such a short time." Though he had taught Tang Jie the Golden Bell Shield, Du Jue felt that Tang Jie would find it difficult to achieve anything in the short term. Unless the Golden Bell Shield was cultivated to a profound level, its defensive power would not even match the astral qi protecting Tang Jie's body from the Boyhood Art, given Tang Jie's cultivation!

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

"The first level of the Golden Bell Shield requires practicing breath circulation and absorption, opening all the meridians, nurturing a strand of Golden Bell true qi, and tempering the body. Once mastered, it can halve the pain suffered when struck..."

In his room, Tang Jie sat cross-legged and circulated his qi according to the Golden Bell Shield's method, cultivating it cycle after cycle.

A faint strand of qi gradually emerged within Tang Jie's body. Unlike the profound strength of the Boyhood Art, this strand of qi was still weak, yet it gave off a feeling of toughness that could not be destroyed.

"Whoosh!"

The faint sensation of qi within his body began circulating at astonishing speed!

With each complete cycle, that weak sensation of qi grew a little stronger.

Time flowed on. The days of quiet cultivation passed quickly. Great Green Mountain was deserted and exceptionally tranquil, making it an excellent place for cultivation. In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

That night, Tang Jie's Golden Bell Shield successfully entered the first level!

Golden Bell Shield true qi was born within Tang Jie's body and slowly circulated through it. If he suffered a heavy blow, this true qi would automatically protect his body, weakening some of the attack while also halving the pain!

"My Potential Points have become 26!" Tang Jie was delighted. After cultivating the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, he discovered that his Potential Points had finally increased again, rising from 25 to 26.

If Du Jue knew that Tang Jie had cultivated the first level of the Golden Bell Shield in just ten days, he would surely be left dumbfounded.

The Golden Bell Shield had twelve levels in total. Cultivating the first level was easier than cultivating the first layer of the Boyhood Art, but even someone with average aptitude would need a year or two to master it!

As for Du Jue himself, his aptitude and Root Bone were fairly good, yet it had still taken him several months, nearly half a year. Tang Jie, however, had mastered the first level of the Golden Bell Shield in just ten days. This speed was astonishingly fast!

"Strange... I always feel that the Golden Bell Shield has some connection with the Boyhood Art. The two seem to complement each other." After mastering the first level of the Golden Bell Shield, Tang Jie slightly furrowed his brows. With his martial talent, he faintly sensed that the Boyhood Art and Golden Bell Shield complemented each other, though the feeling was extremely weak!

The Golden Bell Shield and Boyhood Art had both been created by Patriarch Bodhidharma. It was not strange that they shared some connection and common ground.

"I'll continue with the second level!" Tang Jie did not linger and continued cultivating the second level of the Golden Bell Shield.

Tang Jie's Boyhood Art had already reached the Red Sun Art realm. Though he could still refine his astral qi and make it denser and more profound, his consumption had outstripped his supply. His spirit stones had already been used up after he cultivated the Red Sun Art, and without the Spirit Gathering Plate, his efficiency would drop considerably. That was why Tang Jie had decided to cultivate the Golden Bell Shield as well—one could never have too many skills!

Once the second level of the Golden Bell Shield was mastered, its true qi would become quite abundant and could produce a body-protecting effect. When attacked, it would reduce the damage, prevent the internal organs from being shaken and injured, and greatly enhance one's ability to withstand blows!

The second level of the Golden Bell Shield was more difficult than the first. Tang Jie spent a full half-month before mastering it!

After mastering 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, the Golden Bell Shield would be of little help unless he cultivated it to a profound level. If its protective power was still inferior to his astral qi, then he might as well not cultivate it at all!

The days of hard cultivation in the mountains passed quickly. Qingshan Temple was also deserted, with only the occasional passing traveler stopping by for a look.

Amid these quiet days, spring passed and autumn came, and another winter arrived. Exactly one year had passed since Tang Jie came to Great Green Mountain's Qingshan Temple.

In the early hours of that day, fine snowflakes drifted through the sky. Tang Jie was still cultivating. Since he had mastered the Boyhood Art, his energy was abundant; sleeping once every three days was enough to restore his spirit and strength.

"Boom!"

Within Tang Jie's body, a strand of pale golden true qi circulated rapidly. After finally reaching its limit, it broke through a certain boundary. The Golden Bell true qi within Tang Jie's body suddenly surged by a large amount, spreading densely throughout him and casting a golden sheen over his bare upper body. His powerful muscles took on a metallic texture!

"Whoosh!"

Tang Jie exhaled a breath of scorching air and slowly opened his eyes, delight flashing within them.

Name: Tang Jie

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

Potential Points: 35

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

A rich smile spread across Tang Jie's face. After a year of hard cultivation, his progress had been astonishing. His Golden Bell Shield had successfully reached the seventh-level realm!

Once the Golden Bell Shield reached the seventh level, its internal cultivation would become incomparably profound. The Golden Bell true qi could protect the vital points throughout the body, allowing one to remain completely unharmed when struck by blades, swords, or staffs. It could also generate the power of Golden Bell Force upon receiving attacks, shattering an enemy's blades and weapons and crushing the attacker's bones!

After mastering the seventh level of the Golden Bell Shield, one could already rank among the top first-rate martial artists!