Four Stages of Strength Refinement

[Red Thread Fist, Entry Level!]

His blood began to boil.

A current of heat flowed from his heart, then spread through his limbs and bones before flowing back at last, lingering at his shoulders.

Two vivid, blood-red lines appeared on his shoulders.

Slowly, the blood-red lines faded away, and Zhang Lingshan's body returned to calm.

So this is Entry Level?

Zhang Lingshan lightly clenched his fists, but noticed no real change. The increase in strength was negligible, not even as great as the improvement brought by the Primal Chaos Righteous Yang Posture.

He tried performing the Red Thread Fist once.

His body began to heat up as he moved through the fist technique's sequence, and two blood lines gradually surfaced on his shoulders.

When Zhang Lingshan threw another punch then, he felt his strength had risen by more than a single level—at least doubled.

So this is the true mystery of the Red Thread Fist. But in a fight, the enemy won't give you time to warm up.

Zhang Lingshan felt rather speechless.

It felt like a useless accessory.

But the Red Thread Fist was the boxing art Hong Zhengdao had made his name with. It should not have been this trash.

After thinking it over, he simply stopped puzzling over it himself and went straight to his master to explain his doubts.

"You've reached Entry Level?"

Hong Zhengdao was instantly startled upon hearing Zhang Lingshan's question. He had Zhang Lingshan perform the fist technique once before him.

When he saw that Zhang Lingshan's movements were clean and crisp, without the slightest hitch, and that red lines had even formed on his shoulders—

Hong Zhengdao's expression instantly became a sight to behold.

"Good, very good. Reaching Entry Level so quickly shows that you have toiled and trained diligently every day without the slightest slackness. Moving you to Hongwu Street was indeed the right decision."

Hong Zhengdao was greatly gratified. Then he said, "Your question is an excellent one. Next, I'll teach you the combat techniques of the Red Thread Fist, and you'll understand."

With that said.

He stomped both feet fiercely against the ground with two loud bangs, then bent his legs slightly, leaned his upper body forward, and clenched both fists tight, producing a series of crackling pops.

In that instant, Zhang Lingshan saw fine red threads condense over the surface of Hong Zhengdao's fists.

"Ha!"

Hong Zhengdao suddenly let out a thunderous roar. His body shot forward, and his fist came down like a cannon hammer, smashing viciously before Zhang Lingshan.

Thud.

A blast of hot wind swept over him. Zhang Lingshan toppled backward, feeling his breath congeal and even his heart stop beating.

Only after Hong Zhengdao withdrew his stance and stepped back did he begin gasping wildly. Sweat streamed madly down his entire body, soaking the ground beneath him in a short time. He seemed utterly drained, unable even to stand.

Once he had more or less caught his breath.

Hong Zhengdao reached out and pulled him up. "Did you see it clearly? That is combat technique."

Still shaken to the core, Zhang Lingshan shook his head.

Hong Zhengdao smiled and reassured him, "Rest for a while. Calm yourself, recall the two moves I just used, and try performing them yourself. I think you should understand."

"Yes, Master."

Zhang Lingshan nodded heavily.

A moment later.

He took a sip of tea and finally calmed down. Recalling Hong Zhengdao's stomp-and-lean move, as well as that straight rushing cannon-hammer strike—

Something stirred in his heart, and he understood a little.

Those two moves were clearly the Shaking Fist Stance and Hammer Fist Stance from the Red Thread Fist.

The difference was that the postures and force in the cultivation method were comparatively gentler, while the combat techniques were far more violent.

With that thought, Zhang Lingshan imagined that the person standing before him was Li Fu, that damned, father-ruining swindler.

Then, raging with fury, he exerted his strength. With a wild roar, his whole body lunged forward with a bang.

Bang!

His fist hammered viciously into Hong Zhengdao's abdomen.

Zhang Lingshan was greatly startled and hurriedly withdrew his hand. "Master, when did you come in front of me?"

Hong Zhengdao chuckled. "Your comprehension is not bad. Combat technique is the method of striking people. You must break apart the sequences of the cultivation method, then choose which moves to use according to the specific circumstances. Sometimes, even a single move used over and over can defeat an enemy."

As he spoke, he tucked one hand behind his back. "Come. Try to hit me in the stomach. If you can hit it, you win, and you may make one request."

"Yes!"

Zhang Lingshan took a deep breath and charged forward. Both fists surged with force as he attacked Hong Zhengdao's abdomen.

Yet Hong Zhengdao merely made a simple sweep with his left hand, and Zhang Lingshan's body spun away.

Zhang Lingshan adapted on the fly and immediately used the Swing Fist Stance, but it was still of no use.

After going back and forth for dozens of exchanges, let alone touching Hong Zhengdao's stomach, he had not even touched Hong Zhengdao's wrist.

It was as though he were a three-year-old child, left entirely at another's mercy.

"Master truly lives up to his name. This disciple is powerless."

Zhang Lingshan honestly conceded defeat.

Hong Zhengdao smiled. "Do you know why you lost? In one sentence: your techniques are clumsy, and your strength is too weak.

"Technique cannot be gained through training alone. You must fight more. Combat technique, combat technique—how can it become combat technique if you do not fight?

"As for strength, you must refine it. Lifting Stone Locks, Rolling Stone Balls, Pulling Stone Slabs, and so on—methods of increasing weight to temper strength are all strength refinement.

"If you want to grow stronger, it is utterly impossible to rely on practicing fist technique sequences alone.

"So from now on, go to the Backyard and refine your strength with Shi Lei and the others. Practice boxing and spar with them.

"This is water dripping through stone over time. I cannot help you with it. The gap between you and me is too great; training with me will not produce anything worthwhile. You must train with those whose strength is close to yours.

"Remember, take it slowly. Do not rush headlong ahead. If strength training injures your tendons and bones, then injured tendons and broken bones take a hundred days to heal, and what you will spend is the finest years of your life.

"Sometimes, slow is fast, and fast is slow. Do you understand?"

Hong Zhengdao spoke with earnest sincerity.

Zhang Lingshan nodded heavily to show that he understood.

"Good. Then next, I'll tell you about the Four Stages of Strength Refinement."

Hong Zhengdao said gravely, "There is a saying: first skin, second flesh, third tendons, fourth bones. It means first Skin Grinding, then Flesh Refining, then Tendon Changing, and finally Bone Forging.

"Every advancement in realm brings earth-shaking changes.

"Put it this way: an ordinary Skin Grinding Martial Practitioner cannot withstand even one punch from a Flesh Refining Martial Practitioner.

"And an ordinary person likewise cannot withstand one punch from a Skin Grinding Martial Practitioner.

"Do not be fooled by your Senior Brother Shi Lei being sly, lazy, gluttonous, slippery, and unreliable. He is still a Skin Grinding Martial Practitioner. If you practice combat techniques with him, he will certainly knock you down with one punch.

"So when you go to the Backyard to find someone to spar with, do not seek out someone at Shi Lei's level. Find only those like you who have not yet reached Skin Grinding.

"Once you feel that your strength is about sufficient, and you can lift a two-hundred-jin Stone Lock with one hand, you may go test yourself against a Skin Grinding Martial Practitioner. Do you understand?"

Zhang Lingshan nodded. "This disciple understands."

"Mhm. Then let us eat. You were given quite a fright just now, and you are drenched in sweat. You could easily catch a chill, so you need to replenish yourself."

"Thank you, Master."

Zhang Lingshan was secretly delighted.

He could mooch another meal.

A single meal at Hong Master's place was something money could not buy outside. One meal here was worth several elsewhere.

If their relationship had been closer, he would have wished he could come here every day to mooch food.

"By the way, Master, what level are you at?"