Surging Wave Palm: Beginner

Externally temper tendons, bones, and skin; then bring the External Three Harmonies to completion. From the outside inward, cultivate the four realms of flesh, blood, marrow, and qi.

Surging Wave Palm was still a martial art focused primarily on tendon training, but it emphasized both arms. For someone like him, who had reached Tendon Training Great Accomplishment, it could further strengthen all the major tendons throughout his body.

In the courtyard, Xu Yunfan's palms churned like waves. As moonlight spilled down, three layers of palm shadows actually condensed before him.

'You are attempting to cultivate Surging Wave Palm. You vaguely feel that you have gained something, as though you have figured out part of its training method.'

A single system prompt for Surging Wave Palm appeared in his vision, and Xu Yunfan saw that the skills section of his Attribute Panel now contained a grayed-out option for Surging Wave Palm, not yet begun.

As long as it appeared in the skill list, achieving entry was only a matter of time.

Without pausing in the slightest, Xu Yunfan continued practicing Surging Wave Palm. His arms swayed, their lines sharply defined. The grooves between his muscles were visible, and with every move he made, the muscles in his arms could be seen bulging.

When he thrust a palm horizontally, he could even see his blood and qi surging. As blood flooded his arm, the size of his muscles swiftly expanded by several degrees.

Bang!

Two hours later, after practicing the seven forms of Surging Wave Palm dozens of times, the skin of his arms had turned red like boiled shrimp. Yet every major tendon was stretched taut like bowstrings that had been reforged.

'Your Surging Wave Palm has reached beginner level.'

'Surging Wave Palm, 0/500 (Beginner)

Special Effects: Triple Wave-Stacking Force, Force Penetrating Armor, Shatter Rock, Crush Jade, Sinews Like Strings'

As he absorbed the cultivation memories that had appeared out of nowhere in his mind, Xu Yunfan felt fine, hair-thin currents of warmth emerge within his body and begin flowing through him.

Most of them, however, gathered around his arms, shoulders, and neck. These threads of warmth continuously soaked into his muscles, making him feel as though he were immersed in a hot spring—tingly, numb, and immensely comfortable.

What caught his attention most was that, through the accumulated years of training contained in those memories, a thin layer of calluses had begun covering his palms. It dulled the pain in his hands while also making his strikes more destructive.

When cultivated to a profound level, this martial art could strengthen the human body in targeted ways.

As a Second Tempering Martial Master, his physical qualities had long surpassed those of ordinary people.

Surging Wave Palm had only just reached beginner level, so the enhancement it brought to his body was extremely limited.

The core muscle groups this palm art primarily mobilized ran from the back muscles to the shoulder and neck muscles, then poured into both arms.

A dedicated practitioner could shatter an iron block with a single palm strike.

Even beginner-level Surging Wave Palm could easily smash bricks and stones.

Surging Wave Palm had reached beginner level in just two hours. With his Tendon Training Great Accomplishment realm, going back to cultivate these martial arts was incredibly efficient, leaving him pleasantly surprised.

All he needed to do next was continue cultivating it without interruption, and he would soon raise Surging Wave Palm to Great Accomplishment.

That night, he once again formed the Lin Word Seal with his hands and recited the Highest Good is Like Water Heart Mantra.

'You have seriously cultivated the Lin Character Secret once. You seem to have vaguely grasped something, yet a thin veil still separates you from it, preventing you from seeing clearly. Lin Character Secret proficiency has increased.'

'You seem to be pondering the Lin Character Secret and feel as though you have realized something.'

After the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Xu Yunfan opened his eyes. Though his gaze carried the exhausted weariness of someone whose mental strength had been drained dry—

Compared to the Eight-Armed, Three-Headed Power-Awareness Bodhisattva Statue wooden carving he had obtained from Qin Bo, the progress was far too slow.

At this rate, that final step before entry into the Lin Character Secret might hold him back for more than half a year.

More than half a year!

How could Xu Yunfan endure that? Naturally, he wanted to take things slow and easy too, but whether his true identity was exposed or Fei Qi, the master of the Surging Wave Sect, discovered that his daughter was gone and suspected him, he would need strength to deal with it.

Though he had handled everything perfectly, this was ancient times.

More often than not, sects that casually slaughtered commoners did not care about reason.

If they decided you were their enemy, they would naturally do everything possible to kill you.

Once the Lin Character Secret reached beginner level, it would bring obvious improvements both to his mental resilience and to the boost it gave his comprehension.

Naturally, he took it seriously.

As he pondered, Xu Yunfan lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, after practicing the Crimson Training Cloak Hammer several times with the Drumming Weng Gold Hammer as usual, Xu Yunfan finally came back to his senses.

He furrowed his brow slightly. This Crimson Training Cloak Hammer really did suit blacksmithing exceptionally well.

Crimson Training, Crimson Training... could it mean swinging the hammer until it turned red?

"Nonsense!"

At Lu Tiejang's smithy, Lu Yi immediately blew his beard and glared when he heard Xu Yunfan's question.

"It should be that one's blood and qi are like a Jiaolong, and one's body is like a furnace. If you..."

Lu Yi sighed. "The Crimson Training Cloak Hammer and the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art are complementary arts. And within Divine Weapon Ridge, there is a divine heavy hammer especially suited to the Crimson Training Cloak Hammer. But you need to cultivate more advanced martial arts before you can wield it."

Xu Yunfan asked curiously, "What is that divine weapon called?"

"The Crimson Training Thousand Jun Hammer."

A trace of nostalgia appeared on Lu Yi's face, but he soon shook his head slightly. "Unfortunately, it has already been lost."

Xu Yunfan was speechless. Well, that curiosity had been for nothing.

He glanced at the several furnaces in the shop, where a few fully trained blacksmiths were grunting as they hammered weapons.

Over the past half month, Xu Yunfan had often visited Lu Yi and invited him to drink at Long Wind Tavern, so the two had naturally grown familiar.

He asked curiously, "Elder Lu, I've seen you forge quite a few weapons lately. Which family has such a large order?"

Lu Yi answered casually, "Wu Family Fortress outside the city. They said it's for training purposes. What do I care? As long as they pay."

Lu Yi glanced at Xu Yunfan, who was still standing there without leaving, then leaned back in his reclining chair and said lazily, "Out with it. What exactly do you want?"

Xu Yunfan looked surprised and praised, "Elder Lu, your insight is truly divine. This junior can only admit defeat. How about we go to the tavern and talk over drinks? I heard they recently unsealed several more jars of Drunken Branch Wine. Shall we have a taste?"

At that, Lu Yi's Adam's apple bobbed. He wiped the black grease from his hands with a rag.

"Let's go, let's go."

By the time they arrived at Long Wind Tavern and entered a private room on the second floor, a table full of dishes had been laid out. After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, the moon had already risen high overhead.

Lu Yi's rosacea nose promptly emerged.

"I'm old, old. Back then, I could drink an entire jar of Drunken Branch Wine like this without changing expression. Now, I'm not quite the same."

He gave a satisfied burp.

"Go on, what is it?"

Xu Yunfan asked, "Elder Lu, in all of Qingzhou, whose bone-tempering art is the most profound?"

Lu Yi looked at him sideways. By now, his eyes were bleary with drink, his guard had loosened, and he spoke far more casually.

"What, Crimson Training Cloak Hammer isn't enough for you?"

Xu Yunfan smiled. "The Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and Cloak Hammer temper the skin. Naturally, I need martial arts for the second tempering of tendons and bones to protect myself."

Hearing this, Lu Yi nodded slightly. He naturally understood that Xu Yunfan had reached Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering and now had to consider the second tempering of tendons and bones.

"If you were in Divine Weapon Ridge, the Cloak Hammer has deeper advanced martial arts that can use Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering to temper tendons and bones. But in Qingzhou..."

Lu Tiejang's knuckles tapped against the boxwood table. Moonlight streamed through the window into the wine cup, shattered by the vibrations into fine silver scales.

(I posted two chapters together. I went to visit graves today, sorry everyone. This newbie is asking for follows, recommendation votes, bookmarks, and investments. Thank you!)