Immortal Martial Arts: Pushing Through Both Realms Starting From Reality

Fists and feet flew, the air cracking with impact.

The two figures separated after a single touch.

The Tiger Form Three Styles were effortlessly executed between them.

Though only three moves, they seemed to unleash dozens of variations.

"So satisfying!"

Qi Yuan, a lover of wine, grabbed his wine gourd from the ground and took a swig. With his other hand, he parried Jiang Shu's five or six fierce attacks.

"Junior Disciple, this wine of yours is truly potent. But your fists, why are they so soft and weak!"

"You definitely know the difference between a Full Body Vital Energy Circulation practitioner and a Skin Grinding Realm martial practitioner lies in 'force.' But do you know what 'force' is? If you can't concentrate all your strength into a single point for an explosive release, you'll never grasp 'force'!"

"Our martial arts school's Roaring Tiger Mountain Strength possesses an unstoppable momentum, our fists strike without regret. Don't hold back just because I'm your senior disciple. Do you really think someone at the mere Full Body Vital Energy Circulation stage like you can hurt me?"

Drinking the potent liquor Jiang Shu had brought, Qi Yuan sparred with Jiang Shu while pointing out his shortcomings.

His voice already carried a hint of drunkenness, yet every word was a gem.

Each time he spoke, Jiang Shu gained a new realization.

Jiang Shu adjusted himself, striving to gather the strength of his limbs and torso into a single punch. Before the spar, Jiang Shu had thought Skin Grinding Realm martial practitioners were strong.

He never imagined the gap would be this immense.

Qi Yuan hadn't even used the Roaring Tiger Mountain Strength.

Simply by controlling his strength, he could suppress Jiang Shu with one hand.

No wonder reaching the Skin Grinding Realm was considered the true beginning for a martial practitioner.

"Hoo. Senior Brother Qi, let's take a break."

Pride comes before a fall; energy wanes after the first burst, and falters after the second.

After another twenty minutes of sparring, his strength began to fade. Jiang Shu retracted his fist, stepped back, and cupped his hands towards Qi Yuan apologetically.

He stood aside, practicing his stance, breathing, and adjusting his state, summarizing his gains and losses from the spar.

In his mind, on the translucent panel.

The Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School's three methods of training, nurturing, and striking had all seen their proficiency increase by several points at a visible rate.

Time flowed like water.

Jiang Shu practically sparred with Qi Yuan in the small courtyard every day.

He would bring a pot of potent liquor from Xuan Star.

Their relationship grew more harmonious, and they gradually became able to talk about anything.

Besides sparring, Qi Yuan also occasionally told Jiang Shu about the various changes and techniques of other martial arts schools in Pingling County.

"Junior Disciple Jiang, once you reach the Skin Grinding Realm, I'll invite a few friends for a small gathering and have you spar with them. Every martial arts school's techniques have something to learn from. Every Skin Grinding Realm martial practitioner also has their own understanding of martial arts. The more you learn, the greater your chance of victory in future battles."

"For us martial practitioners, it's one realm level, two practical combat. Realm advancement is slow, but practical combat improvement is incredibly fast. Especially for you, who haven't experienced much combat. You must have gained a lot from these few days of sparring. Let's pause for the next few days; when things are at their peak, one must also consider rest, just as one must take breaks from work."

"Don't go back tonight. Senior Brother will take you somewhere good, broaden your horizons."

"Sparrow Pavilion?"

Jiang Shu blurted out instinctively.

It wasn't his fault. Ever since he arrived in Pingling County, every man he met, without exception, talked about having visited the Sparrow Pavilion.

"What's so interesting about a place like that? If you want to go to the Sparrow Pavilion, you should find our third senior disciple. He's the oldest, in his thirties, and still stuck in the Stone Skin Realm, with no hope of reaching the Bone Forging Realm. He's been frequenting the Sparrow Pavilion for the past two years. If you really want to go, he's the one to ask."

"With your current financial means, he could even introduce you to a courtesan."

Qi Yuan pouted. "Lust is a bone-scraping knife. You haven't even reached the Bone Forging Realm yet, so it's better to go to the Sparrow Pavilion less. The place I'm talking about, you've definitely heard of it."

"For Full Body Vital Energy Circulation, you can still quickly improve yourself by taking the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine. But for the Skin Grinding Realm, will the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine still have much effect on you?"

"Ordinary meat can increase Blood Essence for martial artists. But for martial practitioners, just eating this meat is like ordinary people eating only rice and no meat. Their Blood Essence won't be replenished, and their strength will continuously decline."

"Therefore, any Skin Grinding Realm martial practitioner must have a way to earn money."

"Only with gold and silver can one purchase those things."

Saying this, Qi Yuan looked at Jiang Shu with envy.

With his status, he naturally knew that Jiang Shu held a ten percent share of the profits from the Zhou Family Restaurant.

This income alone was enough to support Jiang Shu's cultivation in the early stages of the Skin Grinding Realm.

Qi Yuan stopped speaking. He was confident Jiang Shu had already guessed where he was taking him.

As expected, in the next second, Jiang Shu, who had been pursing his lips, put away his smile, looked at Qi Yuan, and uttered his guess in two words:

"Black Market?"

"Every martial practitioner has their own way of earning money. Most of us Skin Grinding Realm martial practitioners come from good families. We also register under various businesses and collect considerable fees for our names. Some become retainers for wealthy families, engaging in equal transactions. The martial practitioner works for the wealthy family, and the family provides sufficient silver to the martial practitioner."

Pingling County.

Night fell.

The bright moon hung high, and the pedestrians on the street gradually thinned.

Qi Yuan took a white-faced monkey mask and a cloak from his room and handed them to Jiang Shu. "Put this on, wear this, and go there. You can't show your true face."

As he spoke, he also donned his cloak and a black bear mask. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice had become more steady, like that of a middle-aged man in his forties. "The martial arts resources needed by a Martial Practitioner in the Skin Grinding Realm are no longer something an ordinary affluent family can afford."

"The resources for the Bone Forging Realm are even greater. Most of the martial arts school masters have already experienced a decline in their Blood Essence, which is why they only charge ten taels of silver – to accumulate wealth bit by bit. Those who can truly advance come from prominent families. If the Bone Forging Realm is like this, can you guess how many martial arts resources the county magistrate of our Pingling County, the only one in the Viscera Refining Realm, needs daily?"

"Relying on the court's salaries?"

"The reason the Black Market can continue to exist is because, behind it..."

Without finishing his sentence, Qi Yuan walked out of the small courtyard.

Jiang Shu held his breath and followed closely behind.

Indeed, some secret matters would never be known without reaching a certain realm or attaining a certain status.

Behind the Black Market, it must be the county yamen and the prominent families.

The superficial stability of Pingling County was merely a tacit understanding reached between the two.

Therefore, as long as the prominent families did not go too far.

The county yamen would unconditionally stand on the side of the prominent families.

Qi Yuan's footsteps were very light. He bypassed many alleys and arrived at the depths of a certain alley, a seemingly uninhabited ordinary civilian house.

He pushed the door open as if very familiar with it. The room was tidy and empty. He walked to the wall and applied a little force, pushing open a hidden door.

Instantly, another world unfolded before Jiang Shu's eyes.

Two wooden pillars stood firmly, with several lanterns hanging high above them.

In front of the wooden pillars, two men, both with masked faces, stood with swords. Their bodies radiated rolling Blood Essence, and the blades of their swords appeared exceptionally formidable under the moonlight.

"Those standing are all Martial Practitioners of the Skin Grinding Realm. They prevent outsiders from intruding. The minimum standard to enter the Black Market is the Skin Grinding Realm. Of course, if you are with me, you can also enter for a look."

Qi Yuan spoke softly. He walked up to the two men holding swords, stood facing the air, and threw a punch, the force resonating.

After receiving a nod, he led Jiang Shu into a street that could accommodate two people.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at a huge square, resembling a small marketplace.

"There are five such small trading posts in the Black Market. We entered from the east. There is also one in each of the other three directions, providing martial arts cultivation resources for the Skin Grinding Realm."

"As for the very center, no one except for experts of the Bone Forging Realm can enter."

Pulling Jiang Shu into a corner, Qi Yuan explained in a low voice.

He had officially entered the Black Market after reaching the Skin Grinding Realm. After several months of exploration, he had managed to gather this basic information.

If Jiang Shu hadn't been so congenial to him and hadn't frequently brought him strong liquor.

He wouldn't have revealed this so easily.

"The Black Market opens periodically, basically once every fifteen days. Here, ordinary items can be purchased with gold and silver. Rare items are mostly traded through bartering. The quality of the traded goods is uneven, and authenticity is difficult to guarantee. The principle is cash on delivery, no responsibility accepted."

"Do you want to go with me, or wander around yourself and meet up later?"

"I'll go by myself."

Jiang Shu's voice was low, disguised as he spoke.

From a safety perspective, not yet being in the Skin Grinding Realm, following Qi Yuan was the most sensible choice.

However, the Black Market did not open every day, and Qi Yuan, as a Martial Practitioner of the Skin Grinding Realm, also needed to purchase his own martial arts resources.

Bringing him here was merely a detour to let him broaden his horizons.

If he kept following him, Qi Yuan would be somewhat restricted when purchasing his own resources. After all, who would reveal all their affairs in front of others?

"Okay. Then we'll meet here in half an hour."

"Alright."