Body Tempering Realm Late Stage, Hidden Force

[In the twelfth year, Huo Yuanjia dragged you along to watch his father, Huo Endi, fight Zhao Zhongqiang, the inheritor of Zhao Family Fist, in a ring match.

Just as you knew it would happen, Huo Endi held back midway because he was unwilling to hurt anyone. Zhao Zhongqiang seized the opportunity and knocked him off the stage, winning the match.

Huo Yuanjia, who had always believed his father to be invincible, could not accept this outcome and was devastated.

All you could do was keep comforting him and tell him to take it in stride.

But misfortunes never came alone. Zhao Zhongqiang's son, Zhao Jian, brought several lackeys to specifically mock Huo Yuanjia, saying Huo Family Fist was utterly inferior and could not compare to the Zhao family's Zhao Family Fist...]

"So the plot is finally officially beginning? I wonder what I'll do in the simulation?" Zheng Qian murmured thoughtfully as he watched the subtitles before him.

This was one of the most important turning points in Huo Yuanjia's life, as well as the beginning of his determined pursuit of martial arts.

[Born rebellious, Huo Yuanjia challenged Zhao Jian in a fit of rage.

Unfortunately, naturally frail as he was, he was no match for Zhao Jian, who had trained in martial arts for years. He was knocked to the ground in a single exchange and brutally humiliated.

With your strength, you could have easily defeated Zhao Jian and avenged Huo Yuanjia, but you did not.

Because you knew the plot well, you understood that this was a crucial turning point in Huo Yuanjia's life and the beginning of his path toward becoming a great hero. You did not want to interfere recklessly.

And indeed, after Zhao Jian swaggered away, Huo Yuanjia got to his feet and immediately declared that he wanted to learn martial arts. He asked you to secretly copy out a manual of Huo Family Fist for him to practice.

Naturally, you did not refuse, especially since you had already memorized Huo Family Fist perfectly.]

[Your plan succeeded. Before long, you had copied out the complete Huo Family Fist manual.

Huo Yuanjia truly deserved to be called a Martial Arts Prodigy. After only two months of grueling training, he had mastered the basics of Huo Family Fist, whereas it had taken you a full year.

Moreover, his unique understanding of Huo Family Fist benefited you greatly, vastly improving your training efficiency and giving you a clearer idea of how to break through.]

[Two months later, Huo Yuanjia challenged Zhao Jian again and won with ease. Delighted, he took the Life-and-Death Contract he had won home to show his father, Huo Endi.

Seeing his son's remarkable talent, Huo Endi immediately changed his attitude and began carefully instructing Huo Yuanjia.

As his childhood friend, you naturally would not let this opportunity pass and began training alongside him.]

[In the thirteenth year, after half a year of bitter training, your Huo Family Fist finally broke through to the Minor Accomplishment stage, and your strength rose to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

This realm had another name—Clear Force. One condensed strength to temper the bones, making one's fists as heavy as mountains. With a single punch, the air exploded with a thunderous boom, its might terrifying.]

[In the fifteenth year, sensing the unrest of the times, your father sent the fifteen-year-old you to Japan to study abroad. Though unwilling, your food, clothing, and daily expenses were all provided by your father, so you had no way to defy his will.

But after arriving in Japan, you did not neglect your martial arts training. While completing your studies, you continued training diligently and often picked fights with those little Japanese bastards, striking without mercy.

Of course, you could not win every time, but overall, you won more than you lost. This greatly enriched your combat experience.]

[In the twenty-first year, having completed your studies, you returned to Tianjin and began taking over your father's businesses.

With the help of the Eating is a Blessing talent, you successfully cultivated Huo Family Fist to the peak of Minor Accomplishment just before returning home, and your strength likewise reached the peak of Clear Force.

This was more or less the lifelong limit for most martial artists.]

Seeing this, Zheng Qian felt that he had chosen the right talent after all. Otherwise, he would probably still be stuck circling around the Meat Refining Realm.

[After returning, you began running the restaurant your father had left behind and reconnected with your childhood friend Huo Yuanjia.

Huo Yuanjia was indeed a Martial Arts Prodigy. After years of grueling training, he had likewise cultivated Huo Family Fist to the peak of Minor Accomplishment, reaching the peak of Clear Force. He was invincible among the younger generation and possessed extraordinarily rich combat experience.

But because of this, he developed a ruthless temperament, eager to fight and quick to kill whenever disagreements arose.

You repeatedly advised him that martial arts were primarily for strengthening the body and cultivating one's character, not for competing over superiority or taking lives.

Unfortunately, Huo Yuanjia, rebellious by nature, simply would not listen. He continued doing as he pleased, just as before, and your relationship was no longer what it had once been.

You had done everything you could. Since he was like this, there was nothing more you could do. You could only continue practicing martial arts earnestly, though your progress was slow.

Yet under the effect of the Eating is a Blessing talent, your body grew increasingly robust.

Given your current physical condition, though you were both at the peak of Clear Force, you were confident that you could overpower Huo Yuanjia with sheer strength!]

[In the twenty-third year, Huo Yuanjia married. As his friend, you gave him a generous gift and hoped that marriage would temper his aggressive nature, but the results were minimal. You continued your bitter martial arts training, though your progress remained slow.]

[In the twenty-fourth year, Huo Yuanjia's wife gave birth to a daughter, but she herself died from complications during childbirth.

That same year, when Huo Yuanjia's daughter reached her first month, you once again presented a generous gift and hoped that Huo Yuanjia would cultivate himself for the sake of his family. Unfortunately, Huo Yuanjia still would not listen.

Though you knew the plot well and had long known Huo Yuanjia was rebellious to the core, you had not expected him to be so obstinate.

Helpless, you could only let him be and continue diligently practicing martial arts.]

[In the twenty-fifth year, Huo Yuanjia's father, Huo Endi, died of illness. You went to pay your respects and, without giving up, advised Huo Yuanjia once more, but the results were still minimal.

After several years of grueling training, Huo Yuanjia had cultivated Huo Family Fist to Great Accomplishment, and his strength leaped to the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm—the realm of Hidden Force.

This realm focused primarily on training the tendons. In battle, the tendons and bones throughout one's body resonated in unison. Strength erupted from the bones and passed through the body, its power terrifying. He was no longer an opponent for you, who had remained stuck in place.]

"As expected of the protagonist. His cultivation speed is incredible. He reached the realm of Hidden Force at only twenty-five..." Zheng Qian murmured enviously as he read the information in the subtitles before him.

Huo Yuanjia had started training several years later than him, yet had entered the realm of Hidden Force before him. It was enough to bring him to tears.

[In the twenty-seventh year, just as you sensed an opportunity to break through, you heard that Huo Yuanjia had begun challenging every renowned martial arts master in Tianjin. He wanted to become Number One in Tianjin and make Huo Family Fist famous throughout Tianjin.

Because he had fought many matches without suffering a single defeat, his fame soared. Countless people flocked to curry favor with him, and even more wished to become his disciples.

For a time, Huo Yuanjia was surrounded by admirers and unmatched in prominence, his spirits soaring to their peak.

You knew that Huo Yuanjia, intoxicated by success, would not listen to any advice, so you could only continue training hard in frustration.

As the saying went, flowers would not bloom when carefully planted, while willows flourished where they were planted by chance.

Through your diligent training, you finally cultivated Huo Family Fist to Great Accomplishment. Your strength advanced further as well, successfully breaking through to the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm—the realm of Hidden Force.]