Peering Eyes

Time slipped by, day after day. Before long, seven days had passed.

Lin Yin sweated it out on the Staking Ground, his martial arts improving with each passing day. Shi Zhong and the others had also gradually mastered most of the Cloud Settling Stake Technique, with their sights set firmly on reaching the entry level.

That day...

After briefly pointing out a few mistakes in Wan Qing's Breathing Rhythm, Lin Yin went off to a corner and started practicing again.

His movements shifted between slow and swift, flowing seamlessly between the Cloud Settling Stake Technique and the Vajra Stake Technique.

Whenever someone came over to ask for advice... Lin Yin would automatically switch into the Cloud Settling Stake Technique's stance. As soon as they left, he would practice the Vajra Stake Technique again.

As time went on, Lin Yin grew increasingly adept at switching between the two techniques. Even Shi Zhong, standing not far away, had no idea the young man beside him had been secretly practicing another Stance Skill all along.

"Haah—"

With a low shout, Shi Zhong's burly frame, steaming with sweat, sprang up like a released coil. He kicked the wooden stake in front of him with all his might.

The sequence was flawless, and the force behind it was so impressive that several nearby disciples immediately turned to look.

"Senior Brother Shi... what strength."

Someone couldn't help praising him.

A hint of smugness crept across Shi Zhong's face. After practicing the Stance Skill these past few days, he could feel how much he had improved.

Before, his body had been like a stubborn rock, possessing only sheer heft. Now, it was like a vigorous pine shooting skyward, brimming with life.

His seemingly stiff muscles felt almost alive. With every punch and kick, he could summon strength he'd once been utterly incapable of wielding!

That kick had been the final move of the Cloud Settling Stake Technique, directing Qi and Blood to his toes and fully rousing the Qi and Blood throughout his body.

Then he had unleashed that strength.

That was what had made the kick so powerful!

"Next, I need to get my Qi and Blood circulating. Once I can mobilize it throughout my whole body, I'll have reached the entry level of the Cloud Settling Stake Technique."

Shi Zhong was fired up. He felt it wouldn't take long. Once he succeeded, the gates to the world of Martial Artists would open to him.

At the thought, his gaze inadvertently drifted toward the figure in the corner.

That figure continued practicing at an unhurried pace, seemingly unaffected by Shi Zhong's kick.

"When that time comes... you'll have to call me Senior Brother."

Since the martial hall followed the principle that the more accomplished took precedence, Shi Zhong, Wan Qing, and the others had spent the past few days respectfully addressing Lin Yin as Senior Brother, since he was temporarily in charge of instructing them.

They might have acted respectful on the surface, but Shi Zhong had never been entirely convinced.

In his eyes, Lin Yin's punches looked fierce, but were actually soft and weak, lacking any real power. It was obvious he wasn't good at Qi and Blood Mobilization.

He was nowhere near Shi Zhong's level.

Shi Zhong looked away and began practicing each move again.

If he wanted to surpass someone, he naturally had to work harder than them.

On the other side, sensing that no one nearby was paying attention to him anymore, Lin Yin's gaze sharpened.

Everyone around him was improving. He couldn't afford to fall behind.

Day after day, he rose earlier than everyone else and went to bed no later. Under the Heaven rewards diligence fate, he improved with every passing second.

His seemingly slow punch suddenly turned fierce. The Qi and Blood in his whole body nearly fused into one as he punched toward the wooden stake before him.

"Vmmm—"

His fist stopped an inch short of the stake. A faint whistle of displaced air flashed and vanished, while golden light shimmered in Lin Yin's eyes.

[Heaven rewards diligence, Will achieve something]

[Vajra Stake Technique Minor Accomplishment (2/100)]

[Cloud Settling Stake Technique entry level (40/100)]

His body, wrapped in coarse hemp clothes, was taut as a drawn bowstring. His robust Qi and Blood surged within him, and a strange force shot from the large tendons in his legs, following the path of his punch.

If he went back a week, Lin Yin was certain he wouldn't even need a bow and arrow. One punch would be enough to kill the burly Li Sihhu on the spot!

This... was Bright Strength!

That wasn't all. A subtle sheen flashed across Lin Yin's pale, seemingly bloodless skin, like sunlight glinting off bronze.

[Heaven rewards diligence, Will achieve something]

[Golden Bell Shield entry level (15/100)]

Three days earlier, he had officially begun practicing the Golden Bell Shield. Unlike the Inner Strength method for enlivening Qi, the Golden Bell Shield mobilized the Qi and Blood throughout his body, strengthening his foundation and nourishing his vitality!

The most immediate result was Lin Yin's endurance.

Before, practicing two Stance Skills for long stretches had left him feeling strained. But after taking up the Golden Bell Shield, that strain had grown much fainter.

And endurance wasn't its only benefit. As a Hardening Technique, the Golden Bell Shield had its most direct effect on the flesh and blood.

A special method of circulating Qi and Blood concentrated Qi in his flesh, using it to temper his body. This had increased Lin Yin's resilience at an astonishing rate.

He rolled up the long strip of cloth around his wrist, revealing a faint scratch on his fair, smooth skin.

He had made it by testing his mother's scissors on his own skin.

He hadn't used much force, but even the sharp blades had failed to cut through the surface of his skin.

That showed just how much the Golden Bell Shield had improved him.

Once the Golden Bell Shield reached Minor Accomplishment, Lin Yin would truly be a Bright Strength Martial Artist.

"I've got a little confidence now. Maybe I should head up the mountain ahead of schedule."

Lin Yin mulled it over.

Lately, to temper his Qi and Blood as quickly as possible, he had spent most of the silver he'd gotten from Li Sihhu on meat.

Unlike before, he had no Great Medicine to rely on, so he was tempering his Qi and Blood entirely with meat. He needed a great deal of it.

As a result, in just a short time, nearly half of his thirty taels of silver had vanished.

That left Lin Yin, who had already been somewhat short on money, feeling even more pressed.

Whenever he thought about how the price of meat had been climbing day after day, his heart bled.

A catty of meat now cost twice as much as before!

"Looks like I have no choice but to go to Tiger Head Mountain."

Now that he had developed Qi, Lin Yin had gained some means of protecting himself. Even so, he didn't let his guard down for a moment. He often recalled what he had seen on Tiger Head Mountain.

Lin Yin constantly reminded himself to be cautious.

As night fell...

After eating five big steamed buns and a bun in the Fist Manor Dining Hall, Lin Yin changed his clothes and headed out of the manor.

The sun sank in the west.

Lin Yin, dressed in coarse hemp clothes, passed his home.

Seeing his mother still hunched over her loom, weaving cloth, he quietly set down the meat he'd brought from the Market, then slipped away.

That night...

At the foot of Tiger Head Mountain.

In the dense woods, a figure darted through the trees like a ghost. Rustling sounds rose, like a bird flapping through the forest, then the figure abruptly stopped.

Lin Yin slowly lowered the hunting bow in his hand, his brow furrowing as he turned sharply.

His bright eyes swept over the silent mountain forest. It was pitch-black; he saw nothing.

Even so, Lin Yin didn't relax at all. Instead, his nerves tightened further.

The next moment, he gritted his teeth and abandoned the prey ahead, plunging deeper into the woods.

Lin Yin didn't even take the forest trails when he went up Tiger Head Mountain. This habitual choice only made his movements harder to predict.