Chapter 12

"The Ren Meridian is open! I've also broken through the first stage of the Thirteen Great Protectors' Adamantine Bell Shield!" His sweat was rather sticky, clinging uncomfortably to his skin and clothes, but wave after wave of stormy joy surged through Bai Lang's heart. Opening the Ren Meridian meant completing the Lesser Heavenly Cycle. His Internal Energy had increased three or fourfold at the very least, changing from a small stream into a respectable river. The capacity of his Dantian's sea of qi had also expanded from a tiny pond into something that could be called a pool. In terms of martial arts alone, he was at least ten times stronger than before.

Most importantly, he could now be considered a member of the martial world, no longer some mere "hired thug." But the urgent matter was to hurry back to where he lived, take a bath, change clothes, then sit in meditation to regulate his breathing and calm his Internal Energy, completing a Cosmic Circulation to consolidate it. Bai Lang therefore hastily withdrew his power and prepared to leave.

At that moment, two of the people gathered outside directly cupped their hands and bowed. "Master, please take me as your disciple." Bai Lang had been somewhat prepared for this. They had watched him for more than a month, and he had some understanding of what certain people among them were thinking. "Huh?" The young martial artist played dumb as he looked at the two youths, who were definitely older than him.

"We want to learn real martial arts!" the two said in unison. Bai Lang smiled. "Next time. Next time." He himself did not particularly mind teaching martial arts. They were all basic techniques anyway; no one would develop any problems from practicing them, and becoming healthier and stronger was not a bad thing. As for becoming reckless and violent after learning martial arts? That was a matter of personal character, unrelated to whether he taught them.

Setting that matter aside, Bai Lang quickly crossed the park and hurried back to his rented place. He could not even be bothered to wash the clothes he had changed out of and simply threw them away. Yet scrubbing himself still did not feel sufficient, so after washing with body wash, he got dressed and went out again, heading for a bathhouse to have someone scrub his back. "Give me a good scrub. I bet this is grime that got expelled through my pores after I opened the Lesser Heavenly Cycle."

Sure enough, even Bai Lang himself was startled by what the bath attendant scrubbed off. "There's at least a pound of old skin grime here! Damn!" The attendant seemed somewhat shocked as well. Out of professional ethics in the service industry, he tried hard to suppress his contempt, but Bai Lang knew the man was certainly wondering how many years it had been since this guy last bathed.

Bai Lang had clearly felt fragrant and clean, but there was nothing he could do about so much stuff coming out of his pores, especially when it clung to his skin. In any case, after the attendant gave him a vigorous scrub, Bai Lang deliberately purchased the most expensive package so the man could earn a bigger commission. Bright red from the scrubbing, Bai Lang rinsed himself off, soaked in the pool, and, while luxuriating in bliss, silently began circulating his Internal Energy through the Lesser Heavenly Cycle.

His Internal Energy had never circulated so smoothly before. Moreover, when the Internal Energy that had traversed the Ren Meridian traveled through his other meridians, both the power it contained and the new Internal Energy it generated were far stronger than before. "No wonder Mo Di was accepted directly into the inner sect. I haven't seen him in three years, but he's probably considered quite skilled by now, right? At least more than half of his Twelve Primary Meridians should be open—if I judge by my current situation."

The Internal Energy circulation route of the Thirteen Great Protectors' Adamantine Bell Shield differed from beginner-level Internal Energy techniques. Bai Lang tried circulating his power according to the Golden Bell Shield's route. He had only broken through the first stage, so the route was short, consisting only of the few primary meridians traversed during first-stage cultivation. They had all been opened at the moment he broke through.

Once this Internal Energy circulated according to the breathing method, it immediately gave Bai Lang a heavy, sluggish sensation as it flowed through his meridians, as though a river had turned into mercury. Though its circulation slowed, its solidity and imposing force improved enormously. However, this sort of Internal Energy quickly dispersed. It would likely take some time to fully convert the beginner true qi in his Dantian into the Internal Energy of Thirteen Protectors' Hardening.

"Since that's the case, I'll temper it slowly." Bai Lang made his decision.

In Bai Lang's view, the Thirteen Great Protectors' Adamantine Bell Shield did not seem to require much ambient qi. Of course, cultivation might be faster with the aid of ambient qi, but for now, it appeared that drawing true qi from the qi-nourishing food he ate and from his own fleshly body, refining from the outside inward, was the essence of this martial art. The next day, after Bai Lang absorbed his first breath of Purple Solar Qi, those people arrived at the park not long after it opened. They first gathered around to watch. Only after Bai Lang finished a set of Thirty-two Forms Long Fist did they cautiously approach and prepare to kneel and kowtow in apprenticeship.

Anyone capable of doing this—coming every day without fail, rain or shine, for over a month to watch Bai Lang practice martial arts—must truly love martial arts from the bottom of their heart. Bai Lang did not dislike such people. Perhaps he himself did not love martial arts quite so deeply, having learned them merely to survive, but he could understand people like them. Besides, these people were probably fairly well-off. The longest-standing among them had watched him for months, practically half a day at a time. They likely did not need to work for a living.

He looked at them and pondered for a moment. "There's no need to become disciples. I can give you some pointers. We can all improve together, improve together." After saying this, Bai Lang walked up to the leading young man. "You've practiced martial arts before, so let me see what you practice and how far you've gotten. One at a time."

Bai Lang did not mind spending this little bit of time. After all, he would not cultivate from morning to night; rushing cultivation would only be counterproductive and might instead damage his body. Those people were also overjoyed. They had merely decided to try their luck, never expecting this "young man" with genuine skill to truly be willing to guide them in martial arts.

These martial arts enthusiasts did indeed have some ability. Anyone who could come watch Bai Lang before dawn every day possessed determination in practicing martial arts. In Bai Lang's opinion, they had likely all formally taken masters and had apparently been taught some real skills. At the very least, they differed somewhat from the usual enthusiasts he saw. "You've learned fighting techniques? You properly took masters, didn't you?"

They all nodded one after another. "Great Sage Pigua, Baji Quan, Xingyi Quan, Tiger Crane Twin Forms." They each announced the names of the martial arts they practiced. "Watch me perform a set first." Bai Lang thought for a moment, then performed the Thirty-two Forms Long Fist again, this time moving more slowly.

Afterward, he had them practice while casually pointing out what they needed to pay attention to. They had merely failed to cultivate force, nothing more; Bai Lang's martial arts were more than sufficient to guide them. Naturally, someone also asked to learn his Thirty-two Forms Long Fist. That was a perceptive and clever person, able to see at a glance that the subtleties and power of this Long Fist exceeded the martial arts they practiced.

Bai Lang merely smiled and did not pursue the subject. It was not that he did not want to teach him; the man was simply aiming too high. Without mastering his own martial arts first, he would not be able to practice Bai Lang's Thirty-two Forms Long Fist properly. Unless, of course, he had never learned martial arts at all and began directly with the Thirty-two Forms Long Fist.

And so, in a corner of the park, a small martial arts group came into being.