Circulating Qi and Blood!

"You—you there! Where do you think you're hiding? Come out, old man!"

Seeing him like this, Cao Feng was startled at first, then the corners of his lips curled up slightly. The bamboo strip in his hand reached past Zhao Tianxing's neck and, with a soft smack, struck Chu Fan squarely on the forehead corner.

"Hiss!"

Chu Fan felt his forehead corner go numb, followed by a sharp stab of pain. He grimaced, instinctively raising both hands to rub his head rapidly.

Seeing this, everyone around the Training Ground did their best to hold back their laughter. Their little faces flushed like ripe pig livers, while muffled "heh-heh" sounds rumbled from their throats.

Even Li Qingxue, standing to the side, couldn't help raising a hand to cover the corner of her mouth. A trace of amusement flashed through her eyes.

Chu Fan muttered a curse at his bad luck. Rubbing his forehead corner, he unwillingly walked into the middle of the Training Ground.

He had still wanted to watch the others practice their boxing a few more times, but he hadn't expected his turn to come so soon.

Chu Fan steadied himself and took his place in the middle of the Training Ground. First, he cast aside all distractions. Then he lowered his waist and planted his feet, unfolding the Twelve Forms Boxing one move at a time.

One step, one stance.

One punch, one intent!

Whoosh!

Inhale!

Whoosh!

Inhale!

[Twelve Forms Boxing Experience +1]

After completing the set, Chu Fan was already panting heavily. Every muscle and bone in his body ached, his Qi and blood churned, and his heartbeat thundered like a war drum.

His vision went black in waves, and his mind felt utterly empty...

It was as if this single set of boxing had drained all the essence, energy, and spirit from his entire body!

Clearly, every punch and step he had made had been slow beyond measure, without the slightest trace of the violent, stormlike movements one might expect...

Yet after completing a set of Twelve Forms Boxing, the muscles and bones throughout his body felt as though all their strength had been pulled out.

That exhaustion felt exactly like doing deadlifts continuously for three or four hours in a gym before he had crossed over!

The deadlift, one of the three major lifts, was a full-body compound movement.

Not only did it require multiple major muscle groups to work in coordination, it also placed exceptionally intense stimulation on the central nervous system. The pressure on neural transmission was tremendous, making it one of the most mentally and physically exhausting exercises.

After finishing deadlifts, many strong men would spend the next week feeling as though their heads were filled with lead. Their eyelids were as heavy as if weighted by iron caltrops, and they could barely summon the energy to speak.

Thus, unless ordinary people were deliberately seeking misery, they would never recklessly perform deadlifts for three or four hours straight.

Yet after completing this round of Twelve Forms Boxing, Chu Fan had genuinely experienced what it felt like to do deadlifts for three or four hours without pause!

If Zhao Tianxing hadn't been supporting him, he would probably have already collapsed to the ground!

But when the people around the Training Ground saw him finish the set, the smiles on their faces had already vanished, replaced by utter astonishment!

Quiet whispers soon arose all around them.

Even Cao Feng couldn't help raising his brows. He stroked the short beard on his chin, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

This kid had only entered the Seven Star Gang today. After completing a set of Twelve Forms Boxing, apart from the bamboo strip he had taken earlier while dodging back and forth, he hadn't been struck even once!

"Mm, not bad."

Cao Feng slowly nodded, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "The moves are somewhat raw and clumsy, and the motions aren't particularly pleasing to watch, but aside from a few minor deviations, you got the general sequence right."

Hearing this, Chu Fan only smiled faintly and said nothing.

Within this seventeen-year-old body was the soul of a man in his thirties who had completed nine years of compulsory education, gone through high school and university, worked like an ox for six or seven years after entering society, and finally started a business only to end up buried in debt...

Other abilities aside, his capacity to learn should at least be better than that of a group of illiterate vagrants. Otherwise, it would be difficult to justify.

[Technique: Twelve Forms Boxing (Not Entered) (Trait: None)]

[Progress: (1/10)]

Entering the Twelve Forms Boxing required only ten experience points.

However, obtaining each point of experience required him to genuinely complete the entire boxing set once. There was no room for the slightest shortcut.

Such slow progress was far more difficult than the Chopping Wood Saber Technique.

Chu Fan took a deep breath. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead corners and along his cheeks. He couldn't help asking, "Instructor, why did completing this round of Twelve Forms Boxing leave me even more exhausted than working continuously for an entire day and night?"

"Being tired is exactly the point." The corners of Cao Feng's lips curved into a smile.

He said loudly, "Every time you practice this Twelve Forms Boxing, you must circulate your Qi and blood like a river in full flood, then temper them with boxing intent like refined steel..."

"Afterward, the consumption of your body's essence is naturally extraordinary. You must rely on fine food to nourish yourself and rest quietly to recover. Otherwise, your Qi and blood won't be able to keep up."

"With your current physiques, the most you can do within two hours is practice Twelve Forms Boxing twice."

"After completing this round, you'll need to rest for at least a little over an hour before you can practice the second round."

Among the eight who had entered the gang alongside Chu Fan, one young man could no longer hold back and asked, "What if someone forced himself to practice it three times within two hours?"

Cao Feng smiled faintly. His tone was calm, yet carried a chilling undertone. "Practicing it three times is naturally possible... It's just that if you suddenly collapse halfway through, someone from the gang will naturally collect and bury your corpse. There's no need to worry."

"Boom!"

As soon as he said this, uproarious laughter erupted throughout the Training Ground, sweeping away all traces of the earlier tension.

"Circulating Qi and blood..."

Chu Fan silently nodded.

The Fist Manual had contained words like these as well.

It was just that they had seemed incomprehensible when he first read them. After Cao Feng's explanation, he finally seemed to have grasped a few clues.

Cao Feng's gaze shifted and landed on Zhao Tianxing.

He said leisurely, "Among the disciples who have joined the gang recently, Zhao Tianxing has the toughest muscles and bones, and his Qi and blood are as vigorous as a tiger descending the mountain. He simply doesn't know how to circulate his Qi and blood. Thus, although his Qi and blood are strong, he hasn't been able to refine them or condense that Qi and Blood Force."

"Once he begins practicing Twelve Forms Boxing, he'll definitely be the fastest among you to break through the Nourishing Blood stage."

"He grew up dealing with wild beasts in the mountains and forests, eating raw beast flesh and drinking scalding beast blood. After growing up, he often fought bears, tigers, and leopards... That is the innate advantage of someone born a hunter."

At this point, his gaze swept over Ling Feng standing nearby, and he continued, "In my view, Zhao Tianxing will most likely break through Nourishing Blood much faster than Ling Feng."

Hearing this, Ling Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. His expression remained unchanged, and he merely stood there in silence.

In an instant, the entire Training Ground fell silent.

Even the rustling of wind through the leaves could be heard clearly.

The way everyone looked at Zhao Tianxing was suddenly filled with envy and jealousy.

Zhao Tianxing grinned, puffing out his chest. His every glance and movement carried a hint of bold pride. "Thank you for the praise, Instructor!"

Cao Feng then turned toward Chu Fan and the others and said, "People are different from one another. There's no need for you to compare yourselves with Zhao Tianxing."

"Although your muscles, bones, Qi, and blood are somewhat weaker, as long as you diligently practice Twelve Forms Boxing and eat more beast meat for nourishment, over time your muscles and bones will naturally grow stronger, and your Qi and blood will gradually become more vigorous."

"Once your skill is deep enough, even practicing Twelve Forms Boxing ten times in succession will feel ordinary. Don't lose heart over this."

"But remember this well: when you first begin practicing, the greatest taboo is greed and haste. You must constantly observe the changes in your body and sense the depth of your fatigue. Do not let temporary diligence injure your foundations instead!"

"Yes!" Chu Fan and the others answered in unison, firmly engraving these words in their hearts.

Even if Cao Feng hadn't said it, Chu Fan would never have forced himself to practice a second round...

After completing that set just now, he had felt the sky spinning and his vision going black.

If Zhao Tianxing hadn't supported him, he would probably have already collapsed to the ground.

How could he dare try again?

How could he possibly try again?

Cao Feng then had Zhao Tianxing and the other six take the field in turn, each practicing Twelve Forms Boxing.

Those six young men had never come into contact with martial arts and could barely recognize a few characters. After completing a set, they all staggered about, making mistake after mistake...

Three of them were immediately whipped by the bamboo strip in Cao Feng's hand until they cried out in pain, tears and snot smearing their faces.

When it was Zhao Tianxing's turn, this guy was indeed extraordinary.

His movements were as swift as a hunting leopard pouncing on prey. Every gesture carried a hint of a beast's ferocity, and he had grasped the form and intent of Twelve Forms Boxing to seven or eight-tenths of its likeness!

After completing the set, his performance was even cleaner and crisper than that of the "old hands" who had been in the gang for over half a month!

Who could have known that when he reached the Monkey Form, Cao Feng's bamboo strip would still crack over with a smack.

"Your Monkey Form in Twelve Forms Boxing is very well learned, but this is the Monkey Form, not Monkey Fist, and certainly not monkey tricks!"

Cao Feng withdrew the bamboo strip and scolded him with a laugh, "There's no scratching your ears and cheeks or squinting and winking in Twelve Forms Boxing!"

Everyone smiled.

After finishing his instruction, Cao Feng's gaze swept over Chu Fan and the others' faces. He waved his hand and said, "After dinner at the mess hall tonight, you can all go receive a bowl of medicinal soup. Don't miss the time."

"Each person may receive only one bowl per day."

"The medicinal soup contains Nurturing Blood Powder. It is excellent for strengthening your muscles and bones, increasing your Qi and blood, and helping you open the door to Nourishing Blood sooner."

"Even if an ordinary person didn't practice boxing, drinking one bowl every day for several months would still make their muscles and bones much stronger than those of ordinary people."

"After drinking the medicinal soup and resting for a while, if you still feel energetic, you may as well practice Twelve Forms Boxing once more. You'll get twice the result with half the effort."

"As for the other wonders of the medicinal soup, you'll understand them after drinking a few bowls."

After Cao Feng finished speaking, he didn't wait for Chu Fan and the others to respond. He turned around with Li Qingxue and slowly left the Training Ground, leaving behind only two figures gradually walking away.

Zhao Tianxing hurriedly grabbed someone beside him and asked, "Can we really receive only one bowl of medicinal soup each day?"

The man nodded. "If you want more, you can pay for it. One bowl of medicinal soup costs one mace of silver."

"One mace of silver per bowl?" Chu Fan heard this from the side, and his face also registered shock.

One bowl a day meant thirty bowls a month.

That came to three taels of silver!

They had just entered the Seven Star Gang. Aside from doing odd jobs like chopping wood and shoveling horse manure, they hadn't rendered the gang even the slightest service, yet they were already being treated this generously?

For a job like chopping wood, even if he chopped from Early Morning until sunset, he couldn't earn two maces of silver in a month.

What was more, he only needed to chop wood for one morning!

There were hundreds of new miscellaneous workers in this branch.

One mace of silver per person per day...

How could a gang in Qingyang County City possibly support such an enormous expense?

Thinking of this, a trace of unease rose in Chu Fan's heart...

Seeing the strange look on Chu Fan's face, the man smiled and said, "Don't be surprised. Only after you break through the Nourishing Blood Realm will you count as a proper disciple of the Seven Star Gang. By then, you'll have to take on assignments from the gang every month..."

"Even if they send you to fight other gangs to the death, you'll still have to go."

"Once you accept missions, the gang will take an even larger cut..."

"These benefits you're receiving now really don't amount to much."

"In the Jianghu, what gang would do business at a loss?"

That sounded reasonable, but the unease in Chu Fan's heart remained difficult to dispel.

The Seven Star Gang treated its members far too generously.

Scenes from his former days of making a living by fishing flashed through his mind...

The fish markets of Qingyang Ancient City had all been controlled by the Blood Saber Sect. For the sake of making a living, he had often dealt with those people, and so he knew quite a lot about the Blood Saber Sect.

The Blood Saber Sect, however, had never offered such benefits.