Internal Force

Evening.

After ringing the bell, Li Gan and Elder Song sat at the table and began eating dinner.

"Elder Song, I've already opened eight standard meridians."

Halfway through the meal, Li Gan suddenly spoke.

"Mm, opening eight standard meridians is indeed quite—"

Elder Song said.

Suddenly, he froze. "What did you just say? You've opened eight standard meridians?"

"Yes, Elder Song."

Li Gan nodded.

"How did you do it so quickly?"

Elder Song stared at Li Gan in great surprise.

By his estimation, Li Gan would need at least another year to open eight standard meridians.

"I don't know either. Anyway, over the past two months, my training has become much more effective."

Li Gan scratched his head.

"To what level have you trained your Sword Piercing Fist?"

Elder Song suddenly asked.

Li Gan hurriedly stood up and performed a set of Sword Piercing Fist inside the room. The seemingly simple fist technique was like a sharp sword, containing an invisible edge that sliced through the air and produced faint whistling cries.

"Fists like swords, their edge fully revealed. Your Sword Piercing Fist has already reached Great Accomplishment. No wonder you were able to open eight standard meridians so quickly."

After watching, Elder Song was filled with amazement.

Sword Piercing Fist could only be considered a basic fist technique, yet for a menial disciple of ordinary aptitude, reaching Great Accomplishment still required years of bitter training.

Li Gan had trained Sword Piercing Fist to Great Accomplishment in just a few short months. It was clear that his Enlightenment was exceptionally high.

"Li Gan, in your case, you probably won't need to use the Force Transformation Method. You can completely rely on your Sword Piercing Fist at Great Accomplishment to open all Twelve Standard Meridians, allowing your Internal Breath to naturally transform into Internal Force."

Elder Song thought for a moment before speaking.

"Ah? Elder Song, is using the Force Transformation Method not good?"

Li Gan asked curiously.

"Using the Force Transformation Method is a last resort. Although it can spur Internal Breath to transform into Internal Force, it also damages the meridians. Many menial disciples, even if they can become Ranked Martial Artists, ultimately achieve little because of the drawbacks of the Force Transformation Method."

Elder Song sighed. "In truth, the internal cultivation techniques practiced by official disciples follow the path of opening the Twelve Standard Meridians and naturally transforming Internal Breath into Internal Force."

Once Li Gan heard this, he understood and immediately nodded.

Only the final Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian remained unopened.

"If you can open all twelve standard meridians and cultivate Internal Force, you'll be no different from an official disciple. Afterward, if you open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and cultivate Internal Qi, passing the re-examination held every three years to become an official disciple should not be difficult."

Elder Song said.

There were two paths for a menial disciple to become an official disciple. One was the Combat Ranking List: holding first place for three consecutive years. The difficulty was extremely high, and it was mainly suited to menial disciples with strong combat instincts.

The second path was the re-examination.

Every menial disciple had only one chance at the re-examination.

Its difficulty was even greater than the Combat Ranking List.

That was because the basic requirement for the re-examination was becoming a Ranked Martial Artist within three years.

Under normal circumstances, if a menial disciple could become a Ranked Martial Artist within three years, it meant their talent, aptitude, and Enlightenment were all outstanding. They could not possibly have failed the entry assessment.

There were also a very few exceptional cases: people who had failed by accident, or who later encountered a great opportunity and thus reached the rank within three years.

Li Gan did not intend to take the re-examination.

Because he did not want to leave the Bell Tower.

The only trouble was that if he did not become an official disciple, obtaining cultivation techniques and martial techniques from the Divine Sword Sect would be extremely difficult.

Although menial disciples could exchange Contribution Points for them, there were still restrictions. Some high-grade cultivation techniques and martial techniques were certainly only available to official disciples and above.

What a pity this bell can't shrink down and be stored inside my body. Otherwise, I could replace this Chen Bell.

Li Gan sighed inwardly.

He believed that once the Chen Bell upgraded high enough, it would certainly be able to do so.

Dong! Dong!

Chen Hour.

The Bell Sound rang out.

Two chimes in succession.

Li Gan stood atop the bell platform, assuming a stance as he practiced Sword Piercing Fist.

As his feet moved, his fists stabbed like blades, their edge fully revealed. A faint shriek sliced through the air, while the Internal Breath within him boiled as it flowed through one meridian after another, only gradually stopping when it reached the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian.

"At this speed, I should be able to open the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian in at most twenty days."

Li Gan was overjoyed.

After finishing his training, he returned to the room and discovered Elder Song packing a bundle.

"Elder Song, are you going out?"

Li Gan was somewhat surprised.

"Mm, I'm going out for a while. During this time, you mustn't delay ringing the bell."

Elder Song nodded. "If I don't make it back in time, you'll have to go to the Chore Hall yourself to collect the monthly stipend and supplies."

He gave several other instructions as well.

Li Gan listened carefully.

After Elder Song descended the mountain, only Li Gan remained in the Bell Tower.

He became even more bored.

There was not even anyone to talk to.

He could only wait for Chen Yong to train with the crossbeam on his back before he had a chance to speak with someone.

"Strange. Why isn't Chen Yong training today?"

Li Gan stood atop the Bell Tower, looking out over the hillside, where not a single figure could be seen.

How boring.

So he could only continue practicing his fists.

For several days in a row, Li Gan did not see Chen Yong.

"It seems Chen Yong has probably given up."

Li Gan sighed.

More than ten days passed like this, yet Elder Song still had not returned.

"Could Elder Song be not coming back?"

A thought suddenly crossed Li Gan's mind.

But then he felt that could not be right. Elder Song had no family or children. If he did not return to the Divine Sword Sect, where else could he go?

A few more days passed before Li Gan finally saw Chen Yong again, carrying the crossbeam on his back.

"Brother Chen Yong, I haven't seen you for quite a while."

Li Gan squatted on the hillside and greeted him with a smile.

Chen Yong set down the crossbeam and scratched his head awkwardly. "Some time ago, I joined the Combat Ranking List and got injured."

"You, a new menial disciple, joined the Combat Ranking List?"

Li Gan asked in surprise.

"I just wanted to experience it, you know? Sigh, those senior brothers were truly incredible. I couldn't even last one move. Luckily, Senior Brother Wei showed mercy, or I definitely would've had to lie in bed for several more days."

Chen Yong said.

"Who took first place on the Combat Ranking List this time?"

Li Gan asked curiously.

"Brother Gan, you didn't go watch the Combat Ranking List?"

Chen Yong asked curiously.

"No."

Li Gan shook his head.

He had never even gone down the mountain.

"It was Senior Brother Zhang Mingcan. He's incredible—he's already become a Ranked Martial Artist. And Senior Brother Zhang was also first place on the previous Combat Ranking List. If he keeps first place next year, he'll definitely become an official disciple."

A trace of envy appeared on Chen Yong's face.

After chatting for a while, Chen Yong hoisted the crossbeam again and continued training.

Li Gan also returned to the Bell Tower and continued cultivating.

Early morning.

After Li Gan rang the Chen Bell, he began practicing his fist technique.

This time, something was different.

As Internal Breath surged into the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, its momentum was not blocked. Instead, it grew more and more intense.

With a tremor running through his entire body, the place where the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian lay felt as though it had been struck by lightning. In an instant, the surging Internal Breath burst straight through it.

The Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian had opened.

In that instant, he felt as though the Internal Breath throughout his body had formed a complete circulating whole.

The Internal Breath began flowing faster and faster.

He did not need to practice Sword Piercing Fist at all; it began circulating on its own.

It was as though an invisible force were controlling and driving it.

So swollen.

As Internal Breath raced through his meridians, they endured an immense feeling of pressure.

Suddenly, amid its high-speed circulation, the Internal Breath seemed to break through some kind of limit, and its nature began undergoing a strange transformation.

At the same time, the swelling pain in his meridians reached its peak.

Unable to endure it any longer, he threw a punch and smashed it fiercely into a stone stele.

Bang!

The entire stele trembled slightly. Lime dust scattered down, and a fist print actually appeared on it.

Yet his fist was completely uninjured.

However, after that punch, the swelling pain within him gradually faded away.

The Internal Breath—no, it should now be called Internal Force—had also been greatly depleted by that punch.

"So this is Internal Force? It really is powerful. Not only can it leave a fist print on a stone stele, it can even protect my fist from injury."

Li Gan was utterly shocked.

And this was only Internal Force.

He did not even count as a Ranked Martial Artist yet, only a Martial Apprentice.

If he cultivated Internal Qi and became a Ranked Martial Artist, just how powerful would he be?