Tiger Fist Initiation, Beginning Epiphany

With Chen Mo's physical condition as a Strength Refining Realm martial artist, carrying a wolf carcass weighing over a hundred jin back to the village was certainly no problem.

It was just that the mountain paths and forest trails were difficult to traverse, costing him some extra time. By the time he reached the village entrance, his stamina had not truly run out, but he was starving beyond endurance.

"Martial artists need breakfast too, or this body really won't be able to hold up," Chen Mo sighed inwardly.

He could not help recalling scenes from his previous life, when his parents had forced him to eat breakfast while he was still in school.

He shook his head vigorously, throwing those images out of his mind.

He could not go back anymore, so there was no point dwelling on it. It had no practical meaning.

He strode into the village. Beneath the villagers' watchful gazes, he held his back straight and his expression calm as he carried the wolf carcass home. A man could lose anything but his face. Then he discovered three large sacks placed outside his door.

He was certain that those three sacks had not been there when he left.

Setting down the wolf carcass and opening the sacks, he found rice, flour, cured meat, and dried meat chunks—three huge sacks in all.

Even with his greatly increased appetite, they would be enough to feed him for half a month.

There was no need to think about it. They had surely been sent by the Village Chief or Uncle Chao.

"How thoughtful. Looks like I won't need to enter the mountains for the next half month."

He had originally planned to join the village's Hunting Team and learn Tracking and hunting techniques, but it now seemed unnecessary.

He should raise his strength first.

Uncle Chao and the others had probably considered the same thing. They did not want him wasting his time on hunting.

As for the favor he owed, he could slowly repay it in the future, once his strength had risen, within the limits of his ability.

Since he had other food and was starving, there was no need to deal with the wolf immediately. Chen Mo gnawed on dried meat as he began cooking.

At the same time, news of his return to the village reached Chen Qun at once.

"He's back?" Chen Qun let out a breath of relief.

In his eyes, Chen Mo was only a fifteen-year-old Youth. Even though he had become a martial artist, entering the mountains alone to hunt was still far too dangerous.

If anything happened because of that, it would not only be Chen Mo's loss—it would also be a loss for Chen Family Village.

The villager who had come to report nodded. "Yes, he just returned. He even killed a wolf. It seemed to be the Wolf King whose eye we shot blind when we followed Uncle Chao to surround the Wolf Pack before."

"The Wolf King? Was Chen Mo injured?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

"That's good~"

With surprise on his face, Chen Qun added,

"Tell everyone not to disturb Chen Mo."

"Understood~"

After replying, the man saw that Chen Qun had nothing more to say and tactfully withdrew. Chen Qun was once again alone in the room, and beneath his surprise was an added trace of relief.

"To be able to hunt the Wolf King alone... it seems I made the right bet this time."

The moment he had learned that Chen Mo had gone hunting early that morning, he had immediately ordered someone to deliver grain, even sending over all the dried meat from his own home.

For that, he was bound to receive no shortage of cold looks from his wife. But now, it seemed he had made the right move.

Being able to form a good bond with a genius martial artist like Chen Mo would surely bring returns far greater than what he had invested now.

Adding flowers to brocade and sending charcoal in snowy weather could not be spoken of in the same breath.

"Once Chen Mo goes to the Martial Arts School in the county town, with his strength as a Strength Refining Realm martial artist, he will definitely gain a firm foothold. Together with Ying'er and Yu'er, our village will have three people studying martial arts there." Chen Qun stroked the beard on his chin, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

As the Village Chief of Chen Family Village, he considered matters more from the perspective of the village's overall interests.

As long as even one of Chen Mo, Ying'er, and Yu'er became a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist, all their previous investments would be worthwhile.

A village with close ties to a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist would see its safety rise enormously and gain immense benefits as well.

There were five villages around Mang Mountain. Why was Chen Family Village the only one not extorted by gangs and bandits? Was it not because their village had Chen Chao, an Inner Strength Realm martial artist?

Even if Chen Chao's combat power could not last long, he was still an Inner Strength Realm martial artist, enough to shelter one region.

If the Inner Strength Realm was already so formidable, there was even less need to mention the Divine Strength Realm.

The anticipation in Chen Qun's eyes could hardly be contained. "I wonder whether, in my lifetime, the village will produce a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist. I have waited for this day for nearly twenty years."

Unaware of all this, Chen Mo quickly prepared a meal. It was not especially delicious, but it was not bad either. After wolfing it down, the hunger in his stomach finally faded.

After resting for a while, he cleaned the wolf carcass by the river and butchered it. He kept the two hind legs and smoked all the rest. It was August, and the temperature was high; meat spoiled easily.

This was the only way to extend the storage time of the meat as much as possible.

Once he had finished everything, Chen Mo rested for another half hour before beginning to practice Tiger Fist.

He strove for precise movements, matching every stance with its corresponding Breathing Method. There were twenty-four moves in total, and with his current stamina and physical condition, he could perform the full set more than ten times in a row without issue.

After that, as long as he had enough food to replenish his energy in time, there would be no problem at all. After resting briefly, he could immediately begin practicing again.

By comparison, an ordinary person would likely need to rest for at least One hour after practicing two or three times, and could only practice ten times in a day.

Over the following days, with ample food at home, no need to leave the village to hunt, and no one coming to disturb him, Chen Mo was able to focus wholeheartedly on Fist Practice.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye~

That morning, after just finishing one round of Tiger Fist, Chen Mo felt something entirely different when he practiced again. He discovered that his body could finally instinctively coordinate its breathing with the movements of the Fist Technique.

The Breathing Method and Fist Technique had successfully fused together!

"I've entered the door?"

With a thought, the panel visible only to Chen Mo abruptly appeared before his eyes:

[Chen Mo]

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 15/65

Aptitude: Quite Potential

Skills: Archery (Perfect Accomplishment)

Technique: Health Cultivation Technique (Perfect Accomplishment), Tiger Fist (Initiation)

Realm: Body Tempering (Strength Refining)

Enlightenment Count: 3

"Five days to reach Initiation. This speed shouldn't be considered slow, right?" Chen Mo thought.

He had not used any of his Epiphany opportunities during those three days, so he had accumulated three Epiphanies.

He did not immediately use an Epiphany on Tiger Fist. Just in case, he first prepared enough food for himself.

One hour later, after eating something, Chen Mo adjusted both his physical and mental state to their peak. With a thought, he decisively used Epiphany on Tiger Fist.

The familiar space, the familiar Little person, the familiar feeling...

As he continuously absorbed insights into Tiger Fist, Chen Mo could clearly feel his body, which had originally progressed slowly, improving noticeably.

When the Epiphany ended, Chen Mo let out a long breath. He found that his pores had expelled very few Impurities, while Tiger Fist had advanced from Initiation to Proficient. He was still a Strength Refining Realm martial artist.

The hunger in his stomach was not especially obvious.

"Again~"

Without hesitation, he used another Epiphany on Tiger Fist.

The feeling was the same. In the end, Tiger Fist advanced from Proficient to Minor Accomplishment. His Body Tempering Realm remained unchanged, but Chen Mo now felt distinctly hungry.

The energy needed for physical improvement could not appear out of thin air. When he had cultivated the Health Cultivation Technique before, the sensation had not been particularly apparent. But Tiger Fist was a true Body Tempering Realm technique, and its consumption was undoubtedly much greater. Chen Mo had long expected this.

The food had already been prepared and set aside, so there was nothing to worry about. He immediately began devouring it.

After eating and drinking his fill, he rested and used up his final Epiphany opportunity as well.

This time, the feeling was far more intense than before. Chen Mo could clearly sense his body transforming, and even his Internal organs underwent a certain degree of tempering.

When his consciousness returned, all three Epiphany opportunities had been used. Chen Mo immediately summoned the panel, and delight instantly appeared on his face. "I broke through!"