Seeking Everything Through Fists, Martial Gall Awakens

"Creak—"

A broker carrying a ring of keys led a plainly dressed young man as he pushed open the gate of a house.

Daylight illuminated the room, revealing its simple furnishings:

Several meditation cushions, a wooden rack holding a few old weapons, and several Ironwood training posts.

Old sweat stains and palm prints, accumulated over countless days and years, could still vaguely be seen on the floor and walls.

The broker went to the four corners of the room and lit the oil lamps, introducing the place as he walked:

"Take a look, young sir. What do you think of this room?

It's secluded and safe.

A disciple from an Outer City martial arts school used to live here, and the equipment is all more or less complete!"

The man looked around, nodded in satisfaction, then took out silver and signed the lease with the broker.

After the broker left, Yang Ning swiftly shut the gate tight. Looking at the training room he had rented, he let out a long breath.

With a thought, a panel appeared before his eyes.

[Yang Ning]

[Realm: None]

[Destiny: Destined Martial Saint, Heaven Rewards Diligence]

[Martial Arts: Rock Stance Technique (Beginner), Tiger Soul Fist (Body Tempering 1/100)]

Ever since that night when the brothers had talked over drinks, Yang Ning had thrown himself into self-improvement. He had trained the stance technique to the beginner level and stirred the blood-qi throughout his body into motion.

He had then temporarily quit his job at the Porter Guild, intending to devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Martial Dao.

Yang Ning thought of the humiliation his elder brother had suffered at Hundred Herb Hall that day, as well as his fragility before their parents' memorial tablets at home. Though much time had passed, those scenes remained as vivid as yesterday.

He had long since engraved all of it in his heart, and silently thought: So what if I lack the qualifications to be an inner hall Guard?

From today onward, I am the one Destiny has chosen!

After returning home, Yang Ning hurriedly took out the martial arts manual they had obtained from Hundred Herb Hall that day and began cultivating it.

Thinking of that beast, Steward Fei, who had tossed it to them as though granting alms, Yang Ning's smile vanished, leaving behind only deep, chilling killing intent.

That man's filthy face and foul words had truly stabbed straight into Yang Ning's heart!

In his previous life, he had been all alone. In this life, he had his family's care. His elder brother had been his childhood idol, his Sister-in-law cared for him like a loving mother, and his niece Xiao Hua was the softest place in his heart.

The moment Steward Fei had spoken those words that day, Yang Ning had already sentenced him to death in his heart!

But killing him and giving his family a happy life both depended on one thing.

At that thought, he slowly looked down at his hands—amidst chaotic times, everything for poor families had to be sought through their fists!

Only with powerful martial strength would fame, fortune, and status come flocking in!

With that thought, Yang Ning cleared his mind and strode straight toward the training post.

The reason he had found this broker and rented this training ground was because martial arts practice was simply too destructive. There was no room to properly train at home.

His home also lacked training posts and martial arts equipment, so Yang Ning had planned to find a ready-made training house on East Third Street.

After Yang Ning had resolved to teach and train himself, his elder brother handed him the silver and martial arts manual Steward Fei had given them that day.

He thought of his elder brother and Sister-in-law's worried, weary backs. He thought of the hopeful gaze in his elder brother's eyes before leaving.

At that thought, the conviction in his heart grew even firmer.

Casting aside all distractions, Yang Ning had already arrived before the post.

He immediately loosened his muscles and bones, mobilized his blood-qi, fixed his attention on the training post before him, and slowly assumed a fist stance.

This fist art was the battered manual Steward Fei had used to dismiss the Yang brothers at Hundred Herb Hall that day—a martial arts tome called Tiger Soul Fist.

Though it was not a superior martial art, it could still be cultivated into becoming a martial artist.

However, Yang Ning had asked around. Although this was a legitimate martial art of Hundred Herb Hall, it was extremely difficult to cultivate.

Cultivating this martial art was quite demanding, requiring both talent and wealth. To this day, no one at Hundred Herb Hall had successfully reached Body Tempering through this fist art.

Furthermore, learning the Martial Dao generally required a dedicated instructor for guidance and training.

For such a difficult martial art, without a famous teacher's guidance, most people simply could not cultivate it.

That was likely why Steward Fei had been willing to give it to them.

But it did not matter. Destiny was with him.

As he opened his stance, Yang Ning suddenly felt unprecedented information flooding into his mind, as if a renowned teacher were patiently instructing him.

This was another wondrous aspect of his "Destiny" that Yang Ning had discovered. Back when he was at the Porter Guild, he had tried imitating the experience entries for the Rock Stance Technique a few times.

At that time, even without anyone guiding him, he could gain experience through the mysteries of Destiny.

Now that the martial arts manual was right before him, cultivating became even more natural and effortless.

Ever since obtaining the "Martial Saint Destiny," Yang Ning had become different from ordinary people even when reading martial arts manuals.

After reading a manual, he seemed able to see the most correct path for cultivating that martial art.

Even while training, it felt as though a grandmaster who had practiced this fist art for many years were personally guiding him at his side.

Tiger Soul Fist had been created by an accomplished martial artist who entered the mountains and carefully observed fierce tigers.

The tiger was the most yang and unyielding creature between Heaven and Earth, and also the most savage and vicious beast.

To imitate its fighting, one needed the fierce strength of a tiger's courage; only by gaining the soul of a fierce tiger could one grasp its true spirit.

At this moment, inspiration descended upon Yang Ning, as though aided by the gods.

His eyes snapped open. One fist swept sideways, and the other shot forward.

Bang!

Night had deepened. Dull collisions echoed through the training room, and the training post boomed again and again.

[Tiger Soul Fist (Body Tempering 2/100)]

A line of text appeared before his eyes at just the right moment, displaying Yang Ning's current training progress.

He gently exhaled a breath of stale air. He had not expected the Body Tempering realm, which had seemed as distant as the horizon, to be so close.

Yang Ning had once rested beside the Porter Guild's break area and happened to encounter several martial artist brothers from the guild chatting there.

During that conversation, he learned much information and heard what the Porter Guild instructor had once said:

The Martial Dao required Foundation Establishment and the crossing of five minor barriers.

After Foundation Establishment came the four realms of Body Tempering, Tendon Changing, Bone Forging, and Organ Refining.

These were the four great martial realms known to ordinary people!

They were also called the first blood-qi transformation, the second blood-qi transformation, the third blood-qi transformation...

Only upon reaching the first blood-qi transformation and entering the Body Tempering realm could one be said to have truly entered the halls of the Martial Dao and be considered a figure of note!

This breakthrough process was called Martial Dao Entry.

It was also called Martial Dao Foundation Establishment, Blood-Qi Sublimation!

Breaking through Body Tempering was further divided into five minor barriers.

When blood-qi arose within the gall, it was the Martial Gall Barrier.

When vigor rose from the roots of the lower stance, it was the Lower Stance Barrier.

When it manifested at the waist with the force to command all, it was the Lumbar Vertebra Barrier.

Then, when vigor surged from the spine, it was the Dragon Bone Barrier.

When blood-qi took form and became tangible around the body, it was the Blood Garment Barrier.

Yet at this moment, after throwing that punch, Yang Ning's heart was immediately flooded with an insight as though aided by the gods!

It was as if he had trained without pause hundreds of times in another world, then refined it hundreds more times.

He could instantly realize every flaw and deviation in every movement and detail of that fist sequence.

"To cultivate Tiger Soul Fist, what matters most is a tiger's courage!"

This corresponded to the first of the five minor barriers:

Blood-qi arose within the gall.

Martial Gall was the root of martial practice, the foundation of entering the Dao, and the source of martial blood-qi.

A breath of courage displayed a martial artist's essence, qi, and spirit.

And what Tiger Soul Fist cultivated was precisely a body filled with tiger's courage!

"Bang—Bang—Bang—"

The dull sounds of fists rang through the space without end.

[Tiger Soul Fist (Body Tempering 3/100)]

[Tiger Soul Fist (Body Tempering 4/100)]

Punch after punch, Yang Ning trained until sweat streamed down his body, completely focused.

Whenever he finished a sequence, he would stop, close his eyes tightly, and carefully contemplate it.

He felt that wondrous sensation of practicing once as though he had practiced a hundred times, as well as his physique and mind rapidly maturing!

The more Yang Ning trained this fist art, the more confident he became. His former hesitation and tendency to look before and after, as though fearing every step, were devoured completely amid the tempering of one punch after another.

In their place, a heroic courage gradually gained the upper hand.

What martial artists valued most in battle was courage. To grow timid before the battle even began was to be defeated without question.

With the aid of "Destiny," Yang Ning laid a solid foundation step by step for breaking through the first barrier.

His fist practice continued without interruption for an entire hour.

Normally, a beginner of the Martial Dao without guidance would already have been utterly exhausted, but Yang Ning remained full of vigor.

Though the skin all over his body had turned red, his aura was gradually growing stronger.

Bang—

[Tiger Soul Fist (Body Tempering 20/100)]

A punch heavier and duller than every previous blow smashed fiercely into the training post, leaving a faint fist mark on the Ironwood post!

The sound of the impact also echoed in Yang Ning's ears. In that instant, the blood-qi throughout his body surged violently.

He understood that the first barrier of Body Tempering—

The Martial Gall Barrier had been broken through!