A Method for Training the Mind? An Unseeable Presence, Iron Claw Skill Reaches Minor Success, Taibao Hard Qigong!

"Damn it!"

Shi Wen flipped the token facedown on the bed and took several deep breaths!

His first thought was that he'd been duped!!

The token was an inanimate object.

But for some reason, that intense visual impact had made his heart race and his blood surge wildly, as if he'd seen some terrifying presence!

An uncontrollable fear welled up inside him.

There was no way a token could have such an effect. The most likely explanation was that some unknown, mysterious power resided within it.

"Could this thing be something like the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother statue?"

"Could it contain something like 'Calamity'?"

Shi Wen drew a deep breath, forcing his ragged breathing to settle.

He reached out with his left hand and took hold of the metal token.

[Detected an extremely faint and severely fragmented Calamity intent; available evolution branches: 2]

[1. Extremely Fragmented Spirit Eye Mental Training Method: Temper the mind through meditation and a certain special pattern, allowing it to reach the point of transformation! (5 years)]

[2. Fragmented Blood-Eye Mother God Delusion-Calamity Crawling Mist Method: Gaze upon the infinitely vast form and body of a presence infinitely fallen within the unseeable void of delusion, stealing the power of its origin to nourish your own mind. In doing so, you may steal the power of an eternally undying mind and its mysterious laws. However, it may notice you, drag you into the boundless Void Sea, and leave you forever sunk or eternally trapped in illusory delusion, unable to escape! (5,000 years)]

[...]

"As expected..."

Shi Wen drew a deep breath, his face turning ashen as he flipped the token facedown on the bed.

He couldn't bring himself to look at it. The goat on the token seemed to have come alive, as if it might swallow him at any moment!

Even though he knew that couldn't happen,

the anxiety of having gotten himself into trouble still sent his thoughts spiraling out of control.

Today, he'd first accidentally provoked that group of mysterious, fanatical Daoists who worshipped the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother. Now he'd somehow gotten entangled with a mysterious organization too.

How could he not feel agitated?

A nameless oppression welled up inside him.

"Damn it, Zhang Sheng set me up. He clearly said Tong Roushan had only come to Black Cloud County within the past six months, and that he was an Attendant for several of the city's merchant associations and gangs. That traitor must've somehow contacted Tong Roushan yesterday, and that was how the Robbery Gang got wiped out."

"And now it turns out Tong Roushan was from a mysterious organization too?"

"Extreme... What kind of faction is that?"

Shi Wen's expression shifted. In the end, he wrapped the token together with the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother statue and put them away in a corner.

A man with fleas no longer itched; a man with debts no longer worried.

All he wanted was to practice martial arts in peace and live an ordinary life. He didn't want to get dragged into any kind of turmoil. He hoped they'd all leave him alone!

"I need to train even harder!"

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

He went to the rear courtyard and practiced a few sets of foundation exercises. After raising his proficiency by three points,

he took advantage of the gathering darkness and headed for Ghost Lane. Along the way, he changed into another outfit and put the Faceless Man's mask back on.

Dark red blood still stained the pale mask, making it look especially frightening in the night.

Several people were already waiting in Ghost Lane.

When the gang members saw the Faceless Man arrive, they hurried over to greet him.

"Go keep watch around the area. Don't mind me. Come back when I call for you!"

Shi Wen gave them his instructions, and they hurried off.

Shi Wen began practicing Iron Claw Skill in the open space.

Every martial art had its own merits. Practicing powerful martial arts didn't mean you could look down on ordinary ones. If your techniques were ruthless and your understanding deep, you could kill just as surely!

Iron Claw Skill naturally had plenty going for it.

This martial art encompassed techniques for grabbing, seizing, locking, pinching, and tearing. It strengthened the tendons and bones of the fingers, wrists, and arms, as well as grip and explosive power.

It could be used to quickly capture an enemy, or kill them with a single move!

For example, when he'd fought Tong Roushan earlier, his opponent had attacked with wide, forceful moves and tremendous momentum. The Baji Fist he excelled at was also a style that used violence to counter violence, so he'd gained little by meeting force with force.

By contrast,

when he'd used Iron Claw Skill, he'd gouged out his opponent's eyes.

That had thrown his opponent into disarray, allowing him to kill him with Yama Beckons!

Having more martial arts to practice made it harder to master them, but once he was proficient, combining them into a distinctive set of killing moves could yield unexpected benefits.

The moon shone brightly.

In the darkened Ghost Lane, a figure darted swiftly among the abandoned houses.

His hands seemed cast from unbreakable steel. Wherever they went, they left deep gouges in the mud bricks and wooden boards, while the sharp wind they whipped up seemed ready to tear his eardrums apart!

His movements grew faster and faster!!

Beneath the moon, he turned into a series of afterimages!

[Iron Claw Skill: Minor Success (1/80)]

As the words on the Extreme Seal changed, Shi Wen stood motionless.

A warm current began circulating through both his arms.

It lingered longest in his palms. A needle-like sting spread from his ten fingers into his nerves, then surged forth as an explosive rush of air.

But after enduring so much pain, he considered this nothing.

Crack~

Shi Wen clenched his fingers, and his bones popped like soybeans frying.

His palms had grown much thicker, his five fingers sturdy and strong, covered in a visibly thick layer of calluses. When he casually made a fist, he could feel the power and strength of his grip.

"Sure enough, every martial art has its own merits!"

"Iron Claw Skill is an external body-tempering art, so you also have to train your fingers and arms every day. For instance, practicing Jar Lifting Skill, Sandbag Gripping, and Sand Piercing Skill can strengthen your knuckles and wrists, making your tendons and bones stronger and giving you more explosive power."

"If you temper your palms to a high enough level, you can tear through stone tablets and split rocks with ease, greatly increasing the strength of your knuckles and wrists!"

"You can achieve this with qi and blood alone, but the two aren't the same."

"These external arts have merits of their own, too!"

Shi Wen studied his hands in silence.

Beneath the moonlight, his palms gave off a faint gray-brown sheen, like granite. When he struck the stone bricks on the ground, they made a dull thud.

"My grip is stronger!"

Shi Wen held a broken brick and tightened his five fingers.

Without even using his qi and blood, he crushed the brick into pieces that scattered across the ground!!

At the same time, Shi Wen gained a new understanding of Iron Claw Skill.

"Iron Claw Skill can turn the tables after the fact. Just as the opponent's old force has run out and their new force has yet to rise, strike at their Baihui Acupoint, Fengchi Acupoint, Zhangmen Acupoint, Hegu Acupoint, and other such places. These are points where the body's meridians and qi and blood converge."

"If one of these acupoints is struck, the resulting obstruction of qi and blood is the least of their worries. A relentless assault could leave them powerless to fight back, or even severely injure them!"

Shi Wen began practicing in the open space, feeling the changes brought by Iron Claw Skill's minor-success level.

His movements had become remarkably nimble, like a spirit ape in motion, yet his clawed hands struck like iron hooks, ferocious and fierce!

His techniques seemed to have been honed through years of dedicated practice, finally reaching this ruthless, refined level!!

"Phew... Done!"

"Treasure Blood really is important. It must have improved my constitution without me realizing, which is why my proficiency is increasing faster!"

"Otherwise, even with my physical strength, it would've been difficult to reach minor success in Iron Claw Skill in such a short time."

"If I can get my hands on more Treasure Blood, I'll definitely improve my martial arts proficiency even faster. I can't neglect evolving the Blessing Meat."

Shi Wen lowered his head and looked at the center of his left palm.

[Extreme Seal]

[Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Minor Success (41/100), Trait: Penetrating Momentum]

[Iron Whip Leg: Minor Success (2/80)]

[Iron Claw Skill: Minor Success (2/80)]

[Taibao Hard Qigong: Not yet initiated (1/10)]

[True Intent: Burning (Deactivated)]

[Contaminated Fortune Meat: Evolution Branch 1 (-10.1h)]

"Sure enough, tempering different parts of the body brings a corresponding improvement to your qi and blood. My qi and blood have grown stronger again!"

Shi Wen sensed the qi and blood in his dantian, now several times stronger, and felt reassured.

In these turbulent times, only growing stronger could make him feel safe.

The mere glimpse he'd caught of the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother's followers and the mysterious "Extreme" organization had already left him struggling to breathe!

The moment he'd encountered these things, he'd felt an oppression beyond words.

He didn't know whether they'd come looking for him.

But with a mysterious organization like this operating in Black Cloud County, they must be plotting something momentous. When the nest toppled, no egg would remain intact. He needed to plan ahead and become stronger while he still had time!

"I'll rest for a bit, then I'll train Taibao Hard Qigong until I've mastered the basics!"

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

He crouched in a corner, chewing on Red Python Meat while swallowing a pill to restore his strength.

Once enough time had passed,

he whistled, and the gang members keeping watch hurried back.

They carried mud bricks, medicinal wine, and other supplies.

Shi Wen took off his clothes and had them rub medicinal wine over his body. Then he stood in the Hunyuan Stance and sensed his inner breath.

In the early stages of Taibao Hard Qigong,

you stood in the Hunyuan Stance while being struck with wooden or mud bricks, using the Internal Breath Method to temper your body in an orderly manner and give birth to inner breath.

While cultivating inner breath, you tempered your tendons, bones, and muscles throughout your body.

You forged a stronger physique and tempered vigorous qi and blood!

Shi Wen maintained the Hunyuan Stance.

He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth to form the Magpie Bridge, aligning the Baihui Acupoint with the Huiyin Acupoint. Only by keeping his body centered could he let his inner breath flow smoothly through him.

Then,

Shi Wen regulated his breathing and steadied his mind, using Reverse Abdominal Breathing to control his muscles' tension and relaxation while guiding that inner breath through his body with his mind!

Although he couldn't sense any inner breath,

that didn't shake the deep-rooted confidence he had in the Extreme Seal.

"Hit me!"

Shi Wen gave a low shout.

The gang members exchanged uncertain looks, but eventually raised their mud bricks and began striking him in sequence!

Standing in the Hunyuan Stance, you first struck the upper and lower arms, then the upper and lower legs, followed by the chest and abdomen, rear shoulders, back, and other areas. During this, the Internal Breath Method controlled the tension and relaxation of the struck muscles, the direction in which the inner breath flowed, and so on!

But the gang members didn't dare to hit him hard.

The mud bricks patted his body as lightly as a tickle.

Shi Wen grew angry. "Hit me with all your strength! If any of you hold back, I'll make you regret it tonight!"

The gang members jumped, then hurriedly began striking him with all their might.

Shi Wen relied on nothing but his flesh and blood to withstand the blows. He could still bear it when they struck his arms and legs, since his foundation exercises, Iron Whip Leg, and Iron Claw Skill had all reached minor success and made those muscles tough and strong.

But his chest and abdomen were among the softest parts of the human body!!

These gang members were all burly men who had practiced martial arts. Being struck with all their strength felt... sublime!

Shi Wen had given the order himself, so he was too embarrassed to make a sound.

He endured it by sheer force of will. The bricks left his whole body red and bruised, and his internal organs felt as if they'd been tossed by a raging river.

Fortunately, a martial artist was no ordinary person.

With pills that nourished qi and blood and meat from exotic beasts to sustain him, he gritted his teeth and practiced Taibao Hard Qigong ten times!

The moment the Extreme Seal displayed Taibao Hard Qigong as having reached the introductory level,

Shi Wen felt earth-shaking changes erupt within him, and his expression shifted!