Grinding for Experience

Hong Yuan glanced at him, and seeing his clear eyes and sincere attitude, he nodded. "Very well, I shall explain a thing or two to you. For us martial artists, the primary focus is body tempering, known as the Body Tempering Realm. This realm is divided into four stages, a path of gradual progression."

"The first stage is Skin Tempering. You temper the skin and fascia to enhance resistance to blows, making the skin tough and resilient so that ordinary strikes cannot easily injure you."

"The second stage is Tendon Opening. You stretch and exercise the tendons throughout the body to make them supple, allowing for more explosive and sustained power output."

"The third stage is Bone Forging. You temper the entire skeletal structure, making it dense and hard like iron or steel, capable of bearing greater force and giving your strikes more destructive power."

"The fourth stage is Organ Cleansing. You nourish the internal organs to enhance their function, ensuring vigorous blood and qi, lasting stamina, and the ability to manifest internal energy to strike from a distance."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as his tone grew more solemn. "Once the four stages of body tempering are complete and your blood and qi are filled to their peak, you may attempt to condense your blood and qi to break through to the Blood Tempering Realm."

"Once successful, your blood and qi will flow like mercury, ceaseless and surging. Neither your strength nor your speed will be comparable to the Body Tempering Realm, and you will be able to initially mobilize the power of blood and qi to face enemies."

"However, in a place like Qingping County, a master at the Organ Cleansing stage is already capable of dominating an area, and opening a martial arts school is no difficult task."

"I am currently at the Organ Cleansing stage, not far from that next step."

Lin Qing listened, his heart yearning.

Merely as an Organ Cleansing master, one had the strength to open a school and be counted among the notable experts in the county.

Let alone the legendary Blood Tempering Realm.

The path of martial arts was truly so magnificent and vast.

He bowed deeply. "Many thanks for your guidance, Master Hong. This humble one understands."

"A-Lei, call the other recently admitted disciples over." Hong Yuan beckoned.

"Right away."

A sturdy man with bronze skin and an honest appearance replied.

Following this, Hong Yuan gathered all the disciples who had joined the school in the last month to the side of the training ground; including Lin Qing, there were eight in total.

They were all young faces under the age of twenty.

Their expressions all carried a hint of nervousness.

Hong Yuan stood before them with his hands behind his back, his presence steady and composed.

He swept his gaze over the group, his voice resonant. "Since you have entered the gates of Iron Wire Fist, you must know that the foundation is more important than the techniques."

"Today, I shall teach you the Iron Ring Stance. This is the foundational root of our Iron Wire Fist, and it is the basis for tempering your lower body and condensing your blood and qi."

Hong Yuan demonstrated personally, his feet spread slightly wider than his shoulders, knees slightly bent, his body slowly sinking until his thighs were nearly parallel to the ground.

He extended his arms in front of his chest, with over a dozen heavy iron rings looped around them, standing as immovable as a mountain.

Lin Qing watched in shock; a single iron ring weighed about five catties, so a dozen would be over fifty catties.

Worn on the arms, an ordinary person would struggle even to lift their arms, let alone keep them extended.

Yet this Master Hong could remain as steady as Mount Tai; he was truly formidable.

"Watch closely. This is the Iron Ring Stance. Shift your center of gravity to the Yongquan points, sink your shoulders and drop your elbows, and settle your qi in the dantian."

"Your focus must be on the iron rings on your arms, and your breathing must be natural; do not hold your breath."

Hong Yuan's voice was like a great bell, ringing in everyone's ears.

He finished his stance, let the other new disciples take their positions, and then continued to explain, correcting each disciple's posture one by one.

Lin Qing also stood in the stance according to Hong Yuan's posture, with two iron rings on his arms and several iron wires wrapped around his body to maintain the form.

Before long, his body was shaking uncontrollably, but under the restraint of the iron wires, his posture remained intact.

Seeing the other disciples gritting their teeth to endure, Lin Qing also clenched his jaw, refusing to let himself give up or become a laughingstock for the others.

Seeing that these new disciples were finally looking the part, Hong Yuan nodded slightly and continued.

"The stance may look motionless, but internally, your blood and qi are surging, and the iron wires are restraining your muscles to induce tremors. It is a supreme method for tempering tendons and bones and condensing blood and qi. If your lower body is unstable and your blood and qi are weak, all your fighting techniques will be nothing but castles in the air!"

"From today on, you must practice the stance for at least one hour every day, divided into sessions, and progress gradually. Beginners only need to wear four iron rings."

"Zhang Shun, you watch over them from now on, and teach them the rules of the school while you're at it."

Hong Yuan called over a thin, tall man from the front, then walked away to instruct the other disciples.

"Yes, Master."

Zhang Shun nodded. He then turned his gaze to the group, his expression turning serious as he said in a low voice, "Junior brothers, the school has its rules, and you must keep them in mind!"

"First, when fighting others, you must state your master's name. You must not tarnish the reputation of Iron Wire Fist."

"Second, you must not harm your fellow disciples! If there is a dispute, you may seek a senior brother or the master for a ruling."

"Third, it is strictly forbidden to teach martial arts to others in private. Violators will have their martial arts crippled and be expelled from the school."

"Fourth, if you encounter difficulties, you may seek help from the elders of the school. Under the banner of Iron Wire Fist, we must rely on one another."

"Fifth, for those who have deep personal grudges, with the master's permission, you may settle them privately without involving the school's name."

Lin Qing and the others all nodded in agreement.

In the afternoon, Lin Qing and the others continued to practice the stance.

Zhang Shun patiently instructed Lin Qing and the others on the key points of the Iron Wire Stance.

He corrected their subtle postural errors.

"Lower your waist, yes, but don't hunch your back..."

"Sit your hips back, as if you're sitting on an invisible high stool..."

"Right, just like that, hold it!"

Seeing the corrected postures of the others, Lin Qing adjusted himself accordingly.

At first, he only felt an unbearable soreness in his thighs, his body trembling slightly and uncontrollably.

But he gritted his teeth, relying on a streak of tenacity to hold on firmly.

Deep within his consciousness, the Heavenly Dao Record quietly unfolded, and information regarding the Iron Wire Fist emerged:

[Iron Wire Fist (Entry Level)]

[Experience Points: 5/2000]

Although the growth was slow, the tangible jumping of the numbers gave him immense encouragement.

As long as he worked hard to grind for experience, there would be a reward!

Lin Qing spent the entire afternoon gritting his teeth and persisting.

When the evening bell rang to announce the end of today's training, he was practically drenched as if he had been fished out of water; his entire body was soaked in sweat, and his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, aching and stinging with every step he took.

Yet, Lin Qing's eyes were exceptionally bright.

[Iron Wire Fist (Entry Level)]

[Experience Points: 95/2000]

At this rate, in less than a month, my Iron Wire Fist will reach the introductory stage, Lin Qing mused inwardly.

At the same time, his gaze turned toward a thin, gaunt youth still diligently holding his stance at the side of the training ground.

This person was Wang Cheng, who had displayed astonishing perseverance during the training just now.

Throughout the entire afternoon, his body hadn't moved a single bit.

From the discussions of other disciples, Lin Qing had learned that this man was a fisherman by trade and had only managed to join the martial arts school after luckily catching a precious fish.

It seems that no matter where you are, there are overachievers.

Lin Qing sighed inwardly; if he could possess such astonishing perseverance, his experience points would surely grow even faster.

But he also understood that he knew his own limits best.

He, Lin Qing, did not compete for momentary pride or fleeting effort.

Everything was simply a matter of doing his best and leaving the rest to fate.