Tiger Subduing Fist

"Now that you have entered the Inner Courtyard, there are some rules you must be made aware of."

Xiao Shun led Li Yun to the Storage Room.

He changed into the standard brocade attire unique to Inner Courtyard disciples.

Embroidered on the chest were the two characters for "Subduing Tiger."

"First, respect your master and the path, and do not harm your fellow disciples.

Second, before completing your apprenticeship, you may not use the Martial Hall's name to stir up trouble.

Third, you may not pass on the cultivation techniques privately.

Fourth...

Violate any of these, and the punishment will be expulsion from the Martial Hall at best, or being purged from the sect at worst."

"I will remember."

Li Yun nodded in acknowledgment, then took the opportunity to ask about a matter of concern:

"Senior Brother, I heard that as long as one reaches the Body Tempering Realm, one can take on a job..."

Xiao Shun understood immediately; disciples from poor backgrounds like Li Yun all needed to find a source of income after breaking through.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to sustain the subsequent expenses of martial arts training.

"Very well, I will keep an eye out for you over the next two days.

Do you have any specific requirements?"

High pay, little work, and close to the Martial Hall.

Though he thought it, Li Yun certainly wouldn't say it out loud:

"Well, first, it shouldn't be too dangerous. Second, it would be best if there is free time to practice martial arts, so as not to put the cart before the horse.

As for the money, just enough to cover the costs of training will do."

After hearing Li Yun's requirements, Xiao Shun hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice:

"Junior Brother, you are now in the Body Tempering Realm.

Coarse rice and meat are only enough to maintain normal training.

If you want to quickly accumulate blood energy and develop Bright Force, you cannot even dream of medicinal meals made from aged herbs.

At the very least, you must drink a bowl of the Martial Hall's Muscle and Bone Soup every day.

A job paying thirty taels a month for someone in the Body Tempering Realm is not easy to find.

However..."

Seeing Xiao Shun hesitate, Li Yun quickly followed up:

"Senior Brother, please speak your mind; there is no need for reservations."

"Very well. If you truly wish to accumulate blood energy quickly and develop Bright Force, you might consider approaching the fellow disciples in the Martial Hall who come from wealthy families; perhaps you can obtain some sponsorship.

For example, Yu Qingqing and Lu Kuan.

One is the young lady of a cloth shop, and the other is the son of a meat merchant.

They have another purpose for coming to learn martial arts.

They are scouting for promising talent.

They invest some spare wealth, and if they happen to bet on a winner, they will earn it back a hundred or even ten thousand times over in the future.

If they fail, they can still build a reputation."

Xiao Shun continued:

"To develop Bright Force, one must ensure their blood energy is abundant.

If one relies only on coarse rice and meat, an ordinary person might not be able to fill their blood energy even in three to five years.

It is true that Junior Brother Zhu's talent is important for him to have entered the Body Tempering Realm in such a short time, but he also drinks a bowl of Muscle and Bone Soup provided by the Master every day.

Now, he even receives a portion of Blood Replenishing Powder daily, so his blood energy is growing rapidly.

In a few days, he might even touch the bottleneck of Bright Force.

Therefore, if you can obtain sponsorship, your accumulation of blood energy will naturally be much faster."

No wonder Zhu Daqi was so much faster than him; it turned out he was doping.

Li Yun had thought it was because his own aptitude was poor:

"Then how can one obtain such sponsorship?"

"There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

These sponsors naturally have their own agendas.

Some will require you to work for them for a certain number of years afterward... in short, you must negotiate the terms of the contract yourself.

It varies from person to person.

After changing his clothes, Xiao Shun led Li Yun to the Inner Courtyard and found an open space.

He prepared to teach him the fighting techniques to cultivate Bright Force:

"Alright, your talent isn't as good as Junior Brother Zhu's, but it's not bad either.

There is still a great hope for Bright Force, and with a bit of luck, you might even be able to push for Dark Force.

In time, those people will naturally come looking for you.

Now that you have stepped into the Body Tempering Realm, your foundation of Qi and blood is solid.

I will teach you the fighting techniques of the Tiger Subduing Fist."

Li Yun also set aside thoughts of making money and listened attentively.

When the flowers bloom, the bees will come naturally.

As long as one's strength is sufficient, people will naturally find ways to send medicinal herbs and silver.

When all is said and done, it comes down to strength.

"The Tiger Subduing Fist has a total of nine moves; I will teach you the first three.

The first move, Fierce Tiger Pounces on Prey.

Step and punch together; the power rises from the feet, passing through the legs, waist, shoulders, and arms, straight to the base of the palms. When pushing the palms, the muscles must be taut, and the force must be manifested externally. The focus is on training the continuous explosion of the body's force."

Li Yun immediately followed suit.

Starting from the Tiger-Subduing Stance, he took a large, fierce step forward with his left foot into a bow stance.

At the same time, his hands swept in an arc from his chest, then pushed forward and upward with force, palms facing forward like a tiger pouncing, exhaling as he exerted power.

"The second move, Roaring Stone-Splitting.

When throwing a chopping punch, relax the shoulders and arms, relying on the rotation of the waist and hips to drive the force. The punch and the sound must arrive simultaneously, with the force penetrating through the surface of the fist.

The third move, Tiger-Subduing Mountain Ascent.

Steps steady, fists rigid; breathing must be synchronized with the strikes.

..."

After finishing the entire set of techniques with Xiao Shun, a flash of light appeared in Li Yun's mind.

[Tiger Subduing Fist: +1]
[Tiger Subduing Fist (Not Yet Initiated): 900/1000]

Li Yun realized that the Tiger Subduing Fist was simply a derivative of the basic fist techniques he had learned earlier.

His proficiency surged instantly.

Xiao Shun practiced it once with Li Yun, and seeing that he had truly memorized it, he left:

"Practice slowly, and come ask me if you have any questions."

"Many thanks to Senior Brother for imparting these techniques."

Li Yun cupped his fists in gratitude and then threw himself into the practice.

Outer Courtyard of the Martial Hall.

"I really envy Senior Brother Li Yun. In just over three months, he cleared his Qi and blood channels and stepped into the Body Tempering Realm. He's really turned his life around."

"Don't be bitter. Think about how hard Senior Brother Li has been training all this time. You should work harder and strive to be the next one."

"That's true. I only have one month left; if I still can't..."

"..."

The apprentices of the Outer Courtyard discussed Li Yun during their break.

The chatter rose and fell, filled with envy, reflection, and a hint of sour resentment.

Just then, a dull "thud" came from not far away.

A young man had just set down a Stone Lock, which slammed into the bluestone floor, kicking up a bit of dust.

The veins on the youth's forehead had yet to subside, and his face was covered in sweat and dust. Hearing the discussion of the others, his eyes dimmed.

Is hard work really useful?

Wang Xiaofei did not know.

In two more months, if he still couldn't clear the Qi and blood channels on his body's surface...

Where could he and his sister go from here?

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms, and turned around without a word to walk back toward the Stone Lock.

For him, the Stone Lock was becoming quite a struggle.

He bent down to grab the iron ring of the Stone Lock, his arms exerting force suddenly as blue veins bulged instantly across his skin.

His naturally refined features were slightly twisted from the excessive exertion and the stifled frustration in his heart.

His eyes shone with a stubbornness bordering on sinister, as if he were determined to channel all his resentment into raw strength and smash it into the Stone Lock.

Train.

If it doesn't kill you, train until you're dead.

In the afternoon.

As Li Yun was practicing his punches, someone really did come looking for him, just as Xiao Shun had said.

They asked if he needed financial support.

However, Li Yun didn't fancy any of the offers.

They were either too time-consuming or far too dangerous.

There was one, however, that was easy and offered good benefits.

Becoming a live-in son-in-law.

Li Yun wasn't opposed to it; he wouldn't be losing anything, after all.

Moreover, he believed in his own talent.

In the end, it would surely be a scene of domestic bliss.

However, after Li Yun pressed him for the truth, that senior brother finally confessed.

The cousin he was to marry was as wide as she was tall.

A square-shaped girl.

"Cough, Senior Brother, a fortune teller once told me that I shouldn't marry before the age of thirty, so..."

"Hmph, shallow. To take a wife is to seek virtue; appearance is unimportant. You don't even understand this."

In the end, the senior brother left while grumbling and cursing.

Li Yun glanced at his panel.

[Tiger-Subduing Stance (Entry): 8/5000]

[Tiger Subduing Fist (Not yet entered): 911/1000]

Without the support of external forces, accumulating blood energy would take at least six hundred days.

This speed was neither fast nor slow.

But it was always better to be faster; after all, during his breaks, he would hear the other disciples gossiping about how more and more refugees were arriving from outside.

He would wait a few more days for Xiao Shun, and if there was still no news, Li Yun decided he would return to his old trade.

Hunting.