Funding

The next day.

At the crack of dawn.

Disciples from the Inner Courtyard arrived in the yard one after another, stretching and preparing to begin their practice.

However, they discovered that someone had already started.

It was Li Yun.

Before long, Xiao Shun arrived as well.

Seeing Li Yun so diligent, he decided to spar with his junior brother:

"Junior brother, let's trade some blows."

"Very well, thank you, Senior Brother."

Li Yun understood Xiao Shun's good intentions.

Without hesitation, he waited for Xiao Shun to take his stance and launched his attack.

Taking a deep breath, he ground his soles against the bluestone floor, his waist twisting violently. The force surged from his feet, traveling through his legs, waist, and shoulders, as his right fist drove straight toward Xiao Shun's chest.

Xiao Shun's eyes narrowed slightly, calm and unhurried.

Just as the fist was about to strike, he lifted his left hand slightly, his palm sticking to the back of Li Yun's fist, his wrist sinking as he shifted his waist to the side.

He diverted the force of Li Yun's punch to the side.

Li Yun felt as if his punch had landed on cotton, sliding off along Xiao Shun's arm, causing him to stumble half a step forward.

Li Yun reacted with lightning speed. Using the momentum, he followed up with his left fist, changing his stance into Tiger Roar Stone Splitter, smashing down toward Xiao Shun's shoulder!

"Well done!"

Xiao Shun praised, his right hand rising like a bolt of lightning, his arm tensed like iron, bracing against the strike.

The moment fist met arm, Li Yun clearly felt a steady, heavy force emanating from Xiao Shun's limb.

It wasn't a brute-force block; rather, Xiao Shun sank slightly with the momentum of the strike before snapping back with a sudden rebound.

A force traveled back through his fist, leaving Li Yun's arm numb and his blood churning.

So strong!

Yet, instead of fear, he felt only growing excitement.

His feet moved rapidly as he unleashed the Crouching Tiger Mountain Climbing Step, circling Xiao Shun while his fists struck in alternation—sometimes fierce and direct, sometimes tricky and flanking—bringing the Tiger Subduing Fist he had just learned to its full potential.

The sound of fists and feet clashing filled the air.

Li Yun's punches grew faster and more ferocious.

Xiao Shun remained as steady as Mount Tai, his stance firm and balanced.

With his hands opening and closing, he always managed to precisely intercept Li Yun's attacks, either deflecting or blocking them, occasionally tapping a finger against a flaw in Li Yun's form. The force was light, yet it was enough to make Li Yun's movements falter.

"Not bad, not bad.

Your grasp of the basic techniques is very solid.

You've managed to break down and skillfully execute the fighting style I just taught you.

Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been training for over half a year."

After ending the spar, Xiao Shun showered Li Yun with praise.

Li Yun's technique was highly proficient, and during the spar, he didn't use rigid, suicidal moves, showing a knack for adaptability.

This impressed Xiao Shun.

"Senior Brother, you flatter me. It's just a natural reaction from practicing so much.

I couldn't even force you to take a single step back."

Although Li Yun was no martial arts master.

He knew that one shouldn't just memorize moves by rote but must be flexible and adaptable.

A technique that can actually hit an opponent is a good technique.

"Haha, you're only in the Body Tempering Realm. If you could actually move me, wouldn't that make my Dark Force worthless?"

"Senior Brother, could you explain the gap in strength between martial artists? It would help me be more aware in the future."

Taking this opportunity, Li Yun wanted to learn more about the levels of martial power.

"Very well." Xiao Shun nodded:

"I'll give you a rough overview for your reference.

You already have personal experience with the Body Tempering Realm, so I'll skip that and start from Bright Force.

Bright Force belongs to the category of 'hard' force—fierce, domineering, and aggressive.

The force originates from the bones, and the body follows the force.

With a single punch, snapping a half-meter thick bluestone slab is nothing out of the ordinary."

"If your blood energy accumulates to a sufficient density, reaching nine echoes, then dealing with those in the Body Tempering Realm is no difficult task—you could take on ten at once."

As he spoke, Xiao Shun exerted force throughout his entire body, causing his muscles and bones to resonate instantly.

Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.

Nine consecutive explosive sounds rang out.

"Dark Force belongs to the category of soft force; the power is hidden within, penetrating invisibly. It is insidious and tricky, capable of bypassing clothing and armor to shatter internal organs. As for Transforming Force, it requires the fusion of Bright Force and Dark Force, achieving a balance of hardness and softness, moving as fluidly as one desires. As for the specifics, I do not know either. Only Master and the Eldest Senior Brother in the Inner Courtyard have reached that realm."

Xiao Shun continued his explanation:

"The Tiger-Subduing Stance trains your blood energy, which is the source of your strength. The Tiger Subduing Fist is the method for unleashing that power."

"I see. Many thanks for the clarification, Senior Brother."

"Mm, practice well. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be heading out."

"Safe travels, Senior Brother."

Li Yun cupped his fists in gratitude and watched him leave.

Afterward, he devoted himself once more to his practice.

After lunch.

Li Yun rested for a while before walking to a corner to stretch his muscles and bones, preparing to practice his stance.

He spread his feet to shoulder-width, toes pointing straight ahead, and squatted until his thighs were parallel to the ground, ensuring his knees did not extend past his toes.

He raised his hands to his chest, palms facing downward, fingers spread as if pressing down on a tiger's head, keeping his back straight, chin slightly tucked, and eyes fixed forward.

He dropped his shoulders, sank his elbows, hollowed his chest, straightened his back, and engaged in abdominal breathing.

[Tiger-Subduing Stance: +1]

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

"Too slow. I need to find a way to make some money. Tomorrow, I will take the initiative to ask the Second Senior Brother; if that doesn't work, I'll return to Mountain-Back Village to hunt. As for He Xiuyong, I need to find a way to resolve that once and for all."

After finishing the stance, Li Yun sat to the side to rest. Looking at the panel in his mind, he made a silent resolution.

Just as Li Yun was preparing to continue his fist practice, a gentle and delicate voice drifted over:

"Junior Brother Li Yun? Could I have a word with you?"

The person who arrived had delicate features, but what truly caught the eye was her ample bosom. Her slender frame bore heavy fruit, and paired with her martial arts training attire, it was stretched to the point of distortion. This person was none other than the Yu Qingqing whom Xiao Shun had mentioned.

Li Yun had taken note of her:

"Senior Sister Yu, is there something you need?"

Yu Qingqing smiled brightly, crossing her arms over her chest:

"I heard that a 'Martial Fanatic' had joined our Inner Courtyard. Since entering the hall, aside from eating and sleeping, you spend every remaining moment practicing martial arts. I just came to take a look."

A Martial Fanatic? Li Yun truly had no idea about this:

"I have seventh-grade aptitude and no other assistance. If I want to make progress on the martial path, there is no other way but diligence. I was just lucky enough to open my blood energy channels and accidentally stepped into the Body Tempering Realm. I have made a fool of myself in front of you, Senior Sister."

Yu Qingqing remained noncommittal:

"Stepping into the Body Tempering Realm in just over three months—if you have the right support, your chances of cultivating Bright Force within two years are quite high."

"Have you ever thought about that, Junior Brother?"

With assistance, reaching Bright Force in two years is the standard for a seventh-grade root bone.

Hearing Yu Qingqing put it that way, Li Yun felt that his own talent—reaching Bright Force in over six hundred days without any assistance—did not seem unacceptable.

"Second Senior Brother once said that to fill one's blood and qi and cultivate Bright Force, it is two parts training and eight parts nourishment. I have already asked Second Senior Brother to help me find a side job to earn some silver so I can purchase Blood Replenishing Powder and accelerate the accumulation of my blood and qi."

Yu Qingqing nodded, deciding not to beat around the bush any longer, and stated her intentions directly: "Senior Sister thinks highly of your diligence and wants to invest in you. How about I provide you with three portions of Blood Replenishing Powder every month?"

That was a lot. A single portion of Blood Replenishing Powder cost five taels of silver. Li Yun's first reaction was that the conditions must be quite steep.

"What do I need to give in return?"

"You."

...?