Listening to what the other man said.
It reminded Hu Long of something.
Back at the Extreme Fighting Boxing Club, Coach Li, who had once won the city championship,
had apparently recommended that he take an assessment to open up a path to further advancement.
Now it seemed that this was the Tongbei Club under the Hu Family.
After all, what he had learned yesterday had made it clear that Huanyang City was the Hu Family's territory. Naturally, no other forces would dare openly poach people here.
As they drew closer,
the people practicing noticed Hu Long and the others.
When they saw Hu Qitian leading the group,
everyone, including the coaches, immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed together in greeting.
"Good morning, Head Coach Hu!"
Hu Qitian gave a slight nod but said nothing. He led Hu Long and the others straight on.
Once they had gone some distance, a dark-skinned, wiry young man in the crowd frowned and asked quietly,
"Who are those people? Why aren't they training with us?
And aren't all the people who come here elite fighters who have to pass an assessment?
Why are there a few young brats among them...?"
"Shh, keep your voice down!"
The person beside him hurriedly tugged at his arm and lowered his voice.
"That's Head Coach Hu Qitian.
You just got here, so you don't know. The people he personally escorts are all members of the Hu Family's main branch. They're not people we can gossip about."
The young man watched the group's retreating figures, deep in thought.
A coach nearby quietly explained a few things, and only then did he gradually understand.
"People from the Hu Family..."
A wave of indignation rose in his heart.
Every person who could come here had passed rigorous assessments and was a master of superb fighting skills.
Who among them didn't have some pride?
But just because the others had the surname Hu, they could stand alongside him—or no, above them.
They even had to greet them first.
"Don't dwell on it. Being born into the right family is a skill in itself. Since we weren't born into one, all we can do is work twice as hard."
His companion comforted him softly.
He knew more than the others did.
The Hu Family's main-branch members were all monsters. Their rate of progress was beyond anything the rest of them could imagine, so it was best not to get any ideas.
He had once seen a student from the previous class challenge Head Coach Hu.
After taking a single punch, the student had nearly lost his life. Even after a year, he still couldn't get out of bed.
No one paid any attention
to what happened afterward.
Soon,
Hu Qitian led the group into a brighter indoor space.
"Good. There's something you need to keep in mind.
As members of the Hu Clan, we're different from these outsiders. We practice a complete Limit-Breaking Method!
Try not to reveal information about it, to avoid unnecessary trouble."
When he spoke of those outsiders,
there was a trace of the unique arrogance of a clansman in Hu Qitian's voice.
That was simply human nature.
Wherever people went, they divided themselves into ranks.
Those with good grades looked down on those with bad grades, and the rich looked down on the poor.
But Hu Long's attention was fixed on another piece of information the other man had mentioned.
"A complete Limit-Breaking Method?"
"Correct. Though both methods are Limit-Breaking Methods, neither their effects nor the speed of cultivation can compare with the complete method. They can even be countered by our method.
After all, these people are outsiders.
They're not members of our clan.
The fact that we're willing to teach them a Limit-Breaking Method is already more than generous. They should be grateful. We're not running a charity, so naturally, we have to keep something in reserve."
After hearing Hu Long's question
and recalling his assessment,
Hu Long's potential had been rated exceptionally high.
As long as he didn't die prematurely, he could at least reach the Skin Refining Realm.
It was important to build a good relationship with him now.
So Hu Qitian showed no impatience. Instead, he explained carefully.
Hearing this,
the others also looked as if it were only natural.
As beneficiaries themselves, they naturally had no objections to the arrangement.
There was nothing wrong with thinking that way.
It would never fly in an ordinary world, but in this world where the extraordinary existed openly,
even if the occasional genius emerged from among ordinary people, they could hardly shake the clans' foundations of power.
The clans were not isolated individuals. They were whole networks, like tangled tree roots, intertwined and connected to one another.
"To begin the path of Secret Martial Arts, you first have to reach the first realm: Tendon Changing. Ordinary people need to practice techniques and learn to control their strength."
Hu Qitian stood with his hands behind his back, bringing the conversation back to the subject at hand.
He looked at the five of them.
"But that takes too much time and effort. Just honing a fighting technique to its peak takes an astonishing amount of time.
We have a simpler method. By practicing a specific stake technique, we can speed up the process. Once you've mastered it, you can choose a fighting style to cultivate, and quickly temper your bodies..."
As the other man explained, Hu Long gradually began to understand.
The usual method was to practice fighting techniques and train the body, gradually learning to control one's force. This often took a great deal of time, since the techniques had to be honed to their peak before the goal could be achieved.
That was what Hu Long had done up to now.
Stake work was different. It was more like a shortcut to mastering force: first comprehend force itself, then use it to strengthen the body and temper it. This approach was more efficient and allowed for faster progress.
"Is one method stronger than the other?"
Hu Long asked.
That was what he wanted to know.
"It's said that the former gives you a more solid foundation. Because of that, it was the preferred choice of geniuses in the old era.
But cultivation is too slow. Often, before they can reach a higher realm, their bodies have already begun to decline.
That's why stake work was created.
So, in principle, the two methods aren't very different in essence. One is like 'buying a ticket before getting on the train,' while the other is like 'getting on first and buying a ticket later.'
The latter saves more time and lets people go further."
Hu Qitian said.
Seeing that Hu Long had no more questions,
he continued.
"Next, I'll teach you a stake technique called Mountain Standing Stake. It's the very foundation of cultivation in the Hu Family."
After Hu Qitian finished explaining Mountain Standing Stake,
Hu Long had a basic understanding of it.
Mountain Standing Stake.
It was a fundamental method for strengthening one's foundation, nurturing one's breath, and building power.
It was far better than fighting techniques at teaching someone to control the force and power in their body.
Once mastered, it let one skip past Tendon Changing and reach the Body Casting Realm.
It was faster to master force this way than to hone each technique one by one.
This stake technique had nine levels.
Its purpose was to lay a solid foundation for future Secret Martial Arts cultivation.
Cultivators had to take Mountain Standing Stake as their foundation, while using the unique Earth Vein Breathing Method and the Black Stone Medicinal Bath to strengthen their bodies.
They also had to practice Stone Moving Force Cultivation to hone their power, progressing step by step to temper their physiques.
Only after reaching the ninth and final level of Mountain Standing Stake, with their energy and strength flowing freely and their foundation firmly established,
and reaching the peak of the Body Casting Realm,
would they qualify to receive the Hu Family's true Secret Martial Arts inheritance.
"The true Secret Martial Arts?"
Hu Long thought of the Spirit Ape Secret Martial Art he had seen Hu Zhenkui use earlier.
Clearly, that had to be it.
"Relax your body. Don't tense up!"
"Lower your arms a little."
"Your breathing rhythm is off."
After a brief demonstration, Hu Qitian began teaching them the posture for Mountain Standing Stake.
With his hands behind his back, he surveyed them.
He pointed out precisely what each of them was doing wrong.
Unlike his cheerful manner just moments ago, he now looked stern.
The others felt somewhat intimidated.
Mountain Standing Stake had both still and moving forms.
Combined with its particular breathing method and force-generation techniques,
it wasn't easy to master in a short time.
"Don't blame me for being strict. There's no room for mistakes in Secret Martial Arts cultivation. Our predecessors worked it out one step at a time, learning through trial and error. Any mistake can cause lasting damage to your body, so you must commit everything I say to memory."
Hu Qitian said coldly.
At that,
everyone's expressions turned serious.
They hadn't expected the consequences to be so severe.
At once, they all focused their attention and began practicing in earnest.