Turtle-Snake Great Stance

"Master Lin, I leave them to you now!"

Huang Jin did not linger here. He had not come to supervise everyone's training, but to communicate with Wei Yuan Hall and handle the payments.

As for whether Xu Yang and the others were diligent in their training, the Huang Family did not care at all; besides, he could always inquire about such things from Wei Yuan Hall.

If they were not diligent and just wanted to slack off, they would naturally be kicked out by Wei Yuan Hall once the fees stopped.

"Greetings, Master Lin!"

As soon as Huang Jin left, everyone bowed in unison toward Lin Cheng.

Although they were paying to learn the craft, the necessary respect and etiquette could not be neglected.

Lin Cheng nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the ten people, lingering particularly on Lu Ren: "What do you think is the most important thing in practicing martial arts?"

"Bone structure!"

"Perseverance!"

"The ability to endure hardship!"

"Diligence and persistence!"

There were all sorts of answers, but the most common was bone structure. After all, if it weren't the most important, the Huang Family wouldn't have checked their bones before selecting them.

As for things like enduring hardship or perseverance, there were plenty of people who could do that; why would the Huang Family choose only them? Oxen and horses were also hardworking and resilient, but could they practice martial arts?

"It's money!" Xu Yang spoke from the heart.

He had spent half a year preparing to practice martial arts, and the thing he heard most was about money. Few people, upon hearing he wanted to train, would say he lacked talent or the ability to endure hardship; what they said most was that he had no money.

To fund Yang Jun's training, Xu Laoer had even set his sights on the few hundred copper coins he had dug out of the mine with his own blood and sweat.

Lin Cheng looked at Xu Yang with surprise, then nodded: "Not bad, it is indeed money. Without money, you wouldn't even be able to see me!"

Luo Dehu, Lu Ren, and the others were dumbfounded, not expecting a master like Lin Cheng to be so mercenary, bringing up money the moment he opened his mouth.

"Don't think of me as mercenary. I just want to tell you that for others, the most important things for martial arts might be bone structure or perseverance, but for you, the most important thing is money.

You have all been checked by the Huang Family, so you naturally have the bone structure for martial arts, and coming from the bottom, enduring hardship is second nature to you. The only thing you lack is money.

And practicing martial arts is the most expensive endeavor of all.

Never mind medicinal soups and the like; even just the food alone could bankrupt a small household."

Everyone was confused. Was Master Lin trying to persuade them not to practice martial arts?

Master Lin continued, "If you cannot even fill your bellies, then even someone with a Grade B Superior Bone Structure like Lu Ren will never become a martial artist, no matter how hard he practices for ten years. That is why the first lesson I am teaching you today is to eat—eat until you are desperate, eat until your stomachs can hold no more. It would be best if you could eat four or five meals a day; only then might you have a day where you can struggle your way out of this mire."

Go home tonight and talk to your families. If there is money, take it all out and spend it on good food."

His logic might not be universal, but to this group of people struggling in the mire, it was a golden rule.

Because as far as food was concerned, it was the only thing the Huang Family was generous about; they could eat their fill.

"The disciples have received your instruction. Many thanks for your guidance, Master Lin." Everyone bowed in unison.

Lin Cheng nodded to himself. Wealthy children had their advantages, but the poor had theirs as well. At the very least, he didn't need to remind this group about enduring hardship; the rest was just a matter of comprehension.

"Come, I will first teach you the stance. The stance is the foundation of all methods, as well as the unique technique for accumulating blood and qi and tempering the physique. For those at the beginning of their martial journey, the stance is even more important than fist techniques."

Finally, they were about to make real contact with the Martial Dao. Everyone grew excited, their eyes fixed intently on Lin Cheng. Even the group practicing fist techniques nearby ran over in a swarm, surrounding Lin Cheng.

He assumed a strange posture, looking like a giant python standing upright. A fierce blood and qi emanated from his body, his skin began to turn crimson, and his already burly frame swelled further, with robust muscles appearing like intertwined tree roots.

"This is the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. The turtle and snake are long-lived. We martial artists often suffer from hidden injuries, some of which even medicine cannot heal; only the stance can repair them. Remember, no matter how high your cultivation becomes in the future, you must stand this stance every morning and evening; it can prolong your life."

Xu Yang and the others began to imitate Lin Cheng's movements while watching.

"Do not rush to mimic my movements. The true core of the stance is not the movement, but the breathing technique. Pay attention to my breathing rhythm and the way my skin and membranes ripple..."

Xu Yang stared at Lin Cheng with rapt attention. At a certain moment, a faint light flashed before his eyes, and the Martial Dao Longevity Panel popped up.

[Turtle-Snake Great Stance: Not Yet Initiated (0/5)]

He couldn't help but twitch his eyelids. He hadn't actually memorized everything Lin Cheng taught, but at this moment, whenever he recalled it in his mind, the panel would transmit Lin Cheng's image and words to him.

He hadn't memorized it, but the panel had done it for him. The rest was just practicing by following the pattern.

Of course, it wasn't that simple, but it was equivalent to having a constant replay. The benefit was that he didn't need to struggle to memorize things; the difficulty of cultivation remained unchanged.

"It only takes a proficiency of five to initiate."

Xu Yang didn't yet know what a "5" represented in terms of difficulty, nor did he dwell on it.

"You try it!" Lin Cheng finished his practice and stood up, his crimson skin returning to normal.

The ten people spread out, each assuming the posture they had memorized.

"Not bad!"

Lin Cheng's gaze swept over them, landing first on Lu Ren, who had the best bone structure, and he couldn't help but nod to himself.

Although Lu Ren's Turtle-Snake Great Stance was still a mess, it was the best among the ten.

He scanned everyone one by one, committing their performance during their first time holding the stance to memory, before striding out to offer guidance to each of them.

"Hollow your chest and straighten your back!"

"Sink your qi into your dantian."

"Your muscles and bones should be loose yet taut."

"Do not deliberately hold your breath."

Once he finished, he went to guide the group of disciples who had been practicing boxing earlier.

After everyone had been instructed, Lin Cheng called out toward the backyard, "Sun Tao, come here!"

The man in white who had appeared earlier quickly emerged, and Lin Cheng pointed at him, saying, "This is your Senior Brother Sun Tao. He will be the one to lead you into the basics from here on out."

With that, he strode away directly.

Everyone looked at each other in dismay. Lin Cheng was not going to continue teaching them the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, leaving it to this Senior Brother Sun Tao instead; they had paid a tael of silver only to receive such a short amount of instruction.

"Don't expect the Master to teach you personally. Before you have mastered the basics of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, the Master will not come to teach you again. This is only the Outer Courtyard, and the Master usually only comes once every half month.

If not for the fact that ten of you arrived at once this time, you wouldn't even have seen the Master's face."

Sun Tao seemed to understand what Xu Yang and the others were thinking and immediately explained.

"Senior Brother Sun, how does one count as having mastered the basics of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance?" someone asked.

Xu Yang looked over and saw that the question came from the youth who ranked second in aptitude, possessing a Grade C-Superior bone structure. He remembered his name was Zhang Yong.

Sun Tao smiled. "When you feel strength rising from the ground and your blood boils like boiling water while holding the stance, then you have mastered the basics of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance."

He was responsible for guiding new disciples in the Outer Courtyard, which naturally included answering various questions or explaining common martial arts knowledge.

"Generally, how much time does it take to master the basics?" This time, the question came from Lu Ren.

Sun Tao glanced at him and said, "Those with superior talent might take three to five days. If things go poorly, it's possible you might never master it in your entire life."

These words caused several people's expressions to change drastically.

"Senior Brother Sun, does talent refer to bone structure?" Luo Dehu asked.

Sun Tao shook his head. "No. Martial arts talent is not solely defined by bone structure; beyond that, there is also comprehension. I know you all underwent bone-testing at the Huang Family, but I must tell you that while bone structure is certainly important, comprehension cannot be ignored.

Wei Yuan Hall does not test for bone structure because there are too many examples of people with good bone structure who never became martial artists.

Alright, stop asking these useless questions for now and focus on learning the Turtle-Snake Great Stance."

Everyone felt a jolt in their hearts, and those who had been somewhat proud of their bone structure immediately tucked away their petty thoughts.