Breakthrough

Huang Haitao gently pushed both palms forward, his movements soft as waves as he slowly demonstrated each move.

He spoke as he moved: "Open your eyes and watch carefully. Remember everything. I'll teach this only once."

"If you don't remember it, figure it out yourselves!"

"This palm technique is called the Azure Wave Palm. It has sixteen moves, as well as eight combinations."

At his words, everyone, including Lu Li, hurriedly widened their eyes and craned their necks, watching every detail.

Lu Li observed that most people were merely imitating what they saw, their movements wavering so badly they nearly fell over.

Only three of them managed to look halfway decent.

An hour passed.

Huang Haitao pressed both palms down, regulated his breathing, and slowly ended the demonstration.

"Practice on your own."

He turned to face everyone and spoke.

Many people were so anxious they scratched their heads, their whole bodies feverish despite the bitter winter cold.

"That's it, I'm done for. I couldn't understand a thing. My movements are a mess, and I barely remembered any of it."

"Brother, same here!"

Most of them complained bitterly and sighed.

Only the three who had managed to keep up had shining eyes. They regarded the Azure Wave Palm as a treasure, immediately assumed the stance, and began practicing each move.

Lu Li took it all in. Keeping a resolute expression, he also began to practice.

But inwardly, he shook his head.

This Azure Wave Palm was truly awful.

As a Flesh-Refining Realm martial artist, he could see from his higher vantage point that the Azure Wave Palm was definitely of an extremely low grade.

Some movements were weak and insubstantial, as if they were performed for movement's sake alone, without the slightest spirit.

Lu Li guessed that the Azure Wave Palm couldn't even reach the Skin-Refining Realm.

It was probably some cheap street-stall manual.

The others' eyes had lit up at the martial art because they had never practiced before and didn't know the difference between good and bad.

But Lu Li was different.

He was about to break through into the Tendon-Refining Realm, so naturally, he looked down on the Azure Wave Palm.

He could guess what the Huang Family was plotting.

Even after they had learned the basics of the Azure Wave Palm, the Huang Family wouldn't teach them the complete martial art. Instead, they would squeeze it out of them bit by bit, like squeezing toothpaste from a tube.

The point was that these country bumpkins had never seen anything good. By dangling this in front of them, the Huang Family could make them feel grateful and utterly devoted.

They would think the Huang Mansion had given them a new lease on life.

Night soon fell.

Lu Li glanced at his panel.

[Martial Art: Azure Wave Palm (50/100) One practice a day, four years to master]

With his talent and the support of the proficiency panel,

he had advanced the Azure Wave Palm halfway in just one day!

Huang Haitao's gaze swept over Lu Li and the others, and he looked satisfied.

Afterward, everyone ate dinner at the Huang Family's place. There really was plenty of fish and meat, enough to leave their mouths slick with grease.

However, the portions were limited, and Lu Li wasn't full at all.

After dinner, he thought of Uncle Zhao.

He went to the herb gatherers' courtyard and saw Uncle Zhao chatting and laughing with several people. Those around him treated him with great respect.

When Uncle Zhao saw Lu Li arrive, he hurried over. "Did you learn anything useful?"

Lu Li nodded, his eyes gleaming. "The Huang Family's martial arts are very profound."

Huang Hao, reclining on a lounge chair, heard him. His old face blossomed into a chrysanthemum of a smile; it was hard to tell whether he was sneering or not.

A while later, he finally stopped laughing. "Young Lu, you made a good choice. You weren't as foolish as Niu Er."

"Niu Er was killed by a mysterious martial artist in his own home. That's what happens when you have a mountain of treasure but no ability to protect it."

"You'd better keep working hard."

"What? Niu Er is dead?" everyone exclaimed.

"Thank you for the lesson, Uncle Huang." Lu Li's eyes widened in astonishment at Niu Er's death. Then he quickly came to his senses and bowed respectfully in thanks.

Afterward, he bought some more dishes and went to check on Aunt Zhao.

The medicine had indeed cured her completely. After finishing three doses, she had gone from looking deathly pale to radiant with health—all in barely a day.

Later, Er Gou and the others came to visit. In front of Lu Li, they apologized to Uncle Zhao's family and offered five taels of silver as a token of thanks, along with some white sugar, cured meat, and other goods.

Their sincerity was clear, and their attitude was proper. Since they knew how to read the situation, Lu Li let them off.

After that, Lu Li returned home, took the powerful medicine, and continued practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist.

Lu Li immersed himself in training, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the Huang Family's Martial Academy, Lu Li slowly ended his practice.

He didn't intend to master the Azure Wave Palm right away. Instead, he planned to wait a month before doing so.

After all, mastering it in two days would draw far too much attention.

If the Huang Family found out, who knew how they would treat him?

He glanced at his panel.

[Martial Art: Tiger-Subduing Fist (Flesh-Refining Realm 380/400) One practice a day, 40 years to master. Demon-Spirit Communion Technique (Cannot be upgraded). Azure Wave Palm (Not yet mastered 65/100)]

He focused on the Tiger-Subduing Fist, his heart surging with excitement.

Today, he could break through with the Tiger-Subduing Fist and officially enter the Tendon-Refining Realm!

He could already sense it faintly: his tendons and meridians were swelling and tightening under the impact of his qi and blood.

With every punch, his tendons and meridians trembled too, like bowstrings being drawn back, unleashing astonishing power.

He was about to turn and leave when he suddenly saw three people striding toward him, their faces covered in friendly smiles.

They were among the four who had shown considerable mastery of the Azure Wave Palm.

"Brother Lu Li, I've noticed that your Azure Wave Palm is smooth and your strength is perfectly controlled. You're about to master it, aren't you?"

"To be honest, among everyone in this courtyard, only the four of us have any real talent."

"The rest are hopeless. They probably won't master it until after the New Year."

"They're no longer on our level."

"From what I can tell, we're the ones who'll be heavily cultivated. How about the four of us push each other forward?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Li Qing." The young man at the front extended his hand.

Listening to Li Qing, Lu Li frowned inwardly, displeasure stirring in his heart.

Even being a dog has its ranks?

How narrow-minded!

Lu Li looked at the other three. Like Li Qing, they had an air of arrogance between their brows.

He sighed inwardly. They had achieved a little and already forgotten who they were. People like that were destined never to amount to much.

When it came to true talent, they were as far beneath genuine prodigies as mud was beneath the clouds.

Take him, for example. Even without the system, he could master the technique in four days.

Still, he wasn't one to slap away a smiling face. Lu Li extended his hand amiably and shook Li Qing's.

Then he politely declined. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Brother Li, but I've never been good with words and prefer to keep to myself. I'll have to pass."

With that, he gave Li Qing an apologetic smile.

"I see. Then I won't press you, Brother Lu." Li Qing said with regret, disappointment showing between his brows.

As soon as Lu Li left, Li Qing's expression turned gloomy.

"That Lu Li is truly arrogant. Does he really think he's more talented than us?" Li Qing said through gritted teeth.

"Big Brother, forget him. If he doesn't want to be friends with us, so be it. We'll be the first to master it and catch Martial Master Huang's eye. Then he'll regret it!"

"Ungrateful fool!" Li Qing snorted and turned to leave.

Lu Li came home with dozens of jin of meat. He now had a fortune on hand and the status of a martial arts attendant. No one without sense would dare bother him, so he could spend freely.

Spending money felt good.

Over the past ten days, Lu Li had been nourishing himself heavily. His cheeks had grown round and full, and his arms had thickened considerably. At last, he was getting enough nutrition.

After eating, he began practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist.

When his progress with the Tiger-Subduing Fist reached four hundred, his body underwent a complete transformation!