Iron Garment Art Begins

According to Master Xiuchen, the Iron Garment Art was a Skin-Tempering Realm breathing technique. Once cultivated to perfection, it allowed one to lift a thousand jin, becoming as impervious as if clad in iron—immune to blades and spears, invincible within the Skin-Tempering Realm, and capable of matching experts of the Tendon-Transforming Realm.

Cultivating the Iron Garment Art was also very simple. Unlike other breathing techniques, it did not require accompanying martial forms. One merely had to bear weight on the body, adjust one's breathing according to the mnemonic, and circulate the qi and blood throughout the body.

Not only was it simple to cultivate, but the Iron Garment Art placed absolutely no demands on one's bone structure or aptitude. Anyone could cultivate it.

Even disabled people missing arms or legs could cultivate it. After all, its weight-bearing training could involve the entire body or only specific parts.

Those missing arms could train their legs and turn it into an Iron Leg Art; those missing legs could train their arms and turn it into an Iron Arm Art.

Its power was formidable, its cultivation simple, and it placed no restrictions on aptitude. It was practically the martial cultivation method ordinary people dreamed of.

Before awakening his past-life wisdom, Chen Cheng had been honest and well-behaved. His wits were not lacking either, but he had ultimately been only a seventeen-year-old youth with dreams of becoming a martial artist. Swept up by Master Xiuchen's flowery pitch, his blood had boiled, and he had thrown himself into cultivating this art with weighted training despite his thin, frail body, leaving himself seriously injured.

After Chen Cheng recovered and awakened his past-life wisdom, he had also awakened the system panel. He discovered that this art was merely incomplete, with a completeness of only (40/100).

Martial cultivation stressed that a master led one through the door, but cultivation depended on the individual. Still, one had to have a master's guidance.

Even with simple external martial forms that involved nothing more than chopping and slashing, rash practice could strain muscles and bones through improper exertion.

He had previously lacked a master's guidance and had been cultivating an incomplete internal training method. It would have been stranger if nothing had gone wrong.

Chen Cheng discovered that the system panel possessed another ability: while cultivating, it could automatically correct the art, ensuring that he would not injure himself through improper practice. Every cultivation session increased his progress, while also raising the Iron Garment Art's completeness.

During this period, aside from cultivating the incomplete art, Chen Cheng had greeted Master Xiuchen with a branding iron every day. While taking revenge, he had also been forcing him to reveal the art's mnemonics.

At first, that treacherous little man had managed to hold his tongue, but he could not withstand Chen Cheng's persistent branding-iron hospitality. In the end, he had divulged quite a few of the remaining mnemonics.

Over the past few days, however, it seemed that Master Xiuchen had been squeezed dry of everything in his belly. No matter how he was tortured, he refused to open his mouth.

But Chen Cheng was in no hurry. The Iron Garment Art's cultivation progress had reached (8/10), and its completeness had reached (85/100). Even if Master Xiuchen refused to speak, after a few more days of cultivation, he could correct the art into a complete state himself.

Master Xiuchen's revelation of the mnemonics and methods he had kept hidden at the bottom of his chest today had truly been an unexpected delight.

Xiuchen really had it rough! That final portion of the mnemonics and methods was truly hard on the eyes!

Thinking of Master Xiuchen's resentful expression just now, Chen Cheng could not help but laugh.

A jailer's work was leisurely to the extreme. Chen Cheng loafed around for a while longer, and soon it was time to change shifts. After handing over his duties to the incoming jailer, he set off for home.

Leaving the prison and passing through the arched gate into the South City Guard Bureau, though only a wall separated the two, the City Guard Office was clearly guarded much more tightly. There was a sentry every three steps and a watchman every five; the guards stood with blades in hand, their expressions solemn.

This was an important place responsible for the security of the entire South District. Even ordinary guards were tall and powerfully built, their strength far beyond that of typical wandering martial artists.

A lowly jailer like Chen Cheng was treated as invisible by the guards and ignored outright.

Inside the prison, he was Ruthless A-Cheng, whose name made prisoners tremble in fear. But once outside the prison, he was nothing at all.

Without becoming a martial artist, one was no better than an ant!

The wind had weakened by then, but rain and snow still drifted thickly through the sky. As Chen Cheng walked down the street, bitterness welled up in his heart.

Fortunately, I have the panel. Becoming a martial artist is just around the corner! The future is bright!

He slipped a hand into his clothes and weighed the somewhat deflated money pouch. Gritting his teeth, Chen Cheng went to the market and bought a jin of pork before heading home.

If he wanted to practice martial arts, he had to keep up his meat intake. Even one extra meal was better than nothing.

The South City Guard Bureau prison lay in Guangfu Ward, near the center of the South District, while the Chen Family home was in Ruyi Ward near the city gates, with several streets between them.

Chen Cheng quickened his pace and finally returned to the entrance of his small family courtyard in Locust Tree Alley before night fell completely.

This was a slum, filled entirely with old houses of clay and tile. The Chen Family home was no exception.

"Xiaowan, I'm back."

Chen Cheng knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Coming!"

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded, followed by the bolt being drawn from within. A small, slender girl pulled open the gate, her delicate face brimming with joy.

"Brother Cheng, you must be hungry, right? Dinner will be ready soon."

Chen Cheng entered the courtyard, shut the gate, and raised the pork in his hand.

"No rush. Today was payday, so we're adding a dish tonight."

"That's wonderful! Then I'll make braised pork too."

"Mm."

Mu Xiaowan took the pork and hurried into the kitchen.

The Chen Family had three rooms in total: one for living, one for storing miscellaneous items, and one kitchen.

Chen Cheng entered the room and eagerly began cultivating the Iron Garment Art.

He skillfully circulated the mnemonics that had previously been corrected once. Waves of scorching heat rose from all over his body, and Chen Cheng felt the strength of his qi and blood increase considerably. His slightly hunched frame suddenly straightened.

[Iron Garment Art cultivation progress increased. Current progress: (9/10)]

[Art successfully corrected. Iron Garment Art completeness increased. Current completeness: (86/100)]

Not bad. Another improvement!

Now, let's see how Xiuchen's bottom-of-the-chest mnemonics work!

Yang energy gathers... the great root grows strong... converges in the dantian...

[Art successfully corrected. Iron Garment Art completeness increased. Current completeness: (99/100)]

It had actually increased the art's completeness by thirteen whole points. It seemed Master Xiuchen had truly handed over every last thing he had hidden away this time.

Just one point left, only one point!

Wild joy surged in Chen Cheng's heart, and he was filled with anticipation for the complete Iron Garment Art.

Wait, there seems to be one more method I haven't used!

After pondering for a long while, Chen Cheng still could not resist the temptation of obtaining the complete Iron Garment Art.

He quickly shut the door, found a hemp rope and a scale weight...

[Art successfully corrected. Iron Garment Art completeness: (100/100)]

[Iron Garment Art cultivation progress increased]

...

[Skill: Iron Garment Art (Beginner 1/100)]

"It worked! The Iron Garment Art has entered the beginner stage!"

Chen Cheng was overjoyed.

With a complete internal training method, becoming a martial artist was just around the corner!

"Let's see what the beginner-level Iron Garment Art can do!"

Removing the scale weight and untying the iron plates strapped to his legs, arms, waist, and abdomen, Chen Cheng's entire body suddenly felt incomparably light.

He stood straight, an unprecedented sense of strength flooding his entire body.

The Iron Garment Art emphasized weighted training. Once the weights were removed, that feeling of ease and exhilaration was wonderfully intoxicating, making one want to throw back one's head and roar!

Chen Cheng did not roar. If he started shouting in the middle of the night, the neighbors would surely take him for a madman.

He opened the door and suddenly leaped forward, landing more than a zhang away. In two or three strides, he rushed to the courtyard wall, then sprang upward—and easily landed atop the wall, nearly two meters high.

My strength now has likely increased by more than double compared to before I began cultivating the Iron Garment Art!