Purple Membrane (Thanks to "Golden Jasmine Flower" for the Alliance Leader support)

Li Xiuwen let out a long breath.

Though it was also a training method, cultivating the Binding Armor Skill was not as difficult as he had imagined.

In terms of level, the entry difficulty of this technique was definitely far higher than that of the Sea-Sand Stance.

When he had first begun the Sea-Sand Stance, it had taken him seven days—and he had eaten Fish Ball.

But he was already an expert on the verge of the Purple Membrane stage, no longer a complete novice.

With a foundation in stance training, learning any other method would be easier at the beginning.

Of course, even with that foundation, given his natural aptitude, he should not have progressed this quickly.

He suspected that he might be a one-in-ten-thousand prodigy of external training, blessed with extraordinary bones.

Old Chen had said that although external training was also a training method, it still differed from stance training.

The talents required by the two were different.

Ordinary training methods placed the greatest emphasis on one's natural aptitude.

External training was also affected by natural aptitude, but it depended on certain special constitutions as well.

For example, Silly Qiang had average natural aptitude, but because he possessed "innate divine strength," his talent for external training was quite good. He had even earned Lion-Head Buddha's favor.

In the eyes of some external training practitioners, Silly Qiang's value was not much lower than that of someone with the aptitude of an exalted person.

Could it be that I also have some hidden special constitution that has yet to be discovered?

Li Xiuwen could not help but feel a little more expectant.

If he really did, he was not asking for much. A Great Accomplishment Sacred Body would do.

He stood before the mirror and admired his body.

His first impression was that his body had become heavier.

All the medicinal paste from last night had turned into medicinal power and merged into his body, saturating his skin and membranes.

Secondly, his qi and blood had grown more vigorous, which also made his body feel heavier.

This heaviness was not a bad thing. It did not mean he had become less agile. Rather, his whole body was like a great bell—steady and powerful.

"Practitioners of hard qigong have far greater resistance to blows than ordinary martial artists at the same level."

"If you punch a hard qigong expert and get sent flying from the recoil, it is because they are heavy enough."

Li Xiuwen murmured. Having mastered it, he finally understood the principle.

"As my hard qigong realm deepens, I will become heavier and heavier, like a great bell as immovable as a mountain, walking the human world."

Li Xiuwen circulated his hard qigong and carefully observed his skin and membranes.

Within the azure glow, there were faint traces of deeper azure patterns, though they were not obvious.

"These are mystic patterns, dark markings formed by qi and blood being transported to the skin and membranes and settling there. Usually, they remain hidden, making me look no different from an ordinary person."

"But if I circulate the incantation and my qi and blood churn, the mystic patterns will manifest within the skin and membranes... If I fight someone, I should still keep myself well covered."

"This hard qigong is my trump card. Unless it is a critical moment, I cannot reveal it, lest someone with ulterior motives set their sights on me."

Li Xiuwen cut at his Azure Membrane with the Butterfly knife. As he circulated his qi and exerted strength, rings of mystic patterns rippled outward like water.

The sharp force of the blade striking his body was neutralized by some buffering force, losing seventy to eighty percent of its power.

"If an ordinary person without much strength tried to cut me with a knife, at most I would suffer a minor flesh wound."

"Just by entering the technique, my Azure Membrane's resistance to blows alone is probably already comparable to the Purple Membrane."

"If my mastery deepens further, I will not even need to reach minor accomplishment. At the skin-and-membrane stage, my defense will have few rivals at the same level."

Over the next three days, Li Xiuwen trained at Four Seas Martial Arts Hall during the day.

At night, he practiced hard qigong alone at home. His uncle-in-law and cousin took turns striking and patting him in training, while the other watched over the factory.

It had to be said that hard qigong was far more difficult to cultivate than the Sea-Sand Stance.

After a full day of painful training, his proficiency only rose by 1%.

To achieve minor accomplishment and begin cultivating the Flood Dragon Muscle level would take at least three months.

The sun and moon flew by, and seven leisurely days passed.

The moment Li Xiuwen arrived at Four Seas Martial Arts Hall, he saw a group of people gathered around A Zhen.

"I'm so jealous. A Zhen has reached the Purple Membrane stage too. We'll have to call her Senior Sister from now on."

"Yeah. She's the third Purple Membrane disciple from this year's batch. Incredible."

"Don't think the Purple Membrane stage is anything special in martial arts halls or major organizations. In the village, they're all experts in their own right."

Li Xiuwen's heart stirred. A Zhen had reached the Purple Membrane stage.

He was not surprised. A Zhen had become a disciple a month before him, possessed even greater talent than he did, and had the support of an organization. For her to only reach the Purple Membrane stage this month could only mean she had been too lazy.

"Awen, you're here. Look, your senior sister has reached the Purple Membrane stage. Feel it..." A Zhen carelessly grabbed Li Xiuwen's hand and placed it on her arm.

"Okay," Li Xiuwen said.

"With this membrane covering my body, even if I let you punch me, you still couldn't hurt me," A Zhen said smugly.

"Hahaha, Sister Zhen is amazing!" Li Xiuwen applauded.

That might have been true before.

But now?

I'm not so sure.

With a body comprehensively strengthened by hard qigong, plus the innate physical advantages of a man in the early stages of martial arts training—

One punch, and A Zhen's period would come looking for her.

Li Xiuwen went to a corner and silently began practicing his punches.

Silly Qiang walked over and said with concern, "You've been arriving late recently. You haven't been working hard enough. Don't give up. Senior Brother Liu Chun doesn't mean any harm. He's just blunt."

Li Xiuwen smiled. "You're overthinking it. These past few days, I've been working nights to earn tuition money, so I've been getting up late in the morning."

"That's good, then. Don't give up on yourself." Silly Qiang sighed in relief, patted Li Xiuwen on the shoulder, and left.

Seeing this, Liu Chun shook her head inwardly. He probably saw Silly Qiang and A Zhen reaching the Purple Membrane stage and got discouraged.

She truly had not meant any harm that day. She had merely stated an objective assessment, and she could not understand why her master had scolded her.

With poor talent and no family resources, he really was not suited to martial arts. It was a waste of his life.

Silly Qiang is a good guy, Li Xiuwen thought with amusement.

He had been arriving late because practicing hard qigong was too exhausting, and he had not been getting enough rest.

He looked toward the [Incense Burner].

[Li Xiuwen]

[Martial Arts]

[Sea-Sand Stance: Entry (99%)]

[Stage: Azure Membrane (99%)]

It's time to break through. This time, I won't rely on Fish Ball.

Li Xiuwen skillfully began practicing his stance, immersing himself in his own world as he repeated it over and over.

Around noon, everyone went to eat and sat together chatting.

Only Li Xiuwen was still practicing his stance.

"There are only a dozen or so days left before we fight those people from Night Heron Martial Arts Hall. We only have three at the Purple Membrane stage... Yet Master isn't worried at all," A Zhen said.

"It'll be difficult. Even if someone luckily reaches the Purple Membrane stage, they most likely won't be a match for Pine Hall's Four Talents," Liu Chun said, shaking her head.

Silly Qiang said, "Awen is still training. I really hope he can win. He needs that three-month fee waiver badly."

After finishing the final round of stance practice, Li Xiuwen's expression turned solemn.

It was as if a mountain flood had burst through a dam. A surging torrent of qi and blood erupted from the Yongquan acupoint, flowing through his extraordinary meridians and eight channels, his limbs and bones, before finally flooding into his muscles and skin membranes.

The azure radiance flared brilliantly, dense and intense, with traces of purple light shimmering within it.

His muscles swelled like bamboo shoots, visibly growing thicker.

His loose robe was slightly stretched taut.

Then, the Azure Membrane receded like a tide, replaced by a purple surge.

"Purple Membrane..."

Li Xiuwen murmured as he sensed a body far stronger than before.

It had happened naturally, without the slightest resistance to breaking through.

This was the wonder of the [Incense Burner].

Though it could not accelerate progress, it would never let you stop moving forward.

Put in effort, and you would gain something.

Once attained, forever attained—there would never be a bottleneck!

Step by step, leaving solid footprints, one would always pass the corpses by the roadside and cross every hurdle.

He looked toward the [Incense Burner].

The incense for the Sea-Sand Stance had burned out, only for new incense to emerge.

A thicker, larger, more sacred stick of incense had grown.

[Li Xiuwen]

[Martial Arts]

[Sea-Sand Stance: Minor Accomplishment (1%)]

[Stage: Purple Membrane (1%)]

Li Xiuwen thought, Now that I've reached the Purple Membrane stage, so long as I don't provoke enforcers from the organizations or masters from the martial arts halls, what lowlife street thug in the village would dare provoke me?

After reaching the Purple Membrane stage, his qi and blood were at least more than twice that of a healthy adult man.

Twice the qi and blood did not merely mean double the strength. It was an all-around improvement in physical ability.

In a real fight, without using a blade and with only his bare hands, he could easily take on ten lowlife thugs from the Children's Gang by himself.

Li Xiuwen finally let out a long breath. Even if Third Master discovered that he had killed Brother Ji, he would no longer panic.

"Kill one, kill two—it's all the same..."

Author's Note:

It seems some new readers still do not understand what the Incense Burner does. I thought I had explained it clearly enough: it is a standard proficiency panel.

This kind of panel cannot directly allocate points or raise cultivation, but it has one trait: once attained, forever attained—there are never any bottlenecks.

The author's previous novels with over ten thousand subscriptions, Martial Saint! and <Wizard: Grinding Experience from Knight Breathing Techniques>, also used similar golden fingers.

Of course, pure proficiency is somewhat boring, so the "Incense Burner" in this book has another new function related to [Beginner Martial Arts Knowledge].

That function will appear soon. Everyone can guess what aspect it concerns.

That is all for the explanation of the Incense Burner. It will not be explained again in the future.