Great Accomplishment (Please Keep Reading)

Time flew by.

Li Xiuwen immersed himself in the bustle of cultivation, unable to pull himself free.

It had been nearly three months since he came to Four Seas Martial Arts Hall. Only one month remained until the contest for the second floor.

These days, quite a few newcomers had joined the martial arts hall, and quite a few had left.

The first thing the newcomers did upon arriving was try to build a good relationship with Liu Chun and Li Xiuwen.

"Senior Brother Awen, thank you for your guidance!" A female student left with a flushed face.

"Awen, not bad. You're starting to have peach-blossom luck," A Zhen said with a smile.

"What's so interesting about women compared to practicing fists?" Li Xiuwen said.

"Listen to yourself. It'd be nice to have a woman taking care of your daily needs. You're not getting any younger either." A Zhen urged him to get married.

"What, you got ideas about me? Even my aunt isn't urging me to marry, yet you're the one getting anxious." Li Xiuwen shot back bluntly. He hated it when people pressured him into marriage.

A Zhen tucked back the hair by her ear, her little face reddening. To his surprise, she said seriously, "It's not impossible, but I've always treated you like a brother."

"Get lost!" Li Xiuwen laughed despite himself, cursed at her, and left.

With the Incense Burner by his side, all he wanted was to become a powerhouse of martial arts, standing tall upon the earth.

No one was going to make him stop.

At night, everyone went home.

Only two people remained in the martial arts hall, still training.

Liu Chun and Li Xiuwen.

Neither of them spoke. They simply trained, occasionally glancing at the other to observe and gather information.

Then, Li Xiuwen suddenly seemed to gain an insight. He sent out a Sand-Turning Palm, its force like crashing waves, savage and fierce.

Yet when it landed on the sandbag, there was no explosive bang. Instead, it was like a fine rain moistening all things without a sound.

Layers of soft, yielding force brushed over it, rolling folds upon folds into the sandbag.

One breath later, the sandbag exploded with a boom that shook the martial arts hall.

Li Xiuwen looked into his mind at the [Incense Burner].

[Li Xiuwen]

[Martial Arts]

[Sand-Turning Palm: Minor Accomplishment (100%) → Great Accomplishment (1%)]

Li Xiuwen's spirits surged.

"It looks like a hard palm, but it is truly a soft force. Softness within hardness, hardness within softness!"

"When hardness and softness blend as one, the Sand-Turning Palm has reached Great Accomplishment!"

The third level: "Shark Shadow Strike—touch it, and it explodes!"

Huang Sihai had always said that the Sand-Turning Palm truly revealed its marvels starting from the "Shark Shadow Strike" palm.

The palm force shifted between substance and illusion, light and dark, leaving enemies unable to fathom it.

With even a moment's carelessness, if one was struck by the Hard-Soft Palm, its force would penetrate the five viscera and strike straight into the marrow!

Liu Chun stopped practicing, her eyes wide as she stared fixedly at the sandbag.

Her Sand-Turning Palm had also reached Great Accomplishment, so naturally, she could see what had happened.

Awen's Sand-Turning Palm had broken through again.

It had only been a little over a month since he reached Minor Accomplishment.

Without realizing it, Liu Chun's breathing grew increasingly rapid, as though a huge boulder were pressing down on her heart.

She had entered the hall before Awen, possessed the bearing of one fit for the upper ranks, came from a better family, and had never lacked resources.

Beyond the monthly fees, she often spent extra money to have Huang Sihai give her private lessons.

Yet it had still taken her two months to advance her Sand-Turning Palm from Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment.

Just how strong was Awen's comprehension?

A month ago,

she had gone all out and spent ten thousand to have Huang Sihai teach her the movement technique Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance ahead of time, all so Awen would not catch up to her.

But now,

Awen behind her had closed the distance again. He was practically about to kick her in the backside. How could she not be anxious?

Thinking of this,

Liu Chun no longer had the heart to practice. She packed up and left the martial arts hall without even saying goodbye.

Li Xiuwen paid no mind to Liu Chun's little thoughts. In a good mood, he knocked on the door to Huang Sihai's study.

"Come in."

"Master, my Sand-Turning Palm has reached Great Accomplishment."

After hearing this, Huang Sihai paused before saying, "Throw a palm strike."

Li Xiuwen took his stance. With a shake of his spine, rings of invisible force rippled out, making waves rise across the muscles and skin of his body before surging into his right hand and striking out!

A ripple-like white wave actually appeared in the air, visible to the naked eye. It was the trace left by dust swept up by the invisible force.

"The Hard-Soft Palm has truly taken shape."

Huang Sihai murmured to himself. Clearly, he had not expected Li Xiuwen's palm technique to improve again after only a little over a month.

Going from beginner to Minor Accomplishment, perhaps anyone with a bit of talent could do it in a month.

But advancing from Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment was several times harder than before. Even Liu Chun had needed two months.

For people like Silly Qiang and A Zhen, it might take three or four months without success. Being stuck for half a year or a full year was perfectly normal.

Awen's progress was truly remarkable.

"Master, I'm heading home."

"Go on, and be careful on the road."

The martial arts hall fell quiet. Huang Sihai watched Li Xiuwen's retreating back.

"Could it be... he really can do it?"

Two months ago, he had declared that even if Awen ate Fish Balls, it would be difficult for him to catch up to Liu Chun.

Now, it seemed he had spoken too soon.

His fighting techniques were advancing by leaps and bounds, while his training methods were not slow either. After all, he could eat Fish Balls.

There was truly suspense in this contest for the second floor.

"I heard Awen first went to Night Heron Martial Arts Hall. They thought he was too old, so he came here instead."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Old Night Heron, if Awen makes it to the second floor, I wonder how you'll feel?"

That night,

Thud, thud, thud! Auntie held a small hammer and repeatedly struck Li Xiuwen's vital areas.

The cultivation of the Binding Armor Skill was "tempered a thousand times over" in the most literal physical sense.

After she finished striking him, Auntie rubbed her aching arm and smiled. "I'm the one hurting like mad from hammering you, while you don't feel any pain. Martial artists really aren't human."

"It still hurts. Auntie, eat more good food from now on and train your body too. Consider it helping me practice martial arts," Li Xiuwen said with a smile.

After Auntie left, Li Xiuwen showered and looked at the [Incense Burner].

[Li Xiuwen]

[Sea-Sand Stance: Minor Accomplishment (93%)]

[Binding Armor Skill: Beginner (61%)]

[Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance: Beginner (32%)]

[Stage: Purple Membrane (93%)]

"This month of cultivation has had pretty good results."

"Not only has the Sand-Turning Palm reached Great Accomplishment, but the Sea-Sand Stance is nearly there too. I'll eat a Fish Ball in the next few days and make a final push. Breaking through to Black Membrane will be a sure thing."

"The Binding Armor Skill should reach Minor Accomplishment in another month or so. I need to train hard and advance before the second-floor competition. After all, even if my cultivation reaches Black Membrane, I'll still be a fair distance behind Liu Chun."

"I haven't practiced the movement technique much. To reach Minor Accomplishment, I need to tread water for thirty steps without sinking. Right now, I can only manage fifteen steps. I'll take it slowly. Beginner-level movement technique is enough for now."

In the bathroom, Li Xiuwen planned out his cultivation for the next month.

Everything was for getting to the second floor.

Of course, such rapid advances in martial arts came at a price.

The Binding Armor Skill cost one hundred a day in medicinal ointment, three thousand a month.

The Sea-Sand Stance required at least four Fish Balls a month.

Adding improved meals, monthly fees, and all sorts of miscellaneous expenses... he had spent nearly five thousand last month.

Not counting his gold and silver jewelry, his savings had fallen below ten thousand.

Practicing martial arts truly burned through money.

Five thousand a month was something ordinary people would not even dare imagine.

The monthly pay of many people at the bottom of the stronghold was only enough to sustain their most basic vital functions.

"Even if getting to the second floor exempts me from the monthly fee, I still need to find a way to make money if I want to maintain expenses like the hard qigong and Fish Balls. I can't just sit back and eat through my savings."

After showering, Li Xiuwen lay on his bed, entered the [Great Void Illusory Realm], and headed straight for Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.