Time passed quickly.
Xu Qing spent the entire day inside, practicing the Eight Extremities Fist. He had started in the morning and had not stopped until dusk was near.
All told, he had practiced for at least eight hours.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing slowly drew his technique to a close and exhaled a breath of stale air. Faint white vapor rose above his head, formed by evaporating sweat.
Eight Extremities Fist LV4:40/80.
"It should level up tomorrow."
Xu Qing glanced at the Eight Extremities Fist information and nodded in satisfaction. Then he felt the last ten taels of silver in his clothes. "Only ten taels left."
He could not help but recall last night.
He had entered Spring Breeze Pavilion but had not called for a single girl or spent a single coin. When he left, the contemptuous looks from the girls and the attendants around him had left Xu Qing thoroughly embarrassed.
"How humiliating."
Xu Qing shook his head.
In his previous life,
Xu Qing had frequented all kinds of high-end clubs, throwing around money by the thousands. Wherever he went, beautiful women flocked around him and fawned over him. How could it compare to last night? It was simply beyond words...
At dusk,
Xu Qing arrived at Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, only to find that Instructor Zhang He was absent. Most of the students had gone home as well, so Xu Qing headed alone to the school's warehouse.
"Old Man Xiao, I'm here to buy Tai Sui Spirit Meat."
Xu Qing took out ten taels of silver and respectfully placed them before Old Man Xiao.
"Mhm."
Old Man Xiao rose to his feet. With his back hunched, he walked into the warehouse as though limping. Before long, he brought out one jin of Tai Sui Spirit Meat and handed it to Xu Qing.
"Take it."
Old Man Xiao said.
"Thank you, Old Man Xiao."
Xu Qing cupped his hands in salute and accepted the Tai Sui Spirit Meat.
That night,
Xu Qing returned home.
He first pan-fried the Tai Sui Spirit Meat, then wolfed it down. He ate the entire jin, and waves of heat surged through his body.
Every cell in his body seemed to be cheering with delight.
This feeling
was truly quite comfortable.
"Serpent Evasion Technique."
That night,
Xu Qing began practicing the Serpent Evasion Technique.
Two hours later,
Xu Qing had practiced the Serpent Evasion Technique ten times.
Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV2:10/10 (Upgradeable!)
It had to be known that
the Serpent Evasion Technique had originally been an incomplete movement technique, and movement techniques were also a type of combat technique. Combat techniques included not only fist and palm arts, but also movement techniques, sword arts, saber arts...
Furthermore,
the Serpent Evasion Technique, having already reached LV2, had been completed.
"Upgrade."
Xu Qing said.
Buzz!
The next instant,
Xu Qing's consciousness wavered. Countless tiny figures seemed to appear before his eyes, endlessly practicing a movement technique as nimble as a serpent.
Moreover,
Xu Qing seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within that mysterious space, he continuously deduced the Serpent Evasion Technique and trained without pause.
Very quickly,
the Serpent Evasion Technique underwent a transformation. His legs became incomparably agile, his body seeming to turn into a slithering serpent. The force throughout his body also gathered into a single stream, transforming into a supple and nimble "visible force."
Boom!!!
In an instant,
it was as though enlightenment had been poured directly into his head.
A vast amount of knowledge and mysteries flooded Xu Qing's mind. He gave a low shout and swiftly began practicing the Serpent Evasion Technique inside the room.
Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV3:0/20 (A movement technique that imitates serpents. Its movements are nimble and lifelike. After undergoing deduction, it has produced entirely new changes and can condense supple and nimble "visible force.")
"Phew..."
Xu Qing took a deep breath. He had finished practicing. Feeling the changes in the Serpent Evasion Technique and in himself, he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad."
The night passed without incident.
The next day,
Xu Qing still did not go to Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. He continued practicing the Eight Extremities Fist at his residence, determined to raise it by another level today.
Azure Hawk Martial Arts School.
"What a pity, what a pity..."
Zhang He still did not see Xu Qing that day, and he had become completely disappointed. If Xu Qing had missed yesterday because something delayed him, then perhaps it could be understood. But he had not come today either. Missing two days in a row meant he had truly given up.
"Haha..."
"That Xu Qing didn't come again today."
"Exactly."
"We thought he was something special, but he's just a silver spear with a wax tip—pretty to look at, useless in a fight."
"I'm dying of laughter."
"..."
The students began mocking him.
"He truly has no fortune."
Ye Langtian naturally learned of it as well and casually remarked, "Besides, I feel the time is about right. Condensing visible force will happen within the next few days."
"Congratulations, Young Master Ye! Congratulations!"
"Young Master Ye truly is a martial arts prodigy."
"Yes! Yes!"
"You joined Azure Hawk Martial Arts School less than a month ago, and you're already about to cultivate visible force."
"..."
Everyone began flattering him.
Time flew by.
That afternoon,
as dusk approached,
"Done."
Xu Qing's expression brightened. He swiftly ended his practice, a gleam flashing in his eyes. The information on the Eight Extremities Fist appeared in his mind. After practicing the entire day, it could finally be upgraded.
Eight Extremities Fist LV4:80/80 (Upgradeable!)
"Upgrade."
Xu Qing said.
Buzz!
The moment the words fell,
the Omni-Codex flickered with fluorescent light. Xu Qing's mind trembled, and double images appeared before his eyes as countless tiny figures emerged, endlessly practicing the Eight Extremities Fist.
At the same time,
Xu Qing's consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious space. Within that mysterious space, he could not sense the passage of time at all.
Xu Qing endlessly practiced and deduced the mysteries of the Eight Extremities Fist.
Without realizing it,
he had entered a state akin to sudden enlightenment.
Boom!
At the very beginning,
the fist force of the Eight Extremities Fist was fierce and powerful, as though every punch were about to pierce the heavens, erupting with exceptionally tyrannical and obvious power.
However,
as time passed,
the fist art began to change. Its original fierceness gradually became supple and calm, producing a sense of yin and yang complementing one another.
The force of the fist art began to seep into his body and temper his muscles and bones. It was no longer limited to the flesh on the surface of his body. His visible force also began to change, transforming from deep within his body into a kind of "hidden force."
"Just as I thought."
Xu Qing opened his eyes, brimming with energy, and began practicing the Eight Extremities Fist in the room. His fist art was no longer abrupt, but carried a feeling of returning to simplicity.
At the same time,
the visible force within Xu Qing's body had gradually transformed into hidden force.
He had become a hidden-force expert.
Eight Extremities Fist LV5:0/160 (Originally just an ordinary short-range fist combat technique, its movements are fierce and unadorned, its force explosive and swift, and it can strengthen the body. Yet after being renewed and refined time and again, it can condense the strength of all the body's flesh, muscles, and bones, its force penetrating the sinews and bones, condensing "hidden force" and tempering the physical body.)
"Good, good, good."
Xu Qing's face was filled with delight as he experienced the changes in himself. "Another qualitative transformation. This upgrade of the Eight Extremities Fist directly let me break through the shackles of visible force and condense hidden force."
"With this,"
"I have reached the second stage of the First Step of the Martial Path, the Force Realm."
"Gurgle... Gurgle..."
In the midst of his joy,
Xu Qing's stomach began protesting. He was hungry. He had eaten a jin of Tai Sui Spirit Meat only last night, and he had also practiced the Serpent Evasion Technique last night.
Today, he had practiced all day long.
At dusk,
Xu Qing had even upgraded the Eight Extremities Fist and entered the level of hidden force in one stroke.
It could be said that
the essence of that jin of Tai Sui Spirit Meat had long since been exhausted.
Had Xu Qing not been eating Tai Sui Spirit Meat these past few days, he probably would not have been able to hold on today.
"I can't keep this up."
Xu Qing took a deep breath and felt through his pockets, only to discover that he truly did not have a single coin left. He glanced at the sky, which had not yet completely darkened.
Without hesitation,
Xu Qing swiftly left home.
Half an hour later,
the underground black-fist arena.
Yu Chen's residence.
"Were you reincarnated as a starving ghost?!"
Inside the room,
Yu Chen watched Xu Qing gorge himself. Chicken, duck, fish, meat, and even pork trotters all vanished into Xu Qing's stomach as though a fierce wind were sweeping away fallen leaves.
"Burp~~"
At last,
Xu Qing finished every last bite. He was practically one step away from crushing the bones and swallowing them too. Only then did he let out a satisfied burp and pat his belly contentedly.
"Xu Qing, you bastard, you still owe me a hundred taels of silver! And now you've come here to eat and drink for free at my place."
Yu Chen cursed loudly.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely repay your hundred taels of silver."
Xu Qing waved a hand.
"I believe you about as much as I believe in ghosts."
Yu Chen glared at Xu Qing. "How many days has it even been? You left with eighty-three taels of silver, and in just five or six days, you spent every last bit of it. Now you have to come freeload food and drink from me."
"This meal alone cost me at least five taels of silver."
Yu Chen cursed again.
"Cough, cough..."
Xu Qing coughed lightly. "So... do you have any way to make money? You know martial arts training costs a fortune. I'm really short on money lately!"
"Make money? I want to make money too. Why don't you give me a way?"
Yu Chen rolled his eyes at Xu Qing.
"No need to be such a stranger."
Xu Qing said.
"If you want to make money, I do have a few opportunities here. But they're all pretty dangerous. I think it would be better if you didn't take too many risks."
Yu Chen said.
"Tell me about them first."
Xu Qing said.
"First."
Yu Chen held up one finger. "Tomorrow, there will be an underground black-fist match, and Fan Yanbin will be competing. He is one of the three people in charge of the underground black-fist circuit."
"You should know."
"He is a genuine Mingjin expert. He has already mastered the combat methods and training methods of the Changfeng Martial Arts School. His strength is formidable. In his eyes, Pang De is nothing but trash."
"If."
"If you can defeat Fan Yanbin tomorrow, I dare guarantee that you'll earn at least a hundred taels of silver."
"Of course."
"That's nothing but a fool's dream."
"A hundred taels of silver."
Xu Qing's eyes lit up.
But.
Xu Qing thought of something else.
If he defeated Fan Yanbin, his strength would be exposed.
"Isn't Fan Yanbin one of the three people in charge of the underground black-fist circuit? Why is he competing too?"
Xu Qing asked.
"He needs money."
Yu Chen said, "You know yourself that practicing martial arts burns through money. Last time, he placed a bet that Pang De would win, but you won instead. He lost a full hundred taels of silver."
"Are there any other avenues?"
Xu Qing asked.
Before you continue