Golden Ape Jade Body Art

Li Jinshan had played the riddler.

He had mentioned only a mountain stronghold, then left without explaining further.

Doubt immediately stirred in Su Yan's heart. A stronghold in the mountains? Could they be running a business with no capital—living off plunder?

It was only a passing thought. If they were living off plunder, the Golden Ape Martial Arts Hall alone probably could not have achieved all this.

I should find out in a few days. Perhaps it has something to do with the opening of the hunt in the Wild Mountains.

Su Yan glanced around the room and checked everything. Only after finding nothing amiss did he summon a servant, have bedding and other necessities brought over, and settle in.

The night passed. At first light the next morning, Su Yan got up and went into the courtyard to practice his stance, regulating his breathing and tempering his blood and qi.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him.

"So hardworking. No wonder you mastered Stance Training in such a short time."

Bai Changlin strolled over, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

"Master."

Su Yan ended his Stance Training and cupped his hands in greeting.

Since he had entered the Inner Gate, he had taken Bai Changlin as his master and naturally owed him this courtesy.

"Since you're up, come with me. This is a good time to teach you the Golden Ape Jade Body Art."

Bai Changlin led Su Yan to an open space beside the rockery.

Once they stood still, Bai Changlin said, "A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wishes to do good work. Before I teach you, let me ask: how much do you know about the martial path?"

Bai Changlin's question briefly startled Su Yan. He answered honestly, "I learned a little from my senior brothers and Steward Song at the Hundred Herbs Hall. I only know that body tempering has four realms: skin refining, tendon and bone, blood moving, and origin nurturing. Above those is the true intent realm."

"And cultivation arts and martial techniques?"

"I only know about Stance Training, martial techniques, and their levels of mastery."

Bai Changlin merely nodded. Su Yan knew neither much nor too little, but it would save him some explaining.

"Your understanding of the martial realms is reasonably complete. Let me tell you about cultivation arts and martial techniques."

Bai Changlin explained slowly, "Cultivation arts and martial techniques actually fall into three categories: primary cultivation arts, supplementary cultivation arts, and martial techniques. Primary arts hone your cultivation and allow you to visualize true intent. They determine the ceiling of your cultivation and the speed of your progress."

"Supplementary arts, as the name suggests, support your cultivation. Though called supplementary, they encompass countless methods, from hardening the flesh to strengthening the mind and cultivating unusual forms of True Essence. What you learn and comprehend can be integrated into your body. Though they cannot let you visualize true intent, they can bolster it, firming your foundations and adding all manner of means to your arsenal."

"There's no need to say much about martial techniques. You've mastered Monkey Fist, so you should know their purpose."

Bai Changlin looked at Su Yan, his tone carrying a hint of examination.

"Martial techniques are tools. How much of your cultivation and ability you can bring to bear, and how effectively, are closely tied to your martial techniques."

Su Yan thought for a moment before giving that answer.

Bai Changlin smiled. The boy could be taught.

"Correct. Primary arts determine your ceiling, supplementary arts deepen your reserves, and martial techniques determine your explosive power. All newly admitted disciples must learn the Golden Ape Jade Body Art and the Savage Ape Three Forms. This is to strengthen your foundations and truly give you the means to establish yourselves and survive."

Su Yan's eyes shifted slightly. "Master, there's something I don't understand. Is the Golden Ape Stance Training also a primary cultivation art?"

Bai Changlin laughed. "It's merely a foundation derived from the primary art. It doesn't count as one itself."

Su Yan's eyes brightened. "Master, was that white ape apparition yesterday martial true intent?"

Bai Changlin glanced at Su Yan, a smile tugging at his lips. "Want to know what the true intent realm can do? It was martial true intent, also called Beast Spirit True Intent. When true intent manifests, it resembles a savage beast. Fighting with its might is the power of the true intent realm. Our Martial Arts Hall's Golden Ape, the Hundred Herbs Hall's Azure Goat, the Little Mountain Society's black wolf, the Fishermen's Gang's alligator dragon... each true intent has its own characteristic. All are powers wielded by martial artists."

Su Yan was inwardly shocked. If they fought like that, the destruction would be far more terrifying than a clash of fists and feet.

"Assume your stance properly. Sense the fluctuations and direction of your surging blood and qi."

Su Yan immediately began his Stance Training, the muscles throughout his body trembling faintly.

Bai Changlin placed a hand on Su Yan's shoulder, and a warm current flowed into his body.

The blood and qi throughout his body seemed to be stirred by this foreign vital energy, surging along his meridians to form a special circuit.

As his blood and qi circulated, threads of jade-like energy continuously seeped into his skin, flesh, and blood, strengthening Su Yan's body.

Bai Changlin guided Su Yan's blood and qi through one complete circuit before gradually withdrawing his hand.

"The Golden Ape Jade Body Art is an art of bodily hardening. It tempers the body with blood and qi, supplemented by medicine, to develop strength and a body impervious to blades and spears."

Bai Changlin said, "The Golden Ape Jade Body Art has three levels: stone embryo, iron bones, and jade body. When your skin and flesh become like stone, impervious to blades and spears, and your strength increases by another thousand jin, you've reached the first level."

Su Yan's eyes brightened. "With an increase like that, even among people at the same skin refining level, one person could probably defeat three to five ordinary Skin Refining Realm practitioners, with extremely strong defenses as well."

Having gained a supplementary art, Su Yan was naturally excited. He plunged straight into studying it, repeatedly committing the direction of that blood-and-qi circuit to memory.

Watching him, Bai Changlin chuckled inwardly. Supplementary arts aren't like Stance Training. Even I took four or five days to master this back then. Let's see how long you need.

Su Yan spent the entire morning in his stance, constantly attempting the circulation method of the Golden Ape Jade Body Art.

Once, twice, three times...

He hardly paused to rest. As long as his blood and qi and his stamina could hold out, Su Yan tempered himself like a man possessed, just as he had always trained before.

Bai Changlin watched from beside him, gradually moved by Su Yan's drive.

Even if his comprehension were a little lacking, this ability to gnaw through hard bones would sooner or later bring his martial skills to a respectable level.

During that time, Bai Changlin guided Su Yan's blood and qi twice more to help him remember the sensation.

As time passed, Li Jinshan had someone bring food. Before long, the sun had sunk toward the western hills, and dusk had arrived.

By then, Su Yan was utterly exhausted, his face drenched in sweat. His training clothes were soaked through as well, and he had stripped off his top, revealing lean, powerful muscles.

"That's enough. At this rate, you'll master it in less than three days."

Bai Changlin was about to interrupt Su Yan's training. Going too far was as bad as not going far enough.

The circulation method of the Golden Ape Jade Body Art was built upon stance training. Even when the circuit was not completed, it still consumed a considerable amount of energy, blood, and qi.

Su Yan improved more with every attempt. Mastery was inevitable; there was no need to rush it.

Yet Su Yan opened his tightly shut eyes, revealing a bright, piercing gaze like a pair of stars.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile, and he said to Bai Changlin, "Master, it seems I won't need another two or three days. I think I've figured out the Golden Ape Jade Body Art."

[Golden Ape Jade Body Art 21/100 (beginner)]

"What?!"

Bai Changlin looked astonished, while Su Yan raised his hand and activated the Golden Ape Jade Body Art.

Blood and qi gathered in his arm. His skin quietly changed, taking on a dark coating like a mountain rock.

Though the color was relatively faint, this transformation clearly proved that he had truly mastered the Golden Ape Jade Body Art.

"In the thirty years since I founded this hall, you're the first person to grasp the Golden Ape Jade Body Art within a single day."

Bai Changlin was filled with emotion, but his eyes shone brightly. He said, "Since that's the case, you might as well memorize the Savage Ape Three Forms too. Study them carefully before you go rest."