Breakthrough, Entry-Level Martial Artist (1 / 2)

"Out~~ in~~ out~~~ in~~~"

Zhao Er stood in the open space inside the side room and immediately began adjusting his breathing.

Then he narrowed his eyes, lowered himself into a squat, and instinctively activated Toad Force before beginning the Blood-Energy Circulation Method.

Martial training lay in movement. Whether it was the body-tempering practices of orthodox martial arts or the poison-based methods Zhao Er had learned, their fundamental core was the same: stirring the blood energy within the body and keeping it circulating throughout to temper the physique.

Thus, to condense his blood energy, he first had to get it moving.

As Zhao Er continuously worked his circulation method, no fresh poison entered his body. This time, however, he did not need poison to temper himself; he needed to keep his blood energy circulating.

Zhao Er worked the circulation method faster and faster, and the muscles throughout his body began trembling. Only when he sensed that his blood energy had reached the limit of its circulation did he open his mouth and draw in a long breath.

"In~~"

This time, Zhao Er inhaled as though he meant to suck in all the air around him. Only when his lungs were fully expanded did he close his mouth. After holding his breath for a count of three, he swallowed it.

This breath Zhao Er had taken was the most important step in the blood condensation method recorded in the manual. According to its account, this breath was the world's most yang-aspected qi, as well as the most important Qi Guide for stirring the vital blood within the body.

As he swallowed that breath, it was as though all the vital blood in his body had been ignited. Zhao Er felt a warm current rise from his Dantian and spread throughout his body.

This warm current was unlike the medicinal power Zhao Er had experienced. It was like a stream of qi that, once it appeared, began burrowing into every limb and bone, with his spine at its center.

This stream of qi left no opening untouched, burrowing into the gaps between his bones and piercing his marrow.

As this stream of qi traveled through his limbs and bones, Zhao Er felt all his vital essence stir into motion in an instant, prompting him to slowly breathe out.

"Out~~"

As the stale breath left his mouth, it was as though all the impurities gathered in his body were expelled along with it, leaving his spirits suddenly refreshed.

At that moment, Zhao Er felt utterly focused. He could almost hear his own blood boiling—a sign that his vital blood had been stirred to its utmost limit.

"Bzzzz!!!"

Zhao Er felt a buzzing in his ears. Then a stream of qi rose within his body. As it appeared, the buzzing gradually faded, and his vital blood settled down as well.

"So this is Blood-Energy Force!!!"

Zhao Er sensed that wisp of qi within him. As the Blood-Energy Force flowed throughout his body, everywhere it passed felt wonderfully refreshed. Rather than warmth, it brought a slight coolness. Zhao Er knew that this was the Blood-Energy Force only martial artists could wield.

This wisp of Blood-Energy Force was, in fact, a manifestation of the vitality within his body, as well as the source of his strength.

Feeling that wisp of Blood-Energy Force circulate within him, Zhao Er recalled the punch he had taken from the Wang Family steward in the woods.

He had originally thought it was merely striking force. Now, it seemed that it had been the Blood-Energy Force carried within the man's punch.

"Let's give it a try!"

Thinking of that punch's power, Zhao Er felt an eager itch to act. Without further thought, he threw a punch.

"Crack!!"

A sharp report rang through the side room. Zhao Er's fist struck the sandbag, sending it flying upward.

"Creak, creak!!!"

The sandbag hung from the side room's roof beam by a hemp rope. As it swung violently, even the beam began to shake, producing a piercing noise.

Zhao Er's punch was heavy and powerful, several times fiercer than even the kicks he had thrown while practicing Scorpion Tail Sweep.

"That's not right!"

Yet after throwing that punch, Zhao Er frowned deeply, then swung his fist again.

"Bang!!!"

This punch carried even greater strength and momentum, sending the sandbag soaring high. The entire side room shook more violently, and even dust and straw fell from above.

"Still not right!"

Zhao Er's brow remained tightly furrowed. Although the Wang Family steward was the only martial artist he had ever fought, he could clearly sense the difference.

The Wang Family steward's punch had not merely been powerful; it had also possessed tremendous penetrating force. At the time, Zhao Er had used Centipede Shell Retraction to contract all his muscles and bones into a single whole.

Yet that punch from the Wang Family steward had not only smashed straight through his defenses, but even shaken apart all the strength in his body. After that one punch, he had completely lost the ability to resist.

Had the White Marten not bitten the Wang Family steward's neck, any casual follow-up blow could have taken his life.

The two punches Zhao Er had just thrown had sufficient strength, but lacked that penetrating force and cohesion.

Zhao Er felt that if the Wang Family steward punched the sandbag, he would never send it flying. Instead, he would punch straight through it while the bag itself remained motionless.

This was a fundamental difference, one that represented a manyfold increase in killing power.

This is definitely Blood-Energy Force. The reason for such a difference must lie in the different cultivation methods. Different methods produce different Blood-Energy Force.

Zhao Er did not remain troubled for long. He soon worked out where the difference lay.

Verifying that difference was actually quite simple. Zhao Er pushed open the door and walked out. Without speaking to his family, who stood at the doorway watching him with concern, he went straight outside the courtyard.

There stood a chinaberry tree as thick as a bucket. Zhao Er walked directly up to it, then struck its trunk with his palm.

"Smack!"

His palm struck, the tree swayed, and a few leaves drifted down.

When Zhao Er pulled his palm away from the tree, a clear handprint appeared on its trunk.

That palm strike had shattered the bark, but that was not the most important part. What mattered most was that the handprint was black and gave off a foul, fishy stench.

"Now that's more like it..."

Smelling that familiar foul stench, Zhao Er relaxed his brow, and a faint smile curled his lips. That odor was the unmistakably familiar reek of Heavenly Dragon Toxin.

In other words, although his punches lacked that penetrating force and cohesion, he could discharge the toxins accumulated in his blood along with the force of his punches.

This meant that his punches might fall short of other martial artists' in raw power, but their killing potential was no less—and they were even more insidious and troublesome.

Clearly, these toxins were also tied to those he used during his usual training. In other words, the more toxins he swallowed, the stranger and more troublesome the poisons within his punches would become.

"Second Son! How are you feeling?"

Zhang Xuan'e's somewhat worried voice came from the courtyard gate.

"I'm fine. I feel great! Father, Mother, from now on, I'm an Entry-Level Martial Artist too!"

Zhao Er turned around with a smile.