"Body Tempering is the beginning of the martial path. A towering building rises from level ground. If you wish to achieve anything in martial arts, Body Tempering is of paramount importance."
"Body Tempering has four stages. The first, body generates Qi and blood, marks initial mastery of Body Tempering. The second, sinews and bones ringing in unison, marks minor mastery. The third, tiger and leopard thunder sound, marks major mastery. As for the fourth, dragon roar and tiger howl, it marks perfection."
"Dragon roar and tiger howl is something you can gaze upon but cannot reach, but to advance to Eighth-Rank Bone Forging, you must reach the tiger and leopard thunder sound stage."
"All right, I'll demonstrate the Body Tempering Art for you once more. Watch carefully and learn carefully."
Having finished speaking, the martial instructor took his stance and began practicing the Body Tempering Art.
Lin Fan's heart burned with fervor, flames rising in his eyes. He had never imagined that the Body Tempering Art he had dreamed of would appear before him in such a way.
Young Master Tang, thank you so much. I owe you another favor, Lin Fan thought. If Young Master Tang had not told him to wait here, he would never have been able to set foot in the martial academy.
Before his eyes, the martial instructor explained each move and stance.
His body shifted through poses resembling ancient yoga, while the rhythm of his breathing changed rapidly. Then a series of cracks and pops rang out from his body.
"This is the second stage of the Body Tempering Art, sinews and bones ringing in unison," the martial instructor explained.
Then he shifted his posture again and adjusted his breathing. Heat steamed from his entire body, while waves of wild howling rose from within him, like the deep growls of a tiger, the snarls of a leopard, and the rumbling of thunder all mixed together.
"This is the third stage, tiger and leopard thunder sound!"
Lin Fan watched, dazzled and entranced. Martial arts really are profound. The body can actually produce sounds like these. His anticipation for Body Tempering grew even stronger.
Just as he was hoping the martial instructor would display "dragon roar and tiger howl," the instructor remained at the "tiger and leopard thunder sound" stage until he finished demonstrating the Body Tempering Art.
Lin Fan immediately checked his fate panel, his face flushing with excitement.
Fate bearer: Lin Fan Fate trait: Heaven Rewards Diligence (with unwavering persistence, success is certain; no realm barriers whatsoever) Aptitude: ordinary Cultivation arts: Iron Cloth Shirt (perfection) Gang-Breaking Fist (minor mastery 420/800), progress +1 with each practice. Gale Leg (initial mastery 400/400), progress +1 with each practice. Body Tempering Art (initial mastery 0/800), progress +1 with each practice.
Just like that, he had acquired the Body Tempering Art. With his Heaven Rewards Diligence fate trait, as long as he kept practicing, he would soon reach perfection and then pursue the path to the eighth rank.
In the courtyard, an apprentice voiced the question on Lin Fan's mind.
"Instructor, why didn't you demonstrate the dragon roar and tiger howl stage?"
The martial instructor shook his head with a laugh. "How could the dragon roar and tiger howl stage be so easy to reach? That is a stage only martial prodigies can attain. Reaching tiger and leopard thunder sound is already the limit for ordinary people like us." By the end, his voice had grown forlorn.
"Instructor, I will definitely become a martial prodigy!" the apprentice who had spoken earlier declared, brimming with ambition.
"Hahaha..." The martial instructor laughed heartily. "There are only seven martial prodigies in all of Qinghe Commandery right now. You'll have to work hard."
Hearing this, Lin Fan sank into thought. Out of ten million people in all of Clear River Commandery, only seven have cultivated the Body Tempering Art to the dragon roar and tiger howl stage? Is it that difficult? Isn't reaching it guaranteed if you just keep practicing?
Had others known what he was thinking, their spit alone could have drowned him. If simply continuing to practice guaranteed perfection, how could there be so many martial artists in the world who amounted to nothing?
Lin Fan suppressed his urge to practice the Body Tempering Art. If someone caught him secretly learning a cultivation art, he reckoned he would end up in an unmarked graveyard tonight.
Secretly learning martial arts was a grave taboo among every martial faction.
Lin Yu felt rather fortunate that Zhang Yu had assigned him to an unoccupied dormitory. That way, he could practice in secret at night.
"Could this Zhang Yu actually be my lucky star?" Lin Fan muttered. Every time Zhang Yu tried to screw him over, he ended up gaining something.
Before long, Young Master Tang arrived.
"Greetings, Young Master Tang."
"Mm... We're short on time. Let's begin."
Young Master Tang acted swiftly and decisively, immediately beginning to practice the Gang-Breaking Fist.
This time, Lin Fan finally saw the level of his martial skill clearly: minor mastery of the Gang-Breaking Fist.
After practicing one round, Young Master Tang sat down to rest and drink tea. "Lin Fan, did Zhang Yu teach you the Gang-Breaking Fist yesterday?" he asked.
"Yes."
Lin Fan answered without complaining that Zhang Yu had only arranged for someone to teach him once. The entire outer courtyard was under Zhang Yu's control. If it truly came to a confrontation, he would be the one to lose.
"Run through it for me. I'm in a good mood today, so I can give you some pointers," Young Master Tang said cheerfully.
"Thank you, Young Master Tang." Lin Fan cupped his hands in thanks.
Out of caution, Lin Fan did not reveal his initial mastery, stumbling his way through the Gang-Breaking Fist.
Even so, Young Master Tang's eyes lit up. "Not bad. You can perform the whole thing after just one night. You have good aptitude for martial arts, and Zhang Yu hasn't dared obey in public while defying me in private."
Lin Fan had not expected such "results" to count as good already. He was very glad he had not revealed his initial mastery, or it would have been rather shocking.
"I've set my sights on being Young Master Tang's living training dummy. I wouldn't dare slack off in the slightest." His words were earnest, as though they were true.
"Keep practicing. I'll correct you."
"All right."
Lin Fan seized the opportunity. He did not care about Young Master Tang's pointers; in any case, each round of practice could add ten points of progress.
But after completing one round, he realized he had been wrong-utterly wrong.
Gang-Breaking Fist (minor mastery 440/800).
He stared blankly at the sudden thirty-point increase in progress. He had clearly only practiced once!
Could receiving pointers also speed up my progress? A thought rose in Lin Fan's mind.
While he was puzzling over this, Young Master Tang told him to practice again. Lin Fan complied and discovered that his progress increased by another thirty points.
He was now mostly certain of his guess, but he still needed to practice once without anyone guiding him to confirm it.
Now was not the right time, because he had to serve as Young Master Tang's human training dummy again.
Young Master Tang practiced the Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg five times each before leaving. Before he left, he tossed Lin Fan another two taels of silver. Lin Fan beamed and lavished him with flattery.
When they reached the martial academy's entrance, they found Zhang Yu already waiting. At the sight of Young Master Tang, he put on a fawning smile. "Young Master Tang, were you satisfied with today's practice?"
"Not bad. You've done well too. Your guidance of Lin Fan has been fairly thorough. Keep it up, and get his Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg to minor mastery soon." Young Master Tang said this with a smile and left, leaving Zhang Yu utterly stunned.
Zhang Yu looked at Lin Fan, his eyes full of confusion. "What did Young Master Tang mean by that?"
Lin Fan shrugged. "Exactly what he said. Keep teaching me the Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg."
"I don't have that kind of time to spare." Zhang Yu flicked his sleeve and left, though his tightly knitted brows betrayed his deep bewilderment.
Lin Fan could not have been happier to see him leave. He hurried back to the dormitory, locked the door from the inside, and eagerly began practicing the Body Tempering Art.
No martial skill could compare to the importance of one's realm. Lin Fan understood that much common sense. Being one realm higher was enough to crush someone, no matter where you went.
"Crack, crack..."
Lin Fan's bones cracked, not because he had reached the sinews and bones ringing in unison stage, but because his body twisted so far that his bones made sharp cracking sounds.
The pain from stretching his muscles made Lin Fan frown. Practicing this Body Tempering Art was no ordinary challenge.
No wonder it takes eight hundred experience points just at initial mastery, Lin Fan marveled inwardly.