Aside from this, Wei Tu's attention shifted toward another line of text on his golden-purple Late Bloomer Destiny.
[Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist (94/100): Practicing seven times a day, mastery in three years.]
"Yesterday, my progress in Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist was only at 72%, but after completing Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation and generating internal energy, the progress jumped to 94%, increasing by 22%…"
"This means that the time required to perfect Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist will also be reduced—from three years to just two and a half years."
Wei Tu analyzed the implications.
Compared to Turtle Breath Energy Cultivation, the reduction in training time for Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist was much more tangible.
Three years had been shortened to two and a half years—a reduction of a sixth of the original time.
"Master once said that the internal energy cultivated by external martial artists is far more forceful than that of internal cultivators. A single strand of our energy is equal to ten strands of theirs…"
With this thought, Wei Tu concentrated once again, sensing the newly generated internal energy flowing through his meridians. Slowly, he guided it toward the meridians in his hand.
Then—
His eyes sharpened.
His right fist clenched tightly.
With a swift motion, he punched forward with all his strength.
Boom!
A loud thud echoed through the courtyard.
Dust flew up.
On the mud-brick wall, a half-inch deep fist imprint appeared—even though his fist had stopped two inches away from the wall.
"This is the legendary force projection that martial artists speak of?"
"I can actually use it now…"
Wei Tu stared at the result of his strike, his breath heavy as he gulped down fresh air.
That punch had drained him of every ounce of strength.
But despite his exhaustion, his excitement was overwhelming.
Because that single punch—though seemingly simple—held extraordinary significance for him.
First, it confirmed what Master Dan Wu Ju had told him.
The internal energy of external martial artists was indeed far more explosive than that of internal cultivators.
External martial artists were not weaker than their internal counterparts.
Wei Tu knew that an internal cultivator who had not trained for at least a dozen years would never be able to project force like this.
Second, this force projection proved one thing—he had officially stepped into the realm of the extraordinary.
Before this, everything—stance training, muscle strength—was something tangible.
But now, his internal energy was something different, something that ordinary people could not comprehend.
"The County Office has yet to receive the official decree to attack Martial Luck Pavilion. There's still time. I should visit Sanyuan Township and consult Master about my breakthrough…"
Wei Tu pondered.
He speculated that Master Dan Wu Ju likely possessed an internal cultivation manual, one that could train the internal energy cultivated through external martial arts.
After all, Golden Blade Warrior Shi Ming, Master's grandmaster, had once attempted to break through to the Xiantian Realm but failed, leading to his untimely death.
If there was no follow-up internal energy technique, then Shi Ming would never have been able to attempt such a breakthrough in the first place.
The next day.
At the crack of dawn.
Wei Tu took leave from the militia command office, mounted his horse, and rode toward Sanyuan Township.
Upon arriving at the Dan residence, he knocked on the door and explained his purpose. A maid quickly led him to the inner courtyard's reception hall to wait.
Before long, he heard a series of coughs from outside the door.
Wei Tu immediately stood up and walked outside.
He saw Madam Dan Gaoshi supporting Master Dan Wu Ju, helping him walk over.
Wei Tu hurried forward, taking hold of his master's arm and carefully assisting him to the main seat in the reception hall.
His expression flickered with surprise as he glanced at Madam Dan Gaoshi, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Barely a month ago, when Wei Tu had last visited to bring gifts, his master's health—while slightly deteriorated—was no different from that of a strong elderly man of the same age.
At the time, he certainly hadn't needed assistance just to walk.
What had changed so suddenly?
"Five days ago, Master was out riding when an old injury flared up. He fell from his horse and was badly hurt," Madam Dan Gaoshi explained, her lips pressed together.
"It's nothing serious, just a minor injury."
"After a few days of rest and some nourishing tonics, I'll be fine," Dan Wu Ju said as he leaned on his cane, waving his hand dismissively to reassure Wei Tu.
At that moment, Madam Dan Gaoshi stepped forward and draped a robe over him.
"Wei Tu, what brings you here today?" Dan Wu Ju asked with a smile after taking a sip of hot tea to moisten his throat.
Typically, Wei Tu would only visit in the afternoons, always bringing a couple of gifts.
But today, he had rushed over at dawn, interrupting his master's rest. Clearly, something urgent had brought him here.
"This matter…" Wei Tu's voice lowered as he glanced at Madam Dan Gaoshi and the maids serving in the room.
Dan Wu Ju immediately caught on and coughed lightly before motioning for Madam Dan Gaoshi and the maids to leave.
A moment later, only master and disciple remained in the reception hall.
"Master, the reason I came today is because yesterday—while training—I finally entered the realm of Qi Perception…"
Wei Tu spoke slowly, his tone steady.
"What? Qi Perception?"
Dan Wu Ju, who had been calmly drinking tea, froze in shock. He stared at Wei Tu for several moments, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
"Are you certain? Qi Perception?"
He had practiced martial arts for decades and never once managed to generate internal energy from external training.
And now, his disciple—who had only trained for five years—was standing before him claiming to have stepped into Qi Perception…
How could he not be astonished?
"Master, please watch."
Wei Tu didn't waste words.
He locked his gaze on the teacup resting on the table, then mimicked the technique he had performed the night before—throwing a punch through the air.
Boom!
A sharp explosion echoed through the room.
The teacup shattered into pieces, fragments scattering across the table.
"Force projection…"
"This is force projection…"
Dan Wu Ju murmured, staring at the scene before him, momentarily speechless.
It took him a while to collect his thoughts.
Finally, he looked at Wei Tu with a newfound appreciation in his eyes.
With a deep sigh, he said, "The last time I saw this technique was thirty-nine years ago, when your grandmaster, Golden Blade Warrior Shi Ming, displayed it."
"I never expected that after all these years, I would see force projection once more—and from my own disciple."
"Now I understand why you've come in such a hurry. You're here to ask me about the next step in your martial path, aren't you?"
Dan Wu Ju chuckled, easily seeing through Wei Tu's intentions.
"Master is truly insightful," Wei Tu admitted, offering a small compliment.
Martial training waits for no one.
He estimated that the Governor's order to attack Martial Luck Pavilion would come within a month or two.
If he didn't seize this time to improve his strength, would he just wait to die on the battlefield?
Right now, his control over internal energy was crude at best.
But if he could receive proper guidance from Dan Wu Ju, his abilities could grow exponentially in a short amount of time.
This was an opportunity he could not afford to miss.
"Your grandmaster left behind a martial manual for external cultivators—one that teaches how to refine and enhance the internal energy you've generated."
Dan Wu Ju leaned on his cane and motioned for Wei Tu to follow him.
Not long after—
Inside the master's private quarters.
Dan Wu Ju stood before an ancestral shrine, lighting incense and bowing three times.
Then, with a solemn expression, he reached forward and removed one of the wooden name plaques from the shrine.
Crack.
He snapped the wooden plaque apart.
Inside, nestled within the hollow space, was a thin sheet of silver paper.
It was five inches long and two inches wide, etched with a detailed diagram of the human body's meridians and acupoints…