"Four hundred and fifty pounds of strength in one arm," Chen Zong muttered, setting down the heavy iron lock he had used to test his strength. He began to analyze his progress.
"Five Vitality Pills increased my strength by twenty pounds. Mastering the fundamentals of three Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques, which bolstered my Qi Blood, added another thirty pounds—a more effective boost than the Tiger Force Fist Technique at the same level."
"If I can bring all three sword techniques to the Lesser Perfection stage, my cultivation base should reach the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm."
He drew his sword and began practicing the True Sword Eight Forms.
Chen Zong couldn't explain it, but the mysterious sword tip provided less assistance in mastering the True Sword Eight Forms compared to other Foundation Establishment Martial Arts. Moreover, the True Sword Eight Forms themselves were far more challenging to learn than even the Tiger Force Fist Technique or the Eagle Strike Sword Technique, resulting in painfully slow progress. He hadn't yet reached the peak of the Lesser Perfection stage, let alone Great Perfection.
Yet the True Sword Eight Forms' power was undeniable. Even at the Lesser Perfection stage, they completely surpassed the perfected Tiger Force Fist Technique.
After finishing his practice of the True Sword Eight Forms, Chen Zong moved on to the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique, followed by the Willow Sweep Sword Technique, and finally the Eagle Strike Sword Technique.
Each sword technique had its own distinct style, but Chen Zong discerned subtle commonalities among them, using them to cross-reference his practice and achieve more noticeable progress.
On the fourth night after resuming his sword training, the Martial Training Ground was nearly deserted. Chen Zong practiced his swordplay in a secluded corner.
Chen Zong unleashed the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique, each thrust of his sword leaving behind a trail of afterimages.
The hallmark of mastering the Phantom Shadow Sword Technique's initial stage was manifesting a single afterimage. As he practiced, the sword trembled slightly with each strike, and beneath the first clear afterimage, a second, fainter one began to materialize.
After ten repetitions, the second afterimage sharpened into clarity.
Chen Zong felt a tingling numbness spread through his body as his Blood Qi pulsed with renewed vigor. It was as if his latent potential was being unlocked, fortifying his Blood Qi, which in turn nourished his body and enhanced his physique.
"Two afterimages—the mark of minor mastery," Chen Zong murmured with a faint smile, yet he felt no particular excitement. To him, this achievement felt almost inevitable.
After further refining his Phantom Shadow Sword Technique, he transitioned to the Willow Sweep Sword Technique's opening stance.
His body swayed fluidly, the iron sword glinting under the moonlight like a willow branch swaying in the breeze.
As he continued practicing, the familiar tingling sensation returned, his Blood Qi resonating and surging with renewed vigor.
Minor mastery of the Willow Sweep Sword Technique achieved!
Finally, he moved on to the Eagle Strike Sword Technique.
The sword sliced through the night air like an eagle's wing, leaving behind a fleeting, almost imperceptible trail of light. With a swift twist of his wrist, the blade transformed into a predatory talon, ready to strike.
Leaping into the air like an eagle in flight, he brought the sword down with a piercing whistle, mimicking the sharp peck of an eagle's beak as it descended upon its prey.
As the moon reached its zenith, Chen Zong's figure darted through the air, his iron sword striking down with a sound like an eagle's cry, causing his Qi Blood to surge once more.
He had achieved minor mastery of the Eagle Strike Sword Technique!
With minor mastery of three sword techniques, and three surges of Qi Blood tempering his body, Chen Zong felt a gentle warmth spreading through him, as if he were soaking in a soothing bath. His physical constitution gradually strengthened with each surge.
"It's late. Time for bed." Glancing at the bright moon above, he sheathed his sword and headed toward the residential area.
The Clan Hall disciples enjoyed decent accommodations, each with a private room measuring approximately five meters long and four meters wide, fully furnished.
Two days later, Chen Zong arrived at the testing area. With a single arm, he gripped a five-hundred-jin iron lock, mustered his strength, lifted it overhead, and held it aloft for three breaths before setting it down.
"Five hundred jin of strength... peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm. Finally achieved."
Some individuals possessed innate physical prowess, like Chen Zhigang. Chen Zong, however, had been entirely ordinary until he obtained the mysterious sword tip. Afterward, his cultivation speed in Martial Arts had increased exponentially, though his physique remained largely unchanged.
On the Martial Training Ground, most disciples were diligently honing their skills.
Fist techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques, blade techniques, and sword techniques filled the air.
As usual, Chen Zong found a quiet corner to practice his sword techniques.
"Chen Zong, I heard you're cultivating three sword techniques simultaneously. Perfect! I've reached the peak of Great Perfection in the Eagle Strike Sword Technique. How about I give you some pointers?" Chen Zuoyi approached alongside Chen Shuiqing, a smirk playing on his lips. His eyes held a hint of disdain, the kind Clan disciples often reserved for Branch Clan members.
"No need," Chen Zong replied sharply, his keen eyes catching the flicker of contempt in Chen Zuoyi's gaze. He knew this wasn't a genuine offer to help; Zuoyi likely had ulterior motives.
"Chen Zong, it's an honor to receive guidance from Zuoyi-ge," Chen Shuiqing chided, pursing his lips in annoyance. "You're being ungrateful."
"Shuiqing, he's just a Branch Clan bumpkin," Chen Zuoyi chuckled, not bothering to conceal his mockery. "Even if he accepted, I might not be inclined to teach him."
This brief encounter further reinforced Chen Zong's awareness of the precarious position Branch Clan disciples held within the Clan Hall.
Still, he thought, what difference did Branch Clan or Clan membership make, as long as one possessed sufficient strength?
After practicing each of his three sword techniques thirty times and finishing lunch, Chen Zong returned to his quarters.
"Time to start cultivating the Tiger's Roar Manual."
The Tiger's Roar Manual is best practiced without interruption.
This Foundation Establishment technique, developed by Chen Clan ancestors over more than a decade, is a unique secret of the clan. It is suitable for disciples at the peak of the third layer of the Qi Blood Realm, allowing them to further temper their Qi Blood, lay a solid foundation, and prepare for their breakthrough to the fourth layer.
After completing a cycle of Blood Qi Tempering, actively circulating the refined Qi Blood allows for a comprehensive enhancement of one's physical abilities in a short time, with strength seeing the most significant increase.
The Tiger's Roar Manual consists of two parts: dynamic and static. The dynamic component comprises seven movements that mimic a tiger's actions, designed to mobilize the body's Qi Blood. The static component involves silently reciting incantations in a comfortable posture, focusing the mind to sense and guide the Qi Blood, thereby achieving the desired tempering effect.
According to Sword Instructor Chen Chuyun, since the founding of the Clan Hall, only one in a hundred disciples has managed to preliminarily master the Tiger's Roar Manual and begin Blood Qi Tempering within a month. The most exceptional disciple achieved this in just half a month.
"I wonder if I can start Blood Qi Tempering within a month?" Chen Zong muttered to himself, having yet to begin practicing the Tiger's Roar Manual.
The cultivation of the Tiger's Roar Manual can be divided into three steps:
First: Sensing Qi Blood.
Second: Circulating Qi Blood.
Third: Blood Qi Tempering.
It was said that the prodigy who began Blood Qi Tempering in just half a month took three full days to complete the first step: sensing Blood Qi.
After warming up his body, Chen Zong took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distractions, and focused his spirit. His spine rippled like ocean waves as his limbs moved in fluid, powerful arcs, mimicking the movements of a Ferocious Tiger awakening and stretching its muscles.
Perhaps due to his mastery of the Tiger Force Fist Technique at the Perfection Realm, the seven dynamic forms of the Tiger's Roar Manual posed no difficulty for Chen Zong. Aided by the mysterious sword tip, he executed the first repetition flawlessly, as if he had practiced it hundreds of times before.
After one repetition, Chen Zong felt a slight warmth spreading through his body. With each subsequent repetition, the heat intensified. By the tenth repetition, he vaguely sensed the flow of his Blood Qi, dimly perceiving a thin crimson stream trickling within him.
"Have I already reached the first step?" Chen Zong wondered in astonishment.
He had heard that the fastest cultivator in the Clan Hall had taken three full days to reach this stage. Yet he had only practiced ten times, a mere quarter of an hour in total. Could it be an illusion?
Undeterred, he began the eleventh repetition. Sure enough, he could now clearly sense his Blood Qi.
"Looks like my cultivation talent is even better than I thought," he mused inwardly. Striking while the iron was hot, Chen Zong continued his practice.
With each repetition, Chen Zong's body temperature steadily rose, his skin gradually flushing red as his perception of his Blood Qi grew increasingly vivid.
After the thirtieth repetition, Chen Zong instinctively assumed the Tiger Stance, the foundational posture of the Tiger Force Fist Technique. Having mastered it to Perfection, he found the stance profoundly comfortable.
His Blood Qi flowed faster, coursing through his veins like an endless stream. Silently reciting the Tiger's Roar Manual incantation, Chen Zong focused his entire mind on sensing and synchronizing with his Blood Qi, attempting to control and actively circulate it through the guidance of the manual.
Sensing the Blood Qi was the first major hurdle; circulating it was the second, and even more challenging.
Temporarily setting aside his sword technique practice, Chen Zong devoted himself entirely to the Tiger's Roar Manual, day after day.
After ten cycles of the manual's dynamic exercises, Chen Zong returned to the Tiger Stance. His awareness of his Blood Qi had reached extraordinary clarity. Focusing his intent in harmony with the incantation, he exerted maximum control, gradually increasing the speed of the Qi's flow within his body.
Chen Zong's ears seemed to detect faint roars emanating from within—the distant cries of a Ferocious Tiger. This sound arose from the vibrations and shockwaves produced as the accelerated Qi flow changed speed, a core principle of the Tiger's Roar Manual: using these rhythmic shockwaves to temper and refine the Blood Qi.
After about fifteen minutes, Chen Zong had to stop his Blood Qi Tempering practice, his stomach growling fiercely.
Blood Qi Tempering removed impurities and concentrated the essence, sacrificing quantity for quality. To continue, one needed to replenish the expended energy; otherwise, it could harm the body.
How did one replenish depleted Blood Qi?
By drawing upon the body's own reserves, which naturally led to hunger.
Vitality Pills were excellent for this purpose, but each person only received three per month, which were quickly used up. Most of the time, one had to replenish their energy through food.
Feeling as if he could devour an entire ox, Chen Zong quickly tidied up and headed to the Dining Hall.
The Dining Hall offered not only regular meals but also snacks. Chen Zong grabbed a large bowl of beef bone broth and ten palm-sized beef buns, each boasting a thin, glistening crust and a succulent, richly flavored filling. As he ate, he listened to the conversation of three nearby disciples.
"The monthly group leader competition is less than three weeks away. I don't stand a chance."
"Me neither."
"Who do you think will win the group leader positions?"
"In the Fist Technique Group, I'd bet on Chen Baiqi. His Wrathful Python Fist has reached Great Perfection, and his Swimming Serpent Hand is also at the Great Perfection realm. Plus, I heard he started practicing the Tiger's Roar Manual before even entering the Clan Hall and has already completed a full cycle of Blood Qi Tempering."
"I really envy those Clan disciples," one of the disciples remarked. "Not only do they get to cultivate superior Foundation Establishment Martial Arts, but they also enjoy better training resources. I've heard that Clan disciples almost always secure the top spots each year, reaching the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm much faster."
"Not necessarily this time," another disciple countered. "From what I know, Chen Guzhan from our Fist Technique Group is a natural powerhouse. Rumor has it he can lift 800 jin with one arm, and his heavy fist technique has reached the peak of Great Perfection. Chen Baiqi might not stand a chance against him."
"800 jin!" The other two disciples gasped in unison, while Chen Zong himself was astonished. Such strength was equivalent to what he could unleash after tempering his Blood Qi three times.
"I think Chen Yong will win in the Palm Technique Group..."
"I'm betting on Chen Ying in the Leg Technique Group..."
"My money's on Chen Fenghua for the Blade Technique Group..."
"And I'm backing Chen Zuoyi in the Sword Technique Group..."
All the disciples they mentioned were Clan members who had begun cultivating the Tiger's Roar Manual early and had already completed their first round of Blood Qi Tempering.
"I heard someone in the Sword Technique Group is simultaneously cultivating three different sword techniques. He might be a true swordplay genius."
"That's just a joke."
The three Branch Clan Disciples burst into laughter, leaving Chen Zong speechless.