Mecha Era, Punch the Stars

Under Third Master's indifferent gaze, Ah Niu successfully lifted the table.

"Not bad, he's got some strength."

A while later, Third Master glanced at Ah Niu a few times. Although his thin body showed little muscle, his muscles bulged when he exerted himself, which did make him look quite formidable.

He nodded slightly, thinking, "He's a decent prospect."

Ah Niu didn't heed Third Master's exaggerated words; the weight of the table and other items far exceeded his expectations.

In less than a quarter of an hour, he felt his elbows and the basic muscles in his arms begin to tremble slightly.

Sweat poured down his forehead, neck, chest, abdomen, and palms.

His breathing was already somewhat disordered.

Even so, Ah Niu gritted his teeth and persevered, his facial muscles becoming increasingly contorted.

"Adjust your breathing, inhale deeply, and exhale slowly!"

Just then, Third Master suddenly spoke up to give a word of advice, and took out a bamboo stick, which he then used to strike Ah Niu’s hands, feet, waist and abdomen.

Incredibly, Ah Niu felt a significant reduction in the tingling sensation in the areas that were being struck.

Just like that, a moment passed, and with a snap, Ah Niu placed the table aside.

Huh, huh.

He gasped for breath.

"Thank you for your guidance, Third Master."

"Hmph, at least he has some backbone."

Third Master walked over and patted various parts of Ah Niu's body.

With each slap, Ah Niu would cry out in pain, feeling restless and agitated.

He was wondering why, even though he had passed the test, the Third Master was still treating him this way.

It felt good to be slapped when I lifted the table before, but now it feels unusually uncomfortable? "Bear with it! You've got some talent, kid. Pay attention to the changes in your body!"

Upon hearing this, Ah Niu had no choice but to grit his teeth, suppress his breath, close his eyes, and raise his neck as if to be executed.

"It's not about holding it in, it's about enduring the pain and feeling the changes in your body!"

Third Master slapped Ah Niu again, making Ah Niu's head ache.

Only then did he finally muster the energy to truly experience it.

Then he discovered something subtle.

The pain remains the same, but after the pain subsides, my muscles seem to be growing slightly.

What exactly is this strange feeling?

After a while, Third Master's patting stopped.

He also looked exhausted and slightly out of breath, his face flushed red as if dripping blood. His massive body sat down on the ground, gasping for air.

However, he recovered quickly, and his complexion returned to normal in no time. He then spoke:

"This is the training method of Iron Shirt, which requires a special physique to develop strength under this striking, and you obviously have this talent. In our Chen family, there haven't been two generations with a physique like yours."

Ah Niu was completely bewildered.

Seeing this, Third Master patiently explained without getting annoyed:
"You've heard of martial arts, right? People in the martial arts world say that martial arts can make a person cross a river on a reed, fly over rooftops, have a body of steel and iron, be impervious to swords and spears, and have boundless strength!"

"But in reality, apart from a small number of external martial arts techniques, most of them are fake."

"And today, you have the good fortune to see the real thing. Aren't you happy?"

Ah Niu still didn't quite understand, but he could sense the warmth in Third Master's voice, which had previously seemed cold. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Could Third Master introduce me to the Zhou family?"

"Introduction my foot! It's rare for a talent to emerge from the descendants of my Chen family. If I send him to be a servant, your Third Master will be the talk of the town! From today onwards, you will learn to butcher pigs and master the Iron Shirt technique from me, understand?" (End of Chapter)