Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

In the early morning, at the martial arts training ground, Instructor Lin stood in the center.

He put his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice:

"Yesterday we trained your strength, you used all your might. Today I'll teach you how to kill."

Coach Lin's voice wasn't loud, but it shook the sleepiness out of dozens of people on the field.

"This set of fist techniques is called 'Black Tiger Destroying Evil Fist'. There aren't many moves, just three basic moves: Tiger Pounce, Black Tiger Heart Strike, and Iron Tail Scissors."

"Watch closely!"

Before he finished speaking, Instructor Lin made his move.

Without any apparent preparation, he suddenly lunged forward, the solid yellow earth beneath his feet making a scraping sound.

He formed his palms into claws, grabbing at the air in front of him with a sharp whistling sound, then twisted his waist and swept his right leg out like an iron whip.

Snapped!

The guards stared in disbelief. Li Da's mouth was agape, and he almost drooled: "Good heavens, if that kick had landed, his back would have been broken in two."

Xu Hao mingled at the back of the crowd, his hand secretly pressed against his chest.

The breath charm felt slightly warm, and the world instantly changed in his ears.

The sound of the wind subsided, replaced by the precise, mechanical sounds emanating from Lin Jiaotou's body.

Snap—the sound of a large tendon snapping, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Snap—the crisp sound of bones snapping together.

A gurgling sound—the rush of blood and energy instantly pumping to the fingertips.

What appears to be a simple tiger pounce actually generates power that originates from the heel, travels up the spine, and explodes segment by segment.

Others learn the form, but Xu Hao listens to the essence.

Instructor Lin finished his stance and coldly swept his gaze over the crowd: "This fist technique looks simple, but it is the foundation for protecting the courtyard and ensuring survival."

He straightened his cuffs. "One month is the deadline. If you haven't mastered the basics by then, and your muscles aren't tough enough, you'd better pack your bags and go back to the farm to work. The Chen family doesn't support idlers."

Li's face turned pale instantly. "Farming?"

For him, farming was not as good as carrying heavy loads, and he never wanted to go back home after finally getting to eat meat for two days.

"Did you hear me? Anyone who doesn't want to leave, then you'd better train!"

Then came the practice of two people sparring together.

This time, no one dared to slack off or hold back.

Li Da gripped the wooden stick in his hand, looked at Xu Hao's bare back, gritted his teeth, and said, "Brother, I'm doing this for your own good."

"Just bear with it!"

Snapped!

When the wooden stick struck his back, Xu Hao grunted, but didn't even flinch.

It really hurt, but with the Black Jade Ointment applied and the meat consumed over the past few days, coupled with the constant nourishment from the "Locking" technique, his skin had become somewhat resilient.

Li Da swung the wooden stick in his hand, *snap!* Another blow.

Xu Hao could even feel the subcutaneous fascia on his back becoming tighter with the vibrations from the wooden sticks striking it, making a dull "thump-thump" sound, like striking a thick-skinned cowhide drum.

Luo Bao was being beaten so badly that he was screaming and rolling on the ground, while Xu Hao's side was making such a commotion that it was almost unnoticed.

In the afternoon, the old nurse, Lu Wu, led the newlyweds around the Chen residence to familiarize them with the layout.

"You're all familiar with the front yard; this is the central courtyard."

The old nurse pointed at the hanging flower archway not far away, spitting as he spoke.

"Remember, behind this moon gate is the inner quarters where the women live."

"If you don't dare put your foot in there, I'll break your legs and feed them to the dogs."

Xu Hao lowered his head, seemingly listening obediently to the reprimand.

Yu Guang, however, made a rough note of several secluded corner gates, dead corners of the wall, and even where there was an old crooked tree that made it easy to climb over the wall.

Being a nurse is a job, but having a backup plan is a way to save your life.

The old nurse pulled out a booklet: "From now on, we'll work in two shifts, with a three-day rotation."

Xu Hao glanced at the map and saw that he had a bye tomorrow afternoon.

A thought suddenly occurred to me: tomorrow afternoon would be perfect.

As the group disbanded, Xu Hao turned around and felt a chill run down his spine.

Looking back, he saw Jiang Hu leaning against the porch, staring at him with a sinister gaze.

Seeing Xu Hao looking over, Jiang Hu grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Xu Hao feigned just the right amount of fear, shrank his neck, and walked away quickly.

But inwardly he sneered: Jiang Hu, that bastard, will have to be dealt with sooner or later.

The following afternoon, Xu Hao asked for leave.

After he walked out of the side gate of the Chen residence, he immediately went into the alley, changed back into his old clothes covered in patches, and bent down to grab a handful of ash and smear it on his face.

After navigating the city through numerous twists and turns to make sure he wasn't followed, Xu Hao bought wooden planks, nails, window paper, and a jar of tung oil in batches.

There were quite a few things, and he definitely wouldn't have been able to carry them if he were as skinny as he used to be. But now, carrying them on his shoulders, they felt surprisingly light.

Returning to the dilapidated temple with my belongings, the familiar musty smell hit me.

The old beggar and Stone are not here; they probably went to the docks to try their luck.

Xu Hao put down the materials, took out two meat buns wrapped in oil paper from his pocket, and placed them in front of the one-armed God of War statue.

"Lord Martial God, we've finally been officially hired! Let me treat you to a meal with meat."

Xu Hao bowed and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.

This dilapidated temple is drafty from all sides; repairing it would be a huge undertaking.

Xu Hao dismantled the rotten wooden planks with his bare hands, sawed out new planks, and nailed them in.

The sound of knocking echoed in the empty hall.

With each nail hammered in, the progress bar in my mind jumps a little, and this sense of accomplishment is so addictive.

The wood-planing technique was taught to him by Li Da the day before yesterday; the wood shavings fell rustlingly under his movements.

When Xu Hao used a crowbar to replace the threshold, a loose blue brick was pried open along with the threshold with a snap.

Underneath the overturned blue bricks, there was an oil paper package.

Xu Hao paused for a moment, then bent down to pick up the paper package, peeled it open, and took a look.

Inside the paper package lay an iron ring, rusted and with an antique style. It felt heavy in my hand.

The fact that the Blessed Land Records are silent indicates that this is not a "treasure of a blessed land".

"Did they dig up a grandfather?"

He recalled the cultivation novels he had read in his previous life, and Xu Hao couldn't help but laugh at himself.

Well, things that can be hidden so discreetly usually have something special about them.

Xu Hao didn't bother to look closely and casually tucked the ring into his pocket, hiding it close to his body.

He carefully brushed tung oil onto the gate, and with each breath, you could smell a distinctive pungent odor of the paint.

Three hours passed in a flash, and he finally sealed the last window.

A crisp notification sound suddenly rang in my mind: [Temple door and window repairs completed (4/4)]

Xu Hao put away his tools, straightened up, and stretched his sore and numb shoulders.

One last step is needed.

Five hundred repetitions of boxing practice.

He took a sip of water, stood in the center of the newly renovated hall, and struck a pose.

Black Tiger Demon-Slaying Fist.

This set of boxing techniques was only a beginner's skill at the Chen family, but with the blessing of this blessed land, they were able to perform it fluently in an instant.

call!

A single tiger pounce, stirring up a gentle breeze.

Xu Hao closed his eyes, recalling the sounds he had heard yesterday.

The tendons should be stretched, the joints should crack, and the power should explode from the soles of the feet.

With each punch, the warm current of "qi and blood harmony" blessed within the blessed land would circulate along the meridians, and one could clearly feel that the fatigue caused by practicing qigong was washed away completely.

One hundred times... two hundred times...

Sweat dripped from his face, running down his chin onto the freshly swept blue bricks.

By the time he had practiced for the four hundredth time, Xu Hao felt that he was no longer practicing boxing, but rather like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey in the mountains and forests.

The movements became faster and faster, and the force of the punches grew louder and louder.

"drink!"

The five hundredth time, Black Tiger rips out the heart!

Xu Hao threw a punch, which produced a crisp sound, as if the air had actually been torn apart.

hum-

Deep within Xu Hao's mind, the painting suddenly shone brightly.