I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

Xie An bypassed the bustling crowd and arrived at the Jingsi Garden.

The lazy afternoon sun shone on the sycamore tree at the entrance of the courtyard, and the withered yellow sycamore leaves shone with golden light.

Xie An reached out and lifted the door knocker, then knocked on the courtyard gate.

dong dong dong.

a moment—

Squeak.

The door opened a crack. A burly head peeked out, not bald, but an unfamiliar young man dressed in a gray brocade robe, broad-shouldered and imposing.

The young man glanced sideways at Xie An's training clothes, knowing Xie An's identity, but his words were anything but polite, "What are you doing?"

Xie An cupped his hands in greeting, "I am Xie An, an apprentice in the front courtyard. Please consult Instructor Zhan if you have any questions."

The young man gave him a cold look: "Senior Brother Zhanping is currently in seclusion and is unavailable. Please come another day."

Xie An's heart skipped a beat.

What a coincidence?

"I wonder how many days Instructor Zhan will need for his seclusion?"

"It will take at least three to five days," the young man replied impatiently, making a move to close the door.

Just then, Zhan Ping's voice came from inside, "Is that Xie An?"

Xie An was overjoyed, "Yes."

The voice continued, "Liao Yong, this kid was personally promoted from the backyard by me. Let him in."

The young man's expression softened somewhat, and he casually opened the door. "Come with me."

Xie An followed the young man through the door, scrutinizing the gray-clad youth before him. He thought to himself, "This fellow is Liao Yong. He was previously an apprentice under Liu He, but later broke through to the Iron Bone Realm before Liu He and showed disdain for him. This angered Liu He, who then sold him to Zhan Ping."

Although this person was arrogant, it undoubtedly led him to enter the front yard to learn martial arts.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll just have to follow Liu He in the backyard forever, which won't lead to anything.

In a way, could this person be considered a benefactor to me?

Just as Xie An was pondering, Liao Yong spoke up in a lukewarm tone, "Senior Brother Zhanping is planning to go into seclusion to break through to the Blood Refinement Realm. Please keep your voice down and don't disturb him."

Xie An nodded in agreement.

We arrived at the entrance of a meditation room in the backyard.

Liao Yong respectfully stepped forward and knocked on the door, bowing as he spoke into the room, "Senior Brother Zhanping, Xie An has arrived."

Xie An looked around and was momentarily stunned.

This place is a full thirty meters away from the front gate of Jing Si Garden. Zhan Ping, sitting here, heard what he had just said? The sound he made wasn't loud, yet it traveled straight for thirty meters.

That skill is truly remarkable.

"Come in."

With permission granted, Liao Yong gently pushed open the door, making room for Xie An.

Xie An went in and saw the bald Zhan Ping sitting cross-legged on a futon. He cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, Instructor Zhan."

Zhan Ping opened his tiger-like eyes. "It's nothing. Have you encountered any difficulties in your martial arts?"

Upon hearing this, Xie An felt that Zhan Ping was a decent person.

He then said, "Thanks to Instructor Zhan's favor and Senior Brother Zhang Long's patient guidance, I have now completed the first form of Bajiquan, the 'Supporting Hammer.' Instructor Zhan, may I now begin my breakthrough training in the skin-strengthening stage?"

brush!

The usually composed Zhan Ping lost his composure, abruptly standing up from the futon and sizing Xie An up and down. "It's only been about twenty days since Zhang Long first taught you how to use the hammer, hasn't it?"

Xie An said, "It has been a full twenty-three days."

Zhan Ping's eyes lit up, and Liao Yong, standing beside him, was also quite surprised. He then snorted coldly, "Even a normally talented apprentice would need at least a month to master the 'Supporting Hammer' technique. To master it in twenty-three days is certainly excellent. I wonder if you're exaggerating? Don't think you've mastered it just because you've practiced it superficially. Many apprentices have this bad habit of overestimating their progress..."

Zhan Ping waved his hand to interrupt, "Junior Brother Liao, you're overthinking it. I know Xie An; he's always been honest, upright, humble, and pragmatic. He's not the kind of arrogant and conceited person."

After a pause, Zhan Ping turned to Xie An and said, "However, martial arts training is not child's play; it is a dangerous practice, a killing technique, and cannot tolerate the slightest mistake. Many apprentices, because they don't understand the 'Supporting Hammer' technique, often misjudge their progress, and such things happen frequently. If the 'Supporting Hammer' technique is not practiced solidly, it will not only affect the breakthrough effect but may also injure oneself. Show me how you perform the 'Supporting Hammer' technique."

"Yes."

Xie An nodded in agreement and immediately assumed a fighting stance.

call!

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled the stale air from his chest. Then, he slightly bent his knees, lowered his waist and hips, and stomped his right foot hard on the ground with a "thump".

The blue brick ground trembled slightly, and I stood rooted to the spot like a nail.

The left arm is bent at the elbow to protect the ribs, while the right fist twists out from the waist.

As the force travels through the body, the fist pushes from the waist to the chest, and the muscles in the forearm tighten inch by inch, like an old vine wrapping around a tree, or like a bowstring being fully drawn.

Liao Yong frowned, about to say something—

"Snapped!"

The fist suddenly exploded, like a bowstring snapping and shooting an arrow out.

The fist slammed into the air with a crisp crack, like the tip of a whip tearing through the air.

The force of the punch swept past the candlestick a foot away, causing the flame to violently tilt backward and almost go out.

Immediately afterwards, Xie An's waist and hips suddenly "jumped" forward, his whole body like a bow, shooting out his fist.

"The arrow pierces the bow and leaps forward with lightning speed," Zhan Ping murmured, leaning slightly forward.

Xie An did not stop.

He retracted his right fist and then threw out his left. It was the same slow start followed by a rapid explosion, the same power generated from his waist and hips. After the left punch, the right fist followed, one punch after another, surging like a tide.

His breathing became long and even, with his chest rising and falling only slightly, but each breath lasted a long time.

Exhale when throwing a punch and inhale when retracting the fist; the breath and movement are perfectly synchronized without the slightest mishap.

By the tenth punch, sweat began to bead on his forehead.

By the twentieth punch, a large patch of his shirt was soaked.

But Xie An's movements remained unchanged, and his strength did not diminish in the slightest—his knees were still bent at the same angle, his waist and hips were still at the same angle, and his fist was still pushed out from his waist and exploded in front of his chest.

After the thirtieth punch, Liao Yong's expression changed.

He had practiced martial arts for so many years and had seen many people practice the hammer strike. Some struck with fierce power, some with sharpness, but few could do it like Xie An—every punch carried the same force, the same speed, and the same accuracy.

Thirty punches, each one landing squarely on the flesh.

He is a truly rare and promising talent, far surpassing Liao Yonggang's previous results from practicing the hammer-strike technique.

"Stop," Zhan Ping suddenly said.

Xie An withdrew his fist, his chest heaving slightly, sweat dripping from his forehead down his chin, splashing onto the blue bricks and leaving small watermarks.

"Good. Good." Liao Yong said "good" twice, then turned to look at Liao Yong, "Junior Brother Liao, how long did it take you to master the Hammer Support Technique?"

Liao Yong's expression was not good, and he said in a muffled voice, "A month and a few days."

Zhan Ping nodded, his gaze falling on Xie An: "You mastered the hammer technique in twenty-three days, and you've struck it so solidly. You've truly mastered the power. You're a natural for martial arts. Strike while the iron is hot, don't let this momentum die down. The matter of breaking through the barrier and strengthening the skin can't be delayed, let's do it today. Junior Brother Liao, go to the pharmacy and get three doses of Tiger Skin Essence Soup, and have the shop assistant bring over the bath tub. I'll personally protect Xie An."

Liao Yong was taken aback. "What about Senior Brother Zhanping's seclusion...?"

Zhan Ping laughed heartily: "I am overjoyed to have such a talented person. I can go into seclusion anytime... Go quickly."