Martial Saint: Starting with Accumulating Experience

"Keep your legs steady! Keep your arms straight!"

Chen Feng's solemn voice came through the courtyard wall.

He was dressed in a plain-colored short jacket with a black cloth belt around his waist. His posture was as upright as a pine tree. He stood quietly in the center of the courtyard, scanning the many disciples inside.

He would occasionally point out the mistakes in his disciples' postures and patiently explain the key points.

"Okay, that's all for today."

Chen Feng looked up at the position of the sun in the sky and said.

As usual, he heard the sound of experience points being added to his account, but compared to the past few days, the amount was getting smaller and smaller. These days, he mainly relied on guiding his disciples to earn experience points.

Chen Feng brought up the system panel:

[Experience]: 3695

He let out a long sigh.

The Dragon-Subduing Staff Technique requires skill points, as does the Ink-Splashing Sword Technique. Moreover, learning the Ink-Splashing Sword Technique requires knowledge of painting and calligraphy, which adds up to another expense in terms of experience.

Three thousand years of experience is far from enough.

After returning from the Cheng residence that day, Chen Feng had been troubled by how to gain experience.

Unfortunately, not only did the income from guiding disciples decrease, but the master also became unhelpful, and after exploiting them a few times, he started avoiding people.

I really want to relive the exhilarating feeling of being able to unleash my full potential so easily when I first started learning martial arts.

But there is also good news.

The lungs, liver, and the remaining six viscera have all been tempered. Chen Feng only has one organ left to reach the pinnacle of the Visceral Tempering Realm—

heart.

However, the heart is the source of qi and blood throughout the body, and its tempering is far more difficult than that of other organs.

He could vaguely sense that to achieve a perfect breakthrough, he would not only need sufficient cultivation accumulation, but would probably also need to rely on external aids or special opportunities.

Using experience and martial arts skills to accelerate the process of internal energy tempering seems to be ineffective at this point.

However, it's unclear how long it would take to achieve that through sheer perseverance day after day.

"Little Wind".

A powerful voice reached Chen Feng's ears. He turned his head and saw his master, Zhou Bingzhong, standing with his hands behind his back at the courtyard gate.

His second senior brother followed behind him.

"Master." Chen Feng collected his thoughts, quickly stepped forward, and bowed respectfully. "What does Master need me for?"

Zhou Bingzhong smiled kindly and asked, "What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?"

"This disciple is contemplating matters of cultivation."

"Hand out."

Chen Feng did as instructed, extending his wrist upwards so that his master's fingers could gently rest on it.

But a little while later.

A flicker of shock seemed to cross Zhou Bingzhong's eyes, but it quickly vanished, leaving only joy, which finally culminated in a sigh:

"As expected, I had a hunch based on your recent condition; you really have reached this point."

"I thought your third senior brother would be next, but I didn't expect you to be faster. Sometimes I really don't understand you. Maybe the mountains and rivers have misjudged you and mistakenly thought you had mediocre talent."

Upon hearing this, Yao Xingzhi looked at Chen Feng in surprise and exclaimed, "Sixth Junior Brother is so fast!"

Chen Feng remained silent, only scratching his head shyly and smiling without saying a word.

"Come to my house for dinner tonight. I have something to tell you," Zhou Bingzhong said.

Chen Feng agreed.

The three of them left the martial arts school and arrived at the Zhou residence in less than half an incense stick's time. When they arrived, the steward had already set the table with food.

The chefs at the Zhou family mansion are top-notch; they can make even the simplest dishes look amazing, with perfect color, aroma, and taste.

This wasn't Chen Feng's first time dining at the mansion, so he wasn't at all reserved.

The three of them quickly finished the meal.

After the meal.

Zhou Bingzhong sat at the stone table in the courtyard and asked, "Your cultivation is currently stuck at the final step of the Qi Refining Realm, but you haven't made any progress yet?"

Chen Feng was startled and nodded respectfully: "Yes, Master, you have great insight. I have already tempered the rest of my internal organs, but I am still unable to break through to the heart."

Zhou Bingzhong stroked his beard and nodded, his expression gradually becoming solemn: "Do you still have the jade pendant I gave you when you became my disciple?"

Chen Feng's heart stirred, and he immediately straightened his clothes and took the smooth jade pendant from his waist.

He always carried this jade pendant with him, which helped him calm his mind, eliminate restlessness, and improve sleep quality. If it were in his previous life, it would have been an absolute blessing for insomniacs.

Could it be that there are other clever uses?

Confused, Chen Feng handed the jade pendant to his master.

After Zhou Bingzhong took the jade pendant, he held it in his hand. The next moment, the jade pendant emitted a faint blue light.

Yao Xingzhi, who was standing to the side, explained:

"This jade pendant is made of a special material that can store a martial artist's 'qi'. The bluish light indicates that it is saturated."

Chen Feng suddenly realized.

The biggest difference between a martial arts master and a martial artist lies in the "qi" within their body.

The Qi Condensation Realm, as the name suggests, requires one to condense one's own unique "qi" within the body; only then can one be considered a martial artist.

This qi is not the qi of blood.

These are two completely different things. One is more similar to the Shattering Mountain Force within Chen Feng's body, but of course, it is more powerful than the Shattering Mountain Force.

Chen Feng knew all of this from his master and senior brothers. He spent his days going between the martial arts school and the Zhou residence, and through this constant exposure, he learned quite a lot.

"Take this and carry it with you from now on. Come back to me to replenish it when the blue light dims." Zhou Bingzhong handed the jade pendant back to Chen Feng.

Chen Feng accepted it respectfully.

hum~

The moment his hand touched the jade pendant, Chen Feng's mind went blank with a "boom".

An indescribable fear surged through him like a tidal wave, overwhelming his thoughts. He felt as if he were being watched by a ferocious beast, and that the slightest movement would result in his utter annihilation!

Chen Feng's heart was pounding wildly.

Like the drums of a battlefield, a deep and resounding din.

His heart pounded like an engine, pumping his blood and qi with all his might. As if he had encountered a mortal enemy, Chen Feng could barely breathe.

However, he held onto the jade pendant tightly and never let go.

I don't know how much time passed...

Chen Feng finally adapted and slowly exhaled. Although the jade pendant in his hand was still emitting a faint pressure, it was far less powerful than at the beginning.

[Having grasped the 'nascent form of martial arts will,' you feel something...]

[Experience +1000]

Chen Feng's pupils suddenly contracted. One thousand!

What he didn't expect was—

[Continued oppression]

[Experience +1]

[Experience +1]

【...】

My experience grows little by little, in small quantities, but it is continuous and ever-renewing, as if it will never stop as long as the jade pendant is by my side.

"Master, what is this?" Chen Feng asked, his forehead still covered in cold sweat.

Zhou Bingzhong looked at Chen Feng with eyes full of approval and explained:

"There is a trace of my aura inside, which will help you temper your heart. Remember to carry it with you at all times, and you will gradually get used to it. The benefits are endless."

Yao Xingzhi said, "The tempering of the heart is different from that of other parts of the body. It requires a strong external stimulus. Normal martial artists would achieve the purpose of tempering through life-and-death battles."

"But with your master here, you don't need to go through all that trouble. Your master's 'qi' is enough to make your body feel a sufficient sense of crisis."

Recalling his recent experience, Chen Feng felt his blood surge and rush to his heart, which indeed accelerated his tempering process, but...

This aura is terrifying.

Moreover, what's inside that jade pendant is definitely not some martial artist's "qi"; the system panel clearly states "the embryonic form of martial arts will"!

Chen Feng felt that his master was becoming more and more terrifying. With each improvement he made, his strength would get closer to his master's.

But with each step closer, it becomes clear that what was previously revealed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Is this what a Grand Martial Arts Master is like?

"Senior brother, can your 'qi' have this effect?" Chen Feng couldn't help but ask.

Yao Xingzhi did not hesitate:

"No, I can't compare to Master. My 'qi' can only make you feel a little tightness in your chest and shortness of breath, and make you feel slightly uncomfortable for a while. Only Master's level of skill can be effective."

Zhou Bingzhong chuckled and added, "Don't even mention your senior brother, even the aura of an ordinary Grand Martial Master wouldn't have this effect."

Chen Feng was shocked.

It wasn't because Master wasn't an ordinary martial arts master, but because Senior Brother didn't refute it.

Senior Brother Yao is indeed at the Qi Condensation Realm!