Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

Xie Jin bid farewell to Chen Mo and was picked up by a magnificent carriage at the Wu family's gate.

Wu Duan and Wu Zheng saw them off at the door, and the two also saw off a group of collateral relatives.

The two approached Chen Mo, displaying an unprecedented level of respect.

Wu Duan pounded his chest loudly and said, "Martial Arts Master Chen, from this day forward, your affairs are my affairs, Wu Duan's affairs!"

Rather than saying Wu Duan wanted to cling to Chen Mo's coattails, it would be more accurate to say he wanted to cling to the Xie family's coattails.

Chen Mo had many doubts about Xie Jinyou's help.

It's true that the Xie family isn't afraid of the Black Tiger Hall or the Zhao family, but there's no need for the Xie family to win over a newly promoted martial arts scholar as an ally.

Could it be that Xie Jinyou simply shared similar interests with him?

However, apart from his fast breakthrough speed, he believed he had no other advantages.

The Xie family is clearly not lacking in talented individuals.

He patted his head and stopped worrying about it.

After the party ended.

Chen Mo couldn't wait to rush into the blacksmith's workshop, take out the "Iron Light Skill," and quickly browse through it. Suddenly, several lines of golden text appeared in his mind:

[Refined through countless trials, nurtured by mountains and rivers]

[To successfully bind the Iron Radiance Technique, the required spirit essence is Malachite.]

Polishing this material will unlock its inherent potential and enhance your martial arts comprehension.

"malachite?"

He frowned slightly and murmured, "To refine malachite, you need to heat it with charcoal to get crude copper. After removing impurities such as iron and sulfur by blowing air, you get red copper. Then, you add metals such as tin and lead in a certain proportion to get bronze."

That is, pyrometallurgy for copper smelting.

This process is quite complicated, and most importantly, malachite is not sold in Heihe Town.

"malachite?"

Faced with Chen Mo's question, Wu Zhi'ai looked thoughtful before replying, "Malachite is sold in the west wing of the county town, but the price... is quite high. However, if you need it, I'll sell everything I own to get it for you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo scratched his head and smiled.

……

In the following days.

Wu Zhiai provides Chen Mo with a batch of malachite every day, along with crude iron and refined iron, making the daily cost extremely high.

Wu Duan and Wu Zheng watched helplessly, their brows furrowed deeply, but despite their heartache, they couldn't stop Wu Zhi'ai's "squandering".

"Hopefully, this kid can recoup his costs someday..."

Wu Duan clenched his fist secretly.

From the first day, Chen Mo went into the blacksmith's workshop, and by the evening of the second day, a bronze broken sword with a faint green light had been forged.

His consciousness sank into his mind.

[Iron Sharpness Skill: Like a shield of sharpness covering the body, as if made of copper and iron]

[Comprehension: 5/50 (Not yet a beginner)]

He felt that the muscles in his back and arms were firmer than before, like an iron shield covering his body.

In other words, it's become more resilient.

"Now that I think about it carefully, if Xie Jinyou had used his Iron Light Skill back then, I would have been defeated within five moves."

"This person is somewhat unfathomable to me now. It seems I need to improve to the mid-stage or even late-stage of Dark Force as soon as possible."

The Zhao family and the Black Tiger Hall are like wolves and tigers; the martial arts scholar's identity and early-stage internal strength are far from enough.

The next day.

Chen Mo contacted Wu Zhiai.

With her consent, Chen Mo set up a blacksmith shop in an alley not far from the Wu family's home, hired Master Wu and Zhang Cai as assistants, and sold weapons to the public.

A blacksmith shop run by a martial arts scholar, where Master Chen, a renowned martial arts master who was once famous throughout the county, personally forged swords in the furnace, making it a very interesting place.

In a short time, martial artists from Heihe Town and even other areas of Anyang County came to offer weapon blueprints and materials, or directly purchase ready-made designs.

Firstly, it can save on the cost of purchasing materials and reduce Wu Zhi'ai's financial burden.

Secondly, Chen Mo can earn 30% of the revenue from this, saving up money to buy a house later.

Thirdly, the effects of Chen Mo's cultivation of martial arts through working in the mountains and rivers were subtly much better than if he had closed himself off and tried to forge various weapons on his own.

……

Half a month later, in the height of summer, cicadas chirped throughout the mountains.

That day.

A swordsman dressed in blue robes and wearing a bamboo hat entered the blacksmith's shop.

Snapped!

The man slammed a leather scroll onto the wooden table.

"How many days will it take to forge this sword?"

Chen Mo looked up.

The man carried a bright silver dagger at his waist, and a hint of heroic spirit emanated from his brows.

This person is stronger than him.

"Where did this expert come from...?"

Chen Mo thought to himself that since he set up this blacksmith shop, many martial artists from Anyang County and even other regions have come here.

At this moment, Master Wu walked over from the side, picked up the leather scroll, examined it carefully for a moment, and sighed, "What a fine sword! Come and pick it up in five days."

The swordsman pondered for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, and then took out three silver ingots and placed them on the wooden table. "This is the deposit. There will be another seven silver ingots after the sword is completed."

He spoke in an unquestionable tone.

Master Wu gestured with his lips, wanting to charge less, but seeing the other party's confident tone, he didn't say anything.

Master Wu nodded immediately. "Alright, please leave your name, so we can reconcile accounts later."

"Shen Qi".

After saying the name, the other person turned and left.

Chen Mo walked over and looked at the illustrations on the leather scroll. He also felt that the sword was exquisite and extraordinary. The dragon pattern carving on the hilt alone would require more than half a day of skill and dexterity.

"Master Wu, I'll forge the iron, and you'll sculpt it into shape."

"it is good."

With the two working together so well, five days later at dawn, Shen Qi arrived precisely on time, gave them seven taels of silver ingots, and then left in a huff.

This sword requires the use of three materials—coarse iron, refined iron, and malachite—in its forging, a complex process that demands exceptional skill.

Over the past five days, Chen Mo's comprehension of the Dragon-Capturing Force and several other martial arts techniques has improved noticeably.

He walked to the corner of the blacksmith's shop and summoned golden characters:

[Refined through countless trials, nurtured by mountains and rivers]

【Dragon-Capturing Strength: Basic stance training, focusing on legwork and fist power】

Comprehension: 34/200 (Mastery)

【Tiger Subduing Fist: The fist contains the roar of a tiger, imbued with immense power】

Comprehension: 28/200 (Mastery)

[Luo Yanbu: Steps leave trails of smoke, shadows vanish without a trace]

Comprehension: 56/100 (Minor Success)

[Iron Sharpness Skill: Like a shield of sharpness covering the body, as if made of copper and iron]

Comprehension: 22/50 (Beginner)

Since the end of the martial arts exam, more than twenty days have passed, and he feels that his cultivation level has quietly approached the mid-stage of Dark Force, only a hair's breadth away.

"It's been a long time since I've been to Tianqing Martial Arts School. I wonder how they are doing. I'll go check on them today."

After he had thought it through, he practiced the Dragon-Capturing Force and various martial arts techniques several more times before leaving the room.

Before long, we arrived at Tianqing Martial Arts Hall. Stepping into the inner hall, we felt that the atmosphere of martial arts practice was even more intense today.

When Ji Jian saw Chen Mo arrive, he hurriedly went forward to greet him.

Seeing that his arms had become even thicker, Ji Jian couldn't help but feel ashamed. "It seems you've improved again. We senior brothers can't even compare."

Chen Mo shook his head and smiled wryly, then asked, "How's the martial arts school been lately? Has the Zhao family sent anyone to cause trouble?"

Ji Chang neither nodded nor shook his head. "No one came, but..."

A look of helplessness crossed his face. "Li Xuan and another junior brother were injured by Luo Hou of the Zhao family when they went out. They suffered broken arms and legs. After that, Master strictly forbade us from going out at will. These past few days, we've been feeling very stifled staying in the martial arts school!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo remained calm.

It seems that the Zhao family hasn't reached the point of fighting to the death with them.

Even if it really comes to a fight to the death, it will be Tianqing Martial Arts School that dies.

While pondering, Ji Chang spoke again: "There's another piece of news. County Lieutenant Lin Chonglin is going to hold a martial arts tournament in Anyang, and various forces will participate."