Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

Chen Lan looked at the scene before her.

My younger brother has joined the Tianqing Martial Arts School?!

Originally, these were unrelated words in her eyes, but now they could be put together.

Her eyes were a little moist, flickering in the swaying candlelight. A cold wind swept into the room, bending the candlelight, and she finally came back to her senses.

"Xiao Mo, you really... went to a martial arts school to learn martial arts?"

Chen Mo nodded, "Okay, let's go inside and talk."

He reassembled the door panel, and the night wind blew into the holes in the door panel, which Chen Lan plugged with rags.

The two sat down.

Chen Mo briefly described how he passed Master Yin's test, but omitted the part about "refining his skills through countless trials and tribulations and cultivating his abilities in nature".

"From now on, I won't have to pay tribute anymore. If I'm lucky, I can find a place to hold a temporary post and do some odd jobs to earn some money."

As Chen Lan listened, she dug her fingernails into her flesh repeatedly, feeling the sharp pain, to make sure this wasn't a dream.

Even if poor people cannot truly enter the martial arts world, as long as they can enter a martial arts school to learn martial arts, they can still make a living and will not starve to death.

If one can cross the threshold of martial arts, one may not necessarily rise to the top, but at least one will have escaped the lowest level.

If one is exceptionally gifted and passes the martial arts examination, to put it bluntly, it's a case of one person achieving enlightenment and their entire family benefiting.

Chen Mo said earnestly, "Sister, you don't need to get up early and work late doing chores anymore. You can just do some light work."

Chen Lan nodded, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say. I'll just do what I can."

In this world, without exceptional skills, one can only do trivial and mundane tasks, which are arduous and yield meager income.

The two talked for a while longer, then Chen Mo went back to his "room" to practice his boxing.

……

Early the next morning.

When Chen Mo arrived at the martial arts school, he saw several of his senior brothers practicing their boxing around the stakes, shouting incessantly.

The tall disciple from yesterday walked up to him. "Your name is Chen Mo, right? Master told me to talk to you about the admission process. My name is Ji Chang. You can call me Third Senior Brother."

As he spoke, although he tried his best to remain calm, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. After all, he had confidently said last night that this kid would not be able to pass the level, but this morning he became his junior brother.

Chen Mo nodded in agreement.

Ji Chang took out a martial arts manual. "This is the 'Dragon Subduing Stance Technique.' Master said it's very compatible with your Tiger Subduing Fist. You can learn it on your own first. If you have any questions, you can ask me. If Master is in the school, you can also ask him."

Chen Mo took the ochre-colored martial arts manual, his heart stirred slightly. If the Mountain and Water Nourishment Technique could hone the Tiger Subduing Fist, it could probably also hone the Dragon Subduing Stance Technique.

Ji Chang continued, "Disciples who have not yet reached the Ming Jin level are usually taught by Ming Jin disciples who entered the sect earlier. Only when they break through to the Ming Jin level will their master personally provide guidance."

There was a hierarchy as soon as he entered the martial arts school, but it didn't have much of an impact on Chen Mo.

Next, Ji Chang briefly introduced the division of martial arts realms, as well as common knowledge about techniques and skills.

The levels that ordinary people can reach, from lowest to highest, are Ming Jin (manifest strength), An Jin (hidden strength), and Hua Jin (transformation strength). Only by reaching Ming Jin can one be considered a true martial artist and qualified to participate in the martial arts examination in Anyang County.

Once one reaches the Transformation Realm, they become top-tier experts in Anyang County, each capable of guarding a gang or clan.

As for cultivation methods and martial arts skills, cultivation methods are the foundation of martial arts and determine the level of one's cultivation, while martial arts skills are the self-defense skills used in combat.

Just like how much Chen Mo comprehends the Tiger Subduing Fist, he cannot break through to the Ming Jin level without the Dragon Subduing Stance skill.

"I've got it, Senior Brother," Chen Mo replied earnestly.

It seems the journey is long and arduous, requiring us to persevere.

"You can go over there to get a training uniform, and then you'll have porridge twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening."

Ji Chang smiled as he said this, "But the dishes are so-so, there are only pickled vegetables."

Chen Mo smiled as well.

Ji Chang went to practice his skills on the side. Before circling the stake, he muttered to himself, "I heard that this junior brother has a very good comprehension, but I wonder just how good he is..."

Chen Mo changed into his training clothes, which were actually a gray short-sleeved shirt, made of a material that was more comfortable than his own linen clothes.

He turned over the Dragon Subduing Stance Technique, and without pausing, quickly turned to the end.

At that moment, a golden, shimmering phrase appeared in my mind:

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

[To successfully bind the Dragon Subduing Stance Technique, the required spirit essence and water essence for refinement is: Rough Iron]

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

"Is it also crude iron?" he wondered to himself. "Perhaps the Dragon Subduing Stance Technique and the Tiger Subduing Fist are indeed a perfect match, hence the use of the same polishing material?"

He set the Dragon Subduing Stance aside and began practicing his boxing.

Inside the hall were boxing stances, plum blossom stances, and ordinary weapons. Chen Mo stood on a plum blossom stance, set up a stone-throwing boxing stance, and moved his feet on the stakes. However, his body swayed uncontrollably. He threw a punch and almost fell off the stake.

The wooden stakes were much more difficult than the ground, but he didn't stop. He kept practicing, and his training clothes were quickly soaked with sweat.

Every ten repetitions of the punch bring a slight insight, which is then integrated into the power of the punch. Although each repetition may be small, each step brings progress, and no effort is wasted; small streams can gradually become a mighty river.

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

After finishing his practice, Chen Mo jumped off the plum blossom stakes, ate some porridge with some pickled vegetables, and then left the martial arts school, hurrying to the iron furnace room.

Before long, he arrived at the iron furnace room and started a fire. With the low roar of the bellows, the crude iron burned red-hot in the furnace, extracting impurities.

Chen Mo wiped the sweat from his face, leaving black ash on the back of his hand on his face, making him look like a tabby cat.

Half an hour later, the two foremen returned from drinking, reeking of alcohol, and burst into the furnace room, their rough voices booming:

"Heihe Town has been in turmoil lately. The Black Tiger Gang has gone to great lengths to keep the town peaceful, so you bastards better not delay handing over your tribute!"

"Don't you dare slack off while you're working!"

"Among you people, besides Master Wu, there's that guy who just joined Tianqing Martial Arts School, his name is... what was his name again..."

The foreman slapped his forehead. "Right, right, his name is Chen Mo. You two don't need to pay tribute. The rest of you will pay an extra twenty copper coins per month! I've notified you all here, so I don't have to go door-to-door!"

Chen Mo remained calm and continued tending the fire.

The people around looked at Chen Mo with bitter and sorrowful expressions, their hearts filled with surprise and a strange mix of emotions.

On ordinary days, everyone huddles together in the same leaky corner, wearing thin clothes and hunching their shoulders, but today you're alone, holding an oil-paper umbrella...

The supervisor left after giving his instructions.

Master Wu patted Chen Mo on the shoulder, "I didn't expect you to succeed so quickly. You are the most talented young man I have ever seen. You must seize this opportunity."

Chen Mo nodded and thanked Master Wu.

Zhang Cai, who was not far from Chen Mo, hesitated for a moment before finally walking towards him. "Amo, when...did this happen?"

"It happened yesterday."

Zhang Cai looked a little awkward. Chen Mo was his good friend, and he should be happy, but at this moment he subconsciously dared not look Chen Mo in the eye.

After a moment, Zhang Cai forced a smile and said, "Congratulations, you can finally escape this sea of ​​suffering."

Chen Mo simply replied, "It's too early to say; everything is still uncertain."

Zhang Cai returned to his position, while Chen Mo continued burning iron...

The fire inside the furnace was intense, scorching his cheeks, but he stood still, like a pine tree.

After an unknown amount of time, a golden light suddenly flashed in my mind:

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

【Dragon Subduing Stance Exercise: Basic stance exercise, training leg flexibility at the bottom and fist strength at the top】

[Comprehension: 1/50 (Not yet a beginner)]