Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

This sudden turn of events caught Chen Mo off guard.

He immediately composed himself, firmly grasped the Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter in his hand, and turned to a page.

The text is like a book written in the heavens.

He recognized each word individually, but when put together, he couldn't make any sense of it.

"No wonder that in the past fifty years, no one on Nine Swords Mountain has mastered this skill, not even the most basic introductory level."

"However, I possess the skill of cultivating oneself through mountains and water, so perhaps I could give it a try..."

"The Tai Chen Ying Huo Chapter and the Li Huo Xuan Gong have some subtle correspondences. There must be some connection between the two. Perhaps they can complement each other, or perhaps they are related as upper and lower chapters."

Thinking of this, he moved with lightning speed, flipping through the pages quickly.

With each page turned, the words on it, like golden fireflies, fly into the mind, stringing together into golden text.

The two elders in front of and behind the bookshelf immediately noticed that Chen Mo was flipping through the Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter at an extremely fast speed, and they were taken aback.

One of them shook his head. "This kid, he's probably mentally broken..."

The other four new disciples had already made their selections and were all looking at them with pity.

"Maybe they're running out of time and are just grasping at straws..." one of them whispered to the other three.

Just as the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was about to end, Chen Mo turned to the last page and closed the martial arts manual.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light burst forth in my mind.

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

[Successfully bound to the Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter, the required spirit and water essence: Ten Victory Stone]

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

"The Tokachi Stone..."

He knew that Tokachi-ishi was another name for obsidian.

He had heard Wu Zhiai mention that there was a small amount of obsidian for sale in the markets of Anyang County, and in this vast Chuzhou, it shouldn't be a problem to get his hands on it; it was better than those materials whose names he had never even heard of.

"Time's up. Please stop what you're doing and register with me."

The elder, with a stern expression, spoke in a loud voice.

The five people, including Chen Mo, walked up to the elder.

The elder looked at Chen Mo with his cloudy eyes, "Are you sure you want to choose this Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter?"

The book's fame was known even to the other four new disciples, who were aware of its peculiarities.

No one has learned it in fifty years!

But Chen Mo, who had just entered, actually wanted to choose this cultivation technique?

Is it just a publicity stunt or genuine ignorance?

Chen Mo nodded. "This disciple is certain."

The two elders paused for a moment, but didn't say anything more, only glancing at Chen Mo.

It seemed they were memorizing the disciple's appearance, waiting to see how well he had progressed in six months.

"Most likely, it will die in the womb..." The stern elder muttered to himself, then questioned each of the five people and recorded their chosen techniques and martial arts skills.

After making their notes, the five of them left the cultivation technique pavilion.

Du Tian was waiting outside the pavilion. When he saw Chen Mo come out, he immediately went up to him and asked, "How did it go? Which book did you choose?"

Chen Mo replied, "The Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique."

"I meant cultivation techniques." Du Tian rolled his eyes. "Which cultivation technique did you pick?"

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Mo finally spoke: "Tai Chen Ying Huo Chapter."

"Oh...wait!"

Upon hearing this, Du Tian was stunned and stood there speechless. "You chose that strange book? Did you hear me correctly? I just said no one has learned it in fifty years, not that fifty people learn it every year!"

Chen Mo walked away on his own, saying, "That's why I'm going back to cultivate diligently."

Du Tian smirked and muttered to himself, "Keep trying to master it, you'll never learn it even if you try until you die..."

Du Tian shook his head again, still puzzled, and followed.

After asking a passerby for directions to Cheng Yun Pavilion, the two went straight there.

Chengyun Pavilion is located near the summit of Linzhi Peak, second only to the Qilin Pavilion at the very top. It is the place where the elders carry out their official duties.

Before long, we arrived at Chengyun Pavilion. Looking up, the building stood tall and imposing, exuding an aura of receiving the mandate of heaven.

The two walked through the gate and saw many people of similar age there.

On one side of the pavilion, there is a large wooden plaque with information such as the mission name, location, task, and monthly salary written on it, which is probably for the disciples to choose themselves.

The two squeezed into the crowd.

Du Tian turned his head and said, "According to my fellow disciples, some missions are difficult and dangerous, but they can greatly accumulate practical experience, which is of great help in improving strength! Therefore, I want to choose that kind of mission to gain experience!"

Chen Mo nodded. If he didn't possess the skill of cultivating one's health through mountains and water, he would have thought the same.

The two squeezed under the wooden sign and looked up to examine it closely.

"Forest ranger: on the northern slope of Jiujian Mountain, responsible for protecting the forest and driving away wild animals. Monthly salary includes three bottles of Qi-boosting pills, one bottle of Vein-protecting pills, and twenty taels of silver."

"Training Ground Instructor: Chuzhou Training Ground, under the coercion of the general to participate in instructing soldiers, monthly salary of five bottles of Qi-Boosting Pills, one bottle of Heart-Clearing Pills, and thirty taels of silver."

"Suppressing Bandits and Thieves: Participating in the suppression of bandits in the western mountains of Jinyu County, with a monthly salary of eight bottles of Qi-Boosting Pills, two bottles of Heart-Clearing Pills, and forty taels of silver."

Upon seeing this, Du Tian's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the kind of training he had been longing for?

"Suppressing bandits and thieves, this task should suit me."

He said happily.

Chen Mo shook his head slightly and continued reading.

"Weapon maintenance: Divine Weapon Pavilion on Linzhi Peak, keep the weapons clean on a daily basis, monthly salary of two bottles of Qi-boosting pills and ten taels of silver."

"Mine Guardian: The old mine at the bottom of the cliff in the eastern part of Linzhi Peak. Protect the safety of the ore. Monthly salary: three bottles of Qi-boosting pills, one bottle of meridian-protecting pills, and twenty-five taels of silver."

"Protecting the minerals..."

Chen Mo thought to himself, "Being in the mine means having the opportunity to obtain a continuous supply of minerals, which is a perfect match for cultivating martial arts in the mountains and rivers. Guarding the old mine should be relatively leisurely in daily life, and practicing martial arts and swordsmanship in my spare time will not be a waste of time at all."

After thinking it over, he said to Du Tian, ​​"I've made my choice too."

Which one did you choose?

"Mine Guardian".

Du Tian looked closely and finally noticed the "Mine Guardian" position he had just glanced at. His eyes widened immediately. "The Mine Guardian only gets three bottles of Qi-Boosting Pills and twenty-five taels of silver a month, and the task is easy. It doesn't help your progress at all. What are you after?"

"I just want some peace and quiet," Chen Mo said, scratching his head.

Du Tian shook his head again, and once again felt doubt about Chen Mo's choice. "Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you went through so much trouble to join Nine Swords Mountain. You can't just retire on the mountain. Even if you don't have to catch bandits or fight to the death, you should at least find a mission that can help you improve."

As he spoke, he shook his head helplessly.

Chen Mo did not refute, but said seriously, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Du. I know what I'm doing."

Du Tian sighed deeply and ignored him.

Afterwards, the two registered their respective tasks with the elders and each received a booklet.

Chen Mo opened the booklet, which contained many details about the old mine, including what kinds of minerals it contained and how it needed to be maintained.

Among that long list of names, he saw the words "Tokatsu Stone".