Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

After the meal, the two went to the training ground again.

After practicing for a while, the panel once again displayed the message that the proficiency had increased.

Chu Hong felt a surge of joy, and suddenly felt his blood and energy increase slightly.

It was afternoon soon.

The instructor gathered the new apprentices at the front of the stage, stood on a platform about one person high, and looked them over.

Although they are called instructors, they are actually senior students from the inner courtyard.

I'm just doing part-time teaching as a side job.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Chu Hong, and his brows furrowed slightly.

When did this guy get back?

Don't start crying while practicing your punches later, or I won't be able to attend this class.

The instructor suppressed his distracting thoughts and cleared his throat:

"Yesterday we learned stance training, today we'll talk about fighting techniques."

"Let me make this clear first: martial arts training isn't child's play. Don't cry at the slightest bit of hardship!"

The apprentices below immediately turned their heads, their gazes all fixed on Chu Hong.

The sarcasm is self-evident.

Everyone knows that the instructor was referring to Chu Hong.

It is said that last month, because he cried while practicing standing meditation and ran away home, his instructor was ridiculed for half a month.

Chu Hong, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of the crowd, gave a slight bow to the instructors on the stage, his tone calm:

"Thank you for your guidance, instructor. I will remember it!"

The instructor was taken aback upon hearing this.

The person in front of me was calm, polite, and had a firm gaze, completely different from the pampered person I saw last month.

If Chu Hong had heard me say this last month, he probably would have jumped up and down in anger.

But the instructor was too lazy to investigate further, as long as it didn't affect his teaching.

He clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back, and said loudly:

"Since you've come to learn martial arts, do you know what martial arts are?"

The audience fell silent.

The group looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Several people looked thoughtful, but seemed unsure of the answer, and after a moment of hesitation, they still did not reply.

The instructor looked around and shook his head slightly.

"So-called martial arts are not..."

Just as he opened his mouth, a thin, bony figure came running from the direction of the canteen, panting and stuffing half a meat bun into his mouth.

Upon seeing this, the instructor's face darkened.

"stop!"

The skinny man suddenly stopped, standing there helplessly, his face full of fear.

"What's your name? Why are you late?"

"Look at them, who among them has ever forgotten their martial arts practice time? And look at you, always dragging your feet, what's the point of practicing martial arts? You might as well go back to farming!"

The skinny man knew he was in the wrong and said, trembling:

"Teacher... Instructor, my name is Pang Hai. I was too tired this morning, so I... rested a little longer. I didn't... I didn't expect..."

Pang Hai's thin and bony appearance clearly indicated that he came from a poor family.

They might have to sell everything they own to scrape together the money to go to the martial arts school.

They might not even have any spare money and can only rely on free meals to survive and accumulate energy.

If one's body is weak and one practices too hard, it is natural to get tired easily.

Seeing his expression, the instructor sighed inwardly and shook his head helplessly.

"Alright, alright, just be more careful next time!"

It turns out this person was Pang Hai.

Chu Hong nodded slightly. With such a weak foundation, could he really break through to the Ming Jin level within six months?

Pang Hai bowed his head and joined the ranks, arriving at the last row and standing next to Chu Hong.

On the stage, the instructor composed himself and spoke again:

"Martial arts! Not those fancy, showy moves from theatrical troupes. They may look nice, but they're useless in practice."

"True martial arts aren't about looking good; they're about real killing techniques!"

His voice suddenly became exceptionally sharp:

"Strike wherever it's vulnerable—eyes, throat, even groin—and make sure it's a matter of life and death!"

A glint of light flashed in Chu Hong's eyes.

What he wanted to learn was this killing technique!

It's that kind of thing that can kill with a single blow!

"And what I'm going to teach you is the Nine-Forged Fist, created personally by the school master!"

Before he finished speaking, someone else slowly walked towards the direction of the canteen.

The instructor's face turned cold, and he was about to get angry.

He glanced in that direction, recognized the person immediately, and a smile instantly spread across his face:

"Junior Brother Tang, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting to teach you the Nine Forging Fist."

Tang Sinian gave a soft "hmm," raising his head like a victorious rooster surveying its territory.

He slowly walked onto the stage, looking down at the crowd with disdain.

Beside him, Pang Hai muttered to himself:

"They were both late, so why didn't he get scolded?"

"Is it only those with superior natural talent who can be respected?"

Chu Hong turned his head and saw envy and confusion in Pang Hai's eyes.

He whispered a reminder:

"Brother Pang, your innate talent is determined by fate, but your strength or weakness depends on yourself."

"As long as we are willing to practice hard, even those with inferior physiques can achieve the breakthrough to the Ming Jin level, and their treatment will be different then."

"Is it really something he was born with?" Pang Hai lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought.

Above, the instructor called two apprentices up to act as sparring partners and began explaining the boxing techniques:

"Nine-Forged Fist is not a simple fist technique, but rather a combination of fist, claw, and palm techniques by the master, forming nine deadly moves."

"Each move is deadly, every strike is lethal! Watch carefully and learn well."

"This move, the Heart-Shattering Fist!"

The instructor took a half-step forward, clenched his right fist, and slammed it into the apprentice's chest.

The apprentice felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly raised his arm to block.

But then, the instructor suddenly raised his hand, turning his fist into a palm, and slashed diagonally at the student's neck.

"This move is the Neck-Splitting Palm!"

Before his opponent could react, he transformed his palm into a claw and grabbed the apprentice by the throat:

"This move, the Throat-Locking Claw!"

He gently released his apprentice: "In real combat, you would have died three times already."

Beside him, Tang Sinian followed suit, though his pressure wasn't as great as the instructor's.

But his moves were ruthless, frightening the apprentices who were demonstrating, causing them to break out in a cold sweat.

"Remember, martial arts are killing techniques; every move you make is for killing."

"They're all targeting the opponent's weaknesses!"

The instructor continued the demonstration, explaining the remaining moves of the Nine-Forged Fist one by one:

Shattering Star Fist, Rib-Cleaving Claw, Root-Severing Fist...

Every move targets the opponent's vital points.

Tang Sinian learned very quickly; after only three demonstrations, he was already playing quite well.

They've clearly gotten the hang of it.

It seems that he not only has excellent natural talent, but also exceptional comprehension.

Many people below were uncoordinated and couldn't quite grasp the technique.

The instructor, with his hands behind his back, walked among the apprentices, observing them, and said:

"Nine Forging Fist is very difficult. You are not Junior Brother Tang. If you can grasp one or two tenths of it in a day, you can be considered to have entered the field."

"It's normal to be able to fully grasp the basics within two or three days."

Chu Hong followed these "insidious" moves little by little, imitating them with both his hands and feet.

At first, he was just as uncoordinated.

Sometimes your hand moves forward, but your feet don't follow.

Sometimes, the feet may step out, but the hand movements become severely distorted.

But he remained calm and patient, demonstrating the boxing techniques again and again.

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Hong was suddenly jolted.

A new message popped up on the panel:

【Nine-Forging Fist (Beginner)】

[Proficiency: 1/500]

In an instant, the nine moves of the Nine Forging Fist were fully integrated into his mind.

His hands and feet moved with fluid grace, and his movements were precise and skillful.

"what?"

The instructor casually glanced at the group of people whose movements were distorted, still shaking his head and sighing.

But when he turned around, he suddenly saw Chu Hong's fighting style:

"This kid, he's already mastered the basics?"

He was startled.

But then he remembered that Chu Hong only had inferior aptitude, and a look of regret appeared on his face.

"His comprehension is not bad, but unfortunately he has inferior aptitude and won't go far."