Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

In the evening, Lu Chen went to the pharmacy to get a bowl of tiger bone strengthening soup.

The herbal decoction was dark brown, steaming hot, and a pungent, heavy medicinal smell hit the nasal cavity.

Drink it while it's hot.

The pharmacy manager casually reminded him, "This tiger bone tonic soup replenishes qi and strengthens bones; its medicinal properties will dissipate along with the heat if it cools down."

Lu Chen held the medicine bowl in both hands, tilted his head back, and drank it.

The moment the medicinal soup entered my mouth, a strong bitter taste exploded on the back of my tongue.

It was bitter, fishy, ​​and had a hint of spiciness.

The taste was really not good; it was even harder to swallow than the herbal medicine brewed by the village's barefoot doctor.

But this bowl costs one qian of silver, which is more expensive than three jin of lean meat!

Lu Chen frowned and finished the drink in one gulp.

The medicinal soup slid down his throat and into his stomach, quickly transforming into a warm sensation that spread rapidly throughout his body.

Lu Chen stood there, and he could clearly feel the soreness in his muscles and bones that remained after practicing martial arts during the day, which slowly eased as if it had been soaked in hot water.

Lu Chen was shocked.

The effects of this tiger bone tonic soup are surprisingly obvious.

Lu Chen did not linger in the pharmacy. After thanking the pharmacy manager, he turned and headed straight for the martial arts arena.

It was already dark by then.

Most of the students from the outer courtyard had returned to their dormitories. The martial arts training ground, which was noisy during the day, was now empty, with only the moonlight shining on the blue bricks, giving it a cold, white glow.

Lu Chen stood in the center of the training ground and slowly exhaled.

I had just drunk the tiger bone tonic soup when I felt a warm sensation surging in my lower abdomen.

Practicing standing meditation can accelerate the circulation of Qi and blood, allowing the body to more fully absorb the medicinal power of Tiger Bone Strengthening Soup.

Lu Chen spread his feet apart, gripped the ground with his soles, rounded his shoulders and back, and slowly sat down.

As soon as the Panlong stance was activated, the heat in his abdomen seemed to be stirred, spreading to his limbs and bones under Lu Chen's guidance.

This made Lu Chen feel full of energy.

After finishing the exercise, Lu Chen's forehead was covered in sweat and his chest was heaving, but he didn't feel exhausted at all. Instead, he felt warm all over and indescribably happy.

"This tiger bone tonic soup is indeed very effective; no wonder it costs one qian of silver per bowl."

He couldn't help but sigh softly.

At this moment, Lu Chen truly understood why martial arts training is inseparable from medicinal supplements.

Without much pause, he quickly began the second round.

The bright moonlight shone on the vast training ground, making it appear exceptionally desolate.

Lu Chen was the only figure in the arena, his movements rising and falling slowly with the Panlong stance exercise, like a young dragon that had been submerged in the night, gradually awakening...

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.

The boys practiced their skills in the training ground as usual.

After Lu Chen finished practicing the stance training once, he glanced at the transparent light screen that had appeared in front of him:

[Panlong Stance Exercise: Beginner]

[Progress: 268/300]

[Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist: Not Yet Entered the Gate]

[Progress: 95/100]

Lu Chen has made great progress in the past month.

After mastering the basics of Panlong Stance Technique, his progress increased by over two hundred points, and he is about to enter the next realm, the Minor Completion Realm. At that time, the efficiency of his stance training in strengthening his muscles and bones will increase again, bringing him one step closer to breaking through to become a martial artist.

The Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist is more complex and difficult to practice than the Coiled Dragon Stance, but Lu Chen consults with his senior brother Chen Chong every day, and his progress is not slow. He is about to complete the hundred-fold training and enter the basics of the fist technique.

He has transformed from an ordinary village boy into a martial arts practitioner with some basic skills.

Shi Hao then walked out from the inner courtyard.

A month later, he was completely different from when he first entered the martial arts school.

He had changed from his coarse cloth clothes into a more fitted short-sleeved outfit, a new cloth belt around his waist, and a pair of sturdy new boots. His slightly tanned face no longer showed the timidity of a mountain village boy arriving in the county town, but rather the confidence nurtured by being pampered every day.

He was also holding a bundle in his hand.

The bundle was wrapped in blue cloth and tied very tightly; judging from its shape, it seemed to contain quite a lot of things.

The boys from Shiqiao Village were the first to react, immediately stopping their practice and surrounding them.

"Brother Hao!"

"Brother Hao, you're back!"

"What did the master teach you today?"

What are you holding in your hand?

They surrounded Shi Hao, their tone eager, their faces showing flattery and envy.

During this period, Shi Hao was able to enter the inner courtyard every day, where he received personal guidance from the headmaster, Qin Wuhe, in his training. His meals included lean meat sent by the Han family, and he received tiger bone tonic soup from the martial arts school. Occasionally, he would also receive pointers from his senior brothers and sisters in the inner courtyard.

His status at the martial arts school was far above that of everyone else.

Shi Shaojie reached out to take the bundle from Shi Hao's hand and said with a smile, "Brother Hao, let me help you carry it."

Shi Hao raised his wrist, avoiding his hand.

"Need not."

Shi Shaojie's movements froze for a moment, and the smile on his face also paused slightly.

"Today I have entered the Canglong Tongbei Fist."

"These are initiation gifts given to me by several senior students from the inner courtyard."

Shi Hao shook the rather heavy bundle in his hand, and said with no small amount of pride.

These words immediately caused an uproar among the surrounding teenagers.

"You've even mastered the basics of Canglong Tongbei Quan?"

"How long has it been?"

"Brother Shi Hao is amazing!"

Someone couldn't help but clap and say, "Brother Hao, you've really made our Shiqiao Village Chief proud!"

"You've already mastered the boxing technique so quickly! I only learned it once from Senior Brother Chen Chong, and it's much harder than stance training!"

"Brother Hao, now that you've mastered the basics of boxing, you must have figured out the tricks."

"Could you teach us?"

A boy looked at Shi Hao expectantly and asked him a question.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the boys from Shiqiao Village also filled with anticipation.

However, Shi Hao only frowned.

"Will you be taught?"

His tone carried a hint of impatience, "Your stance training is still inadequate, and your fist techniques are a mess. Even if I explained, would you understand?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the faces of several boys from Shiqiao Village.

They had initially gathered around with eager expressions, but now they all looked somewhat embarrassed.

Shi Shaojie's face flushed red, but he still forced a smile and said, "Brother Hao, we just want to improve with you."

"You're destined to become a true successor, and we people from Shiqiao Village can't hold you back."

Upon hearing the words "true teachings," Shi Hao's impatience eased slightly, but he still maintained a stern expression and said, "Therefore, you should work even harder and strive to keep up with my pace!"

"I have to spend all my time practicing boxing, I don't have time to waste on you guys."

"I'm going to take the martial arts exam to become a scholar and bring honor to my master."

At that moment, Chen Chong walked over with a cold face.

He glanced around and saw a group of teenagers still surrounding Shi Hao. He immediately shouted in a deep voice, "Why aren't you practicing your skills? What are you doing gathered here?"

The sound was like a thunderclap.

The other boys from Shiqiao Village immediately shrank back and scattered.

Chen Chong stood in the center of the training ground with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone present.

He snorted coldly and said, "I'm telling you, there will be a month-end assessment this afternoon."

"Everyone who fails will be eliminated!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in uproar.

"What?"

"disuse?!"

"Senior Brother Chen, didn't you say there were three months?"

"It's only been a month, why are they being phased out already?"

When they came from the mountain villages, many of them did not really understand what practicing martial arts meant.

At first, I just thought that being able to enter the martial arts school in the county town and eat white rice and meat soup was already a great thing.

But after a month, they witnessed the changes in Shi Hao firsthand.

He mastered the basics of stance training in three days and gained the master's favor.

The Han family came to deliver gifts, offering an unlimited supply of fine meat and two taels of silver per month.

Senior students from the inner courtyard gave gifts.

All of this made them realize one thing.

Practicing martial arts can really change your destiny.

Because they have witnessed it, they are even more afraid of losing it.

If we are eliminated now, it will be like being reduced to our original state, returning to the poor mountain village and living a life where we can't even get enough to eat.

Chen Chong looked at the tense crowd, but his face remained unmoved.

"Now you know fear?"

"Why didn't you do this sooner?"

His voice was cold and hard: "A martial arts school is not a charity."

"We gave you the opportunity, not to let you eat and stay for free for three months."

"We'll see this afternoon who's been practicing hard and who's just coasting through this month."

"Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School does not support useless people!"

These words made many of the teenagers' faces turn even uglier.