Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

"Ever since the imperial court issued the decree for military exercises..."

"The rudimentary techniques of this world are no longer of much value."

"These martial arts techniques can be purchased at any bookstore in the city," Shangguan Haitang said, fanning herself with a folding fan.

Shen Jue ignored her for the time being.

The manual he opened was "Eagle Claw Hand".

The manual describes it as a rudimentary, third-rate external martial art.

The limit is when you train to the point where you can break wooden boards and damage people's muscles and bones.

Shen Jue naturally recognized the words in the manual. Thanks to his family background as an official, he also had some understanding of martial arts.

The martial arts in this world of martial arts are divided into external and internal skills.

Neither is superior to the other; both can be pursued simultaneously.

Besides these two types of martial arts, there also seems to be a kind of spiritual martial arts in the martial arts world.

However, this is something that Shen Jue cannot know at the moment.

The words, pictures, and techniques of energy cultivation in "Eagle Claw Hand" were no longer inanimate objects in his eyes, but rather flowing lines, muscle contractions, and the direction of energy.

Shen Jue closed the booklet and shut her eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the courtyard.

Following the movement path in "Eagle Claw Hand," Shen Jue casually reached out with his claw towards the old tree in the courtyard.

With a whistling wind, Shen Jue's claw pierced the old tree thoroughly.

Shen Jue's palm was inserted into the old tree as easily as inserting delicate tofu.

Shen Jue withdrew his hand, his hands, still somewhat dirty, were unharmed, except for the broken pieces of wood from the old tree.

Shen Jue reached out his hand again and dug his claw into the earthen wall next to the old tree.

Shen Jue's claw tore a hole in the earthen wall.

He clasped his hands together, and some stone dust fell at Shen Jue's feet.

Shangguan Haitang's gaze sharpened.

Just a day before, Shen Jue was clearly a poor and weak boy who knew nothing about martial arts.

How can such a thing be accomplished in such a short time?

Filled with doubt and confusion, Shangguan Haitang waited for Shen Jue's next move.

"These external martial arts skills are no longer of much use to me," Shen Jue sighed.

"The Eagle Claw Hand technique, when practiced to its limit, is nothing more than breaking wood and shattering stone."

"With my physique, I could crush even an iron man forged from a hundred times the finest steel into mud with a single grab."

"The techniques and methods for strengthening the body are worth my attention."

Shangguan Haitang felt a chill run down her spine.

"The same applies to the remaining Taizu Changquan and Tiebushan."

Shen Jue held his breath and, in an instant, cultivated the basic technique of "Iron Shirt"—which had spread throughout the myriad realms—to its limit, following the cultivation method of the technique.

He appeared unchanged.

"These external martial arts techniques, such as physical training, taking decoctions, and medicinal diets, can only be described as ordinary."

Shen Jue smiled and said, "Miss Shangguan, could you please give me a manual of internal energy cultivation techniques?"

"Regardless of rank or the depth of content."

Shangguan Haitang paused for a moment, then frowned slightly and said, "Brother Shen is joking."

"When you go out, who would carry around a secret manual of internal martial arts?"

"Even though there are now many different martial arts techniques in the martial arts world, internal energy cultivation methods are still extremely rare."

"In that case, why don't you just dictate one to me?" Shen Jue said, stroking his chin.

"In exchange, how about I do you a favor?"

Faced with Shen Jue's request, Shangguan Haitang felt a strong premonition.

She blurted out almost without thinking, "Okay!"

"The internal energy I practice is a martial art unique to the Dragon Guard Manor."

"I can't pass this on to you."

"But it wouldn't hurt to talk about the 'Breathing Techniques' that all the famous and orthodox sects in the world possess."

After saying that, Shangguan Haitang continued to dictate the "Breathing Techniques".

"The righteous energy of heaven and earth, the mysterious and luminous sun and moon..."

As Shangguan Haitang described the story, Shen Jue listened attentively while a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

After finishing with just a few hundred words, Shangguan Haitang looked at Shen Jue expectantly, wondering if Shen Jue could immediately cultivate the Qi sensation through the "Breathing Technique".

"This 'Breathing Technique'..." Shen Jue said seriously, "I feel it's incredibly powerful!"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Haitang chuckled, and the female agent shook her head and said with a smile, "Brother Shen is joking."

"Although the Breathing Techniques have been passed down for thousands of years."

"This internal skill is weak in power, although it can nourish the body and improve blood circulation."

"However, the internal energy he cultivated was mediocre and its power was very weak, not even one-tenth as strong as other internal energy techniques."

"Even children who have practiced the Breathing Technique since childhood will need to change their internal energy cultivation method as they get a little older."

Shen Jue knew that the child Shangguan Haitang mentioned who had been practicing internal energy cultivation since childhood must have been born into a martial arts family.

"That's true," Shen Jue said in a deep voice.

The owner of the martial arts school was eavesdropping on their conversation in the next room, but Shen Jue didn't seem to care.

"But the 'Breathing Techniques' nourish the body, and there's no upper limit to the flow of qi and blood!"

"The weak internal energy you cultivate is naturally due to insufficient physical strength and blood!"

In my opinion.

"The martial arts in this world are essentially still the Taoist system of refining essence into qi and cultivating qi into spirit."

"The reason you think this basic cultivation method is weak is naturally because your efficiency in refining essence into qi is too low!"

"Watch me!"

Shen Jue closed his eyes and frantically optimized and modified the contents of the basic internal energy cultivation method in his mind, based on the original "Breathing Technique"!

Just a few seconds!

A faint white fluorescent light appeared on Shen Jue's body!

Within Shen Jue's body, a thick, dense, and far superior-textured white internal force appeared!

That white internal energy! It's frantically replenishing Shen Jue's body!

"What?!" Shangguan Haitang was so startled that she dropped the folding fan she was holding.

Shen Jue is now channeling his internal energy outside his body, a feat only top-tier martial arts masters can achieve.

"Among the martial arts practitioners in this world, those who like to meddle like to categorize martial arts skills into different levels."

"Third-rate masters, second-rate masters, and first-rate masters are the initial stages."

"Even a third-rate master with open meridians, his internal energy combined with his fists and feet is enough to split stone tablets and shatter rocks."

"A second-rate master's internal energy is solid and inexhaustible; he can kill with a mere flower petal or a leaf."

"A top-tier master's internal energy is liquefied and can be projected several feet outward, exceeding ordinary people's imagination and reaching inhuman strength."

With a flick of her wrist, Shangguan Haitang channeled her inner energy to lift the folding fan that had fallen to the ground.

"Achieving first-rate status in the blink of an eye, Shen Jue, are you human or a ghost?"

"Is it a demon or a monster?!"

"What else? The next realm?" Shen Jue raised an eyebrow and said, as the white internal energy within him disappeared into his body.

"Innate, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster."

"Most martial artists in the world fall into these six realms," Shangguan Haitang replied.

"That's too classical, too classical," Shen Jue said speechlessly. "According to this interpretation..."

"After Grandmaster comes Shattering the Void, right?"

"Is there some kind of ascension trap or something?"

"For example, becoming a mining slave after ascending to heaven, digging out the mines for tens of thousands of years, or something like that."

"Or perhaps alien monsters feed on our human prodigies or something."

Shangguan Haitang's lips twitched; she couldn't understand Shen Jue's thought process.