Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

"Hammer Cloud Stance Method: Minor Success (601/800)"

Looking at the cultivation progress displayed on the virtual interface, Zhou Fugan nodded in satisfaction.

He improved his progress by 150 points in just over half a month, thanks to switching to a more effective tonic.

He found this tonic at a pharmacy in the west of the city; it was called "Fiery Pill." It contained a large amount of warming herbs, and its main ingredient was a precious herb called "Firewood Grass." Of course, each pill contained very little Firewood Grass.

As its name suggests, the Fiery Pill uses hot medicinal herbs to temper the body, much like tempering iron in a raging fire. Its effects are extraordinary.

After Zhou Fugan's experiment, he discovered that ordinary tonics could only increase his progress by about five points a day, while the Fiery Pill could increase it by seven or eight points a day.

So he decisively changed the tonic.

As for the terrifying fire poison contained in the Fiery Pill, that's something other martial artists need to consider.

The Fiery Pills were good, but they were also expensive, costing five taels of silver per pill. After taking them for more than half a month, he had already spent nearly a hundred taels of silver, and almost half of the silver he had just received was gone.

"This money just disappears so quickly!"

Zhou Fugan sighed and began to think about new ways to make money.

"So, who should we rob next?"

He subconsciously thought to himself, then realized, "Wait! That's not right."

How could he keep thinking about robbing people? Although he might not feel any guilt robbing those ruthless scoundrels like the Black Snake Gang, the saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get wet." Robbing the Black Snake Gang repeatedly would inevitably arouse their suspicion.

There are countless eyes watching us in the shadows right now. If we continue to act, the chances of being exposed are extremely high.

"Well, I'll just take it one step at a time and wait for my chance. It's just that I have too few martial arts skills; I need some other skills to improve my overall strength. At least one leg technique, one weapon, and one hidden weapon..."

Zhou Fugan then began to consider the matter of martial arts.

He currently only knows three martial arts, all of which are hand-to-hand combat skills. He believes it would be better to learn a weapon. Otherwise, if the enemy is skilled in weapons, he will have a harder time fighting.

...

Hammer Cloud Martial Arts School, backyard training ground.

"Junior Brother Zhao, there's something wrong with your move. Pull your arm back a little more, and raise your fist a little higher..."

Liu Cheng was sparring with Zhao Xiong, pointing out his shortcomings in the process.

At this moment, Zhou Sheng walked in from outside and stood at a distance, waiting.

After giving Zhao Xiong his instructions, Liu Cheng asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Senior brother, I want to buy some Hammer Skin Soup," Zhou Sheng said, taking out one tael of silver.

"Okay, come with me." Liu Cheng then led Zhou Sheng toward a house.

Zhao Xiong watched the two leave, his face darkening. He had overheard their conversation.

"Damn Zhou Sheng, he has money but won't lend it to me. Humph! Wait until I pass my training, then let's see if you can stay in the martial arts school any longer!"

"Just wait, it'll be soon!"

He cursed inwardly, then calmed himself down and continued his cultivation.

...

On this day, the apprentices were diligently practicing when a burst of laughter suddenly came from the backyard.

"It's the owner! Is there some good news?"

"Could it be that Master's wife has given birth?"

"Get lost! Your wife is over sixty, what's the point of having another child!"

The apprentices had never seen their master, Chen Liangqing, so they all stopped their cultivation and gathered together to speculate in hushed tones.

Zhou Sheng didn't join in the fun; he continued his diligent cultivation. Nothing was more important than improving his own cultivation.

Not long after, Liu Cheng came out of the backyard with a clear smile on his face.

"Senior Brother Liu, what's the good news?" an apprentice asked curiously.

"Hehe, Junior Brother Zhao has successfully passed the trial!" Liu Cheng said with a happy face.

The scene fell silent. The apprentices looked surprised, thinking they had misheard.

"Who succeeded in passing the test?" an apprentice asked, trembling.

"Junior Brother Zhao, he succeeded on his first attempt," Liu Cheng said again.

Boom~~

The apprentices immediately erupted in chaos.

"Senior Brother Zhao is amazing!"

"It's only been less than a month, and you've already succeeded in breaking through. Truly worthy of superior talent!"

Some people recalled that they had worked hard for several months but did not even qualify to break through the skin barrier, and they were immediately disheartened.

"Comparing yourself to others is truly infuriating."

"Yes, I've been cultivating for five months and haven't even touched the edge of the skin barrier. Senior Brother Zhao, on the other hand, successfully broke through it in less than a month. Forget it, I won't come tomorrow. Master Zhang's family in our neighborhood is hiring guards, and I've decided to sign up," an apprentice said with a look of disappointment.

"Junior Brother Zhou, do you think innate talent is that important? Do those of us with inferior innate talent really have no chance?"

Wang Teng smiled bitterly. He had low-grade aptitude, but thanks to his family's wealth, he finally met the requirements for breaking through the barrier. However, he failed to break through the skin membrane barrier last month. Although there were second and third chances, the success rate would be even lower with each subsequent attempt.

Zhou Sheng stopped cultivating, looked at Wang Teng, and said seriously, "Innate talent is important, but we are not without a chance. Senior brother, don't be discouraged by one failure. As long as we lay a solid foundation, even those of us with inferior innate talent can successfully break through to the next level."

"Then I'll take your kind words, Junior Brother!" Wang Teng perked up a bit upon hearing this.

Zhou Sheng looked expressionlessly toward the backyard.

In truth, when he faced Zhao Xiong before, he was also disheartened. The gap between them was simply too vast!

But now, he feels no inferiority towards Zhao Xiong.

"You have superior talent, but I have a grandfather! My grandfather is a reclusive master!"

Grandpa not only taught him martial arts, but also taught him a magical Tai Chi style.

Through his recent practice, he has finally begun to grasp some of the profound mysteries of Tai Chi. Not only has it made it easier for him to control his own power and accelerate his progress in practicing fighting techniques, but it also seems to be improving his physical condition, allowing him to practice more frequently each day than before.

Although the increase may seem small, the cumulative effect on cultivation over time is substantial.

"Breaking through the skin barrier? I'll be close too!"

Zhou Sheng then continued to practice diligently.

......

Next, the master of the academy, Chen Liangqing, announced in a high-profile manner that he would invite relatives and friends to hold an apprenticeship ceremony and formally accept Zhao Xiong as his last disciple.

The closed-door disciple is essentially the most valued disciple of the martial arts school, and the future successor. They aren't just randomly accepted; prominent figures in the surrounding area must be invited to announce Zhao Xiong's identity widely.

Hammer Cloud Martial Arts School became busy. Regular disciples, who were rarely seen before, returned one after another, sending out invitations to people of high moral standing to attend the ceremony.

As for the apprentices, aside from cleaning the martial arts school and running errands, they had nothing else to do. They were naturally excluded from the apprenticeship banquet at Zuixianlou. Fortunately, the owner was kind and generous, allowing the canteen to prepare a large feast of fish and meat for free, letting the apprentices eat to their hearts' content.

Zhou Sheng was not allowed to attend the banquet, nor was he interested; he simply stayed at the martial arts school to train in seclusion.