I relied on leveling up to achieve a comeback.

Once everyone had arrived, the master of the martial arts school, Chen Changhe, immediately said, "Next, I will demonstrate the method of breaking through the Fierce Tiger Fist. Those of you who are not familiar with it should take a good look and fill in any gaps in your knowledge."

"Yes!" the others quickly echoed.

"What I practice is the Fierce Tiger Fist. When it is mastered, it can break through the four realms!" Chen Changhe came to the open space in the courtyard, stood with his feet as solid as a rock, and then assumed the stance of the fist technique. In a flash, he moved like a fierce tiger released from its cage.

He threw a punch with his right hand. The movement was not fast, even somewhat slow, but when the fist reached its maximum distance, it exploded with a roar like a howling thunder.

Chen Changhe kept throwing punches, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes up, sometimes down!

During this time, he also continuously taught the rhythm of breathing and the techniques for generating energy through exhalation and inhalation.

A moment later, after finishing a set of punches, Chen Changhe withdrew his fists, turned to Xu Hao, and asked, "Did you see it clearly?"

"No!" Xu Hao shook his head honestly.

He is a college student who learned military boxing during military training and even performed on stage.

But that was just for show, just going through the motions.

Now he watched the master of the martial arts school, Chen Changhe, demonstrate his boxing techniques. Although he got a general idea, he had no grasp of the specific techniques for generating power or the rhythm of breathing.

He came here to learn martial arts, not to save face!

Naturally, you should ask questions if you don't understand.

The owner of the museum, Chen Changhe, smiled slightly and showed no impatience. He came to the open space again and said directly, "Follow me one move at a time."

"Yes!" Xu Hao immediately understood and stood beside the master, Chen Changhe, learning each move one by one.

The other new students from the martial arts school gave Xu Hao a deep look before following suit and began practicing.

In the past, in order to save face and to make a good impression in front of the academy master, they would more or less pretend to know what they didn't, which made them learn very slowly and even had to spend money to ask the senior students in the inner academy for guidance.

Now that the museum owner, Chen Changhe, is personally demonstrating, he can naturally observe very carefully.

"Here, that's wrong. Raise it one inch higher, then lower it one inch. Now take two long breaths, here..."

"No, your body is too stiff. You need to relax and adjust your breathing."

"Power originates from the ground, flows through the waist, and propels the entire body's strength—not just the arms and fists. By unifying this power, one can strike with the ferocity of a tiger pouncing on its prey!"

Chen Changhe guided Xu Hao's posture step by step and offered correct instruction.

At first, Xu Hao struggled a lot, and his movements became distorted.

However, under Chen Changhe's patient guidance, Xu Hao's movements became increasingly fluid.

As Xu Hao unleashed his full set of Fierce Tiger Fist, a notification sound echoed in his mind.

[Your Tiger Fist beginner level 1/200! Trait: Power +3, Speed ​​+1 when activated]

[Body Tempering +1; Body Tempering Breakthrough, 1/500]

"You've mastered it!" Xu Hao's fist immediately stopped.

As expected, the martial arts skills would also be engraved on the game panel.

Moreover, the method of cultivating this Fierce Tiger Fist is actually to temporarily add attributes.

This is almost exactly the same as how he upgraded and allocated skill points.

But his upgrade is permanent.

When the master of the martial arts school, Chen Changhe, saw that Xu Hao could skillfully perform a set of Fierce Tiger Fist, he praised him, "Hmm, not bad, you're starting to get the hang of it. Get to know Fierce Tiger Fist well and strive to improve as soon as possible."

Also, Yinyin, could you show him around the martial arts gym and get him his training clothes?

"Alright!" Chen Yinyin walked over and said to Xu Hao, "Junior Brother Xu, come with me!"

"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Xu Hao quickly followed.

The Chen Family Martial Arts School is divided into a front courtyard, a middle courtyard, and a back courtyard.

The front courtyard is where ordinary disciples cultivate and build their foundation, while the middle courtyard is where martial artists who have broken through to the next level stay. As for the back courtyard, that is where the Chen family's headmaster lives.

Even though it's just the front yard, it's small but perfectly formed.

It has everything you need: a bathhouse, a kitchen, and a large communal sleeping area.

At the same time, Xu Hao also learned that the senior sister in front of him who had broken through the first level of body tempering was Chen Changhe's daughter, Chen Yinyin.

"If you have any questions in the future, you can come and ask me!" Chen Yinyin said.

"Okay, Senior Sister!" Xu Hao took it as a polite remark, then asked, "Can I go home first today and start cultivating tomorrow?"

"Okay!" Chen Yinyin nodded.

"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Xu Hao clasped his hands in a salute, then changed into the unique uniform of the Chen Family Martial Arts School and walked out of the school.

The original owner's home was in the eastern suburbs of Qinghe County.

They belong to the impoverished population.

Xu Hao, wearing his martial arts school uniform, walked down the street, immediately attracting a lot of attention.

"What's going on with the Chen family kid? Is that a martial arts school uniform?"

"He joined a martial arts school?"

"I heard that it costs ten taels of silver to enter a martial arts school. His father was conscripted into the army, where did he get the money?"

"Could it be that they withheld the Dragon King offerings from the Catfish Gang? These days, the Catfish Gang is at war with the Fire Dragon Gang and is short of money. If they can't pay up, the Catfish Gang won't be so lenient!"

"No matter how the money came about, for a poor family's child to learn martial arts, isn't it just a waste of time and effort?"

"Exactly! Zhang the Butcher's son went to learn martial arts, but not only did he fail, he also emptied his family's savings and developed numerous illnesses. Now he can barely walk. If you're not destined for that kind of life, don't have that kind of illness!"

Xu Hao heard the surrounding chatter but did not respond.

The thoughts of people at the bottom of society are neither right nor wrong; they are simply a matter of different perspectives.

Soon, Xu Hao arrived at a dilapidated house.

Xu Hao pushed open the creaking door.

In the small courtyard, Xu Liushi was coughing as she mended a robe.

Even though it was freezing cold, she didn't wear more clothes.

As the saying goes, those adorned in silk robes are not the ones who raise silkworms.

Hearing the sound, Xu Liushi jumped up, about to stand up in a flattering manner, when she suddenly realized it was Xu Hao. She immediately said with concern, "You're back! It's cold outside, I made you some porridge!"

"Okay!" Xu Hao nodded, took out the meat in his hand, and said, "Mom, I bought some meat. You can cook it all together!"

"Did you catch any fish today?" Xu Liu asked in surprise.

"You hit it a little!" Xu Hao nodded with a smile.

"But we can't just use it recklessly. We have to pay the Dragon King's incense in a few days. The Catfish Gang is pressuring us hard, so this time the price has increased by 50%!" Xu Liu sighed.

She knew that Xu Hao was at the age where he was growing, but there was no news of the head of the household, and now there were countless exorbitant taxes and levies.

In particular, if the Catfish Gang cannot produce the Dragon King's incense offerings they will be collecting a few days later, there will be huge trouble.

At best, they'd get a beating; at worst, they'd be sold into a brokerage firm or even a mine.

"It's gone up so much, but it doesn't matter. I have money. Besides, I've joined the Chen Family Martial Arts School. Once I enter the country and become a martial artist, our lives will improve!" Xu Hao pointed to his clothes.

It was only then that Xu Liu noticed that Xu Hao's attire was not ordinary.

"This is the Chen Family Martial Arts School?" Xu Liushi realized what was happening and quickly asked, "Where did you get so much money?"

Household expenses, exploitation by the Catfish Gang, and various taxes have already caused immense suffering for those of them who have no legitimate source of income.

"I'm in luck today, I caught a treasure fish!" Xu Hao said calmly.

"This..." Xu Liu said worriedly, "I've heard that learning martial arts requires a lot of money, and our family... how about I go out and borrow some more tomorrow..."

"No need, I have ways to earn money. Mother, you go cook, the weather's getting cooler quickly..."

"Alright!" Xu Liu suppressed her many questions, took the pork, and went into the kitchen.

The mother and son quietly ate a meat-filled dinner.

The next morning, Xu Hao left his mother two taels of silver to deal with the Catfish Gang, and then headed to the Chen Family Martial Arts School.