Chapter 4: Elephant Armor Technique

Han Li stood in front of the stone room where he practiced, recalling the test he had taken before Master Wen. "I never thought I would end up practicing here," he thought, and the more he thought about it, the more he smiled. This stone room was carved out of a cliff made of granite. The door leading outside was made of a massive piece of limestone, making it impossible for ordinary people to enter even if they wanted to.

Such a quiet practice room (練功室) was something that only the highest-ranking members of the Seven Strings Sect, such as the sect leader, elders, and hall masters, could easily possess. Even core disciples of the Sevenfold Hall (七絶堂) could not easily have one. These stone rooms were specifically built for those with high internal strength to practice, to prevent them from going into a state of madness due to external stimuli.

Han Li did not know what method Master Wen used, but he managed to get the elders' approval, allowing Han Li alone to use this place. Han Li had no idea how this happened. Master Wen not only gave him several types of pills he took every day after he became a formal disciple but also had him wash his entire body in a decoction made from unknown herbs.

Although Han Li did not know the names or functions of the pills and herbs, he could immediately tell from Master Wen's expression that they were truly precious.

Thanks to Master Wen's efforts or the effectiveness of the medicine, Han Li's cultivation speed improved rapidly. Not long ago, he successfully mastered the first level of the Nameless Technique.

However, the more he advanced, the more severe the pain in his body became. Although it did not endanger his life, several of his meridians almost burst, and he suffered internal injuries.

Each time, Master Wen treated him with even more tension than Han Li himself, and only relaxed when Han Li's body was fully recovered.

Seeing Master Wen's efforts, Han Li wondered if this was the bond between a master and a disciple, but he also felt a bit uncomfortable.

Stretching, Han Li left the stone room and slowly headed to where he stayed. After the test, Han Li and Zhang Shixie were given separate rooms.

As he passed Zhang Shixie's room, he glanced in but found him absent. He must have gone to practice by the waterfall at the foot of Chishui Peak.

After becoming a formal disciple, Master Wen generously taught Han Li about medicine and allowed him to read the books in his study. However, in terms of martial arts practice, he only instructed Han Li to practice the Nameless Technique.

As for Zhang Shixie, Master Wen began to teach him a different type of martial art as he had previously mentioned.

The martial art Zhang Shixie was practicing, the Elephant Armor Technique (象甲功), was very unique.

The Elephant Armor Technique was a martial art from a little-known sect, and very few people in the martial world knew about it.

Not only had many people never heard of it, but it was also rare to find someone practicing it, and it was quite different from ordinary martial arts practice.

Usually, the practice process starts easy and gradually becomes more difficult, with one's power doubling as they reach higher levels.

However, the Elephant Armor Technique was divided into nine levels. The first three levels were not much different from other martial arts, but at the fourth level, it suddenly became much harder, and most people suffered unimaginable pain and distress.

Many who practiced martial arts could not endure the pain at this stage and either stopped practicing or stagnated.

Moreover, at the fifth and sixth levels, the pain of practice was several times worse.

However, once one reached the seventh level, the subsequent practice became smooth and unobstructed, and one only needed to endure a few days of pain each month.

This process discouraged many from practicing and was the main reason why this martial art nearly disappeared.

Despite its peculiar nature, the power of this martial art at higher levels was immense. Those who reached the ninth level were said to be like wearing a solid armor, impervious to blades, fire, and any form of injury. They could also tear apart fierce animals like tigers and leopards with their bare hands.

Those who knew about this martial art admired it but also feared it, as no one except its creator had ever reached the ninth level.

It was said that the creator was born with a body that could not feel pain, which allowed him to create this bizarre martial art.

Master Wen explained the martial art to Zhang Shixie as it was. Zhang Shixie, however, thought that the painful practice process was nothing compared to his own desperation and treated it as a minor matter.

He was only fascinated by the greatness of the Elephant Armor Technique and answered without hesitation that he would practice it.

Moreover, this martial art seemed to suit him well. In just two months, he reached the peak of the first level of the Elephant Armor Technique.

Recently, Zhang Shixie had been practicing to break through the first level, following Master Wen's suggestion by blocking the waterfall at Chishui Peak with his body every morning.

He believed that this method had a miraculous effect and that with a little more effort, he could break through this barrier.

* * *

Han Li slowly walked out of the Shen Shou Valley where the stone room was located.

Following a small path in the mountains, he habitually headed to Chishui Peak where Zhang Shixie was.

In the past few days, Han Li had been visiting Zhang Shixie at the same time every day to watch him practice.

The two had become close friends over the past half year, partly because they came from similar backgrounds, and they supported each other.

"Is Zhang Xing regretting it now? Just enduring such great pain at the first level, and who knows how many layers of skin he will have to shed in the future."

Han Li thought about Zhang Shixie's suffering as he walked.

"And he might even end up on the path to the netherworld. I should ask Master Wen to let him learn a different martial art. Better to save his life first."

Han Li resolved to help his friend escape this hardship.

Lost in thought, he looked up to see the trees on both sides of the path turning red as autumn approached. The ground was thick with fallen leaves and withered branches.

Suddenly, the faint sound of weapons clashing came from a nearby mountain peak, a cacophony of sounds.

Hearing this, Han Li felt even more bitter. This was because the senior disciples of the Bai Dan Hall were training the newly admitted disciples in combat.

He longed to wield real swords and sabers and swing them freely, just like the other disciples. However, Master Wen strictly prohibited him from touching such things.

He also forbade Han Li from seeking out other senior disciples to learn martial arts, citing that it would interfere with his practice of the technique.

As a result, Han Li could only watch enviously and occasionally borrow swords and sabers from passing disciples to practice a few swings before returning them.

The more he practiced the technique, the more he wondered about its usefulness.

While the other disciples grew stronger every day, he felt like he was stuck in place.

Even Zhang Shixie's skin had become rough and thick, and he could withstand blows that would have injured him before, and his strength had greatly increased.

Han Li felt a mix of resentment and self-comfort.

"If I hadn't joined Master Wen's sect, I wouldn't have passed the formal disciple test, and I wouldn't have been able to send so much money home."

Han Li's mind was still filled with unspoken thoughts, and his focus was increasingly scattered.

As he took another step, his expression suddenly changed. He stumbled and fell, clutching his right foot with both hands.

The sudden pain left him at a loss. A sharp, burning pain shot from his big toe through his entire body, showing no signs of subsiding.

Regaining his composure, he used a relatively thick and long branch to support himself and carefully stood up. He then used the branch to clear the thick layer of leaves and found a large rock embedded deep in the ground.

Next to it, something was gleaming. Upon closer inspection, it was a long, cylindrical vial.

"What is this? Is it made of metal? I've never seen anything like it."

Han Li's interest was piqued, and he seemed to forget the pain in his foot for a moment. He rubbed the mouth of the vial, revealing its original color.

The outside of the vial was intricately carved with green leaves, and a small stopper tightly sealed the opening.

He tried his best to open the stopper but it wouldn't budge. Shaking it, he felt nothing inside.

Curious, he tried to open it by stepping on it, but it only added to his foot pain.

"Damn!"

His foot seemed to be swelling. He needed to return to his quarters and apply medicine to avoid affecting his practice the next day. With this in mind, he wiped the vial with a leaf, put it in his pocket, and limped back.

* * *

A few senior disciples looked surprised at his limping, but none of them spoke to him.

It seemed that no one paid much attention to this young disciple. Back in his quarters, he examined his injury, which was swollen and red, with his big toe pointing upwards.

He applied the medicine that Master Wen had prepared with great care, originally intended for Zhang Shixie's external injuries during his practice of the Elephant Armor Technique, but now used by Han Li unexpectedly.

Opening the lid, the strong scent of the medicine filled the room. Soon, a cool sensation followed, and the throbbing pain decreased. He found a clean piece of cloth to wrap the wound and put on his shoes.

"Master Wen is indeed remarkable. The pain is much better now."

He slowly walked back and forth, then noticed the vial he had picked up earlier. After cleaning it with a cloth, its original appearance was revealed.

The vial was about the size of his hand, similar to or slightly smaller than the medicine vials he had. It was a dull green, not a painted color but its natural hue.

There were intricate patterns of leaves and flowers carved on it, the flowers looking almost alive.

Feeling the surface, he noticed the patterns were raised, as if real leaves had been embedded.

It was very heavy when he lifted it, not made of pottery or metal.

Han Li was curious about what was inside the vial. He tried to twist it open with all his strength, but it wouldn't budge.

He kept trying, once, twice, three times... It was as if the vial and the stopper had been fused together. His arm started to hurt, but he didn't stop.

The more the vial refused to open, the more curious Han Li became, convinced that something precious was inside. He stared at it for a moment, then thought,

"Zhang Xing might be able to open it."

Zhang Shixie could lift water buckets weighing dozens of kilograms and run up and down mountains as if he were flying.

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