Chapter 1

Nanxing City.

Blood Snake Gang, Broken Mountain Hall base.

In a relatively spacious courtyard with blue brick and tile-roofed houses.

Several large stone locks, each weighing a hundred or two hundred pounds, were placed around the courtyard.

On the east side, against the wall, were two or three iron bars of different weights, and on the wooden rack beside them were several cold weapons such as green steel swords, knives, and long spears.

On the west side, against the wall, stood six or seven wooden training posts of different thicknesses.

In the middle of the courtyard, there were some simple and homemade single and parallel bars and other fitness equipment.

Several layers of thin cotton cloth were tied to those wooden posts, but at this moment, the black and gray cotton cloth was already tattered, revealing deep, dark cracks underneath.

At this moment, a robust and heroic man was hanging from a single bar with one hand, effortlessly performing over a dozen pull-ups.

Sweat beads slowly seeped out from his muscular body, covering his entire body and shimmering with a faint light.

After a brief warm-up, he somersaulted to the ground and walked briskly to a wooden training post. He bent his legs slightly and then delivered a powerful punch to the post.

Bang, bang, bang...

A series of explosive sounds echoed from the training post.

His punches and kicks landed heavily on the post, producing short, sharp explosions.

If this kind of explosive force were to hit an ordinary person's flesh and blood, a single punch would cause severe pain and injury, and a heavy kick could result in serious injury, vomiting blood, and unconsciousness.

Each of his punches delivered a force of over 240 pounds, and each heavy kick could generate a terrifying force of 730 pounds, easily breaking human bones.

After a round of training, he stopped to catch his breath, walked to the side, and took a clean piece of cotton cloth from the single bar to wipe the sweat off his body.

His muscles were slightly swollen and hard, containing formidable strength.

He then picked up a bowl of warm and nourishing medicinal soup from a stone table and drank it in one gulp.

This robust and heroic man was named Wang Yao, a major snake head in the Blood Snake Gang's Broken Mountain Hall.

A major snake head is a head of a gang, overseeing a hundred or two hundred gang members, and in the Blood Snake Gang's Broken Mountain Hall, he was a gang leader with some standing.

"Time flies, a few years have passed..."

Wang Yao felt a bit nostalgic.

His soul had crossed over and become a common gang member at the bottom of the Blood Mountain Hall.

After a few years, he had risen to the position of a major snake head, gaining some status and ability to stand on his own.

In the Blood Snake Gang, to rise to the top, one not only needed a fierce and strong fist but also the courage to kill and fight, and even more so, the ruthless and brutal means.

Otherwise, one would be devoured to the point of nothing left and forever be trampled underfoot.

Without a formidable strength, one would not even have the power to protect oneself.

In the gang, bloody and deadly fights were inevitable.

He had seen over a dozen gang members die in front of him, and many more were severely injured or disabled, making his heart as hard as iron.

"My physical strength is now difficult to improve. My punch strength has reached over 240 pounds, and my kick strength has reached over 730 pounds. My body is already feeling overloaded..."

Wang Yao shook his head, feeling that his physical strength still had room for improvement.

However, to further enhance his physical condition and strength, the most important thing was that the ordinary nourishing medicinal soup provided by the gang was no longer effective.

To maintain his current peak physical condition, he had to engage in ultra-high-intensity training every day.

Therefore, he needed a large amount of meat to replenish his body's consumption and also had to take the nourishing medicinal soup provided by the gang.

Otherwise, within half a year of martial arts training, his body would become exhausted and he would be ruined.

The Blood Snake Gang provided a higher-grade nourishing medicinal soup called the Ten-Ingredient Body-Strengthening Powder, which cost at least one or two times more than the ordinary nourishing medicinal soup and needed to be taken daily.

One portion of the Ten-Ingredient Body-Strengthening Powder was worth three silver coins, or 1.5 taels of silver.

One tael of silver was enough to cover the monthly living expenses of an ordinary family of five.

This shows how costly martial arts training can be.

Wang Yao's formidable martial arts skills were a significant factor in his rise to the position of a major snake head in the gang.

"In this chaotic world, with bandits rampant everywhere, martial arts training must not be abandoned. Only this is the greatest capital for survival."

Wang Yao understood this clearly.

Therefore, for him, the most important thing to further advance in cultivation was to find more sources of income to support his enormous financial needs for training.

"The Blood Snake Gang teaches many martial arts, although they are all ordinary and common, it is not easy to achieve a profound level..."

Wang Yao's mind moved, and an intangible and formless interface appeared before his eyes, visible only to him.

It displayed:

——

Wang Yao

Source Qi: 0

Stone-Crushing Fist: Beginner

Iron Shirt Technique: Beginner

Charging Horse Step: Beginner

Mountain-Cleaving Saber Technique: Not yet mastered

——

This intangible interface was a peculiar thing that appeared when Wang Yao's soul crossed over.

It was very similar to a game cheat he had purchased for a large sum of money in the past, which could quickly enhance one's cultivation level in the game.

However, there were some differences.

The martial arts techniques listed on the interface, he could understand, were the various fist, foot, sword, and saber techniques he had practiced in the Blood Snake Gang's Broken Mountain Hall.

The only thing that puzzled him was the so-called Source Qi on the interface.

On the interface,

Reaching the beginner level in the Stone-Crushing Fist was the result of his diligent practice over the past few years.

He relied on this Stone-Crushing Fist to forcefully seize the position of a major snake head in the Broken Mountain Hall after a fierce and brutal struggle.

The Iron Shirt Technique is a hard external technique, the simplest to practice, and anyone can easily learn it, but the training process is very painful, and most people cannot endure it.

The initial training of the Iron Shirt Technique involves withstanding bamboo board strikes, followed by vine whip strikes, and then cudgel strikes.

Once the body can withstand cudgel strikes, it has reached the beginner level.

The only trouble is that after each training session, the gang provides a simple bruise medicine for external use.

Even though this bruise medicine is cheap, using it frequently still incurs a significant cost.

Generally, who would be willing to spend money to suffer, unless they were a fool or a madman.

He endured a lot of pain in practicing the Iron Shirt Technique, but he valued the fact that it could make one immune to ordinary blades and weapons when practiced to a high level.

The Iron Shirt Technique did not disappoint him, saving his life several times in chaotic and bloody battles.

Once, he was struck by a powerful Mountain-Cleaving Palm from an expert, and although he was severely injured, he was not killed outright.

Breaking through the beginner level in the Charging Horse Step was related to a life-or-death battle he had.

The Charging Horse Step is a powerful forward-moving step, and he had previously struggled to grasp its essence.

However, during a life-or-death battle, he gained insight into the fierce and direct nature of the Charging Horse Step and mastered its beginner level.

Reaching the beginner level in the Charging Horse Step allowed him to instantly burst forth with leg strength, leaping over ten feet in a single step, like a galloping horse.

Before this, he could leap about two meters with a single leg in the Charging Horse Step, which was already his limit.

And in a battle, this distance might be even shorter.

Don't underestimate this extra meter of distance; it can give one a significant advantage in a fight.

Combined with his Stone-Crushing Fist at the beginner level, a powerful punch could shatter even ordinary cotton armor, making it difficult for an opponent to withstand his violent strike.

In this world of martial arts, even at the beginner level, the Stone-Crushing Fist and Charging Horse Step are not something ordinary strong men can match.

However, the downside of these powerful techniques is that they are very draining on the practitioner's stamina.

Using these techniques, one can fight for about half an hour before their stamina is completely depleted.

Without strength, anyone is as helpless as an infant, vulnerable to being slaughtered.

"Taking the Ten-Ingredient Body-Strengthening Powder daily, along with a large amount of meat and other expenses, and external medicines, I estimate I need about 2 taels of silver per day, 60 taels per month..."

Wang Yao thought to himself, shaking his head.

His monthly earnings in the Blood Snake Gang were only 3 to 5 taels of silver, and even with the additional 10 taels from the territory he managed, it was still far from enough.

Getting 60 taels of silver every month was not easy.

At this moment,

The sound of footsteps approached.

A robust, black-faced man in a black short jacket quickly entered the courtyard through the gate.

This man, named Huang Zhenxiong, was a low-ranking gang member in the Broken Mountain Hall and now worked under Wang Yao, the major snake head.

"Major Snake Head!" Huang Zhenxiong approached, clasped his hands, and bowed.

"What is it?" Wang Yao nodded.

"A merchant named Shi Yongxuan has come to see you and express his sincere gratitude," Huang Zhenxiong reported.

"Alright, let him in," Wang Yao agreed.

Shi Yongxuan was a well-known merchant in Nanxing City, the head of the Haitong Trading Company, and a wealthy man.

Wang Yao and Shi Yongxuan had met a few days ago by chance.

At that time, Shi Yongxuan and his twin children were returning to Nanxing City from Linhe City when they were ambushed by a group of bandits.

In this critical moment,

Wang Yao, leading a group of Blood Snake Gang members, was also returning from Linhe City with a shipment of goods.

Seeing the situation, Wang Yao and his gang members came to the rescue at the request of the Shi family.

The bandits, realizing they could not succeed, quickly retreated.

Afterward, Shi Yongxuan gave each Blood Snake Gang member 20 silver coins as a reward.

Wang Yao received 50 silver coins.

He did not expect that Shi Yongxuan would come to express his gratitude again.

While waiting, Wang Yao washed off the sweat with cool well water and changed into a clean, black short jacket.

Soon,

Shi Yongxuan followed Huang Zhenxiong into the courtyard, wearing a blue silk robe, looking around curiously.

Huang Zhenxiong left after leading him in.

"Wang Yao, it's good to see you again," Shi Yongxuan said, clasping his hands and bowing.

"Mr. Shi! Honored guest! Please sit down!" Wang Yao smiled.

"I heard you enjoy martial arts training. Today, I see that your reputation is well-deserved," Shi Yongxuan said with admiration.

"Hehe, it's just a hobby. Nothing special," Wang Yao laughed.

"Thank you for your timely help in that critical moment. I am deeply grateful," Shi Yongxuan said sincerely.

"Mr. Shi, you're too kind. I just happened to be there. We are all from Nanxing City, so it was just a small favor," Wang Yao replied politely.

"At that time, my twin children were with me. If those bandits had succeeded, the consequences would have been unimaginable," Shi Yongxuan said with a sigh.

"After a great disaster, there will be a great fortune. This means your children will surely be wealthy and successful in the future," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"I have always been in poor health, and now I only have these two children. If anything had happened to them..."

"Things have passed. Don't worry too much. Just be more careful in the future. When leaving Nanxing City, you should have more guards," Wang Yao consoled him.

"That's true. This time, I came to personally express my sincere gratitude.

I heard you enjoy martial arts training. This is a small token of my appreciation.

Please don't refuse it," Shi Yongxuan said, taking out a delicate red wooden box from his robe and placing it on the long stone table.

The red wooden box was intricately carved with beautiful patterns.

"Mr. Shi, you're too kind..." Wang Yao took the red wooden box and opened it.

Inside, a ginseng root lay, emitting a strong medicinal aroma.

The ginseng looked fresh, as if it had just been dug up, and it was quite large, a natural wild ginseng.

Wang Yao's eyes lit up.

Wild ginseng is a valuable item, and this one looked quite old.

The older the wild ginseng, the more valuable it is.

Ginseng is also a great tonic, especially for martial artists to replenish their qi and blood.

A wild ginseng over ten years old is already very valuable, ranging from several dozen to hundreds of taels of silver depending on its quality, weight, and type.

The Blood Snake Gang regularly purchases various herbs, and ginseng is one of the most valuable.

"Wild ginseng?" Wang Yao's face showed surprise.

After so long in martial arts training, this was the first time he had seen such a valuable herb.

"This is a hundred-year-old wild ginseng. It is said to be very beneficial for martial artists," Shi Yongxuan explained.

"A hundred-year-old wild ginseng? This is a precious tonic worth a thousand taels of silver!" Wang Yao's eyes widened in surprise.

He did not expect Shi Yongxuan to give such a valuable gift as a token of gratitude.

A hundred-year-old wild ginseng is extremely valuable and is the most needed tonic for martial artists.

This was the first time he had seen a hundred-year-old wild ginseng, and he could not help but pick it up and examine it closely.

At this moment,

Wang Yao felt a strange aura emanating from the wild ginseng and entering his body.

He noticed that the intangible interface before his eyes glowed faintly.

After about three or four minutes,

The intangible interface flashed, and a change appeared.

Source Qi: 0.1

Wang Yao was shocked and overjoyed.

"Is this Source Qi? It's contained in the hundred-year-old wild ginseng?"

His eyes lit up with surprise.

The interface changed.

The three techniques—Stone-Crushing Fist, Charging Horse Step, and Iron Shirt Technique—now had a glowing text indicating they could be improved.

The Mountain-Cleaving Saber Technique remained gray.

Wang Yao took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Mr. Shi, do you have more of this hundred-year-old wild ginseng?" Wang Yao asked.

"I have a few more at home, collected over the years by the trading company. Since you need it, I will give you two more," Shi Yongxuan said, a bit surprised but then smiled.

"This... such a valuable item..."

Wang Yao was taken aback, not expecting Shi Yongxuan to be so generous.

"Wang brother, this is inappropriate. No matter how valuable the hundred-year-old wild ginseng is, it cannot compare to the safety of my children," Shi Yongxuan said with a smile.

"That's true..."

Wang Yao nodded.

"If I could use several thousand taels of silver to save my children, I would be more than willing. Since the hundred-year-old wild ginseng is very beneficial for your cultivation, that's even better," Shi Yongxuan said.

"Since you put it that way, I won't be too polite. However, I will consider the other two roots as a loan," Wang Yao smiled.

"You... I said it's a gift! Don't talk about loans..."

Shi Yongxuan waved his hand, unwilling to mention the word "loan."

"Mr. Shi, I will accept the first root without hesitation. As for the other two, let's consider them a loan. If I need your help in the future, I won't be able to ask if I don't owe you anything," Wang Yao insisted.

"Alright... as you wish," Shi Yongxuan thought for a moment and agreed.

After this, their relationship became even closer.

They chatted happily for a while.

Soon,

Shi Yongxuan got up to leave, as he had other matters to attend to.

At this moment,

Wang Yao went to the courtyard.

He focused his mind and chose to improve the Stone-Crushing Fist.

The intangible interface flashed.

The 0.1 value of Source Qi disappeared.

The Stone-Crushing Fist reached the Small Success level.

A mysterious aura slowly drifted from the intangible interface into his body, entering his hands.

He felt a subtle and profound change in his hands, with his muscles, bones, and flesh strengthening.

Gradually, his hands became more solid and powerful, and his skin became thicker and heavier.

It was as if his hands had been tempered through countless trials, emitting a faint bronze color.

"This is the Small Success level of the Stone-Crushing Fist. Practicing this hard external technique for a long time will passively enhance one's hands..."

Wang Yao's face showed surprise.

Boom!

Suddenly, he unleashed the Small Success level of the Stone-Crushing Fist, delivering a powerful punch to a nearby training post.

A loud and intense sound echoed.

Deep cracks appeared on the training post, radiating outward.

"This is the formidable power of the Small Success level Stone-Crushing Fist! If it were at the Proficient level, it would be even stronger. At the Great Success level, it could shatter a hard stone with a single punch."

Wang Yao was somewhat shaken.

The terrifying power of the Stone-Crushing Fist, if it hit an ordinary person, could shatter the bones of an adult.

He even felt that he could kill a strong bull with a single punch.