Chapter 5

"Lost is lost, looking for excuses? So this is the quality of the Ling family's main clan members!"

In the face of Ling Chong's sophistry and the discussions of the crowd, Ling Xiao merely threw out a sentence and turned to leave.

Ling Chong was so angry that he gritted his teeth.

He shouted at Ling Xiao, "You little beggar, just wait and see! Once I recover from my injuries, I won't hold back on you anymore!"

After saying that, he clutched his chest, his face twisted in pain, and was supported away by two outer sect disciples.

In Ling Chong's view, his loss to Ling Xiao today was simply due to underestimating him.

In the past, that kid never fought back, but today he actually took the initiative to counterattack.

No, he must train harder. Next time, he will definitely make Ling Xiao pay!

...

Ling Xiao returned home and told his grandfather about defeating Ling Chong, then went back to his room to continue practicing.

He was very clear that his victory over Ling Chong today was indeed somewhat lucky.

First, the opponent underestimated him, and second, he relied on the effects of the Mountain and River Martial Spirit.

But that was not true strength.

Ling Chong practiced high-level martial arts, which were second only to the top martial arts in the secular world. If he truly mastered them, even if the Mountain and River Martial Spirit could analyze the weaknesses, Ling Xiao might not be able to seize them.

So Ling Xiao had long decided that to forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Although it was good to have the Mountain and River Martial Spirit's help, the key was to improve his own strength.

If he could reach the second level of the martial vein, break through the second martial vein, perhaps he could defeat Ling Chong again with the help of the Mountain and River Martial Spirit, even if Ling Chong didn't underestimate him.

But it definitely wouldn't work now, after all, each martial vein's activation brings a significant increase in strength.

The first level of the martial vein and the second level of the martial vein have a very large gap.

The human body has nine martial veins, so it is also called the nine levels of the martial vein.

Each three levels form a stage.

The first stage, the first three levels, is also known as the awakening stage.

As the name suggests, it is the stage where the martial artist's strength is awakened, the body is strengthened, and the foundation for martial arts practice is laid.

In general, in the awakening stage, each martial vein's activation increases the body's strength by one to two hundred pounds.

At the same time, the internal true qi increases by 100 standard points.

Standard points are the units of a martial artist's true qi. Generally, martial artists don't say it in such a complicated way but directly say how many points of true qi.

In battles between martial artists, the decisive factors are often strength and the amount of true qi.

In other words, a martial artist at the first level of the martial vein, compared to a martial artist at the second level of the martial vein, not only lacks one to two hundred pounds of strength but also lacks one hundred points of true qi, which puts them at a significant disadvantage in battle.

This is why when Ling Xiao, with the strength of the first level of the martial vein, defeated Ling Chong, who was at the second level of the martial vein, in one move, those people were so surprised.

To the point that they were even willing to believe some absurdly ridiculous reasons.

One to two hundred pounds of strength and one hundred points of true qi are extremely important for a martial artist.

So Ling Xiao felt that the best way to improve, given that he could not obtain higher-level martial arts manuals for the time being, was to break through as soon as possible.

Once he reached the second level of the martial vein, he would have the qualifications to enter the Ling family's library and select higher-level martial arts manuals.

The second level of the martial vein is a turning point.

Thinking about this, Ling Xiao no longer hesitated.

He began to repeatedly practice the Bull Strength in his room.

Of course, each practice was done according to the movements of the figure in the Mountain and River Map.

The Bull Strength has only nine forms.

Currently, Ling Xiao can only perfectly replicate the first three forms in the Mountain and River Map.

This is far from enough.

One time!

Two times!

Three times!

Continuously repeat! Continuously practice!

Ling Xiao not only found that all his movements became smooth and fluid, but each move seemed to contain more powerful strength than before.

Of course, what made him happiest was that after more than ten repetitions, the fourth, fifth, and sixth forms, in addition to the first three, finally reached perfection.

However, the surprises didn't stop there.

During each practice, he discovered that a stream of energy from the Mountain and River Martial Spirit slowly flowed into his dantian martial vein.

This Mountain and River Martial Spirit seemed to be able to convert natural energy into true qi, allowing the martial artist to possess it.

Although this was just Ling Xiao's guess, if it were true, then no matter what cultivation method he practiced in the future, his cultivation effect would be much better than others.

After all, while he was practicing, the Mountain and River Martial Spirit was also helping him, which would speed up his improvement.

Additionally, he noticed a change in the Mountain and River Martial Spirit: the part of the Mountain and River Map that was originally only partially revealed in the mist gradually showed more.

Although it was only a little more, it represented a possibility.

The effects of the Mountain and River Martial Spirit might not have been fully discovered yet. When the mist on the map completely disappears and the Mountain and River Map is fully revealed, it might be the true awakening of the Mountain and River Martial Spirit.

More effort, continue to work hard!

Although his understanding of the Mountain and River Martial Spirit was still limited, Ling Xiao knew that at least it was harmless to him.

Once again, he began to repeatedly practice the Bull Strength, this time focusing on the last three forms that were not yet perfected.

From morning to night, except for meal times, he hardly rested.

In the end, the seventh and eighth forms were also perfected. He estimated that if he could perfectly practice the ninth form, he should be able to break through the second level of the martial vein.

However, he was not a machine but a thirteen-year-old child. Eventually, he fell asleep on the ground while practicing.

The next morning, the first thing Ling Xiao did after getting up was to practice again.

There was no choice; the strong sense of crisis and pressure forced him to strive.

Sadly, he didn't even have the qualifications to go to the training ground.

After all, the reason the training ground was so coveted was not just for the sake of face.

It was because the training ground was built by the Ling family's ancestors using special materials, and the stones on the ground were also special.

Practicing there not only consumed less physical strength but also yielded more benefits.

"One day, I will not only practice openly on the training ground but also get my grandfather to live in a better house."

This dilapidated house, once it rained, leaked terribly, almost like the dilapidated temple he used to live in when he was a beggar.

This morning, Ling Xiao focused his practice on the ninth form, repeatedly practicing it.

Finally, after more than a hundred repetitions, he felt a never-before-experienced sense of comfort and excitement.

The Bull Strength's nine forms were all perfectly practiced, exactly like the movements of the figure in the Mountain and River Map.

"The room is too narrow, let's try it outside!"

After perfecting the Bull Strength, Ling Xiao really wanted to test the power of this basic martial art.

So he went out, but didn't go to the training ground. Instead, he left the Ling family's gate and went to a small forest outside.

"Roar!"

With a loud shout, Ling Xiao transformed into a roaring bull, directly charging at a boulder in front of him.

The boulder weighed about two to three hundred pounds. Previously, Ling Xiao could only leave some marks on it, and breaking it was almost impossible.

However, this time, as the raging bull collided with the boulder, the stone shattered with a loud boom.

"Second level of the martial vein! Finally, I've broken through!"