Chapter 2

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In the dead of night, the full moon hung high in the sky, its bright white light bathing the earth, making the frost resemble snow.

The small lake was calm like a mirror, reflecting the full moon, as if it contained another world, its surface covered in a layer of pale white moonlight.

Chen Zong lay by the lakeside, his hands behind his head, basking in the moonlight, staring at the bright moon, lost in thought, his mind in turmoil.

He had put in so much effort, yet the returns were so meager, leaving him feeling somewhat resentful.

But martial arts practice required not only hard training but also external support; otherwise, it would only drain one's energy, eventually leading to exhaustion. Like Chen Zhigang, who could eat the flesh and blood of fierce beasts at every meal, strengthening his body, and could take more energy pills to aid his cultivation. It was said that the young masters of the major families in Fengwu City could take an energy pill every few days.

If his father's cultivation were still intact, Chen Zong could easily eat the flesh and blood of fierce beasts every day, and taking an energy pill every few days would not be a problem. But there was no "if"; the reality was that receiving an energy pill every three months was the most anticipated moment for Chen Zong, which had been ruined today.

Sometimes, Chen Zong felt very lost.

Insufficient blood and qi were a congenital condition; unless there was a suitable treasure medicine to improve it, it would persist, severely hindering him and making his dreams and goals seem distant.

But treasure medicines were extremely rare, even his father, who once had the cultivation of the seventh layer of the Blood Qi Realm, could not obtain one.

As he thought, Chen Zong suddenly felt that the moon tonight seemed particularly bright.

"That's not right... It seems something is falling." He strained his eyes to see clearly, and saw a light brighter than the moon rapidly descending: "It looks like it's coming towards me..."

"Bad!" At the moment the light struck like a sword, Chen Zong finally reacted, trying to dodge, but the light, as if aware of his intention, increased its speed a hundredfold, piercing through space and time, entering Chen Zong's forehead.

It felt as if his head was pierced, the pain like a flood sweeping through his body, causing him to lose consciousness.

...

"Where am I?" Chen Zong looked around, seeing only darkness and emptiness, and when he looked down, he could not see his own body, yet he could feel his existence, which was very strange.

A faint silver light spread from the distance, attracting Chen Zong to fly towards it. After flying for what seemed like a long time, Chen Zong saw the source of the light, a ball of silver light floating in the center of the dark void. The closer he got, the more amazed he became.

The silver light seemed to be woven from countless silver dragons, each dragon appearing to come from the void, connecting heaven and earth, spanning time and space, containing boundless mysteries.

At the center of the silver dragons' woven light, a fragment floated, shaped like the tip of a sword, entirely silver-white, emitting an ancient and profound aura.

As he approached, Chen Zong's consciousness entered the silver dragons' woven light, and the moment it touched the sword tip, something exploded, impacting in all directions, causing Chen Zong to lose consciousness completely.

Suddenly, a light flickered at his forehead, its brilliance surpassing that of the moon.

Layers of light spread like ripples, covering every part of Chen Zong's body, as if something was being squeezed out of him.

As the moon passed its zenith and began to set, the light on Chen Zong's body returned to his forehead, the light subsiding. His fingers moved involuntarily, his eyelids fluttered open, first with confusion, then with sharpness. A foul smell entered his nostrils, like a dead rat that had been rotting for days, causing him to gag uncontrollably.

"How could this be?" Chen Zong exclaimed. His hands and body were covered in a layer of sticky mud, and his eyesight was better than ever, clearly distinguishing the black-red color in the bright moonlight, the source of the foul smell.

He quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped into the lake, scrubbing vigorously. After scrubbing a dozen times, he finally washed off the black-red mud. To his surprise, his skin had become smooth and rosy, like that of a baby, with no trace of the paleness and dryness caused by his congenital blood and qi deficiency, nor the various scars from excessive martial arts practice.

His body felt light, as if he could fly with a single leap. His heart beat strongly, his blood and qi robust, and his entire body was filled with power. This feeling was unprecedented, making Chen Zong laugh uncontrollably, causing ripples in the water.

...

After a sleepless night, Chen Zong was full of energy.

"Great, not only has the root of my congenital blood and qi deficiency been eliminated, but I no longer feel weak. My blood and qi are full, and my cultivation has even broken through to the second layer of the Blood Qi Realm." By the lakeside, excitement was evident on Chen Zong's face.

"I've heard that some high-grade treasure medicines can cleanse the meridians and wash the marrow. Could this be what happened to me?"

"Stronger strength, faster speed, quicker reactions, and even a more agile mind. It's like a complete transformation."

As he spoke, Chen Zong assumed the Tiger Stance, his heart pounding, his blood and qi surging, and a greater strength flowing through his limbs and every part of his body. The space at his forehead, the sword tip trembled, and silver dragons danced, making Chen Zong forget everything, focusing entirely on his fist technique.

Punch!

Tiger Charge!

A punch that seemed to pierce the air, the wind rising.

Tiger Turn!

Tiger Leap!

Tiger Frenzy!

The final punch, the wind roaring.

"Ha ha ha, the strength of the second layer of the Blood Qi Realm is indeed far superior to the first layer." Chen Zong stood with his fists, laughing uncontrollably.

The first major realm of martial arts is called the Blood Qi Realm, divided into nine layers.

The first to third layers of the Blood Qi Realm focus on strengthening the body and increasing blood and qi, forming the foundation, hence the name Martial Disciple.

The first layer of the Blood Qi Realm, one arm can have a strength of 50 to 100 pounds.

The second layer of the Blood Qi Realm, one arm can have a strength of 200 to 300 pounds.

The third layer of the Blood Qi Realm, one arm can have a strength of 400 to 500 pounds.

This is the standard, but some people with naturally stronger strength can exceed the standard, like Chen Zhigang, who, at the peak of the third layer of the Blood Qi Realm, had a strength of 600 pounds in one arm.

Previously, Chen Zong's strength in one arm was less than 100 pounds, but now it exceeded 200 pounds and was close to 300 pounds, a significant improvement. The breakthrough in cultivation not only increased his strength but also enhanced his speed, making his fist technique much more powerful.

"More practice!" With a low shout, Chen Zong assumed the Tiger Stance again.

In the past, due to his congenital blood and qi deficiency, he always felt weak and would become very tired after practicing three or four times. Now, after five times, he still had energy left.

Again and again, it felt incredibly refreshing, and his understanding of the Tiger Force Fist Technique improved dramatically. He grasped the subtle details he had previously overlooked. On the tenth time, his body moved like a fierce tiger leaping, and with a punch, it was as if a fierce tiger had risen to attack, the punch breaking through the air with a strong wind, like a tiger roaring in the distance.

"Tiger Roar, the Tiger Force Fist Technique has reached the Great Success stage." Chen Zong was surprised. Yesterday, he was still worrying about when he would achieve Great Success, but in just one day, he had reached it, which was too fast.

"It must be related to what happened last night." Chen Zong thought, excited. He took a deep breath to calm down and continued to practice, hoping to further improve.

After another ten times, Chen Zong's punches could all bring strong wind roars, like a tiger roaring in front of him, the momentum astonishing.

"Great Success at the peak!" Chen Zong drew a sharp breath, still shocked despite being prepared. His blood and qi surged in his body, growing stronger, like the water of a great river, quickly eliminating his fatigue.

"The Tiger Force Fist Technique has reached Great Success, and the parts of the body it exercises have reached 50%, surpassing the Small Success stage, making the training effects more significant." Chen Zong was overjoyed but then frowned. "There are only 29 days left until the Martial Disciple Battle. Even if the Tiger Force Fist Technique reaches perfection, I cannot raise my cultivation to the third layer of the Blood Qi Realm, making it difficult to achieve a top-three ranking."

The Martial Disciple Battle is held once a year, with the top three winners able to go to the Chen Family Ancestral Hall in Fengwu City to train, learn higher-level martial arts, and enjoy more resources. Every branch family member yearns for this opportunity, seeing it as a chance to leap from a fish to a dragon. However, only family members under 15 years old can participate, and Chen Zong would be 15 in three months, making this his only chance.

Entering the Ancestral Hall to train, becoming a martial artist, and becoming strong, then finding the treasure medicine to cure and restore his father's cultivation, has been his long-held wish and the goal he has been striving for.

"If I could obtain a better foundational martial art than the Tiger Force Fist Technique, my cultivation speed would be much faster." Chen Zong muttered to himself, knowing it was a fantasy. However, the sword tip in his forehead space seemed to understand his words, trembling slightly, and a silver dragon detached and flew into Chen Zong's mind.

As if struck by lightning, Chen Zong's body trembled, and he stood still like a statue.

Half an hour later, Chen Zong's eyes flickered, and he woke up, his face full of uncontrollable joy. Perhaps because he had suffered so much in the past, the heavens were now compensating him.

In that half hour, Chen Zong obtained a foundational martial art, one far superior to the Tiger Force Fist Technique—True Sword Eight Styles.

"True Sword Eight Styles, emphasizing the unity of the sword, body, and steps. At the entry level, it can exercise 60% of the body, at the Small Success stage, 70%, at the Great Success stage, 80%, and at the Perfection stage, 100%." Chen Zong murmured, feeling dazed.

Just a moment ago, he was worrying about the slow cultivation speed of the Tiger Force Fist Technique, but now he had received a foundational martial art far superior to it, a rare weapon-based foundational martial art.

"Is it a case of getting what you wish for?" Chen Zong wondered. "Give me two energy pills."

No response. Perhaps he was asking for too much. He tried asking for one, but still no response. Chen Zong had to give up and focus on the True Sword Eight Styles.

To practice the True Sword Eight Styles, he first needed a sword.

"Family members who reach the first layer of the Blood Qi Realm can go to the weapon room to receive a free weapon. This is the perfect opportunity to use it."