Chapter 26

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

---

Chen Zong stood at the entrance of the clan hall, took a deep breath, and tightly held the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother.

The clan hall was divided into two courtyards: the Heavenly Courtyard and the Earthly Courtyard. The Heavenly Courtyard was for the main clan warriors, while the Earthly Courtyard was for the branch clan warriors. The two were clearly distinct and competitive with each other. Chen Zong, coming from the branch clan in Xiahu Town, naturally belonged to the Earthly Courtyard.

According to Chen Zong's understanding, there were over 200 warriors in the entire clan hall. The Heavenly Courtyard accounted for 60%, while the Earthly Courtyard accounted for 40%. Independent of the Heavenly and Earthly Courtyards was the Elite Zone, consisting of ten independent courtyards. This was where Chen Zong had been before, one of the former residences of Chen Chuyun.

Only the top ten warriors in the entire clan hall had the qualifications to reside in the Elite Zone and enjoy better treatment.

The Earthly Courtyard was a massive courtyard with rows of houses. Each house accommodated one person, and compared to the houses where the martial disciples lived, they were twice as large, better decorated, and had bright and clean windows, making them look very comfortable.

Outside the houses was the training ground, which was very large, with four arenas standing in the four directions.

According to the layout, excluding the outer hall where the martial disciples resided, the entire clan hall was composed of the Heavenly and Earthly Courtyards, the Elite Zone, and the Main Hall.

The Main Hall's Martial Arts Pavilion had three floors.

Chen Zong was standing on the first floor, facing a bookshelf filled with many books. His gaze quickly scanned over them, and he pulled out one of the books.

The cover of the book was grayish-white, with a blood-red tiger drawn on it. The lines seemed simple, but they made the blood-red tiger come to life, as if it were about to leap out.

Next to the blood-red tiger were three powerful and deep blood-red characters: "Fierce Tiger Technique!"

It was said that the ancestors of the Chen family revered the fearless spirit of the tiger and the majestic aura of the king of beasts, and established the Chen family, passing down this tiger spirit. From the Tiger Roar Technique for refining blood and qi to the Fierce Tiger Technique for cultivating blood and qi power, and the subsequent Tiger techniques, all were proof of this.

The Tiger Strength Fist is a foundational martial art, and the Tiger Roar Technique is a foundational cultivation method. The Fierce Tiger Technique, on the other hand, is a human-grade cultivation method.

After becoming a warrior, Chen Zong learned more from the clan hall. He understood that the so-called human-grade martial arts, also known as human-level martial arts, were divided into lower, middle, upper, and supreme grades.

The Chen family's Fierce Tiger Technique is a human-level middle-grade cultivation method, divided into three levels. The book in Chen Zong's hand recorded the first level of the Fierce Tiger Technique.

"Tiger has form... must use the tiger's momentum, exert the tiger's strength... blood and qi like a tiger, body like a forest..."

Opening the Fierce Tiger Technique, there were cultivation mantras, annotations, and precautions for cultivation.

After one read, Chen Zong completely memorized the content. After three reads, he directly understood it.

He then realized that with the Tiger Strength Fist at the perfect realm as a foundation, understanding the Tiger Roar Technique and cultivating the Fierce Tiger Technique had certain advantages.

After memorizing the first level of the Fierce Tiger Technique and putting it back, Chen Zong pulled out the second book.

This was a book with a dark red cover, with only two large black characters: "Warrior!"

The writing was powerful and unstoppable!

After opening it, Chen Zong read it carefully. This book was not a cultivation method or a martial art but rather some common knowledge about warrior cultivation.

"Blood and qi realm levels one to three: strengthen blood and qi power, build a strong physique, refine blood and qi, lay the foundation for becoming a warrior."

"Blood and qi realm level four: blood and qi burn, transforming into blood and qi power. From this point on, the focus is on cultivating blood and qi power through cultivation methods. This is called the initial movement of blood and qi, and using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by one thousand pounds."

"Blood and qi realm level five: blood and qi power breaks through the boundaries, becoming even more powerful, filling every part of the body. This is called the fullness of blood and qi, and using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by two thousand pounds."

"Blood and qi realm level six: the fullness of blood and qi power can surge throughout the body, like waves in the sea. This is called the tide of blood and qi, and using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by three thousand pounds."

"Blood and qi realm level seven: blood and qi power circulates within the body, with greater impact and faster recovery. This is called the small cycle of blood and qi, and using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by five thousand pounds."

"Blood and qi realm level eight: the small cycle of blood and qi transforms into the great cycle of blood and qi, and blood and qi power can circulate to every part of the body, with even greater and faster power. Using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by seven thousand pounds."

"Blood and qi realm level nine: the great cycle of blood and qi power is highly concentrated, forming a blood and qi furnace, becoming the source of strength for the entire body. Using cultivation methods to stimulate blood and qi power can increase strength by nine thousand pounds."

After becoming a warrior, from the blood and qi realm level four to the highest level nine, the changes at each level were closely related to blood and qi power.

As for the strength of the physique, the standard limit is one thousand pounds. To exceed this standard, one must either be born with greater strength or seek other methods.

After officially becoming a clan hall disciple, one can enjoy corresponding benefits, such as being able to cultivate the first level of the Fierce Tiger Technique, choose a human-level lower-grade martial art to cultivate, and freely enter the first floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion to view non-cultivation method martial arts books.

Putting the "Warrior" book back, Chen Zong's gaze scanned over again.

"The cultivation method for blood and qi power is the Fierce Tiger Technique, and there are a total of thirteen human-level lower-grade martial arts."

Compared to foundational martial arts, the number of human-level lower-grade martial arts is very small.

"Thirteen human-level lower-grade martial arts: four are fist techniques, three are palm techniques, two are leg techniques, one is a finger technique, one is a saber technique, one is a sword technique, and one is a stepping technique. It seems I have no choice," Chen Zong thought.

This is the first floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion. The second floor contains human-level middle-grade martial arts and the second level of the Fierce Tiger Technique.

The third floor contains human-level upper-grade martial arts and the third level of the Fierce Tiger Technique.

However, entering the second and third floors is not easy and requires certain conditions, such as sufficient contributions.

Chen Zong scanned through the thirteen human-level lower-grade martial arts.

"Tiger Aura Fist Technique"

"Five Spirits Fist Technique"

...

"Great Boulder Hand"

...

"Whirlwind Leg Technique"

...

"One-Character Iron Finger Technique"

...

"Water Splitting Saber Technique"

"Light Splitting Sword Technique"

"Wind Stepping Technique"

Chen Zong's gaze moved back and forth between the Light Splitting Sword Technique and the Wind Stepping Technique.

Stepping techniques are relatively rare, and in terms of value, they are higher than other martial arts. However, Chen Zong, who practices the sword, made his choice without hesitation.

Light Splitting Sword Technique!

"I can earn contribution points and then buy the cultivation rights for the Wind Stepping Technique," Chen Zong thought as he pulled out the Light Splitting Sword Technique.

Recently, among the new warriors, only he practiced the sword, and no one competed with him.

"Remember, you must return it within ten days," the steward in charge of the clan hall's Martial Arts Pavilion said sternly after registering it.

If not returned on time, it would leave a stain, and whether one could borrow martial arts in the future would be uncertain.

"I will," Chen Zong said, nodding as he took the Light Splitting Sword Technique book.

In fact, he could memorize the content of the sword technique here without taking it away, but the feeling of occasionally flipping through it was wonderful and could help him better understand the profound secrets contained in the sword technique.

Carrying the Light Splitting Sword Technique, Chen Zong walked toward the Earthly Courtyard.

"Chen Zong, once I complete the first level of the Heavy Mountain Fist Technique, I will challenge you again," Chen Guzhan said directly when they met.

"Sure," Chen Zong agreed, looking very welcoming.

Entering his room, closing the door, Chen Zong sat comfortably on a dark red wooden chair and carefully read the Light Splitting Sword Technique.

Human-level martial arts and foundational martial arts have many differences.

Foundational martial arts strengthen blood and qi and the body, with distinct techniques. Human-level martial arts, however, do not strengthen blood and qi or the body. Their execution requires the stimulation of blood and qi power to release true power, and they do not have distinct techniques, only different levels and realms.

The Light Splitting Sword Technique is divided into two levels.

First level: Light Splitting Shadow!

Second level: Light Splitting No Shadow!

The book contains mantras and illustrations. The illustrations are clear, showing a person wielding a sword, which are the cultivation movements for the first and second levels of the Light Splitting Sword Technique.

"First, the first level of Light Splitting Shadow must be cultivated to perfection before the second level of Light Splitting No Shadow can be cultivated. This is indeed very different from foundational martial arts," Chen Zong thought after reading through the Light Splitting Sword Technique once.

After pondering, Chen Zong did not immediately start cultivating. Although the room was not small, it was not suitable for sword technique cultivation.

"Sword techniques are hard to cultivate, but the Fierce Tiger Technique can be."

Chen Zong pulled out a wooden box from the bedside, opened it, and inside were three small dark red spheres, about the size of lotus seeds, emitting a faintly pungent smell.

Beast Blood Pills!

These are pills made by mixing the essence of fierce beasts' blood with the essence of several ten-year-old herbs, cooked over a low and high flame for dozens of hours. They are similar to Energy Pills but are much more effective.

Energy Pills only work for martial disciples, not even qualifying as food for warriors to replenish energy. Beast Blood Pills, however, can promote the cultivation of blood and qi power. The energy contained in one Beast Blood Pill, when absorbed, is roughly equivalent to a normal blood and qi realm level four warrior practicing a human-level lower-grade cultivation method for a day.

New warriors in the clan hall receive three Beast Blood Pills as a reward, and thereafter, they can receive one Beast Blood Pill for free each month. To obtain more, one must rely on their own efforts and abilities.

After reviewing the mantras of the first level of the Fierce Tiger Technique, Chen Zong took out a Beast Blood Pill and put it in his mouth, focusing his mind on his blood and qi, like a crouching tiger, and using his will to drive the blood and qi power according to the mantras.

Compared to blood and qi, blood and qi power is more refined and heavier, making it harder to drive. However, for Chen Zong, who had refined his blood and qi seven times before breaking through, it only required a bit of effort for the blood and qi power to gradually accelerate under his will.

As the blood flowed faster, it gradually consumed, while the qi gradually strengthened, nourishing the blood, achieving a synchronous increase in blood and qi.

The Beast Blood Pill had completely dissolved in his mouth, and he swallowed it, allowing it to enter his stomach. It immediately spread, seeping into his blood vessels and circulating with the blood and qi, providing nourishment.

Chen Zong could clearly feel his blood and qi power gradually strengthening. After fifteen minutes, the energy contained in one Beast Blood Pill was completely absorbed.