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Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Storm Brewing, Break Limit! Free the Body
Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Storm Brewing, Break Limit! Free the Body
Martial arts training emphasizes seven parts practice, three parts nourishment.
After receiving guidance from Li Linfeng, Shen Qing skillfully practiced the Wind Defying Finger technique every morning for the next few days.
In the afternoon, he would take medicine and bathe in medicinal baths to nourish his body, leading a very regular life.
Additionally, with the hearty meat dishes provided by the inn at noon every day, Shen Qing's spirit and complexion were worlds apart from when he lived in Hongshan Village.
In just three short days, he had already learned the Wind Defying Finger technique quite well.
Even Li Linfeng, who seldom praised others, couldn't help but acknowledge his talent.
Overall, these days were good in every way except that silver was being spent too quickly.
Shen Qing privately calculated his expenses and realized that to maintain such a lifestyle, he was using about three taels of silver daily, and the money he brought with him was almost gone.
If things continued at this rate, he would either have to run a tab with Li Linfeng or go back to get more silver.
The saying that practicing martial arts is a bottomless pit had become clear to him.
No wonder Li Linfeng could maintain such a grand scale just by running a Martial Arts Hall without engaging in other trades.
Shen Qing noticed that, for some reason, there were significantly fewer Outer Disciples and Inner Disciples practicing martial arts at Linfeng Hall than when he first arrived.
On a typical day, there would be one or two fewer people around, making the courtyard seem much quieter.
Shen Qing didn't understand why.
Being new to the town, he was not very familiar with its dynamics.
Seeing Xiao Zhi practicing the Five Person Stance in the inner courtyard, Shen Qing took the initiative to approach him and asked, "Brother Xiao, what's been happening recently? Why are there fewer people around?"
"You don't know yet?" said Xiao Zhi, glancing at Shen Qing.
"Know what?"
Xiao Zhi stopped his movements and said, "The day before yesterday, Senior Brother Ouyang went to deal with that previous matter by finding the Mi Gang, but he couldn't win the fight and is now recuperating at home. I've heard that the Mi Gang is planning to make a move against Linfeng Hall.
Everyone here pays to train in martial arts; there's no need to risk our lives, so many are laying low recently."
"This..."
Shen Qing was greatly surprised.
Li Linfeng only had four direct disciples, and now two of them were injured; this wasn't a good omen for Linfeng Hall.
Shen Qing thought about a lot in that moment.
No wonder Li Linfeng suddenly decided to teach him, lowered his standards, and even contemplated taking him on as a direct disciple.
It probably had to do with the incident, like preparing weapons right before the battle.
There was a sense of an impending storm.
After exchanging a few polite remarks with Xiao Zhi, Shen Qing didn't inquire further and focused on his training.
It was noon.
In the pharmacy, Shen Qing took the Shiquan Dabu Decoction as usual and then proceeded with his daily medicinal bath.
After several days of nourishment from the medicinal meal, Shen Qing felt that his Qi and Blood had reached the limit of his current physical state.
Every time he called upon his Qi-Blood, it would swell tremendously, creating an urge to release it, but it felt as if it was blocked by a layer of film, making it difficult to break through.
Shen Qing frowned and focused on refining the medicinal properties, not giving it much thought.
To save effort, even during the medicinal baths these past days, he chose to stand in a stance for nourishing and training Qi-Blood, which was quite comfortable for him.
At this moment, Shen Qing, soaking in the medicinal bath, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
He fixed his gaze on a certain void in his sightline, and the Water Ink Panel slowly emerged.
[Skill: Nine Skills (Great Perfection)]
[Progress: 401/400 points]
[Status: Can be improved]
[Note: Heaven treasures the diligent, and a gentleman should never cease to strengthen himself. Continue to cultivate and improving the progress of the technique can break the limit of this Cultivation Technique.]
Unbeknownst to him, the Nine Skills had already reached the peak in skillfulness!
A look of joy flashed across Shen Qing's face.
Without any further hesitation, he entertained the thought of a breakthrough.
The description related to the Nine Skills behind [Great Perfection] disappeared instantly, and the words [Break Limit] gradually came into view.
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Shen Qing only felt the Qi-Blood within his body start to circulate wildly, and his whole body inflated like a balloon, his skin tight and hot.
[Skill: Nine Skills (Break Limit)]
[Progress: 1/500 points]
[Status: Cannot be promoted]
[Note: Each effort brings its reward, you have mastered the essence of the Nine Skills through day and night of hard cultivation, breaking the limit of the Nine Skills. Now your physical body has been further liberated, possessing strength and endurance far exceeding that of ordinary people.]
Shen Qing's eyes widened, "Liberate the physical body?"
This Nine Skills is considered a lower third-rate Martial Arts book, and much of its recorded content could well be incorrect.
The so-called Break Limit, he had never heard of it outside of this Panel.
Shen Qing felt as if everything was happening in a dream.
At that moment, waves of Qi-Blood surged furiously throughout his body, making him grunt involuntarily and collapse into the bathtub.
His entire body's Qi-Blood was circulating and striking madly.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, Shen Qing heard a crisp sound by his ear, like ice breaking.
Boom!
The barrier obstructing him was shattered by the powerful surge of Qi-Blood.
After almost half a quarter of an hour, the pain throughout Shen Qing's body slowly subsided, and he noticed some changes to his physique.
Compared to before, he had become more solid, stronger, and even his height had shot up a notch.
Shen Qing raised his hand and clenched his fists, already feeling that his strength was more than just a notch above what it had been before.
"Is this what it's like after the liberation of the physical body?"
Shen Qing touched his bulging muscles, his skin had become rough, as if it had gone through thousands of hammerings, leaving a thin callus behind.
If one didn't look closely, it would be entirely unnoticeable.
Such changes were limited to his limbs only.
Suddenly, Shen Qing felt an urge to test his new abilities.
He decided to just do it.
After refining most of the medicine's effectiveness in the wooden tub, he quickly climbed out, dried his body, and changed into his own clothes.
Fortunately, the clothes he had bought before were slightly bigger and not too tight to fit into.
Back in the inner courtyard, he found a large stone for practicing, took a deep breath, and struck down with his palm.
Crack!
A crisp sound immediately came from the stone, breaking it into pieces.
Shen Qing was startled.
The strength was equivalent to that of an ox.
If used against someone, it could definitely kill with one punch.
Not only that but after striking that palm, he hardly felt any pain.
If he really got into a fight, the advantage he would have over others of the same level was not just slight.
Impressed, Shen Qing couldn't help but feel elated.
Shen Qing gathered his thoughts and turned to leave, taking advantage of the midday break to return to the inn.
When he entered the inn and had barely warmed his seat, an unexpected visitor arrived at the door, specifically asking to see him.
Shen Qing opened the inn's door, sized up the two robust young men standing at the threshold, and frowned, "You are...?"
"Boss has sent for you."
"Boss?" Shen Qing's face showed surprise, and the image of a middle-aged man surfaced in his mind. He asked in a deep voice, "Have you got the wrong person?"
"It's you we're looking for, come with us."
The people across him spoke very decisively, leaving no room for discussion.
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