16: Hunyuan Zhuang Gong

On the tenth day, Chen Linsheng stepped into Qinghe County town again.

He first visited the vicinity of Hundred Herbs Hall, but did not get close. From a distance, relying on the "Five Senses Clarity" brought by [Tracking (Perfection)], he keenly sensed that several figures with shifty eyes and wooden plaques vaguely marked with the character "Medicine" hanging from their waists were still lurking around Hundred Herbs Hall.

"Still staking out... they truly are persistent ghosts."

Chen Linsheng sneered inwardly. It seemed the Medicine Gang still held a grudge over their losses from last time and had not given up the search.

He ignored these small fry and turned, walking straight towards the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall.

Arriving once more at the imposing gate of the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall, the sight today was vastly different from his previous visit.

In the massive Training Grounds, no fewer than fifty or sixty newly recruited apprentices stood bustling about, creating a clamor of voices.

Chen Linsheng glanced over and noticed that the crowd in the courtyard was clearly divided into two distinct groups.

One group was mostly well-dressed in silk robes, leather boots, and jade pendants, chatting and laughing amongst themselves, exuding a natural sense of superiority. They accounted for about one-third of the total.

The other group, like Chen Linsheng, wore coarse cloth and hemp clothes, their faces mostly dark or showing signs of awkwardness. They gathered on the other side, silent and reserved, their eyes holding both anticipation and a hint of unease.

The divide between the rich and the poor was starkly clear in this small Training Grounds.

Chen Linsheng had no intention of standing out, so he naturally walked over to where the ordinary apprentices were gathered, found an inconspicuous spot, and stood listening quietly to the surrounding discussions.

"See the one over there wearing blue silk? That's the youngest son of Squire Liu in the county town..."

"That fat guy over there is the only heir of Boss Wang from the Grain Store..."

"Tsk, tsk, people truly have different fates. Why don't they go to Zhenyuan or Changxing Martial Arts Hall? I heard those two have stronger backgrounds; they were opened by Aristocratic Families in the Prefecture City, and they're just Branch Halls here."

Someone who knew some inside information lowered their voice and said, "Heh, you don't understand that, do you? Zhenyuan and Changxing have higher entry requirements. You have to pay a year's tuition upfront, and you need a recommendation. Furthermore, they mainly train the peripheral forces of the Families; they have many rules and little freedom. Although Yangwei Martial Arts Hall is expensive, the Museum Master is a local expert, and his background is rumored to be complicated. The key is... the Museum Master teaches real skills! As long as you pass the assessment and stay, your future won't be worse than those two!"

"So that's how it is..."

Everyone suddenly understood, and the look in their eyes towards those rich young masters became more complex, containing both envy and a subtle hint of competition.

Just then, the front of the Training Grounds suddenly fell silent.

Museum Master Zhao Zheng walked out side-by-side with a burly, stern-faced young man.

Museum Master Zhao Zheng's gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the entire field. The invisible pressure caused all the apprentices to shut their mouths and straighten their backs.

He simply spoke a few words of welcome and encouragement before handing the stage over to the stern young man beside him.

"This is your Senior Brother, Shi Poyue. For the next two months, he will be responsible for teaching you the basics."

After the Museum Master finished speaking, he turned and left.

Senior Brother Shi Poyue stepped forward, his voice steady and powerful, clearly spreading throughout the entire Training Grounds:

"Welcome all to the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. But you must remember, paying tuition and receiving this wooden plaque is only the beginning."

His gaze sharply swept over everyone, lingering especially on the ordinary apprentices for a moment:

"A Martial Arts Hall is not a charity; we do not keep idlers or trash. You only have two months to Cultivate the forthcoming Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique to the Minor Achievement Realm, ignite your Qi and Blood to temper the Dermis, and officially step into the first Body Tempering Realm—the 'Skin Tempering Realm.' Only then can you become a formal Disciple of the Martial Arts Hall and continue advanced study. Otherwise, you must leave when the term is up, and the tuition will not be refunded!"

"What? Two months?"

"Skin Tempering Realm? What is that?"

"There's an assessment? We get kicked out if we fail?"

Among the ordinary apprentices, a low uproar and discussion immediately broke out, and many faces showed panic and urgency.

However, most of the rich young masters remained calm, having clearly learned the inside story from their Families or other channels, and were prepared.

Shi Poyue seemed to have anticipated the reaction below and continued, "The Martial Arts Hall will not treat hard-working people unfairly. During Cultivation, the Martial Arts Hall provides lunch, and furthermore, a bowl of Meat Broth boiled from Exotic Beast Meat will be provided daily to replenish Qi and Blood!"

Exotic Beast Meat Broth!

At this, even the eyes of the rich young masters flashed with eagerness.

Exotic Beast Meat contains rich Qi and Blood, making it a powerful tonic for Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists. Its price is high, and even Families cannot supply it daily.

"Now, I will begin teaching the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique. Watch carefully; I will only demonstrate it three times. Pile Postures are the Foundation of the Martial Dao. The movements must be precise and accurate, without the slightest error. Otherwise, not only will it be useless, but it may also harm yourselves, leading to poor results despite great effort!"

After Shi Poyue finished speaking, he assumed a stance and began demonstrating the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique.

His movements were slow and clear. Every posture, the position of his hands and feet, the twisting of his waist and hips, and the coordination of his breathing were all displayed with perfect precision.

At the same time, he explained the key points:

"Skin Quenching, as the name implies, is the training of the entire Epidermis and Dermis Layer. The human Epidermis is fragile, and the Dermis is its Foundation. The primary goal when we Cultivate this posture is to use unique stances to guide, condense, and circulate the Qi and Blood generated internally, impacting and tempering the Dermis Layer, making its structure increasingly dense and filling it with Qi and Blood. Once the Dermis tempering is successful, and the Qi and Blood can initially penetrate the Skin Membrane, you are considered to have entered the Skin Tempering Realm."

He casually picked up an ordinary Steel Knife from the nearby Weapon Rack and lightly drew it across the exposed skin of his forearm.

To everyone's astonishment, where the blade passed, there was only a faint white mark; it hadn't even broken the outer layer of skin!

"Do you see? This is the effect of the Skin Tempering Realm. After the first tempering is complete, ordinary blades and swords are hard to injure you, and your skin is tough as old cowhide! And this is just the beginning. The Skin Tempering Realm is divided into nine stages. You must undergo nine temperings, refining the Skin Membrane repeatedly until Perfection. At that time, your entire Skin Membrane will be incomparably tough, your strength will flow through your surface, and ordinary blades and swords will be unable to harm you in the slightest!"

After the demonstration and explanation were finished, Shi Poyue told everyone to find a spot and begin practicing. He and several Disciples who had joined earlier patrolled the field, correcting improper movements.

Chen Linsheng found an empty space, calmed his mind and Qi, and began imitating Shi Poyue's movements.

The "Unforgettable Memory" brought by [Tracking (Perfection)] allowed him to imprint Shi Poyue's every subtle movement into his mind, while "Agile Mind" enabled him to quickly grasp the essentials of exertion and the visualization necessary for guiding Qi and Blood for each movement.

At the same time, the exquisite control over his body provided by [Cleaver Technique (Major Achievement)], the excellent sense of balance brought by [Climbing (Major Achievement)], and the clear perception of his own muscle and bone positions from [Five Senses Clarity], all made his learning process highly efficient.

His movements were extremely standard from the very beginning, far surpassing the awkward and clueless apprentices around him.

Once, twice, thrice... he continuously adjusted, striving for Perfection.

He could feel that as he practiced the pile posture, a faint warm current seemed to be trying to condense and flow within his body, but it was just lacking the right momentum and couldn't be truly activated.

"The Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique is indeed profound. It's not just simple physical movements, but also involves the subtle sensation of Circulating Qi and Blood. However... I feel close. After a few more attempts, I should be able to truly grasp the fundamentals and have it recorded by the spirit book!"