In the early morning, a thick fog blanketed the quiet mountain, obscuring everyone's vision.
"Huff... huff..."
Deep within the forest on the back of the mountain, the sound of heavy panting suddenly echoed. Drawing closer, one could see a small figure in a clearing, gripping a towering tree trunk with both hands. Using the pulling force of his arms, his body repeatedly rose and fell. As he moved up and down, his body assumed a somewhat bizarre posture, one that engaged every single muscle simultaneously.
Furthermore, several pitch-black iron weights were strapped to his arms and ankles. Beads of sweat soaked through his clothes, dripping onto and coating the cold iron.
This small figure was, of course, Lin Dong. He had never known wealth or luxury in his childhood. Moreover, his strict father had always drilled into him the most crucial elements of cultivation—willpower and diligence. These qualities were his only capital, his sole means of competing with others.
Sweat stung his eyes, the burning sensation forcing him to grit his teeth. He could feel the deep ache and exhaustion radiating through his entire body after such high-intensity training. At this point, most people would choose to rest, but his father had once told him that only under such conditions could one break through their limits. Therefore... he had to persevere!
He absolutely could not slacken!
For the sake of the clan gathering in half a year, he had to train with everything he had!
The sensation of pushing his limits made his head spin and his vision blur. However, as Lin Dong gritted his teeth and held on, a strange, potent warmth suddenly surged within his body. The moment this warmth appeared, Lin Dong's spirits were instantly re-energized.
It was the medicinal efficacy of the Red Ginseng!
A few days ago, that stalk of Red Ginseng, which was originally meant to treat Lin Xiao's injuries, had ultimately been given to Lin Dong due to his father's insistence.
It had to be said that this elixir was incredibly effective for Lin Dong, who was currently in the Body Tempering stage. After just a few short days of cultivation, Lin Dong could clearly feel that his body was at least twice as strong as before. This physical strengthening was something he could perceive with absolute clarity.
Of course, while the Red Ginseng's medicinal efficacy was highly beneficial to Lin Dong, it was not limitless. After all, the Red Ginseng was merely a Grade One elixir. Consequently, its medicinal power had run its course over five days and was now gradually dissipating.
However, this dissipation did not mean it had completely vanished. Since Lin Dong's body had only just begun its tempering process, he was naturally unable to fully absorb all of the medicinal power at once. As a result, some of it had settled deep within his body. But now, as his body reached a state of extreme exhaustion and hunger, these dormant deposits were finally forced out, greedily devoured by his bones and muscles like a starving ghost...
As the gentle stream of medicinal power slowly diffused through his body, Lin Dong could almost hear the cells of his body cheering in unison. The soreness and fatigue quietly melted away, replaced by a seemingly boundless surge of energy.
"Hah!"
Lin Dong gripped the tree trunk, propelled his body upward, and executed a clean backflip in mid-air before landing firmly on the ground. He twisted his torso and rolled his neck, causing his bones to emit a series of crisp popping sounds. To his delight, he discovered that his body felt noticeably sturdier.
"Body Tempering, Third Layer!"
Lin Dong clenched his small fists. Feeling the surge of strength that came as he stretched his body, a look of pleasant surprise mixed with awe appeared on his young face. Since he began training, his family's poverty meant he rarely had the chance to use elixirs. He had not expected his first attempt to yield such a massive effect.
"Hmm, not bad..."
Just as Lin Dong was rejoicing over his increased strength, a voice drifted over from the side. He quickly turned his head and saw Lin Xiao, dressed in simple clothes, standing beneath a large tree. A faint smile had appeared on a face that usually never showed the slightest hint of joy.
"Father!"
Seeing Lin Xiao, Lin Dong cried out in pleasant surprise.
Lin Xiao nodded and walked over to Lin Dong. Sweeping his gaze up and down Lin Dong's body, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he said, "The Third Layer of Tempered Body. Not bad."
"It's all thanks to that Red Ginseng." Lin Dong shook his head and chuckled.
"Red Ginseng is merely a Grade One elixir. Even if others used it, progressing from the Second Layer to the Third Layer would still take a month or two. Yet, you achieved this in just a single day and night." Lin Xiao looked at Lin Dong, sighing softly in his heart. Over this period, seeing Lin Dong train so desperately—a level of intensity that had brought tears to his mother's eyes several times—though Lin Xiao said nothing, as a father, his heart also ached for his son.
He understood that Lin Dong was training so desperately only because he wanted to achieve a decent result in the family competition half a year from now. If he did, then as his father, he would also be able to salvage some of his pride within the Lin Family.
Lin Dong grinned foolishly. Although he had been exhausted during this period, the rewards were substantial, bringing him closer and closer to the elites of the Lin Family.
"Take off those iron weights. Now that you have reached the Third Layer of Tempered Body, you can barely manage to practice martial arts. I will teach you a set of fist techniques," Lin Xiao said.
Hearing this, Lin Dong's dark eyes instantly lit up. He had reached the Third Layer of Tempered Body, but he did not know a single move or stance. If he fought someone, he could only rely on brute force. Thus, he had long yearned for martial arts techniques, which could greatly boost his strength. However, due to his physical condition, Lin Xiao had never taught him any. Now that he finally had the chance, how could he not be thrilled?
"Martial arts in this world are divided into three tiers and nine grades. Grades one to three are the lower tier, four to six are the middle tier, and seven to nine are the upper tier. What I want to teach you is a Grade One lower-tier fist technique—Tongbei Fist," Lin Xiao said.
Lin Dong nodded repeatedly, not at all disappointed that the fist technique was merely a Grade One lower-tier skill. He understood the principle of taking things one step at a time. Moreover, for many people, a Grade One lower-tier skill was already quite good. It was said that the highest martial arts technique in the Lin Family was only a Grade Four middle-tier technique, which his grandfather had fortunately obtained from the Scripture Pavilion back when he was still part of the Lin Clan's inner family.
"Martial arts are divided into grades, but the most important factor is still the individual. In the hands of a true expert, even an ordinary Grade One technique can unleash terrifying destructive power. The stronger the practitioner, the greater the power of the technique when executed." Lin Xiao opened his palm and beckoned to Lin Dong. "Attack me with your greatest strength and fastest speed."
Lin Dong's eyes widened. Casting aside all the iron weights on his body, he threw a direct punch at Lin Xiao.
Facing Lin Dong's full-strength strike, Lin Xiao merely waved his hand casually. His palm swept toward Lin Dong like lightning, his sleeve whipping out with a sharp *crack*. Lin Dong jumped up, grimacing in pain, and hurriedly rolled up his sleeve, only to find his entire arm had turned bright red.
“Tongbei Fist relies on the clothing to exert force. If I had increased my strength even slightly or used a bit of Yuan Power, the bones in your arm would have shattered,” Lin Xiao said slowly. “Practicing Tongbei Fist requires training clothes. This fist technique focuses on generating force through the clothing; when practicing, you must rely on your clothes to produce a sound. Tongbei Fist has nine stances, also known as the Nine Echo Force because each stance produces a sound. Stance after stance, when all nine echoes ring out, its power can rival a Grade 2 martial arts technique.”
“Watch closely and try to memorize these nine stances!”
Lin Xiao gave a low shout and suddenly moved his limbs. As his feet shifted, his body moved like a tiger, his palms whipping about like a Tongbei Ape stretching its body. A series of crisp, sharp *crack* sounds rang out continuously.
Lin Dong watched Lin Xiao's movements without blinking. Unconsciously, his focus deepened, and he automatically tuned out everything around him. In his eyes, only that single fist technique remained!
Since he was teaching, Lin Xiao intentionally slowed his movements. After demonstrating the routine a few times, he slowly brought his stance to an end, looked at Lin Dong, and asked, “Did you memorize it?”
Lin Dong pondered for a moment, then nodded somewhat hesitantly.
“Oh? Give it a try then.”
Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Lin Xiao's face. Although he had slowed down significantly, the nine stances of Tongbei Fist were by no means simple. This was Lin Dong's first time encountering a martial arts technique, yet he could memorize it so quickly?
As if aware of Lin Xiao's surprise, Lin Dong took two steps forward, raised his fists, and began to execute the routine slowly and with a touch of awkwardness.
Lin Xiao stared intently at Lin Dong from the side. When he saw that Lin Dong had indeed executed all nine stances of the Tongbei Fist, a hint of joy appeared on his face once more. Although Lin Dong's movements were a bit stiff, and could even be described as all show and no substance, being able to replicate the form so well on his first attempt showed that his son's comprehension was quite good. This discovery brought a wave of joy to Lin Xiao's heart; it seemed his son had indeed inherited his talent from back then.
“Father, why is it that when I perform the Tongbei Fist, there isn't any sound at all?” After finishing the slow routine, Lin Dong said somewhat helplessly.
“You brat, if it were that easy to produce a sound, then this Tongbei Fist would be far too useless,” Lin Xiao scolded with a laugh, then said, “Remember, when practicing, carefully sense the flow of force. As long as you can make your sleeves follow your force, rather than the other way around where your force follows your sleeves, then you can be considered to have successfully mastered it. Come, perform it a few more times.”
Lin Dong muttered the words to himself a few times, then executed the routine again, while Lin Xiao stood by his side, occasionally speaking up to guide him on a few points.
On the empty clearing in the forest, shadows of fists danced continuously. The boy was sweating profusely, but it could not distract him in the slightest, his small face looking extremely serious.
As midday approached, Lin Dong trained without pause. His relentless efforts were not in vain; he grew increasingly proficient with the nine stances of the Penetrating Back Fist. Although he had yet to produce any sound, his form was already quite respectable.
"That's enough training for today. We'll continue tomorrow," Lin Xiao said suddenly, glancing at the sky and then at the sweat-drenched Lin Dong. Lin Dong's diligence and sheer determination in his training were truly moving, even to him. He sighed inwardly; it seemed his own decline over the past few years had forced the boy to grow up much faster.
"Yes, Father. You go back and rest first, I'll return shortly," Lin Dong replied, though his fists did not stop. He remained entirely focused, adhering to Lin Xiao's instructions as he strained to sense the subtle changes within his body.
Seeing this, Lin Xiao could only shake his head helplessly. Lin Dong's progress was rapid, but making the Penetrating Back Fist produce a sound was no easy feat. Back then, it had taken him nearly a week of training to succeed.
Giving a final word of advice, Lin Xiao turned and walked away. A faint smile graced his lips; the comprehension Lin Dong had displayed today left him highly satisfied.
"The boy's comprehension is indeed excellent, and his willpower is incredibly strong. Surpassing me at my peak shouldn't be difficult for him..."
*Pa!*
Just as this thought crossed Lin Xiao's mind, a loud, crisp sound echoed from behind him. His face froze, and his footsteps stumbled slightly, but a brilliant light flared in his eyes.
"It seems it's not 'not difficult', but rather, extremely simple..."