After some idle chat, Liang Qu returned to his room to change clothes before heading back to the Martial Training Grounds.
"Senior Brother!" Hu Qi excused himself to those he was instructing and led Liang Qu to a private room.
Inside, there was a wooden cabinet and a low table.
Hu Qi took out a key, opened the cabinet, and extracted a slender incense stick.
He lit it and inserted it into the incense burner on the table.
The room quickly filled with a subtle, indescribable fragrance.
Several booklets were taken out by Hu Qi from his robe, the topmost being an anatomical chart detailing everything from internal organs to blood vessels and skin.
Underneath, there were several sheets of yellow paper, filled with writings whose purpose was unclear.
"You can take this anatomical chart home to study carefully. The rest are prescriptions that accompany the Three Fist Techniques. Master Yang's teachings include more than just the Three Fist Techniques, but they are excellent for building a strong foundation.
Unless there's a special exception, disciples usually practice the Three Fists before breaking through the Flesh Barrier. Junior Brother Liang, you're well-suited for the Ape Fist, so continue practicing it. I know you, Junior Brother Li, and Junior Brother Chen are from the same place and have a good relationship, but remember, these prescriptions must not be shared lightly.
You can prepare the medicine for them, there's a version on the back of the prescription with many useless and incorrect ingredients. It achieves eighty percent of the effect but cannot be leaked."
Liang Qu straightened up, "Senior Brother Hu, I understand."
"I believe Junior Brother Liang knows the importance but just wanted to emphasize it," Hu Qi said as he tidied up the booklets, stacking them neatly on the low table.
"The key to breaking the Skin Barrier is using your qi and blood energy to stimulate all the fascia and skin, achieving the effect of Skin Tempering. The so-called qi and blood is that energy you feel rising in your chest when you practice. It's the essence refined by the human body, the foundation of life. After breaking the Skin Barrier, your skin might look normal but will be as tough as oxhide, with significantly enhanced defense. When you unleash your qi and blood, you'll reach a whole new level."
"And how do you stimulate all the fascia and skin with qi and blood energy?"
"It's not easy to explain or do. I'll show you directly. Start with the Ape Fist."
Liang Qu did as instructed.
About the fourth Stance Training, when starting the fifth, Hu Qi pressed his palm onto Liang Qu's chest.
Liang Qu immediately felt a warm current flow from his chest, blending with his internal energy and spreading towards his limbs and body.
Upon reaching the fascia and skin, it turned into a warm sensation and disappeared.
Gradually, Liang Qu's skin began to heat up, initially tolerable, but soon became scorching hot, to the point of being unbearable! His entire body steamed like a sauna!
"Don't lose heart; the heat is normal. Your qi and blood are tempering your skin!" Hu Qi's voice was steady.
Liang Qu, on the verge of crying out, clenched his teeth and held on.
He felt his skin pulsating with his heartbeat, tightening, until after a quarter of an hour, the scorching sensation faded, and his skin relaxed.
"Did you remember how to guide the qi?" Hu Qi asked.
"I remembered half," Liang Qu admitted.
"That's fine. Let's try again."
With the first experience, Liang Qu felt much more at ease the second time.
However, perhaps because his internal energy hadn't fully recovered, his skin didn't feel as much, but he better remembered how to spread the qi into the skin.
He began to grasp why the qi and blood need to be thick as a pinkie to break the barrier.
"Did you sense it? If your qi and blood aren't strong enough, it’s hardly effective for breaking the barrier and may instead deplete your qi and blood, leading to a loss instead. Previously, some didn't give up after failing and continued to try on their own after leaving the Martial Hall, only to harm their bodies. That's why unless your qi and blood reach a certain level, the Martial Hall usually doesn't teach Skin Tempering openly."
"Try once more to ensure you remember," Hu Qi advised.
Liang Qu nodded, closing his eyes and practicing the Ape Fist, releasing some qi and blood, and based on Hu Qi's earlier guidance, he scattered his qi and seamlessly directed it to his fascia and skin.
His skin slightly heated, completing a round of Skin Tempering, Liang Qu opened his eyes with a smile.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Hu, I've got it now."
"Good. Earlier, the incense I lit was Focused Mind Incense, aiding your guidance of qi and blood. Without it, guiding qi can become difficult. With ample food, Junior Brother Liang should be able to break the barrier in twenty days, truly becoming a Martial Artist."
Twenty days wasn't long.
Liang Qu was eager to see himself as a true Martial Artist.
"Do you want to continue practicing here or head back? If you're leaving, take some Focused Mind Incense with you."
"Senior Brother wants me to visit his home in the evening to look at some drawings, so I'll stay here for practice. Going back and returning is too far."
"Alright, but let's eat first. It's mealtime," Hu Qi suggested.
"Sure."
After leaving the Yang Manor in the morning and purchasing some items, Liang Qu practiced martial arts, so it was naturally lunchtime.
Having expended so much energy, his stomach was now empty.
As direct disciples, their meals differed from ordinary apprentices.
Inside a separate small room sat a square table laden with large basins—a basin of braised beef, a basin of boiled mutton, a basin of steamed vegetables, and enough white rice, all steaming hot and served in large portions.
"We've to eat all of this?" Liang Qu was startled.
"Of course, you'll realize just how much you can eat after breaking the Skin Barrier. Sit down and don't hold back; we're all one family," Xiang Changsong said, lifting his robe to sit on a long bench.
After dividing the bowl and chopsticks, he started eating heartily, as did Hu Qi.
As soon as Liang Qu picked up his bowl, Xiang Changsong added a large piece of beef into it.
"Eat! Chef Liu's beef is incredibly tender and fragrant. The mutton isn't gamey at all, help yourself. I'll only serve once."
Liang Qu nodded.
"Alright."
"By the way, Junior Brother, I saw you fighting Lu Tingcai and others last night. Your fighting skills were lacking. With your better physical condition compared to the seven, you still took quite a beating," Hu Qi remarked.
"I haven't learned any techniques yet and rarely fight. Master mentioned this."
"Don't put your chopsticks down. No formality among us brothers, talk while eating."
"Okay."
"I know you haven't learned, just a reminder to balance training methods. Martial artists emerged because of the need to be proficient in combat, even if you're strong enough to throw bricks around, technique matters too. Your grasp of the Ape Fist is good. Its style emphasizes dragon-like movement and slippery footwork. If you had used them during the fight, alternating between attack and evasion, you could've handled them more efficiently," Hu Qi suggested.
"I'll remember," Liang Qu assured.
"Once you break through, I'll teach you fighting techniques. Then even if Lu Tingcai's group doubles, they won't be a problem. Don't shy away from asking questions or seeking help. We all went through this phase. I was mentored by Senior Brother Xu, Senior Brother Xiang by Senior Brother Cao, and now Master entrusts you to me. It's the same support."
"Thank you, Senior Brother, I'll keep it in mind."
With that, a moment's silence fell, broken only by the men's chewing and the clinking of chopsticks against porcelain.
Before long, the three large basins were indeed emptied by the trio, though Liang Qu only ate a small portion.
He marveled at how much a Martial Artist can consume.
If he had such an appetite while eating crabs, wouldn't his Fusion Rate have maxed out by now?
Afternoon training continued, and after dinner, Liang Qu bid farewell to his two senior brothers, heading towards the house with the address left by the third senior brother.
The house, marked by an anvil at the entrance, was entirely different in style from the Yang Manor—spacious and rustic.
From outside, he could see huge chimneys belching thick smoke.
Entering the house, he was greeted by a heatwave.
A group of burly men worked shirtless at the forge, where an enormous iron furnace blazed fiercely.
The twisted streams of air made the winter chill outside non-existent; inside, it was a world apart.
He noticed one of the forges was fueled not by coal but by some unknown rock the size of a heart, covered with orange-red streaks resembling flowing magma.
This forge was wielded by Lu Gang, who, upon seeing Liang Qu, produced some blueprints and beckoned him over.
"Junior Brother Liang! Just in time, come look at the design for your spear."
Liang Qu cared deeply for his spear.
With it, his water combat ability could advance significantly.
Hurriedly, he examined the design.
The blueprints, drawn in charcoal, were surprisingly clear and meticulous.
Each blueprint depicted a full-scale spear with its dimensions and expected weight, amounting to over ten designs.
Liang Qu perused them until one exquisite spear drawing caught his eye—a spear sporting cloud-tiger motifs winding around the neck, with a twelve-inch blade resembling a short sword emerging from the tiger's mouth.
Metalwork extended two feet and five inches along the shaft, making it more of a hybrid lance and spear, suiting Liang Qu's preference perfectly.
"Can I choose this one, Senior Brother?"
"Why else would I show it to you? Junior Brother surely has an eye for the best," Lu Gang replied slowly and steadily, offering a sense of deep reliability.
"The Tiger Head Spear is complex and will take about twenty days. When it’s ready, come by to check it, and if satisfied, I'll finish it with lacquer."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lu."
"We're all brothers, no need for thanks. Feel free to look around while I get back to work," Lu Gang said with a nod.
Liang Qu was about to explore when he froze for a moment, then rapidly excused himself, rushing towards Righteous Prosperity City.
Ah Fei had discovered another Treasure Fish!
(Chapter End)