Martial practitioners train in the winter's chill and the summer's heat; this saying holds its truth.
Currently, the Maple Kingdom is in the midst of a scorching summer, while the Eternal Night World remains unbearably cold.
As Li Qing traverses between the two worlds, his martial skills advance at an astonishing pace.
On approximately the seventh day since Yuan Xiao, the Thousand-Man Commander, led his troops into battle, a crisp sound akin to bamboo tubes pouring beans echoed from within Li Qing's body in the tent that felt like a furnace.
Crack!
"Ha! I've finally grasped the Ancient Hammer Technique!"
The total time spent in stance training across both worlds had reached nearly twenty days. Enduring both the biting cold and the sweltering heat, Li Qing's physical body had surprisingly been tempered quite well, laying a solid foundation for his martial arts.
Li Qing withdrew from his stance, feeling a significant increase in his strength; both his method of exerting force and his innate physical power had seen marked improvement.
Whoosh!
Inside the tent, Li Qing suddenly struck out with a palm, the explosive force visibly stirring the blazing fire in the furnace.
"Not bad, I should be able to take on two of my former selves now," Li Qing said with great delight as he retracted his palm.
Though he still had a distance to go before becoming a master of external strength, he was already quite satisfied.
With Yuan Xiao leading the army into battle, the border seemed to have settled into a semblance of peace, and news of marauding bandits had ceased to return.
A few days prior, the imperial grain convoy had successfully arrived at the border without encountering any ambushes or mishaps.
Of course, if the court had not decided to reinforce the border with additional troops, Li Qing might have truly been able to set his heart at ease.
Yesterday, a very clear and specific message arrived from the court: the entire Wuli Army under General Lü Guanghong would arrive at the border in a few days!
To others, this might seem like the best news possible. For instance, the cook Wu Chong, upon learning this yesterday, even ate several extra bowls of rice.
With enough grain stored in the granaries and heavy troops stationed at the border, it was indeed a reassuring situation.
However, Li Qing did not share this sentiment; his keen mind led him to ponder many things.
If the court was not certain about going to war, they would not have dispatched the entire Wuli Army without reason.
"Not necessarily a bad thing; the more people there are, the more chaotic the situation becomes, and the less attention will be paid to a small blacksmith apprentice like me."
Determined to keep a low profile, Li Qing murmured to himself.
The Wuli Army had a total of thirteen Thousand-Man Commanders, with the entire army numbering over fifteen thousand men. The troops currently stationed at the border were merely a small fraction of that.
Each Thousand-Man Commander was a great master, and the general commanding the entire army, Lü Guanghong, might very well be the legendary master of transformation!
This army, formed through martial prowess, was undoubtedly one of the stabilizing forces of the Maple Kingdom!
That night, after dinner, Li Qing returned to his tent.
Since Yuan Xiao's departure, the border troops had become considerably quieter.
In the stillness of the night, Li Qing once again entered the Eternal Night World.
However, this time, he did not choose to continue his stance training; instead, he took out the three martial arts he had obtained from the Yan family some time ago.
"On the path of martial arts, while it is said that one should avoid being greedy and trying to learn too much, this is due to the limitations of human lifespan. Only by focusing on one martial art can one go further," Li Qing murmured softly, then first unfurled the Hungry Tiger Pouncing Scroll, beginning to comprehend it.
He did not lack time; if necessary, he could spend a considerable amount of time slowly honing his martial arts. "The border is about to descend into chaos; to quickly enhance my combat power in the short term, learning a few more martial arts is definitely a worthwhile endeavor."
His Ancient Hammer Technique had already been grasped, and now it was time to repeatedly practice some hammer techniques. Over time, he would gradually cultivate external strength.
For others, this was generally the case: spending a lifetime mastering one martial art while taking on one or two others as secondary studies was the way to progress further in martial arts.
Each martial art has its own focus; unless it is a top-tier martial art, it is impossible to balance them all.
Gradually, Li Qing immersed himself in the realm of the Hungry Tiger Pouncing Scroll.
This martial art was created by a powerful warrior, and within this scroll not only lay the essence of the martial art but also the martial will and intent left behind by that strong individual.
After a long while, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes, realizing that he had unconsciously assumed the stance of the Hungry Tiger Pouncing.
"This martial art primarily hones the limbs; if practiced to great success, one would at least be a master of internal strength," Li Qing's lips gradually curved into a smile as he continued to speak to himself, "The essence within the scroll is rich, but without a tangible form, having never seen a real tiger, it is indeed difficult to practice, even to the point of entry."
The Yan family likely thought that Li Qing would never have the chance to see a real tiger in his lifetime, unable to personally understand the ferocity of a tiger, making it hard to master such a fierce and domineering martial art.
However, what they did not know was that the image of a tiger had long been deeply imprinted in Li Qing's mind from his previous life.
Not to mention at the zoo, he had seen many documentaries featuring tigers, naturally understanding what a fierce species it was.
Within this Hungry Tiger Scroll, Li Qing comprehended three levels of this martial art.
They were Tiger Form, Tiger Intent, and Tiger Spirit!
From form, intent, and spirit, the ferocity of a tiger was perfectly embodied.
"There are no written records left behind, but this method of passing down martial arts through intent has its unique merits. When practicing the Tiger Intent and Tiger Spirit levels, one can gain considerable assistance."
At this point, Li Qing suddenly tensed his left arm, the muscles and veins on his arm bulging suddenly, and his hands appeared incredibly fierce.
"The creator of this martial art probably never imagined that the sun would one day disappear, making it nearly impossible to find a tiger to observe."
"Yet, it has benefited me!"
That day, Li Qing practiced this fierce tiger martial art in the courtyard, completely absorbed in it.
Over time, he seemed to have been tainted by a certain ferocity, wild like a beast.
He moved about the courtyard like a true tiger, leaping and bounding, the air crackling with each punch and palm strike.
After about three to four hours, he finally retracted his stance, utterly exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon.
"Ha!"
Sweat streamed down him like a flowing stream, and in the cold air, heat radiated from his entire body.
In the pitch-black courtyard, Li Qing opened his eyes, seemingly glowing with a green light.
Feelings of hunger and fatigue surged over him like a tide.
Yet, he felt exhilarated; this martial art suited him perfectly, bold and vigorous, following a fierce path!
(End of Chapter)