The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 11 Strengthening the Body, Nourishing Blood, and Enhancing Vitality
Hong Yuan did have ideas about the Huang family's business, since medicinal baths could improve physical constitution, but he also knew that achieving his goal was unrealistic.

It's not that he could take over the Huang family just by killing Huang Shaotang and Huang Guiling. Huang Guiling has more than just Huang Shaotang as a son.

Moreover, the Huang family has many members, so it's impossible for Hong Yuan to be the one to claim them. Even if all of them were killed, there would still be other wealthy families and even officials eyeing this piece of meat!
Spring Water Lane, Yang Family Martial Arts School.

They asked two people for directions along the way and found the place without much trouble. They were standing outside the door looking inside.

The martial arts school's doors were wide open, revealing a spacious area. Hong Yuan had expected to hear loud shouts and hear many disciples practicing with swords, spears, and staffs, as well as sparring. However, the place was quiet and deserted.

If it weren't for the four characters "Yang Family Martial Arts School" written on the plaque above the door, he would have thought he had come to the wrong place.

After a moment's hesitation, a figure stepped forward to greet him, smiling before speaking: "Brother Hong, you've arrived. Please come in."

Yang Lie greeted him with a smile and invited him inside.

Stepping through the gate, Hong Yuan looked around. This was a training ground. On the left, more than twenty jujube wood stakes were deeply embedded in the ground, each bearing the marks of punches and kicks.

Stone locks and weapon racks were placed in the right corner.

Noticing Hong Yuan's confusion, Yang Lie explained, "Isn't it because there was something important? So Uncle sent the apprentices back and told them not to come to the martial arts school for the next few days."

Hong Yuan then realized what was so important, and the answer was obvious.

"However, even under normal circumstances, there are never more than twenty apprentices in this school."

As Yang Lie walked, he said, "Although Linjiang Prefecture is rich, Yangquan County is still just a small county town. It's a case of 'the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts,' so how many people can afford the tuition? Besides, there's more than just the Yang Family Martial Arts School in this county town."

How are tuition fees collected?

Hong Yuan became interested.

Crossing the square, you are greeted by four main rooms with green walls and white tiles, which are significantly more upscale than the surrounding residences.

There is a passageway in the middle of the main building, leading to two rows of five side rooms on the left and right. The large open space in the middle is still set up as a training ground.

At this moment, Wu Duxiong was wearing a short brown shirt and shorts. His arms were muscular and his thighs were thick and powerful. He was punching and kicking the wooden stake in front of him, and the 'thump thump' sounds were continuous, like the beating of a drum!

The wooden stake vibrated and shook incessantly, looking as if it might burst open at any moment.

Yang Lie found a recliner, slumped down, and let out a comfortable sigh before answering Hong Yuan's question: "Apprentices receive three taels a month, while nominal disciples receive ten taels a month. If you want private tutoring, there will be an additional fee."

With most people earning an average of only two coins a month, this price is astronomical.

"How could there be such a big difference? Is it because the teachings are different?"

"No! Whether you're an apprentice or a nominal disciple, what you learn is largely the same." Yang Lie shook his head and said with a faint smile, "What are you seeking when you practice martial arts? Isn't it to strengthen your muscles and bones and make your blood and qi vigorous! When your physique and blood and qi are strong, you can naturally fight."

"We need to strengthen our bodies and nourish our blood!"

"What can a martial arts school teach? Nothing more than stance training, methods to strengthen muscles and bones, and guiding exercises! Apprentices and nominal disciples can learn these things, but the difficulty lies in mastering them. This cannot be achieved through hard work alone; it requires both physical strength and medicinal support!"

Yang Lie said calmly, "Without meat, how can you strengthen your muscles and bones and increase your qi and blood? The more you train blindly, the more you'll ruin yourself. Without medicine, what will you do if you get injured? How will you replenish your depleted qi and blood?" "Regular disciples pay more money, so the martial arts school provides more meat. They have three meals a day of carefully prepared food, three medicinal baths a month, and a secret-recipe ointment. As for apprentices, not to mention what they eat, their injury medicine is nothing more than some blood-activating medicinal wine and medicine for bruises and sprains..."

“Of course, there are always some exceptions in this world…” Yang Lie paused, then turned his gaze to Hong Yuan, a hint of envy on his face: “For example, Brother Hong is exceptionally talented, with a strong physique and abundant blood and qi. I could never match such talent even after ten years of training.”

"Brother Hong's skill is due to his quick reflexes, but he hasn't actually studied martial arts, has he?"

“That’s true.” Hong Yuan nodded.

"I'm truly envious!" Yang Lie sighed and said, "I've practiced martial arts for over ten years, and I've only barely managed to control my qi and blood. I dare not take the next step lightly, for fear that I might injure myself if I'm not careful. But if Brother Hong gets guidance from a master, I'm afraid it won't be long before he catches up with me."

Yang Lie was implying something.

Hong Yuan understood his meaning perfectly well; he wanted to lure him into the Yang Family Martial Arts School. Otherwise, why would he have invited him here, and now he was going to the trouble of explaining?

Hong Yuan would not object if Yang Erhu could become his disciple.

Moreover, once he becomes an apprentice, he will probably not be an apprentice or a nominal disciple, but will directly become a true disciple, since others offer themselves up and pay money, while he is invited.

Yang Erhu was attracted by his talent, and he also coveted the opportunity to learn martial arts systematically.

Hong Yuan smiled and asked, "I wonder what Brother Yang means by 'next step'?"

Yang Lie clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and his hair stood on end. Suddenly, he threw a punch, his arm cracking with a crisp sound. He shook his head and sighed, "Strengthening the body and nourishing the blood is important, but no matter how strong your body is or how vigorous your blood and energy are, all you're doing is brute force!"

"This kind of force is brute force, it doesn't produce any change, and the body's vital energy is also dissipated!"

"Qi and blood exist within the human body, formless and intangible, invisible and intangible. To gather this formless and scattered qi and blood into a unified whole, one must use guiding techniques to direct it, use breathing methods to control it, and use breathing methods to govern qi and blood, transforming it into a real and tangible force!"

"Only when you have mastered the skill and developed the 'true strength' can you be considered a true master, capable of taking on ten opponents at once. Even at the age of fifty or sixty, as long as you can still control your qi and blood, you can kill a bull with a single punch when your true strength is unleashed."

"Breathing technique?" Hong Yuan's heart stirred. It seemed that this was the core technique that apprentices and nominal disciples could not access.

Hong Yuan doesn't believe that "one against ten" refers to ten ordinary people. Given Yang Lie's skill, defeating ten ordinary people would be easy. The "ten" is likely a figurative expression, or perhaps refers to ten elite soldiers.

Hong Yuan's initial stats were already extremely high; if he continued to improve his physique and blood energy, and then entered the realm of true energy, he would only become stronger.

"I wonder what realm lies beyond True Strength in this martial arts path?" Hong Yuan was determined to find out the extraordinary path of this world.

Yang Lie was stunned for a moment, and before he could answer, a side room on the left creaked open, and Yang Erhu, who had also changed into short clothes, walked into the training ground. He shook his head and said, "If you have mastered martial arts to the true level and are still young and strong, you can only continue to temper your body and nourish your qi and blood. Or, when you reach my age, you can only practice meditation from time to time, control your qi and blood, and preserve your fighting strength..."

Yang Erhu smiled and sighed, "What path is there beyond true strength? When I was young, I traveled to several states and never saw such a master. At most, they just played some tricks on the changes in strength."

As he spoke, he walked steadily to the center of the field.

At the same time, Wu Duxiong had long since stopped hitting the wooden stakes. He took a deep breath, his chest and abdomen swelling up like a big toad. After a moment, he slowly exhaled a wisp of white air, showing no signs of fatigue, but rather radiating energy.

"Senior brother, it's been seven or eight years since we last sparred, hasn't it? I wonder how much of your skill you still retain?"

(End of this chapter)