High-level martial arts: Start with a grueling grind for the Golden Bell Shield.

The first hurdle in martial arts training is condensing one's Qi and blood.

Countless talented but unsuccessful people have been eliminated.

Lu Lin felt that working in isolation was not a solution.

After leaving the courtyard, Lu Lin had a hearty meal by the roadside and headed towards the Chen residence. He planned to ask Chen Hongzhi if he could gain any experience.

However, when Lu Lin arrived at a certain place, he saw a large crowd gathered there.

"So this is the murderer. He really does look fierce."

"Things in Jinshan Prefecture haven't been very peaceful lately, so it's best to go home early tonight. That's all for now."

Lu Lin peeked out and saw several yamen runners posting wanted posters.

After the notice was posted, the yamen runners read the contents of the arrest warrant to the onlookers.

"A heinous crime occurred a month ago. A notorious thief, acting in collusion with an insider, murdered Du Fei, a member of the Fierce Tiger Gang, and stole a rare treasure."

"During their escape, the master thief killed three members of the Fierce Tiger Gang. Subsequently, the three thieves started fighting amongst themselves over the division of the loot."

"One of them killed Li Chengwu, the swift swordsman, and Cui Sanniang, the leader of the bandits in the evil mountains, and left with rare treasures."

"The whereabouts of the notorious thief are currently unknown, and the priceless treasure is still in his possession."

"The general public should pay attention to safety when walking at night. If they encounter a thief, they should report it to the authorities immediately. Anyone who knows about a thief but fails to report it will be punished the same as the thief."

"Alright, take a look. This is what the notorious thief looks like. If you see him, be sure to report it."

After the two constables who posted the arrest warrants finished speaking, they left.

Lu Lin was quite far away, but he still heard the story clearly.

The Fierce Tiger Gang, the man in black, and Cui Sanniang.

Isn't this what he did last time?

Could it be that someone saw his face that night?

Lu Lin lowered his head, raised his hand to cover his face, and moved forward with the crowd.

He had inquired about this matter before, but had not heard a word about it. He never expected to be targeted by the yamen runners at this crucial moment.

After seeing the faces of the bandits on the wanted poster, the people in front of them all left, discussing among themselves.

When Lu Lin got closer to take a look...

He immediately burst into laughter.

The wanted poster depicts a bald, burly man with a thick beard, a scar above his left eye, and a strong neck.

Subconsciously glancing at his own figure, Lu Lin lowered his right hand that was covering his face.

This person's appearance bears no resemblance to him whatsoever.

I don't know who drew it.

Even if the government officials searched the ends of the earth with this portrait, they would never be able to find Lu Lin.

Lu Lin withdrew from the crowd.

Although the government offices were unreliable, it still served as a wake-up call for Lu Lin.

The reason this portrait appeared is likely because he punched the man in black to death and then violently kicked and trampled Cui Sanniang to death.

Although his physical appearance hadn't changed much, his strength was considerable, and it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't be noticed by someone with ulterior motives.

To avoid this, you should learn a weapon technique.

However, Lu Lin couldn't contact Mr. Hou again in the short term.

After all, their skills weren't obtained casually, and they had to charge tuition fees to teach their students at the martial arts school.

Let's wait and see how things unfold.

……

I went to the Chen residence.

Lu Lin found Chen Hongzhi, but didn't hear any useful information.

Chen Hongzhi's advancement to the Skin Refining stage was, in his words, a natural progression, a natural outcome.

However, judging from his appearance, Chen Hongzhi's advancement also involved a lot of clever tricks, and he probably doesn't even know how it happened.

The next day.

While sparring with his fellow students at the martial arts school, Lu Lin also consulted with several of his fellow disciples who were at the Skin Refining level.

The answers are no different.

Gathering Qi and blood is a long and unpredictable process.

Some people are talented and lucky; after obtaining the Blood Coagulation Technique, they may be able to advance to the Skin Refining level in less than half a day.

And just like Senior Brother Song before, there are quite a few who cultivate for seven or eight years before suddenly achieving enlightenment and advancing to the Skin Refining stage.

More often than not, they never manage to advance in their entire lives.

It seems I'll have to figure this out myself.

When Lu Lin returned home that evening, he took out the Four Seasons Blood Clotting Method that Mr. Hou had given him and studied it carefully.

But after just one glance, Lu Lin slapped himself on the forehead in anger.

"I was so stupid, so stupid!"

The Four Seasons Blood Clotting Method clearly provides diagrams illustrating the practice of four stance exercises.

However, Lu Lin subconsciously thought that stance training was for beginners in martial arts, and he overlooked this point.

He carefully studied it several times to make sure he had memorized the practice method of Spring Breeze Stance before standing in the courtyard to begin practicing.

A quarter of an hour, then a quarter of an hour.

When Lu Lin had been standing for an hour, he suddenly felt a warm current flowing through his feet.

Lu Lin's expression brightened with joy.

"There's hope! Hang in there!"

Even with his strong physique, Lu Lin felt the muscles in his legs trembling and burning.

Perhaps the next second, Lu Lin will collapse.

But with an overwhelming will, Lu Lin managed to hold on for another half an hour.

"I can feel it! I can feel it!"

Ignoring his extremely weak legs, Lu Lin sat on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to gather his qi and blood.

One strand, two strands, three strands.

Before long, Lu Lin condensed an even more powerful wisp of qi and blood composed of twelve strands of qi and blood.

"Mr. Hou is absolutely right. As long as I cultivate according to the Four Seasons Blood Coagulation Method, I will be able to condense all the blood and qi in my body, open the acupoints of my body, and enter the Skin Refining level in at most one month."

Lu Lin was full of confidence.

……

A month has passed quietly.

In mid-July.

Jinshan Prefecture is much more lively now.

It's not just because of the weather.

Furthermore, with the Mozhu Academy's grand examination approaching, young people from many major cities and counties in Qinbei Prefecture gathered in Jinshan Prefecture.

The streets and alleys are now filled with the energetic figures of many young people.

Of course, this has also been accompanied by a number of security incidents.

The yamen runners and constables of Jinshan Prefecture have been increasing their numbers several times, keeping them extremely busy.

However, none of this concerns Lu Lin.

A month of accumulation.

A month of hard work.

Finally, today, Lu Lin received an answer that satisfied him.

He condensed all the qi and blood in his body into one stream.

Scorching hot.

Magnificent.

active.

As his qi and blood condensed, Lu Lin's strength increased even further.

Lu Lin wielded the hundred-pound stone lock in the Chen family's martial arts arena with ease, making his sparring partners excited and cheering him on.

Lu Lin threw down the stone lock.

They went to rest.

If the timing weren't so bad, he would have liked to break through to the Skin Refining level right here.

After finally making it to noon, Lu Lin asked someone to inform the martial arts school of his absence and then quickly walked back to the courtyard.

Concentrate.

Calm down.

Lu Lin practiced each of the four stances in the Four Seasons Blood Coagulation Method before suppressing his excitement.

"Start your journey in leather crafting today!"

Lu Lin sat down cross-legged.

Enter the mind.

The condensed qi and blood within his body, like a pillar of fire, exuded astonishing power.

"Open all the acupoints in my body!"

Lu Lin manipulated the pillar of qi and blood, and slammed it upwards.

next second!

boom--

The pillars of fire scattered.

Like thousands of fireworks bursting forth, it was magnificent and dazzling.

Lu Lin was completely stunned.

impossible!

His vital energy and blood are incredibly strong.

He was in no way inferior to a true skin-refining martial artist.

How is that possible!

How could it possibly fail when breaking through the body's acupoints!