Can diligence compensate for lack of talent? But I'm a martial arts genius!

"escape!"

Some of the quick-thinking bandits turned and fled into the depths of Tiger Mountain Ravine without hesitation, knowing that all was lost.

"Don't leave!"

Zhou Huai and other militiamen took the opportunity to pursue and kill them.

In the end, only a few bandits escaped into the deep mountains and disappeared without a trace.

"You...you won?"

The militiamen, having survived the ordeal, were panting heavily, but their faces were full of excitement.

Originally, they were uneasy when facing this group of vicious bandits, thinking that it might be a calamity they could not survive, but now they have won a great victory!

"Thanks to Mr. Niu!"

However, everyone knew that Su Changqing was absolutely the one who made the greatest contribution to achieving such results.

Before long, everything calmed down, and the forest was littered with corpses. The militiamen began to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded.

"There's a chest of gold and silver jewelry!"

The group also seized the bandits' spoils, a box full of gold and silver jewelry, roughly estimated to be worth five or six hundred taels. According to the previous agreement, half of the spoils belonged to Su Changqing!

"Mr. Niu, we are so grateful for your righteous help this time. Otherwise, the three heroes of Mangshan would not have been so easy to deal with."

Zhou Huai thanked Su Changqing gratefully, saying that if Su Changqing hadn't forcefully killed the three leaders of Mangshan, the outcome would never have been like this.

"It's alright, just don't forget what you promised me."

Su Changqing shook his head and reminded Zhou Huai.

Su Changqing helped Zhou Huai suppress the bandits in order to get Zhou Huai to provide him with the medicine he needed to aid in refining his body!

"Mr. Niu, rest assured, I have access to the medicinal herbs and will supply them to you at the lowest possible cost!"

Zhou Huai assured him that he had an official position and channels to obtain medicinal herbs, provided he had the money.

Su Changqing nodded in satisfaction at Zhou Huai's assurance.

After a flurry of activity, he bid farewell to Zhou Huai, who was still cleaning up the mess, and left. He planned to contact Zhou Huai again in a few days to get what he wanted!

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

"call!"

In the courtyard where Su Changqing lived, he lay quietly on a wooden chair, seemingly dozing off, but in fact he was breathing deeply. His breathing was steady and powerful, as if there were wisps of mist circulating around his mouth and nose.

[Breathing Technique Training Progress +1%!]

After an incense stick's time, he completed a small cycle of breathing exercises. A prompt appeared before Su Changqing's eyes, and he stopped only after feeling a slight strain in his lungs.

"Since the practice of breathing techniques is solid and steady, let's try the effects of this purifying medicine, 'Eight Treasures Soup'."

Su Changqing licked his lips, sniffed lightly, and went to the stove in the kitchen, where the simmering medicine was already emitting a strong medicinal aroma.

Opening the pot lid reveals a pot of medicinal soup made from various herbs. It has a dark color and a bitter smell.

This is the "Eight Treasures Soup," an auxiliary medicine for refining the body, which was purchased through Zhou Huai's connections.

Eight Treasures Soup, as its name suggests, is a medicinal soup made from eight rare and precious medicinal herbs. It is quite expensive, costing ten taels of silver for just one dose! Even though one dose can be used to make multiple soups, it is still unaffordable for some moderately wealthy families!

"Let's see how it goes."

Su Changqing scooped up a large bowl of Eight Treasures Soup and swallowed it down, circulating his qi and blood to refine the medicinal soup.

"Um?"

Soon, as the medicinal effects dissipated, a look of surprise flashed in Su Changqing's eyes. He could feel the flow of the medicinal power, which brought a warm sensation to his internal organs!

"This Eight Treasures Soup truly lives up to its price, accelerating the growth of my internal organs. At this rate, reaching the peak of the Internal Refinement stage is only a matter of time!"

Su Changqing nodded with satisfaction. You get what you pay for. The saying "poor scholar, rich warrior" is not just a saying. With the Eight Treasures Soup to aid in the purification process, the speed and efficiency are incomparable to those without it!

"The training of hard qigong cannot be neglected either; let's first advance it to the 5th level!"

Su Changqing is full of energy.

The fifth realm represents the pinnacle of skill, which is theoretically the highest level a normal person can reach in mastering a martial art. It requires exceptional talent and decades of dedicated, unwavering practice to achieve this level.

But for Su Changqing, who is destined to make up for his lack of talent through diligence, coupled with his extraordinary aptitude and comprehension, mastering a martial art to its peak is simply a matter of hard work and time!

Having helped Zhou Huai wipe out the bandits, Su Changqing reaped considerable rewards. Coupled with his salary from the Black Wolf Gang, he could afford to spend a large sum of money each month on Eight Treasures Soup to aid his cultivation. Su Changqing then entered into an incredibly peaceful state of cultivation.

Aside from chopping wood every day, he practiced martial arts, putting a lot of energy into breathing techniques, hard qigong, and the Wild Bull Fist. Naturally, this resulted in visible progress every day!

Time flies, and regardless of the scorching heat or bitter cold, Su Changqing's efforts did not slacken, and he spent an extremely peaceful six months in this way.

On this day, deep in the Woniu Mountain, Su Changqing stood quietly, but the blood and qi in his body were boiling rapidly. Compared with half a year ago, his blood and qi were nearly twice as strong as before!

[Hard Qigong training progress +1%!]

[The Pinnacle of Hard Qigong (1%): One practice per day, achievable in eighty years]

Hard Qigong, this external martial art, has finally achieved a breakthrough today through Su Changqing's arduous training, reaching its pinnacle.

"call!"

Su Changqing took a deep breath, inhaling a large amount of air into his lungs, which mixed with his blood and qi, transforming into a qi that enhanced his bodily functions and filled his entire body. This was already the activation of 'Hard Qigong'.

But unlike before, Qi and blood not only fill the skin and muscles, but now they are even gradually penetrating into the bones!

"Crackling! Crackling!"

Then, a series of thunderous explosions were heard. Su Changqing's muscles swelled to their maximum, and his blood and qi filled his bones and muscles, making his bones as hard as iron. He even grew more than half a foot taller, making his already tall figure extremely burly, like an iron tower.

Power! An unprecedented power surged through Su Changqing's limbs and bones! It made him feel as if he possessed divine power that could shake the earth, and he couldn't help but unleash it!

"Drink!"

Su Changqing let out a roar, then suddenly raised his right leg high, poured all his strength into it, and stomped it down hard on the ground.

"boom!"

Su Changqing's right leg felt like a heavy iron pillar, pressing down on the ground and causing the earth to groan under its strain. The soil and rocks sank and cracked, scattering and flying like bullets.

With Su Changqing's stomp, a crater more than half a meter in diameter appeared beneath his feet! It was as if he had been trampled by a giant beast!

It's hard to imagine that such a blow, if it were to land on a human body, would inevitably result in blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Su Changqing was not satisfied. He looked at a blue stone covered with moss and nearly half a meter in diameter in front of him, strode over, grabbed one corner of the blue stone with both hands, then exhaled loudly, his arm muscles bulged, and then exerted force violently!

"Click click click!"

The vines that were wrapped around the bluestone snapped off, and Su Changqing actually picked up the entire bluestone and held it high above his head!

This scene is enough to send chills down your spine.

You should know that rocks are extremely heavy. This bluestone with a diameter of half a meter must weigh at least a thousand kilograms, yet Su Changqing lifted it up by himself. This is simply as if he had superhuman strength!

"boom!"

Su Changqing swung his arms and threw the bluestone more than ten feet away, where it crashed heavily to the ground, causing the surrounding ground to tremble.

"Whoosh... Powerful! Incredibly powerful! When this hard qigong is cultivated to its pinnacle, I can fill my bones with qi and blood, making me feel as if I have skin of copper and bones of iron. The strength of my physical body is terrifying!"

After the release, Su Changqing was panting heavily, but he felt completely satisfied, and his eyes were filled with undisguised excitement and joy.

The original hard qigong could only fill the skin and muscles with qi and blood, but now it can penetrate deep into the bones, giving one a body that seems to be made of copper and iron, and the ability to lift a thousand pounds of weight with both arms, which is terrifying.

"Hard qigong, a type of external physical training, may seem like something anyone can learn, but it's actually the most difficult martial art, requiring the most talent, just like physical training..."

Su Changqing thought to himself.

Physical training seems simple; anyone can improve their health through training as long as they have perseverance and willpower. However, it actually depends a lot on talent. Some people train hard but can only reach an amateur level at best, while others can reach the world's top level. This is the difference in physical talent. The same applies to hard qigong!

Su Changqing's efforts and talent far surpassed those of ordinary people, which enabled him to cultivate hard qigong to the highest level!

"When my hard qigong is unleashed at full power, my physique is probably comparable to that of an average martial artist at the Divine Strength Realm... Facing the three heroes of Mangshan again, it was a complete one-sided humiliation, like an adult beating a child!"

Su Changqing loosely clenched his fists, feeling the power surging between his fingers, and a sense of confidence welled up in his heart.

His mastery of hard qigong has reached its pinnacle, elevating his strength to a whole new level!