Becoming a martial arts saint starting with Black Tiger Fist

"Good lad, he's actually managed to break through the bottleneck and forge his bones without making a sound!"

Jiang Cheng suppressed his shock and patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder with a smile.

"I succeeded by sheer luck!" Chen Yuan said modestly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"Without such desperate efforts, success would be impossible, no matter how lucky you are."

Jiang Cheng walked to a stone bench and sat down, gesturing for Chen Yuan to sit as well.

"In martial arts training, skin polishing is the foundation for building a strong physique, while bone forging is the true beginning to touch the essence of power."

He stretched out one hand, slowly clenched his fist, and the knuckles made a crisp sound.

"The martial artist who 'sharpenes his skin' generates power from his flesh and blood. His muscles are strong and powerful, and his strength is obvious. The process of generating power can be clearly seen by others. This is called Ming Jin (manifested strength)."

"The Bone Forging Martial Artist's power penetrates through his muscles and bones. The process of exerting power is subtle and difficult to detect. There is no obvious sense of distance when exerting power. He can unleash powerful force within a small area. This is called Hidden Force."

As he spoke, Jiang Cheng casually picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground and placed it on the stone table.

"Watch closely."

He gently raised his right fist, pressing it firmly against the rock.

Chen Yuan didn't see Jiang Cheng make any obvious moves. Suddenly, the surface of the stone cracked open with a "crack" and then exploded into seven or eight pieces with a "bang"!

Chen Yuan's pupils contracted.

He examined it closely and discovered that extremely fine powder was scattered from the broken parts of the stone. This was a sign that a highly concentrated force had penetrated into the stone and shattered it from the inside out.

"This is hidden strength." Jiang Cheng said seriously, withdrawing his fist. "Martial artists in the Bone Forging Realm have bones as tough as iron, capable of withstanding even stronger bursts of power."

"During the skin-refining stage, you rely on muscle contraction and fascia stretching to generate power. After bone strengthening, you need to learn to use bones as the axis and joints as the pivot, gathering all the power in your body into your muscles and bones, and then unleashing it."

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

He tried for a moment, then shook his head: "Master, I understand the principle, but to put it into practice, I still need time to experience it."

"No rush." ​​Jiang Cheng rarely smiled. "Starting tomorrow, I will personally teach you for half an hour every morning."

Chen Yuan was overjoyed and quickly clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Master!"

"Each realm of martial arts requires a massive amount of vital energy to hone," he paused, then finally asked, "Do you have enough resources now?"

Chen Yuan frankly said, "Senior Brother Zhou's support hasn't stopped, and with the prize I won last time, I occasionally go fishing in the river to supplement my income. It's enough for the skin-refining stage, but as for the bone-forging stage... it should be difficult to sustain."

Jiang Cheng pondered for a moment and said, "The most commonly used and effective resource in the bone forging stage is the Bone-Changing Pill, which can greatly increase the progress of qi and blood in forging bones. You can come to me every month to get five pills. You'll have to find a way to get the rest yourself."

Chen Yuan's expression brightened, and he quickly clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Master!"

"Alright, that's enough for tonight. Go back and properly experience the mysteries of bone forging to consolidate your realm." Jiang Cheng waved his hand.

Chen Yuan bowed and turned to leave.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Cheng stood alone in the training ground, watching Chen Yuan's departing figure, motionless for a long time.

"A person with inferior physique has actually completed bone forging in less than four months. What a freak!" he muttered to himself, a hint of disbelief still on his face.

Jiang Cheng believed that if Li Hao hadn't appeared, he would most likely have taken Chen Yuan as his last disciple and devoted all his resources to nurturing him.

This child not only possesses exceptional comprehension but also exhibits a calm and composed temperament, knowing when to advance and when to retreat; he is truly a gem of talent.

"Unfortunately, Li Hao's talent is still a notch above his own, and he could have gone much further in the future."

Jiang Cheng shook his head and turned back to the backyard.

But that night, he couldn't sleep at all.

Over the next few days, Chen Yuan's daily routine remained regular.

Every day before dawn, he would get up early to practice his swordsmanship. The Tiger Fiend Sword Technique became more and more refined in his hands, and its fierce aura gradually solidified.

In the courtyard, Chen Yuan stood shirtless, revealing his well-proportioned and muscular physique. He held a large iron sword, slicing through the air with sharp, piercing sounds, exuding an imposing aura.

After breaking through the Bone Forging Breakthrough, his Qi and Blood increased several times over, making him wield the greatsword with greater ease and control over his swordsmanship.

As the blade swept across, the malevolent aura condensed and did not dissipate. The snow falling from the sky was pulverized by the invisible malevolent aura before it even touched the blade.

With a faint tiger's roar, the Tiger Demon Blade naturally reached its peak.

[Tiger Saber: Dacheng (1/2000)]

As dawn broke, when Chen Yuan arrived at Jiang Courtyard, the disciples had already begun their morning exercises.

As usual, he stood silently in a corner of the inner courtyard, his Qi and blood circulating smoothly throughout his body.

After the initial bone forging is completed, the Qi and blood are contained internally. If not carefully examined, the difference from the skin resurfacing stage is not obvious.

Jiang Cheng strolled out from the backyard with his hands behind his back, stood under the hanging flower gate between the inner and outer courtyards, and his gaze habitually swept across the entire area, pausing for a moment on a few new disciples in the outer courtyard.

These students are of average talent, and teaching them requires considerable effort. Luo Heng, who was originally in charge of teaching the new disciples, had to take leave due to family matters the day before yesterday.

His gaze wandered, passing over several senior disciples in the inner courtyard who were practicing diligently on their own, and finally settled on Chen Yuan.

Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Chen Yuan."

Chen Yuan finished his stance, turned around, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Master."

"Hmm." Jiang Cheng nodded, his tone calm and composed. He pointed to the few new disciples in the outer courtyard who were secretly peeking in their direction. "Go and mentor Wang Dahu and the others."

Although the disciples were practicing on their own, they heard Jiang Cheng's words quite clearly, and their faces showed surprise.

Instructing new disciples, especially correcting fundamental yet crucial stance training, has always been the responsibility of senior disciples who have reached the Bone Forging Realm and have a solid foundation.

But isn't Chen Yuan still getting his skin smoothed out? And he's only been trying to break through for three months.

Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He recalled the scene when Senior Brother Zhou taught him, and smiled freely. Was it now his turn to teach new disciples?

He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes, Master."

After saying that, he walked towards the few somewhat hesitant new disciples.

One of the disciples had just arrived yesterday and had not yet found the feeling of stance; his posture was crooked and he was struggling to stand.

"Wang Dahu, is that you? Your posture is way off. Get up and stand up again!"

Chen Yuan's voice was steady, "Place your weight on the Yongquan point (Kidney 1), tuck your tailbone in, tuck your chest and straighten your back..."

As he spoke, he corrected the other person's posture.

On the other side, a disciple who entered the sect at the same time as Chen Yuan and was still not yet in the throes of youth couldn't help but lower his voice, filled with incredulous doubt: "Why did Master let Senior Brother Chen mentor a newcomer?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

Another disciple, slightly more senior, stared intently at Chen Yuan, a vague yet startling thought suddenly flashing through his mind.

His throat felt dry, and he murmured, "Could it be that Senior Brother Chen...?"

That whisper seemed to ignite a fuse.

Whoosh! Almost everyone's eyes were once again focused on Chen Yuan.

Although not much different from before, the restrained yet steady sense of weight is ultimately different from when the skin was smoothed.

Finally, one of the more straightforward disciples couldn't hold back any longer and, when Chen Yuan paused his explanation, raised his voice and asked, "Senior Brother Chen, have you already completed the bone forging process?"

When he asked this question, his face showed a complex mix of anticipation, shock, and disbelief.