Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

The door is closed.

The sound of Aunt Cheng chopping vegetables in the kitchen was muffled by the earthen wall, each chop sounding dull and heavy, like a tap on the heart.

Jiang Lan sat cross-legged on the bed, closing her eyes and concentrating.

The dantian was mostly empty, and the strength was like a shallow beach after the tide receded, leaving only a thin layer. It would become weak as soon as one tried to breathe.

He took a deep breath, held it in, and swallowed the air, which churned his stomach and intestines.

The abdomen slowly swelled up, like a sac filled with air, taut and hard.

The internal energy rises from the dantian, travels up the spine, and when it passes the lumbar vertebrae, the joints make a series of crisp, crackling sounds.

Open your eyes after finishing the exercise.

[Introduction to Visceral Strength (86/100)]

Today's battle has taken a heavy toll, leaving only four Qi-Nourishing Pills, which I must consume.

Jiang Lan took out a packet of oil paper from the drawer, picked up a pill, and swallowed it.

The medicine spread instantly, and a surge of heat rose from the stomach, coursing through the body.

The courtyard gate suddenly slammed shut.

Song Kui's voice came through the door: "Brother Jiang, Chief Huo has arrived."

Jiang Lan pushed open the door and went out.

Huo Yuanlong stood in the courtyard, with two people carrying a wooden box behind him, their expressions solemn.

Cheng Erniang peeked out from the kitchen, caught a glimpse of the commotion, and immediately shrank back, not daring to say another word.

"Let's go inside and talk," Huo Yuanlong gestured, his tone cold and indifferent.

The two entered the house, the door closing behind them. He scanned Jiang Lan from head to toe, his gaze settling on her bandaged hand: "How is the injury?"

"A superficial injury." Jiang Lan's tone was calm and unwavering.

"Wang Yaozu is dead." Huo Yuanlong said directly after sitting down. "He died on the way to the clinic. The Zhao family took the body away, and Zhao Chongyuan immediately put it in a coffin and sent it back to his hometown."

Jiang Lan had anticipated this.

The force of the chokehold penetrated to the bone, directly severing the opponent's throat and blood vessels, leaving no chance of survival.

"What is the Zhao family's reaction?" he asked, raising his eyes.

"You remain calm on the surface." Huo Yuanlong tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his words carrying a hidden edge. "Zhao Chongyuan's 'Let's get together at his residence another day' was just a polite gesture; he would never actually invite you."

"But his nephew Zhao Kun is not convinced." Huo Yuanlong glanced at Jiang Lan and said in a more serious tone, "The boy who challenged you in the alley, although Zhao Chongyuan stopped him, will not let it go so easily given his arrogant nature."

Jiang Lan frowned slightly, then relaxed in an instant, and nodded lightly: "I understand."

Huo Yuanlong leaned down and lowered his voice: "My men have found out that Zhou Liang of Cangsong Martial Arts School has been staying at home since he passed the imperial examination last time. Now Shi Wenshan is personally giving him extra help to break through the nine acupoints."

Jiang Lan looked up, a hint of surprise flashing across her eyes, before she understood.

Zhou Liang was already quite talented, and with Shi Wenshan's dedicated cultivation, his rapid advancement was to be expected.

"The conflict between Cangsong Martial Arts School and your Guangchang Martial Arts School is now irreconcilable." Huo Yuanlong's voice deepened. "If he can cripple Zhao Heng, he can cripple you. Once Zhou Liang succeeds in breaking through, he will be even more difficult to deal with than Wang Yaozu."

Jiang Lan remained silent for a moment, then asked in a cold, hard voice, "When will you emerge from seclusion?"

"Unknown. It could take ten days to half a month, or as long as three months." Huo Yuanlong looked directly at him. "But if you want to take the position, he will emerge from seclusion tomorrow."

After saying that, he took out a silver note and a cloth bag tied with a red rope and pushed them to the table.

The words "fifty taels" were clearly visible on the silver note, and the cloth bag was bulging with pills.

"You'll still get your 20% share. This extra reward is a small token of the Canal Gang's appreciation." Huo Yuanlong pushed the bag over. "Fifteen Qi-Nourishing Pills. Use them first, and if you need more, go to the warehouse."

Jiang Lan looked at the object in front of her but did not move.

"Chief Huo, I've already taken 20% of the shares. This battle is my duty, there's no need for all this."

"Duty is duty, and merit is merit." Huo Yuanlong interrupted him, his tone brooking no refusal. "You saved the Cao Gang from this calamity; I can't let you shed blood in vain. Accept it."

Jiang Lan no longer refused, stuffing the silver notes into his pocket and putting the cloth bag into a drawer. The oil paper package bulged, containing nineteen Qi-Nourishing Pills, enough to support his cultivation.

Huo Yuanlong stood up: "I'll send you the 20% shareholding agreement in two days. You can sign it. Focus on recovering from your injury." As he walked to the door, he turned back and instructed, "I've already sent people to keep an eye on the Zhao family and Cangsong Martial Arts School. Song Kui will report any movement. Be extra careful."

The door closed, and the room returned to silence.

Jiang Lan sat back on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. The medicinal effects circulated, and his Baihui acupoint throbbed. He did not force himself to cultivate anymore, but lay on the bed, listening to the continuous chopping sounds coming from the kitchen.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard wall.

They weren't just passing by; the two stopped at the alley entrance and whispered to each other.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes, Young Master Zhao Kun sent someone to investigate."

"What are you looking for? The person didn't escape."

"Check his injuries and go back to report."

The alley was narrow, the earthen walls thin, and every word was heard clearly.

Jiang Lan opened her eyes, but didn't move. The footsteps paused for a moment, then gradually faded into the distance.

He didn't take them seriously; these little punks couldn't cause any trouble.

The gate rang again, this time the knocking was soft and hesitant.

Cheng Erniang opened the door, and standing outside was a middle-aged man in a gray cloth robe, with a new scar on his forehead and a gloomy face. Behind him was a young man carrying red paper pastries and a jar of yellow wine.

"Is this where Brother Jiang Lan lives?" the man asked in a low voice.

Cheng Erniang turned around, and Jiang Lan had already reached the doorway.

"I am."

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute, forcing a smile: "Brother Jiang, I am Wu Laoliu from the Canal Gang. Today you fought for the Canal Gang, and I, Laoliu, am truly convinced. This small gift is nothing but a token of my respect."

He spoke fluently when saying "I admire you," but paused slightly when saying "a small gift."

Jiang Lan watched coldly, without saying a word.

Wu Laoliu's smile froze, and he forced himself to hand over the gift, but Jiang Lan never reached out.

"Vice Leader Wu," Jiang Lan said, her voice cold, "your old injury has flared up and you're unable to fight. It's only right that I help you out. Take back the items."

Wu Laoliu's smile vanished completely, his hand hovering in mid-air, caught in a dilemma.

His actions were not a genuine expression of gratitude, but rather a show for Huo Yuanlong and the members of the Canal Gang—that he knew how to be grateful and had done his duty, and that even if Jiang Lan did not accept the gift, he had already made the gesture.

"I've been in the Canal Gang for twelve years, and Chief Huo has been kind to me." Wu Laoliu lowered his voice, with a hint of deliberate earnestness. "Today, this arm is useless, but you saved the Canal Gang. I'll remember that for the rest of my life."

He placed the things on the threshold, turned around and left, his steps hurried, only slowing down after he reached the alley entrance.

Jiang Lan lowered her eyes and looked at the gift on the threshold.

The pastry paper was stained with oil, and the yellow wine jar was sealed with red clay; both were worthless and vulgar items.

He didn't move, but turned and went back into the house.

Cheng Erniang stood at the kitchen door for a long time, sighed softly, and bent down to carry the things into the kitchen. She opened the pastries and found ten taels of silver hidden underneath. The yellow wine was placed in the corner of the stove. Jiang Lan was completely unaware of all this.

He sat cross-legged again and began practicing his internal organ exercises...

[Introduction to Visceral Strength (90/100)]

The sky was completely dark, with no moon or stars. A cold wind whistled through the locust tree branches, making a strange, eerie sound.

The spying from outside the courtyard wall, the Zhao family's forbearance, the lurking murderous intent of the Cangsong Martial Arts School, and the threat of Zhou Liang's seclusion to break through to higher levels—all these things settled in Jiang Lan's heart.

He lay quietly, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

Although we won today's battle, we have exhausted most of our internal energy. When facing truly top-tier masters, we still lack sufficient foundation.

Human relationships are all about interests; yielding won't bring peace. Only by having enough strength and a high enough level of understanding can one suppress all conflicts.

Jiang Lan pondered to himself: The most important thing right now is to improve my own strength.

Whether it's the Mountain-Crushing Fist or the Visceral Strength, there's still a great deal of room for refinement and improvement.

He recalled what Liu Changqing had said in the past.

The martial arts examination was a shortcut for the imperial court, in conjunction with major ancient sects and clans, to select martial arts talents.

Those top sects that have been passed down for centuries possess the true essence of the world's finest martial arts.

Superior martial arts techniques contain hidden internal cultivation methods, all of which are cultivation methods that transcend ordinary hard strength and directly target the nine acupoints of martial artists.

This is the fundamental reason why martial artists from all over the world flock to the martial arts examination.

The triennial martial arts competition brings together the world's rising stars and also invites previously dormant masters to rejoin the fray.

To stand out among a crowd of heroes is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

If one's cultivation level doesn't reach the Nine Acupoints level, there's absolutely no chance of joining the ranks or standing out from the crowd.