A Long River Myth

On the plum blossom stake, Li Hong could no longer hear what the crowd gathered below was talking about.

To strengthen one's inner strength and break through barriers, one must be completely focused and not distracted in the slightest.

His eight meridians seemed to be throbbing, his heartbeat was heavy like a drum, the sound was deep and powerful, one beat after another, with a clear rhythm!

Internal strength and blood stasis generate vitality, leading to the generation of new essence and blood, which cleanses and purifies the meridians and bones.

Just then, a surge of heat suddenly welled up from his heart and rushed into his eight meridians as fast as lightning.

The heat was as intense as molten iron, and the pain it caused was extremely unbearable!

Li Hong's breath hitched, his pupils constricted, and he gritted his teeth.

We must endure the tempering of this newborn essence, or all our previous efforts will be in vain!

Li Hong already possessed extraordinary patience, and with the added advantage of the panel, he had already accumulated a month's worth of experience, making his foundation exceptionally solid.

It's not a problem at all.

In a few breaths, the scalding heat flowed through his body like a snake.

Although the meridians and bones that were touched by the flow were in excruciating pain, they also underwent a transformative change.

Finally, the heat surged up his back and exploded violently in his back!

The intense impact seemed to resonate throughout my entire body!

Li Hong's eyes snapped open, and he regained control of the body.

The internal strengthening stage has been successfully overcome!

In an instant, he noticed that a large crowd had gathered around the base of the stake.

Among them, Shen Hezhi was the closest, holding a porcelain bottle in his hand, and there were people next to him who had already posed to prevent him from falling.

But it was clear that Li Hong's body underwent a complete transformation in a very short period of time.

He opened his eyes with a leisurely and long breath, looking down at them.

Shen Hezhi, and Huang Shan, who had previously been somewhat dismissive and certain that he would fail to pass the test, both widened their eyes!

"Li Hong...?"

The former tilted its head back and tentatively called out.

Li Hong landed gracefully from the stake, his landing silent yet carrying immense weight.

His eyes were visibly brighter than before.

A rich and pleasant aura wafted over me.

Li Hong leisurely clasped his hands and said, "Chief Instructor, I was fortunate enough to pass the test."

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly resounding in the hearts of everyone in the West Courtyard!

Most people felt as if they had been struck hard in the heart, and after a moment of silence, the atmosphere remained deathly still.

Shen Hezhi paused for a moment before confirming it first.

He had already sensed Li Hong's change, and couldn't help but clapp his hands, bursting with ecstatic joy:

"...Good, good, good! I didn't expect you to break my martial arts hall's record again!"

The hearty laughter made the eardrums of some of the nearby Zhuang disciples vibrate.

Since its establishment, the martial arts academy in Muyang County has never had a precedent of someone breaking through the barriers and becoming an internal elite in just over four months!

Unexpectedly, today, it was as if a pie had fallen from the sky and landed right in his face.

It is often said that it is difficult for children from poor families to achieve great things, but in the past two years, there have been successes every year.

Li Hong, in particular, is clearly more outstanding than Shi Liang and Huang Shan!

Li Hong's martial arts talent cannot be overshadowed by the fact that he was able to break through the internal strength barrier in just four months!

He is absolutely a martial arts genius that comes along only once every ten years.

Although I don't know why I was so unknown in the East Courtyard, that doesn't matter anymore.

Shen Hezhi stayed in the martial arts hall for several years without moving an inch.

Li Hong's sudden emergence today is clearly a great opportunity for his future promotion!

He had originally planned that Shi Liang and Huang Shan would at least be second-class martial arts performers in the future.

Shi Liang encountered a calamity halfway through his journey, but now Li Hong, who is stronger than both of them, has appeared.

How could Shen Hezhi not be happy?

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Li, on successfully passing the challenge on your first try!"

Nearby, some of the more quick-witted disciples reacted swiftly, suppressing their shock and beginning to clasp their hands in celebration.

Without a doubt, since Li Hong was lucky enough to pass the test in one go, he must have already far surpassed Shi and Huang.

For the foreseeable future, he will probably be the brightest star in the martial arts academy!

For a young martial artist to develop internal strength so quickly, he would already be among the top few in the outer city.

Even among the major powers in the inner city, he is already considered to be of high standing.

"Li Hong, come with me to the back hall!"

In his excitement, Shen Hezhi swung his hand and pressed down on Li Hong's shoulder, completely ignoring everyone else.

He was already impatient with this prodigy who had just emerged from the ground!

···········

The rear hall of the west courtyard.

Li Hong followed Shen Hezhi as they looked around the unfamiliar courtyard.

He had heard that after becoming an inner disciple in the martial arts hall, he would be taught more profound techniques.

Both the Hundred Refinement Stance Exercise and the Hundred Refinement Fist Technique are martial arts used to build a foundation.

Although the Martial Arts Academy is not a formal institution for training martial arts talents, it is still a branch of the Ministry of War.

Although it lacks resources, in terms of martial arts expertise, it is naturally no less than those prestigious martial arts schools in the outer city.

Those who have achieved internal strength are no longer considered novices in the martial arts path; even if placed in the outer city, they could be considered masters.

You can start practicing some advanced martial arts techniques.

Shen Hezhi opened a door to a side room and led Li Hong inside with a beaming smile.

Inside the room, there were three bookshelves.

"This is the foundation of my Martial Arts Hall. Although there aren't many martial arts classics here, they are all the essence that has been passed down within the imperial system for hundreds of years."

Shen Hezhi took one key from a bunch of brass keys and handed it to Li Hong:

"The disciples can choose two items themselves. I won't set any restrictions for you. This is a spare key. You can come and go as you please in the future."

Then he took a feather duster and dusted off the dust one by one: "However, I also have a suggestion for you: when it comes to martial arts, you can't bite off more than you can chew."

"Now is the best time to start working on your weapon and fighting style. As for internal cultivation, the Hundred Refinement Stance Technique is enough to support you in reaching the first level of the Innate Realm."

"Yes, thank you for the guidance, Head Instructor."

Li Hong nodded his thanks, went to the bookshelf, and began to select books.

"The 'North Wind Spear Technique' was learned from the elite border troops... 'Soaring Cloud Ladder' and 'Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada' are light-body skills."

"Tiger Roaring Saber Technique... This is not the saber technique that Liu Tou practiced. Most of the martial artists in official circles know this saber technique."

With three bookshelves containing at least sixty or seventy martial arts techniques, even if Shen Hezhi said it was few, it would still be enough for him to choose from for quite some time.

"Has Li Hong made his choice?"

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Hezhi's voice came.

Li Hong nodded and picked up two martial arts classics.

"You have just entered the Inner Strength stage, and your blood and qi will be restless for some time to come. This is Tiger Bone Nourishing Qi Pill, which contains seven pills and should last you for more than half a month."

Shen Hezhi locked the door, handed him a porcelain bottle, and said:

"The internal strengthening path mainly cultivates blood and qi, which condenses into strength to temper bones and muscles. During this stage, nourishing pills are indispensable."

"For the next few days, stay home and nourish your blood and qi. Once you've used up half of the Qi-nourishing pills and your foundation is solid, then go out. Remember that."

Li Hong accepted the porcelain bottle and bowed to express his gratitude.

Shen Hezhi took his hand and smiled slightly:

"No need to thank me yet. I heard you are on temporary assignment in the Patrol and Inspection Division. If you are valued in the future, please remember to find more temporary assignments for the disciples in the hall."

"Regarding your benefits in the hall, I will report to the higher-ups in the next few days. The Qi-Nourishing Pill mentioned earlier is not included."

Li Hong nodded and said "definitely," knowing full well that the Tiger Bone Nourishing Qi Pill was quite valuable.

He had a vague recollection of it before, at the "Baicaoxuan" pharmacy in the outer city, where a pill weighed approximately eight ounces.

If the militia were to rely on the financial support of ordinary wealthy households, they could still keep up.

However, once internal strength is achieved, laying a solid foundation at this stage is beyond the reach of ordinary small businesses.

These seven pills cost more than fifty taels of silver, enough to last for more than half a month.

This was a private gift from Shen Hezhi, and the importance he placed on it goes without saying.

Once a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall enters the Inner Strong category within a year in the West Courtyard, he only needs to strive for the title of Second-Class Martial Artist when he participates in the Martial Artist Examination.

Unless it is voluntary, one will never have to serve in the military again.

At least at this moment, his status was no longer that of an ordinary disciple.