He achieved the pinnacle of martial arts starting with breaking through the limits of Tiger Fist.

"Watch closely."

Zhou Ping stood with his feet apart, one in front of the other, his toes slightly pointed out, and his back foot pushing off the ground at a 45-degree angle. Both knees were slightly bent, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, his thigh muscles were tightly clenched.

The front hand extends out, the elbow hangs low like a pendulum, the five fingers are spread wide and slightly curled inward, while the back hand is hidden at the waist, resembling a claw being folded.

"First move, Hungry Tiger Searches the Mountain - Claw Probing Stance."

"The key to this technique lies in the balance between movement and stillness, in the alertness and power of a tiger when hunting, and in maintaining a dynamic balance."

Zhou Ping then changed his movements, instantly switching between stillness and motion. He suddenly leaned forward, creating a whooshing sound as the wind pressure surged.

"The second move, Mad Tiger Leaning Against a Tree - Body Crash, this move does not cultivate defensive stances, but only trains strength, focusing on breaking through, its intent is madness, and its force is brutal."

"Third Form, Flying Tiger Crossing the Stream - Galloping Style"

"Fourth move, Fierce Tiger Tail - Body-Stabilizing Stance."

……

After completing a set of stance training exercises, Zhou Ping was enveloped in heat. In particular, during the final stance, his entire spine trembled violently, like a dragon rolling down from his head to his feet, with his bones crackling. His legs seemed to be firmly rooted to the ground, as if his whole body had become one with the universe at that moment.

"You give it a try."

Jiang Lin quickly stepped forward and began practicing.

This skill has only four forms, but it is extremely difficult to master. The difficulty lies not in the postures but in the spirit and intent, which includes power, explosiveness, leaping, and strengthening the foundation.

Jiang Lin could only try his best to imitate, and he managed to barely complete the whole routine, albeit with some stumbles.

"You keep practicing, I'm going to the kitchen."

Zhou Ping nodded and left, seeing that he had remembered. At that moment, the familiar panel lit up in front of Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin

[Breakthrough Point]: 0 (Progress 5%)

[Martial Arts]: Tiger Soul Stance (Beginner 1/500)

This stance training was expected, but when did the limit increase from 3% to 5%?

After a moment's thought, I remembered that pot of fish. It turned out that what Manager Zhang from the fish market had said wasn't an exaggeration. It seems I should get more of that to eat in the future.

Jiang Lin didn't think too much about it and continued to focus on practicing the Tiger Soul Stance.

On the second pass, a sudden realization dawned on me. My understanding of power generation techniques, muscle control, and the combination of movement and stillness gradually became clear, and the role of the control panel was fully demonstrated at this moment.

[Proficiency +1]

After completing the final stance, a warm current suddenly rose from the spine, traveled along the meridians, and finally dispersed into the body.

Jiang Lin felt a wave of comfort, as if he had just taken a hot bath. His body was slightly warm, and warmth spread throughout his limbs.

"This is probably Qi and blood, which nourish the body, strengthen the physique, and over time, when it reaches a certain level, it can transform the body."

Strike while the iron is hot. Looking at the proficiency level of 500 on the panel, Jiang Lin didn't dare to delay for a moment.

With his hips flexed and waist stretched out, one hand reaching forward and the other protecting his waist, Jiang Lin continued to assume the pose, completely absorbed in the moment.

……

Zhou Ping came out of the kitchen carrying a rough earthenware bowl containing two coarse wheat cakes and a piece of pickled vegetable. He could see Jiang Lin practicing in the distance.

"Wow, this kid is so quick to learn. Although he hasn't quite achieved the perfect combination of form and spirit yet, he's already quite good at it."

He walked over and stopped Jiang Lin. "Dinner's over. I guessed you hadn't eaten. I went to the kitchen and found you two pancakes. Make do with these."

As she spoke, she handed the rough earthenware bowl in her hand to Jiang Lin, "Although the courtyard provides room and board, it's just coarse grain cakes. Practicing martial arts consumes a lot of energy. If you want something with more oil, you can buy it from the food stalls on the street outside the courtyard."

Jiang Lin nodded. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"As for where to sleep..."

Zhou Ping scanned the courtyard and found that it was already dark, the moon was already out, and there were only a few disciples in the courtyard.

"Hey, Lin Zheng... come here for a second."

The boy Zhou Ping had pointed out earlier, the one who had killed someone, looked up.

Zhou Ping waved, and he ran over.

"I remember there's still room available in your room. Could you help Junior Brother Jiang settle in later? Since you two are both from outside the city, you might get along well."

The "outside the city" that Zhou Ping was referring to was not the outer city, but the area outside the county seat, where the living conditions were even worse than in the countryside where Jiang Lin lived.

Lin Zheng nodded in agreement, and Zhou Ping continued, "You two both come from impoverished backgrounds, so I hope you can encourage each other and pass the test as soon as possible."

After Zhou Ping finished giving his instructions, he went to the inner courtyard, leaving the two of them to look each other over.

Jiang Lin nodded first, breaking the deadlock, "Hello, Senior Brother Lin."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen"

"I'm only sixteen..."

Jiang Lin smiled, "Since you've entered the sect first, you're the senior brother."

Lin Zheng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. "I need to practice for a while longer. I'll call you when I'm done."

Without waiting for Jiang Lin's reply, she went straight to the corner where she had been before, looking rather lonely.

"A sixteen-year-old committing murder? That's interesting." Jiang Lin stood there for a while, then finished his pancake in a few bites and followed.

Jiang Lin took a ten-step approach and began practicing stance training.

Lin Zheng glanced at him in surprise, but didn't say anything, and continued to assume his stance.

With the moon high in the sky, Jiang Lin was already drenched in sweat, all his strength was exhausted, and his legs felt as heavy as lead. He had no choice but to stop.

"You have a very good physical constitution."

Jiang Lin turned his head and saw that Lin Zheng had already stopped practicing and was silently observing him from the side.

Jiang Lin shook his head. He knew his own situation best. He was able to practice for so long today, probably all thanks to that pot of fish. He would be exposed tomorrow.

I wonder if a regular meat diet can sustain this level of training.

He himself had nineteen taels of silver, plus Sanlang's four taels and Hanzi's one tael. After deducting the tuition, he now had four taels and a few hundred copper coins left.

Fortunately, the martial arts school also has days off, with eight days of training followed by two days of rest. I still need to fish during my rest time to earn money. I hope that once I master my fishing skills, the money I earn will be enough to cover my expenses!

[Martial Arts] Tiger Soul Stance (Beginner 9/500)

"I've kept you waiting, senior brother."

Lin Zheng grinned. He rarely spoke to anyone in the outer courtyard, and this new guy kept calling him "senior brother," which made him a little uncomfortable.

"Let's go then."

Jiang Lin picked up the package that was placed in the corner and followed the footsteps.

Do you live alone?

Pushing open the door, Jiang Lin saw only a straw mat on the bed and couldn't help but ask.

"Ha, none of them want to be with me, so I'm happy to be on my own."

Lin Zheng pointed to the empty bed, "It's too late tonight, so just make do for now and get your straw mat and bedding tomorrow."

Jiang Lin didn't care. It was late summer, and he could easily spend the night there. He came from a poor family and could sleep on a plank.

Then he followed Lin Zheng to the well to fetch water for a bath.

Cool well water poured over my head, washing away the sticky sweat and fatigue, leaving me feeling refreshed.