Chapter 8
The Mountain Lord's Blessing
The next day, Duan Xuan prepared breakfast for his mother and hurriedly left home.
After crossing a mountain, we arrived at the Poshan Martial Arts School in a county outside Huangshe County.
As dawn broke, Duan Xuan had already begun his Mountain-Breaking Stance training.
Strenuous exercise can cause a large amount of lactic acid to build up in muscles, and this soreness will not manifest immediately.
It was only after he returned home last night that the pain gradually became apparent; when he got out of bed this morning, he was in so much pain that he almost couldn't walk.
Find the spot where you practiced standing meditation yesterday, get into position, and try to feel the sense of going forward without hesitation and never giving up.
He felt like his whole body was about to fall apart, both his upper and lower body.
It felt as if someone had struck it thousands of times with a giant iron sledgehammer.
However, since the system had recorded the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique, Duan Xuan found the feeling of entering the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique without any effort.
He gritted his teeth, his body swaying, but he never fell down.
Duan Xuan knew very well that this was due to insufficient Qi and blood, which caused dizziness, weakness in the limbs, and a tendency to feel weak.
However, as he practiced the Breaking Mountain Stance exercise from beginning to end again and again...
Strength returned to my feet, and my blood and energy gradually increased, far exceeding the rate of consumption.
However, the pain in his body could not be erased by the increase in blood and qi.
Humanity rewards diligence, and Heaven rewards those who help themselves.
[Remember 101 Reading Network, the fastest novel website on the entire internet. It has a wide collection of books, and you can read anything on 101🅺🅺🅢.🅒🅞🅜.]
[Trap: Minor Success (11/100)]
Hunting: Beginner (12/50)
[Breaking the Mountain Stance: Beginner (3/300)]
Whether it's trap hunting or mountain-breaking stance training, to improve even a little, you must complete a full set of techniques.
Traps, on the other hand, only grow after they capture prey.
Duan Xuan thought about it and felt that this made sense.
As Qi and blood slowly improve, the most obvious characteristic is that they are converted into heat.
A wisp of heat rose up, dispelling the chill around Duan Xuan and causing him to break out in a sweat within half an hour.
Soon, the disciples around them walked in one after another from outside the door of the treatment room, and the first thing they saw was the short and thin boy on the training ground.
"Working so hard, anyone who didn't know better would think he has the best aptitude of Junior Brother Lin Hu."
"Hey, I've seen too many people like this. They just want to get our attention."
"I hope my master will think highly of me and give me more guidance. All I can say is, this silly boy is overthinking it."
"I bet he'll only be interested for two and a half days. He won't last more than a few days."
"I'll bet three days!"
……
Zhao Zazhong and Zhao Hui, a brother and sister, came out of their cell. The former had his arms crossed, while the latter had his head down.
They all glanced at Duan Xuan, but that was all; they didn't pay much attention.
Duan Xuan's qi and blood were too weak for them, and the difference between his qi and blood and that of ordinary people was enormous.
Lin Hu and Liu Mingze, who entered the sect on the same day and still addressed Duan Xuan as "senior brother," were also present.
He didn't even glance at Duan Xuan, as if Duan Xuan had never existed.
However, the two would stop every time they saw this peasant.
Then I'll remember that they arrived more than ten minutes earlier than me.
They both felt disgusted that they had to call him "senior brother."
"Master really doesn't refuse anyone, he lets all kinds of trash stay in the yard!" Lin Hu said sinisterly.
Liu Mingze's voice was extremely loud: "Who says it isn't?"
I heard that my master was once a chivalrous outlaw, a hero, so he showed great compassion.
However, some people need to have some self-awareness!
As soon as the two said this, the senior disciples naturally knew who they were referring to.
But when they looked at Duan Xuan, they couldn't detect a trace of life in him.
Duan Xuan was like a newly rooted pine sapling, standing against the cold wind, with his slightly immature and somewhat strange broken mountain stake.
It's as if the rumors and gossip don't reach my ears, and the provocative actions are invisible...
……
A month has passed in the blink of an eye. The arrival of early spring did not bring much warmth to Huangshe County; instead, it was followed by another heavy snowfall.
Duan Xuan practiced the Broken Mountain Stance Technique day after day, becoming the only special individual at the Broken Mountain Martial Arts School.
The disciples' discussions gradually subsided, and now people believed that the boy was not faking it or acting.
Instead, they were truly practicing spiritual cultivation.
So the mockery turned into sighs.
"Junior Brother Duan Xuan, your Qi and blood are too low!"
"If one's qi and blood were higher, cultivation wouldn't be so difficult."
"Who says otherwise? If Junior Brother's Qi and blood were normal, Master wouldn't have said things like he wouldn't reach Ming Jin in two months and had to leave."
Duan Xuan heard it, but didn't take it to heart.
Including what Chen Feng said to these five new disciples when he checked their progress a few days ago.
"Without any cultivation techniques, Lin Hu and Liu Mingze only practiced stance training, and after twenty-one and twenty-seven days respectively, they entered the Ming Jin stage."
Excellent. Among all the martial arts disciples in my Huangshe County, this is one of the best.
From this day forward, you two are my core disciples, Chen Feng's disciples. If you both successfully break through to the Inner Strength realm, I will accept you as my personal disciples!
"Zhao Zazhong and Zhao Hui are also doing well. In another half a month or a month, they should be able to reach the Ming Jin level. Keep up the good work!"
"Duan Xuan, you and these three junior brothers came to the martial arts school on the same day, right?"
Alas, I have seen your diligence, but it is a pity that your qi and blood are too weak.
Even stance training only stabilizes your Qi and blood to the level of an ordinary person.
No problem, just practice more.
Even if you leave the martial arts school in the future, you can still practice this skill at home.
At least it will allow you to recover your health and not die before the age of thirty in this chaotic world.
I've already told Zhang Chen that I'll give you an extra whole-grain pancake for lunch. You can eat it yourself, or give it to your mother!"
Chen Feng had been traveling the martial arts world for many years and running a martial arts school for many years. He had never seen anyone like Duan Xuan, whose qi and blood were so weak, break through to the Ming Jin level.
All he could do was live up to the title of "master" and help these unfortunate people survive as much as possible in the chaotic world.
After all, in chaotic times, people's average lifespan is only twenty or thirty years old.
Children, especially those in impoverished areas, suffer from chronic malnutrition and are burdened with heavy and strenuous work, which has long since taken a toll on their health.
Living a long life is difficult.
Duan Xuan was grateful for Chen Feng's help, but he was not affected by the setback.
Humanity rewards diligence, and Heaven rewards those who help themselves.
[Trap: Minor Success (94/100)]
[Hunting: Minor Achievement (5/100)]
[Breaking the Mountain Stance: Beginner (148/300)]
"It's almost there, almost there. The trap is about to reach its peak, and the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique is about halfway to its minor completion."
I need to master the stance training before the second month arrives, break through the first threshold on the path of martial arts, and step into the realm of Ming Jin.
Only in this way can you continue to train at the martial arts school.
However, without proper techniques, dietary supplements, or medicinal herbs, simply practicing stance training will result in too slow progress!
"Senior brother, hehe, Senior Brother Duan, Master said he'll teach you and Zhao Hui and his sister boxing tomorrow. Come early so you won't be late!"
Lin Hu and Liu Mingze walked out of the backyard with smiles on their faces.
When he came to explain the situation to Duan Xuan, his face was full of disdain.
The two were arrogant and neither could accept that a useless person who couldn't even reach the Ming Jin level was their senior brother.
They clearly came in on the same day; perhaps they arrived a little earlier than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
As a result, his seniority was lower than theirs.
Thinking about this, Lin Hu and Liu Mingze felt somewhat displeased.
Compared to Lin Hu's sarcastic remarks, the tall and thin Liu Mingze preferred to take a direct approach: "When are you going to pack your bags and get out of the martial arts school?"
Hurry up and leave. I find it disgusting to hear you call me "senior brother" all the time.
A peasant is a peasant; they should be trampled underfoot their whole lives.
"With your qi and blood so weak, what are you pretending to be diligent for every day?"
Duan Xuan looked up at the two of them and simply said, "I understand."
The two men couldn't understand whether this was a response to their master's offer to teach them boxing, or a compromise to their sarcastic remarks.
In short, the two decided to endure it for another month and then get rid of this good-for-nothing.
So, while joking around, he went to find a place to practice his skills.
In the evening, Duan Xuan practiced the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique three more times, then took the coarse grain cakes that Zhang Chen had given him and prepared to leave.
"Junior brother, don't listen to Lin Hu and his group. The Cold Mountain Fist emphasizes going forward without hesitation and never giving up."
In the path of martial arts, I believe that as long as you don't give up on yourself, you can always succeed. Take care on your journey, and see you tomorrow!
Duan Xuan felt a warmth in his heart: "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang. I won't be affected. See you tomorrow!"
……
Stepping on the bluestone slabs of the county town, I walked step by step onto the road slick with mud and snow.
The path was uneven and bumpy, making it even more difficult to walk than a deep mountain full of traps.
Duan Xuan had already gotten used to it; it wasn't that his edges had been smoothed out.
It wasn't that he lowered his head; rather, Duan Xuan was using silent actions to confront everything.
As soon as Duan Xuan arrived home, before he could even call out, he suddenly discovered that the dilapidated wooden door of his thatched courtyard was wide open.
He immediately hid the cake and carefully walked inside.
Similarly, the door creaked in the wind, and the cold air rushed in, making the already not-so-warm room even colder.
"Hey, Duan's back! Come quick, come quick, see what good stuff Scarface brought you."
On the ground lay a hide stained with the skins of countless wild animals.
But none of them were good; they were all incomplete and smelled foul.
"Recently, your family has been actively paying incense offerings to the mountain god and making sacrifices to the mountain deity. This is a gift of fine leather from the mountain god and the mountain deity to you."
If you're willing to spend the time, with your mother's skills, she can definitely mend a fur coat that sells for over ten taels of silver.
Don't worry, Scarface will personally help you sell them, how about that?
You can earn four or five times that amount of money with just three taels of silver!
Erbazi moved closer to Zhou Fang, and while speaking, he kept looking at Zhou Fang with a vicious gaze.
Undoubtedly, they wanted to coerce Duan Xuan into paying money.
What's lying on the ground isn't good leather at all.
The so-called mountain gods and mountain spirits bestowing blessings are nothing more than these guys' usual tactic for extortion.
"Wait a minute, these guys would never have tried to extort money from me after I've already offered incense twice."
This would undoubtedly drive people to a dead end; if this were done, wouldn't everyone be unable to survive?
Duan Xuan suddenly remembered the gym in his previous life, which suddenly held a large-scale, cheap membership card promotion.
Previously, the money could only be used for one year, but during the event, it can be used for two or even three years.
With just a little more money, I can get a five-year card.
Their sole purpose is to abscond with the money!
Could it be that other bandit gangs have attacked, and besides Erbazi and Black Cat?
The Shiba Inu was always with the two of them, but they weren't seen today. Was he dead? Or something else happened?
With his thoughts racing, Duan Xuan had already made up his mind and quickly humbled himself, saying, "Buy!"
Since Scarface is personally helping us sell the leather, we'll definitely buy it.
But Scarface, give me a few days, five days, five days is enough.
"Let me raise some money, is that alright?"
Erbazi didn't detect anything unusual in Duan Xuan's words. He just walked over and patted Duan Xuan on the shoulder: "Good boy."
You're the most filial child in the world! Black Cat, let's go!
Once the two had disappeared into the night, Zhou Fang began to sob softly, "Those beasts from Wolf Village."
I just paid the money a couple of days ago, and now they're selling this junk again.
How could we possibly come up with three taels of silver?
Duan Xuan quickly comforted his mother, patting her withered hand covered in stitches: "Mother, don't worry, your son will handle it!"
After crossing a mountain, we arrived at the Poshan Martial Arts School in a county outside Huangshe County.
As dawn broke, Duan Xuan had already begun his Mountain-Breaking Stance training.
Strenuous exercise can cause a large amount of lactic acid to build up in muscles, and this soreness will not manifest immediately.
It was only after he returned home last night that the pain gradually became apparent; when he got out of bed this morning, he was in so much pain that he almost couldn't walk.
Find the spot where you practiced standing meditation yesterday, get into position, and try to feel the sense of going forward without hesitation and never giving up.
He felt like his whole body was about to fall apart, both his upper and lower body.
It felt as if someone had struck it thousands of times with a giant iron sledgehammer.
However, since the system had recorded the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique, Duan Xuan found the feeling of entering the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique without any effort.
He gritted his teeth, his body swaying, but he never fell down.
Duan Xuan knew very well that this was due to insufficient Qi and blood, which caused dizziness, weakness in the limbs, and a tendency to feel weak.
However, as he practiced the Breaking Mountain Stance exercise from beginning to end again and again...
Strength returned to my feet, and my blood and energy gradually increased, far exceeding the rate of consumption.
However, the pain in his body could not be erased by the increase in blood and qi.
Humanity rewards diligence, and Heaven rewards those who help themselves.
[Remember 101 Reading Network, the fastest novel website on the entire internet. It has a wide collection of books, and you can read anything on 101🅺🅺🅢.🅒🅞🅜.]
[Trap: Minor Success (11/100)]
Hunting: Beginner (12/50)
[Breaking the Mountain Stance: Beginner (3/300)]
Whether it's trap hunting or mountain-breaking stance training, to improve even a little, you must complete a full set of techniques.
Traps, on the other hand, only grow after they capture prey.
Duan Xuan thought about it and felt that this made sense.
As Qi and blood slowly improve, the most obvious characteristic is that they are converted into heat.
A wisp of heat rose up, dispelling the chill around Duan Xuan and causing him to break out in a sweat within half an hour.
Soon, the disciples around them walked in one after another from outside the door of the treatment room, and the first thing they saw was the short and thin boy on the training ground.
"Working so hard, anyone who didn't know better would think he has the best aptitude of Junior Brother Lin Hu."
"Hey, I've seen too many people like this. They just want to get our attention."
"I hope my master will think highly of me and give me more guidance. All I can say is, this silly boy is overthinking it."
"I bet he'll only be interested for two and a half days. He won't last more than a few days."
"I'll bet three days!"
……
Zhao Zazhong and Zhao Hui, a brother and sister, came out of their cell. The former had his arms crossed, while the latter had his head down.
They all glanced at Duan Xuan, but that was all; they didn't pay much attention.
Duan Xuan's qi and blood were too weak for them, and the difference between his qi and blood and that of ordinary people was enormous.
Lin Hu and Liu Mingze, who entered the sect on the same day and still addressed Duan Xuan as "senior brother," were also present.
He didn't even glance at Duan Xuan, as if Duan Xuan had never existed.
However, the two would stop every time they saw this peasant.
Then I'll remember that they arrived more than ten minutes earlier than me.
They both felt disgusted that they had to call him "senior brother."
"Master really doesn't refuse anyone, he lets all kinds of trash stay in the yard!" Lin Hu said sinisterly.
Liu Mingze's voice was extremely loud: "Who says it isn't?"
I heard that my master was once a chivalrous outlaw, a hero, so he showed great compassion.
However, some people need to have some self-awareness!
As soon as the two said this, the senior disciples naturally knew who they were referring to.
But when they looked at Duan Xuan, they couldn't detect a trace of life in him.
Duan Xuan was like a newly rooted pine sapling, standing against the cold wind, with his slightly immature and somewhat strange broken mountain stake.
It's as if the rumors and gossip don't reach my ears, and the provocative actions are invisible...
……
A month has passed in the blink of an eye. The arrival of early spring did not bring much warmth to Huangshe County; instead, it was followed by another heavy snowfall.
Duan Xuan practiced the Broken Mountain Stance Technique day after day, becoming the only special individual at the Broken Mountain Martial Arts School.
The disciples' discussions gradually subsided, and now people believed that the boy was not faking it or acting.
Instead, they were truly practicing spiritual cultivation.
So the mockery turned into sighs.
"Junior Brother Duan Xuan, your Qi and blood are too low!"
"If one's qi and blood were higher, cultivation wouldn't be so difficult."
"Who says otherwise? If Junior Brother's Qi and blood were normal, Master wouldn't have said things like he wouldn't reach Ming Jin in two months and had to leave."
Duan Xuan heard it, but didn't take it to heart.
Including what Chen Feng said to these five new disciples when he checked their progress a few days ago.
"Without any cultivation techniques, Lin Hu and Liu Mingze only practiced stance training, and after twenty-one and twenty-seven days respectively, they entered the Ming Jin stage."
Excellent. Among all the martial arts disciples in my Huangshe County, this is one of the best.
From this day forward, you two are my core disciples, Chen Feng's disciples. If you both successfully break through to the Inner Strength realm, I will accept you as my personal disciples!
"Zhao Zazhong and Zhao Hui are also doing well. In another half a month or a month, they should be able to reach the Ming Jin level. Keep up the good work!"
"Duan Xuan, you and these three junior brothers came to the martial arts school on the same day, right?"
Alas, I have seen your diligence, but it is a pity that your qi and blood are too weak.
Even stance training only stabilizes your Qi and blood to the level of an ordinary person.
No problem, just practice more.
Even if you leave the martial arts school in the future, you can still practice this skill at home.
At least it will allow you to recover your health and not die before the age of thirty in this chaotic world.
I've already told Zhang Chen that I'll give you an extra whole-grain pancake for lunch. You can eat it yourself, or give it to your mother!"
Chen Feng had been traveling the martial arts world for many years and running a martial arts school for many years. He had never seen anyone like Duan Xuan, whose qi and blood were so weak, break through to the Ming Jin level.
All he could do was live up to the title of "master" and help these unfortunate people survive as much as possible in the chaotic world.
After all, in chaotic times, people's average lifespan is only twenty or thirty years old.
Children, especially those in impoverished areas, suffer from chronic malnutrition and are burdened with heavy and strenuous work, which has long since taken a toll on their health.
Living a long life is difficult.
Duan Xuan was grateful for Chen Feng's help, but he was not affected by the setback.
Humanity rewards diligence, and Heaven rewards those who help themselves.
[Trap: Minor Success (94/100)]
[Hunting: Minor Achievement (5/100)]
[Breaking the Mountain Stance: Beginner (148/300)]
"It's almost there, almost there. The trap is about to reach its peak, and the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique is about halfway to its minor completion."
I need to master the stance training before the second month arrives, break through the first threshold on the path of martial arts, and step into the realm of Ming Jin.
Only in this way can you continue to train at the martial arts school.
However, without proper techniques, dietary supplements, or medicinal herbs, simply practicing stance training will result in too slow progress!
"Senior brother, hehe, Senior Brother Duan, Master said he'll teach you and Zhao Hui and his sister boxing tomorrow. Come early so you won't be late!"
Lin Hu and Liu Mingze walked out of the backyard with smiles on their faces.
When he came to explain the situation to Duan Xuan, his face was full of disdain.
The two were arrogant and neither could accept that a useless person who couldn't even reach the Ming Jin level was their senior brother.
They clearly came in on the same day; perhaps they arrived a little earlier than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
As a result, his seniority was lower than theirs.
Thinking about this, Lin Hu and Liu Mingze felt somewhat displeased.
Compared to Lin Hu's sarcastic remarks, the tall and thin Liu Mingze preferred to take a direct approach: "When are you going to pack your bags and get out of the martial arts school?"
Hurry up and leave. I find it disgusting to hear you call me "senior brother" all the time.
A peasant is a peasant; they should be trampled underfoot their whole lives.
"With your qi and blood so weak, what are you pretending to be diligent for every day?"
Duan Xuan looked up at the two of them and simply said, "I understand."
The two men couldn't understand whether this was a response to their master's offer to teach them boxing, or a compromise to their sarcastic remarks.
In short, the two decided to endure it for another month and then get rid of this good-for-nothing.
So, while joking around, he went to find a place to practice his skills.
In the evening, Duan Xuan practiced the Mountain-Breaking Stance Technique three more times, then took the coarse grain cakes that Zhang Chen had given him and prepared to leave.
"Junior brother, don't listen to Lin Hu and his group. The Cold Mountain Fist emphasizes going forward without hesitation and never giving up."
In the path of martial arts, I believe that as long as you don't give up on yourself, you can always succeed. Take care on your journey, and see you tomorrow!
Duan Xuan felt a warmth in his heart: "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang. I won't be affected. See you tomorrow!"
……
Stepping on the bluestone slabs of the county town, I walked step by step onto the road slick with mud and snow.
The path was uneven and bumpy, making it even more difficult to walk than a deep mountain full of traps.
Duan Xuan had already gotten used to it; it wasn't that his edges had been smoothed out.
It wasn't that he lowered his head; rather, Duan Xuan was using silent actions to confront everything.
As soon as Duan Xuan arrived home, before he could even call out, he suddenly discovered that the dilapidated wooden door of his thatched courtyard was wide open.
He immediately hid the cake and carefully walked inside.
Similarly, the door creaked in the wind, and the cold air rushed in, making the already not-so-warm room even colder.
"Hey, Duan's back! Come quick, come quick, see what good stuff Scarface brought you."
On the ground lay a hide stained with the skins of countless wild animals.
But none of them were good; they were all incomplete and smelled foul.
"Recently, your family has been actively paying incense offerings to the mountain god and making sacrifices to the mountain deity. This is a gift of fine leather from the mountain god and the mountain deity to you."
If you're willing to spend the time, with your mother's skills, she can definitely mend a fur coat that sells for over ten taels of silver.
Don't worry, Scarface will personally help you sell them, how about that?
You can earn four or five times that amount of money with just three taels of silver!
Erbazi moved closer to Zhou Fang, and while speaking, he kept looking at Zhou Fang with a vicious gaze.
Undoubtedly, they wanted to coerce Duan Xuan into paying money.
What's lying on the ground isn't good leather at all.
The so-called mountain gods and mountain spirits bestowing blessings are nothing more than these guys' usual tactic for extortion.
"Wait a minute, these guys would never have tried to extort money from me after I've already offered incense twice."
This would undoubtedly drive people to a dead end; if this were done, wouldn't everyone be unable to survive?
Duan Xuan suddenly remembered the gym in his previous life, which suddenly held a large-scale, cheap membership card promotion.
Previously, the money could only be used for one year, but during the event, it can be used for two or even three years.
With just a little more money, I can get a five-year card.
Their sole purpose is to abscond with the money!
Could it be that other bandit gangs have attacked, and besides Erbazi and Black Cat?
The Shiba Inu was always with the two of them, but they weren't seen today. Was he dead? Or something else happened?
With his thoughts racing, Duan Xuan had already made up his mind and quickly humbled himself, saying, "Buy!"
Since Scarface is personally helping us sell the leather, we'll definitely buy it.
But Scarface, give me a few days, five days, five days is enough.
"Let me raise some money, is that alright?"
Erbazi didn't detect anything unusual in Duan Xuan's words. He just walked over and patted Duan Xuan on the shoulder: "Good boy."
You're the most filial child in the world! Black Cat, let's go!
Once the two had disappeared into the night, Zhou Fang began to sob softly, "Those beasts from Wolf Village."
I just paid the money a couple of days ago, and now they're selling this junk again.
How could we possibly come up with three taels of silver?
Duan Xuan quickly comforted his mother, patting her withered hand covered in stitches: "Mother, don't worry, your son will handle it!"