Translator: AnubisTL
The saying that martial artists train during the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer holds true.
Currently, Maple Country is in the midst of a scorching summer, while the World of Eternal Night remains bitterly cold.
Li Qing, who shuttles between these two worlds, has been advancing his martial arts at an astonishing pace.
Around the seventh day after Commander Yuan Xiao led the army on their expedition, a series of crisp, cracking sounds echoed from Li Qing's body inside the sweltering tent.
Crack!
"Finally, I've grasped the basics of the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art!"
Combining the time spent in both worlds, Li Qing had been practicing his stance for nearly twenty days. Enduring both extreme cold and intense heat, his body had been unexpectedly tempered, laying a solid foundation for his martial arts.
Li Qing relaxed his stance, feeling a significant increase in his strength. Both his method of generating force and his physical power had noticeably improved.
Whoosh! Inside the tent, Li Qing suddenly thrust out a palm, and the burst of energy visibly stirred the roaring flames of the furnace.
"Not bad. I could probably take on two of my former selves now," Li Qing said with a satisfied smile as he withdrew his hand.
Though he was still far from becoming an expert in Outer Strength, he was quite pleased with his progress.
With Commander Yuan Xiao leading the army on their expedition, the frontier seemed to have calmed down. There had been no further reports of bandit disturbances.
A few days ago, the imperial grain convoy had also arrived safely at the frontier without any ambushes or mishaps.
Of course, if the court hadn't decided to reinforce the border with additional troops, Li Qing might have truly let his guard down.
Yesterday, a clear and specific message arrived from the court: the entire Wu Li Army under General Lu Guanghong would reach the frontier within a few days! To most, this seemed like the best possible news. For instance, Wu Chong, the cook, ate several extra bowls of rice upon hearing the news.
With ample grain in the warehouses and a heavy military presence at the frontier, it seemed like a reassuring situation.
However, Li Qing didn't see it that way. His sharp mind led him to consider many possibilities.
If the court wasn't certain about an impending battle, they wouldn't have dispatched the entire Wu Li Army without reason.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing. The more chaotic the situation, the less attention will be paid to a mere blacksmith's apprentice like me," Li Qing muttered to himself, resolved to keep a low profile.
The Wu Li Army consisted of thirteen commanders, with a total force exceeding fifteen thousand soldiers. The troops currently stationed at the frontier were only a small fraction of that.
Each commander was a formidable martial artist, and General Lu Guanghong, who led the entire army, might even be a legendary master of Transformed Strength! This army, forged through martial prowess, was undoubtedly one of Maple Country's pillars of stability!
That night, after dinner, Li Qing returned to his tent.
Since Commander Yuan Xiao's departure, the entire Frontier Army had become much quieter.
In the stillness of the night, Li Qing once again entered the World of Eternal Night.
This time, however, he chose not to continue practicing his stance. Instead, he took out the three martial arts manuals he had recently obtained from the Yan Family.
"In the path of martial arts, it is generally discouraged to bite off more than one can chew, but that is due to the limitations of human lifespan. Only by focusing on a single martial art can one progress further," Li Qing murmured softly to himself. He then unrolled the animal skin scroll depicting the "Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey" form and began to immerse himself in its essence.
Time was not a constraint for him. If necessary, he could spend a considerable amount of time slowly honing his martial arts progress. "The borderlands are on the verge of chaos. To quickly enhance my combat strength in the short term, learning multiple martial arts is undoubtedly a highly beneficial approach."
His Ancient Mystic Hammer Art had already reached the initial stage. From here on, it was a matter of repeatedly practicing the hammer techniques. Over time, he would gradually develop Outer Strength.
For most others, this was the standard approach: dedicating a lifetime to mastering one martial art while supplementing it with one or two others. This was the way to progress further on the martial path.
Each martial art had its own focus, and unless it was a top-tier technique, it was impossible to cover all aspects of the body.
Gradually, Li Qing delved into the artistic conception of the "Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey" form depicted on the animal skin scroll.
This martial art was created by a powerful martial artist. The scroll not only contained the essence of the technique but also carried the martial aura and will left behind by that formidable expert.
After a long while, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes. He realized that, without even noticing, he had already assumed the stance of the "Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey."
"This martial art primarily strengthens the limbs. If mastered, one would at least become a formidable expert in Inner Strength," Li Qing said, a faint smile forming on his lips. He continued to himself, "The artistic conception in the scroll is rich, but it has spirit without form." Without having seen a real tiger, it would be difficult to practice, let alone master."
The Yan Family likely assumed that Li Qing would never have the opportunity to see a real tiger in his lifetime, making it hard for him to truly understand the ferocity of a tiger and thus difficult to master such a fierce and domineering martial art.
However, what they didn't know was that the image of a tiger had already been deeply imprinted in Li Qing's mind from his previous life.
Whether in zoos or through numerous documentaries, he had seen tigers many times and naturally understood what a ferocious species they were.
In this tiger skin scroll, Li Qing discerned three levels of this martial art: Tiger Form, Tiger Intent, and Tiger Spirit. These three aspects—form, intent, and spirit—perfectly captured the ferocity of a tiger.
There are no written instructions, but this method of passing down martial arts through the concept has its unique advantages. When practicing the Tiger Intent and Tiger Spirit levels, it provides significant assistance."
As he spoke, Li Qing suddenly flexed his left arm. The muscles and veins on his arm bulged, and his hands looked incredibly fierce.
"The creator of this martial art probably never imagined that the sun would one day disappear, making it nearly impossible to observe a real tiger."
"But this has worked in my favor!"
That day, Li Qing practiced this ferocious tiger martial art in the courtyard, completely absorbed in it.
Over time, a certain ferocity seemed to emanate from his body, making him appear as wild as a beast.
Like a true tiger, he leaped and bounded around the courtyard, his fists and palms cutting through the air with a sharp, whistling sound.
After roughly three or four hours, he finally withdrew from his stance, utterly exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon.
"Whew!"
Sweat streamed down his body like a river, and in the cold air, heat radiated from his entire being.
In the pitch-black courtyard, Li Qing opened his eyes, which seemed to gleam with a faint green light.
Hunger and fatigue washed over him like a tidal wave, engulfing his entire body.
Yet, his heart was filled with excitement. This martial art suited him perfectly—bold and unrestrained, following a path of sheer ferocity!
(End of the Chapter)
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