The possibility of the Fitness skill being sublimated left Xue Jing astonished.
As he reviewed the conditions for sublimation, he furrowed his brow.
The requirement of reaching Lv10 seemed straightforward enough; Fitness was one of the easier skills to level up. As long as he continued practicing martial arts, it would eventually reach that level. However, the demand for 1,000 divinity points was daunting.
Why is it twice the amount needed to activate a divine skill? he thought.
But then he reconsidered. The more divinity required for sublimation, the more powerful the skill would likely become. With this in mind, Xue Jing felt somewhat reassured.
Still, the fact that his resources were stretched thin weighed on him. Between supporting Ning Fengwan and meeting the demands for his skills, divinity was in high demand. He wondered if there were other ways to obtain it besides divine relics...
And then there was the remaining condition, marked by question marks...
Xue Jing suspected it might be related to the Armor-shaking Technique. Perhaps it would be triggered by further practice, or it was somehow tied to the technique itself. In any case, continuing his practice seemed the only way to uncover the mystery. He felt a strong sense of anticipation for the benefits that Fitness sublimation could bring.
[You have practiced the Armor-shaking Technique, Fitness Experience +209]
[You have practiced the Armor-shaking Technique, Strength Experience Points +208]
Xue Jing checked the skill experience points gained and wasn't surprised. The Armor-shaking Technique was incredibly challenging, so earning this much experience was to be expected. But more importantly, he pinched the skin on his arm.
He noticed that the benefits of practicing the Armor-shaking Technique weren't fully reflected in the skill panel. It was as if his skin had been awakened, infused with a strange vitality. Whether it was an illusion or not, his skin felt tougher when he pinched it. This seemed to be a direct enhancement to his body, beyond what was recorded in the [Fitness] skill.
He had felt something similar when practicing the Dragon Hibernation Technique, but it wasn't as pronounced as with the Armor-shaking Technique.
"Put the nebulizer on," Li Qi said from the side.
Xue Jing complied, pressing the button on the nebulizer inhaler. The device began to hiss, and a light red mist emerged from the oxygen mask.
"Just use the breathing method I taught you with the Armor-shaking Technique," Li Qi reminded him.
Xue Jing recalled the sensation from earlier when Li Qi had controlled his movements and began practicing the breathing technique, drawing the mist into his lungs. The mist, with a strong traditional Chinese medicine scent, felt sticky and difficult to breathe in. But Xue Jing pushed through the discomfort, continuing the breathing technique, drawing the mist into his lungs.
He could feel the medicinal mist traveling down his trachea, into his lungs, and then into the alveoli, where it began to infiltrate his bloodstream. Under the guidance of the breathing technique, the medicinal properties spread throughout his body. Soon, his skin felt as though it were on fire, becoming intensely hot and turning a bright red. The pores on his body began to open and close rhythmically, as if breathing in and out.
Half an hour later, the nebulizer stopped, and the flow of red mist ceased. Xue Jing gradually eased out of the breathing technique.
"How does it feel?" Li Qi asked with a satisfied smile.
Xue Jing stood up, spreading his arms wide. It felt as though cold air was pouring over his skin, giving him a refreshed sensation.
"My skin... it's breathing," Xue Jing muttered, half-closing his eyes, almost talking to himself.
Li Qi nodded in approval. "Very good, you've found the right feeling in your first practice. Keep following this sensation, and you'll eventually master one of the five killer moves of the Hidden Dragon Style."
"Its name is—Golden Scale Transformation."
"Golden Scale Transformation?" Xue Jing repeated, impressed. "Master, that's a great name. Did you come up with it?"
Li Qi sighed modestly. "As martial artists, we can't always be truthful. We have to get used to a bit of embellishment..."
"Anyway, I've prepared a medicinal bath for you. It should be ready by now. Go soak in it and remember to practice your breathing techniques while soaking. Focus on the feeling of 'skin breathing.' Only then can you fully absorb the medicinal properties of the bath."
"The Armor-shaking Technique is extremely taxing on the body. After every session, you must take a full course of secret medicine to nourish your body. Overwork it, and you might not last more than a few days..."
Over the next several days, Li Qi taught Xue Jing the remaining four sets of movements for the Armor-shaking Technique, corresponding to flesh, tendons, bones, and blood, respectively. Each set was more challenging than the last, requiring different secret medicines and medicinal baths. Li Qi even administered acupuncture himself, turning Xue Jing into a human pincushion.
Xue Jing couldn't help but sigh—this was the reality of martial arts training. The idea of simply picking up a martial arts book and mastering techniques was indeed unrealistic. Martial arts techniques were only one aspect, and not even the most critical one. The secret medicines and their corresponding applications were the real core inheritance of major martial arts schools.
Time flew by, and seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye.
At the Hidden Dragon Dojo, in the training hall:
"Ha!!" "Bang!"
In front of the dynamometer, ordinary disciples in training clothes lined up, taking turns to punch the machine. Numbers flashed on the screen, reflecting their punch strength.
"Wen Zhaorong, punch force 201.3kg..."
Xue Jing, wearing a black training suit, stood upright next to the machine. His posture was like a strong pine tree, rooted firmly in the ground, exuding an aura of unshakable stability. He held a stack of notebooks in one hand and a pen in the other, recording the disciples' punching strength test results.
Today was the monthly small test day at the Canglong Dojo, used to evaluate the disciples' progress in martial arts training. Xue Jing, being the most available among Li Qi's disciples, was tasked with recording the test scores.
Several female disciples who had already finished the test were sitting in the rest area, whispering and giggling as they watched Xue Jing.
"Junior brother!" Another young disciple approached the dynamometer, clasped his fists, and bowed to Xue Jing. After Xue Jing nodded in acknowledgment, the disciple assumed a boxing stance and delivered a powerful punch to the machine.
"Bang!"
Xue Jing glanced at the screen and noted, "Yi Yingyu, 212.2kg..."
Yi Yingyu seemed surprised by the result, his face lighting up with joy. He clasped his fists and bowed again to Xue Jing before moving on to the next test.
"Junior Brother, why don't you take the test too? Let everyone see how powerful you are!" a nearby female disciple teased.
The suggestion was met with enthusiastic agreement from the others.
"Yes, yes, little brother, give it a try. We're all curious!"
"I missed it when you were sparring with senior sister. Show us your skills today... please~"
"After all, you've only been practicing for a short time. Even if you're a genius, your punching power might not be that strong yet. No pressure, just give it a go."
Some of them even tried to provoke him into showing off.
Xue Jing smiled and replied softly, "No need, there's nothing to see. I doubt anything noteworthy would come of it."
The disciples, however, were persistent.
"Come on, why not? It won't hurt to show us."
"Afraid of showing weakness? Don't worry, you haven't been practicing long. No one will laugh at you."
"And if anyone dares, I'll be the first to take them down. Just try it out..."
The disciples were genuinely curious about their junior brother and saw this as a rare opportunity to get closer to him and have some fun.
At that moment, Chen Fuguang appeared at the entrance of the training hall, waving subtly. Only Xue Jing noticed him.
Realizing the persistence of the disciples, Xue Jing thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, I'll give it a try."
The room erupted in cheers.
"Yes! Let's see what our little brother can do!"
"This is what it means to be a direct disciple. Strength comes with time, but courage is immediate."
"Clear the way, everyone! Watch our little brother in action!"
The disciples were in high spirits, eager to see Xue Jing perform. They meant no harm, just wanting to bond with him and enjoy the moment.
The crowd parted, making space for Xue Jing.
He approached the dynamometer casually, without assuming any particular stance, and threw a relaxed backhand punch at the leather cushion, as if tossing a bottle into a trash can.
"Puff!"
A dull sound echoed, but the screen remained blank.
"Hmm?" The disciples looked puzzled.
After delivering the punch, Xue Jing turned and began walking towards the training hall entrance.
Just as the disciples were starting to wonder what had happened, the leather cushion on the dynamometer suddenly began to crack.
Then, as if a chain reaction had been triggered, the cushion split open in various places, and the sponge inside crumbled like dead leaves, falling to the floor, leaving only a bare iron pipe where the cushion had been.
The disciples stared in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
"Is this... soft power!?" (TN - The same as sister Meng)