After the meal, Wang Xuan walked into the cultivation room. After using one unit of Source Point to accelerate the Mixed Element Stance, the food in his stomach was completely digested.
"After practicing for ten days to half a month, I could reach the Peak of Muscle Training Realm through the Mixed Element Stance, but I don't need to wait."
After consuming half a bottle of Hundred Herbs Essence Liquid, Wang Xuan accelerated four points of Source Power in succession. The effect of practicing the Mixed Element Stance manifested, his muscles slightly swelled.
With a punch to the specially-made heavy sandbag, there was a bang as the sandbag flew up. After weighing it up, Wang Xuan knew that his strength had indeed increased to two thousand jin.
"In this way, I should advance to the Muscle Strengthening Realm."
While both the Mixed Element Stance and Fierce Bull Fist can also exercise tendons and bones, they are not comprehensive and professional enough, so there are specific training methods targeting tendons, skin, bones, organs, and marrow.
There are many training methods for the Muscle Strengthening Realm: Four Extremes Technique, Bow Pulling Technique, Bone Strengthening Technique, Qi Refining Technique, etc. All these methods are to train the body's large tendons.
Only when the tendons are as strong as a great bow, capable of exploding with formidable power in an instant, with substantially increased speed, can one be considered to have entered the Muscle Strengthening Realm.
The Four Extremes Technique derives from 'Five Horses Torn Apart,' and when practicing, it's hard to fit one's head, so it's reduced from five extremes to four, pulling the four limbs with powerful elastic cords, the practitioner retracts their limbs forcefully in an instant to achieve the effect of exercising tendons and bones.
The Bone Strengthening Technique comes from the Yijin Scripture, it's highly challenging but the most effective. The Qi Refining Technique focuses on harnessing qi, using body Essence Qi to refine inner strength, and hones the tendons and muscles with inner strength.
In ancient times, people revered the Bow Pulling Technique. Archery, one of the Six Noble Arts, is an important way to exercise tendons and bones, also taught in martial arts halls.
When drawing the bow, all tendons and muscles are engaged, with specific postures, coordinated respiration, and qi manipulation, achieving the effect of strengthening tendons.
Among these methods, the Bow Pulling Technique offers the highest return on investment. Most people strengthen their muscles through this method.
Without the full and solid muscles of the Peak of Muscle Training, one can't forcibly train muscles, or it would harm the body, and due to inadequate foundation in the Muscle Training Realm, the Muscle Strengthening Realm's effects would not be strong either. Wang Xuan had only learned the basics in the past, then stopped training.
But now, it came in handy.
"Bow Pulling Technique Introduction (Can Accelerate)."
Wang Xuan clicked on the Minor Achievement Realm and found it required twenty Source Power points, not much. He took out Hundred Herbs Essence Liquid to drink, then clicked the accelerator.
At the moment the accelerator started, even without a bow in hand, Wang Xuan felt the soreness, numbness, and tingling in his tendons and muscles, which disappeared after a while, repeating several times before stopping.
It was as if he personally drew the bow and set an arrow, practicing for six to seven days, his body stretched and afterwards felt sore all over, but he recovered after resting for a day.
This process repeated, truly resembling actual training, yet without the need for equipment, making Wang Xuan astonished. With just a little Source Power, he could feel a significant enhancement in his tendons and muscles.
Accelerate!
An hour later, Wang Xuan, having continuously drunk Hundred Herbs Essence Liquid, directly consumed fifteen units of Source Point and advanced from the early stage of the Bow Pulling Technique to the Minor Achievement early stage.
At this point, Wang Xuan had noticeably slimmed down. Through training, his fat was dissolved into muscle, his tendons like bows, and the essence of flesh and blood integrated into his tendons.
Some elders in the Muscle Strengthening Realm might appear thin and frail, but once they explode, their strength could instantly overturn a burly man—this is the effect of muscle strengthening.
With Wang Xuan achieving Minor Achievement in muscle strengthening, his fat dissolved into tendons and muscles, body fat percentage plummeted, but his strength and speed surged, although others couldn't see it.
He could casually swing his arms and legs to reveal those explosive muscles, his entire body's tendons and muscles robust, like a muscular monster, intimidating onlookers.
After tidying up, Wang Xuan consumed thirty-five points of Source Power in one day, with only seven bottles of Hundred Herbs Essence Liquid left, but he had already entered the Muscle Strengthening Realm.
With strength comparable to the Peak of Bone Cultivation, or even stronger, and defense provided by the Golden Bell Shield not inferior to cultivators at the Peak of Skin Refining, Wang Xuan was confident he could challenge instructors in the Bone Refining Realm if he performed the Great Achievement level Fierce Bull Fist.
The application for an instructor position was now a sure thing.
Next door, after having an extra meal at Wang Xuan's place, Su Xiaowei was still wide awake at ten o'clock, instead feeling more energetic, with the food digested and a large amount of essence stored in her body, making her full of energy.
Wearing pink pajamas, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Normally, she would sleep by nine thirty. Her aunt said young people shouldn't stay up late and must ensure enough sleep.
But she really couldn't sleep.
"Xiaobai, I can't sleep," Su Xiaowei pouted.
Su Qiubai, wearing a helmet, in her vision sat riding a snow-white unicorn, galloping. The sensation was incredibly realistic, the graphics so immersive—it was the latest popular game all her classmates were playing.
"Don't bother me, I'm playing a game."
She wore white pajamas with cute rabbits printed on them, naively waving and shouting, "Giddy up, go faster, Horn."
Su Xiaowei pursed her lips, "So what if you have a big chest? You're just playing games, staying up so late, be careful you'll get wrinkles and turn into an old lady."
With plenty of energy yet feeling helpless, she could only get up. Uncle Wang had said to exercise more, otherwise she'd become chubby.
In a pink-themed cultivation room, she began practicing the Thirty-Six Techniques. She had long mastered the thirty-six specific movements, as well as the Mental Realm.
Learning the movements in primary school, understanding the force of the movements in middle school, grasping the intent in high school, and in college linking the thirty-six specific postures together, transforming them into dynamic forms meant completing the study.
In fact, most people graduate from college without being able to fully master all thirty-six movements' force, experiencing the intent of one or two was commendable, often only achieving "almost there."
While practicing, Su Xiaowei reminisced that the meal Uncle Wang cooked today was extraordinarily delicious. She rarely got to eat something like that, even Aunt Yu Zhen with her excellent culinary skills couldn't make it taste that way.
It's just like the tea brewed by Uncle Wang — clearly different from the one at home.
"Is it really because Uncle Wang is so skillful? It doesn't seem like it." She mused absentmindedly.
Without realizing it, she had grasped the essence of the thirty-third and thirty-fourth movements from the Thirty-Six Techniques smoothly today.
At eleven o'clock, when she was exhausted, she couldn't believe it. Although a fairy like me is very powerful, breaking through two levels at once isn't possible.
This feeling was similar to last year's New Year, when Aunt bought some high-level ingredients to cook. It was only after eating them that she felt this way.
And today, it seems very much like that time.
Su Xiaowei, who suddenly saw the light, wasn't joyful but rather troubled, sighing with an unhappy appearance.
"Uncle Wang's tea and meals must be very expensive; Xiaowei didn't realize before, but from now on, I can't eat them because they're really, really expensive."
Su Xiaowei wasn't happy because she accidentally benefited; rather, she felt she shouldn't have done so.
Last year, Aunt Yu Zhen spent half of her year-end bonus on buying high-level ingredients, which made Aunt feel so distressed that she couldn't bring herself to buy good cosmetics.
Though Aunt's annual salary is two hundred thousand, even those high-level ingredients are not something that can be purchased frequently.
"Sigh, I shouldn't have eaten much, right?" Su Xiaowei looked in the mirror at her cherry-like small mouth, then at her little belly, seemingly, probably, didn't eat much, right?
"So annoying!"
After taking a bath, she burrowed into the quilt, thinking that her painting wasn't worth that much!
...
Wang Xuan got up at four thirty in the morning, standing on the balcony to practice the posture stance. After achieving great success in the Mixed Element Stance, he felt truly different. He could enhance his bones and physique moment by moment during stance practice and experience the true intent of being unmoved like a mountain.
The energetic Su Xiaowei woke up shortly after five o'clock and couldn't sleep again. She took a small stool to sit on the balcony, wanting to watch the sunrise, only to find Wang Xuan.
She sat for half an hour, and the cold of the morning made her involuntarily sneeze. Wang Xuan finally opened his eyes.
"Why are you up so early?" This girl usually gets up at six, today she's up particularly early.
"Couldn't sleep, Uncle Wang. Are you skilled in martial arts?" Su Xiaowei asked with bright eyes.
Wang Xuan shook his head: "My martial arts are quite basic." Even Innate Experts wouldn't dare casually claim to be highly skilled.
"Uncle Wang, thank you for treating me to dinner yesterday." Su Xiaowei said sincerely, then went back to the bedroom to prepare for washing and exercise before going to school after breakfast.
At seven thirty, Wang Xuan left home, heading to the Martial Arts Hall. Today, he would apply to become an assistant instructor; otherwise, safety would always be an issue.
However, upon entering the Martial Arts Hall, he heard shocking news: Senior Brother Chen Qingniu was seriously injured yesterday and was unconscious, eventually carried to the hospital!
Until now, Senior Brother Chen Qingniu hasn't woken up. Several elders are still accompanying him in the hospital, evidently the situation is grave.
The news of the defeat of the hall master isn't widely known in the Martial Arts Hall, leaving many puzzled about how Senior Brother got injured and why the hall master hadn't appeared.
A cloud of gloom enveloped Wang Xuan's heart as he went to the Human Resources Department for review. He had submitted the electronic application yesterday, and today, as long as it's approved, he would be an assistant instructor at the Martial Arts Hall.
But upon arriving at the Human Resources Department, he was informed that his application was rejected! The reason being insufficient strength.
"You want to become an assistant instructor? Just a brute thinking they're strong enough to be on par with an instructor? You're dreaming."
Zhao Huang and Liu Gang walked by, constantly taunting and ridiculing. If Wang Xuan was well off, they felt bad; they'd rather see Wang Xuan suffer.
"Your application states Muscle Strengthening Realm, but the minimum standard for assistant instructor is Skin Refining Realm, so you didn't pass."
A young man walked over, holding an application form with his fingers, casually crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at Wang Xuan's feet.
"Doesn't meet the requirements, so it was rejected. What is it, do you have issues with the Martial Arts Hall's rules?"
Wang Xuan looked at the application form on the ground and calmly said: "Senior Brother Sun En, didn't you see the note on it? The Martial Arts Hall has rules for exceptional promotion, right?"
"Oh, you're talking about the note stating your combat skills rival the Peak of Skin Refining Realm, huh? So what, your realm isn't high enough, and I say you don't qualify, so you don't meet the requirements. Get lost, pipe dreamer."
Sun En sneered, turning to leave, followed closely by the hangers-on Zhao Huang and Liu Gang, continuing to provoke Wang Xuan.
Ding-dong, a crisp electronic sound rang out, followed by a printout of an application form.
The name column clearly had Wang Xuan's name written on it, and under realm, it stated Skin Refining Realm. Obviously, Wang Xuan had modified the application form and reapplied.
"Senior Brother Sun, with this, have my requirements been met?" Wang Xuan stared directly into Sun En's increasingly cold eyes.
He had practiced the Hard Skill Golden Bell Shield to a certain degree, where weapons couldn't harm him; what a cultivator in the Skin Refining Realm could do, he could also do.
If Wang Xuan claimed to be in the Skin Refining Realm, who could deny it?