A month passed quickly.

During this month, Zhao Xuanqi barely took a step outside the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall.

The world outside was a storm of turbulent undercurrents, but none of it had anything to do with the Zhao Xuanqi of today.

To keep him from being exposed to danger, Weng Xiaolin had not let him leave the Martial Arts Hall, nor had he formally accepted him as a True Disciple.

The initiation ceremony for a True Disciple was no small matter. This was a person who would truly inherit the legacy of the Martial Arts Hall, so when accepting a True Disciple, one had to select an auspicious date, hold a grand banquet, and invite many guests to bear witness.

Furthermore, according to Weng Xiaolin, Zhao Xuanqi’s current strength was still too weak. As a True Disciple of the Martial Arts Hall, he would be in the public eye, and if his strength was lacking, it would be difficult to win the respect of others.

Therefore, he would only formally grant Zhao Xuanqi the title of True Disciple after his strength had at least reached the entry-level of Cross-Training.

But even without the official title, Zhao Xuanqi’s current treatment within the Martial Arts Hall was entirely based on the standard for a True Disciple.

And what was the standard of treatment for a True Disciple in the Martial Arts Hall?

It meant that for one’s Martial Dao cultivation, all necessary resources were supplied in full.

Wound Medicine, manpower, Secret Transmissions, Secret Medicine...

As long as the training needs were reasonable, the Martial Arts Hall would satisfy them all without exception.

In a sense, there was little difference in how Weng Xiaolin treated his True Disciples and how he treated his own children.

This was why positions for the Martial Arts Hall True Inheritance were so scarce; they couldn’t be given out just to anyone.

That single word, "Master," was not spoken for nothing.

During this month, Zhao Xuanqi deliberated repeatedly and decided to gradually reveal his talent for digestion. After all, he had expended great effort to win the position of a True Disciple; there was no reason to let the resources available to him diminish just because he was holding back.

Moreover, after observing him during this period, he had more or less figured out Weng Xiaolin’s personality.

Besides being concerned with face, his other major trait was being fiercely protective of his own people.

Once you earned his appreciation and approval, the man would become incredibly generous and open-minded.

This was also why Zhao Xuanqi chose to gradually reveal his digestive ability.

And just as he expected, this talent of his was not met with wariness from Weng Xiaolin; on the contrary, it came as a great and pleasant surprise.

The first time he requested a quota of three portions of Secret Medicine per day, Weng Xiaolin had reprimanded Zhao Xuanqi, telling him not to overreach. A week later, however, he discovered that not only had Zhao Xuanqi shown no signs of his body being too weak to absorb the nutrients, but his Qi and Blood were in fact growing at a rate that far surpassed an ordinary Martial Artist’s. Weng Xiaolin was absolutely delighted.

Although Zhao Xuanqi’s physical constitution and bone structure were lacking, his powerful combat techniques, combined with this new talent for "consumption," meant he could advance faster and farther on the path of the Martial Dao.

From then on, Weng Xiaolin granted Zhao Xuanqi the authority to freely request his own quota of Secret Medicine.

Bolstered by a massive supply of Secret Medicine, Zhao Xuanqi focused with single-minded purpose on rapidly increasing his strength, secretly cultivating the Hundred Beasts Sect’s Pile Skill.

Although the effects of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s Secret Medicine couldn’t compare to that of the Hundred Beasts Sect, its advantage lay in its sheer abundance, making up for quality with quantity.

Within a month, his Physical Ability had far surpassed the realm of Nine Sounds. He had completed his Qi and Blood Nourishment, and had also mastered the basics of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s Secret Transmission Pile Skill. He could now officially begin training for the Cross-Training breakthrough phase.

「In the morning, in the backyard.」

Zhao Xuanqi stood in the center of the backyard, stripped to the waist. His physique had changed yet again compared to a month ago.

His height had surpassed 1.75 meters and was heading toward 1.8. His once lean upper body now sported extremely defined lines, his muscles swelling. Though not as exaggerated as Liu Changfeng’s, his frame had begun to exude a sense of ferocious power.

At this moment, Zhao Xuanqi was holding a peculiar Pile Skill stance, resembling a great tiger lying on a mountain ridge, half-asleep and half-awake.

HUUU... HUUU...

Zhao Xuanqi’s chest and abdomen rose and fell. With every breath, his body moved in a natural, rhythmic state.

Lying Tiger Stake.

This was the Secret Transmission Pile Skill passed down in the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall.

It captured the essence of a great tiger’s movements as it rested, naturally circulating its Qi and Blood to strengthen and restore its body. This was its method for building a powerful physique.

Watching as Zhao Xuanqi’s body rhythms gradually stimulated his Qi and Blood, his skin turning crimson, Weng Xiaolin, who was sitting to the side sipping tea in a grandmaster’s chair, nodded slightly.

In just one month, Zhao Xuanqi had already completely mastered the basics of the Tiger Form Boxing Pile Skill. Even he was a little surprised by this speed.

"Very good. You have thoroughly mastered the basics of the Pile Skill, and your Qi and Blood accumulation has met the standard. Today, I will begin to teach you the method of Cross-Training."

"Cross-Training targets three components of the human body: the skin and membranes, the muscles and sinews, and the bones."

"Among them, the skin and membranes are the easiest to train, followed by the muscles and sinews, and finally the bones. The method of Cross-Training is gradual, and is thus divided into three realms."

"Forged Skin! Yijin! Bone Strengthening!"

"Each realm requires stimulating the body through the gradual Striking Technique. Since you are just entering this stage, I will have your Second Senior Brother lend you a hand."

Weng Xiaolin said faintly. He then turned his head to look at Liu Changfeng, who was standing beside him. Liu Changfeng immediately understood. He grabbed a large wooden staff from the side, roughly the thickness of a grown man’s thigh and wrapped with coils of white bandages, and walked toward Zhao Xuanqi with a grin.

"Junior Brother, bear with it. Focus your attention and use the Pile Skill to circulate your Qi and Blood to the spot I’m about to strike. Don’t lose focus."

A wide smile was on Liu Changfeng’s face, but his actions showed no mercy.

WHOOSH!!

He swung the thick wooden staff in his hands, creating a fierce whistling sound in the air.

In this strike, he used a clever Force. The impact exploded directly on Zhao Xuanqi’s skin, but it wouldn’t penetrate too deeply and injure his internal organs.

The instant Liu Changfeng’s staff came down, Zhao Xuanqi abruptly circulated his Qi and Blood with the Pile Skill, concentrating it at the point of impact.

For him, training with the Striking Technique was an all-too-familiar affair.

Instantly, his Qi and Blood surged, tightening his skin and flesh. The area about to be struck swelled slightly into a small bulge, looking as if a little mouse were hiding inside.

This "little mouse" was the essence of the body’s Qi and Blood, mobilized by the Pile Skill!

BANG!!

The staff landed. The majority of the force was blocked and dissipated by the blood-filled bulge, while a small portion broke Zhao Xuanqi’s skin, causing a fiery pain. But nourished by the essence of Qi and Blood within the bulge, the injury quickly numbed and began to heal.

This was the secret of the Martial Arts Cross-Training method. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The Striking Technique!

It involves using external objects to strike and break down the body’s structures. Then, one uses the Pile Skill to mobilize Qi and Blood, leveraging the nutrients within to rapidly heal the injuries. Through this repetitive training, the body becomes stronger, and the Martial Artist’s control over their own Qi and Blood becomes more acute.

Beginners start with a staff wrapped in bandages. As their practice deepens, the bandages are removed. In the later stages of Cross-Training, the wooden staff might even be replaced with leather whips or blunt awls, allowing the body to adapt step by step.

This is the path a Martial Artist walks.

A true trial of a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements!

The most difficult key to master in all of this is precisely the mobilization of Qi and Blood.

Liu Changfeng had not expected Zhao Xuanqi to grasp the essence of the Striking Technique on his very first try. Generally, beginners who failed to grasp this essence would end up covered in injuries and in excruciating pain after a session.

Originally, he had wanted to make the kid suffer a bit and embarrass himself. He never expected this kid to be so capable.

’But, is there really nothing I can do to get you?’

The smile on Liu Changfeng’s lips widened, and the force behind his swinging staff suddenly doubled.

WHACK!!

A piercing pain shot into Zhao Xuanqi’s brain, making him involuntarily suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

’This Second Senior Brother... is he using his position to settle a personal grudge?!’