Free Web NovelChapter 16: Chapter 16: Unlocked
Staring at the flashing text before his eyes, Xie Yuan wasn’t sure what kind of expression he was making.
’It... just happened?’
’My comprehension is amazing!’
He couldn’t help but smile.
’A moment ago, I thought training was hard... Forget I said anything!’
"Hmm, ’A hidden Buddhist charm’... So that gimmick was actually real? If I keep practicing the Iron Cloth School’s Iron Cloth Shirt, I might actually grasp a bit of the essence of Prajna Temple’s Golden Bell Shield!"
Xie Yuan suddenly felt that the eleven taels of silver had been well worth it.
Full of enthusiasm, he continued to practice with Hodar.
Although his body wasn’t flexible enough, he found it strange. He understood the key points of the moves Hodar demonstrated and the techniques he explained, even if he couldn’t perform them perfectly. Unlike the others, who only seemed to half-understand, it was as if he already knew the Pile Skill for the Iron Cloth Shirt.
’There doesn’t seem to be a bottleneck. All that’s left is to keep practicing until I master it.’
Xie Yuan’s movements were twisted and awkward, but he felt happy inside.
He wasn’t doing well now because of his body, but in his mind, he knew exactly what to do. In other words, his hardware was currently lacking, but his software was top-tier.
’My body is just unaccustomed to it; I just need to practice more. Practice makes perfect, after all. This isn’t some profound skill. If once isn’t enough, I’ll do it ten times, or a hundred times. As long as I have this progress prompt, I’ll master it sooner or later!’
Hodar slowly demonstrated the six basic sets of the Pile Skill three times, and most of the day had already passed.
"That’s all for today’s demonstration. Remember what you’ve seen and come back tomorrow."
He then looked at Cao Shan.
"Junior Brother Cao, you can explain some of the key points to them."
"Yes, Senior Brother Huo."
"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother Huo!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Huo!"
Amidst the respectful farewells of the group, Hodar left the training ground with his hands behind his back.
But before leaving, he glanced briefly at Xie Yuan.
’This junior brother’s form is a little better than the others. But he’s clearly the frailest...’
’I’m not sure. I’ll take another look tomorrow.’
After Hodar left, the new disciples surrounded Cao Shan and asked excitedly:
"Senior Brother Cao, Senior Brother Cao! I feel really tired. Am I about to have a breakthrough?"
"Senior Brother Cao, if I master this set, does that mean I’ve reached the entry level?"
Cao Shan was more approachable than Hodar. He raised his hand and said with a smile:
"Entry level? You’re still a long way off."
"Senior Brother Huo was right. Martial arts are trained, not taught—but even so, there are still some things I need to tell you."
"These six sets of the Pile Skill are the absolute basics. If you want to advance, you have to build a solid foundation with them. If your Pile Skill is poor, then everything else is just empty talk. So, you must apply yourselves these next few days."
"Once you’re proficient in the Pile Skill and practice it over and over, you’ll have reached the entry level only when you can feel ’qi’ being generated in your chest and abdomen."
"After that, you need to nurture your qi until it’s sufficient, then use it for Skin Training and continuous strengthening. Only then are you on the right path. At that point, besides the Pile Skill, you can also supplement your training with External Training, medicinal baths, supplements, and other methods."
"Our Iron Cloth School’s Iron Cloth Shirt is divided into three initial layers."
"The completion of the 1st Layer is called ’Tree Bark.’ Your skin becomes like fresh tree bark, both tough and hard. It won’t break from a simple scratch anymore, but it’s still a long way from withstanding blades and spears."
"The 2nd Layer is called ’Cowhide.’ Once you master it, your skin will be as tough as cowhide. A dull pair of scissors would only leave a white mark, and you wouldn’t feel the punch of an ordinary person."
"The 3rd Layer is called ’Copper Skin.’ As the name implies, at this stage, you don’t have iron bones, but your skin is as hard as copper. A light poke from a sword or blade won’t be able to break it. Once you pass this stage, you’ve achieved mastery in the First Training and become a true Martial Artist."
"Oh, and your strength will increase with each layer you master. Once you’ve perfected the three layers and become a Martial Artist, dragging five or six large men with one hand will be no problem."
The crowd listened, their hearts filled with yearning. Xie Yuan couldn’t help but ask: freewebnovёl.ƈom
"What comes after that?"
"After that? That’s the business of a Martial Artist. Let’s talk about it when you get there."
Cao Shan smiled faintly and thought to himself:
’I’m only at the 2nd Layer myself...’
In reality, he wasn’t very clear about what came after, either.
After explaining the future developments, or rather, after painting a pretty picture for them, Cao Shan’s expression turned serious, and he continued:
"Since you just started today, I have only four words for you: know your own limits."
"Practicing martial arts strengthens the body, but it can also harm it. This is especially true for you newcomers. Your movements are unrefined, and you could easily injure yourselves. Remember, in the early stages, only practice at the school when we are here to watch you. Don’t go home and practice blindly on your own. Also, if you feel tired, stop immediately. Don’t try to be a hero."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, Senior Brother Cao!"
’I’m so tired, I’ll go to sleep as soon as I get home. No way I’m going to practice...’
Cao Shan waved his hand and said with a laugh:
"Then let me once again congratulate all of you junior brothers on officially joining our Iron Cloth School! See you tomorrow!"
Xie Yuan left the courtyard of the Iron Cloth School, his body feeling a little sore, but his spirits were extremely high.
’I’m finally learning martial arts! I should buy something to eat and celebrate.’
He walked to the only restaurant in Panlong Town and bought a whole roasted chicken for three hundred copper coins, a price that couldn’t be called cheap.
But this chicken was plump and tender, coated in honey and spices, and roasted to perfection. It was nothing like the bland, stir-fried wild pheasant.
Even though Xie Yuan had paid his tuition, leaving him with just over one tael of silver from his tiger-hunting earnings and savings combined, he still bought the chicken.
’You’ve got to enjoy life a little. Besides, eating a good meal will help my training! SLURP...’
Xie Yuan swallowed his saliva, resisted the temptation to start eating on the way, and hurried back to Little Stone Village, arriving at Li Lan’s house.
"Sister Orchid, Huwa’Er, look what I’ve got!"
"What is it... Such a big roasted chicken! Yuanzi, how much did you spend this time?"
The moment Xie Yuan stepped through the door, Li Lan smelled the fragrant aroma and her eyes went wide.
"Not expensive, not expensive! Today was my first day of martial arts training, it’s worth celebrating! Quick, Sister, make some flatbread. A bite of bread, a bite of chicken, it’ll be delicious! Huwa’Er, stop drooling, I’ll tear off a drumstick for you first!"
Li Lan came back to her senses and remarked with a sigh:
"That’s right. Yuanzi is a tiger-slaying hero, and now he’s started practicing martial arts. It won’t be long before he becomes a Martial Artist Master!"
"What Martial Artist, what Master? I’m just the guy who freeloads meals at Sister Orchid’s house. Hurry up with the flatbread. I’ve been training all day and I’m starving!"
"Alright, alright, you kid! Coming right up!"
After eating his fill of roasted chicken, Xie Yuan patted his stomach and returned to his own courtyard, satisfied.
’Now *that* was a proper meal!’
After eating his fill and resting for a while, he felt his strength return and couldn’t help but think:
’Senior Brother Cao said not to practice on my own...’
But that was for them, or for most people, who couldn’t even perform the first set properly.
The standard was different for different people, even on the very first day.
Besides, he had a reference.
In his firewood-filled courtyard, Xie Yuan assumed his stance and slowly began to practice the six sets of the Pile Skill he had learned during the day—three static and three dynamic.
Moonlight spilled onto the young man’s body, casting a long shadow that stretched across the firewood stack.
The shadow grew shorter as the moon rose higher. Xie Yuan lost count of how many times he had practiced. His movements gradually went from awkward to fluid, and a layer of sweat soaked through his clothes.
He let out a breath, wiped himself down with a damp towel, and blinked.
[Iron Cloth Shirt: Entry (18/100)] freewёbnoνel.com
With this, he knew he hadn’t gone astray in his training. Practicing by himself wasn’t a problem.
’Eighteen points on the very first day. As I get more familiar with it, I’ll get faster. At this rate, won’t it only take a few days to reach the entry level?’
Xie Yuan was a little excited. If he weren’t so exhausted, he would have been too restless to sleep, wanting to practice martial arts all night.
This direct feedback was addicting; he couldn’t get enough of it.
After finally convincing himself to go to bed, he was fast asleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow.
「Early the next morning, at the Iron Cloth School.」
Hodar stood before the group, his voice full of vigor as he spoke:
"You’ve had a night to rest. Perform what you learned yesterday for me."
After he finished speaking, his gaze swept back and forth across the five of them.
Soon, Hodar’s eyes narrowed slightly, landing on Xie Yuan.
