High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Template: Erlang God Yang Jian

INHALE... EXHALE...

More than a decade of practicing Pile Skill allowed him to quickly adjust his breathing and enter the state.

Following the Breathing Technique that came with the Pile Skill, Lin Qi soon felt waves of heat emanating from his waist and surging through his body.

Streams of Qi and Blood coursed through him. His muscles, bones, and blood vessels—his entire body—came alive, undergoing a Refinement as if in a furnace.

He recalled the key points of the Hunyuan Posture as his muscles trembled. His chest rose and fell with each breath, his entire body growing hot, and his skin turning red.

Fatigue, soreness, numbness...

The stuffy air and the discomfort in his body tortured Lin Qi’s Spirit.

DRIP...

Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, quickly soaking through his short-sleeved shirt.

’Hold on, just hold on!’

Lin Qi gritted his teeth, the sound of them grinding echoing with a CRUNCH.

He was like a long-distance runner now, holding on by a sheer thread of will.

If he gave up, all his previous efforts would be for naught.

An unknown amount of time passed. Lin Qi’s consciousness began to blur, and he pushed on through pure willpower alone.

On the panel, the template section had also changed.

[You have completed one effective training session. Template progress has reached 100%.]

[Template: None (99.9% + 0.1%)]

...

The moment the progress reached 100%!

BOOM—

In that instant, Lin Qi’s mind went completely blank.

”AHH!!”

His consciousness plunged into darkness, entering a black Void where only a golden Damaged Banner lay dormant.

But at this very moment, the Damaged Banner suddenly trembled, erupting with a brilliant Golden Light that illuminated the entire Consciousness Space.

Golden patterns flowed across the Damaged Banner, emitting an endlessly mysterious aura and brewing a power capable of destroying everything.

BOOM—

The Damaged Banner trembled again. In a flash, dozens of dazzling golden orbs of light shot out, circling it.

A moment later, one of the golden orbs rushed forward and transformed into a massive scroll painting.

Green mountains and majestic rocks, strange forests and bizarre trees.

A stern-faced youth strode forth. He was as handsome as jade, with a tall and imposing figure like that of a Celestial God.

Clad in Battle Armor, wielding a Divine Weapon, and bearing a Divine Eye on his forehead, he led his hawk and hound, blocking all paths of escape as he scoured the vast, deep mountains to subdue the Demon Fiends within.

The scroll continued to unroll as the Golden Light spread, shrouded in a mysterious aura: subduing demons in the mountains, capturing dragons and slaying flood dragons, splitting a mountain to save his mother...

It depicted one legendary tale after another.

An unknown amount of time passed before the stern youth abruptly looked up. He stepped out of the scroll, his body expanding as his Divine Eye shot a beam of Golden Light from his forehead amidst the endless radiance.

BOOM!!

The Golden Light struck Lin Qi’s consciousness instantly...

[Template: True Monarch Erlang Yang Jian (Fusion Degree: 1%)]

”This is...”

Lin Qi came back to his senses and looked at his panel. It had undergone a massive change. In the template section, ”None” had become ”True Monarch Erlang.”

The words ”Fusion Degree: 1%” appeared after it.

The next second, a vast amount of information flooded his mind.

’The higher the Fusion Degree, the greater the Martial Arts Talent. At 100%, I will fully possess the Talent of True Monarch Erlang.’

Lin Qi processed the information, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

At the same time, his Heart Spirit was shaken. ’Erlang God?!!’

Erlang God was a figure from mythology, featured in folklore, novels, comics, and films.

He held countless titles: True Monarch Erlang, True Monarch Qingyuan Miaodao, River Lord Emperor, Hunting God...

Extraordinary Talent, boundless strength, limitless Magical Power, an indestructible primordial spirit, a body that achieved sainthood...

Powerful in every aspect—a true Hexagonal Warrior.

Lin Qi couldn’t suppress his excitement. This was the Erlang God! He was an Immortal, the strongest of the third-generation disciples under Yuanshi Tianzun in the myths.

’Even with just 1% of his Talent, I’ll be a genius in the eyes of others.’

”AHH!!”

Just as excitement surged through him, a mysterious Energy injected itself into his body. In an instant, an intense pain erupted from within.

CRACK CRACK—

The bones in his body snapped in an instant, the pain causing Lin Qi’s entire face to Twist.

’This is the transformation from the template’s Talent!!’

Lin Qi realized that the process of fusing with the Talent was also a process of remodeling and reshaping his body.

Afraid of worrying his parents, he struggled to pull his dirty Martial Arts Uniform from his backpack, twisting it into a ball and biting down on it.

CRUNCH!!

”ARGGHHH!!”

’Pain, so much pain!’

Shattering bones, Tearing muscles, numbness, itching... compared to this, the agony of practicing Pile Skill was practically a luxury.

Genetic optimization. His entire body was being remolded. His bones, muscles, and constitution were undergoing a world-shaking transformation.

Lin Qi squirmed and struggled on the floor like a caterpillar, his sweat mixing with the dust.

He held on for an unknown length of time before finally losing consciousness.

「Three hours later, at 11:30 PM.」

WHIRRR...

Amidst the stuffy heat and the whirring of the fan, Lin Qi slowly opened his eyes.

The memory of what had just happened surfaced in his mind, leaving a lingering fear. It was too painful, a fate worse than death. Even the ten great tortures of old couldn’t compare.

Phew...

’It’s finally over.’

As he climbed up from the floor, he looked at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror. He was covered in filth, and the sticky sweat felt disgusting.

GRUMBLE...

The next second, a sound came from his stomach. An intense hunger washed over him with the force of a tidal wave.

’Water, food!’

Lin Qi quickly opened a drawer, took out the few remaining red Qi and Blood Capsules, and swallowed them all. He followed them with several compressed biscuits, the snacks he usually ate to stave off hunger after training.

He devoured them one after another, finishing everything in moments.

He opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of soda, and started chugging it frantically. After downing three bottles, he continued to eat.

Seeing the fruit and leftovers in the fridge, he began to wolf them down.

After he finished eating, a wave of satisfaction washed over Lin Qi.

But a strange smell suddenly drifted through the air.

SNIFF... SNIFF...

”What’s that smell? Ugh.”

Lin Qi caught a whiff of a foul stench, like filth from a sewer that had been sealed for years.

It was coming from his own body. He looked down and saw the dust and sweat, along with streams of a black liquid—waste products expelled by his metabolism.

「Ten minutes later.」

Lin Qi walked out of the bathroom and flopped onto his bed, feeling comfortable all over. He felt completely reborn.

”I’m alive again!”

He stared at the ceiling with the deep satisfaction of someone who was full and content.

Lin Qi felt his entire body was lighter, as if he had undergone a Muscle and Marrow Cleansing.

Before he could think about it further, exhaustion and drowsiness washed over him, and he fell asleep.

...

「The next day, September 2nd.」

RING RING RING!

Lin Qi opened his eyes and, just like any other day, turned off his alarm and sat up in bed.

His eyes immediately went to the panel.

[You have Awakened the Erlang God Yang Jian template. The higher the Fusion Degree, the greater your Talent.]

[By fusing with the Erlang God’s Talent, your body has transformed. Your Talent and Comprehension have been enhanced.]

[Your digestive abilities have been strengthened.]

...

[Name: Lin Qi (17)]

[Class: Martial Artist]

[Template: Erlang God Yang Jian (Fusion Degree: 1%)]

[Qi and Blood Value: 5.3 → 5.4]

[Cultivation Technique: Hunyuan Posture, Tiger Form Fist (Minor Achievement), Basic Spear Skill]

[Fist Technique: Tier One 80%]

[Spear Technique: Tier One 60%]

[Body Technique: Tier One 57%]

...

Lin Qi silently stared at the ”Erlang God” in his template section. Even with his calm demeanor, he couldn’t suppress his excitement.

Fusing with the Erlang God’s Talent, even just 1% of it, had already enhanced his physical Talent and Comprehension.

He stood up and stretched, feeling an endless supply of energy welling up from within his body.

Although his Qi and Blood had only increased by 0.1, he felt that was only because he lacked the necessary resources.

If he could consume enough resources like the Qi and Blood Potion, his Qi and Blood Value would skyrocket.

He also noticed his body felt lighter. The fatigue and soreness were completely gone.

Lin Qi clenched his fist, channeling power from his waist. The feeling was better than ever before.

’The fusion of the Talent not only reshaped my body, but in the words of a novel, it was a Bone Marrow Cleansing.’

”And it even relaxed my muscles. I don’t need to go for therapy anymore. That saves me a lot of money.”

After muttering to himself for a moment, he left his room and went to the bathroom to wash up.

SWISH SWISH...

As he brushed his teeth, Lin Qi looked at his reflection and was surprised.

’I think I’ve gotten taller!’

Lin Qi was surprised to find that his height and build had undergone subtle changes.

His shoulders were broader, and the lines of his muscles were more defined.

After washing up, he went to the living room and checked himself against the height marks on the wall.

”One meter seventy-eight!”

He had grown two centimeters taller. Lin Qi was delighted.

In this era, with sufficient nutrition, the average height of those who practiced Martial Arts was ten to twenty centimeters taller than it had been decades ago.

The average height for male Martial Artists had even surpassed 1.9 meters, pulled up by some who were over two meters tall.

”Little Qi, you’re up. Come have breakfast,”

Fang Huiyi said as she brought out steamed buns and placed them on the table.

”Mom, you’re still not well. Shouldn’t you be resting more?”

Lin Qi asked as he made a black coffee and sat down.

”It’s fine. I know my own body, so don’t worry. You should eat more.”

Fang Huiyi said nonchalantly.

Lin Qi looked at the spread on the table, which was twice the usual amount, and began to dig in.

He really was starving.

A few minutes later, Lin Qi had eaten all the buns on the table.

”I’m off to school.”

”Be careful!”

Fang Huiyi watched Lin Qi leave. Her expression grew weary again as she glanced at the bedroom. ’Let Axia sleep in a little longer.’

Then she turned and went back into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Lin Zhen.

...