Chapter 6: Turtle-Snake Great Stance

"Master Lin, they are yours now!"

Huang Jin did not linger here long. He had not come to supervise everyone’s training, but to communicate with the Weiyuan Hall and pay the fees.

As for whether Xu Yang and the others were diligent in their training, the Huang family did not care at all; besides, he could always inquire about that from the Weiyuan Hall.

If they were lazy and just wanted to coast, they would naturally be kicked out by the Weiyuan Hall once the fees stopped.

"Greetings, Master Lin!"

Once Huang Jin left, everyone bowed in unison toward Lin Cheng.

Although they were paying to learn the craft, the proper respect and etiquette could not be neglected.

Lin Cheng nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the ten people, lingering particularly on Lu Ren: "What do you think is most important in martial arts training?"

"Bone structure!"

"Perseverance!"

"The ability to endure hardship!"

"Diligence and persistence!"

……

There were all sorts of answers, but the most common was bone structure. After all, if bone structure weren't the most important, the Huang family wouldn't have felt their bones first before selecting them.

As for enduring hardship or perseverance, there were plenty of people who could do that. Why did the Huang family only choose them? Oxen and horses could also endure hardship and toil, but could they practice martial arts?

"It's money!" Xu Yang said, speaking from his heart.

He had spent half a year preparing to practice martial arts, and the thing he heard most was money. Few people, upon hearing he wanted to practice, would say he lacked talent or couldn't endure hardship; what they said most was that he had no money.

To fund Yang Jun’s martial arts training, Xu the Second had even set his sights on the few hundred copper coins of blood and sweat money he had dug out from the mine.

Lin Cheng looked at Xu Yang with surprise, then nodded: "Not bad. It is indeed money. Without money, you wouldn't even be able to see me!"

Luo Dehu, Lu Ren, and the others were dumbfounded. They hadn't expected a master like Lin Cheng to be so mercenary, talking about money the moment he opened his mouth.

"Don't think I'm being mercenary. I just want to tell you that for others, the most important things in martial arts might be bone structure or perseverance, but for you, the most important thing is money.

You have all passed the Huang family’s bone-feeling test, so you naturally have the bone structure for martial arts, and since you all come from the bottom, enduring hardship is a given. The only thing you lack is money.

And practicing martial arts is the most expensive thing there is.

Never mind medicinal soups and such; even just the food alone is enough to eat a small household into poverty."

Everyone was a bit confused. Was Master Lin trying to persuade them not to practice?

They heard Lin Cheng continue: "If you can't even eat your fill, even someone with Grade B-Upper bone structure like Lu Ren won't become a martial artist after ten years. So, the first lesson I teach you today is eating—eat with all your might, eat until your belly can't hold any more. It’s best if you can eat four or five meals a day. That way, you might have a chance to struggle out of the mud.

When you go home tonight, talk to your families. If there is money, take it all out and eat well."

His logic might not be entirely correct, but for this group of people struggling in the mud, it was a golden rule.

Because when it came to food, it was the only thing the Huang family was generous about; they could eat their fill.

"The disciples have been taught. Many thanks for your guidance, Master Lin." Everyone bowed in unison.

Lin Cheng nodded to himself. Rich kids had their advantages, and the poor had theirs. At the very least, this group didn't need him to nag them about enduring hardship. The rest was just a matter of comprehension.

"Come, I will first teach you the stance. The stance is the foundation of all methods, and it is also the peerless technique for storing Qi and blood and tempering the physique. For those just starting martial arts, the stance is more important than fist techniques."

Finally, they were about to make real contact with the Martial Dao. Everyone became excited, their eyes fixed on Lin Cheng. Even the group practicing fist techniques not far away swarmed over, surrounding Lin Cheng in the middle.

He assumed a strange posture, looking like a giant python standing upright. A fierce Qi and blood emanated from his body, his skin began to turn crimson, and his already burly frame swelled even further, with robust muscles appearing like intertwined tree roots.

"This is the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Turtles and snakes are long-lived. We martial artists often have hidden injuries in our bodies, some of which even medicine cannot heal; only the stance can repair them. Remember, no matter how high your cultivation base becomes in the future, you must stand this stance every morning and evening; it can prolong your life."

Xu Yang and the others began to imitate Lin Cheng's movements while watching.

"Don't be in a hurry to learn my movements. The true core of the stance is not the movement, but the breathing method. Pay attention to my breathing rhythm and the way my skin ripples..."

Xu Yang stared at Lin Cheng with rapt attention. At a certain moment, a faint light flashed before his eyes, and the Martial Dao Longevity Panel popped up.

【Turtle-Snake Great Stance · Not Yet Entered (0/5)】

He couldn't help but twitch his eyelids. He hadn't actually memorized everything Lin Cheng taught, but now, whenever he recalled it in his mind, the panel would transmit Lin Cheng's image and words to him.

He hadn't memorized it, but the panel had helped him remember. The rest was just practicing by following the pattern.

Of course, it wasn't that simple; it was just equivalent to having a constant replay. The benefit was that he didn't need to struggle to memorize it, but the difficulty of cultivation remained unchanged.

"The proficiency only needs 5 to enter the threshold."

Xu Yang didn't yet know how difficult "5" was, and he didn't ponder it too much.

"You all give it a try!" Lin Cheng finished his technique and stood up, his crimson skin returning to normal.