Chapter 72: Tiger Tendon Pipa, Honing Strength

The Outer Courtyard of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall also has equipment and methods for tempering strength.

Previously, Zhou You had just entered the realm of strength, his fist techniques were not yet sufficiently practiced, and he had no time to fiddle with these things.

After Meng Hu Quan reached level 16 and his strength entered the intermediate stage, he had to start honing his strength, aiming to elevate it toward proficiency.

After all, at this level, burying one's head in hard practice of fist techniques yields little improvement.

He went to collect a "Tiger Tendon Pipa," a unique piece of equipment belonging to the Meng Hu Quan school.

A fish-shaped iron plate about half a person's height, with thirteen strings made of tiger tendon stretched taut across it.

Although it is called a Pipa, this piece of equipment is not used for playing music, but for tempering the strength in one's hands.

The fierce tiger is famous for its formidable tendons and bones; an adult male tiger can easily tear apart its prey's body, and its power comes from its bones and tendons.

The tiger tendons on the iron plate, even the thinnest, are as thick as a thumb; they have long since air-dried, presenting an amber, semi-transparent appearance.

Zhou You extended his index finger and lightly plucked a tiger tendon; a massive force snapped out, directly flicking his hand away.

"The tiger tendons on the iron plate are each stripped from the body of a 10-year-old adult male tiger, soaked in oil and air-dried in the shade, repeated hundreds of times."

"Tiger tendons made in this way leave no marks when slashed by a knife, do not peel when struck by an axe, and can suspend a thousand-catty heavy stone without breaking."

"If your cultivation is not up to par, be careful of having your fingers snapped off and ending up a cripple."

He could not help but recall the earnest warning from Big Senior Brother Lu Qiang when he collected the Pipa.

This thing is tougher than steel bars; if pulled taut, it could cut an adult man in half at the waist.

Zhou You did not believe it; he used a knife for cutting roasted meat to test it, sawing and cutting at the tiger tendon, but after a long effort, he did not even leave a white mark.

"If this stuff were woven into a vest, it would be a soft armor that is truly impervious to blades and spears."

Zhou You thought that if he were to break through the Qi and blood barrier, his entire body's skin and flesh would be permeated with perfected strength, which would be even more formidable than this.

He had guessed the purpose of the Tiger Tendon Pipa a little.

Strength Apprentices use their fingers to pluck the tiger tendon strings, needing to transform their strength attributes to neutralize the rebound force of the tiger tendons.

The entire process strengthens the power through resistance, serving the purpose of honing and increasing it.

"There isn't even a musical score; what is the point of plucking it so randomly?"

Zhou You exerted strength from his fingertips and plucked a tiger tendon; he only heard a sharp, ringing sound, and his eardrums buzzed.

He stumbled under his feet and almost fell to the ground.

He had not expected the sound of the Tiger Tendon Pipa to be so terrifying, with a tendency to shatter the brain and pierce the marrow.

Zhou You breathed deeply, recovered after a moment, and solemnly placed his fingers on the tiger tendon.

He exerted strength again to pluck a string; the familiar sound came, tearing silk and piercing clouds, rising straight to the heavens.

This time, his body reacted naturally, channeling strength to his ears to protect his eardrums, and the buzzing sound was much weaker.

Zhou You breathed a sigh of relief; if one had not reached the level of strength, let alone plucking the Tiger Tendon Pipa, even just listening from the side, one would become deaf within a month.

With his five fingers, he alternately plucked the 13 tiger tendon strings, trying them one by one.

The 13 tiger tendons had different tensions, so the rebound force when plucked was vastly different, and added to that, the vibration frequencies were also different.

"I have heard this sound; no wonder!"

Zhou You finally remembered that ever since joining the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall, he had often heard the harsh, unpleasant ringing.

He had originally guessed where it came from, but now he understood: it was someone using the Tiger Tendon Pipa to hone their strength.

"Hmm!"

As Zhou You plucked, he was completely unaware of how unpleasant the sound was, but his fingers felt numb, and a faint pain emerged.

He looked down at his hands and was startled; his five fingertips were swollen and bruised.

Unknowingly, the rebound force of the Tiger Tendon Pipa had already injured his five fingers, with a large amount of blood pooling under the skin.

Looking at the 13 tiger tendons again, they were no different from when he had taken them; there was not the slightest change.

Zhou You sighed deeply; this equipment is not something that can be mastered easily; it requires a great deal of effort.

He had heard others say that the biggest consumable on the Tiger Tendon Pipa is not the tiger tendon strings, but the fish-shaped iron plate made of refined iron.

Through years of plucking, the vibrations twist the iron plate into scrap metal, whereas the tiger tendons can be used for a long time without needing replacement.

"Strength is like the tide, ebbing and flowing, year after year, coming and going, circulating endlessly."

Zhou You put down the Tiger Tendon Pipa and took out Purple Gold Ointment to apply to his fingertips.

A cooling sensation penetrated his skin, the medicinal power slowly dissipating the blood stasis, and the stinging sensation gradually faded.

Holding the half-person-high Pipa in his arms, the plucking was only within his fingers and palms, yet it contained the exquisite nature of strength circulation.

In just half a day, Zhou You had gained the harvest of many days of hard practice.

Why do those from martial arts halls look down on those with unconventional paths? It is truly because they rely on a complete training system and possess unique advantages.

Zhou You woke up, his fingertips no longer swollen, and he held the Tiger Tendon Pipa to hone his skills again.

He had thought about a lot during the night and urgently needed to verify it through practice; his fingers hooked, wiped, and pressed on the tiger tendons, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water.

The strength foundation brought by rapid improvement was being digested and absorbed step by step, becoming a part of his own resources.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Zhou You held the Pipa, pinched a tiger tendon string with two fingers and pulled it back, rubbing it before letting go.

After the snapping sound, the tiger tendon sprang back to its original position, still vibrating incessantly.

The air ripples created by the breaking of the air landed on the ground, kicking up dust and faintly outlining the shape of a crescent-moon shockwave.

"The power can pierce paper, but it is not enough to tear cloth."

The power emitted by the Tiger Tendon Pipa possesses long-range lethality, but the damage is limited.

Therefore, Zhou You guessed that Wang Jianxiong's Inner Court Disciples must have practiced secret techniques and ultimate skills related to it.

The Tiger Tendon Pipa might be some kind of highly powerful lethal weapon, with specific methods of use.

Through the Tiger Tendon Pipa, Zhou You further polished his strength and integrated it into the routines of Meng Hu Quan.

At the same time, there was an unexpected joy...

"Yanxing Quan lv11→lv12, Experience Points +110."

"Yanxing Quan lv12→lv13, Experience Points +120."

"Yanxing Quan lv13→lv14, Experience Points +130."

"Name: Zhou You.

Strength: 46.

Speed: 45.

Defense: 46.

Experience Points: 464.

Occupation: Martial Arts Apprentice.

Level: Intermediate Force.

Skills: Yu Fa Hand lv10 (Perfected), Subduing Tiger Fist lv16, Basic Lightness Skill lv2/lv?, Yanxing Quan lv14, Pipa lv0. Ultimate Moves: Wind-Chasing Triple Strike lv1, Tiger Aura lv1.

Talent: Hunger

Armory: Void Mask (Flesh Magic Treasure) — False Identity: Lu Zhigang.

Trial Project One (Two-Star): Break through the Qi-Blood barrier and become an Inner Court Disciple of Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall.

Trial Project Two (Four-Star): Perfect the Basic Lightness Skill.

Trial Project Three (Two-Star): Master the technique of imbuing objects with Tiger Aura."

While Zhou You was pondering his force, he conveniently pushed the progress of Yanxing Quan, successfully raising it to lv14.

Not only did he finish leveling up, but he also harvested over 300 Experience Points in the process.

He suddenly discovered that an extra skill had appeared on the panel: Pipa.

In his view, the Tiger Tendon Pipa didn't even count as a musical instrument, so how could he have gained a Pipa skill?

Could it be that after raising his level, he could change his profession to a musician?

The lv0 rating meant that he hadn't even entered the threshold of this skill; he was still lingering outside the door and needed to practice more.

Zhou You's heart stirred, and as the sharp pain in his fingertips struck again and they swelled up, he decided to call it a day, apply medicine to reduce the swelling, and try again tomorrow.