I achieved mastery of martial arts during the Republic of China era.

Chapter 50: Testing the Waters of Bone Forging, Adding Fuel to the Fire!

With this in mind, Zhou Tong didn't hesitate and looked directly at Ji Chang, smiling as he said:

"Senior Brother Ji, I have just broken through to the next level, and I am really curious about how much of a difference there is between my current combat strength and that of the Bone Forging Realm."

His eyes were bright: "Senior brother, could you perhaps offer some guidance?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Chang was taken aback at first, then laughed heartily: "Want to give it a try?"

He looked Zhou Tong up and down, and said with a smile:

"You have mastered the perfect sword technique that your third senior brother spoke of, and you have also broken through the Iron Muscle Realm. Now, in the Iron Muscle Realm, you are indeed hard to find an opponent."

"Above that, you'd reach bone forging... It's perfectly normal to want to test the waters."

He readily agreed: "Alright! Then I'll spar with you, senior brother!"

The two smiled at each other and walked side by side toward the backyard.

As dusk settled, four windproof glass-covered lanterns were lit in the backyard and hung under the eaves.

The dim, yellowish light spread out, casting a warm, hazy glow on the bluestone pavement and stretching the two people's shadows, making them appear to grow longer and shorter.

Zhou Tong and Ji Chang stood in the center of the courtyard, about three zhang apart.

Ji Chang took off his outer robe and casually draped it over the stone lock beside him, revealing the indigo-colored fine cloth outfit underneath.

He moved his neck and wrists, and a series of slight but clear "crackling" sounds immediately came from his shoulder blades and elbows, like dry firewood exploding in a fire.

"Junior brother."

Ji Chang smiled at Zhou Tong, his tone carrying the composure and confidence of a Bone Forging Realm martial artist: "Between flesh training and bone forging, there is a vast realm."

He held up two fingers and gestured in the air, creating a faint rustling sound at the fingertips:

"This difference is not comparable to the small step between wood-like and stone-like muscles, or stone-like and iron-like muscles. The refinement of qi and blood and the transformation of bone structure bring about a comprehensive leap forward."

He paused, chuckled softly, and stood with his feet neither too far apart:

"So, go ahead and attack without worrying about hurting me. Let your senior brother see just how far your 'perfect' Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade, combined with your Iron Skin Foundation, has come."

Zhou Tong took a deep breath, the cool air of late spring filling his lungs, carrying the faint, astringent scent of the few night-blooming jasmine plants just beginning to bloom in the corner of the backyard.

He slowly assumed the starting stance of the Dragon-Tiger Ruyi Blade, "Dragon Lurks in the Abyss," his body slightly lowered, his gaze locking onto the deep, resonant aura of Ji Chang opposite him, and he smiled:

"Then please enlighten me, senior brother."

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Tong had already moved!

He naturally couldn't use the "Shadowless" secret technique; he purely relied on his Iron Skin Realm to activate his blood and qi, combined with the exquisite power exertion and footwork honed through the perfect version of the sword technique.

With a gentle stomp of the toes on the bluestone slab, the person shot out like an arrow.

His right palm stood upright like a knife, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and slashed straight at Ji Chang's left shoulder!

Ji Chang nodded slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He neither dodged nor avoided the palm strike until it was about an inch in front of him. Then, seemingly casually, he raised his left arm, clenched his fist, and gently tapped the palm strike.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud exploded, like a heavy hammer pounding earth.

Zhou Tong felt an overwhelming and powerful force emanating from Ji Chang's seemingly nonchalant fist!

The skillful force he had contained in his palm was instantly overwhelmed, and the remaining power surged into his arm like a burst dam!

Ding Ding Deng!

Zhou Tong's expression changed slightly, and his body uncontrollably retreated four or five steps, each step making a dull sound on the bluestone slab. His right arm was sore and numb, and his blood and qi in his body stagnated slightly.

"The difference is so huge!" Zhou Tong thought with a chill.

He considered that his previous palm strike had combined the power of his Iron Muscle Realm with the perfected sword technique to its current peak, making it extremely difficult for ordinary Iron Muscle Realm practitioners to withstand.

Ji Chang merely moved casually, yet the force of the recoil left him in such a sorry state.

"Good reaction, and the technique for deflecting force is indeed impressive."

A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Chang's eyes, but his tone remained relaxed. "Again."

Zhou Tong took a deep breath, suppressing the soreness and numbness in his arm, and his gaze became focused.

He stopped trying to fight head-on and his steps suddenly became unsteady as he circled around Ji Chang.

Sometimes darting like a nimble cat, sometimes swaying like a swimming fish, this technique incorporates exquisite movements from swordsmanship, such as "Dragon Swimming in Shallow Water" and "Dragon Appearing Three Times in the Clouds," into the footwork, seeking opportunities to exploit gaps in the defense.

Suddenly, he swayed, as if he had transformed into three faint shadows, reaching out from three different angles to poke at Ji Chang's ribs, lower back, and knees!

It blends reality and illusion, moving with the speed of a ghost.

Ji Chang narrowed his eyes slightly, then chuckled softly, "More show than skillful."

Without any apparent movement, he seemed to blur for a moment, and Zhou Tong's three attacks, which were difficult to distinguish as real or illusory, all missed their mark!

Immediately afterwards, Ji Chang's figure appeared like a ghost behind Zhou Tong's true form, his speed far exceeding Zhou Tong's limits when he moved!

A hand had already silently pressed down on Zhou Tong's back.

Zhou Tong was shocked. He twisted his waist sharply and, relying on the amazing body control honed by the perfect version of the sword technique, he dodged to the side at the critical moment. At the same time, he swung his "Azure Dragon Tail Swing" at Ji Chang's wrist.

Ji Chang flipped his wrist, changing the pressing motion to a grabbing motion. His five fingers, like hooks, precisely gripped Zhou Tong's wrist pulse point, and the speed was even faster than Zhou Tong's counterattack!

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhou Tong quickly slammed his wrist down, turning the slash into a cut, narrowly avoiding the grab, but his footwork had already gone awry.

Ji Chang, seizing the advantage, took a step forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly, and then pressed close to him like a shadow, delivering a simple punch to his chest with his other fist.

This punch was devoid of any fancy moves, yet it carried a heavy, oppressive force like a mountain collapsing. The wind from the punch was so strong that it made Zhou Tong's hair fly straight back!

Zhou Tong had no choice but to place his palms together and use his technique to deflect the punch head-on.

"boom!"

An even deeper, louder explosion followed.

Zhou Tong felt as if he had been hit head-on by a raging bull. His palms were in excruciating pain, and his condensed blood and qi were scattered by the blow. He was thrown backward like a kite with a broken string, and was about to crash into the brick wall in the backyard.

Just then, the overwhelming force of the punch suddenly dissipated.

Ji Chang had already withdrawn his fist and stood still, his breathing as steady as ever, as if the thunderous strike just now was not his doing.

Zhou Tong staggered to the ground, taking two steps back before regaining his balance. His chest was churning with blood and qi, his arms were weak and sore, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

He took a few deep breaths to suppress his discomfort, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, expressing his sincere admiration:

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. The Bone Forging Realm is indeed beyond the reach of the Iron Muscle Realm. The difference in strength, speed, and reaction time is too great."

Ji Chang stepped forward, patted Zhou Tong on the shoulder, and smiled:

"It's good that you can see the difference. In the Bone Forging Realm, the Qi and blood temper the bones, making them as tough as iron. This, in turn, nourishes the whole body, resulting in a comprehensive and tremendous improvement in strength, speed, endurance, and even the strength of tendons and bones. Naturally, it is incomparable to the Iron Muscle Realm."

He paused, then continued to explain:

"Moreover, I, your senior brother, have already mastered the twelve forms of the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade. The first twelve forms mainly focus on enhancing movement speed and agility, while the middle twelve forms aim to condense qi and blood and enhance instantaneous explosive power."

"With my foundation in the Bone Forging Realm, I unleashed the explosive techniques of the Twelfth Form. The power was amplified, so it's perfectly normal that you, Junior Brother, couldn't handle it."

Zhou Tong nodded slightly. He had heard his senior brother mention that the first twelve forms and the middle twelve forms of the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade had different focuses.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of the Chongshan Secret Technique, which was derived from the Twelve Middle Styles.

Unfortunately, one can only truly learn that after undergoing bone forging.

At that moment, Zhou Tong's eyes caught sight of a dark brown wooden stake standing in the corner of the wall, and a thought suddenly struck him.

The wooden stake was about the thickness of an adult's thigh, with a glossy finish and a faint, sandalwood-like, yet more somber, scent.

This item is called "Iron Sandalwood," and it is an essential item for all martial arts schools in the city. Its texture is extremely hard and dense, making it difficult to damage with knives and axes. It has also been repeatedly soaked and processed with tung oil mixed with a special medicinal liquid, giving it exceptional toughness. It is used specifically to test the strength of martial artists' punches and kicks and is not easily damaged.

A thought struck him, and he pointed at the wooden stake and laughed:

"Senior brother, could you please use your full strength to punch that ironwood stake? Let your junior brother see the power of a Bone Forging Realm cultivator at full strength."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chang laughed heartily: "What's so difficult about that?"

As he spoke, he turned to face the wooden stake, standing about five steps away, his expression becoming slightly solemn.

He took a slow breath, his chest slightly bulging, and his blood and qi flowed faster. A faint buzzing sound, like the soft chime of a jade chime, could be heard emanating from his bones.

The next moment, he stomped his feet on the ground, the bluestone slab made a soft "crack" sound, and he shot out like an arrow shot from a powerful bow.

His right fist was pulled back in a full arc, and then smashed into the center of the wooden stake like a cannonball!

"Thump!!!"

A deafening roar, far heavier than during their previous encounter, exploded out, like muffled thunder rolling through the backyard.

Ji Chang withdrew his fist, his breathing slightly rapid, but he quickly calmed down.

Zhou Tong rushed forward to check and saw a clear fist print on the surface of the dark brown wooden stake!

The edges are slightly rough, and the pit is about the depth of three fingers held together.

"Senior brother is amazing!" Zhou Tong praised sincerely.

This ironwood is extremely hard; with the force of Ji Chang's punch, splitting stone tablets and shattering rocks would be no problem at all.

Ji Chang waved his hand, shook his slightly reddened fist, and laughed:

"Once you break through the Bone Forging stage, with your superior power generation techniques, your strength will be even greater than mine."

Afterwards, the two chatted for a few more minutes about their experience from their fight. When Ji saw that it was already completely dark, he took his leave.

Zhou Tong escorted him to the gate and watched his figure disappear into the alley.

He turned around and went back to the backyard and back to the house. He walked to the ironwood stake and stared at the fist mark left by Ji Chang.

With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Zhou Tong resumed his fighting stance.

He didn't use the "Shadowless" secret technique, but instead mobilized the blood and qi of the Iron Skin Realm, condensing the more advanced power generation techniques from the perfect version of the Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade into his right fist. He twisted his waist, pushed his shoulder, exhaled and made a sound, and threw out a punch!

"Bang!"

The sound was crisper than Ji Chang's punch, but the force was obviously much weaker.

The wooden stake swayed slightly.

Zhou Tong stepped forward to check and found a fist mark about one finger joint deep where he had punched.

Compared to Ji Chang's deep-set fist, it appeared quite "delicate".

Zhou Tong was not discouraged. He took a few steps back and focused his mind again.

This time, he quietly activated the "Shadowless" secret technique.

Instantly, he felt his blood and qi circulate faster in some strange way, and his limbs and bones seemed to become lighter.

He threw another punch, this time with increased speed, the trajectory of which appeared somewhat blurry under the lights!

"Snapped!"

Another loud bang.

Upon closer inspection, the depth of the fist imprint was astonishing, reaching two finger joints. Although it was still not as deep as Ji Chang's, it far exceeded his level when he did not use his secret techniques.

Zhou Tong finished his stance, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and looked thoughtful.

"The depth of the fist imprint primarily reflects the explosive power of a single moment. Senior Brother Ji Chang's foundational strength at the Bone Forging Realm far surpasses mine, and his Twelve Forms of the Sword Technique specializes in explosive power; such power is to be expected."

He thought to himself, "However, my Shadowless Technique mainly focuses on speed. The advantages of speed and agility cannot be fully reflected in the fist imprint, but are more significant in actual combat."

The perfect version of swordsmanship, with its techniques for deflecting and neutralizing force, can also compensate for a certain difference in strength in actual combat...

In summary, I know I can't defeat someone at the Bone Forging Realm in a direct confrontation or a head-on fight.

But if one were to maneuver and maneuver, relying on speed and skill, perhaps... one could hold out for a few rounds and not be defeated as quickly as before.

At this point, Zhou Tong finally had a relatively clear understanding of the limits of his combat strength.

"Young master, the master and mistress have invited you to dinner."

Just then, the servant Afu's voice came from under the eaves.

"understood."

Zhou Tong responded, took one last look at the three fist marks on the wooden stake (one deep and two shallow), and then turned and walked towards the front hall.

……

In the restaurant.

The dishes were steaming hot.

Yao Wanru kept serving food to Zhou Tong, her eyes full of concern, and she kept talking about the rumors she had heard from the visiting innkeepers about Zhou Tong's "fierce fight" with someone at the police station.

"...Tong'er, I know you are capable now, but you can't rely on your bravery and be too competitive. That will inevitably lead to fighting, and in the long run, you will inevitably get hurt." Yao Wanru's tone was full of worry.

Zhou Tong swallowed the rice in his mouth and smiled reassuringly:

"Mother, don't listen to those shopkeepers exaggerating. Today's matter was an internal affair of the police station; it was just a dispute between colleagues."

The bureau has its own rules; although it's called a fight, it's really just a friendly sparring match, stopping when the point is reached, with no real risk.

Seeing his mother's still worried expression, his heart softened, and he added:

"Besides, Mother, don't you know what kind of person I am? Have you forgotten that I wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken?"

With my courage, I'm fine with sparring and comparing skills, but if I really encounter a life-threatening danger, I'll definitely run faster than anyone else.

I would never risk my life, so you can rest assured.

Upon hearing this, Yao Wanru was taken aback at first, but then she recalled the mess Zhou Tong had made when he killed a chicken as a child, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. The worry in her eyes gradually faded away.

She laughed and scolded, "You silly child! You're just talking nonsense to amuse your mother! But... it's good that you know how to cherish your life, it's good that you know how to cherish your life."

Zhou Chengzong watched his wife and children interact with a smile, and silently drank his wine.

After the meal, Yao Wanru led her maid to clear away the dishes and returned to the inner courtyard.

Zhou Tong gave his father a look, and the two moved to a small side hall, where a servant brought two cups of tea to aid digestion.

Under the warm orange light, Zhou Tong recounted to his father the news he had heard from Qin Lie that day about the factional divisions within the police station, the First Squadron's shift towards the pro-foreign faction, and especially Deputy Director Bai's change of stance.

Zhou Chengzong listened quietly, holding his teacup. His eyes dimmed for a moment, but he didn't seem too surprised. He simply sighed softly.

"Deputy Director Bai... Baihe Martial Arts School has been an ally of the old man for many years, and their interests are deeply intertwined."

Since the old man has made his choice, it's only natural that the other side would follow suit.

He put down his teacup, his fingers unconsciously tracing the smooth porcelain edge, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window, his voice heavy with an unyielding weight:

"Foreigners are starting to expand, trying to win over and divide... This world is becoming increasingly turbulent."

He shook his head, seemingly unwilling to discuss the vexing situation any further. When he turned back to look at Zhou Tong, his eyes had softened and were filled with relief once more.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Tong'er, you've already reached the Iron Muscle stage; the next step is to break through to the Bone Forging stage."

The cultivation of the Bone Forging Realm takes longer and relies more heavily on resources.

If you want to maintain your current pace of progress, those controlled drugs are indispensable.

Otherwise, compared to those who have the backing of powerful families, you'll be at a disadvantage in this regard.

Zhou Tong had heard about the controlled drugs from Manager Hu before, and had also asked his father about it privately.

Zhou Chengzong admitted at the time that although he was in charge of the Zhou family's Northeast medicinal herb production line, he mainly dealt with conventional bulk medicinal herbs.

Rare items like wild ginseng that are over fifty years old are strictly controlled. Their procurement and transportation channels have always been managed independently by a trusted martial arts master under Zhou Tong's second master in Tianjin. He has no way to interfere.

The acquisition of that Purple Cloud Ginseng was purely by chance, and it was obtained in exchange for doing that old mountain herder a great favor.

Hearing his father mention the control of medicinal herbs again, with a hint of regret in his tone, Zhou Tong assumed his father was blaming himself for cutting off this resource line due to the family division, and quickly said:

"Father, you don't need to worry about that. Within the police force, as long as you make contributions, you also have the opportunity to receive rewards for controlled substances."

My son is currently highly regarded by Captain Qin, and he also has his third senior brother protecting him. If he works hard in the future, he'll surely earn opportunities.

Zhou Chengzong waved his hand, interrupting Zhou Tong.

He sat up straight, the lamplight casting a resolute outline on his face, his eyes sharp and clear:

"Tong'er, you are becoming more and more capable. You have exceptional talent, are calm and composed, and handle relationships with superiors and subordinates well. Your father sees this and is very pleased."

I believe you can earn rewards from the police station in the future! But—”

He paused, his voice softening but becoming even more solemn: "How can I, as your father, just stand by and watch you struggle so hard all by yourself?"

"Your father isn't so old that he can't keep track of things! You've shown your talent, and your father has to be there to support you and add fuel to the fire!"

My father always spoke with purpose.

Zhou Tong's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at his father: "Father, what do you mean...?"