Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist-Chapter 45: Four Extremities Dermal Aperture

The night was tranquil as water, the moon hanging high in the sky.

The Inner Courtyard’s residential wing was serene and elegant.

These rooms were originally meant for honored guests. They featured carved window lattices, sandalwood furniture, and ceramic tea sets, with the faint scent of incense lingering in the air. Now, they served as the living quarters for the Inner Courtyard Disciples.

Although the environment was pleasant, few people from the Inner Courtyard actually stayed overnight at the martial hall. After all, they were all Martial Artists with their own homes in the city, so it was only natural they wouldn’t live here.

Su Yu pushed open the window and took a deep breath of the cool night air, his heart feeling more at ease than ever before.

’Finally, I don’t have to squeeze into that large, open bunk room in the Outer Courtyard, filled with the stench of sweat and feet. This is how a person is supposed to live.’

"Brother Su! You moved in too?"

A surprised cry broke the silence. Wang Hu, carrying a cloth sack on his back and looking travel-worn, was passing by the door to the room, a simple, honest smile on his face.

Su Yu was also happy to see a familiar face. "Xiaohu, long time no see. Come on in and sit down. Did you just get back?"

"Yeah, Brother Su. I went home to eat the flatbread my mom makes. I brought a few back with me, you should try some."

When Su Yu saw him take out the familiar flatbread—golden-brown and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds—his appetite was instantly whetted.

"Haha, I haven’t had this flatbread of yours since you moved into the Inner Courtyard. Quick, let me have a taste!"

He took a bite with a CRUNCH. It was the same taste as he remembered. The crispy texture, the piping-hot juices, the aroma of pork, and the fragrance of sesame.

The flatbread also stirred Su Yu’s memories. Back then, he had been struggling through his martial arts training in the Outer Courtyard. Now, more than half a year had passed, and he was no longer that weak, ordinary person.

The two sat facing each other, eating the flatbread. For a moment, neither spoke, the only sound being their chewing.

"Brother Su..." Wang Hu swallowed a mouthful of flatbread and hesitated before speaking in a low voice. "Senior Brother Ma Fei... have you seen him since? I heard Senior Sister Qin broke his arm and kicked him out. I... I feel kind of bad about it. I never got to apologize to him."

Su Yu looked into Wang Hu’s clear eyes and sighed internally.

’This silly kid. He has a good Root Bone and a kind heart, but he lacks a ruthless streak.’

"He brought that on himself." Su Yu patted his shoulder. "Don’t bring up the past. Look forward."

At Su Yu’s words, Wang Hu stopped thinking about the past and asked curiously:

"Brother Su, have you broken through to become a Martial Artist?"

"I just broke through yesterday."

"Congratulations, Brother Su! My dad says once you become a Martial Artist, you can really make a name for yourself in this city!" Wang Hu grinned foolishly, and it was clear his happiness was genuine.

"If you ever need weapons forged in the future, you can come to my family’s place. My dad’s skills are amazing."

Su Yu nodded in agreement.

He had long thought about having weapons and hidden projectiles custom-made for him, but he never had the chance.

"Xiaohu, when do you plan to try breaking through to the Martial Artist Realm again?"

"My dad said this is my last chance. If I fail again, my Qi and Blood will decline, and I’ll never get another opportunity. I have to get my body in perfect condition before I try. Can’t rush it."

"Have you prepared any pills for your breakthrough then?"

"No..." Wang Hu scratched his head with a wry smile. "That Iron Sand Blood Boiling Pill is priceless and impossible to find. My dad said even he can’t get one, so I’ll just have to force my way through."

"But it’s okay if I fail. I don’t have much talent for Martial Arts anyway. If I fail, I can just go back and be a blacksmith with my dad. It’s just that my dad said being a blacksmith has a better future if you’re a Martial Artist. That’s the only reason I came to learn."

Su Yu nodded without saying much more, but a plan was already forming in his mind.

He still had an unused Blood Boiling Pill.

"Xiaohu, when you’re ready to make your attempt, remember to come find me first."

Although Wang Hu didn’t understand, he still nodded in his simple, honest way.

...

「The next morning, at the Martial Arts Arena.」

Just as Su Yu and Wang Hu left their rooms, they ran straight into Chen Fan.

Chen Fan was dressed in brocade robes with a Jade Pendant hanging from his waist, looking quite different from before. Upon seeing the two of them, he paused briefly, put on his signature fake smile, gave a reserved nod, and brushed past them.

However, in the instant he passed them, a gloomy look flashed through his eyes and vanished.

"What an annoying fly."

Chen Fan sneered inwardly.

’This Su Yu came from a lowly background and has poor Root Bone talent; he should have rotted in the mud. But somehow, the bastard crawled his way up like a maggot and even broke through to become a Martial Artist!’

’Seeing him reminds me of my own humble past. Back when I had just become a disciple, I used to rush to help him empty his chamber pot, acting all respectful in his presence.’

’Now I’m a Direct Disciple with a limitless future, but when this Su Yu sees me, he still acts neither servile nor overbearing.’

’Damned fly!’

...

At the Martial Arts Arena, Xu Feng had been waiting for some time.

Today, he wore a set of tight-fitting short clothes, and his muscle definition was as sharp and distinct as chiseled rock.

"Junior Su, let me first explain the cultivation path after becoming a Martial Artist."

"Senior Brother, please begin!"

Su Yu immediately focused his full attention, listening intently. He knew very little about cultivation after the Martial Artist Realm.

Xu Feng’s expression was serious as he got straight to the point. "For a Martial Artist’s cultivation, Qi and Blood are fundamental. To advance from the Skin Tempering Realm to the Flesh Refining Realm, you must also pass through three gates to strengthen the Qi and Blood in your body."

"These three gates may seem similar to the ’Three Knocks’ for breaking through to the Martial Artist Realm, but they are completely different."

"For these three gates, you need to open the three major ’Skin Acupoints’ in your body! These ’Three Major Skin Acupoints’ are a collective term, not literally three acupoints. These Skin Acupoints are ethereal, yet you can feel them distinctly!"

"The first of these is the Four Extremities Acupoints. The ’Four Extremities’ refer to the Laogong points in the palms of your hands and the Yongquan points in the soles of your feet. The hands and feet are the root of all Yang energy. Opening these acupoints allows Qi and Blood to pour into the skin and membranes of your limbs, making your hands and feet as hard as iron and greatly increasing your Qi and Blood!"

As he spoke, Xu Feng walked over to a special wooden stake.

It was no ordinary Ironwood Stake. Its surface was densely embedded with sharp, pig iron wolf-fang spikes that glinted coldly, an intimidating sight.

"Watch closely!"

Xu Feng let out a low shout. His Qi and Blood erupted, and his palms instantly engorged with blood, taking on a dark, bluish-black metallic sheen.

"Hah!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed his bare palms fiercely against those sharp iron spikes!

BOOM!

With a deafening noise, the stake vibrated violently, letting out a thunderous sound.

Su Yu’s pupils contracted sharply.

He saw that the iron spikes, sharp enough to pierce flesh and blood, had actually been bent by that single palm strike!

Xu Feng withdrew his hands and showed them to Su Yu.

His palms were completely unharmed. There wasn’t even a white mark left. His skin was as tough as a layer of old ox-hide stretched over a steel plate.

"This is the power of having the Four Extremities Acupoints open!" Xu Feng said in a deep voice. "Tearing pig iron with your bare hands and shattering rocks with your feet—that is what it means to be a First Acupoint Martial Artist!"

Su Yu’s heart surged with excitement as he watched. Every increase in a Martial Artist’s strength was more astonishing than the last.

Seeing Su Yu’s excited expression, Xu Feng continued, "Your next step is to practice the White Ape Fist, accumulating and strengthening your Qi and Blood day by day. Once you can sense the Four Extremities Acupoints, you can attempt a breakthrough."

"Senior Brother, how long does it take to open these Four Extremities Acupoints?" Su Yu asked, a little curious.

"It depends on your Root Bone." Xu Feng paused. "For someone with an average Root Bone, without the aid of pills, it might take a year and a half or even longer to break through."

"What? That long!" Shock flashed across Su Yu’s face again.

’Isn’t cultivating in the Martial Artist Realm even harder than breaking through to become one?’

Xu Feng sighed and continued, "Martial Artists are powerful, but the difficulty of cultivation increases with each step. If your Root Bone isn’t good, you can only rely on piling up massive amounts of resources."

"Take Chen Fan, for example. He has a Top-Grade Root Bone. If you both practice the White Ape Fist once, the amount of Qi and Blood his Root Bone can generate is probably several times more than yours. At this rate, he’ll be attempting to open his First Acupoint in just over a month!"

Su Yu understood.

With a Lower-Grade Root Bone, without a mountain of resources, he might not even reach the threshold in a year and a half, and could even be stuck at this stage for the rest of his life.

This was the cruelty of Martial Arts: one step behind, always behind, with bottlenecks constantly holding you back.

"Alright, I’ll begin teaching you the White Ape Fist now. Watch carefully!"