Han Li smiled with a touch of recognition as he recalled this. Over the past half-year, due to their compatible temperaments and similar backgrounds, he and Zhang Tie had naturally become close friends, sharing everything without reserve. Han Li slowly uncurled his legs, gently massaging his calves. The prolonged meditation and practice had left his legs numb and his blood circulation somewhat sluggish. After rubbing them several times, feeling full sensation return, he rose from the mat, habitually brushing off the dust that had settled on his clothes, and then pushed open the stone door and stepped out. Turning back to gaze at his meditation room, Han Li lightly chuckled at himself. The room was entirely hollowed out from solid granite walls, and the door itself was crafted from a single large slab of dark stone. A common person would find it nearly impossible to enter without first using a massive axe to cleave through the rock for a good while. Such a practice hall was reserved not only for the master, elders, and hall heads of the Qi Xuan Sect, but even the core disciples of the Qi Jue Hall could not claim access to it at will. These stone chambers were specifically constructed for those cultivating profound internal energies, designed to shield practitioners from external disturbances and prevent them from experiencing the phenomenon of "fire entering the heart and magic entering the body." It remains unclear how Doctor Mo managed to persuade several elders to agree, yet he successfully carved out such a chamber directly into the mountain wall of Shenshou Valley—one accessible only to the more distinguished disciples. Though he didn't recognize the names or functions of these medicines, whenever he saw Mo Doctor administering them, the usually composed man would display a deep, heartfelt expression, giving him a clear sense of the preciousness of these remedies. Clearly, these external influences were still effective—Han Li's cultivation progress had noticeably improved, and recently he had finally succeeded in passing through the final barrier, mastering the first level of this unnamed technique. However, during the breakthrough, several meridians nearly ruptured, resulting in a moderate internal injury. Thanks to Mo Doctor's exceptional skill, the affected meridians were not severely damaged, and his careful use of high-quality medicines prevented any lasting complications. After Han Li was injured, Mo Doctor became even more anxious than Han Li himself, remaining restless throughout the treatment process, only finally relaxing greatly once he saw Han Li's condition steadily improving. Master Mo's conduct far exceeded what was expected between ordinary teacher and disciple, leaving Han Li with an unexpected sense of unease and slight discomfort. Had it not been for the fact that, besides his third uncle, no one from the Han family had ever stepped out of their mountain village, Han Li had almost thought Master Mo was a distant relative by marriage. After stepping out of the stone chamber, Han Li stretched lazily and then walked slowly toward his own quarters. Since becoming an official disciple, Han Li and Zhang Tie had moved out of their original rooms, each now occupying their own private dwelling. As he passed by Zhang Tie's room, he glanced in casually. Indeed, Zhang Tie was not there—likely off to practice at the waterfall beneath Chishui Peak once again. Since becoming Master Mo's official disciple, Mo had continued to insist that Han Li only practice this unnamed set of techniques, offering him no other martial arts instruction at all. Perhaps to comfort him, however, Mo was remarkably generous in teaching him medical skills, providing hands-on guidance and instruction. Regarding the doctor's medical skills, he always answered any questions thoroughly and ensured complete satisfaction, and allowed him to freely browse all medical books in his house. As for Zhang Tie, the doctor passed on to him a different, highly practical set of techniques, as previously promised. The style of training Zhang Tie practiced was quite unique—according to the doctor, it was a rare martial art known as "Xiang Jia Gong." The doctor stated that this art was seldom seen on the martial arts scene, with many people never having heard of it, let alone having practiced it. Unlike the conventional martial arts practiced today, which typically progress from easy to difficult, with increasing effort required at higher levels, this art is divided into nine levels. The first three levels are relatively easy to master and are comparable in difficulty to ordinary martial arts. However, starting at the fourth level, the practice suddenly becomes significantly more challenging, requiring the practitioner to endure many unexpected and profound pains and trials. Many practitioners are unable to endure this human-like suffering and thus halt at this stage, their cultivation stagnating forever. To mention the training at the fifth and sixth levels—where the suffering is several times greater than before—is even more daunting. However, once the sixth level is surpassed and the seventh level is reached, the path becomes smooth and unobstructed thereafter, with only a few days each month requiring the practitioner to endure the agonizing pain of near-death experiences. These very challenges deter countless aspiring cultivators, making this martial art nearly lost today. This technique is truly unique, and its power becomes truly formidable at higher levels. It is said that those who reach the ninth level appear as if clad in a divine armor, invulnerable to blades and arrows, immune to water and fire, and capable of withstanding even the might of a master's palm or fist—let alone the strikes of fine swords and spears. Even more impressive, ordinary individuals gradually develop the strength of a giant elephant while practicing this art, and at higher levels, they achieve extraordinary strength, capable of capturing fierce wolves alive and tearing apart tigers and leopards with ease—remarkably powerful. This achievement has earned those who know it a mixture of admiration and reverence—beyond the master who originally created it, no one else has ever reached the ninth level of this art. It is said that this master was born without any sense of pain, which enabled him to invent such an unusual style of martial arts and fully realize its potential. Although Doctor Mo had faithfully conveyed to Zhang Tie the advantages and disadvantages of this technique, Zhang Tie had no personal experience of its drawbacks and did not take it seriously. He was merely captivated by the remarkable qualities of the "Xiang Jia Style" and promptly agreed to cultivate it without hesitation. Indeed, this martial art seemed particularly suited to him, and within just two months, Zhang Tie had reached the peak of the first level. Recently, in his effort to transcend the first level of the "Xiang Jia Style," under Doctor Mo's advice, Zhang Tie has been practicing every afternoon at the base of a waterfall on Chishui Peak, enduring the powerful impact of the water cascading from a height of several dozen meters. According to Zhang Tie himself, this method has proven remarkably effective, with only that thin layer of paper separating it from the second level—just needing a bit more effort to break through the current bottleneck.