Han Li recalled this moment, a gentle smile playing at the corner of his lips. Over these past several months, he and Zhang Tie had naturally grown into inseparable close friends—sharing not only similar temperaments but also comparable backgrounds. Han Li slowly uncurled his legs, gently massaging his calves. The long periods of meditation and practice had made his limbs somewhat numb and his circulation slightly sluggish. After rubbing them a few times, feeling full sensation return to his legs, Han Li stood up from the mat, as always brushing off the dust that had settled on him, then stepped out through the stone door into the hall. Looking back at the stone room where he had been practicing, Han Li quietly chuckled at himself—self-conscious and a little touched by it all. This room was entirely constructed from solid granite walls hollowed out of the mountain. The door itself was crafted from one large piece of dark blue stone—the kind that required an immense amount of force to breach simply by knocking or pushing. A common person, attempting to enter without first clearing away rock with a giant axe, would find it impossible to do so in mere moments. Such tranquil meditation chambers were typically reserved for the heads of sects, senior elders, and hall masters within the Seven Perfection Sect—rarely granted even to core disciples of the Seventh Absolute Hall. These stone rooms were specifically designed for deep internal cultivation, to shield practitioners from external disturbances and prevent them from experiencing combustion or collapse during their practice. It was remarkable how Doctor Mo managed to secure such a room on the mountain wall, one accessible only to regular students—something the senior elders had previously resisted. When this chamber was completed, Doctor Mo designated it exclusively for Han Li’s personal use—a decision that left Han Li deeply honored and somewhat stunned. Doctor Mo’s attentiveness toward him since he officially became his disciple had been truly extraordinary. Every day since then, Doctor Mo had been prescribing a variety of medicines—some unfamiliar herbs blended into herbal soups—and immersing Han Li in them. Though Han Li did not recognize the names or functions of these herbs himself, observing how Doctor Mo’s usually composed expression softened with genuine care whenever he administered them, Han Li understood their significance and value. Clearly, these external treatments had made a tangible difference—Han Li's progress in cultivation had noticeably accelerated, culminating recently with his successful breakthrough into the first level of this unnamed technique. However, during that pivotal moment, several meridians had nearly ruptured, causing some moderate internal injuries. Thanks to Doctor Mo’s skillful medical care and the careful use of premium remedies, these damages were not severe enough to leave lasting complications. After sustaining this injury, Doctor Mo demonstrated a level of anxiety far exceeding Han Li's own expectations—constantly pacing and sitting upright throughout the treatment period. Only after seeing that his recovery had progressed steadily did he finally relax with deep relief. Doctor Mo’s behavior went well beyond ordinary teacher-student relationships, leaving Han Li feeling subtly uneasy and somewhat unsettled in his heart. Had it not been for the fact that apart from Third Uncle, no one else from Han's family had ever ventured out of their mountain village, Han Li might have thought Doctor Mo was a distant relative of his own household. After stepping outside the stone chamber, Han Li stretched slowly before making his way toward his residence—since becoming an official disciple, both he and Zhang Tie had moved from their original rooms to establish private quarters of their own. As he passed by Zhang Tie’s room, he casually glanced in. Indeed, Zhang Tie was not there—he must have gone again to practice under the waterfall at the foot of Chihshui Peak. Since officially becoming Doctor Mo's disciple, however, Doctor Mo had instructed Han Li to focus solely on this unnamed technique—offering him no other martial arts training. While offering him nothing in terms of physical training, Doctor Mo, in contrast, shared all his medical knowledge with him thoroughly, teaching him step-by-step and answering every question with patience until he was fully satisfied. He also permitted Han Li to freely browse through all the medical texts stored in Doctor Mo’s home. In contrast, for Zhang Tie, Doctor Mo followed his earlier instructions—bestowing upon him a different, highly practical martial technique. Zhang Tie's training method was quite unique. According to Doctor Mo, it was an uncommon martial art known as "Xiang Jia Technique"—a style so rare that many people in the region had never even heard of it, let alone seen someone practicing it. Unlike conventional martial arts, which typically progress from simpler techniques to more complex ones—becoming progressively harder and requiring exponentially greater effort—the Xiang Jia Technique comprises nine levels. The first three levels are quite accessible, comparable in difficulty to ordinary martial arts training. However, beginning at the fourth level, the practice suddenly becomes significantly challenging, demanding a great deal of physical endurance and often inducing intense suffering that many practitioners find unbearable. Many abandon their efforts at this point, halting their progress entirely. Even reaching the fifth or sixth levels requires an increase in suffering that far exceeds earlier stages. Yet once the practitioner successfully advances past the sixth level to reach the seventh, the training becomes smooth and effortless—though they must endure a certain intensity of pain each month for several days, as if experiencing life-and-death agony periodically. These challenges often deter aspiring practitioners from even beginning, making it one of the primary reasons this technique has nearly disappeared over time. The power of this martial art reaches remarkable heights at its higher levels. It is said that when mastered to the ninth level, a practitioner appears as though wearing an enchanted armor—immune not only to blades and fire but also to water and physical impacts; even heavy sword or spear attacks would struggle to inflict serious damage. What made it even more impressive was that practitioners began gradually developing the strength of a giant elephant as they advanced—by the highest levels, their power reached such magnitude that they could capture wild wolves in hand and tear apart tigers and leopards with ease. For those who knew about this technique, it brought both admiration and apprehension. Beyond the master who originally developed it, no one else had ever achieved the ninth level. According to legend, this founder was naturally born without pain perception—enabling him to create such an extraordinary martial art and to fully realize its potential. Though Doctor Mo had faithfully explained both advantages and drawbacks of the Xiang Jia Technique to Zhang Tie, Zhang Tie had not personally experienced these challenges nor considered them a priority. He merely admired the power of this technique, enthusiastically agreeing to begin training—and it appeared exceptionally well-suited for him. Within just two months, he had successfully reached the peak of its first level. Recently, in order to break through the first level barrier of Xiang Jia Technique, under Doctor Mo’s advice, Zhang Tie has been practicing every afternoon beneath the waterfall at Chihshui Peak, enduring the powerful impact from the falling water. According to his own account, this method is remarkably effective—only a thin layer of effort remains between now and success. With just a little more persistence, he believes he will surpass the current barrier.