Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Assistance

Gu Sheng returned home.

The hunger in his stomach made his eyes almost turn green. After a whole day of practicing, with only two flatbreads in between, he was so famished that he could hardly tell east from west.

He quickly started a fire to cook.

He simply prepared a large piece of smoked meat and then began to devour it ravenously.

Burying his head in his food, he didn’t even have time to savor its taste.

Gu Sheng quickly finished all the dishes he’d prepared. As the hunger subsided, he finally felt much better.

"Practicing the Iron Stone Fist might not seem to consume much, but in truth, it requires engaging the muscles across the entire body to condense power. If I continue this kind of grueling training daily, I’ll need to consume at least a pound of meat every day!"

Gu Sheng couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

The cost alone for meat consumption would amount to around one or two taels of silver each month.

No wonder Gu Erniu hadn’t even managed to reach the entry-level of the Iron Stone Fist back then. With insufficient money, it was simply impossible.

Iron Stone Fist is easy to learn but hard to master. Staying diligent will ensure entry sooner or later—the key is whether you have the resources to sustain it. And reaching the entry-level is just the beginning; the real challenge of tempering the skin starts afterward, and that requires even more funds.

Even for common tenant farmers and hunters, let alone those from noble families, many struggle to become Martial Artists despite receiving subsidies from their clans if they lack proper aptitude.

Having just started delving into Martial Arts, Gu Sheng now had a clearer understanding of the resource demands involved.

Though he currently had over thirty taels of silver, to be honest, it wasn’t much.

"Hunting remains my fastest means of acquiring money and resources for now. I’ll have to keep it up and accumulate as much wealth as possible."

As for relying on the noble family...

Gu Sheng never considered it. That path required sacrifices he was unwilling to make, like marrying a woman he didn’t love or risking life and limb. He’d heard bits and pieces about Gu Jingang’s situation.

But he had his panel.

As long as he stayed on track and developed steadily, success through sustained effort was only a matter of time.

...

From then on.

Gu Sheng’s days became much like those from before he went to town, just with the added routine of practicing the Iron Stone Fist.

As winter approached, the temperature in the air grew steadily colder, and fewer prey could be found in the mountains.

The hunters within the manor reduced their trips to the mountains significantly, and Gu Sheng was no exception.

When he wasn’t heading into the mountains,

Gu Sheng spent most of his time focusing on practicing the Iron Stone Fist, while the remainder went to honing his arrow technique.

Even though he had now learned real Martial Arts, he wouldn’t abandon his arrow technique. It had already reached 15% progress in the Perfect Realm, with the intense battle against the mountain bandits improving his proficiency greatly.

With his arrow technique at the Perfect Realm proving so powerful, he eagerly anticipated the day when it produced a special effect.

That might very well allow him to truly contend with Martial Artists. Until he became one himself, this was one of his strongest advantages.

Thankfully, the Iron Stone Fist and arrow technique didn’t conflict with each other. Supplemented by meat and simple medicinal broths for nourishment, Gu Sheng’s body could handle the demands perfectly.

Training the Iron Stone Fist made his physique grow stronger by the day, with the strength contained in his muscles gradually increasing.

At this rate,

by the second month of spring next year, his arrow technique should surpass the Perfect Realm.

As for the Iron Stone Fist,

Gu Sheng’s progress remained consistent—not too fast nor too slow. By now, he understood that his aptitude for the Iron Stone Fist was likely average.

Based on past examples within the manor, it would take close to two months to reach entry-level.

However, he noticed something peculiar: although he was initially slow to grasp the basics, the more he practiced, the more it seemed that controlling power wasn’t as difficult as he first thought.

At this pace, he estimated he could reach the entry-level of the Iron Stone Fist in just over a month!

This wasn’t the result of the panel’s effects, as the Iron Stone Fist hadn’t yet been input into the panel.

"It’s from chopping wood!"

Gu Sheng’s doubts cleared, and he had an epiphany.