"Realm? That makes sense. With your cultivation speed, Junior Brother, you’ll stabilize the iron line sooner or later. When that time comes, you’ll be able to enter the Power Training Realm."
Li Mo was taken aback for a moment, his first instinct being to advise Su Chen not to bite off more than he could chew. But on second thought, considering Su Chen had already sensed the blood line, stabilizing it was only a matter of time.
"The Power Training Realm?"
Su Chen mulled over the words. Thinking back on his process of cultivating the Iron Wire Fist, he did feel an increase in physical strength.
Li Mo nodded. "Yes. You might think, Junior Brother, that Power Training is about building sheer physical strength.
"In reality, it trains your offensive and defensive power. While it does provide some boost to your physical strength, the main focus is still on attack and defense.
"You might not feel it yet, but once you’ve cultivated for a longer period, you’ll sense the changes in your body much more clearly.
"Especially since you practice the Iron Wire Fist, your offensive power will increase significantly when the time comes.
"Of course, your defense and physical strength will also improve, but relatively speaking, the boost won’t be as massive as your attack power.
"After all, the Iron Wire Fist is an offensive martial art."
Li Mo explained all of this in one breath, then looked at Su Chen. Seeing his silence, Li Mo didn’t mind. He knew Su Chen needed time to digest the information.
Su Chen thought, "Lately, besides the increase in physical strength, my offensive power has indeed grown substantially. After all, I’ve learned a martial art. However, because I’ve practiced the Iron Sand Palm, the defense of my hands also seems to have grown stronger."
Combining his recent cultivation experiences, Su Chen verified them against Li Mo’s words and found no major discrepancies.
"Then, Senior Brother, how exactly is Power Training divided?" Su Chen looked up and asked.
Hearing this, Li Mo fell silent for a moment before replying, "Well, there isn’t really a specific division.
"I only know that Power Training has four stages in total: entry, minor mastery, great mastery, and perfect mastery. These correspond to the four stages of the Iron Wire Fist.
"However, I remember Master once saying that the traits of Power Training vary between different martial arts. For example, the Iron Wire Fist is judged by the iron lines.
"The Red Falcon Fist, the Red Line Fist, and the Tongbei Fist are more or less similar to ours.
"But other fist and kick techniques are not quite the same. Some rely on marks, while others depend on the color of the skin..."
Listening to Li Mo’s introduction, Su Chen formed a preliminary judgment of his own realm.
He thought, "My Iron Wire Fist has just reached perfect mastery. If it corresponds to the Power Training Realm, I should have just entered Perfect Power Cultivation. But my Iron Sand Palm has also reached perfect mastery. Realistically speaking, I should be somewhat stronger than those Martial Artists who have just reached Perfect Power Cultivation."
After pondering for a moment, Su Chen had a new question. "Then, Senior Brother, what is the realm after Power Training?"
"You sure have a lot of questions!" Li Mo chuckled lightly but didn’t mind. Perhaps it was because of the closeness Su Chen displayed that he was happy to spend time with him.
"I have heard Master mention this before. The realm after Power Training is Refining, though I’m not clear on its specific manifestations.
"But Master once said that ten Martial Artists with great mastery in Power Training are no match for a single Power Training Martial Artist.
"A Power Training Martial Artist is a true powerhouse. In our White Stone City, the number of Martial Artists who have truly stepped into Refining can be counted on two hands.
"Every single one of them is a prominent figure in White Stone City!"
Speaking of Power Training Martial Artists, a hint of envy and awe surfaced on Li Mo’s face.
"Is Refining difficult?" Su Chen asked.
"Very difficult!" Li Mo’s expression turned serious.
"You must understand that without talent and resources, ordinary people couldn’t reach the Refining Realm even if they cultivated for an entire lifetime.
"Let alone Refining, even cultivating to the absolute peak of Power Training requires a massive expenditure of time, energy, and wealth.
"Take me for example. I’ve spent almost my entire fortune on cultivation, yet I still haven’t achieved great mastery.
"To reach great mastery, who knows how much more time and resources it will cost."
Hearing this, Su Chen fell silent for a moment. He thought of himself.
He thought, "As expected, it’s all thanks to the system panel being so effective that I can cultivate this fast. Of course, it also has to do with my diligent Krypton Gold spending!"
Afterward, Su Chen asked a few more questions. Learning that even Hong Ming hadn’t entered the Refining Realm yet, he gained a deeper understanding of Refining. He originally wanted to ask more, but Li Mo didn’t know much about matters related to Refining, so he dropped the subject.
In the afternoon, Li Mo took Su Chen and left the Martial Arts Hall.
The two chatted as they walked. Along the way, they also ran into a dead-drunk Qin Hao. Both sides greeted each other before going their separate ways.
"Su Chen, aren’t you short on money? Here, this is the fastest way to make money that your Senior Brother can think of."
Hearing this, Su Chen deadpanned. He hadn’t expected the usually straight-laced Li Mo to actually joke around with him.
The two were currently standing beneath a high stage, surrounded by a dense crowd. On the high stage, four large characters were prominently displayed: "Martial Arts Marriage Tournament."
"Haha, Junior Brother! The family hosting the tournament today is one of the wealthy merchants in the Outer City, possessing immense wealth. If you manage to win his daughter’s favor, you’ll have enough money for the rest of your life!"
Seeing Su Chen’s exasperated expression, Li Mo couldn’t help but tease him.
"Senior Brother, are there any other ways to make money?" Su Chen asked helplessly, ignoring Li Mo’s lack of seriousness.
"It’s a pity. If I were as young as you, I’d probably give it a try," Li Mo shook his head and sighed softly. He soon put away his smile. "Let’s go. I’ll take you to a real place for making money."
Half an hour later, the two arrived outside the Government Office. Su Chen looked at Li Mo in confusion.
"This is the wanted poster board," Li Mo said, pointing at a portrait.
Su Chen looked up.
"Name: Liu Tong. Has committed multiple murders and has dozens of lives on his hands. Suspected to have achieved Perfect Power Cultivation. Bounty: fifty taels, dead or alive."
His eyes immediately lit up, his mind completely filled with the thought of fifty taels.
"Junior Brother, if you were stronger, you could go to the Government Office and serve as an Assassin. But for now, I’m afraid it won’t work," Li Mo said, patting Su Chen’s shoulder.
Su Chen nodded. Apprehending wanted criminals was nowhere near as simple as one might imagine. This Liu Tong had committed seven or eight crimes and taken dozens of lives. Yet, up until now, the man still hadn’t been caught. That alone was enough to show how formidable he was. These wanted criminals were all individuals who lived life on the edge of a blade. If one’s strength fell short, who killed whom would be entirely up in the air.
After scanning the area, Su Chen withdrew his gaze, deep in thought.
Seeing Su Chen’s demeanor, Li Mo quickly said, "Junior Brother, don’t do anything foolish and try to take on a mission."
Su Chen shook his head. "Wouldn’t taking on a mission with my current strength be courting death?"
"That’s good. Let’s go. Besides these, you can also make money by escorting goods, working as a guard, or affiliating yourself with a gang or shop. However, all of that will have to wait until you stabilize your blood line."
Afterward, Li Mo told Su Chen about some other ways Martial Artists made money. Right now, Su Chen hadn’t completely stabilized his blood line, nor had his reputation spread. Others wouldn’t dare to hire him, nor would they want to. He could only truly dabble in these methods after he formally took a master and built a name for himself.
In the evening, Li Mo invited Su Chen for a meal, which Su Chen didn’t decline.
After eating, Su Chen headed back in satisfaction. He had already learned a suitable way to make money from Li Mo.