"You better think it through."
Old Liang leisurely opened the 300ml bottle of Golden Ambrosia, scooping it out with a spoon and placing it on the tray to roast over an alcohol lamp.
The golden gel gradually melted, sizzled, forming a thick liquid that emitted a rich fragrance.
"It's quite potent still!"
Qin Shi's nose twitched, and his spirit suddenly soared.
On normal days, he had to put in effort to feel the slight warmth of qi sensitivity, but now it was suddenly surging.
"Golden Ambrosia is an Old Martial secret medicine, a hot-selling product from the Tianzhu Autonomous Region. Once, the Three-eyed Crocodile was hunted into a protected species because of it. Luckily, they developed artificial breeding techniques to prevent extinction. But the price remains sky-high."
Old Liang smiled; he had tried it when he was young, the pain making him cry out as if being flayed alive.
"This stuff has obvious side effects. When the New Martial Sect came to power, they listed it as a banned drug. It burns the skin and causes sharp nerve pain, sometimes even leading to self-harm.
If you follow Lao Gu's method, I'm afraid you won't make it through."
"What are the benefits?"
Qin Shi asked directly.
In both his past and present life, he's never been afraid of hardship, only worried that the sacrifices wouldn't pay off.
"Muscles are connected to the limbs and joints, linking and binding them. In Old Martial, there's a saying, 'For every inch the muscle grows, the strength increases by a hundred pounds.'
First, your strength, stamina, and reaction ability will all be greatly enhanced.
Secondly, it can help you break the muscle barrier and enter the First Limit, allowing the concentration of life force to gather and nourish the body.
Simply put, it will increase your life force by two to three points, and if absorbed well, maybe even four or five points."
Old Liang spoke truthfully, knowing well enough what this new disciple would choose.
The children of Old Factory Street workers mostly had a tenacious spirit, daring to fight.
And Qin Shi was the best among them.
The strong desire hidden in his heart, yearning for change.
Especially prominent!
"Then let's do it!"
Sure enough, upon hearing the substantial increase in life force, Qin Shi's eyes almost lit up.
At this point, he was around nine points. If he could add two or three points, he would directly reach the Amateur Level Ninth Rank.
If pushed further, he could have a good chance of reaching the Eighth Rank before the new term begins.
Even in the Elite Class, he would stand out as a top student!
"With a mindset like yours, my grandmaster would surely praise you as having 'deep Dao nature.'
He loved this kind of spirit, always asking about success or failure, never about capability.
In my youth, I was often scolded for being indecisive and hesitant."
Old Liang nodded; he would be there to intervene if Qin Shi couldn't endure the process.
"Get ready, bathe and cleanse yourself. Once this bottle of Golden Ambrosia is heated up, we'll begin."
...
...
"Hongjie, is Teacher Liang here again?"
Outside, Yan Shuang, nicknamed "Long-haired Pretty Boy" by Qin Shi, asked aloud.
"Yes, but he didn't ask for you this time, just a room and some tools."
The wavy-haired female manager spoke while working:
"That handsome guy, is he one of Teacher Liang's students? He never brought a student more than once. This is unusual!"
Yan Shuang chuckled:
"It means that young fellow has truly earned Teacher Liang's favor."
He sat properly on a rattan chair, legs together, looking elegantly towards the room across.
...
...
"I'm ready."
Qin Shi took a quick shower, wrapping a towel around his waist, looking like he just finished some business.
"Sit down."
Old Liang picked up a long silver-handled spoon, scooping out the now molten Golden Ambrosia, the viscous liquid extremely hot.
Though the alcohol lamp didn't provide much heat, the nature of the Old Martial secret medicine, Golden Ambrosia, was unique. Once heated, it boiled rapidly.
"If you can't handle it, don't force yourself."
Old Liang instructed, then carefully applied it along Qin Shi's back.
Hiss!
The moment the thick liquid touched his skin, the veins on Qin Shi's forehead bulged violently.
It felt like burning glue poured on his back, sticking tightly to his skin.
Once it dried, peeling it off would tear off chunks of skin and flesh.
In just a few seconds, sweat beads the size of beans rolled down his forehead.
"This is too torturous!"
Qin Shi's face twisted in pain, turning pale.
He couldn't help but marvel at the masochistic nature of the Old Martial Sect.
Enduring such torment, yet fighting over the chance to experience it?
"Can you still hold on?"
Old Liang's voice came from behind.
"In-crease, in-tensity!"
Qin Shi replied, squeezing the words through clenched teeth.
"You're tough. I lasted until the Golden Ambrosia covered half my back; let's see how far you can go."
Old Liang watched as the redness and tightness of Qin Shi's muscles intensified, the pain causing his back to tense and contract involuntarily.
The thick liquid quickly solidified, creating an effect similar to golden paint, gradually covering a third of his back.
...
...
Two minutes later, Qin Shi was already in too much pain to make a sound.
He could only inhale and exhale continuously to alleviate the pain.
As the Golden Ambrosia adhered to his skin, the intense neural agony surged through his body.
It felt like he was being roasted alive on a hot grill, pressed against a burning iron plate without being turned.
He was about to burn up!
When the physical agony surpassed his mental limits, various inexplicable hallucinations started appearing in his subconscious.
"Fire all around... A deafening explosion... A man's angry shouts... A woman's cries..."
Qin Shi was on the verge of fainting, his brain ready to activate its protection mechanism to release him from this inhuman suffering.
"No wonder people who use Golden Ambrosia for body refining and muscle enhancement tend to self-harm. The body's regenerative capacity can't keep up with the damage done by the secret medicine.
If I sit in the heated bath later, the pain will amplify even more... There's no way I can withstand it. How should I get through this?"
He forced his fragmented, chaotic thoughts together, seeking a solution.
This was a habit cultivated over many years, treating problems like exam questions.
Repetitively pondering until the solution was found.
"Sleep! I can sleep!"
At the very moment when the Golden Ambrosia covered his entire back, a flash of insight struck Qin Shi's near-fainting mind.
Faced with difficulties, sleeping it off was his go-to problem-solving technique!
[Deep Sleep]!
[Muscle Memory]!
Double activation!
"Close your eyes, calm your mind, relax, breathe..."
Qin Shi tried his best to eliminate external disturbances and the torment of his body.
He attempted to fall into a deep sleep, entering dreamland.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
His head drooped, shoulders relaxed, his once-straight back bent forward, and his rapid breathing steadied.
In less than ten seconds, he fell into a beautiful sleep like a baby!
"Did he pass out or die!"
Old Liang was astonished.
In his perception, the turbulent, chaotic energy within Qin Shi suddenly calmed.
Even emitting a strange sense of peace?
Typically, that was a sign of an elderly person dying peacefully, passing away.
"Wait, snoring? The kid fell asleep? How can he sleep!"
In the next moment, Old Liang heard a faint snoring sound, like a kitten comfortably napping in a warm nest.
"He's really asleep, but the thread-like energy within him hasn't broken. A genius, an absolute genius! What kind of overachiever keeps practicing even in sleep..."
Old Liang suddenly felt that his proud dedication and diligent efforts in apprenticeship were insignificant in comparison to Qin Shi's.
It was like a new recruit facing a drill sergeant, thoroughly defeated.
"Hidden talents can be found in the mountains and fields! My grandmaster used to say that, but I didn't believe it, thinking all good talents were in the Martial Arts Association. Who knew there were hidden gems, overlooked by me!"
Old Liang's smile grew, as he evenly spread the remaining Golden Ambrosia, along Qin Shi's shoulders, down to his chest, abdomen, and waist.
"Now, we're more confident about that matter."
...
...
"Are you awake?"
When Qin Shi opened his eyes, he saw Yan Shuang, the technician from Jinsi Impression No. 69.
That handsome face filled his view, startling him as he leaned back, nearly falling off the recliner.
"Brother Shuang? How long did I sleep?"
Still dressed in a long-sleeve white coat, Yan Shuang drew the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room, causing Qin Shi to instinctively shield his eyes with his hand.
"It's the next day, 8 AM."
Yan Shuang looked at him strangely:
"Not only did you endure the excruciating pain of Golden Ambrosia body refining and muscle burning, but you also managed to sleep soundly.
Honestly, I've read many Martial God autobiographies, and none mention such an incident.
In the future, if you achieve success, remember to share this story; it would be a legendary tale."
After the title of Legendary Endurance King, have I now earned the title of Legendary Sleepy King?
Qin Shi looked down; his clothes were already on.
The surge of energy filled his body.
He exerted a bit of force, and the large muscles beneath his skin instantly flexed and expanded.
Stretching, shifting, coiling and twisting.
Like a multitude of snakes, a giant python!
In Yan Shuang's eyes, the fine blue veins interweaving on Qin Shi's back, the strong muscles held up by the spine, connected one segment to another, resembled the lifelike tattoo of an angry Jiao trapped in a green pool.
"Almost, just about to break the First Limit and enter the muscle barrier."
He sighed in wonder, his expression conflicted.
But Qin Shi did not notice, focusing entirely on the Monument Panel.
A line of text information flickered by.
[Activate Basic Achievement - Overgrowth]