Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Steady Growth (Third More, Please Follow) On the panel. The Shapeshifting technique has surprisingly successfully reached entry-level! This speed is much faster than when practicing the Iron Stone Fist. Firstly, this martial art indeed has a simpler entry-level process; secondly, Gu Sheng’s Iron Stone Fist has now achieved Great Success, giving him robust power and superb control exceeding most martial artists. The combination of the two naturally makes the entry process quicker. "However... the effect after entry-level is honestly mediocre, barely worth mentioning." Gu Sheng’s lips twitched slightly. He mobilized his power freely, causing the muscles on his face to subtly squirm. His previously prominent nose bridge sank slightly, while the position of his cheeks and eyes also shifted a little. But looking at the reflection in the water. Gu Sheng could confirm that anyone familiar with him could recognize him at a glance. This level of disguise... no wonder it costs only one or two silver coins. "This guy really sold a scam... bragging so much, and it turned out to be this?" "Luckily, I was mentally prepared. If entry-level isn’t satisfactory, I’ll grind it to Small Success; if Small Success isn’t enough, then Great Success or even Perfect! It will surely prove useful eventually!" The panel is Gu Sheng’s greatest confidence. No matter how useless a martial art appears, once it reaches the Perfect Realm, it will have its wonders, and Gu Sheng can even grind it beyond Perfect! "Judging by the previous progress, it will take around two months to reach Small Success. By then, I’ll reassess its effects. It’s a pity I don’t have a matching secret technique or ointment—otherwise, the time could be shortened significantly!" Gu Sheng wasn’t discouraged; he planned to set aside dedicated time to train the Shapeshifting technique. Persistence, like dripping water wearing down stone, is the true path. Shaking his head to draw back his power, Gu Sheng restored his original appearance. At fifteen years old, due to his martial arts training, Gu Sheng had a tall and straight build, resembling an adult. His features were handsome, his demeanor composed, though his skin was slightly dark. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind. And began practicing Iron Stone Fist to refine his skin membrane. The Stone Skin Realm was only the starting point; after that lay Iron Skin and Jade Skin, and training could not be neglected a single day. With the twenty-two newly acquired portions of Body Refining Ointment and more than ten silver coins left, Gu Sheng currently had sufficient resources. He planned to train intensively for a while to fully break through to the Iron Skin Realm. In the courtyard shed. The sound of Gu Sheng’s fist training echoed with strong winds, occasionally heard by passing villagers who were filled with both admiration and envy. To outsiders. It was already certain Gu Sheng would become a martial artist—it was just a matter of whether it would be this year or next. ... Over the following period. Gu Sheng maintained his occasional hunting trips to the mountains, while dedicating the rest of his time to training in both Iron Stone Fist and the Shapeshifting technique. The steady daily progress in these martial arts brought him a great sense of joy. This kind of training, where feedback was evident at every moment, was truly addictive. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎 Of course. Gu Sheng did not completely cut off ties with others. Once Gu Sheng actively re-engaged with the hunter circle, the other hunters no longer viewed him with a sense of aloofness or distance and instead became close comrades. However, Gu Sheng’s status was still the highest, especially since he occasionally led everyone on some hunts deep into the mountains, further earning respect from the group. Although Gu Sheng enjoyed solitary training, he knew the importance of relaxation occasionally. Maintaining a balance is the real key; he wasn’t an unfeeling training machine. Besides, mingling with the hunters occasionally allowed him to hear about news from surrounding villages, forts, and Canghe County, making it a useful information channel. Hunters even began proactively providing Gu Sheng with traces of wild boars and similar prey as a gesture of goodwill in return for his help. As for the whereabouts of ferocious beasts like tigers and bears, Gu Sheng searched quietly during his solo mountain trips. He did not involve others unless one day he publicly displayed the strength of an Iron Skin martial artist. This world’s fierce beasts are extremely dangerous; even Stone Skin martial artists can only survive a one-on-one encounter—they struggle to kill them outright. It takes an Iron Skin martial artist, with skin as tough as iron and strength akin to an ox, paired with exquisite martial techniques to fight and kill such animals head-on. With Gu Sheng’s current abilities, he could certainly take them down—the challenge was whether he would encounter them. But alas. Luck seemed unwilling to bless Gu Sheng. Besides, he remained cautious, avoiding venturing too deep into Cang Mountain to avoid running into monsters. Encounters with monsters in deep forests are no joke. The monster wolf hunted by Gu’s Manor back then was discovered by a martial artist who accidentally wandered into the mountains. That martial artist had just enough luck to escape with his life and muster a group to hunt the monster wolf. Given Gu Sheng’s current training workload, his monthly hunting earnings barely broke even. Fortuitously, his gains from the black market were sufficient to sustain his martial arts training for quite some time, easing his immediate financial pressure. ... Three months flew by in the blink of an eye. It was once again autumn, and the prey in the mountains had grown plump. Gu Sheng’s progress in Iron Stone Fist had reached 82% of the Great Achievement Realm, needing only about another month to break through to the Perfect Realm! At that point. Gu Sheng’s Iron Stone Fist would undoubtedly make him the number one in Gu’s Manor! Even Gu Jingang couldn’t compare. With the support of seven portions of Body Refining Ointment per month, Gu Sheng’s refinement progress of his skin membrane was equally remarkable. Now whenever Gu Sheng urged his power, he could observe his entire skin membrane darkening towards an iron black hue, appearing more brownish-black. Especially his fists and arms, where the iron black color was most vivid. This was already close to a breakthrough point. Gu Sheng estimated. When his Iron Stone Fist progressed to the Perfect Realm, it would also mark his elevation to Iron Skin martial artist! A smile appeared on his lips. It had been less than a year since he began training in martial arts, and he was already nearing the Iron Skin martial artist level. Such speed, if known to others, would surely leave them stunned. However, he remained modest, continuously working with diligence and maintaining a low profile. Gu Erniu and Zhang Ze, among others, were still debating whether Gu Sheng would become a martial artist this winter or next spring, even setting up entertainment-style betting on the matter with mixed predictions. Gu Sheng was naturally aware of this, but merely smiled it off. Rather, it helped foster a stereotyped perception of him by others—a beneficial outcome. Besides Iron Stone Fist. The progress of the Shapeshifting technique was also impressive. Over these past few months, the Shapeshifting technique had successfully reached the Small Success Realm, now steadily advancing toward the Great Success Realm. As for the effects of the Shapeshifting technique at the Small Success level, Gu Sheng was quite satisfied. Although it couldn’t yet alter his body shape. By mobilizing his power, he could already change the facial features significantly more than at the entry-level stage. Gu Sheng estimated that if he used the Shapeshifting technique with some simple facial disguises, it would be nearly impossible for acquaintances to recognize him. This added an extra layer of security for future actions.