Chapter 4: Template: Erlang Shen · Yang Jian (Please Follow)

“Inhale—exhale—”

Years of standing meditation had trained him to quickly regulate his breathing and enter the proper state.

With the breathing technique inherent to the stance practice, Lin Qi soon felt waves of warmth emanating from his waist, rapidly coursing through his body.

Streams of vital energy flowed inside him, awakening his muscles, bones, and blood vessels; his entire body ignited as if being forged in a blazing furnace.

Recalling the key points of the Perfect Circle Stance, his muscles trembled, his chest rose and fell with each breath, heat radiated through his body, and his skin flushed red.

Fatigue, soreness, numbness…

The stifling air and bodily torment weighed heavily on Lin Qi’s spirit.

“Tick—tick—”

Sweat dripped like beads from his forehead, soon soaking through his short sleeves.

Endure, endure!

Lin Qi gritted his teeth and persisted, the sound of his joints cracking faintly audible.

He was like a long-distance runner, holding on purely by willpower.

If he gave up now, all previous efforts would be in vain.

Time lost meaning as Lin Qi’s consciousness blurred, clinging to perseverance alone.

On the panel, the template section changed.

[You have completed an effective training session; template progress reached 100%]

[Template: None (99.9% + 0.1%)]

…

At the moment the progress hit 100—

“Boom—”

Suddenly, Lin Qi’s mind went blank.

“Ah!!”

His consciousness plunged into utter darkness, into a void, where only a tattered golden banner lay silent.

But at this very moment, the banner trembled, blossoming with dazzling golden light that illuminated the entire mental space.

Golden patterns flowed across the banner, exuding an endless mysterious aura, brewing a power capable of annihilating all.

“Boom—”

The banner quivered again, and in an instant, dozens of radiant golden orbs burst forth, swirling around it.

After a moment, one of the golden orbs shot out, transforming into a colossal scroll painting.

Lofty mountains and rugged stones, strange forests and eerie trees.

A stern young man strode forward; his bearing was noble as jade, his physique imposing like a celestial deity.

Clad in battle armor, wielding a divine weapon, with a third eye on his forehead, he released hawks and hounds, blocking all paths, thoroughly sweeping the dense mountains to hunt down demons and monsters.

The scroll continued to unfold, golden light spreading, shrouded in mystical charm: hunting demons in the mountains, capturing dragons and slaying flood serpents, cleaving mountains to rescue his mother…

Each scene told a legendary tale.

Time passed unknowingly. The stern youth suddenly lifted his head, stepping out of the scroll with a single stride. His body expanded, bathed in endless golden light, and from his third eye shot a ray of golden radiance.

“Boom!!”

Lin Qi’s consciousness was instantly struck by the golden light…

[Template: Erlang Shen Yang Jian (Fusion degree 1%)]

“What is this…”

Snapping back to awareness, Lin Qi looked at the panel, now drastically changed; in the template section, “None” had transformed into “Erlang Shen.”

Behind it appeared the words “Fusion degree 1%.”

The next moment, a torrent of information flooded his mind.

“The higher the fusion degree, the greater the martial talent. At 100%, you fully possess Erlang Shen’s innate gifts.”

Lin Qi processed the information, a glimmer of understanding shining in his eyes.

His spirit was shaken—Erlang Shen?!

A figure from myth, immortalized in folklore, novels, comics, and films.

He bore countless titles: Erlang Shen, True Lord of Clear Origin, Lord of Sichuan, God of the Hunt…

Born with extraordinary talent, immense strength, boundless magic, an indestructible spirit, and a sanctified body…

An all-encompassing powerhouse, a hexagonal warrior.

Lin Qi’s excitement was hard to contain; this was the Erlang God, an immortal and the strongest among the three generations of disciples under the Primordial Supreme Being.

Even possessing just 1% of his talent marked him as a prodigy in the eyes of others.

“Ah!!”

At his peak of excitement, a mysterious energy surged into his body, instantly exploding into intense pain.

“Crack—crack—”

Bones broke in an instant, twisting Lin Qi’s face in agony.

This was the template talent’s transformation!

Lin Qi realized the fusion process involved remodeling and reshaping his body.

To avoid worrying his parents, he struggled to pull out his dirty martial arts uniform from his backpack, twisted it into a bundle, and bit it.

“Crack!!”

“Ahhh!!”

The pain was unbearable!

Bones shattered, muscles tore, numbness and itching—compared to this, the pain of standing meditation was almost pleasurable.

Gene optimization was underway; his entire body was being rebuilt, muscles and bones transforming dramatically.

Lin Qi writhed on the ground like a caterpillar, sweat mixing with dust.

He lost consciousness at some point.

Three hours later, half past eleven.

“Whoosh whoosh—”

The stifling heat accompanied the hum of a fan as Lin Qi slowly opened his eyes.

The images of the previous ordeal flashed in his mind, leaving him shaken; the pain had been excruciating, worse than ten tortures combined.

“Phew—”

Finally, it was over.

Rising from the floor, he glanced at himself in the mirror atop the wardrobe—greyish, sticky with sweat, thoroughly uncomfortable.

“Gurgle—gurgle—”

Suddenly, a roaring hunger surged into his mind like a thunderclap.

“Water, food!”

Lin Qi swiftly opened a drawer, swallowing the few remaining red vitality capsules, then devoured compressed biscuits—snacks he usually ate after training to quell hunger.

One bite after another, he finished everything in moments.

Opening the fridge, he grabbed a bottle of drink and gulped it down furiously. After three bottles, he continued eating.

Seeing the fruits and leftovers inside, he began ravenously devouring them.

After finishing, Lin Qi felt a wave of satisfaction.

But then, an inexplicable odor wafted through the air.

Sniff—sniff—

“What’s that smell? Ugh!”

Lin Qi detected a foul stench, like filth sealed away in a stagnant ditch for years.

It emanated from his own body. Looking down, he saw dust and sweat mixed with streams of black liquid—waste products expelled by his metabolism.

Ten minutes later.

Lin Qi emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed, and collapsed onto his bed, as if reborn.

“Alive again!”

Staring at the ceiling, he felt a contentment akin to having eaten and drunk to his heart’s content.

His entire body felt light, as if he had undergone a transformative Qi refinement.

Before he could ponder further, exhaustion and sleepiness overtook him, and he slipped into slumber.

…

The next day, September 2nd.

“Ring ring ring!”

Lin Qi opened his eyes and, as usual, turned off the alarm and sat up.

The first thing he did was glance at the panel.

[You have awakened the Erlang Shen Yang Jian template; the higher the fusion degree, the greater your talent.]

[Fused with Erlang Shen’s talent, your body undergoes transformation; your aptitude and comprehension improve.]

[Your digestive capacity is enhanced.]

…

[Name: Lin Qi (17)]

[Profession: Martial Artist]

[Template: Erlang Shen Yang Jian (Fusion degree: 1%)]

[Vitality: 5.3 → 5.4]

[Skills: Perfect Circle Stance, Tiger Fist (intermediate), Basic Spear Technique]

[Fist Technique: Level 1 – 80%]

[Spear Technique: Level 1 – 60%]

[Body Technique: Level 1 – 57%]

…

Lin Qi silently stared at the Erlang Shen template in the panel, his calm heart nonetheless stirred with excitement.

Fusing even 1% of Erlang Shen’s talent had strengthened his physique and understanding.

Rising to his feet and moving about, he felt an endless surge of energy flowing through his body.

Although his vitality had only increased by 0.1, he knew it was due to insufficient resources.

With enough vitality potions and other resources, his vitality would soar uncontrollably.

He also noticed his body had become lighter and more agile; fatigue and soreness vanished completely.

Clenching his fist, power radiated from his waist like never before.

The fusion of talent had not only reshaped his body—in the words of novels, it was like “refining muscles and bones.”

“Plus, it relaxed my muscles. No need for recuperation. That’s a huge saving,” he murmured to himself before heading to the bathroom to wash up.

“Swish swish—”

While brushing his teeth and looking at his reflection, Lin Qi was astonished.

“I think I’ve grown taller!”

He realized subtle changes in height and build.

His shoulders were broader, and his muscle lines more defined.

After washing, he went to the living room and checked the height marks on the wall.

“One meter seventy-eight!”

He had grown two centimeters. Lin Qi was pleased.

In this era, martial artists who trained with adequate nutrition were on average twenty centimeters taller than decades ago.

Male martial artists even averaged over 1.9 meters, some towering beyond two meters.

“Xiao Qi, time to get up and eat breakfast.”

Fang Huiyi brought buns and steamed bread to the table.

“Mom, your health isn’t fully recovered yet. You need to rest more,” Lin Qi said, sitting down with his black coffee.

“It’s fine. I know my body well. Don’t worry. You eat more,” Fang Huiyi replied dismissively.

Lin Qi eyed the double portion on the table and began to eat heartily.

He was truly starving.

Minutes later, the buns and steamed bread were gone.

“I’m off to school.”

“Be careful!” Fang Huiyi watched him leave, her face weary again. She glanced toward the bedroom. “Let A Zhen sleep a little longer.”

Then she turned to the kitchen to prepare Lin Zhen’s breakfast.

…