Stirling felt let down. He wished he were a one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy. But then he realized he possessed an enhancement superpower. Self-deprecation was stupid. Compared with the so-called samurai geniuses, he is not much inferior. He then asked, "Brother Julio, what should we do next?"

  "Look at my memory. Come, let me explain the situation at the Kim dojo."

  "The owner of The Kim Dojo is Master Kim."

  "Master Kim is a grandmaster in the Blood-Boiling Realm. Even the great families in the inner city have to pay him their respects!"

  Julio said it with desire.

  "Brother Julio, what are the levels of a samurai?" Stirling asked; he longed to know.

  "Anyone who hasn't done skin resurfacing isn't a real samurai. Those who've mastered a few techniques are at best beginners."

  "Once you start skin resurfacing, you're on your way to becoming a samurai."

  "After skin resurfacing, it's time to forge your bones, then refine your viscera, and then boil your blood."

  " In short, skin-resurfacing boosts the skin's hardness and resilience. This improves its defense. Bone forging uses special methods to heighten bone density. This helps improve strength and agility. Viscera-Irrigating raises internal organ function, which develops metabolism and helps unlock the body's potential. Blood boiling through blood exchange several times promotes blood circulation and hematopoietic capacity.

  "As for the realm beyond blood boiling, I'm not clear. It's too far away for us," Julio yearned for.

  Hearing this, Stirling finally grasped what it meant to be a samurai. Excitement surged in his heart.

  The training methods of samurai in this world seem to coincide with some scientific ideas on Earth. Scientists on Earth have used bionics, ergonomics, and other tech to transform the human body. They aim to create berserkers ready for high-intensity warfare in the future. But the progress isn't great, and many scientific ideas remain just concepts. The samurai of this world can achieve a leap in life level without the aid of genetic modification technology. Clearly, it has its merits. Stirling thought.

  "Wow, senior brother, according to your words, samurai are so powerful. Maybe they can overturn rivers and seas and pluck stars and moons with their hands? Then how long can we achieve?"

  Julio looked at the dazed Stirling, misunderstanding that he'd gotten a little frustrated. He patted Stirling's shoulder and continued, "Don't worry, Luis. As long as you work hard, you'll definitely make it."

  After saying this, Julio gestured for Stirling to follow him. The two of them, one in front of the other, arrived at the backyard again. Julio stopped and said to the few people practicing in the courtyard:

  "These, like you and me, are apprentices. Only the young man in the front is Master Kim's disciple, Figo, who is at the minor mastery of the bone-forging stage."

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  "Luis, you must be careful. In the Kim Dojo, respecting Master Kim is the first rule. Besides, his disciples also deserve no offence."

  Stirling nodded thoughtfully and then asked:

  "What about Master Kim's other disciples?"

  "Figo is only Master Kim's youngest disciple at the lowest level. He stays here to hone himself."

  "Master Kim's other disciples are all at least major mastery of the Bone-Forging level. Now they work in the inner city," Julio said enviously.

  "I see," Stirling nodded, then listened as Julio continued:

  "Today is your onboarding day. First, I'll introduce you to the other brothers. Then, I'll show you the skin-resurfacing technique!"

  Stirling's eyes lit up at this. Hadn't he, after all his hard work, come here to succeed in skin-resurfacing and become a samurai?

  "Thank you, Brother Julio."

  Stirling bowed in thanks.

  ...

  Time flew by, and soon it was evening. Stirling, exhausted, returned to his house.

  After meeting the brothers today, Julio taught Stirling a skin-resurfacing technique.

  The core skin-resurfacing technique is a medicinal bath for body tempering. This is very similar to the traditional Eastern training method on Earth.

  The formula for this medicinal bath is a top secret. The ingredients are only accessible from the dojo. Before the medicinal bath, the apprentice should do certain stances. This helps open his body's pores and increase the bath's effectiveness.

  After entering a dojo, one can choose to live within the dojo. This helps with morning martial arts practice and builds friendships among fellows. It's a traditional way to become a dojo disciple.

  Stirling, yet still, traveled back and forth. He hadn't taken tranquilizing pills for the last few nights. If that raised suspicion, it could be a disaster. The Kim Dojo's basic stance is the outset standing meditation. It comes from the military but is considered the most neutral of the many starting stances.

  Normal means easy to learn, but not very effective. Only a few gifted people are in this world. Most of the military are ordinary. So, skills requiring too much talent can be harmful. Stirling spent a day with Julio. They worked on the force method and breathing patterns for the outset standing meditation. He then hurried back before darkness fell.

  When Stirling got back home, an issue jumped up: what for the medicinal bath? This medicinal bath, of course, required a medicine barrel. But the medicine barrels sold in the outer city weren't cheap. Anything even a bit linked to a martial artist usually came with a high price.

  Poverty breeds scholars, wealth breeds samurai. was no joke. That Stirling had already spent forty silver coins before training was proof. The medicine barrels in the dojo were custom-made and reusable, so a bit of a price wasn't a problem. But if Stirling insisted on returning to bathe on his own, it would be quite a hassle.

  It was too late to go out and buy a medicine barrel. Stirling had very little money left after paying the registration fee today. Whether he could afford the medicine barrel was uncertain. There was no other choice but to continue using his golden finger. Stirling took the pre-cut wooden planks and shaped them into a circle. He then placed another board underneath, forming the rough shape of a wooden barrel.

  Medicine Barrel: reduces potency loss and adapts to human body mechanics. Stirling carved above into the barrel. Then, he waited for the prompt to appear.

  Sure enough, a moment later, a line of text appeared in Stirling's sight.

  [Current enhancement requires two months and fifteen days of life. Do you want to enhance?]

  Stirling rarely hesitated and chose yes.

  In the dim room, a flash of light brightened the air. Then, a simple medicine barrel appeared, giving off a woody scent. Stirling noticed it right away.

  [Comfortable Herbal Bathtub]

  An herbal bathtub creates a relaxing space for the user. It has an ergonomic design and is built 100 percent from top-notch ambergris.

  Amazing! There's even room to sit. Stirling walked over and saw the curved seat in the bath. It had two raised lumbar cushions, like the backrest of a gaming chair.