Ethan Carter was born into a sect and, as the young sect master, although lacking in strength, had a thorough understanding of every martial arts realm. In this world, martial arts are divided into ten levels.

First Level: Breathing Stage. By adjusting breathing techniques, one improves physical fitness. In the sect world, this is the most basic skill for new disciples.

Second Level: Circulation Stage. Through the power of the mind, one guides the flow of qi and blood throughout the body. Upon reaching this stage, the body’s functions are significantly enhanced, and the ability to absorb energy from food far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Third Level: Body Tempering Stage. This stage mainly involves nourishing the body with medicinal herbs, tempering the tendons, bones, and skin. Only at this point can one be considered a true martial artist.

Fourth Level: Iron Bone Stage. At this stage, martial arts training undergoes a clear qualitative change. The most obvious is that the bones become as hard as metal, and strength far exceeds that of ordinary people. Wrestling tigers and binding lions becomes as easy as turning one’s hand.

Fifth Level: Tough Skin Stage. Martial artists at this level are even stronger. Not only are their bones hard, but all their tendons and skin membranes are greatly enhanced. Ordinary blades and spears cannot even pierce their skin.

Sixth Level: Divine Movement Stage. Martial artists at the sixth level are the core strength of their sects and are qualified to inherit the position of sect master. At this stage, their speed is incredibly fast, so much so that even horses cannot outrun them.

Seventh Level: Giant Spirit Stage. Martial artists at this level have refined their tendons, bones, and skin to an extremely high degree. The most obvious feature is that their bodies can instantly expand, transforming into giants. They possess immense destructive power, capable of single-handedly slaughtering an entire army.

Eighth Level: Diamond Stage. Upon reaching this level, one can inherit the position of sect master and suppress an entire sect. These are the true powerhouses and giants of martial arts. Their bodies are indestructible, and no weapon can injure them.

Ninth Level: Dragon Power Stage. Every martial artist at this level is a terrifying existence. They are said to be able to wrestle with the legendary “dragon.”

In the entire Five Thunder Sect, apart from Ethan Carter’s deceased father William Carter, only the grand elder Henry Wright has reached this level.

Tenth Level: Thunderclap Stage. This is the pinnacle of the physical body, the myth of martial arts. At this point, ordinary martial artists can only worship from afar. Legend has it that the sect master of the Lieyang Sect is at this level.

In the sect world, as long as one person reaches this level, their sect can be elevated to a “clan.” The reason the Lieyang Sect can firmly suppress the Five Thunder Sect is precisely because its sect master is a terrifying existence at the Thunderclap Stage.

Each of these ten levels requires years of accumulation. The higher the level, the harder it is to advance. Most people, limited by their aptitude, remain below the fifth level for life. Only a few can break through the limits, surpass the fifth level, and become extraordinary.

Legend has it that above these ten levels, there are even more powerful realms. It is said that the strongest martial artists can fly through the sky, travel underground, create things from nothing, move mountains and seas—nothing is impossible. But that is far beyond what Ethan Carter, the young sect master of the Five Thunder Sect, can reach.

……

After reviewing these memories in his mind, Ethan Carter fell into deep thought.

Ethan Carter had already reached the Body Tempering Stage at the age of eleven. However, after neglecting martial arts for many years, he could barely compete with a disciple who had just entered the Body Tempering Stage. For him, to recover his strength, there was no doubt he had to start training again from the Body Tempering Stage. This was a step he could not skip.

“Body Tempering, Iron Bone, Tough Skin... The martial arts of this world are exactly the same as the national arts I knew in my previous life. All involve tempering the tendons, bones, and skin to greatly enhance one’s physique. However, in terms of training methods, this world is far inferior to my previous one.”

Ethan Carter remained motionless, a contemplative look in his eyes.

From his memories, he learned that the methods for tempering tendons, bones, and skin in this world were extremely monotonous—nothing more than training strength with stone locks, body tempering with medicine, and skin training with boxing techniques. As for the boxing techniques used to temper tendons and skin at the fifth level, they were even more monotonous; the entire Five Thunder Sect had only one.

However, the methods for tempering tendons, bones, and skin in Ethan Carter’s mind were countless. That was the accumulation of thousands of years from another world.

Over thousands of years, in the other world within Ethan Carter’s memories, where vital energy was scarce, people focused on refining tendons, bones, and skin, developing these foundational martial arts techniques to their peak. In contrast, the methods in this world were pitifully lacking.

In the memories of Ethan Carter as the young sect master, some disciples remained at the bone or skin refining stage for decades, dying of old age without ever breaking through. This was undoubtedly a major flaw.

However, Ethan Carter also had to admit that, although this world’s foundational martial arts methods were severely lacking, once one surpassed the fifth level, the higher-level martial power displayed was nothing short of mythical.

In his previous life, no matter how powerful a national arts master was, they could only break stones and split monuments. But in this world, martial artists were said to be able to wrestle with “dragons,” lift tens of thousands of pounds of rock, leap hundreds of meters high, and jump directly over a mountain peak.