In the evening, Stirling walked down the street. He was still thinking about his skin resurfacing when he heard a shout from the side.

  "Mister Luis, I haven't seen you in a few days. Where have you been?"

  Stirling turned and saw Romeo, who was about to enter the house.

  "Oh, I found a laborer job to make a living." Stirling made up a reason.

  Stirling didn't intend to publicize his martial arts training. Until he had enough self-defense, Stirling planned to keep a low profile. Stirling had heard many stories of betrayal and brothers clashing. Relatives plotting against each other left him with calluses on his ears. If it was so on Earth, how much more so on this troubled planet?

  "Well, congratulations. See you tomorrow." Romeo looked at Stirling, smiled, and waved goodbye. Then, he opened the door and walked into the house.

  Stirling muttered to himself, but soon put the question to the back of his mind. He had little experience with the young bard, and he'd only followed this guy to the lounge to gather information.

  Shrugging, Stirling pushed open the gate and walked into the room. He had more important things to do tonight. Returning to his room, Stirling took a quick cold shower, then lit the oil lamp and sat down at the table. He grabbed the quill he had ready. Then, he dipped it in ink and started sketching on a piece of quarter paper. These past few days, Stirling has come home every night and drawn a minor figure doing various boxing movements on the paper. His drawings may look abstract. But if Master Kim were here, he would find Stirling sketching the Kim boxing taught at his dojo!

  Stirling recently gathered silver coins to buy a quill, ink, and paper. Now he's ready to sketch the whole Kim boxing set. He had a simple reason: he'd been practicing Kim Fist skills for a few days. He felt some progress, but it would take ages to restore his aether and blood. Plus, he needed to break through the skin-resurfacing barrier with this half-baked technique. So, to increase speed and effectiveness, Striling had no choice but to cost his life.

  Tonight, Stirling drew the last move on paper. He then used the blank part to explain the Kim Boxing's energy flow and how it generates force. He aimed at reducing the lifespan needed for the enhancement. Finally, Stirling wrote the words, He combined the sheets to make a booklet. Then, he placed it in front of him and pondered it.

  A few breaths later, a line of text appeared as expected.

  [The lifespan required for current enhancement is four months and eighteen days. Enhance?]

  Stirling read the text and felt delighted. He thought the detailed description and notes on the boxing technique had saved him a lot of lifespans. If he had used the old method with coarse cloth and text, the lifespan loss would have been much greater.

  Stirling grinned, then chose

  A ray of light hit the booklet on the table. Moments later, it changed into a thread-bound volume.

  [King Kong Boxing Plus Python Strangling Techniques]

  Derived from the Kim's Boxing of Master Kim. Later generations, inspired by the battle between King Kong and the giant python, added the domineering explosive power of a King Kong and the endless, suffocating, constricting force of a giant python to the boxing. This created a raging power in an endless stream. The moves are grand and sweeping, yet both rough and subtle. It is a rare technique in the Mortal Realm.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Stirling's eyes flashed with delight as he looked at the words before him.

  Stirling muttered as he blew into his hands. He rubbed them vigorously, then flipped open the book in front of him.

  The first page revealed a picture of a giant gorilla. The black King Kong, with crimson eyes and a vast body, sat cross-legged on a boulder like a human. A python, thick as a bowl, coiled around it. Such a vivid sight instilled fear in the eyes of those who saw it, taking an icy breath. Stirling's heart trembled as he gazed at the page, and he murmured,

  Stirling recalled the blade techniques he had learned. The first page also had a visualization diagram. He wondered if all kung fu in this world had this, or if it was only present in enhanced kung fu. However, there was no way to verify this at the moment; he would have to wait for another opportunity.

  Stirling didn't want to focus on the picture on the first page, so he kept flipping through the pages. After a dozen minutes, Stirling closed the book, looking puzzled. He mumbled,

  Stirling thought again. The people in the outer courtyard were apprentices. They had no potential and served only as ATMs. Even if he were Master Kim, he wouldn't teach them all his boxing skills. Stirling felt it was possible, then reread the boxing manual. He stood up and started practicing the moves from the book.

  Under the light, Stirling closed his eyes, visualizing the diagram of a King Kong fighting with a python. He lowered his arms a fraction and then launched into the first move of the King Kong boxing. Then, Stirling swung his body, bent his legs, and retracted his arms, launching into the second move.

  From the second move on, Stirling sped up. His clothes flew, snapping with his fierce actions. Towards the end, Stirling's movements became more and more rapid, his skin slightly red. White mist even emerged from his head, evidently the result of sped-up aether and blood flow.

  This boxing practice was done after a medicinal bath. It helps boost aether and blood flow while the medicine's effects are still active. The quicker the aether and blood flow, the better they absorb the medicine. This leads to more stimulation of the skin and, as a result, better skin resurfacing.

  Stirling hadn't expected the remarkable effects of this King Kong Boxing. Before he finished a single strike, he felt the energy and blood flowing inside him. His face flushed and heated, as if he had taken a certain blue pill on Earth, which works especially on men. This exaggerated effect slightly sped up Stirling's skin resurfacing. It thickened the keratin a bit too.

  Skin resurfacing is simply stimulating the skin to grow. It helps shed old skin and create new layers. This new skin comes from a certain medicinal bath and the effects of Aether and blood. It is even stronger and more resilient, much like rhino skin, which is even fearless against swords and blades. That's why it is called the "rhino skin realm." Sure enough, according to Stirling's understanding, skin-resurfacing is not about completely adopting rhinoceros hide. It copies the benefits of rhinoceros hide's durability and toughness. Meanwhile, it avoids the issues of bulkiness and poor breathability.

  As a traveler from Blue Planet, this was Stirling's first encounter with such a unique martial art. As he touched the already hardened skin on his arm, a look of excitement crossed his face. This secret manual is much more forceful than the Kim Boxing. The visualization diagrams are magical. "Thinking about them while I practice will help me get twice the results with half the effort. The entire book is so easily memorized that it felt like I'd read it a thousand times." Stirling memorized the picture of King Kong and Python he had seen while boxing. Feelings stirred in his heart.

  He had felt this immersive sensation before while practicing swordsmanship in Rock Village. The first scene of his enhanced skills was an ancient tree. Every time Stirling honed his blade skills, his Aether would swing. This brought him a strong sense of vitality. At first, Stirling ignored it. Now, the visualization diagram seemed very important. Stirling suspected it might be because he'd added the attribute when enhancing.

  Regardless, Stirling now felt a strong sense of promise for skin resurfacing. Success could be achieved in less than a year, even in less than six months.

  In blowing a whistle, Stirling didn't dare slack off. He took a deep breath and kept practicing King Kong boxing in the room.