Sunrises and sunsets, ebbs and flows. In the blink of an eye, it was the fifth day since Chen Yuan entered the Huo Courtyard to practice martial arts.
The scorching sunlight beat down on his bronze skin. His sweat glistened, continuously scattering to the ground with every punch.
Relaxing his waist and lowering his hips while keeping his tailbone centered, he focused entirely on feeling every movement of the stance. His footwork was fluid and seamless, his probing punches firm and powerful; he had completely shed a novice’s awkwardness.
Calming his mind to perceive it, as he practiced the stance, a loose wisp of qi continuously gathered in his chest. It carried a slight burning sensation but remained faint and unconsolidated. Just a little more, and he could completely solidify it, breaking through to the Initiate level of the Rocky Pile Skill.
After one round of stance practice, Chen Yuan was drenched in sweat. He walked under the pergola, wiped himself with a sweat towel, and planned to rest a bit before making another push to initiate the Rock Posture. He aimed for a breakthrough today.
With a thought, the interface appeared:
[Comprehension: 10]
[Root Bone: 30]
[Cultivation: None]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Uninitiated): 9/10]
[Low-key Points: 4]
[Evaluation: Keeping a low profile, avoiding making enemies, and understanding the principle of hiding one’s capabilities and biding one’s time, you have caught a preliminary glimpse of the low-key path. Daily Low-key Points +3]
After three days of accumulation, he had increased his Root Bone to 30, which should be at the Lower-Grade C level. And through his relentless, bitter cultivation, he could also feel a slight improvement overall. He could train longer, practice better, and eat more.
Sun Chengjie was already resting under the pergola. He walked over with a bitter face to strike up a conversation.
"Sigh, it’s only been four or five days, and I’m already losing my drive. After doing the stance once, I just want to rest. You, on the other hand, Brother Chen, show no signs of slacking off. You really have perseverance."
Chen Yuan smiled. "Grind your teeth and persevere. If we can break through the Skin Barrier, we can at least find a decent job in the Gu Family. Isn’t that better than going home to farm?"
Indeed, most people’s enthusiasm was fleeting, especially for something as arduous as practicing martial arts. Just like the other senior brothers in the courtyard, only two or three truly trained hard. The rest had long since begun to slack off. Especially when they hit a bottleneck during training, only to see those geniuses continue to advance rapidly as if moving through an empty land. It made them feel even more insignificant and powerless, gradually wearing away their ambition.
Chen Yuan asked himself honestly: if not for the system assuring him that as long as he persisted, he would definitely surpass everyone, he probably would have found it hard to maintain his current state as well.
Sun Chengjie sighed. "I heard that Yu Yan already initiated the stance two days ago. It took him two and a half days in total. The other two will probably succeed in the next couple of days, but I haven’t even touched the threshold yet."
Chen Yuan didn’t feel any sense of urgency. Yu Yan had a Lower-Grade B Root Bone, which was a step above his own. His Comprehension was presumably quite good, too. Furthermore, with the financial support of seven taels of silver a month, it was inevitable that his progress would be faster than everyone else’s.
He said mildly, "Focus on yourself. Right now, you should aim for the Zhou Brothers and strive to surpass them as soon as possible."
Thinking of the Zhou Brothers, Sun Chengjie forcefully bolstered his spirits. He murmured an agreement and went back to practice. He didn’t want to fade into mediocrity and have those two rub it in his face.
Xue Anping listened silently from the side, very much agreeing with the thoughts of his rival, Chen Yuan. Foolishly comparing himself to Yu Yan would only deal a blow to his own morale. What he needed to do now was surpass Chen Yuan.
He also got up and continued his stance practice. He had a premonition that within three days, he would definitely reach the Initiate level.
After resting for fifteen minutes, Chen Yuan felt his condition had recovered. He took a deep breath, found a corner, stood firm, and continued practicing his stances. After one round, heat surged up. The wisp of white qi in his chest grew hotter. Though it was still faint and unconsolidated, he could see progress.
If one time wasn’t enough, then he would do two!
Chen Yuan gathered his focus, sank his qi into his Dantian, and practiced again. He had drilled every movement at least twenty times, and by now, he was incredibly proficient. The hot breath inside his body rose again, growing stronger, stronger, and even stronger!
At the very end of the stance practice, it finally completely solidified, turning into a faint sliver of blood qi that settled in his chest.
[Rocky Pile Skill (Initiate): 0/500]
There was no discomfort at all. Instead, his chest felt warm, making it difficult for the cold to invade his body. However, only Chen Yuan was aware of this change.
Not far away, the silent youth, Xue Anping, was still sweating like rain. Chen Yuan naturally understood his mindset. Unfortunately for Xue Anping, Chen Yuan’s own persistence and hard work were a notch higher.
After practicing it one more time to consolidate his gains, Chen Yuan found Senior Brother Tao Ping and cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, I have initiated the Rocky Pile Skill. I trouble you to inform Master for me."
Tao Ping glanced at Chen Yuan, slightly surprised, noting that this guy’s progress was a notch faster than he had anticipated. It seemed he hadn’t slacked off these past few days. A hint of admiration flashed in Tao Ping’s eyes as he nodded. "Very good, Junior Brother Chen. Come, demonstrate two forms for me first."
Chen Yuan nodded. He took a step, sank his shoulders, dropped his elbows, and assumed the opening posture of the Rocky Pile Skill.
Before half a minute had passed, Tao Ping smiled and waved his hand. "That’s enough. Your foundation is quite solid, Junior Brother. Follow me." He then led Chen Yuan toward the Inner Courtyard.
Chen Yuan nodded and followed. He had never been to the Inner Courtyard before. Because it served as the living quarters of Master Huo and Mrs. Huo, the space was not large. Only highly trusted disciples like Tao Ping were qualified to enter.
However, upon stepping into the Inner Courtyard, Chen Yuan found Master Huo personally guiding a youth. The youth was also practicing the Rocky Pile Skill. Although he hadn’t reached the Initiate level yet, he wasn’t far off. Chen Yuan recognized this youth. He was a disciple who had joined the Huo Courtyard two days ago, named Xu Heng. He had unexpectedly tested out with an Upper-Grade B aptitude, immediately gaining Master Huo’s favor and being taken in as a personal disciple.
He heard that not only were his tuition fees waived, but Master Huo also paid out of pocket to cover all his dietary and medicinal supplements, showing immense regard for him.
Chen Yuan watched for a while and noticed that the usually unsmiling Master Huo had a hint of a smile in his eyes when instructing Xu Heng. It wasn’t until Xu Heng finished a complete set of stances that Master Huo finally turned his gaze toward Chen Yuan and Tao Ping.
Tao Ping stepped forward and smiled gently. "Junior Brother Xu is making rapid progress. He truly is a good seedling. Junior Brother Chen has also just initiated the Rocky Pile Skill and would like to ask Master to impart the combat techniques."
Master Huo then looked at Chen Yuan. Having some impression of this disciple with the best Root Bone from the Gu Family, he gave a slight nod of encouragement. Initiating in four and a half days was considered above-average. Normally, it might have been a pleasant little surprise, but now, with Xu Heng around, it seemed insignificant.
"Good. Watch closely," Master Huo said. He assumed an opening stance and looked at Xu Heng. "Your Rocky Pile Skill is also close to initiation. Take this opportunity to learn it together."
"Yes!" Xu Heng seemed a bit nervous and nodded hastily. Then, he flashed a smile at Chen Yuan and nodded in greeting.
Quite polite, Chen Yuan smiled back. But he also felt a bit of lament. As expected, some rules simply didn’t apply to geniuses; Xu Heng could learn the combat techniques before even initiating the stance. He had even guessed that although ostensibly this was to teach him the stance with Xu Heng learning on the side, Master Huo would absolutely focus his attention on Xu Heng.
"Watch closely. My combat technique is called the Xin Yi Liu He Fist. It emphasizes the coupling of hardness and softness, and the unity of the internal and external. The so-called ’Six Harmonies’ are divided into the Three Internal Harmonies and the Three External Harmonies. The Three Internal Harmonies refer to the harmony of the heart and intent, the harmony of intent and qi, and the harmony of qi and strength. The Three External Harmonies refer to the harmony of the hands and feet, the harmony of the elbows and knees, and the harmony of the shoulders and hips. Any move or routine must closely adhere to these Six Harmonies. Take, for example, this move: Starting Step Eagle Catch."
Master Huo stepped into the center gate, his hands forming claws as they violently thrust forward. Like an eagle pouncing on its prey, he was as fast as lightning and incredibly fierce.
Chen Yuan stared unblinkingly, not daring to miss a single detail.
Amidst the exquisite demonstration of combat moves, time quietly slipped away without notice.