As midsummer faded, the vibrant reds and lush greens withered. Golden blossoms piled up across the ground, a silent testament to the waning glory of the season.
After a month of rigorous training and a nourishing diet, Chen Yuan’s muscle definition had become more pronounced, filling out his practice uniform. His gaze, too, had grown increasingly serene.
Moving with casual ease, he practiced the Xin Yi Liu He Fist. Stepping on fallen leaves, he settled into the Trinity Stance—the Three Points aligning perfectly. He initiated with the Eagle Catch, hollowing his chest and wrapping his elbows inwards, before transitioning smoothly into the Forward Step Splitting Fist. His strike chopped out in a perfect vertical circle, like an axe splitting wood. Rising, falling, drilling, and overturning—his movements surged like waves crashing against the shore. The force penetrated through the heel of his palm, kicking up gusts of wind.
He followed with the Oblique Step Shattering Fist, driving forward in a straight lunge. His fist shot down the centerline like an arrow, the rear fist trailing closely behind the lead. He twisted his waist and shook his hips, his core acting as a central axle. An explosive inch-force erupted, and his punch halted abruptly at its absolute limit, executed with perfect precision.
Finishing the entire routine with fluid grace, Chen Yuan remained entirely unruffled as he withdrew his posture and steadied his breathing.
He had long mastered the core principles of explosive, unified power: force originating from the ground, generated by the feet, commanded by the waist, and expressed through the fingers. Now, his practice focused on using intent to guide his qi and mastering the rhythm of his punches, while concurrently engaging in sparring sessions to hone his practical combat skills. In just one month of studying the Martial Dao, his progress was nothing short of remarkable.
He checked his status panel once more:
[Comprehension: 10]
[Root Bone: 39]
[Cultivation: None]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Initiate): 156/500]
[Xin Yi Liu He Fist (Initiate): 128/500]
[Low-key Points: 2]
[Evaluation: You do not flaunt your talents nor make enemies. Knowing the wisdom of hiding your capabilities and biding your time, you have caught your first glimpse into the path of keeping a low profile. Daily Low-key Points +3]
In just a month, his Root Bone had increased from 29 to 39. Chen Yuan believed his current potential was top-tier among those in the lower-grade C category. The only thing that remained entirely stagnant was his Comprehension, which was currently his biggest shortcoming. Allocating points to Comprehension needed to be put on his agenda.
Both his Rocky Pile Skill and Xin Yi Liu He Fist were advancing steadily, each having surpassed a quarter of their progress bars. Chen Yuan touched his chest; the sliver of vital blood qi had grown from the thickness of a hair to the width of a chopstick. Once it reached the thickness of a finger, he could begin attempting to break through the bodily barrier. According to Master Huo, as long as he trained the Xin Yi Liu He Fist to the Minor Achievement Stage, Manifest Force would naturally break through. At this rate, in less than three months, he would be able to break the skin barrier and simultaneously comprehend Manifest Force!
Today was the day to return to the Gu family for their assessment. Huang Yan had sent someone early in the morning to inform the five of them to head to the Gu family’s estate at Noon.
Sun Chengjie walked over. Looking toward where Xu Heng usually was, he sighed, "People are just fickle. To think Junior Brother Xu used to be so polite to me not too long ago. Now, he won’t even acknowledge you, a friend he spars with regularly. What on earth is he even practicing?"
Chen Yuan wiped his sweat, took a gulp of water, and shook his head. "Who can remain completely unaffected by their environment? Staying true to oneself is difficult enough. Besides, Junior Brother Xu is a young genius. No one in this courtyard can compare to him, so it’s easy for him to breed arrogance."
"I think Xu Heng turning out like this has everything to do with Senior Brother Song and his group. Those from prominent families always look down on us," Liu Jin added as he walked over. It seemed he still harbored a grudge over being ruthlessly rejected when he asked Song Qiao for guidance.
Chen Yuan remained noncommittal. While external influences certainly played a role, it was ultimately Xu Heng’s own choice.
"Let’s go, it’s time to head to the Gu family’s estate," Xue Anping said, joining the group. After their previous conflict, Xue Anping had realized the growing gap between them. Gradually coming to terms with it, he took the initiative to mend their relationship. Chen Yuan, naturally, didn’t mind such trivial matters. Consequently, the group of five now implicitly treated him as their leader.
On their way to the Gu family’s estate, Liu Jin asked nervously, "I wonder what this assessment will be. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?"
"Probably not. It’s only the first month," Sun Chengjie replied casually.
"Let’s hope so," He Qing muttered in a muffled voice. No one wanted to be eliminated in the very first month.
Upon arriving at the Gu family’s estate, the five were arranged to wait in a pavilion in the front courtyard. Before long, Yu Yan and his two companions arrived as well. Having not seen each other for a month, the two groups sized each other up, both realizing how drastically the others had changed. Before taking up martial arts, they had all been impoverished peasants—insecure and timid. A month of martial training had not only strengthened their physiques and altered their appearances, but more notably, it had allowed them to straighten their backs and hold their heads high, completely transforming their aura.
Chen Yuan observed the trio. Yu Yan, the leader, appeared remarkably composed. His blood qi was restrained, yet he carried himself with neither arrogance nor humility.
Gao Mingchang wore a smile on his face and greeted them calmly, "Everyone, it’s been a while."
The remaining girl, Cao Yan, had shed her youthful naivety. Standing tall with her chest out, she looked quite sharp and capable. Chen Yuan estimated that compared to him, these two were about evenly matched, perhaps slightly superior.
Sun Chengjie leaned in and chuckled, "The three of you really look quite imposing. Compared to us, there really is a gap."
They had barely exchanged a few words when Steward Gu Ye walked over alongside Huang Yan. Wasting no time, Gu Ye got straight to the point with a faint smile. "In this past month, your overall performance has been quite good. You haven’t disappointed me. Among you, Yu Yan performed the best, initiating the stance skill in less than three days. Next are Gao Mingchang, Cao Yan, and Chen Yuan, who all initiated within five days, which is also commendable. Besides them, Xue Anping initiated in seven days, Sun Chengjie and He Qing in nine days, and Liu Jin in eleven days."
At the mention of his name, Liu Jin’s expression turned slightly grim. He had made a few mistakes while learning, and his comprehension was average, leading to his slow progress. He was placed dead last.
Since the Gu family was cultivating talents, they naturally kept close track of their progress. In the first month, the time taken to initiate a stance skill was enough to determine a person’s overall potential. Yu Yan’s ability to initiate in two and a half days had pleasantly surprised Gu Ye, proving that his comprehension was excellent. Another surprise was Chen Yuan. Although his Root Bone had barely met the threshold for the lower-grade C tier, his initiation time was practically identical to Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan, both of whom enjoyed much better resources. This indicated that his comprehension was likely superior, making him well worth nurturing. As for Liu Jin...
Gu Ye’s gaze turned slightly cold as he announced directly, "As for this month’s assessment results, Yu Yan’s financial support is increased to eight taels per month. Chen Yuan’s is increased to five taels per month, putting him on par with Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan. Among you three, whoever performs best next month will have their support raised to six taels, while the worst will be reduced to four taels. Xue Anping, Sun Chengjie, and He Qing will maintain their current two taels without change."
Finally, his indifferent gaze locked onto Liu Jin. He stated flatly, "Liu Jin, poor performance. Eliminated. You can go home."
His words struck Liu Jin’s mind like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky. The boy shuddered violently, then looked up, his lips trembling as he pleaded, "Steward Gu, Lord Gu, please give me one more chance! I will absolutely give it my all, I’ll risk everything! Really, just give me one more chance..."
He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bloodshot. Those icy words had instantly shattered his illusions of getting by on luck—he was eliminated in the very first month! He had already set foot on the path of the Martial Dao and witnessed its magnificent scenery, only for the road to abruptly end. It was simply too cruel.
Gu Ye’s tone grew even colder. "Our Gu family doesn’t feed useless trash. If you can’t even initiate a stance skill in ten days, you have no value to be nurtured. If you dare to entangle us any further, you’ll be beaten and thrown out."
The Gu family’s money didn’t just fall from the sky. Reallocating the funds meant for Liu Jin to Yu Yan and Chen Yuan was the perfect arrangement.
The freckled youth, Liu Jin, instantly looked as if his heart had turned to dead ashes. His unfocused eyes stared blankly as he slumped to the ground, allowing the guards to drag him out of the Gu family’s estate. The very first youth to pass the Root Bone test was now the first to be eliminated, in such a humiliating manner.
Witnessing this scene, Sun Chengjie and He Qing felt a lingering fear in their hearts. It was far too brutal. Having initiated in nine days, they had essentially been walking a tightrope, nearly plunging into the abyss without even realizing it. They had no doubt that the moment they lost their cultivation value in the eyes of the Gu family, they would share the exact same fate as Liu Jin. Their moods instantly grew heavy.
Gu Ye then shifted his gaze to the remaining seven, his voice deep and stern. "I hope you will all take this as a warning. Train diligently and never slack off."
Though Chen Yuan felt a trace of sympathy for Liu Jin’s plight, it was just a trace. That was just the way the world worked. The Gu family was certainly ruthless, but they had given him a chance, and they hadn’t demanded the two taels of silver back. That was already considered generous.
For his part, Chen Yuan was in a rather good mood. His financial support had skyrocketed from two taels and five maces to five taels, essentially doubling. The cultivation of vital blood qi was a process where one either advanced or regressed. Merely maintaining it required consuming massive amounts of meat, so the further one progressed, the more silver was needed. These five taels arrived just in time to solve his pressing needs.
As for the competition with Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan, Chen Yuan didn’t feel much pressure. A month was more than enough time to elevate his Root Bone to a level that surpassed theirs. At worst, he could just save some Low-key Points, and if any unexpected variables arose, he could allocate them to his Cultivation Techniques. While claiming first place might be uncertain, comfortably securing second by keeping a low profile would be a breeze.