Chu Tian stretched for thousands of miles in clear autumn; the waters flowed endlessly into the autumn horizon.
Chen Yuan practiced his Xin Yi Liu He Fist. He could now execute the inch force, wrapping force, and bursting force with effortless mastery. As the wind from his punches brushed past the yellowing locust leaves, he thought that the autumn was growing heavier.
Steadying his breath to conclude his practice, he walked toward the crowd.
Xu Heng’s comprehension of Manifest Force meant he had officially stepped into the ranks of entry-level Martial Artists—a joyous occasion for the Huo Courtyard. Many senior disciples wanted to take advantage of this moment to offer gifts and build a good relationship with him, knowing his horizons were still relatively shallow since he had just crossed the threshold.
Although Chen Yuan had no gift to offer, offering a word of congratulations was easy enough. He couldn’t just stand by indifferently while everyone else offered their praises. Isolating himself from the group completely contradicted his principles of keeping a low profile.
After a few people had gifted Blood Qi Pills, Blood and Qi Powder, and other medicines meant to strengthen blood and qi, Song Bridge slowly stepped forward. He handed over a wooden box with a faint smile.
"Junior Brother Xu, inside are three Bone Strengthening Pills. I hope you continue to make great strides and break through the bone-refining gate soon."
Many bystanders immediately clicked their tongues in awe. Amidst the chatter, Chen Yuan learned the true value of these Bone Strengthening Pills.
They cost a staggering two taels of silver each!
They were best suited for the cultivation of Bone-refining Martial Artists, though Skin Gate Martial Artists who had reached the bronze skin stage and were preparing to break through could also use them. Clearly, Song Bridge believed that Xu Heng’s breakthrough into the bone-refining gate was a certainty; giving the Elixirs now was a strategic move to win him over early.
"How extravagant. A single Elixir is equivalent to our entire monthly subsidy," Sun Chengjie sighed beside him, deeply feeling the vast disparity between people.
"You aren’t even considered outstanding among those with a Grade D+ Root Bone, so what makes you think you can compare to Senior Brother Xu and his Grade B+ Root Bone? Besides, he has our master’s full devotion and training. The resources poured into him are probably even greater than what the Gu Family uses to groom Yu Yan," Xue Anping pointed out the cruel truth.
"Isn’t that obvious?" Sun Chengjie snorted softly. "I heard Yu Yan only broke through the skin-refining gate a few days ago, while Senior Brother Xu has already comprehended Manifest Force. And to top it off, Yu Yan started practicing martial arts a few days earlier than him. The difference is clear."
This alone demonstrated the stark gap between different grades of Root Bone. In just two months, the difference in strength between a Grade B+ and a Grade D+ had become incredibly obvious.
This thought naturally reminded Sun Chengjie of last month’s assessment, where Chen Yuan had gone head-to-head against Gao Mingchang. Despite an obvious disadvantage in both Root Bone and resources, Chen Yuan hadn’t fallen behind in his foundational posture or combat power. It was a testament to his unique talents.
Was this the peak of a Grade D+? Even among those with the same grade, the disparity could be this massive...
Thinking about this made him feel that the gap between himself and Xu Heng was an insurmountable chasm.
"Root Bone and Comprehension are decreed by heaven. How far we can walk on the Martial Dao is basically predetermined from the moment we are born. No matter how hard we try, we can’t change much.
"Chen Yuan, tomorrow is the assessment. How confident are you in sparring with those two Grade C- opponents?" Xue Anping said, turning his gaze toward Chen Yuan.
"It depends on my condition," Chen Yuan replied with a faint smile. "Maybe a fifty-fifty chance? I won’t know for sure until we actually fight."
Xue Anping nodded, thinking that sounded about right.
This month, the three of them had received the same amount of resources, so it would all come down to the differences in their Root Bone and Comprehension. Looking back at last month’s spar with his current understanding, Xue Anping could clearly see that Gao Mingchang had held the advantage in blood and qi. The only reason the match had ended in a draw was because Gao Mingchang had underestimated Chen Yuan and exposed a flaw while rushing for a quick victory. This time, Gao Mingchang would undoubtedly go all out. It would simply be a test of whose skills were superior.
"If I wasn’t afraid that surrendering would ruin the Gu Family’s impression of me, I wouldn’t even participate. Brother Xue, please go easy on me tomorrow," Sun Chengjie sighed.
He knew he was no match for Xue Anping. His only goal for training so bitterly this month was simply to avoid elimination. The same went for He Qing.
"Don’t worry, just do your best," Xue Anping said with a smile.
He had discovered that ever since he stopped comparing himself to Chen Yuan and instead focused on Sun Chengjie and He Qing, he felt much happier. Troubles were self-inflicted, but so was joy.
Soon, Tao Ping also presented a one-year-old precious herb, which was highly beneficial for skin refining, as his gift. It was a sign of great respect.
He Qing suddenly blurted out, "With Senior Brother Xu’s current strength, he could probably take on an affiliated post to earn money now, right?"
"His strength is definitely sufficient. Furthermore, with his talent, those factions would likely offer him a salary far above the market rate.
"However, Brother He, that’s a bit short-sighted on your part. Taking affiliated posts is something poor disciples like us have to consider. We trade our martial arts practice time for silver.
"Xu Heng has been accepted as our master’s Direct Disciple, so he naturally lacks no money. The apprenticeship fees we paid probably ended up feeding his cultivation. Why would he need to waste time working a side job? Spending all his time practicing martial arts is the right path," Xue Anping said with a shake of his head and a chuckle.
He Qing opened his mouth to reply but found himself speechless.
It was true. For Xu Heng, breaking through the bone-refining gate and comprehending Hidden Force was only a matter of time. Once he became an expert of that caliber, countless factions would gladly throw money at him just to have him on their side. The part-time jobs He Qing envied so much were nothing but a waste of time in the eyes of someone like Xu Heng.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
"By the way, Brother He, about that hunting trip into the mountains you mentioned—did any of the senior brothers agree to go?" Sun Chengjie chimed in at the right moment to ease the awkwardness.
He Qing’s expression remained dark. He shook his head. "None of the senior brothers who have successfully broken through their gates have any intention of going into the mountains. They all said they don’t have time right now."
Chen Yuan wasn’t surprised by this. Those who had successfully broken through their gates already had the ability to earn money. Even if it wasn’t a lot, as long as it was barely enough, they were satisfied. Aside from those who desperately needed funds, or those stuck at a bottleneck and ready for a desperate gamble, no one else would consider taking such a risk.
The well-wishers went up one after another. When it was Chen Yuan’s turn, he cupped his hands in a traditional salute and offered customary congratulations.
This time, Xu Heng merely gave a slight nod. He seemed to have lost all interest in lecturing Chen Yuan. Happy to be left in peace, Chen Yuan turned around and went back to his own solitary martial arts practice.
Over the past half-month, everything except for his Comprehension had been steadily improving.
[Comprehension: 10]
[Root Bone: 48]
[Cultivation: None]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Entry-level): 401/500]
[Xin Yi Liu He Fist (Entry-level): 369/500]
[Low-key Points: 3]
[Evaluation: Unassuming, bearing no ill will toward others, and understanding the philosophy of biding your time. You have grasped the fundamentals of the low-key path. Daily Low-key Points +3.]
With a Root Bone of 48, Chen Yuan was confident that even if he hadn’t yet reached a Grade C+ Root Bone, he was definitely stronger than Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan.
Two months of persistence and hard work had yielded a handsome reward. As his Rocky Pile Skill and Xin Yi Liu He Fist continued to improve, he was confident that he could push both Cultivation Techniques to the Minor Achievement Stage by next month.
He had originally estimated that the Xin Yi Liu He Fist would still require a considerable amount of time. But with the boost from the fifty-six Low-key Points he had accumulated, the process had instantly accelerated. Mastering the Xin Yi Liu He Fist to this degree also gave him the confidence to defeat Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan tomorrow.
Surprisingly, Gao Mingchang hadn’t tried to trip him up or play dirty over the past month. Did he want to defeat him fair and square, or was he afraid the Gu Family would uncover his foul play?
Chen Yuan had even spent some silver to have Qian Bao keep an eye out, but it seemed that money was mostly wasted.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that nothing had happened and he could cultivate in peace was the best possible outcome.
Stay low-key!