Autumn was waning. Outside the eaves, the rain pattered incessantly, dripping onto the bluestone slabs. The weeds in the crevices were washed clean of leaden dust, looking lush and vibrant.
Waiting for a timely rain, they strove to grow.
Chen Yuan paused, took one look, and then headed toward the Huo Courtyard with his umbrella, not looking back.
He was in a great mood right now, so even the annoying rain seemed festive.
Naturally, he couldn’t conjure up any poetic sentiments about fluttering blossoms and melancholy drizzle; he just wanted to hurry to the Dining Hall and eat a few piping-hot eggs.
Breakfast—eggs, chicken, and a large portion of rice—would provide ample energy.
After getting his food, Chen Yuan carried his tray and sat across from Tao Ping.
"Good morning, Senior Brother Tao," he greeted naturally.
Tao Ping looked up and smiled faintly.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen. I heard that during yesterday’s Gu Family assessment, you overpowered two opponents with Grade C- Root Bones and took first place. If Senior Brother Huang hadn’t said it himself, I would have suspected you had a Grade C+ Root Bone."
However, he wasn’t completely surprised. After all, during his previous visit, he had realized that this junior brother’s Xin Yi Liu He Fist was far from simple.
Chen Yuan used a smile to mask his awkwardness. If someone checked his bones now, his secret would be exposed.
Changing the subject, he asked, "Senior Brother Tao, my sponsorship has been increased to seven taels of silver. I was wondering what aspects this covers?"
Tao Ping explained with a smile:
"It mainly goes toward dietary supplements. For you, two bowls of beef and meat broth are enough for now, so the medicinal effects will play a bigger role.
"Building on your previous foundation, your Body-Strengthening Soup has been increased to thirty bowls, meaning you won’t have to worry about having one bowl a day.
"Secondly, with the remaining one tael of silver, you can exchange it for Blood Qi Pills, which cost three maces of silver each, or you can exchange it for a Skin Strengthening Pill, which costs one tael of silver each."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Senior Brother, I know the Blood Qi Pill is for nourishing blood and qi. Does this Skin Strengthening Pill help with tempering the skin membrane?"
Tao Ping nodded.
"At your current pace, you should be attempting to break through the Skin Barrier in a month or two. Right before your breakthrough, you can exchange for three Blood Qi Pills to push your blood and qi to their peak, solidifying your foundation.
"Alternatively, you can exchange for one Skin Strengthening Pill to temper your skin membrane and lower the difficulty of the breakthrough.
"Of course, it’s best to get both. When Junior Brother Xu broke through, he took both."
"Thank you for the information, Senior Brother," Chen Yuan said, cupping his hands slightly.
Inwardly, he smiled bitterly. Everyone knew it was best to get both, but he wasn’t Xu Heng. Without Master Huo’s full support, he had to pay out of his own pocket.
Chen Yuan pondered, "I must break through the Skin Barrier as soon as possible and get the three taels of silver rewarded by the Gu Family to ease my tight finances."
Now that the assessment was over, the Chen Family’s troubles were resolved, and his resources were sufficient. There was absolutely nothing left to disturb his cultivation.
He would push forward in one vigorous effort and become a true entry-level Martial Artist!
Time flowed on as quietly as water carrying fallen petals.
In a flash, more than ten days passed.
At the Huo Courtyard, under the pressure of the times, people came and went. Yet, in a corner, one could always find Chen Yuan’s unshakeable figure practicing his punches.
[Xin Yi Liu He Fist (Entry Level): 499/500]
In the blink of an eye, he had reached the critical point of breaking through to Manifest Force.
Chen Yuan sank his qi to his Dantian, hollowed his chest and raised his back, dropped his shoulders and sank his elbows. He assumed the Trinity Stance, initiating with the Eagle Catch as the wind whipped around him.
He closed his eyes and executed the Five Elements Fist. His movements were incredibly fluid, transitioning seamlessly with perfect precision.
His mind, meanwhile, was carefully perceiving and comprehending, attempting to step into the ranks of Manifest Force.
As Chen Yuan threw the final Cross Fist, the bones in his arm suddenly emitted a crisp crack.
The physical effort exerted was the same, but the explosive power was far more fierce and direct.
A faint trace of joy appeared on his face. The force was visible on the outside, bright and straightforward. As the saying went, *a thousand gold pieces cannot buy a single crack*. He had officially stepped into the ranks of Manifest Force!
Immediately after, Chen Yuan calmly continued his practice, experiencing the various wondrous applications of Manifest Force.
When he exerted force again, it was accompanied by the distinct sound of wind. His clothes snapped sharply. His punches shot out like steel files and dropped like hooking poles—rising like the wind and falling like the rain!
Compared to before, the power of his fist technique had more than doubled.
As he was now, a single punch could beat Chen Kai to the brink of death.
Looking at the panel again:
[Comprehension: 10]
[Root Bone: 53]
[Cultivation: Manifest Force]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Minor Achievement): 32/1000]
[Xin Yi Liu He Fist (Minor Achievement): 1/1000]
[Low-key Points: 1]
[Evaluation: Not showing off, not making enemies, knowing the principle of biding your time and hiding your strength. You have caught your first glimpse into the path of keeping a low profile. Daily Low-key Points +3]
His Root Bone had already increased to 53, which should be at the level of a Grade C+ Root Bone.
Going forward, he could add points to his Comprehension. Otherwise, a mere 10 points would drag down his cultivation progress.
The Rocky Pile Skill always leveled up faster than the Xin Yi Liu He Fist, having reached Minor Achievement a few days earlier.
However, Chen Yuan hadn’t expected to comprehend Manifest Force before breaking through the Skin Barrier.
He carefully sensed the blood and qi in his chest, which was now impressively thick as a thumb. The precursor to breaking through the barrier—a feeling of tightness and heat in his chest—had already appeared a few days ago.
But to be on the safe side, he decided to accumulate energy for a few more days. In the end, he would exchange for one Blood Qi Pill and one Skin Strengthening Pill each to ensure nothing went wrong.
Now that he had comprehended Manifest Force, his control over his body had reached a higher level. Chen Yuan couldn’t think of any reason he would fail.
His decision was made. He would get a good night’s sleep tonight, take the Elixirs tomorrow, and break through the Skin Barrier in one fell swoop!
As for the news of him comprehending Manifest Force, Chen Yuan decided to keep it a secret for now. He would wait until after he broke through the Skin Barrier to reveal it at an appropriate time.
...
Meanwhile, today was also a joyous day for the Gu Family.
Yu Yan, who possessed a Grade B- Root Bone and was highly regarded by the Gu Family, had agreed to the Gu Family’s request for him to marry into their household. Today, they were discussing the details of his engagement to the Third Miss Gu, Gu Wantong.
Patriarch Gu Changfeng personally met with Yu Yan in the Gu Family’s main hall to show his respect for this future son-in-law.
Gu Ye and Huang Yan were also present to keep them company.
Since they were responsible for training Yu Yan, they naturally knew more about him.
"This junior, Yu Yan, greets Uncle Gu," Yu Yan said, cupping his hands in a bow, completely dropping the title of Patriarch Gu.
Gu Changfeng nodded slightly. Although this future son-in-law was plain-looking, he had a calm and steady demeanor that suited his tastes perfectly.
Gu Changfeng smiled and said, "Worthy Nephew, you truly are a man of striking talent, and your Martial Dao aptitude is even rarer. I heard you’ve already comprehended Manifest Force?"
He had only sent someone to propose the marriage after learning that Yu Yan had comprehended Manifest Force and become an entry-level Martial Artist. To his surprise, Yu Yan had agreed decisively after just one meeting with Gu Wantong.
Yu Yan said modestly, "It was entirely due to the Gu Family’s nurturing that this junior was able to comprehend Manifest Force yesterday. I will never forget this great kindness."
Gu Changfeng nodded in satisfaction. "Worthy Nephew, there is no need to belittle yourself. Your current achievements are inseparable from your own hard work. From now on, we are a family; there’s no need to be so polite."
He paused, then added,
"Have you encountered any problems recently? Do you have enough funds? You can tell me anything right now."
He valued Yu Yan very highly now.
To become an entry-level Martial Artist in just over two months meant that he had a high probability of breaking through the three barriers and comprehending Hidden Force in the future.
In Qingyuan County, the three barriers and two forces were the standard configuration of a powerhouse.
The Gu Family wasn’t one of the four major families of Qingyuan County. With such a powerhouse holding down the fort, as long as they didn’t do anything foolish, they would have more than enough strength to protect themselves.
If luck was on their side and Yu Yan broke through to the ranks of Projected Force, the Gu Family might even be able to take a step further.
Moreover, what he valued most was that in terms of marriage, Yu Yan hadn’t chosen to take a bride, but rather chose to marry into the bride’s family.
Since such a genius was willing to marry into their household, Gu Changfeng was more than willing to show his sincerity.
A gleam flashed through Yu Yan’s eyes as he bowed and said:
"Thank you, Uncle Gu. I haven’t run into any trouble, but as for funds, naturally, the more the better.
"However, I also know that it isn’t easy for you to make money, Uncle. A clan this size has expenses everywhere.
"I believe we could save on certain unnecessary expenses and transfer those funds to me, so that every single tael of silver is put to good use."