After the meeting concluded and they returned to the Huo Courtyard, Fang Minghai sought out Chen Yuan. "Junior Brother Chen, are you free these next few days?"
Chen Yuan paused his movements. "Senior Brother Fang, I am available every day before 3:00 PM. What is the matter?"
Minghai relayed his family’s intentions and explained the situation. "Since you have reached Great Success in skin refining, a monthly stipend of three taels of silver is indeed too little. I believe your current strength will earn my family’s formal recognition."
Chen Yuan nodded.
There was no such thing as a free lunch. He had anticipated this day from the very moment Minghai first sponsored him.
However, the time to truly labor for the Fang Family had not yet arrived. Right now, he only needed to prove his value to secure additional funding.
"I have no problem with that," he replied. "Just pick a time, Senior Brother Fang."
Minghai smiled and nodded. "It is best we resolve this quickly so it does not interfere with your martial arts training. Let us schedule it for tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"
Chen Yuan gladly agreed before returning to his fist routines.
Strength was the foundation of all confidence. Only with sufficient power could one adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.
The next day, just past 7:00 AM, the two departed from the Huo Courtyard and headed toward the Fang Mansion.
Chen Yuan glanced at his status panel.
[Comprehension: 52]
[Root Bone: 55]
[Cultivation: Skin Barrier (Great Success); Manifest Force (Minor Achievement)]
[Cultivation Technique]
[Rocky Pile Skill (Minor Achievement): 485/1000]
[Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist (Minor Achievement): 362/1000]
[Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body First Layer (Elephant Bone): 14/1000]
[Low-key Points: 1]
[Evaluation: Unassuming and unostentatious, you avoid making enemies and understand the philosophy of concealing your strengths. You have grasped the rudiments of the Low-key path. Daily Low-key Points +4]
To forge copper-like skin, Chen Yuan had resumed upgrading his Root Bone, aiming to push it to Grade B first. His current level of strength should be more than enough to catch the Fang Family’s eye.
They arrived at the Fang Mansion. Two majestic stone lions guarded the entrance, their imposing presence complementing the luxurious crimson gates. Although Minghai claimed his family had recently fallen on hard times, no clan capable of establishing itself in the Inner City was simple. A starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Chen Yuan followed Minghai into a reception hall. Others were already present. It appeared that another Fang Family member had brought their own sponsored martial artist for evaluation.
"Ah, Minghai is here. This young man must be Master Huo’s beloved disciple, Chen Yuan. Please, have a seat." A middle-aged man in a cyan long robe stood up and offered a warm greeting.
He seemed quite polite, entirely lacking the arrogant airs typical of high-ranking elites.
Minghai smiled and made the introductions. "Father, this is Chen Yuan. He is currently working as a Nursing Home at the Li Family and is quite capable." He then turned to his companion. "Junior Brother Chen, this is my father, Fang Zhengqing. He is the one overseeing the sponsor evaluation this time."
Chen Yuan immediately cupped his hands in respect. "I am Chen Yuan. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fang."
"You should have told me earlier, Senior Brother. If your own father is in charge, isn’t this already a done deal?" he grumbled inwardly.
"Sit down, let’s talk," Zhengqing said with a smile.
He then proceeded to inquire about Chen Yuan’s situation in detail. Although the young man possessed only a Grade D+ Root Bone, achieving Great Success in skin refining in less than six months meant he absolutely had some extraordinary traits. After all, even some individuals with a Grade C+ Root Bone could not accomplish such a feat.
Minghai was quite satisfied with his progress. Of course, Zhengqing had already learned the basics about Chen Yuan from his son. This evaluation was primarily to observe Chen Yuan’s practical performance. After all, extravagant words meant nothing without actual skill.
At this moment, the other man sitting in the reception hall looked at Chen Yuan and made a proposal. "Brother Chen, is it? I have a Grade C+ Root Bone and have been practicing martial arts for six and a half months. Since we have both reached Great Success in skin refining, why don’t we spar? As for my background, it is quite ordinary. I practice the Dragon Claw Grappling Hand. I am Lv Mingyuan."
Minghai then provided a brief introduction, allowing Chen Yuan to understand their origins. Lv Mingyuan hailed from the Lv Family, an inconspicuous lesser clan in the Outer City. However, due to his solid talent, he trained at the Thunder Shock Martial Arts Hall under the sponsorship of Minghai’s cousin, Fang Tingjiang.
Chen Yuan naturally felt no fear. He figured the evaluation would likely involve a fight to test his true strength anyway. He had even prepared himself to cross blows with the Fang Family’s own experts. Being able to spar with a peer of the same generation was a much better outcome.
He cupped his hands. "Since Brother Lv has invited me, I certainly have no objections. What do you think, Mr. Fang?"
Zhengqing offered a faint smile. "It would be wonderful to see two young talents spar. However, please remember to stop before going too far. Do not fight for real, lest you damage the harmony between us."
The core purpose of these evaluations was to weed out parasites. Sometimes, certain family disciples would even use the guise of sponsorship to hoard wealth for themselves. However, the two young men before him both possessed the potential to reach Hidden Force in the Muscle Barrier, making them worthy of investment.
Tingjiang also seemed pleased by the development. "Then let us relocate to the Martial Arts Arena," he said with a laugh.
He maintained full confidence in Mingyuan. The young man had achieved Great Success in skin refining nearly half a month ago, and his mastery of the Dragon Claw Grappling Hand was quite proficient. In contrast, Chen Yuan had only reached Great Success in skin refining a few days prior. While he claimed to possess Minor Achievement in Manifest Force, there were no actual combat records to prove it.
Whether Mingyuan would win was uncertain, but he was at least in an invincible position.
Inside the Martial Arts Arena.
Chen Yuan and Mingyuan stood facing each other. Both of their eyes shone with the confidence born of absolute strength, yet neither showed the slightest hint of underestimation.
Although they were told to hold back, their performance in this sparring match would directly determine the magnitude of their future sponsorships. Neither of them was particularly wealthy, so when it came to silver, the more the better.
"Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist. Chen Yuan. Please advise."
"Dragon Claw Grappling Hand. Lv Mingyuan. Please advise."
Zhengqing stood at the edge of the arena with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over the two fighters before he gave a slight nod. "Begin."
The moment the word left his lips, both men moved simultaneously.
Mingyuan pushed off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. The Dragon Claw Grappling Hand emphasized the principle of "an inch shorter, an inch more perilous." It excelled in close-quarters grappling, so his opening move naturally focused on closing the distance.
He stepped into Chen Yuan’s center guard with his right foot. His left hand curled into an iron hook, his knuckles emitting a sharp CRACK as he drove his fingers straight toward the Jianjing acupoint on Chen Yuan’s right shoulder. This technique was known as the Cyan Dragon’s Exploring Claw. Even before the fingers landed, the resulting gust of wind pricked Chen Yuan’s shoulder, causing his skin to tighten.
Chen Yuan did not retreat.
The Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist also demanded dominating the center guard to seize the positional advantage. Since Mingyuan had forced his way in, Chen Yuan stood his ground. He stepped forward a half-pace with his left foot, buckling his knee inward as his entire spine twisted like a taut cable—a technique known as the Dragon Bending Body.
His body rotated diagonally, retracting his right shoulder just enough for Mingyuan’s five fingers to graze past his lapel. Simultaneously, his right fist snapped out from his waist, smashing directly toward Mingyuan’s heart.
Half-Step Shattering Fist.
Mingyuan’s pupils shrank slightly, but he did not panic. As his initial strike missed its mark, his left hand immediately lashed out from his chest. His fingers curled like hooks, slashing upward from below to latch onto the wrist of Chen Yuan’s incoming fist—the Dragon Claw Grappling Hand’s technique, Reverse Grappling of the Dragon Scale.
The moment his fingertips touched Chen Yuan’s wrist, his five fingers clamped down fiercely. The piercing finger strength dug straight into the wrist joint, attempting to twist and Unload the incoming force.
Chen Yuan felt his wrist tighten as his fist’s momentum was snuffed out mid-strike. Mingyuan’s finger strength truly lived up to its reputation. His five fingers felt like iron bands, clamping down so hard that Chen Yuan’s wrist bones throbbed with a dull ache.
Had he been an ordinary Martial Artist, his wrist would have been forcibly twisted by that clamp, entirely dissipating the force of his punch. However, during the month or so Chen Yuan had worked as a Nursing Home at the Li Family, he had interacted with various fist arts daily in the Martial Arts Arena. This was far from his first time encountering grappling techniques.
Refusing to withdraw his fist or reel in his force, Chen Yuan forcefully tensed the muscles across his entire arm. The explosive inch-force of the Beng Fist traveled from his wrist to his knuckles, and from his knuckles to his fingertips. In an instant, his entire arm hardened into a solid iron rod.
Although Mingyuan’s fingers were clamped tightly, he could not twist a rod of solid iron. Riding that tense, rigid momentum, Chen Yuan drove his fist forward another half-inch.
Mingyuan’s expression shifted slightly. The residual force of the Beng Fist violently rattled his clamping left hand, numbing the webbing between his thumb and index finger. Forced to release his grip, he rapidly backpedaled. Bracing his right foot against the ground, he leveraged the momentum to glide backward by three feet, narrowly dodging the blunt edge of the Beng Fist.
Chen Yuan’s knuckles grazed right past his lapel. The sheer force of the wind trailing the punch caused the fabric on Mingyuan’s chest to ripple wildly.
In the first exchange, both sides had been forced half a step back.
Mingyuan shook out his numb left hand, while Chen Yuan massaged his right wrist, which now bore five distinct red marks from the grapple. As their gazes collided in midair, a mutual flash of profound appreciation sparked in both of their eyes.