Sun Yong nodded and turned to walk toward the inner courtyard.
Nearby, Lin Yue glanced at Yang Jing, his face devoid of expression, as if Yang Jing's breakthrough to the Mingjin Realm was just some trivial matter.
He was exceptionally talented, having broken through to the Mingjin Realm not long after joining. Now, he was on the verge of reaching the Dark Energy Realm, and he was quite confident in his ability to make the breakthrough.
In his eyes, for someone of Yang Jing's mediocre aptitude, successfully breaking through was a fluke and likely the peak of his potential. He figured Yang Jing would be stuck in the Mingjin Realm for the rest of his life. They were on completely different levels, so naturally, he paid Yang Jing no mind.
Yang Jing paid it no mind, calmly retracting his gaze. In his heart, however, he was certain of his path.
The existence of his panel meant he had never once doubted his future.
'The Mingjin Realm is just the beginning. The Dark Energy Realm, the Huajin Realm, and even higher realms... I'm confident I can reach them all.'
"Junior Brother, congratulations!"
Just then, a hearty voice called out.
Liu Maolin strode over, his face filled with undisguised joy. He clapped Yang Jing heavily on the shoulder. "I knew you could do it! Few people have your kind of tenacity!"
The pat made Yang Jing stumble slightly, but he just laughed, the relief in his eyes obvious. "It's all thanks to your guidance these past few days, Fourth Senior Brother. I might not have succeeded so smoothly otherwise."
He truly did feel a great sense of relief.
Now that he was an official disciple, most of the Martial Arts Hall's tutelage fees would be waived, saving him a huge expense.
More importantly, he was now qualified to take on part-time jobs affiliated with the hall.
He could work as a guard captain for a large family, escort goods for a merchant, or help out at an Escort Agency.
The pay for these jobs was quite good. After all, they were hiring a Mingjin Realm expert. It would be enough to support his training, and he would no longer need to ask his family for money.
Liu Maolin chuckled, took two steps back, and adopted a sparring stance. "Come on, Junior Brother. Let me see how well you've mastered this Mingjin Realm of yours."
Yang Jing's heart stirred. He knew his Fourth Senior Brother was trying to help him get accustomed to his new power more quickly. Feeling a surge of gratitude, he didn't hesitate. He flexed his wrists, lowered his stance, and stood firm.
Seeing this, a few nearby disciples who were practicing their fists stopped and gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"Then here I come, Fourth Senior Brother." The words had barely left Yang Jing's mouth when he threw the first punch. His fist carried his newfound Mingjin power, making it feel much heavier than before.
Liu Maolin raised a hand to block. Their arms collided with a soft THUD.
"Not bad! That's some solid power!"
Liu Maolin praised him, then twisted his wrist, smoothly redirecting Yang Jing's force and pushing back.
Yang Jing used the momentum to take half a step back and adjust his posture. As he punched again, he deliberately focused on the feeling of his Mingjin power flowing through his body. His movements suddenly had a new fluidity he'd never possessed before.
The surrounding disciples watched intently, occasionally letting out low murmurs of admiration.
They exchanged more than ten moves. Liu Maolin was clearly holding back, but this allowed Yang Jing to get a much clearer feel for the changes brought by his breakthrough.
The same techniques, when empowered by Mingjin, had their power more than doubled.
As they finished with a final move, beads of sweat appeared on Yang Jing's forehead, but his mind was crystal clear.
Liu Maolin laughed and patted Yang Jing's arm. "Nicely done, Junior Brother! For someone who just broke through, you're already using your Mingjin power quite well. Your foundation is incredibly solid, hahaha."
"You praise me too much, Senior Brother." Yang Jing stretched his arms and shoulders, feeling the residual force tingling in his arm.
Liu Maolin smiled. "Junior Brother, your breakthrough to the Mingjin Realm is a joyous occasion for both you and the Martial Arts Hall. It's worth a proper celebration."
He glanced outside the Martial Arts Hall and grinned. "The braised meat at Jufu Pavilion in Chonghua Square to the west is fantastic. My treat, let's go grab a feast!"
Hearing this, Yang Jing subconsciously started to wave his hand in refusal.
Liu Maolin had invited him out twice before, but he had turned him down both times, using excuses like being "short on cash" or "afraid of delaying his training."
He didn't like being indebted to others and felt that accepting an invitation to a meal was like taking advantage, even if he was close with Liu Maolin.
But looking at the genuine smile in Liu Maolin's eyes and recalling the past six months of his selfless guidance—from the details of his stances to the key points of generating force—the words of refusal died on his lips.
Besides, the joy of his breakthrough was surging within him, and he genuinely wanted to share it with someone.
He scratched his head, a rare, relaxed smile appearing on his face. "Well... thank you, Fourth Senior Brother. But next time, this meal is on me."
"What's there to be so polite about with me?" Liu Maolin laughed heartily and pulled him toward the exit. "Let's go! If we're late, we'll have to wait for a table."
Yang Jing let himself be dragged along, his steps light. Any awkwardness he felt about accepting the invitation was long gone, washed away by the joy of his breakthrough and the warmth of their camaraderie.
...
「Chonghua Square, Jufu Pavilion.」
The restaurant was bustling with noise. Liu Maolin confidently led Yang Jing to a private room on the second floor. Despite Yang Jing's attempts to stop him, he still ordered a large number of dishes, making Yang Jing's heart ache a little.
As the dishes arrived one by one, the table was soon filled to the brim.
There was a platter of braised fish glistening with oil, a dish of stir-fried vegetables so green they looked succulent, and a bowl of chicken soup, stewed until tender, steaming with a fragrant aroma.
But the most eye-catching dish was in the center: a platter of soy-braised bear meat weighing a full two jin. The meat was cut into thick chunks, coated in a rich sauce, and exuded a wild, meaty aroma.
"Junior Brother, hurry and try some. This bear meat is considered quite good, even among beast meats. It's much more nourishing than ordinary meat. The waiter just told me it's a fresh delivery from a hunter."
Liu Maolin smiled and handed Yang Jing a new pair of chopsticks while picking up a piece of fish for himself. "I come here often with my family elders. This bear meat is a Jufu Pavilion specialty. You should eat more to properly consolidate your newly broken-through realm. Don't be polite."
Yang Jing stared at the platter of bear meat, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He knew this meat was expensive. An ordinary family could never afford it. Only someone from a family like Liu Maolin's could eat it regularly.
He picked up a piece of bear meat. It was soft and tender, with the richness of the sauce and the inherent sweetness of the meat. Not long after he swallowed, a warm current rose from his Dantian and spread throughout his body. It was far more nourishing than the horse and beef he usually ate.
"How is it? Much better than the tough meat you usually eat, right?" Liu Maolin asked, taking a sip of soup and looking at Yang Jing.
"Yes, the nourishing effect is amazing. Thank you, Senior Brother." Yang Jing nodded and picked up another piece.
He could feel the Qi Blood Power contained within the bear meat. It was several times stronger than that of ordinary meat and was truly a great supplement for a Martial Artist.
'If I had been eating this kind of beast meat from the start, I probably would have broken through to the Mingjin Realm long ago.'
Seeing Yang Jing enjoying the meal, Liu Maolin himself rarely touched the bear meat. He mostly ate the vegetables and fish, only taking a small, token bite of the bear meat now and then.
"I've been eating this stuff since I was a kid, so I'm sick of it. You eat more. Look how skinny you are, you need to bulk up."
Yang Jing's mouth twitched. Though not fat, his current body was lean and well-built, covered in muscle. He was hardly what anyone would call skinny. However, when he looked up at Liu Maolin, who was a good deal more muscular than him, he didn't bother to argue.
He knew in his heart that his Fourth Senior Brother was aware of his tight financial situation and was deliberately helping him this way, trying to lessen his psychological burden so he would eat more of the bear meat.
Yang Jing didn't say any polite words of refusal; he just lowered his head and ate more.
He had just broken through to the Mingjin Realm and needed to nourish his body and stabilize his new realm. Since he had already accepted Liu Maolin's invitation, he wouldn't be polite about it.
As Yang Jing ate, he focused on the changes occurring in his body after consuming the bear meat.
The sense of power from the bear meat was incredibly distinct. His entire body felt as if it were soaking in warm water. Old, hidden injuries from his training began to ache faintly, as if they were being nourished and repaired.
The dishes on the table gradually disappeared, and the platter of bear meat was scraped clean. Most of it had gone into Yang Jing's stomach.
When he put down his chopsticks, he felt full of strength, and even his thoughts seemed much clearer.
"This beast meat... is truly incredible. It's so much more potent than meat from ordinary livestock," Yang Jing said with genuine feeling.
"The really good stuff is yet to come," Liu Maolin chuckled. "When your strength increases further, I'll treat you to something even more potent. The meat from a wild boar king, a tiger, or even a Spirit Fish from the depths of the great river... now that's the stuff that really packs a punch."
Yang Jing didn't reply, but he made a silent resolution in his heart.
He felt the coin pouch at his waist. It contained only a few dozen large coins, not even half a tael of silver—not enough to cover even a fraction of this meal.
He appreciated Liu Maolin's kindness, but he couldn't rely on others forever.
He had to find a way to earn money as soon as possible, not just to support himself, but also to afford this kind of beast meat that could aid his training.
He had a feeling that the properties of this beast meat would be of great benefit to his martial arts, significantly shortening the time it would take him to master the initial stage of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
And with his panel, once he perfected the initial stage of the Mountain-Shattering Fist, he would naturally break through the bottleneck and reach the Dark Energy Realm.
The Dark Energy Realm was the current level of First Senior Brother Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and Liu Maolin. In the several decades since Sun's Martial Arts Hall was founded, very few disciples had ever reached this realm. Aside from the few who remained at the hall, there weren't many others.
Once a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall broke through to the Dark Energy Realm, they would become a Core Disciple of Hall Master Sun Yong. Not only would they no longer have to pay tutelage fees, but they could also live and eat at the Martial Arts Hall for free, without spending any silver coins.
Yang Jing had heard that the food for Core Disciples was excellent, and that Hall Master Sun Yong would even occasionally bestow precious medicines and high-quality beast meat upon them.
If the gap between an official disciple and a Registered Disciple was huge, then the difference between an official disciple and a Core Disciple was like heaven and earth.