"Sixth stance, Spiritual Ape Returns to the Cave!"
Su Yu pressed his hands down and let out a long, turbid breath. The breath shot out like an arrow, kicking up a circle of dust from the ground.
[Skill Level +1]
[Martial Arts]: White Ape's Six Changes (entry-level 50/800)
'With the Herbal Decoction, my progress is getting faster and faster!'
'It was a bit expensive, costing me four taels of silver all at once, but now I don't have to worry about this month's supply of Herbal Decoction.'
'No matter how I look at it, this investment was worth it.'
"Su Yu, not bad."
Xu Feng walked over with his hands behind his back, a hint of approval on his face. "Your Pile Skill is getting more and more solid. It looks like you've been working hard these past few days."
In truth, he felt it was quite a pity.
This young man, Su Yu, had a calm and steady temperament, neither arrogant nor rash. His comprehension was top-notch in the Outer Courtyard. It was just a shame... his constitution was truly too poor. Breaking through to the next realm would likely still be very difficult.
He turned and walked toward Wang Hu, who was standing nearby. Seeing him finish his practice, Xu Feng barked, "Angry Ape Hanging Rock requires a burst of fury! You must imagine yourself as a ferocious beast cornered! Martial Arts are three parts viciousness; without that viciousness, you can't harm anyone!"
Wang Hu nodded dumbly, but he just couldn't muster that kind of aura.
Xu Feng sighed. 'This kid has a good constitution, and his father, Blacksmith Wang, supports him. It's a pity his personality is too soft.'
'Still, breaking through the Qi and Blood gate shouldn't be a problem for him. He even has a decent chance of becoming a true Martial Artist.'
Xu Feng continued walking, finally stopping in front of Ma Fei.
Ma Fei was practicing with extreme ferocity. His eyes held a vicious gleam, which on closer inspection, was even tinged with resentment.
Xu Feng watched for a moment, neither nodding nor shaking his head, before turning to leave with an indifferent expression.
'His constitution is passable, but his temperament is too extreme, and he has no access to resources like the Herbal Decoction. This one's... path is already at an end.'
Watching Xu Feng's departing back, the fawning smile on Ma Fei's face froze instantly. His fingernails dug deep into his palms.
...
The next day, Su Yu continued to practice in the Outer Courtyard. Now that he had the Herbal Decoction, he threw himself into his training with all his heart and soul.
[Skill Level +1]
[Skill Level +1]
Now, he gained Skill Level every few times he practiced the White Ape's Six Changes. Watching the numbers on his panel slowly rise and feeling his Qi and Blood strengthen little by little was incredibly exciting.
"Su Yu, hold on a moment."
Xu Feng walked over, leading a young man in simple cloth robes. "This is a new apprentice, Chen Fan. Demonstrate the Pile Skill for him."
Su Yu relaxed his stance and sized him up.
The young man was about the same age, with clean-cut features. Though his clothes were patched, his back was ramrod straight, and his eyes were clear, revealing a tenacious spirit.
"Yes, Senior Brother Xu."
Without wasting words, Su Yu formed a hand seal and began to move.
He performed the set of White Ape's Six Changes with the grace of flowing water, the sounds of his bones and sinews popping in unison.
Xu Feng nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Chen Fan. "Did you see that clearly?"
"Thank you for the demonstration, Senior Brother Su. I saw it clearly," Chen Fan said with a respectful bow, then immediately assumed a stance.
His movements were a bit stiff at first, but by the third stance, he was already starting to get the hang of it.
Xu Feng nodded, pleased. "Not bad! A promising seedling. For now, you can practice with Su Yu. We'll have the master formally inspect your bones when he returns."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Xu! Thank you, Senior Brother Su!" Chen Fan was extremely humble, his etiquette impeccable. It was impossible to find any fault with him.
After Senior Brother Xu left, Su Yu went back to his own Pile Skill practice, occasionally giving Chen Fan a pointer. Time trickled by.
By evening, only a few people were left in the courtyard.
Wang Hu came over and said, "Brother Su, I'm heading back for the night."
Su Yu stopped his movements. Seeing that Chen Fan was still practicing alongside him, he said, "Chen Fan, it's your first day. You should head back for the night and get settled. Have Xiaohu show you to the living quarters."
"Alright, Senior Brother Su." Chen Fan gave Su Yu a serious bow, then clasped his fists in thanks to Wang Hu before leaving the Outer Courtyard.
After the two left, Su Yu continued practicing his Pile Skill until the moon was high in the sky.
He only stopped when he realized that after several repetitions, his Skill Level was no longer increasing.
'It seems that if my body is exhausted and my form is too sloppy, it's hard to increase my Skill Level.'
'But with the support of the Herbal Decoction, my body recovers quickly. An extra two hours of training at night won't affect my practice tomorrow.'
'I'll stick to this rhythm from now on.'
...
"Su Yu, Ma Fei, Wang Hu, Chen Fan! Your room is on chore duty this week!"
"Go with Aunt Liu to the Inner Courtyard to carry the Herbal Decoction!"
Aunt Liu's booming voice shattered the morning calm.
The four of them quickly followed, passing through the Moon Gate and into the Inner Courtyard.
Along the way, Su Yu and the others looked curiously toward the Inner Courtyard's Martial Arts Arena.
The Inner Courtyard's Martial Arts Arena was vast, wide, and flat, not crowded like the one in the Outer Courtyard. The ground was paved with expensive Cyan Gang Stone.
A dozen or so Inner Courtyard Disciples were sparring. Their shouts were mixed with the heart-pounding sound of air being split.
"Hah!"
A fierce shout rang out.
Su Yu turned to look and saw Xu Feng, bare-chested, his muscles looking as if they were cast from molten iron. He dropped one shoulder and executed a White Ape Leaning on the Mountain, slamming violently into an Ironwood Stake as thick as a bowl.
KRAK!
A cringe-inducing crack echoed through the air.
The stake, as hard as iron, was snapped in two by the impact, sending splinters flying!
HISS!
The four of them sucked in a sharp breath, their scalps tingling with shock.
'Is this the power of a Martial Artist?'
'If that blow landed on a person, their bones would shatter and their organs would rupture in an instant!'
"Nice one! Old Xu, with that body of yours, you'll soon be a match for the old apes in the mountains!" Jiang Liuchuan, who was fanning himself with a feather fan nearby, teased with a relaxed smile.
While the boys were still in shock, a fiery red figure stormed into the courtyard like a whirlwind.
"Jiang Liuchuan! Slacking off again!"
The sharp cry was like the ringing of a silver bell, yet it carried a willful, unruly tone.
The newcomer was a young woman of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in fiery red. A wide black belt cinched her waist, accentuating its startling thinness. Above it, the snug fabric pressed against her full chest, revealing a modest cleavage.
Her features were striking, but her expression held an imposing arrogance.
It was none other than the hall master's daughter, Qin Yu.
"Well, well, if it isn't Junior Sister. You're back? Where's the old Master?" Jiang Liuchuan wasn't annoyed in the slightest. With a SNAP, he closed his feather fan and greeted her with a grin.
"Father took the Eldest Senior Brother to the Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall! I heard some supposed genius appeared over there, so Father went to knock them down a peg." Qin Yu replied casually, her gaze sweeping dismissively over Su Yu and the others.
"Morning, Aunt Liu."
"Ah, morning, Young Miss!"
As Qin Yu passed by the group, she paused slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Are these from the Outer Courtyard?"
Ma Fei's eyes lit up. He quickly took a step forward, a fawning smile on his face. "Senior Sister, my name is Ma Fei. I joined the hall over two months ago and have long admired…"
However, Qin Yu's gaze didn't linger on him for even half a second. It skipped right over him and landed on Wang Hu at the back.
"You're... Blacksmith Wang's son?"
Wang Hu froze for a second, then scratched his head. "Yeah, my dad's the blacksmith over on Furnace Alley."
Qin Yu nodded, her tone casual. "Mm, I've heard my father mention you. Why are you still in the Outer Courtyard? Come to the Inner Courtyard to train tomorrow. Have the senior brothers give you some pointers!"
Xu Feng walked over and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister, according to the rules, Master wanted Wang Hu to temper himself in the Outer Courtyard until he achieves his first breakthrough, then come to the Inner Courtyard."
When Qin Yu heard it was her father's arrangement, she didn't seem to care. She scoffed, "A place like the Outer Courtyard, mixing with a bunch of trash destined never to become Martial Artists—what kind of tempering can he get there? Don't waste any more time. Fine, it's settled."
With that, Qin Yu ignored everyone else and turned to leave.
The air instantly froze.
Wang Hu stood rooted to the spot, at a complete loss, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Su Yu's expression remained calm, his heart completely untroubled.
'This is reality! No matter where you go, there will always be gaps between people in resources and connections.'
He turned his head to the side.
Ma Fei was still frozen in his sycophantic pose, but his face had turned the color of a pig's liver. The fists hidden in his sleeves were clenched so tightly they audibly creaked, and the resentment in his eyes was practically overflowing.
As for the newcomer, Chen Fan, his head was still bowed and his eyes were downcast, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Xu Feng sighed internally. 'Junior Sister's personality is still too willful and ostentatious.'
'Some things can be done, but not said, especially not to someone's face.'
"Wang Hu, you stay. I'll explain the matters of the Inner Courtyard to you. Since Junior Sister Qin has spoken, you should come over tomorrow."
After speaking, he turned to the others. "The rest of you can return to the Outer Courtyard. Don't let this delay your training."