Successive Breakthroughs!

On the way back.

Li Shan wore a strange expression, looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. In the end, he could not help asking:

"Strange. Why do I feel that Sister Sun became much more polite and distant today? She was not like this before, was she?"

"For maids and Laborers, becoming martial artists is no different from ascending to heaven in a single step. Once a person's state of mind changes, the way they treat others naturally changes too. It is nothing strange." Xu Yuan remained very calm about it.

After all, the three of them did not actually share much friendship. They had merely practiced martial arts in the same courtyard.

Now, there was only a little face left between them.

But if the two of them ultimately failed to become martial artists, that bit of friendship would eventually fade away as well.

"No way. Sister Sun does not seem like that sort of person." Li Shan looked doubtful.

Xu Yuan shook his head and did not mention her again. "What matters most for us now is practicing martial arts. There are only a dozen or so days left."

At this, Li Shan perked up and said excitedly:

"I feel like that bottleneck is about to be worn away. It should happen within the next three days."

"Brother Li is still impressive."

"What about you, Brother Xu?"

"I reckon I am still a little short." Xu Yuan smiled and glanced at the System Panel in his mind.

[Skill: Tai Chi Exercise (Major Accomplishment 1%) Stone Platform Stance Practice (Beginner 83%)]

[Potential: 5 (somewhat extraordinary)]

Ever since his potential improved, he had temporarily set aside the Tai Chi Exercise.

Even though his efficiency in practicing the stance had risen considerably, he still could not be considered a particularly gifted person.

After resolving his old problems, new obstacles would likewise emerge.

With time so pressing, Xu Yuan could only focus on the stance practice first.

"Fortunately, I have already touched the bottleneck." At that thought, his gaze flickered.

Another two days passed.

At the center of the rear courtyard, when the hour of the Snake arrived.

As Feng Xiao strode over with tiger steps, Li Shan nodded to Xu Yuan, stepped forward, and cupped his hands. "Master Feng, I broke through."

As he spoke, he picked up a wooden board and left a clear palm print on it.

"Excellent! In less than three days, there is another martial artist."

Every additional martial artist meant half a tael of silver in hand. Even Feng Xiao, who usually wore a cold expression, could not help smiling as he raised a hand and patted Li Shan on the shoulder.

Wang Huan and Sun Rong had broken through a few days ago, and now Li Shan had done the same. The Laborers in the courtyard were greatly stirred up, yet the excitement did not end there.

Very soon, several other outer courtyards also reported breakthroughs.

Four official martial artists emerged in one day!

At that moment, the Laborers felt their blood and qi surging through their whole bodies. They wished they could squeeze every inch of time dry for martial arts practice!

Even Xu Yuan could not help breathing heavily, feeling somewhat restless. Only after taking several deep breaths did he calm down.

Forty-eight days had passed so far, yet eighty percent of them were still going in circles while searching for their blood and qi.

Among them, a scattered few had barely touched their bottlenecks, but whether they could break through in the final twelve days did not look optimistic.

Several others had already given up practicing martial arts. To avoid being dragged off to work by Fatty Wang, they were now putting on a show of practicing their stances.

After hearing the news, the envy in their eyes nearly became tangible, and they bitterly hated themselves for choosing to give up back then!

Yet after their envy faded, these people quickly slackened again. Their stance practice remained unfinished, and they often made mistakes at work. Clearly, neither path would lead anywhere for them.

After saying this, Li Shan returned to the dormitory to pack his things and waited for Xu Yuan along the way.

At lunchtime, the Laborers held their bowls of food and watched eagerly as Li Shan, looking neat and tidy, walked out of the room. Their expressions were complicated.

The Laborers in the same dormitory, wanting to leave a good impression, repeatedly congratulated him despite their envy.

Liu Hong's face tightened, but he too stiffly offered a word of congratulations.

Even Tian Yang said sourly, "Li Shan, I did not expect you to get ahead of me. But do not worry. With my potential, I will catch up very soon!"

This differed from Wang Huan and Sun Rong's breakthroughs.

When someone from the same dormitory succeeded overnight and changed his fate, the impact on them was the greatest!

Chen Sanli from the neighboring dormitory also shamelessly came over. It was as though the fellow had forgotten all about his previous distancing, ignoring the strange and disdainful looks from the others.

He walked over smiling, offering congratulations one after another. Li Shan, who had been rather dissatisfied with his recent coldness and distance, quickly put aside his grievance and responded with a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Shan bid farewell to the people from his former dormitory, then carried his luggage with Xu Yuan to the courtyard gate.

Patting Xu Yuan on the shoulder, he smiled. "Brother Xu, there is no need to see me off. I believe you will become an official martial artist soon as well. Keep it up! I will wait for you over there."

"Then I will accept Brother Li's auspicious words."

Xu Yuan smiled in reply and waved him off.

At the sight, some people in the courtyard said nothing, but mockery showed plainly on their faces.

The three of them had entered the field on the first day. Had their little clique not always clung together tightly?

No one could squeeze in even with money.

But what use had it been?

Now only Xu Yuan remained. Looking at how quiet and unremarkable he was, and with the month nearly over, he had probably not even found his blood and qi yet. He was practically destined to have nothing to do with becoming an official martial artist.

Naturally, Xu Yuan ignored the reactions of those around him. He went to the densely stacked pile of firewood and calmly, steadily split one piece of deadwood after another.

The day's stimulation had been too great.

Many Laborers were extremely anxious. They wanted to ascend to heaven in a single step, yet feared being punished by the servants.

Thus, the practice of seizing every crack of time to train once again arose in the outer courtyards.

Fatty Wang and the others worried that work would be delayed, but they could not forbid the Laborers from practicing martial arts either.

So before long, they slightly reduced the miscellaneous chores and "with great difficulty" squeezed out half an hour for the Laborers to practice martial arts.

However, some Laborers felt it was not enough and turned a deaf ear, continuing to practice their stances while working.

Seeing that only a few thorns remained, the servants stopped their meals without another word.

They did not persist for even two days before everyone behaved themselves.

Driven by the press of time, the Laborers grew ever more diligent.

Xu Yuan even noticed that Tian Yang no longer bragged and showed off so often, instead beginning to practice his stance with all his might. Clearly, Sun Rong and Li Shan's success had made him anxious as well.

After Li Shan moved to the new courtyard, he would occasionally come back to visit Xu Yuan and the other old acquaintances.

After becoming official martial artists, they were clearly much freer.

Xu Yuan asked why he was so idle.

Li Shan said they would not begin their intensive training until the month had completely ended, and before then, there was nothing to do.

Sun Rong, on the other hand, had gradually grown distant from the two of them after becoming a martial artist. Li Shan had gone to see her once, but they had only exchanged a few indifferent words before letting the matter drop.

Li Shan was rather angry about it, saying he had misjudged her.

Xu Yuan, however, felt neither joy nor sorrow and was not affected much.

Now that he came and went alone, he instead felt lighter and freer.

At dusk.

Xu Yuan practiced his stance in a corner. After several sets, sweat had soaked his clothes, which clung stickily to his body and made him feel uncomfortable.

Only then did he stop and look at the System Panel in his mind.

[Skill: Tai Chi Exercise (Major Accomplishment 1%) Stone Platform Stance Practice (Beginner 93%)]

[Potential: 5 (somewhat extraordinary)]

"It is almost there. I will stop here for today."

Xu Yuan had long since touched that barrier-like bottleneck, but now he could only rely on his blood and qi to slowly grind it down.

As night deepened, he slowly straightened his waist and back, revealing firm, full muscle lines. Compared to when he had first begun practicing martial arts, his shoulders had broadened by nearly half a foot.

He then swiftly removed his clothes and fetched water to scrub them beside the wall.

Blood and qi now circulated through his body. Even in the depths of winter, though he still felt a trace of chill, it was no longer as icy and bone-piercing as before.

After washing his clothes, Xu Yuan hung them on a pole beside him and pushed the door open to enter.

The moment he entered the dormitory, he heard Tian Yang talking grandly. "Hehe, Li Shan was only slightly faster than me because he got lucky. Yet he keeps coming back here to flaunt it. He is simply so pleased with himself that he has forgotten his own name!"

"Fortunately, there is only the tiniest bit left of my bottleneck. I will break through to become a martial artist very soon, probably within two or three days."

Unlike their former flattery and eager welcome, the smiles on the Laborers' faces were now somewhat forced. Several martial artists had appeared in succession, and now they had to listen to Tian Yang show off again...

The intense resentment and jealousy gnawed at them like poison gone mad!

The fact that they did not curse aloud on the spot meant they still retained a sliver of reason.

Liu Hong stood nearby with a stiff smile on his face. His meaningful eyes flickered between light and shadow beneath the swaying candlelight.

Xu Yuan secretly shook his head at the sight.

Was it not enough to know the progress of one's own realm? Tian Yang had to announce it everywhere and viciously provoke everyone else.

Xu Yuan knew exactly how terrifying such emotions could be. When rage rushed to someone's head, there was nothing they might not do.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of the story Sun Rong had told.

That little maid had possessed great talent, with one foot already stepping into the ranks of martial artists, but because she was too high-profile, tragedy ultimately occurred.

At that thought, Xu Yuan no longer paid attention to the others. After extinguishing the lamp, he went to sleep deeply by himself.