Fierce Beast Meat

Sun Yong nodded, then turned and headed into the inner courtyard.

Nearby, Lin Yue glanced at Yang Jing, his face expressionless, as though Yang Jing's breakthrough to bright strength had been nothing more than a trivial matter.

His talent was exceptional. He had broken through to bright strength not long after joining the school, and now he was close to touching the threshold of hidden strength. He had great confidence in himself and felt certain he could make that breakthrough.

In his eyes, someone with mediocre root bone like Yang Jing had already reached his limit by succeeding in a breakthrough attempt through sheer luck. Yang Jing would probably remain trapped at bright strength for the rest of his life. They were on entirely different levels, so naturally, he gave Yang Jing little regard.

Yang Jing paid this no mind. He calmly withdrew his gaze, his own certainty settled firmly in his heart.

The existence of the System Panel had kept him from ever doubting the road ahead.

Bright strength was merely the starting point. He was confident he could reach hidden strength, transforming strength, and even higher realms.

"Junior Brother, congratulations!"

Just then, a hearty voice rang out.

Liu Maolin strode over, undisguised delight on his face, and gave Yang Jing's shoulder several heavy pats. "I told you you could do it! Not many people can match that tenacity of yours!"

Yang Jing swayed under the blows, but he smiled too, the relief in his eyes plain to see. "It was all thanks to your guidance these past few days, Fourth Senior Brother. Otherwise, it might not have gone so smoothly."

He truly felt much more at ease.

Now that he was a formal disciple, most of his tuition fees at the martial arts hall could be waived, saving him a considerable expense.

More importantly, he was now qualified to take on outside appointments.

He could lead the household guards for a prominent lineage, escort goods for a shop, or help an escort agency with its runs.

These appointments paid well. After all, they were hiring a bright strength expert. The earnings would be enough to support his martial training, and he would no longer need to ask his family for money.

Liu Maolin smiled, stepped back twice, and took a sparring stance. "Come on, Junior Brother. Let me see how well you've mastered your bright strength."

Yang Jing's heart stirred at the sight. Knowing that Fourth Senior Brother wanted to help him familiarize himself with bright strength more quickly, he felt deeply grateful. Without hesitation, he loosened his wrists, lowered his waist, and planted his feet.

Several disciples practicing their punches nearby stopped and gathered around, curiosity in their eyes.

"Fourth Senior Brother, forgive my clumsy display." No sooner had Yang Jing spoken than he threw the first punch. The rush of his fist carried his newly attained bright strength, considerably heavier than before.

Liu Maolin raised an arm to block. Their arms collided with a soft thump.

"Not bad! That strength is solid!"

Liu Maolin offered a word of praise, turned his wrist to redirect Yang Jing's force, then pushed back with the same hand.

Yang Jing used that force to retreat half a step and adjust his stance. When he punched again, he deliberately focused on the sensation of bright strength flowing through his body. His movements gained a fluidity they had never possessed before.

The surrounding disciples watched intently, occasionally murmuring their admiration.

They exchanged more than a dozen moves. Liu Maolin held back throughout, yet helped Yang Jing perceive the changes brought by his breakthrough with increasing clarity.

With bright strength behind them, the very same moves had doubled in power.

As he drew back from the final move, sweat had appeared at Yang Jing's temples, but his mind felt wonderfully clear.

Liu Maolin smiled and patted his arm. "Impressive, Junior Brother. You've only just broken through, but you're already using bright strength quite well. Your foundation is truly solid! Hahaha!"

"You flatter me, Senior Brother." Yang Jing loosened his arms and shoulders, feeling the lingering pulses of force in his arms.

Liu Maolin smiled. "Your breakthrough to bright strength is wonderful news for both you and the school. It deserves a proper celebration."

He looked toward the entrance and said with a smile, "The meat braised in sauce at Jufou Restaurant in Chonghua District, west of the city, is the real deal. My treat. Let's go feast!"

At that, Yang Jing instinctively wanted to wave off the invitation.

Liu Maolin had invited him twice before, and both times he had declined, saying he was short of money or afraid it would interfere with his training.

He did not want to owe someone a favor for nothing. Accepting a meal felt like taking advantage, even though he and Liu Maolin were close.

But seeing the sincere smile in Liu Maolin's eyes, he recalled all the guidance the man had given him over the past six months, from the finer points of his moves to the crucial mechanics of exerting force, holding nothing back. The refusal reached his lips, yet he could not bring himself to say it.

Besides, the joy of his breakthrough was surging through him, and he truly wanted someone to share it with.

He scratched his head, a rare, relaxed smile appearing on his face. "Then thank you, Fourth Senior Brother. But next time, I'll definitely return the favor."

"Why stand on ceremony with me?" Liu Maolin laughed heartily and pulled him toward the exit. "Come on. If we get there late, we might have to wait for a table."

Pulled along by him, Yang Jing walked with light steps. The slight awkwardness he had felt over accepting the invitation had long since been washed away by the joy of his breakthrough and the warmth between fellow disciples.

Chonghua District, Jufou Restaurant.

The restaurant seethed with voices. Liu Maolin led Yang Jing to a private seating area upstairs with practiced ease. Despite Yang Jing's efforts to stop him, he still ordered so many dishes that Yang Jing's heart gave a faint twinge.

As dish after dish arrived, the table filled to overflowing.

A plate of red-braised fish gleamed with oil, stir-fried seasonal greens looked vividly fresh, and a bowl of chicken soup, simmered until the meat was tender, sent up fragrant curls of steam.

But the most eye-catching dish was the plate in the middle: a full two jin of sauce-braised bear meat, cut into thick chunks, coated in rich sauce, and giving off a wild, meaty aroma.

"Junior Brother, try it. This bear meat is good even among fierce beast meat. It's far more nourishing than ordinary meat. Didn't the waiter just say a hunter delivered it fresh?"

Smiling, Liu Maolin handed Yang Jing a fresh pair of chopsticks, then picked up a piece of fish for himself. "I often come here with my family's elders. Bear meat is Jufou Restaurant's specialty. Eat plenty and properly stabilize the realm you've just reached. Don't hold back."

Yang Jing looked at the plate of bear meat before him, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He knew how expensive it was. Ordinary households could not afford it at all. Only someone with a family background like Liu Maolin's could eat it regularly.

He picked up a piece of bear meat. It was soft and tender in his mouth, with the richness of the sauce and the meat's own fresh sweetness. Shortly after he swallowed, a warm current rose from his dantian and spread throughout his body. It was far more nourishing than the horse meat and beef he usually ate.

"Well? Much better than the rough cuts you usually eat, isn't it?" Liu Maolin took a sip of soup and looked at Yang Jing.

"Yes, it really is astonishingly nourishing. Thank you, Senior Brother." Yang Jing nodded and picked up another piece.

He could feel that the blood and qi within the bear meat were several times stronger than in ordinary meat. It truly was deeply nourishing for a martial artist.

Had he eaten this sort of fierce beast meat from the beginning, he would probably have broken through to bright strength long ago.

Liu Maolin watched Yang Jing eat with relish, but rarely touched the bear meat himself. Most of the time, he took vegetables and fish. Occasionally, he picked up a piece of bear meat, but only for a small taste.

"I've eaten this stuff since I was little. I'm tired of it already. You should eat more. Look how thin you are-you need building up."

Liu Maolin spoke casually, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

The corner of Yang Jing's mouth twitched. Though he was not fat, his body was lean, tall, and powerfully built, covered in muscle. How could he possibly be called thin? Still, after looking up at Liu Maolin's frame, a full size broader than his own, he offered no rebuttal.

In truth, he understood. Fourth Senior Brother knew his family was strapped for money and was deliberately helping him this way, easing his discomfort so he would eat more bear meat.

Yang Jing offered no polite pleasantries. He simply lowered his head and ate.

He had just broken through to bright strength today. This was precisely when he needed nourishment to strengthen his body and stabilize his realm. Since he had accepted Liu Maolin's invitation, he would not stand on ceremony.

As he ate, Yang Jing felt the changes that came after the bear meat entered his body.

The strength it brought was unmistakable. Every limb and bone felt as though it had been soaked in warm water. Even the hidden injuries left by his boxing practice ached faintly, as though they were being nourished and repaired.

The dishes on the table gradually dwindled, and the plate of bear meat was emptied, most of it having gone into Yang Jing's stomach.

When he put down his chopsticks, he felt strength filling his entire body. Even his thoughts had become considerably clearer.

"This fierce beast meat really is remarkable. It's far better than ordinary livestock meat," Yang Jing said with heartfelt feeling.

"The truly remarkable stuff is still to come." Liu Maolin smiled. "Once you grow stronger, I'll treat you to something even more potent: Wild Boar Kings from the mountains, tigers, even spirit fish from the depths of great rivers. Now that meat really packs a punch."

Yang Jing said nothing, but inwardly made up his mind.

He felt the money pouch at his waist. It held 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 could not keep relying on others.

He had to find a way to earn money as soon as possible, not only to support himself, but also to afford fierce beast meat that could aid his training.

He could faintly sense that the benefits contained in this fierce beast meat would be a tremendous help to his martial training, greatly shortening the time he needed to push his Mountain Collapse Fist to the limit of minor achievement.

And with the System Panel, once he pushed his Mountain Collapse Fist to the limit of minor achievement, he could naturally break through the bottleneck and reach hidden strength.

Hidden strength was also the current realm of Senior Brother Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and Liu Maolin. In the several decades since the Sun Clan Martial Arts School had been founded, very few disciples had reached this realm. Aside from these few who remained at the school, there were not many others.

Once a disciple broke through to hidden strength, they became a core disciple of the school's master, Sun Yong. Not only would they no longer need to pay tuition, but they could also live and eat at the school without spending any money.

Yang Jing had heard that the core disciples ate quite well. The school's master, Sun Yong, would even occasionally bestow treasure medicine and premium beast meat upon them.

If the gap between formal disciples and nominal disciples was enormous, then the difference between formal disciples and core disciples was as vast as heaven and earth.