Minor Accomplishment of Manifest Strength!

"Dad, you're back."

Huo Yuanhong smiled as he carried the remaining half-pot of cabbage, pork, and glass noodles out of the kitchen. "I've got good news for you today. I've become a disciple under Divine Spear Li Shuxing. That's right, the number one man in Jin Gate!"

"Before, I was always lying to you. I know you've been playing along with me all this time, but this time it's real. Look, this is my identity plaque, and the living allowance I received..."

As he spoke, Huo Yuanhong pushed a large bag of silver dollars before his father, his face brimming with joy.

"You've become a disciple under Divine Spear Li Shuxing?"

Father Huo was slightly stunned at first, then understanding dawned on him.

Ahong was lying to him again...

The Sword Inquiry Martial Hall story must have become impossible to keep spinning. He must have heard somewhere that Hall Master Li of the Divine Spear Martial Hall had recently taken in a direct disciple, so he had made up a new story.

"...Good! I knew Ahong was a genius! To think Hall Master Li would even poach someone else's disciple to take you in!"

Father Huo played along readily. After all these years of acting, he slipped into character in no time. He took the identity plaque and examined it for a few moments, first showing the awkwardness of having his previous act exposed, then surprise, relief, and emotion...

He secretly thought:

This identity plaque really looks convincing. The material is pretty good too...

And where did these silver dollars come from? Could Ahong have pawned the jade bracelet?

"Dad, you won't have to pull rickshaws anymore. With my hundred-dollar monthly living allowance, we can have meat at every meal. We won't have to eat crabs anymore either..."

Huo Yuanhong smiled and forcibly stuffed thirty silver dollars into his father's hand, keeping seven for himself as backup.

"No, no, there's no need. Dad doesn't need this much money."

Father Huo refused repeatedly, but ultimately could not overcome Huo Yuanhong's insistence and could only accept the thirty silver dollars uneasily.

"Forget it. I'll treat it as saving up some bride price for Ahong, so he doesn't squander it all..."

Father Huo thought.

That night, the Huo Family finally did not have to eat free crabs. A huge bowl of pork, cabbage, and glass noodles steamed warmly, fragrant and delicious.

Though he had already eaten, Huo Yuanhong still kept his father company for a while.

After dinner, once he felt he had digested enough, he entered the Practice Room once more.

"Again."

Huo Yuanhong hefted the Great Spear. His arms were sore, as were his waist, back, legs, and feet. He desperately wanted to put down the Great Spear, lie flat, and sleep comfortably for the night.

But...

"My current strength isn't enough to kill Gentleman Sword. What right do I have to rest!"

Thinking back on the oppression Gentleman Sword had brought him over the past decade, a fierce malice surged from within him.

Intense emotions could stir a person's potential!

At that moment, Huo Yuanhong forgot the soreness in his body. He stared fixedly at the center point of the sheet of rice paper extending from the spear tip, Tremor Stomp, twist of the waist, explosion!

"Hah!"

Air burst from his nostrils as the Great Spear in his hands stabbed forth savagely, propelled by the force of his feet, legs, waist, and arms twisting into a single cord!

The rice paper before him seemed to become Gentleman Sword's back. The suppression of the past ten years poured into the Great Spear, erupting like a volcano and spilling forth!

He could endure others being born high above him beneath the shelter of their ancestors, but he could not endure those people closing and locking shut the very gate that latercomers like him chased after while standing high above them!

"Rip! Rip!"

The spear tip pierced the rice paper again. This time, not only was the outermost sheet free of extra damage, but the second sheet had only a neat spear hole as well.

Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 228/600)

"Almost! Almost! Minor Accomplishment is just around the corner!"

Being able to clearly observe himself growing stronger filled Huo Yuanhong with fighting spirit. After savoring the feeling of that thrust, he continued to level his spear and stab!

"Rip! Rip!"

"Rip! Rip!"

"Rip! Rip!"

The spear tip whistled. Sweat slid down the leather wrapping around the shaft, and the thick stack of rice paper in the box steadily shrank.

He did not know how long he trained. Only when his mind was exhausted to its limit did Huo Yuanhong clutch the Great Spear and fall into a heavy sleep.

The next morning.

Before the first ray of sunlight shone in, Huo Yuanhong was already awake.

The instant he opened his eyes, his body instinctively sprang up and assumed the stance for holding the spear.

"Right, where did I get to yesterday?"

Huo Yuanhong glanced at the transparent panel.

Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 237/600)

That session after dinner had added another ten points of progress.

"It should be soon. I reckon when the progress reaches forty percent, which is 240/600, it'll be about time for Minor Accomplishment!"

With a clear goal, Huo Yuanhong swallowed a mouthful of medicinal paste and resumed training.

After a night's sleep, the exhaustion in his mind had nearly been swept clean, and his movements became even smoother and more natural.

Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 238/600)

Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 239/600)

The rising sun leaped from the east, spilling light throughout the room. Facing the newborn Dawn, Huo Yuanhong thrust out his spear!

"Rip! Rip! Rip!"

The three soft sounds nearly blended into one, followed only afterward by a faint tearing noise.

He walked over and removed the hanging sheets of rice paper one by one for inspection.

The outer three sheets each had only a neat hole, nearly identical to the others, as though someone had measured them with a ruler before carefully carving them out. There was no tearing from force spilling outward.

Three layers without tearing!

Minor Accomplishment!

Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 240/600)

Huo Yuanhong put away the Great Spear and walked out of the Practice Room, only to discover that his father had already gone out.

Earlier than usual. He did not know what his father had gone to do.

"It's getting late. I should head to the Martial Arts Hall too. I wonder whether reaching Minor Accomplishment in this basic Training Method will satisfy Master..."

"Master, you don't think our junior brother's state of mind will collapse, do you?"

"Not likely. How could a disciple of mine, Li Shuxing, be so fragile? At most, he'll suffer a little blow. He won't be flattened beyond recovery."

"That's true. It's only been one afternoon. Even if he couldn't find the door, it probably hasn't reached the point where he doubts his entire life..."

"Have a little faith. How do you know your junior brother truly can't find the door?"

Li Shuxing smiled as he got out of the car. Turning the walnut in his hand as he walked, he leisurely followed the path he had traveled thousands upon thousands of times toward yesterday's Training Room.

His fifth disciple, Fang Yu, followed behind him, looking both worried and helpless.

Before long, the two arrived outside the Training Room.

The moment he pushed open the door and entered, Li Shuxing immediately caught the somewhat solemn expression on Huo Yuanhong's face.

It seemed he was weighed down because he had failed to find the door.

"Even so, he can keep his expression steady. His temperament is not bad."

Li Shuxing nodded to himself.

Then he put on a kindly expression and asked warmly, "How did your training go yesterday?"

"Master."

Huo Yuanhong hurriedly bowed. "It is truly shameful to say this, but I was too tired last night. This disciple actually fell asleep while training. I really should not have..."

"It's fine. Young people are naturally fond of sleep. Tell me first how your training went, in detail."

Upon hearing Huo Yuanhong say that, Li Shuxing roughly understood.

Though he had not found the door, he was diligent. He had continued to study and train hard after returning home that night.

Not bad!

Li Shuxing was quite satisfied with this disciple.

His talent was decent, and he was willing to put in hard work.

"It was only passable. Near dusk yesterday, I had only just managed to thrust out water ripples. Then, around the time night had just fallen..."

"It's normal not to get anywhere at first. Back when I was your age, I also... Hm? What did you say???"

The words of comfort had barely reached Li Shuxing's lips when he suddenly felt something was off.

Just now...

What had this young disciple of his...

said?

Near dusk... he had only just thrust out water ripples???

The walnut in Li Shuxing's hand behind his back cracked as his uncontrolled Internal Force squeezed a fissure into it.

In less than one afternoon, he had reached Entering the Hall. That talent...

was actually even better than Li Shuxing's had been back then!

"Master, what's wrong?" Huo Yuanhong asked, raising his head in confusion.

"Nothing. Go on. What happened after that?"

Li Shuxing wore a benevolent smile and gestured for him to continue.

"Then, around the time night had just fallen, I was in pretty good form and managed to keep the outermost sheet from tearing..."

The outermost sheet did not tear...

Li Shuxing raised his face expressionlessly and stared at the ceiling.

The walnut in the hand behind his back was already covered in cracks.

Back then, it had taken him another two days under his master's careful guidance to reach that level.

But this disciple before him...

had trained for a while before dinner and broken through...

This...

was only considered being in pretty good form?!

"Show me."

Li Shuxing said.

He still found it hard to believe that someone could keep the outermost sheet from tearing so quickly. He had to confirm it with his own eyes.

"Alright."

Huo Yuanhong answered, lifted the spear, adjusted his breathing, then kicked off the ground, twisted his waist, and thrust forward by feel.

"Rip! Rip! Rip!"

The spear tip passed smoothly through the first three layers of rice paper, without any damage caused by force spilling outward.

"While training at night, I accidentally fell asleep. I slept until dawn, then trained for a while before daylight. Only then did I finally, barely reach Minor Accomplishment..."

Huo Yuanhong withdrew his spear and spoke with embarrassment.

Crack!

The overburdened walnut finally exploded beneath the expressionless Li Shuxing's crushing Internal Force!