0002: Grade A Lower

There were four martial arts schools in the Outer City.

Each had a Martial Master in residence, taking money and teaching martial arts to disciples.

Compared to the gangs and other forces in the Outer City, martial arts schools were relatively easier to approach.

The heads of the martial arts schools were all powerful Martial Masters. It was said that they had already reached the Muscle Tendon Realm.

The martial path was divided into Blood Tempering, Muscle Tendon, Bone Forging, Rebirth, Spirit Condensation, and so on.

The Blood Tempering Realm was further divided into nine Heavens, with the amount of Qi and Blood in each Heaven being twice that of the previous one.

Depending on one's Bone Structure, one could cultivate anywhere from the Sixth to the Ninth Heaven.

The Sixth Heaven was the minimum standard for entering the Muscle Tendon Realm.

In the Muscle Tendon Realm, one's tendons and meridians were strengthened under the nourishment of abundant Qi and Blood, giving birth to Internal Energy. The specifics of the realm would not be discussed for now.

It was difficult for ordinary people to cultivate even to the First Heaven of the Blood Tempering Realm, because the Qi and Blood of the First Heaven had to be twice that of an ordinary person.

Without sufficient Bone Structure, there was simply no way to begin cultivating martial arts.

That was why Lu Changfeng's first copy had to be used on Bone Structure.

The Outer City's four major martial arts schools were the Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School, Dragon Walk Martial Arts School, Changfeng Martial Arts School, and Changle Martial Arts School.

Lu Changfeng made some inquiries on the streets.

He learned that among the four major martial arts schools, Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School had the best business, with more than two or three hundred disciples.

Dragon Walk Martial Arts School and Changfeng Martial Arts School were roughly on par, each with around one hundred and fifty disciples.

Perhaps because its Head of the Martial Arts School was old, Changle Martial Arts School had the fewest disciples, less than a hundred.

Some were already predicting that the Outer City's four major martial arts schools would soon become three.

After some thought, Lu Changfeng decided to try his luck at Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School first.

Lu Changfeng quickly arrived before the grounds of Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School.

"Without a Discipleship Fee, I'll have to find a way inside. And I'll need to find someone with high Bone Structure and figure out how to touch him."

That was rather difficult. Without paying the Discipleship Fee, outsiders probably could not even enter through the gates.

Lu Changfeng quickly came up with a plan.

He still had three copper coins on him. Lu Changfeng found a bookstore, bought a sheet of paper, and borrowed its brush, ink, and desk.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Changfeng sent his brush flying like dragon and cloud. Four bold characters leaped onto the paper!

They were the four characters: [Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School]!

Lu Changfeng came from a Scholarly Family and had practiced calligraphy since childhood. Coupled with having transmigrated here, his state of mind was anything but ordinary.

The four characters [Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School] were truly written quite well.

Lu Changfeng returned to the entrance of Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School and stood there.

Using the interface, he examined the Bone Structure and Talents of each disciple entering and leaving the martial arts school.

Most martial arts school disciples had Grade B Middle or lower Bone Structure.

A small number had worse Grade C Upper or Grade C Middle Bone Structure, while a few had better Grade B Upper Bone Structure.

Talents were exceedingly rare. Even among the two or three who had them, they were all low-grade.

Lu Changfeng analyzed that Bone Structure determined a person's martial path limit, while Talent likely determined the boost to one's combat strength.

Time trickled by, drop by drop.

A youth like Lu Changfeng lingering for no apparent reason not far from the martial arts school's gates gradually drew increasingly unfriendly looks from the Gatekeeper Disciple.

Just as Lu Changfeng decided to pick someone at random and go up to copy his Talent—

A figure wearing the disciple uniform of Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School hurried over, making Lu Changfeng's eyes light up!

Because the interface showed that this fellow was far from ordinary!

Name: ?? (Martial Arts School Disciple)

Bone Structure: Grade A Lower

Talent: None

The fellow walked extremely fast and was about to step through the gates.

Lu Changfeng did not dare miss this opportunity and shouted, "Handsome Young Hero, please wait!"

Perhaps the word "handsome" had done the trick. The youth stopped and turned around in confusion.

Lu Changfeng crossed the distance in two strides, holding the paper scroll out with both hands!

"Young Hero, I have admired Thunder Cloud Martial Arts School for a long time. This is a handwritten gift from me to the martial arts school!"

The Grade A Lower Bone Structure youth was slightly puzzled, but after Glanced at Lu Changfeng—who was good-looking enough, yet as thin and harmless as a sheet of paper—he still reached out and accepted the scroll.

As the youth took the scroll, Lu Changfeng did not do it deliberately, but his fingers still imperceptibly brushed lightly against the youth's palm.

"Copy?"

Copy his Bone Structure for me! Lu Changfeng shouted inwardly.

"Copy Success!"

A Warm Current came from some unknown place and instantly flowed through Lu Changfeng's body.

Lu Changfeng immediately felt that his senses had become clearer and his body lighter.

So this was what it felt like to have good Bone Structure? Without even practicing martial arts, there was already a qualitative difference from ordinary people.

"Your writing is good, but if you want to join the martial arts school, you still have to pay the Discipleship Fee," the youth said after opening the paper and taking a look.

Then, the youth casually tossed the paper to the Gatekeeper Disciple at the side. Without even looking at Lu Changfeng's expression, he stepped into the martial arts school.

The youth had misunderstood Lu Changfeng's true intentions.

But that was fine too.

Lu Changfeng cooperatively put on a disappointed expression.

Then he turned and left, heading toward Changle Martial Arts School.

At the other major martial arts schools, no matter how talented you were, you first had to pay the Discipleship Fee to enter. Once inside, if your Talent truly was outstanding, then your treatment would be another matter.

Lu Changfeng was penniless now. He had to rely on the Maid going out to work just to drink a little Thin Porridge.

Naturally, he could not scrape together such an expensive Discipleship Fee.

But Lu Changfeng still had one opportunity: the Changle Martial Arts School, which was Dying Out.

Rumor had it that Changle Martial Arts School had recently been recruiting disciples. If your Bone Structure and Talent were truly exceptional, you could become a disciple for free on the spot!

Of course, that was only a rumor that had spread.

It was said that so far, no one had managed to accomplish it, though it had indeed attracted quite a few Poor Disciples from the Outer City to test their Bone Structure and Talent.

My Grade A Bone Structure should be outstanding enough, right?

As Lu Changfeng pondered this, he had already arrived before the gates of Changle Martial Arts School.

After the bustle from the free discipleship recruitment some time ago, since no one had passed the test at all, Changle Martial Arts School's entrance had returned to being deserted.

The Gatekeeper Disciple there was also dozing off, looking as though spring fatigue had left him utterly drained.

Lu Changfeng stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Brother, I heard that if one's Bone Structure is good enough at Changle Martial Arts School, one can become a disciple for free?"

The Gatekeeper Disciple yawned, but did not mock him. "You want to test your Bone Structure, right? Come with me!"

The Gatekeeper Disciple led Lu Changfeng into the martial arts school.

The moment he stepped inside, a broad Training Ground filled his vision.

Several dozen disciples were practicing martial arts on the Training Ground, all training in Changle Martial Arts School's Introductory Martial Art, the Changle Palm Technique.

The Gatekeeper Disciple told Lu Changfeng to wait while he went into the Inner Hall to call someone. He himself could not test Bone Structure.

Lu Changfeng watched the Changle Martial Arts School disciples practice with interest, while also Glanced at their Bone Structure and Talents.

Changle Martial Arts School truly was on the verge of decline. Among the several dozen disciples, the best Bone Structure was only Grade B Upper.

But there was also one disciple with the Mid-grade Talent [Swordsmanship], causing Lu Changfeng to immediately fix his attention on him.

This was the first Mid-grade Talent Lu Changfeng had seen that day.

If not for this fellow's Grade D Middle Bone Structure being truly terrible, his Mid-grade [Swordsmanship] Talent probably would not have been buried like this.

As Lu Changfeng was pondering this, a figure walked over.

"I am Zhou Feng, the Second Senior Brother of Changle Martial Arts School."

"You're the one here for testing, right? Come over."

The middle-aged man, around thirty, had Lu Changfeng stand still before reaching out and running his hand down Lu Changfeng's spine from the Cervical Vertebra.

When he reached the Lumbar Vertebra, surprise appeared in the middle-aged man's eyes. "Could this be exceptional Bone Structure?"

This Bone Feeling Method was not entirely accurate either, so Zhou Feng grabbed Lu Changfeng and headed straight into the Inner Hall, arriving before an Elder who was seated at a Tea Table, sipping tea.