Golden Jade Art

With that, she said.

Chen Yao then grabbed Chen Mu and dragged him toward the Martial Arts Academy without giving him a chance to refuse.

Along the way, every martial artist who saw Chen Yao, regardless of age, rank, or status, smiled and saluted her. They also saluted Chen Mu.

Chen Mu knew Chen Yao's temperament. Though he helplessly shook his head inwardly, he still let her pull him along.

Soon.

The two of them arrived before a row of low houses at the innermost part of the Martial Arts Academy.

There was a reclining chair in front of the low houses. An old man with grizzled hair and beard was lying in it. Although he was already old and frail, the vital force contained within his body was still no weaker than that of a fifth rank!

The old man had once been an attendant of the Xuanguo Estate, a fourth rank non-human existence. However, he had never managed to glimpse the realm of a third rank grandmaster. After growing old, his vital force declined, and his realm fell to the fifth rank.

But the foundation of a fourth rank non-human still remained. Even with his age, declining vital force, and fallen realm, he was still far beyond an ordinary fifth rank. He was currently in charge of the entire Martial Arts Academy and held an extremely high position.

Among the fifth-rank vital forces Chen Mu had sensed while night roaming the Xuanguo Estate the day before, his had been one of them.

"Uncle Meng."

Chen Yao also did not dare to be careless. She restrained her beaming expression and obediently stepped forward to salute him.

Old Meng looked at Chen Yao with a kindly smile and said, "It's Little Yao. What bottleneck have you encountered this time?"

There were people in the Martial Arts Academy with better aptitude than Chen Yao, but among those who possessed the Xuanguo Duke's bloodline and were under twenty, only Chen Yao had the best aptitude. He was therefore very gentle with her.

Chen Yao giggled and returned to her true nature. "No, I came to find someone to spar with. I happened to run into Second Brother, so I wanted to find a suitable cultivation method for him."

"Mm."

Old Meng glanced at Chen Mu.

Although he was old, as a martial artist, he would not forget things he had committed to memory. He remembered that Chen Mu had come to the Martial Arts Academy to look for a cultivation method many years ago, but had given up before long.

"You're only thinking of practicing martial arts now? Forget it. Go on in."

Old Meng shook his head.

He remembered more than that. He also remembered that Chen Mu was Chen Wu's biological younger brother. Chen Wu's aptitude had indeed been exceptional back then, far stronger than Chen Yao's current aptitude. Because of that, he had even personally taken the field and painstakingly taught him.

Unfortunately, Chen Wu had suffered a tragic fate and died amid a demonic calamity.

As for Chen Mu, his younger brother, he was far inferior to Chen Wu.

Not only was his aptitude lacking, but his temperament and willpower were also worlds apart. He could not put in the effort to practice martial arts either. After observing him twice in secret, Old Meng had lost interest and stopped paying him much attention.

Chen Mu was now probably sixteen. Although he was still within the age for practicing martial arts, he had already passed the two optimal age stages—thirteen for boys and twelve for girls.

With the resources of the Xuanguo Estate, he would have no problem entering the ranks after a period of hard training. With enough effort, he could even reach the eighth rank in martial arts and have hopes of reaching the seventh.

But at most, he would stop there.

Above the seventh rank, one could no longer climb higher by piling up resources and hard training alone. Aptitude, talent, and even the timing and destiny of heaven were also required.

Chen Yao pulled Chen Mu into the low house.

She whispered, "Second Brother doesn't need to lose heart. As long as you're willing to practice patiently and work hard, with the Martial Arts Academy's resources, entering the Ninth Rank within a year won't be a problem. You can even reach the Eighth Rank before you turn twenty."

"If that happens, Second Brother won't be casually sent away. You'll be able to remain in the estate. If you reach the Seventh Rank after practicing more, Second Uncle will find you an official position—at least one like Chen Xing's."

"Mm."

Chen Mu quietly listened beside her and calmly answered with an "Mm."

Inside the low house were several rows of bookshelves.

The bookshelves held all sorts of cultivation methods.

The martial path led to the same destination by different routes. The beginner cultivation methods differed in quality, but that only affected how long it took to enter the ranks. Moreover, a better cultivation method was not necessarily more suitable for oneself. Compatibility was more important than quality.

All cultivation arts and methods only went as far as the Seventh Rank.

Once a martial artist reached the Sixth Rank, it was time to seek out their own path. Above the Sixth Rank, the concept of cultivation methods no longer existed. Everyone walked a different path belonging solely to themselves and had to open it up on their own.

No path could be replicated.

"Stand still first, Second Brother. Don't move."

Chen Yao had Chen Mu stand there, then extended her small hands and began patting and feeling over his body, exploring from top to bottom.

Chen Mu's body stiffened slightly. Fortunately, he had seen a great deal in life and could still remain composed.

"Hmm... So that's how it is."

After Chen Yao finished examining him, she showed a thoughtful expression. She then began rummaging through the rows of shelves, eventually finding two cultivation methods and placing them before Chen Mu.

The first was the Eight Desolations Primordial Essence Art.

The second was the Golden Jade Art.

"Second Brother, there's nothing unusual about your body. Your arm and leg lengths are within the normal range, and you don't have any special bones. Those messy methods for practicing punches and kicks aren't suitable for you. What suits you best is a method centered on vital force and practiced step by step. These two should be the most suitable."

As Chen Yao spoke, she pointed at the Eight Desolations Primordial Essence Art. "Chen Wu used to practice this one. It lets you enter the ranks a little faster, but you must maintain a pure body until reaching the Sixth Rank. Otherwise, your vital force will scatter and your realm will fall... I just tested it, and you can practice it."

"The Golden Jade Art lets you enter the ranks a little more slowly, but it's more stable and places greater emphasis on the strength of your physique. By the time you reach the Seventh Rank, you can cultivate golden skin and a jade-like bone structure. Ordinary blades and weapons won't be able to harm you in the slightest."

After hearing Chen Yao's words,

Chen Mu looked at the two cultivation arts in his hands and fell into brief thought.

He soon made his choice. Compared with the Eight Desolations Primordial Essence Art, the Golden Jade Art placed greater emphasis on physical strength and suited him better, because he had no need to improve his speed of entering the ranks at all.

The enhancement provided by a spellcaster's abilities before the Sixth Rank of martial arts far surpassed any method in this world!

Books recorded that some high-rank spellcasters, upon taking up martial arts, reached the Ninth Rank in one day, the Eighth Rank in three days, and the Seventh Rank in seven days... In merely a month, they reached the Sixth Rank!

Chen Mu was currently at the level of a Sixth Rank spellcaster. He could not yet be considered a "high-rank" spellcaster, but neither was he low-rank!

"I'll take this one."

Chen Mu opened the Golden Jade Art.

Chen Yao also stuck out her tongue. In truth, she too felt that the Golden Jade Art was more suitable. After all, the Eight Desolations Primordial Essence Art required one to maintain a pure body until reaching the Sixth Rank, while Chen Mu's Root Bone and aptitude were not particularly high. If he never reached the Sixth Rank in his lifetime, he would have to remain that way for life. That would be far too pitiful.

"Take it home and practice it, Second Brother. Everything placed here is a copied duplicate, so you can take it with you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask me."

"All right."

After flipping through it a few times, Chen Mu had in fact already memorized the entire contents. Still, he nodded lightly and walked out of the low house with the Golden Jade Art.

Old Meng, outside the door, merely glanced at him and Chen Yao before continuing to lounge leisurely in his reclining chair.

Chen Yao escorted Chen Mu all the way out of the Martial Arts Academy.

"I hope Second Brother can enter the ranks soon—within this year would be best."

"Don't give up halfway again this time."

Watching Chen Mu's departing back, Chen Yao murmured softly.

Chen Mu was sixteen. If he entered the Ninth Rank within the year, he would be a seventeen-year-old Ninth Rank martial artist. He would have hopes of reaching the Eighth Rank before turning twenty, but if he delayed any longer, he might not have enough time to reach the Eighth Rank before twenty.

A concubine-born son could remain in the Xuanguo Estate only if he reached the Eighth Rank before turning twenty. Otherwise, he would be sent away. There was nothing she could do to help with something like that; it could only depend on Chen Mu himself.