Innate Nine Apertures (Third Update—Seeking Monthly Votes and Continued Reading)

Of course, under Ji Xuantong, she was only the second senior sister.

Above her was the eldest senior sister.

She was Ji Xuantong's daughter, Ji Feiyan.

Ji Feiyan had middling innate talent. Having received her father's martial arts education and influence from a young age, she had not attended Pingjiang Affiliated Martial Arts School because of her father's connections.

Instead, she had gone straight to Dragon City University of Martial Arts Affiliated School. Now twenty years old, she was already a second-year student at Dragon City University of Martial Arts, with Eighth Stage cultivation—an enviable achievement. She would most likely be able to stay on after graduation, and her chances of becoming a Martial Artist were excellent.

Training grounds.

Lu Chenzhou stood tall as a pine, quietly regulating his breath.

He looked at the Proficiency rising on the Martial Dao Tree, feeling full and satisfied.

Shi Ruyu, meanwhile, marveled at how rapidly the young man had progressed.

"Your Tiger Form Fist attainment has already surpassed mine."

"You flatter me, Senior Sister. Ape Form is what you specialize in."

Shi Ruyu glanced around, then whispered into Lu Chenzhou's ear:

"For your Black Tiger Fist training, you can seek out the hall master. Be a little clever about it—he won't begrudge you some guidance." She meant that Lu Chenzhou should ask Ji Xuantong more questions whenever he had time. It was free, after all. Lu Chenzhou understood her meaning. "Thank you, Senior Sister."

"Head home early. Your mother will be worried about you."

"Mm-hmm."

Thus ended a full day of fulfilling martial arts training.

Words surfaced on the Martial Dao Tree.

Black Tiger Fist: Proficiency (65%)

During these three days of vacation, reaching 70% is a sure thing. By the end of January, I'll be able to enter the Mastery realm. Progress may slow after that, but reaching Minor Accomplishment before June won't be a problem. My next priority is the Dragon-Tiger Heaven Stance—condense the Zhongchong Acupoint as soon as possible.

Shihu Garden, Building 3, Unit 2802.

"Mom, I'm back."

"How was it? How well did Hall Master Ji teach?"

"It was great."

"As expected of a Martial Artist—he truly has the skills. Have you eaten?"

"I have. Oh, right, Mom, I've entered the Second Stage. My blood vitality is 1.46."

Lu Chenzhou remembered that he had yet to share this good news with his parents.

Li Xianghua stopped washing the dishes, stunned for a moment.

"Chenzhou? What did you say? You're Second Stage now?"

"Yeah."

Li Xianghua came out of the kitchen, unable to hide the joy on her face. Yet she was so excited that she did not know what to say. She merely looked at Lu Chenzhou without uttering a word.

Then, all at once, she began to cry.

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful."

Lu Chenzhou hurriedly hugged his mother.

"Mom, don't cry. This is a good thing."

"I know, I'm just too excited."

"Mom, I'm planning to take Pingjiang Martial University's special admissions exam this year."

"Good, go for it. A Wuda is definitely better than a regular university."

"Mm. Mom, I'm going to rest."

Li Xianghua watched her son walk into his bedroom and murmured to herself.

"If I'd known my son had this kind of ability, I should've enrolled him in a martial arts hall long ago. Why did we trade for an inner-city apartment? What's an apartment compared to my son's future?"

Regret filled her heart, and she planned to have a proper talk with Lu Guoping once he returned.

In truth, the old couple could not be blamed for this.

Before awakening the Martial Dao Tree, aside from perseverance, Lu Chenzhou's talent and comprehension had indeed been mediocre—at the level of an ordinary person. There had been no sign that he had any hope in martial arts.

Still, the old couple could not bear to say it outright. They had no money and no way to provide Lu Chenzhou with better resources, so they simply let him immerse himself in martial arts.

His homeroom teachers in middle school and high school had also spoken privately with them, asking them to persuade Lu Chenzhou to devote himself fully to getting into the best university in the Imperial Capital.

They felt guilty toward their child and never told Lu Chenzhou. As long as he could stay within the top few dozen and get into a key university, that would be enough. Their child was already working very hard.

At the root of it all was poverty!

"Lu Guoping! Chenzhou is Second Stage now! You heard right—he went from First Stage to Second Stage in three months! My son will definitely become a Martial Artist someday! I knew it!"

Before Lu Guoping even came home, she called him. She could not wait a single moment.

Elsewhere.

Lu Chenzhou claimed he was going to rest, but in reality, he began practicing the Dragon-Tiger Heaven Stance again.

He was brimming with energy today and did not feel tired. It was probably because entering the Second Stage had raised his blood vitality and improved his endurance. From now on, he could train for longer.

It was said that some Martial Artists, when studying certain difficult martial arts bottlenecks, could train and practice punches efficiently for days and nights without harming their bodies.

The Daoist school called this "Grain Avoidance."

Lu Chenzhou's body resembled a strange pine on Yellow Mountain, his posture bizarre. Without the guidance of a famous teacher, even if ordinary people looked at the Stance Exercise Diagram, they would struggle to replicate it perfectly.

An itchy sensation came from the area around the Zhongchong Acupoint on his right hand, like insects biting him, like scratching an itch through a boot. Every so often, there was also a piercing pain as though a nail had been driven beneath his fingernail.

This Dragon-Tiger Heaven Stance looks simple, but it's actually far harder than practicing punches. Stimulating acupoints is far too painful—even I can barely endure it. But even if I can't bear it, I have to persist. Stance training allows no shortcuts. Only day after day of bitter endurance.

"Lu Chenzhou, you can do this!"

"Pingjiang Martial University is waiting for you!"

He kept giving himself psychological suggestions. Fine beads of sweat seeped endlessly from his forehead, while his lean, bare upper body gleamed as though coated in oil.

An hour later, he reached his limit.

"Phew..."

Lu Chenzhou's face was flushed red, and his entire body was soaked through.

He looked at the Martial Dao Tree.

Dragon-Tiger Heaven Stance: First Aperture (2%) → First Aperture (4%)

Two percent in one hour. Not bad progress. From now on, I'll practice three times a day—morning, noon, and night. In half a month, I'll be able to open the first aperture. The hall master said that even a genius with middling innate talent would need ten days to condense this first aperture. I'm not bad either.

The hall master had not lied to him. There were no shortcuts in stance training!

No, that was wrong. The Martial Dao Tree was the shortcut.

Without the Martial Dao Tree, I might not have progressed this quickly.

Lu Chenzhou knew himself well.

Still, it's said that some people with Martial Bone Dao Fetuses, or certain extraordinary individuals, are born with three apertures open—or even nine—saving them a great deal of time and allowing them to enter the ranks of Martial Artists sooner.

Of course, compared with 720 apertures,

that could only be considered a faster start in the early stages.

With the Martial Dao Tree, Lu Chenzhou only needed to cultivate steadily, one step at a time.

One day, he would overtake them on the bend!

I'm too tired. I can't train anymore. Early to bed, early to rise.

Lu Chenzhou took a shower and quickly went to bed.

Before sleeping, Qin Zheng and Li Linling were chatting in the small martial arts club group.

Qin Zheng: Lu Chenzhou really is a freak. He reached the Second Stage in three months.

Li Linling: Despair. I can only watch helplessly as you all catch up to me while I struggle in a mountain of books and a sea of questions. I only ranked forty-fifth in the last monthly exam. I can't afford distractions now—I'll make one final push over these next six months and try to get into a better key university.

Qin Zheng: So infuriating. Lu Chenzhou also made the top fifteen in the monthly exam.

Qin Zheng: ...Where's Lu Chenzhou? Come chat for a bit.

Lu Chenzhou: (smile.jpg) Going to sleep. I'm getting up early tomorrow to practice punches.

Li Linling: ...

Qin Zheng: The king of grinders!