Title: Destiny Title: Black to the End

"Cough, cough!"

Kong Yinglei's expression returned to normal. Seeing Lin Chen standing there, his face cycling between a frown and excitement, she couldn't help but cough.

"Disciple thanks the Martial Arts Hall for bestowing the Aperture Opening Pill, allowing this disciple to enter the Aperture Opening Realm."

Awakened by the cough, Lin Chen immediately reacted and bowed solemnly towards Kong Yinglei.

"Go back and practice diligently. Do not become lax just because you have opened your aperture. After the Lantern Festival in the new year, come back to the Martial Arts Hall to report. You don't need to go back to the Clearwind Martial Arts Hall, and do not publicize that it took you half an hour to break through to the Aperture Opening Realm."

After speaking, Kong Yinglei saw the confusion in Lin Chen's eyes and explained, "Among past Martial Arts Hall students, at least those from my Still Water Martial Arts Academy, the slowest to successfully open their aperture after taking the Aperture Opening Pill did so within two quarters of an hour. It took you half an hour to succeed. If that gets out, I'm afraid it will affect you."

Lin Chen suddenly understood. This Instructor Kong was truly a good person.

He had originally planned to go back to the Clearwind Martial Arts Hall. Regardless of whether Instructor Zhao at the Clearwind Martial Arts Hall welcomed him or not, it was only right to inform them.

If the instructor at the Clearwind Martial Arts Hall asked how long it took to open his apertures, he would have truthfully answered.

"This disciple will listen to the instructor."

Taking advice leads to good outcomes.

Since this instructor had said so, Lin Chen naturally wouldn't expose his weakness.

"Alright, go back."

Watching Lin Chen leave, Kong Yinglei left through the back door of the Martial Arts Pavilion the next moment. She was eager to tell her Senior Sister about this matter.

"Senior Sister!"

In the innermost part of the Still Water Martial Arts Academy, Kong Yinglei called out loudly in front of a courtyard gate. Soon, a woman's voice came out.

"Senior Sister Kong, stop shouting. Senior Sister went to Raozhou Prefecture. She just asked me to tell you that you will be in charge of all matters at the Martial Arts Hall during this time."

"Senior Sister went to Raozhou Prefecture at this time?" Kong Yinglei looked puzzled.

"Senior Sister left in a hurry and didn't tell me anything," the courtyard gate opened, and a woman walked out, saying, "I guess it's related to entering the ranks. Senior Sister has been stuck at the peak Organ Refining realm for two years."

Kong Yinglei felt helpless. Since her Senior Sister had left, Lin Chen's matter could only wait until she returned.

The main gate of the Still Water Martial Arts Academy.

After walking out, Lin Chen also had a smile on his face.

Although there were twists and turns on this trip to the county Martial Arts Hall, he ultimately obtained the Aperture Opening Pill and entered the Aperture Opening Realm.

Logically, he should have gone to see Instructor Yu, but thinking of Inspector Shu's attitude towards his instructor, he decided against it, so as not to spoil Inspector Shu's good deed.

After all, without Inspector Shu, he wouldn't have gotten this Aperture Opening Pill.

He couldn't repay kindness with enmity!

It would be the same to see the instructor at the Martial Arts Hall in a few days when he returned.

The county town was very prosperous. A young man practicing martial arts, successfully opening his aperture, was at the height of his ambition. However, thinking of what Instructor Kong had just said, that his aperture opening speed was the slowest, the trace of self-satisfaction in Lin Chen's heart vanished.

The Martial Path had just begun. His family was poor, so he should seize every minute and second to practice martial arts. He no longer had the desire to wander around the county town.

Lin Chen went directly to the city gate and rented a horse from the stable. The people at the stable recognized him and didn't ask for a deposit. After checking his identity token, they only charged a rental fee of twenty copper coins, instructing him to return the horse to the stable in the town.

Lin Chen once again experienced the special status and treatment of a martial artist.

Returning home, Lin Chen briefly informed his parents about entering the city and joining the Martial Arts Hall.

He reported the good news and not the bad.

He didn't mention being rejected by several Martial Arts Halls, only saying that he had joined the Still Water Martial Arts Academy.

Upon learning that their son had successfully joined a Martial Arts Hall, Father Lin and Mother Lin were very happy. After dinner, Mother Lin hurried out.

Seeing his mother's impatience to leave, Lin Chen also smiled. He knew without thinking that his mother had gone to the big tree in the village to gossip with the other women.

It was true that women were naturally fond of gossip, but his mother hadn't been so eager before. Now, she went every day after dinner, enjoying the flattering words of the village women.

Listening to those women praise her in various ways, his mother would humbly say a few words against her will, until the sky was completely dark, only then returning reluctantly.

A walk after dinner had now become a daily activity for his mother.

Lin Chen saw through it but didn't say anything. Ultimately, his mother was just a little vain. As a child, giving parents face in front of neighbors was also a form of filial piety.

The next day, early in the morning, before dawn.

Lin Chen immediately checked the System Panel. To his delight, the panel had been updated.

[Name: Lin Chen]

[Occupation: Martial Artist]

[Realm: Aperture Opening Realm (1/24)]

[Clear Wind Palm: Not Yet Mastered]

[Destiny: [When the Water Flows, the Channel is Formed]: Martial Arts First Realm, Persevere, Progress Step by Step, Break Through Like Bamboo, Free from bottleneck difficulties.]

[Martial Arts Title: Black to the End]

[Black to the End: The outcome is not yet decided, you and I are both dark horses. Wearing this title, in the darkness, Martial Arts comprehension and perception are enhanced.]

After seeing the updated System Panel, Lin Chen's eyes lit up.

Instructor Yu had mentioned Martial Arts comprehension to him. Before reaching the ranked levels, Martial Arts comprehension didn't have much effect on realm advancement, but it was very useful for Martial Arts techniques.

Martial Arts techniques were also divided into several stages. For the later stages, brute force practice was useless.

Hit the fist a hundred times, its meaning will be clear.

The principle wasn't wrong, but relying on extensive practice had an upper limit.

Beyond that, comprehension was needed.

Thinking of this, Lin Chen took out the Clear Wind Palm manual from his pocket.

The manual contained illustrations and incantations for the Clear Wind Palm techniques. He had already memorized them last night and even practiced them several times, yet he hadn't expected to still be "Not Yet Mastered."

Before dawn, he wanted to test the effect of the [Black to the End] title.

Wearing his practice clothes, Lin Chen pushed open the door.

"Chen'er, getting up so early. It's too cold, it's fine to sleep in a bit longer."

The creaking sound of the door opening startled Mother Lin in the inner room.

"Mother, we who practice martial arts don't need to sleep that long. With my current body, let alone this bit of cold, I'd be fine even jumping into Poyang Lake."

Saying this back towards the inner room, Lin Chen closed the door and stood in his own courtyard.

Recalling the Clear Wind Palm techniques in his mind, he began to practice.

One time, two times...

By the third time, Lin Chen was completely immersed in the Clear Wind Palm. Although he hadn't reached a state of forgetting himself in the practice, compared to yesterday, he was more focused, and his palm strikes were smoother.

The fifteenth time!

The thirtieth time.

Inside the house.

A light came on. Mother Lin lit the kerosene lamp and looked at her son outside through the crack in the door, her face full of heartache.

"Chen'er's martial arts training is too hard. He gets up earlier each day. Even Lin Ming wasn't up this early when he was home."

"What do you women understand? Isn't practicing martial arts about diligent practice?" Father Lin said irritably. "Otherwise, how could Chen'er cultivate Essence Energy within a year? Can Lin Ming compare to that?"

"I don't understand, but you do? Then why don't you go practice martial arts?"

"I...forget it, I can't reason with you. In short, when it comes to martial arts, we can't help Chen'er, but we can't hold him back. We can't catch fish at this time, so I'll go to Qingshan Village and see if there are any hunters who caught mountain birds. I'll buy some back to nourish Chen'er's body."

Half an hour passed, and Lin Chen stopped, softly calling out: "System Panel."

[Name: Lin Chen]

[Profession: Martial Artist]

[Realm: Aperture Opening Realm (1/24)]

[Clear Wind Palm: Not Yet Mastered (1/100)]

[Destiny: [When the Water Flows, the Channel is Formed]: Martial Arts First Realm, Persevere, Progress Step by Step, Break Through Like Bamboo, Free from bottleneck difficulties.]

[Martial Arts Title: Black to the End]

[Black to the End: The outcome is not yet decided, you and I are both dark horses. Wearing this medal, in the darkness, Martial Arts comprehension is enhanced.]

The progress of Clear Wind Palm finally changed.

At this moment, the sky had already brightened.

But Lin Chen didn't stop. His Martial Arts comprehension was enhanced in the darkness, allowing him to practice faster, but this didn't mean he didn't need to practice during the day.

After opening his aperture, situations where his Qi and Blood were weak due to diligent practice were rare.

Half an hour later, Mother Lin finished making breakfast. Only then did Lin Chen stop. After eating breakfast, he continued practicing martial arts.

[Clear Wind Palm: Not Yet Mastered (2/100)]

[Clear Wind Palm: Not Yet Mastered (3/100)]

He only stopped when he heard footsteps. Lin Chen's gaze followed the courtyard fence outwards and saw his elder brother and several villagers walking towards their home.

"Little Chen, the martial arts techniques you're learning at the Martial Arts Hall can't be leaked. Mom asked me to find someone to fix the fence around our house so nobody can secretly learn them."

Lin Liang, the eldest brother, saw Lin Chen looking over and explained.

Lin Chen smiled. When he came home yesterday, he mentioned the Martial Arts Hall to their parents and also said that the martial arts techniques from the Martial Arts Hall couldn't be leaked.

He just said it casually. Unless someone could get the verbal formula from him, merely remembering the moves of Clear Wind Palm would be useless.

He didn't expect his mother to take this matter to heart and find villagers to help build the wall.

"Little Chen, you go ahead and practice martial arts, don't worry about us," a villager who came in with Lin Liang said with a smile.

"It's the end of the year anyway, we don't have much to do. We'll make sure your wall is built solid."

"Then I'll trouble you uncles and elders."

Lin Chen nodded, but he understood in his heart that even though it was the slack season for farming at the end of the year, and it was so cold, the villagers were willing to help his family fix the wall because he had cultivated Essence Energy.

If a person is successful, everyone around them is kind.

PS: Brothers, we're 80th on the new book list. Keep asking for monthly votes and follow-up reads. Let's push into the top fifty, and I'll add another chapter!