Breakthrough

Another two days passed. On November 16, the sixteenth day since Zhuang Jin and the others had entered the Shen Family for Martial Practice.

Just before breakfast that morning, Ping Yongfeng arrived. Xiong Lei nodded at Zhuang Jin, then stepped forward. "Master Ping, I've also broken through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck."

As he spoke, he picked up a wooden board and pressed his palm against it, leaving behind a handprint.

"Excellent! Becoming a Formal Martial Artist in sixteen days—not bad, not bad!" Another Formal Martial Artist meant another reward of five qian of silver in hand. Ping Yongfeng was in high spirits as he patted Xiong Lei on the shoulder encouragingly.

After Xiang Qichen the day before yesterday, Xiong Lei had emerged today. The other Martial Students in the Training Ground were naturally greatly stirred, but the day's shock was far from over. News came during lunch that two people from other Training Grounds had also broken through their bottlenecks today and become Formal Martial Artists!

Three Formal Martial Artists in a single day!

Even Zhuang Jin felt his state of mind grow slightly restless upon hearing this. He adjusted himself and calmed down, let alone the other Martial Students—their eyes had practically turned red one by one.

Though more than half a month had now passed, over ninety percent of the Martial Students had yet to complete the first step of Grasping Blood Qi. Many did not even have the faintest clue. But how could people lack wishful thinking? They still clung to a thread of hope. Perhaps Ping Yongfeng's experience was wrong, or perhaps they themselves were special. Maybe in the next few days, they would advance by leaps and bounds, complete the first step of Grasping Blood Qi, then smash through the bottleneck like bamboo splitting in just a few days and become Formal Martial Artists.

As for the few Martial Students who had some idea how to Grasp Blood Qi but could never quite seize hold of it, they secretly regretted even more that they had not been as disciplined as Zhuang Jin and put in extra practice from the very first day. Otherwise, perhaps they would have succeeded before the half-month deadline arrived.

After lunch, Xiong Lei returned to the dormitory to move his bedding and blankets to the Formal Martial Artists' quarters.

All the Martial Students from the same dormitory had returned and were present. The envy and jealousy in their hearts were almost impossible to hide, yet they kept stiff faces as they offered their congratulations.

Even Bi Kai said sourly, "Xiong Lei, I didn't expect you to get ahead of me. But I'll break through the bottleneck soon too and catch up to you."

After all, Xiang Qichen was different, as were the two Martial Artists from the other Training Grounds. Xiong Lei, however, had lived with them day and night in the same dormitory. For such a roommate to succeed in a single stroke and change his fate from then on was an especially great provocation to them.

Qian Wende from E-Rank Room Number One next door also came over. The fellow did not care in the slightest about the strange looks from others, who secretly looked down on him and thought he had crossed dormitories to curry favor. He enthusiastically congratulated Xiong Lei, saying "congratulations" at every turn. Xiong Lei had originally still cared somewhat about how the other had grown distant lately and stopped sharing news about his special tutoring, but he quickly stopped minding and began calling him "Dezi" again.

After chatting idly for a moment, Xiong Lei carried his bedding to the doorway and bade his dormmates farewell. Finally, he looked at Zhuang Jin. "Jinzi, I believe you can definitely become a Formal Martial Artist too. Stay here—I'll wait for you over there."

"Alright, then I'll accept Brother Xiong's auspicious words." Zhuang Jin smiled and waved him off.

The other Martial Students said nothing when they saw this, but inwardly, most of them sneered to some extent. Ever since Zhuang Jin had voluntarily gone onstage to receive guidance on the first day, and that incident Hou Yong had brought about, there had been no further movement from him. More than half a month had now passed, and no one had heard that Zhuang Jin had Grasped Blood Qi. Yet he still wanted to become a Formal Martial Artist? He was dreaming!

Naturally, Zhuang Jin did not care about their thoughts. After seeing Xiong Lei off, he went to the Training Ground for extra practice.

Perhaps the shock of three Martial Artists in one day had been too great. After lunch and dinner that day, even more Martial Students came to the Training Ground for extra practice—there were even as many as during the official training sessions in the mornings and afternoons.

Among them, Zhuang Jin even saw Bi Kai. Clearly, the success of Xiong Lei and the two Martial Students from other Training Grounds had made him somewhat anxious as well.

With Xiong Lei gone to the Formal Martial Artists' quarters, Zhuang Jin was left alone. He was not affected, merely finding himself a corner to practice Stance Training. By the time the Training Ground was about to close, he still felt he was just a thread away from Grasping Blood Qi. He did not grow impatient and left for the dormitory.

Upon returning to the dormitory and entering the room, he heard Bi Kai say, "Xiong Lei was only lucky, just a little faster than me. My Martial Practitioner Bottleneck has been worn down to a mere thread. Even if I don't make it tomorrow, it'll be the day after at most."

Unlike their usual fawning and flattering manner, the smiles on the faces of the Martial Students in the dormitory were somewhat forced today. Three Martial Artists in one day had truly shaken them badly, and now Bi Kai was showing off. Their states of mind had become unbalanced, and their jealousy was almost impossible to suppress. The only reason they had not burst into curses was that they still retained a sliver of reason.

Wang Rui in particular had his back to everyone. On the face that the Oil Lamp's glow could not reach was an expression twisted by jealousy.

Watching this scene, Zhuang Jin secretly shook his head. If you're fast, then you're fast. Why say it out loud, provoking others and making them jealous? Just to show off and satisfy yourself? What meaning was there in that?

If he were Bi Kai, he would never do such a thing. He would only make a fortune in silence.

But this was someone else's business, and Zhuang Jin had no intention of meddling. He said nothing, silently washed up and went to sleep. Lying in bed, he reviewed his knowledge of meridians and Acupoints.

The day after Xiong Lei moved out, November 17, was the seventeenth day since Zhuang Jin and the others had entered the Shen Family to learn martial arts.

That night, a full moon hung high in the heavens. Under its bright radiance, like spilled mercury upon the earth, silver light spread across the blue tiles, soaring eaves, and the ground of the Training Ground.

Many Martial Students had come for extra practice that night, but as time passed, they gradually left one after another. By the time the Training Ground was about to close, only Zhuang Jin remained.

Zhuang Jin paid no attention to the people coming and going through the Training Ground. He focused wholly on practicing Stance Training, as though he had lost all awareness of the outside world. At this moment, every move and stance of his Black Fiend Stake Stance seemed to carry an inexplicable rhythm. As he practiced, Blood Qi flowed through his body, and he finally began to gradually grasp something. Strands of nameless Qi gathered together, forming a thread of something beyond Blood Qi—something mysterious beyond mystery.

The first thread of Inner Breath... had formed!

Feeling that he had completed the first step of Grasping Blood Qi and refining Inner Breath, Zhuang Jin struck while the iron was hot. He mobilized that thread of condensed Inner Breath and guided it toward his meridians, preparing to experience what it felt like to strike the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck.

For other Martial Students, after Grasping Blood Qi, guiding Inner Breath into the meridians would likely require time to familiarize themselves with the process. But through his focused study every afternoon and nightly review while lying in bed, Zhuang Jin had long since memorized his knowledge of meridians and Acupoints like the back of his hand. He had even rehearsed it countless times in his mind. This thread of Inner Breath now accurately flowed toward the Hand Shaoyang Meridian—yet he did not sense any bottleneck. The thread of Inner Breath encountered no obstruction whatsoever and entered the Hand Shaoyang Meridian directly, completing one circulation through the first meridian.

What was going on? Why hadn't I felt the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck? Yet I clearly displayed the sign that only comes after completing the second step of breaking through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck: completing a circulation of Inner Breath through the first meridian! Zhuang Jin frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he flicked up a wooden board with the tip of his foot, catching it in his hand, then pressed lightly against it.