First Appearance

Hiss!

Inner Breath surged, transforming into force and leaving a clear palm print on the wooden board.

I really did it. This is precisely the sign of entering the Qi Condensation Realm and becoming a formal One Meridian Martial Artist! But after completing the first step, Grasp Blood Qi, I skipped straight past the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck and completed the second step? In other words, I'm already a Formal Martial Artist?!

Even Zhuang Jin, usually so composed, could not help but feel a powerful surge of joy. Yet he quickly suppressed it and turned his attention to the oddity from earlier. From Master Ping to Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei, and the others, I've never heard of anyone having no bottleneck. Could it be that having no bottleneck is my Golden Finger?

If my Golden Finger is the absence of bottlenecks, then my prospects are truly boundless! Still, this is only the bottleneck for entering One Meridian and becoming a Formal Martial Artist. I can't be certain yet. It would be best to verify it when I break through to the Second Meridian and Third Meridian.

Still, although he told himself that it could not yet be confirmed and required further verification, Zhuang Jin felt an inexplicable, powerful intuition that this lack of bottlenecks was his Golden Finger.

This really is... I've been transported here for months without discovering any Golden Finger, and I'd already accepted that I had none. Yet it appeared at this moment.

Zhuang Jin's feelings were complicated, and for a moment he could not put them into words. Scenes from the months since his transmigration flashed before his eyes: setting aside his dignity to survive and calmly studying the art of begging; accumulating his modest savings Copper Coin by Copper Coin as a beggar; ruthlessly striking at Tan San and the others when they blocked his path; valuing tangible profit over empty fame and enduring scorn for a single Copper Coin; entering the Shen Family and stepping onto the stage without fear of ridicule on his first day; beginning extra training with self-discipline from day one, lying in bed each night still reviewing what he had learned during the day; sending away Lord Howl when he came looking for him, ignoring the strange looks of others and remaining steadfast as ever... Until today, he had finally succeeded!

Every fruit of today was planted by causes of yesterday!

Had I not painstakingly fought for this opportunity to learn martial arts; had I not remained disciplined and persistent, diligent without cease; had I not possessed a resolute will, staying constant as one and unaffected by every influence from the outside world... I might not even have had the chance for the Golden Finger to appear!

Zhuang Jin's thoughts stretched further as he considered more. At the end of the day, a Golden Finger is merely a kind of talent. Everyone has talents, only in different areas. Some are more obvious, while others remain hidden. Many people go their entire lives without ever touching the field suited to their talent. Others do encounter such a field, but lacking persistence, they give up before their talent can truly reveal itself, and so fade into the common crowd.

With these thoughts, corroborated by his own experiences, he felt his state of mind become utterly clear. He faintly realized that the mentality with which he had conducted himself before discovering his Golden Finger was a precious treasure no less valuable than the Golden Finger itself.

Just as I said before, a Golden Finger is only a kind of talent, a kind of ability. Since it is a talent and an ability, it needs a person to wield it. Such talent and ability are naturally excellent, but the character of the person wielding them is equally important. The Golden Finger's ability, combined with its wielder's discipline, diligence, unyielding perseverance, and cautious, thin-ice-treading mentality—only together can they be like a fish in water, complementing each other perfectly, allowing one to walk longer and farther upon the Martial Way path.

Just then, the sound of a gong and a night watchman came from outside. "Time to go! Everyone in the Training Ground, leave now! We're locking the doors!"

Zhuang Jin gathered his thoughts and headed outside. When he met the servant responsible for the night watch, he even greeted him. Since the first day, he had trained extra every night until the Training Ground closed, and by now the night watchman knew him well.

As he walked back to the dormitory, a faint joy filled Zhuang Jin's heart. His thoughts just now had focused on the Golden Finger. Its lack of bottlenecks certainly signified tremendous potential for the future, but what mattered more at present was that he had entered the Qi Condensation Realm and become a Formal Martial Artist. That meant he could stay.

Now that I've become a Formal Martial Artist and can remain in the Shen Family, Hou Yong is no longer a concern. Just as I said before, he should be the one afraid of me. Even my predecessor's eldest uncle and younger uncle need not worry me too much.

Although Zhuang Jin had only just become a Formal Martial Artist and still carried little weight within the Shen Family, he could not immediately exert influence or borrow the Shen Family's power to eliminate Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong. But becoming a Formal Martial Artist and joining the Shen Family meant he had draped himself in the Shen Family's tiger hide. Even if he revealed himself before his predecessor's eldest uncle and younger uncle, they would not dare act openly.

Of course, if I can avoid revealing myself before Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong, it is naturally better not to reveal myself. Once I pass Master Ping's assessment tomorrow and join the Shen Family, there will surely be a background investigation. I should ask then whether it can be conducted secretly, without alerting Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong... This state where the enemy is in the light and I am in the dark should continue until I have fully developed and possess absolute strength against them. Then I can emerge and crush them to death in one stroke, leaving them no chance whatsoever to turn the tables!

In the end, ninety miles was only halfway through a hundred-mile journey. He still lacked the final step: revealing his Qi Condensation Realm cultivation and joining the Shen Family.

Hmm, when a Martial Student breaks through to become a Formal Martial Artist, a Martial Arts Instructor must verify it before he can join the Shen Family and move into the Formal Martial Artists' quarters. But it's already late. Where am I supposed to find Master Ping at this hour?

I'll wait until tomorrow morning. One night makes no difference.

Zhuang Jin suddenly thought of something else and frowned. If I announce tomorrow morning that I've broken through to become a Martial Artist, it will be far too conspicuous. Seventeen days—ah, by tomorrow it will be eighteen days. Breaking through to Martial Artist in eighteen days!

Should I hide it for now and delay revealing it? The thought had barely arisen before he shook his head and rejected it. Master Ping said that Qi Channel Opening Soup squeezes out the body's potential. Therefore, the later one becomes a Formal Martial Artist, the greater the harm to the body. Conversely, the earlier one becomes a Formal Martial Artist and begins One Meridian cultivation in the Qi Condensation Realm, the sooner one can withstand the medicinal strength of Black Essence Powder, refine it into Inner Breath, and nourish the body. That is better for a martial artist.

As for Black Essence Powder, he had only heard Ping Yongfeng mention its name that day. Later, he learned from other Martial Students that Black Essence Powder was the Provisions used by Formal Martial Artists in cultivation. The Qi Channel Opening Soup they drank now was merely brewed from Black Essence Powder's scraps and leftovers—one could regard it as the beggar version of Black Essence Powder.

Fortunately, I've always been cautious and never told anyone about my progress. Even if I suddenly reveal it tomorrow, no one will suspect anything. At most, they'll think I was simply keeping a low profile before.

From the first day, when Bi Kai asked about his progress, Zhuang Jin had brushed him off with, "I don't feel much." Even with Xiong Lei, he had only given vague replies and never stated his progress clearly. The one time he had been somewhat explicit, he said, "I'm still a little short," but he never said he was a little short of Grasp Blood Qi. Once he revealed his Qi Condensation Realm cultivation tomorrow and moved into the Formal Martial Artists' quarters, Xiong Lei would fill in the gaps himself, assuming that Zhuang Jin had likewise only been a little short of breaking through the bottleneck at the time. At most, Xiong Lei would complain that he had hidden himself too deeply.

That is the benefit of being cautious and tight-lipped. Zhuang Jin pondered to himself as he returned toward the dormitory.