Disciple Designation Set

Chen Yuan opened his eyes abruptly, a brilliant light radiating from them. He felt the power within his body flowing with greater fluidity, and his control over his own skin and membrane had improved by a significant margin. He felt the changes within himself in disbelief; a single, brief session of guiding his internal force had saved him at least a month of arduous cultivation!

"Thank you, Hall Master, for your guidance!" Overcome with excitement, Chen Yuan bowed deeply once more. This time, his gratitude was heartfelt; this Hall Master truly possessed genuine talent and knowledge, and was willing to provide careful instruction.

Zhao Canghai stroked his short beard with satisfaction, the look of appreciation in his eyes deepening. "To be able to seize the opportunity to break through in an instant—your comprehension is even better than I imagined."

He shifted the tone of his voice. "However, having just broken through, your blood and qi must have suffered some depletion. You hunted a sea beast alone and have been training for days on end; your foundation is inevitably slightly hollow. In the long run, this is detrimental to your subsequent cultivation."

As he spoke, he flipped his wrist, and a small, white jade bottle appeared in his palm, which he tossed to Chen Yuan.

"This is a 'Crimson Blood Pill'. Although it is a second-grade pill, it has miraculous effects in replenishing blood and qi and stabilizing one's cultivation. It is exactly what you need. After taking it, sit in meditation to refine it; it will compensate for the minor depletion caused by your rapid breakthrough and make your foundation more rounded."

Chen Yuan caught the jade bottle and pulled out the stopper. A rich, medicinal scent of blood and qi immediately wafted out, instantly refreshing his spirit.

Inside the bottle lay a pill the size of a longan fruit, its color as bright red as fresh blood. The value of this pill was likely no less than the new boat his family had just purchased.

"Hall Master, this is too precious..." Chen Yuan hesitated.

"Since you have entered my school, there is no need for such formalities." Zhao Canghai waved his hand, his tone brooking no refusal. "Your increase in strength is the increase in the Martial Arts School's strength. This pill is best taken now; refine it right here."

Hearing the Hall Master's words, Chen Yuan no longer hesitated and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your generous gift, Hall Master!" He immediately sat cross-legged and placed the Crimson Blood Pill into his mouth.

The pill melted upon contact, instantly transforming into a scorching and pure torrent that surged into his throat and plummeted straight into his Dantian! This medicinal power was intense and domineering, yet it remained balanced and steady; it was clearly refined through sophisticated methods and was extremely easy to absorb.

Chen Yuan did not dare to be negligent. He immediately exerted the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method with all his might, guiding this majestic medicinal power to disperse into his limbs and bones, merging it into his surging blood and qi.

A layer of red light faintly appeared on the surface of his skin. The sound of his blood and qi circulating, which had been like a stream, instantly transformed into a rushing river, rustling and even faintly audible.

Having just broken through to the minor accomplishment stage of the Skin Grinding Realm, the slight sense of instability that might have existed due to his rapid breakthrough was quickly smoothed away under the push and nourishment of this powerful medicinal force, making his foundation increasingly solid.

The toughness of his "cowhide"-like skin became more apparent under the full nourishment of his blood and qi, and the spiral force beneath his skin also became more lively and condensed.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the red glow around Chen Yuan's body gradually faded, and the sound of his blood and qi circulation calmed down, though the burgeoning vitality continued, albeit more slowly.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze containing a hidden brilliance, looking full of vigor.

He carefully sensed himself and discovered that his cultivation had taken another solid step forward on the basis of his minor accomplishment (26/100). With the medicinal power slowly continuing to take effect, he would continue to improve over the next few days.

His blood and qi had also become unprecedentedly full and vigorous. The minor hidden injuries and depletion that might have been left behind from his previous battle with the sea beast and his days of arduous cultivation were completely compensated for.

The effect of this Crimson Blood Pill was truly remarkable!

He rose to his feet and bowed to Zhao Canghai once more, his tone filled with gratitude and excitement. "Thank you for the pill, Hall Master! This disciple feels his blood and qi are full and his foundation is stable!"

Zhao Canghai nodded in understanding, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Mm, not bad. The Crimson Blood Pill can compensate for your previous minor depletion, helping you save over a month of arduous work and completely consolidate your minor accomplishment stage. Furthermore, I have always cherished talent. A raw talent like you should not be buried among ordinary disciples. I summoned you here today because I wish to take you as my personal disciple. What do you think?"

A personal disciple!

Chen Yuan's heart shook. Even though he had anticipated it, hearing the Hall Master propose it personally still caused his emotions to surge.

The significance of this was extraordinary. Ordinary disciples merely paid tuition to learn techniques and received general guidance from instructors, and the cost was not cheap; a few years of effort was enough to empty a small family like the Chen family.

Core disciples who had completed their skin grinding went a step further, receiving more attention and private instruction from instructors. Not only was their tuition reduced, but they were also issued medicinal salves every month—though, of course, they were required to cooperate by performing tasks for the Martial Arts School.

A personal disciple, however, was someone personally selected by the Hall Master, a true successor cultivated with painstaking effort. Their status was lofty, and the guidance, cultivation resources, and support they received from the Martial Arts School were far beyond those of the first two.

Moreover, the Hall Master had guided his future and gifted him a pill today; with such generous treatment, how could Chen Yuan have any reason to refuse?

"This disciple is overwhelmed!" Chen Yuan immediately suppressed the agitation in his heart and bowed deeply again, his tone incomparably sincere. "Master's cultivation is profound, and your eyes are like torches. This disciple, Chen Yuan, begs to enter your tutelage. I will strictly abide by the school rules, practice diligently, and never slacken. I will never tarnish the reputation of the Blackwater Martial Arts School, so as to repay your kindness in recognizing my potential!"

"Good, very good!" A satisfied smile appeared on Zhao Canghai's face; he was clearly very pleased with Chen Yuan's reaction and stance. "From today on, you are the seventh personal disciple under my, Zhao Canghai's, tutelage. I hope you will not forget your original intention and will continue to forge ahead."

Cultivation breakthrough +5, found a wise teacher, resources greatly increased +15

Current Tide Fortune: 95/100

"This disciple, Chen Yuan, pays respects to Master." Chen Yuan ignored the system prompt and followed the proper etiquette, performing a solemn apprenticeship ceremony.

"Mm, rise." Zhao Canghai accepted the gesture, his attitude becoming even more amiable.

He pondered for a moment, his expression turning slightly grave, and shifted the topic. "Yuan'er, since you have already stepped into the Skin Grinding Realm and have even hunted an Arrow Bone Fish alone, you need to have a clearer understanding of the world our human race currently inhabits."

"Do you know why the Imperial Court, the sects, and even the various lineages and martial arts schools below them value martial arts so much and spare no resources to cultivate martial artists?"

Chen Yuan's expression turned solemn, and he said respectfully, "Please instruct me, Master."

Zhao Canghai's gaze swept across the vast sky outside the hall, his voice deepening. "It is because this world is far from as peaceful as you see before you."

"In the vast mountains and forests, the boundless marshes, and the deep oceans, countless powerful demonic beasts, fierce sea tribes, and even strange spirit beasts lie in wait!"

"They view our human race as blood food, often invading towns and villages, and even triggering large-scale beast tides!"

"Our human ancestors struggled through brambles and thorns, using their flesh and blood to carve out a space for survival on this land, building cities and multiplying."

"The Arrow Bone Fish you killed is merely a relatively common first-order demonic beast in the near-shore area; its strength is roughly equivalent to a human martial artist in the Skin Grinding Realm."

"Above that are even stronger second-order demonic beasts, corresponding to the Tendon Changing Realm; third-order demonic beasts correspond to the Bone Forging Realm and can easily destroy villages. As for fourth-order demonic beasts... their strength is comparable to a martial arts master in the Blood Changing Realm. Once one appears, it is a disaster for a county or even a prefecture. Above that are the true monsters, which only masters in the Qi Eating Realm can deal with; we know very little about them."

Zhang Zhenshan interjected from the side in a heavy tone, "That is correct. It has been over eight hundred years since the Grand Ancestor slew the dragon and founded the Great Han Dynasty, and the world has been at peace for a long time."

"But according to reports from the county yamen, in recent years, not only along the coast but also in the inland mountains and even the plains, the activities of demonic beasts have become increasingly frequent, and attacks occur from time to time."

"The primary duty of the county Patrol Camp and the town militias is not to catch thieves, but to patrol and stand guard, guarding against demonic beast incursions."

"For us martial artists, cultivation, strengthening the body, and seeking fame are certainly important, but guarding our homeland and protecting the common people is a responsibility carved into our very bones!"

Zhao Canghai nodded. "Exactly. Martial artists are the bulwark of the human race. The County Examination, Prefecture Examination, and Province Examination do not just select officials; they select the backbone force to resist the monster calamity."

"The 'Martial Scholars' of the County Examination must be able to assist in clearing out small monsters and guarding the countryside; the 'Martial Heroes' of the Prefecture Examination must be able to stand alone and deal with second-order demonic beasts; the 'Martial Elites' must be able to lead teams to resist or even kill third-order demonic beasts. The stronger your strength, the greater the responsibility you can bear, and the wider the area you must protect."

Chen Yuan listened, his heart shaken. Although he knew the world was not peaceful and that there were bandits and gangs, he had never imagined that the greater threat came from these terrifying, non-human existences.

The path of a martial artist was actually closely linked to the survival of the entire human race, which made him feel a heavy weight on his shoulders instantly.

"This disciple understands," Chen Yuan said solemnly. "I will definitely practice diligently, hoping to contribute to guarding our homeland as soon as possible!"

"Good!" The look of appreciation in Zhao Canghai's eyes deepened. "If you have this heart, you will not live up to my words today. By the way,"

He suddenly remembered something and added, "Taking you as a personal disciple is a major event for the Martial Arts School and cannot be done too hastily."

"Three days from now, I will hold a simple apprenticeship ceremony within the Martial Arts School and invite some friends in the county and your senior disciple brothers and sisters to witness it."

"At that time, if it is convenient, you may bring your family to observe the ceremony and let them share in this joy—you could not have reached this day without the support of your family."

Chen Yuan felt a warmth in his heart; he had not expected his master to be so thoughtful. He quickly bowed. "Thank you for your consideration, Master! This disciple will definitely invite my family to witness this happy occasion!"

"Mm, that is good." Zhao Canghai nodded and said to Zhang Zhenshan, "Zhenshan, take Yuan'er to familiarize himself with the treatment and rules for personal disciples and meet his senior disciple brothers and sisters."

"Also, let him know about the official tasks the Martial Arts School usually undertakes. Most of them are tasks to clear out demonic beasts recently; this is both a tempering and a responsibility."

"Yes, Master." Zhang Zhenshan responded respectfully, then smiled at Chen Yuan, "Junior Disciple Brother, follow me." His tone already held the intimacy of a family member.

Chen Yuan suddenly realized—no wonder Instructor Zhang had such sharp eyes and taught so carefully; he turned out to be the Master's second personal disciple. He bowed to his master once more and followed Zhang Zhenshan out of the main hall. The sunlight spilled onto him, warm and cozy, filled with anticipation for the future.

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