Taking a Master

Only a scant few disciples were practicing martial arts in the martial arts school's inner courtyard.

Li Lin led Chen Qinglin through it, introducing everyone as they went.

Second Senior Brother Jiang Zhong was tall and powerfully built, dressed in a dark indigo short jacket. He held a greatsword and was currently practicing his swordsmanship. His cultivation was at the Body Tempering Seventh Level.

Third Senior Sister Wu Jianxue wore fitted black martial attire, her hair bound with a silk scarf. With an iron sword in hand, she cut a valiant and dashing figure.

When she saw them, she greeted the two before continuing her practice. Her cultivation was at the Body Tempering Fifth Level.

Fifth Senior Brother Zhao Dingming seemed taciturn and did not like to talk. He had entered the school the year before last and was at the Body Tempering Third Layer.

"I'm Master's fourth disciple. If you enter the school, I'll be your Fourth Senior Brother."

"Eldest Senior Brother has gone to Dingyuan County Town, so you won't be seeing him anytime soon." Eldest Senior Brother Xie Jingjiang was Xie Feng's son and Head of the School Xie Song's grandson.

"You met Martial Uncle Lin Hua earlier. He is Master's junior brother and an expert on the verge of breaking through to the Inner Qi Realm..."

As Chen Qinglin listened, he gained a general understanding of the martial arts school's structure.

The old Head of the School, Xie Song, his son Xie Feng, and disciple Lin Hua formed the school's upper ranks.

Below them were the five formal disciples, followed by the Attendant Disciples raised by the school and paying students like Chen Qinglin, who had come to learn martial arts.

It was said that Master Xie Feng also had a daughter, who had joined the Martial Dao Sect Qingfeng Mountain when she was young and rarely returned.

Li Lin had never met her either. He had entered the school in the same batch as Third Senior Sister Wu Jianxue and had only been there for three years. He usually trained the school's disciples, and his cultivation was merely at the Body Tempering Fourth Level.

As they neared the courtyard, they saw Xie Feng practicing his swordsmanship.

With a thrust of his sword, his body moved like a roaming dragon weaving back and forth, circling the surroundings. His sword technique flashed like lightning, its force fierce and savage; as the Long Sword darted through the air, fallen leaves shattered one after another.

After the Thirteen Consecutive Swords, Xie Feng leaped into the air, swooping down like a predator killing from a lofty peak. Silver light flashed, and a fresh sword mark appeared on the enormous boulder opposite him.

At this sight, Chen Qinglin felt as though the beast slumbering in his body had awakened. This was what he wanted. Since he had entered this world, how could he not witness the magnificent river of Martial Dao?

With the sea boundless, heaven becomes the shore; atop the mountain's summit, I alone am the peak!

As swordsmen roamed the world and Sword Qi crisscrossed the skies, a surge of bold ambition suddenly welled up in Chen Qinglin's heart.

"A Lin, what is it?"

Li Lin, standing beside him, tugged at the excited Chen Qinglin before saying, "Master, this Junior Brother Chen has already entered Body Tempering. I brought him to meet you."

"Oh? Come closer and let me see." Xie Feng placed a hand on Chen Qinglin's arm. Sensing the Blood Qi within him, he lowered his hand in satisfaction.

"Not bad. How long have you been at the martial arts school?"

"This disciple entered the martial arts school six days ago," Chen Qinglin replied respectfully.

"Not bad. You gained entry into the fist art and entered the Body Tempering First Level within five days. Your talent is considered above average." Xie Feng nodded, then asked Chen Qinglin, "Where are you from? Are your parents still alive?"

"Reporting to Master Xie, this disciple is from Linhe Village under the town's jurisdiction. Both my parents are still alive."

"Are you willing to take me as your master?" Xie Feng nodded after hearing this.

"Thank you, Master. This disciple is willing!" Chen Qinglin had just prepared to kneel and kowtow when Xie Feng stopped him.

"First, go inform your parents and bring them to the martial arts school. We will hold the apprenticeship ceremony in a few days. It will not be too late to bow then."

"Perform the Iron Wire Fist once for me to see." Xie Feng also wanted to see what level this soon-to-be disciple's fist art had reached.

"Yes, Master." Chen Qinglin assumed a fist stance and demonstrated the Iron Wire Fist once at its entry level.

"For this Linked Form, don't use up all your strength. Exert seven parts and hold back three; let your strength flow and circulate, linked without end..." Only after watching did Xie Feng begin pointing out the issues in Chen Qinglin's fist art.

Proficiency +7, +7

Only then did he begin telling Chen Qinglin about the martial arts school's history.

"The Iron Sword Martial Arts School was founded after my father brought me and your Martial Uncle Lin here more than twenty years ago and settled down."

"Your master has several junior brothers as well. Some remain in town, such as your Third Senior Sister's father, while several others went out to seek their fortunes. Alas, the outside world is hardly so easy to brave." At this point, Xie Feng sighed.

"Your Fifth Senior Brother's father returned badly injured two years ago. After entrusting your Fifth Senior Brother to the martial arts school, he passed away only a few days later."

"Only your Martial Uncle Lin and I stayed behind to guard the martial arts school. Half a month ago, your Grandmaster took your Eldest Senior Brother to the County Town to visit an old friend. Once they return, I will take you to meet him..."

According to Fourth Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother had already reached the Body Tempering Ninth Level. He had likely gone to the County Town in search of an opportunity to break through to Inner Qi.

Xie Feng spoke for a while longer before dismissing the two of them.

"Senior Brother, I see that Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister both practice swordsmanship. When will I be able to learn it?"

"Haha, you'll find out once you formally become Master's disciple."

"We formal disciples are different from those outside. What we learn is the martial arts school's inherited Iron Sword Art."

"The Iron Wire Fist you practiced before is a fist art simplified from the Iron Sword Art. Unless you cultivate the fist art to Great Accomplishment and perfection, its speed of cultivating Blood Qi cannot compare to the Iron Sword Art."

"In Martial Dao cultivation, only by being quick at every step can one break through major realms before one's Blood Qi declines, extending the time one has to practice martial arts."

After saying this, he sighed a few times. Thinking of how he had only reached the Body Tempering Fourth Level at twenty, he feared that his chances of breaking through to Inner Qi before thirty were vanishingly slim.

He had begun martial arts too late and missed the golden opportunity.

And after thirty, unless he obtained precious spiritual medicine, then... alas...!

Thinking of this, he said to Chen Qinglin, "Junior Brother, you're still young—this is precisely the time to train in martial arts. Even Master says your talent is outstanding. Perhaps one day, you may step into an even higher realm."

"I hope you won't waste this talent. Train hard, forge ahead with courage and vigor, and climb to the next level!"

Perhaps this junior brother of his could go even farther. When the time came, if he happened to remember his senior brother and casually let a few resources slip through his fingers, wouldn't his own breakthrough be a matter of moments?

He shook his head, casting aside those unrealistic thoughts.

He brought Chen Qinglin to the courtyard where several fellow disciples were training, exchanged a few words with them, then went to the outer courtyard to supervise the disciples' martial arts practice.

Time flowed on, and half a month passed.

Under the moonlight, Chen Qinglin was practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard. Ever since becoming an official disciple of the Martial Arts School, he only needed to devote himself to training.

Over the past half month, news that Xie Feng intended to take him as a disciple had reached the village.

Chen Clan Chief Chen Yucheng then gathered the clan members for a Clan Meeting and pooled some silver. When Chen Qinglin returned to the village to prepare to bring his parents to Qingyan Town, he held Chen Qinglin back, handed him the silver, and urged him to train diligently and not disappoint everyone's goodwill.

Ten days ago, with his parents as witnesses, Chen Qinglin performed three kneelings and nine kowtows before Xie Feng at the apprenticeship ceremony, served him tea and water, and formally took Xie Feng as his master.

The day after the apprenticeship ceremony ended, Xie Feng passed the Iron Sword Art on to him.

The sword art contained both sword techniques and a cultivation formula, while the sword techniques were divided into nine forms:

Iron Sword Slanting, Reflected Light Illuminating Shadow, Chasing Wind and Pursuing Lightning.

Sword Light Leaping, Clear Wind Brushing the Top, Sword Shadows Overlapping.

Linked Flower Slash, High Mountain Falling Rocks, Sweep Across the Mountains.

The first six sword forms prioritized speed. By the final three forms, however, strength and speed had to advance together, erupting with even greater attacking power.

The sword techniques and cultivation formula complemented each other, achieving an effect where one plus one was greater than two and increasing cultivation speed.

It was an inheritance capable of cultivating one to the Inner Qi Realm.

Chen Qinglin opened the panel.