Rules

"They all passed..."

"Just as my eldest uncle said. The hardest part was getting a spot, wasn't it?"

"It was only a Living Stake. There's nothing to be proud of."

Shi Zhong and the others stood before the wooden stakes, now all dressed in Lingyun Martial Arts School uniforms, whispering among themselves.

Things had gone more smoothly than they had imagined.

Except for the boy who hadn't climbed a stake at the start, nearly everyone who had climbed one had passed the assessment.

Among the crowd, Lin Yin remained calm. He simply looked toward the unfamiliar Disciple striding over from outside the courtyard.

"All right. Since you've joined Fist Manor, you're now Fist Manor Disciples. And since you've become Disciples, there are a few things I must make clear to you."

The newcomer wore a green robe and had a neat, pleasant appearance. He seemed more amiable than the Leading Disciple from earlier. Now he called out to them.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a trace of authority. Shi Zhong and the others, who had been visibly excited just a moment ago, all fell silent.

"Your task from now on is to practice the Cloud Settling Stake Technique. It will affect your progress in martial arts."

At the mention of progress in martial arts, Shi Zhong and the others exchanged glances, their faces all alight with excitement.

Some of them had already known that the assessment involved the Cloud Settling Stake Technique, and they were still thrilled. Those who hadn't known wore fervent expressions, suddenly eager to learn the routine they'd seen earlier.

Seeing the crowd grow animated, the green-robed man's voice abruptly turned grave.

"The Cloud Settling Stake Technique is an advanced Stance Skill of Lingyun Martial Arts School, profound and unfathomable. It's worth practicing for your entire lives. But remember, you must never pass it on to outsiders!

"If anyone finds out, the Instructors inside the School will take action. Even if you take the matter all the way to the Yamen, there'll be nothing you can do!"

Shi Zhong and the others held their breath.

They all knew that though his words sounded calm, they concealed a deadly threat.

The art must never be passed on!

Especially the Cultivation Manuals of a martial arts school. To keep their rivals from studying their techniques and learning how to counter them, every school guarded its own skills with the utmost care.

Martial arts flourished in the vast and bountiful Tiancong Kingdom, yet martial arts manuals had never flooded into the hands of ordinary folk. There was a reason for that.

When an Instructor took action, it meant the school was purging its own ranks. The terror of it was beyond outsiders' understanding.

Everyone held their breath and solemnly agreed.

His gaze swept over the crowd. Once he was sure they had all taken his words to heart, the Disciple nodded, some of the tension easing from his face.

"For now, practice your Stance Skill as much as you can. Even if you fail to master it in the end, you can still temper your vitality!

"In half a month, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters from the Inner Court will come to choose. If you become their Living Stake, it'll greatly benefit your progress in martial arts."

"Now... find yourselves a place to practice. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me anytime."

"Senior Brother..."

Shi Zhong stepped forward, cupped his fists, and thanked him solemnly.

Behind him, Wan Qing, Lin Yin, and the others also clasped their hands in salute.

"My name is Xu Chang. Just call me Senior Brother Xu."

Xu Chang's expression and tone had both softened. He returned their salute with clasped fists.

"We're all one family from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come to me—or... you can also ask Senior Brother Li."

Xu Chang paused, then added, "Senior Brother Li is easygoing and always answers his junior brothers' and sisters' questions."

"Senior Brother Li... is that the Senior Brother who demonstrated the Stance Skill earlier?"

Wan Qing, who had seemed a little uneasy before, now glowed with excitement. He had just joined the school and was thrilled, so he couldn't help asking boldly.

"That's right. He's the eldest senior brother of Lingyun Martial Arts School. Believe me, getting even a little guidance from him will help your progress in martial arts more than you can imagine."

"Eldest Senior Brother..."

Shi Zhong, Wan Qing, and the others looked at him with respect.

Anyone who became the eldest senior brother of a martial arts school naturally had an unfathomable level of skill. These Living Stake Disciples could only look up to him.

"All right, your time is limited. Hurry up and practice!"

Looking at his excited junior brothers, Xu Chang shook his head with a smile and urged them to get to work.

Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something.

"Oh, right. If anyone comes to ask you to be their Living Stake in the next few days, and they're a New Disciple of the school, agree to it. But if it's one of the older Senior Brothers or Senior Sisters, remember... you'd better turn them down."

As he spoke, Xu Chang's expression grew somewhat grave. He repeated the warning several times.

Shi Zhong, Wan Qing, and the others were all caught up in their excitement and nodded repeatedly, though it was hard to tell how much of his warning they'd truly understood.

Among them, Lin Yin looked pensive. He waited until Xu Chang had gone far away, then walked alone to a wooden stake and slowly climbed up.

His movements seemed clumsy, but he was unhurried. The sight instantly brought Shi Zhong and the others back down to earth.

Seeing Lin Yin already up on the stake, calmly imitating the movements as if he knew what he was doing, their expressions changed.

The easy camaraderie and laughter of just a moment ago vanished in an instant, replaced by urgency.

They scattered in every direction, each climbing onto a stake and starting to practice with loud grunts. It was hard to tell whether they were trying to show off their spirit or deliberately "distract" the others.

In a sense, they were now competitors.

At the heart of Fist Manor stood a Three-Story Pavilion. From its top floor, one could easily survey the training grounds, Staking Ground, Training Ground, Dining Hall, and other areas.

At that moment, a group of young figures had appeared in what should have been a quiet place.

"Ha, another batch of junior brothers."

A clear voice broke the silence. A young man in a long robe, his face warmed by a gentle smile, gazed in surprise toward the Staking Ground.

The lively commotion over there had clearly caught his attention.

"What junior brothers? They're nothing but Living Stakes. Senior Brother Li thinks too highly of them."

One of the group scoffed, his tone far from polite.

If Lin Yin and the others had been there, they would have recognized him as the man who had mocked them earlier.

"Junior Brother Wan, you shouldn't say that. They may be Living Stakes, but they're still registered Disciples of Lingyun Martial Arts School, and they practice the Cloud Settling Stake Technique."

The green-robed young man frowned as he spoke.

"And there's a promising talent among this batch, too. I heard he comes from a family of hunters and mastered an advanced Stance Skill on his own. Martial Uncle has already taken him away."

"Hiss... Martial Uncle himself took an interest in him? Then his talent..."

The group exchanged glances. Several of them looked intrigued and asked the green-robed youth about the newcomer's background.

As the others gathered around the man, Wan Li's expression shifted. He looked resentful.

"Junior Brother Wan, now that you've reached Bright Strength, you should choose your own Living Stake. I think you could occasionally go down and give those junior brothers some pointers. It'd leave them with a good impression of you."

Someone suddenly spoke up. Wan Li immediately looked disdainful.

"Me, give them pointers? Some of them might spend their whole lives without even mastering a Stance Skill. Having me teach them would be a waste of my time."

"Well... that may be true, but there are capable people among them, too. Perhaps..."

"All right, Senior Brother. I know what you mean. My Wan Family does need to build ties with newly initiated Martial Artists, but we'd never choose these Living Stakes for that.

"That Hunter's Son is worth keeping an eye on, though. The rest... heh..."