Factions

The vast Training Ground seemed to have fallen silent, and an eerie atmosphere hung in the air.

The young disciples around them hurriedly backed away, though some particularly curious ones craned their necks to watch, anticipation written across their faces.

A faint scent of gunpowder quietly spread across the once peaceful Training Ground.

"What a fiery temper. Senior Brother Xu, it seems your Cloud Settling Stake Technique has grown ever more refined."

Li Qianjiang, who had been the first to mock them, now wore a livid expression and did not dare respond. Instead, the young man beside him stepped forward alone and spoke calmly.

"You?"

Once he recognized the newcomer, Xu Chang's expression darkened slightly. He shifted his feet and stepped in front of Lin Yin.

"Wan Li, shouldn't you be properly consolidating your realm and settling your Blood Qi? What are you doing here, showing off?"

"Showing off? What do you mean, Senior Brother? I merely heard that someone had crossed the threshold in just over half a month and came to have a look out of curiosity. After all... just over half a month..."

Lin Yin raised a brow, his lowered gaze casually sweeping over the youth standing not far before him.

He recognized him.

This was the fellow who had mocked him at the Staking Ground. He was tall but not burly, with narrow eyes that carried an unmistakable chill.

"Now that you've seen him, leave!"

Xu Chang narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a trace of coldness.

"Senior Brother, why the rush? To be honest, having taken a look, I don't see anything special. He hasn't grown three heads and six arms. I hear his bone structure is rather poor as well... Tsk, tsk. That only makes me more curious as to how this Junior Brother Lin entered so quickly."

Wan Li...

Lin Yin lowered his head, his eyes flickering.

This man called Wan Li had thoroughly ignited his anger.

"Enough. If you came here today to pick a fight, then I'll oblige. I heard Junior Brother Wan's Stake Technique has just achieved initial success, and even his Cloud Palm has reached Minor Accomplishment. Your talent is exceptional—why don't the two of us take a trip to the ring?"

As his words fell, Xu Chang extended a hand in invitation. His expression appeared calm, yet it revealed boundless icy intent.

He knew that these people's true target was him. Lin Yin was merely the breach they had torn open.

Whether for Lin Yin's sake or his own, he had to settle this.

"Don't be angry, Senior Brother, don't be angry!"

At that, Wan Li repeatedly waved his hands, looking quite shrewd.

"I have long heard that Senior Brother's Cloud Palm is unfathomable. How could someone of my modest talent dare show off before you? I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

A faint smile rested on Wan Li's face as he cupped his hands in farewell. He then promptly led Li Qianjiang and the several disciples behind him, each wearing a different expression, away in haste.

He ran pretty fast...

Even after they had completely left, Xu Chang's expression remained rather unpleasant. He turned to Lin Yin, and seeing that the youth's expression was unchanged, he instead let out a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry, Junior Brother Lin. That fellow was actually coming after me..."

Xu Chang wanted to explain, but Lin Yin smiled faintly.

"It's all right, Senior Brother. Whether that senior brother was targeting me or you, I won't take it to heart. A Martial Artist's foundation lies in their martial cultivation realm. I... won't care about it."

"That's good, that's good... If you run into him in the future, remember to keep your distance. As long as we're in this Martial Arts School, he wouldn't dare do anything too out of line."

"I'll find a way to deal with this."

Xu Chang let out a long sigh, his face filled with lingering resentment and worry. This matter clearly was not as simple as he had made it sound.

Lin Yin discreetly noticed the looks around them. Those gazes carried certain meanings, and he understood.

"In the end, it's because you're close to me. I didn't think this through, Junior Brother."

After pondering for a long while, Xu Chang gently patted Lin Yin's shoulder.

"I originally wanted to introduce you to the other senior and junior brothers, but now..."

Lin Yin understood what Xu Chang meant. This incident had most likely already caused quite a stir. Introducing him now would probably only invite ridicule and scorn.

No matter where one went, there would never be a lack of people who fawned on the high and looked down on the low.

"Senior Brother, there's no need."

Lin Yin spoke sincerely. In truth, this better suited his desire to keep a low profile.

Let others say whatever they wanted. He did not care; he only wanted to improve as quickly as possible.

"..."

After a brief silence, Xu Chang nodded heavily, then stepped forward and gave Lin Yin's shoulder another firm pat.

"Don't worry. I won't let you suffer a loss either."

After a brief exchange, Xu Chang told Lin Yin some of the Inner Court's rules before hurrying away, as though he had something urgent to attend to.

Lin Yin glanced around. Noticing that no one was paying attention to him now, he went by himself to a corner and began practicing.

"Cloud Palm..."

A golden glint seemed to flash through his eyes as Lin Yin thrust out both palms. His movements were not fast; they even seemed methodical, overly rigid.

Yet through these seemingly simple movements, Lin Yin could clearly feel his own improvement.

The shadows cast by the wooden stakes in the Staking Ground stretched ever longer, growing ever more "shallow."

[Heaven rewards diligence, Will achieve something]

[Cloud Palm Entry Level (2/100)]

[Cloud Settling Stake Technique Entry Level (35/100)]

His palms slowly pressed downward as he exhaled a long, thin breath.

"You're practicing both the stake technique and the Palm Technique?"

A somewhat puzzled voice came from behind him. Lin Yin understood at once, but deliberately turned around with a look of surprise.

Whenever he practiced Martial Arts Practice, he never forgot to observe his surroundings. Thus, Lin Yin had known perfectly well that someone had been watching him midway through.

Still, when he saw who it was, he could not help being surprised.

Nearly 1.9 meters tall and built like a bull, the man stood before Lin Yin, his powerful Qi and Blood washing over him so forcefully that even Lin Yin inwardly shuddered.

"Zhang... Zhang Da Niu?"

"Hello. I heard you were one of the people who made it through the Living Stake?"

The person before him was Zhang Da Niu, whom he had not seen for more than half a month. At this moment, a simple-minded grin covered his face as he proactively extended a fan-sized hand.

Looking at the palm offered before him, seemingly half a head in size, Lin Yin's gaze flickered. He extended his fist and bumped it against the other man's.

"I've heard about you. They said you got in through the back door, that you even came into contact with martial arts manuals ahead of time. I don't believe it!

Just now, you combined the stake technique and palm technique so naturally. You clearly have a special understanding of martial arts."

As Zhang Da Niu praised him, he also voiced his contempt for those who gossiped behind Lin Yin's back.

"I don't care what they think."

Lin Yin merely shook his head and said that.

Zhang Da Niu nodded.

The two fell silent, staring blankly at each other. Before long, Zhang Da Niu scratched the back of his head and took his leave first.

As he watched the figure departing in the distance, something strange flashed through Lin Yin's eyes.

Unlike Xu Chang, whose Palm Technique had reached Great Accomplishment, or Wan Li, whose stake technique and palm technique advanced in tandem, Zhang Da Niu gave him an entirely different feeling.

Qi and Blood! His Qi and Blood was truly powerful! Several levels stronger than Shi Zhong's had been before—already barely comparable to Lin Yin, who had cultivated Golden Bell Shield to Minor Accomplishment.

This... was simply unbelievable!