Three days later, Lingyun Martial Arts School.
"Zhang Da Niu broke through!"
"Zhang Da Niu? You mean Junior Brother Da Niu?"
"What junior brother? We should be calling him Senior Brother now!"
"He broke through! Senior Brother Da Niu reached Bright Strength, and it looks like his stance technique and palm technique advanced together!"
At those words, all of Lingyun Martial Arts School erupted. The young disciples surged into the Inner Court, apparently eager to catch a glimpse of Zhang Da Niu.
In a corner of the school.
Lin Yin braced himself with both hands and pressed down the surging blood and qi inside him. He exhaled a long breath of stale air, and a glint of golden light seemed to flicker in his eyes.
[Heaven rewards diligence, Will achieve something] [Cloud Settling Stake Technique Initiation (98/100)] [Cloud Palm Initiation (98/100)]
His second set of stance and palm techniques had now advanced completely in tandem.
Noticing the commotion at the school, Lin Yin followed the crowd.
In these three days, Zhang Da Niu wasn't the only one to break through. From what Lin Yin had heard, aside from Senior Brother Shi Yan, four other senior brothers had attempted to break through, but only one had succeeded.
Now, with Zhang Da Niu, that made two.
Unlike the earlier senior brother, who had only advanced his stance skill to Minor Accomplishment, Zhang Da Niu's stance and palm techniques advancing together had clearly drawn far more attention.
Along the way, Lin Yin also saw quite a few senior brothers who had reached Bright Strength.
When he arrived at the Inner Court, he spotted a burly man sitting cross-legged atop a tall wooden stake. A middle-aged man with a straight, upright bearing stood beside him.
It was none other than Yun Tian Qing, the School Master of Lingyun Martial Arts School, whom Lin Yin hadn't seen for several days!
At that moment, the School Master was waiting nearby, occasionally tapping Zhang Da Niu's vital points. Each gentle tap made Lin Yin sense an inexplicable Qi Mechanism.
Besides that, Zhang Da Niu's bare upper body was coated in a layer of pale green, translucent liquid that gleamed strangely in the morning sunlight.
"That's medicine... Master clearly thinks highly of Junior Brother Da Niu. He's only breaking through the first barrier, and Master has already applied medicine to him."
The surrounding disciples' chatter provided answers in passing.
"I heard Master returned three days ago and has been preparing for Junior Brother Da Niu's breakthrough ever since. Looks like Junior Brother Da Niu really hasn't let anyone down."
Listening to the discussion around him, Lin Yin wore an inscrutable expression. Yun Tian Qing's manner alone made it clear how much importance he attached to this.
After all, Lin Yin hadn't seen so much as a shadow of him these past few days. He'd even heard rumors of other senior and junior brothers attempting breakthroughs during that time, but never once had the School Master made a special appearance.
Yet when Zhang Da Niu broke through, the School Master had gone out of his way to prepare for him. That showed just how highly he regarded him!
"Haah—"
Zhang Da Niu, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and his mind focused, suddenly opened his eyes and gave a low shout. His voice rang out loud and clear, cutting through the air.
Lin Yin's eyes flickered as he watched the burly figure rise from the stake. A trace of surprise crossed his face.
What powerful blood and qi!
Vapor rose from Zhang Da Niu's body, condensing into a mist that lingered in the air. The sudden shout pierced through the space with such force that every disciple below turned pale.
Some Bright Strength Disciples looked grave, while others cried out in astonishment.
Clearly, the presence he carried was extraordinary.
Feeling the eyes fixed on him from below, Zhang Da Niu first bowed deeply to Yun Tian Qing, who was looking at him with approval, then leaped down from the stake.
Despite his massive frame, he dropped from the wooden stake, more than three meters high, and landed as lightly as a feather, his breathing steady.
Up close, the disciples around him could feel a distinct wave of heat washing over them.
"Junior Brother, what powerful blood and qi!"
A low shout rang out from the crowd. Lin Yin's expression shifted, and he narrowed his eyes as a figure emerged from the throng and strode straight toward Zhang Da Niu.
"Senior Brother Yun Hai!"
Seeing the young man in white, Zhang Da Niu didn't dare act casually. He hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed.
Yun Hai beamed. He reached out and patted Zhang Da Niu lightly on the shoulder, then turned and clasped his hands toward Yun Tian Qing, who had leaped down from the stake on the other side.
Yun Tian Qing nodded in acknowledgment, then announced loudly,
"From this day onward, Zhang Da Niu is a Personal Disciple of this school!"
The moment the words fell, the disciples around them burst into an uproar. Even Yun Hai's beaming expression stiffened for the briefest instant.
Having finished speaking, Yun Tian Qing didn't spare the assembled disciples another glance. He turned and departed with effortless grace.
The disciples, who had seemed repressed moments ago, erupted into a clamor. Lin Yin felt the crowd of onlookers around him surge toward Zhang Da Niu like a dark tide.
They showered him with flattery, and some even brought gifts. The variety of their antics left Lin Yin dumbstruck.
"Reaching Bright Strength really is just like Senior Brother said—every kind of benefit comes knocking!"
"Ah, Junior Brother Zhang is so lucky. He was made a Personal Disciple on the spot! When Junior Brother Li Shi reached Bright Strength a while back, Master only gave him a token word of encouragement. The difference in treatment is enormous!"
"How can Junior Brother Li Shi compare with Junior Brother Da Niu?"
The words around him made Lin Yin immediately reconsider his conclusion.
"Personal Disciple?"
Lin Yin wore an inscrutable expression. He watched a little longer from the edge of the crowd, witnessing Li Da Niu get surrounded by a throng of eager junior and senior brothers until he couldn't get away, then quietly left.
Compared with how these people's attitude toward Zhang Da Niu had changed, or their flattery of a so-called Personal Disciple, Lin Yin didn't have much to say.
He wasn't interested in status or fame. Instead, he'd grown increasingly curious about the martial art Zhang Da Niu practiced.
Brute Ox Strength?
His blood and qi might not match mine, with my Dual Techniques, but it was still astonishing. I really wonder what mysteries this technique holds.
Lin Yin mulled it over, his heart burning with curiosity.
Unfortunately, Brute Ox Strength seemed to be Zhang Da Niu's Family Heirloom, and the school didn't teach it.
Lin Yin shook his head and left.
Over the next few days, Lin Yin often heard about senior brothers failing their breakthroughs.
Gradually, he began to sense something was wrong. The senior and junior brothers throughout the school seemed to have pulled together as one, straining with all their might to get ahead.
At last, on the fifth day, Lin Yin caught wind of something.
"The Lieyang Escort Agency and Haifu Trading Company will soon arrive in Langshi Town. They'll recruit a group of skilled fighters at Bright Strength or above. I hear the rewards are astounding, and there are even rumors of a Blood Augmentation Pill that can help someone break through the third major barrier!"
"A Blood Augmentation Pill? A breakthrough at the third major barrier? There's actually a pill like that?"
After hearing the news, Lin Yin suddenly understood. Thinking of Xu Chang's change in behavior these past few days, he realized that Senior Brother Xu must have kept the reason from him because he didn't want Lin Yin to feel burdened.
A Great Medicine to break through the third major barrier... It was probably the main prize Senior Brother and Second Senior Disciple Brother were competing for this time.
The other rewards, aside from this Great Medicine, were bound to be substantial too.
Medicine related to the third realm was no ordinary thing, and securing a share of the spots for their respective disciples was also crucial.
"No wonder..."
Knowing Xu Chang, Lin Yin was certain he would give it everything he had and hurry to break through. After all, Xu Chang and Senior Brother were closely tied together.
Lin Yin waited quietly, eager to see how things would unfold. But before Xu Chang could break through, Lin Yin himself unexpectedly got there first...
Before you continue