Outer Sect Martial Arts Hall

Martial Arts Hall.

The martial arts lesson being taught here today had already ended.

On the bluestone-tiled ground, outer sect disciples practiced on their own, sweat pouring down like rain.

Wang Hu was among them.

The result on the Heaven-Ascending Stone Steps was not based on the highest level one had ever reached, but on the level one stood on in the end.

Afterward, he had endured the agony and forced himself to climb, but in the end he had still only been assigned to the outer sect.

And that was all thanks to one person!

"He must have used some method to deceive the Heaven-Ascending Stone Steps!"

"One day, I'll make him show his true form."

Bang—bang—

He struck the sandbag until it thudded loudly, as if he had taken it for the certain someone who made him gnash his teeth in hatred.

This was the only way he could vent his anger.

After all, Li Mo was already a true disciple.

Even his cousin Wang Hao could not make a move against him.

"Junior Brother Wang, this cousin of yours has brought the Six Harmonies Fist to a decent level of mastery."

"His meridians have been opened too. There's no need for me to teach him further."

An outer sect deacon in blue robes raised his brows as he spoke.

"Little Hu has had some talent in fist arts since he was young. He only muddled through a couple of moves with that uncle of mine."

Wang Hao wore a smile on his face, but a trace of coldness flashed at the corner of his mouth.

"Like Xiao Qin, he should have been an inner sect disciple."

The deacon shook his head and looked toward a young man in the crowd.

The young man had ordinary looks and wore short garments, his gaze filled with determination.

He was practicing with meticulous care, his entire body soaked with sweat.

"Senior Brother, that isn't right. Huzi's talent isn't something that trash can compare to."

"He entered the inner sect in the same batch as me once, yet the more he trained, the more useless he became. His qi and blood are about to decline to the level of someone who has only just opened his meridians, aren't they?"

A trace of mockery showed in Wang Hao's eyes.

As the two of them were speaking, within the sunlight shining through the main gate, a figure suddenly appeared.

The youth wore cloud-patterned robes, his smile bright and easygoing.

"Mm?" Wang Hao raised a brow.

"Li Mo?"

When Wang Hu saw that familiar face, he punched a hole straight through the sandbag.

The movements of everyone who had been practicing martial arts stopped one after another, their expressions confused and bewildered.

Wasn't he a true disciple?

Why had he come running to the outer sect Martial Arts Hall?

"Junior Brother Li, I am He Hongfeng. What brings you here..." The blue-robed outer sect deacon rose, his manners thorough and proper.

Li Mo gave a light cough and said, "Senior Brother He, greetings. I came to learn some basic fist-and-kick martial arts."

He Hongfeng: "?"

A true disciple had come running to the outer sect Martial Arts Hall to learn basic martial arts?

You had to be joking.

"Do... the elders know about this?"

"Uh, my master went to sleep. It was Elder Xue who told me to come."

Li Mo nodded.

"Master... Elder Shang Wu?"

The moment He Hongfeng thought of that beautiful elder in fiery-red palace attire, his heart immediately understood.

That made sense.

The expressions of everyone in the Martial Arts Hall varied. Some took joy in his misfortune, some pitied him, and some were unconvinced.

A dignified true disciple had actually fallen so far as to come to the outer sect to learn martial arts.

This showed that he was not especially valued...

That made sense.

The elders all had their own true disciples, and lately Ying Bing's momentum had been at its height. Many people were already saying she would become the next sect master of the Clear Abyss Sect, so naturally, the elders all revolved around her.

Li Mo, meanwhile, had ended up with a master whom even people hated and dogs despised.

Being left out in the cold was not exactly hard to understand.

In the crowd—

The young man named Xiao Qin was wiping away sweat at that moment, and a trace of a sigh showed in his eyes.

Wasn't his own situation much the same?

"Can true disciples not come to the outer sect's Martial Arts Hall?"

"The rules never said you can't. It's just that today's basics of fists and feet have already been taught. If you still want to learn, you'll have to ask the inner sect senior brother who came to teach them."

He Hongfeng was responsible for guiding outer sect disciples in opening their meridians and refining their qi and blood.

"The inner sect senior brother teaching fists and feet..."

Li Mo followed his line of sight and saw Wang Hao sitting there drinking tea.

Without even raising his head, Wang Hao spoke in a rather unfriendly tone.

"The Martial Arts Hall has its own rules. Every day, I only lead the outer sect disciples in practice for one double-hour."

"Since you arrived late, no one gets an exception."

As he spoke, he lifted his head again and feigned a belated look of surprise.

"Junior Brother Li? Aren't you a true disciple?"

"If you insist on breaking the rules, then I suppose I'll have no choice but to give you a little private lesson."

The way he said it was quite sinister.

If Li Mo opened his mouth again and said he wanted to learn, then that meant he wanted to break the rules and demand an exception.

Originally, everyone might have felt that teaching it one more time was no big deal, but once those words were spoken, they would feel it was unfair.

"Cousin, so what if he's a true disciple!"

"Once he comes to the outer sect, he still has to follow the rules!"

Wang Hu played along in perfect rhythm, taking on the role of a comic sidekick.

Although he had not formally taken a master yet, it was all but certain he would become Deacon Futu's disciple.

In terms of status, he was not afraid of Li Mo, this unwelcome true disciple.

He Hongfeng also stopped speaking. He was guarding the Martial Arts Hall, and as long as no trouble broke out, that was enough. He had no intention of getting involved in other people's conflicts.

"All right, all right. Are you two putting on a crosstalk show here?"

Li Mo raised a hand to make them shut up, then said to He Hongfeng, "If I watch others practice from the side, that doesn't break the rules, does it?"

"Of course that is allowed."

"Good."

Li Mo nodded, then walked into the Martial Arts Hall and began looking around.

"He seems to be practicing pretty well?"

His gaze settled, and Li Mo walked toward Xiao Qin in the corner.

"Tsk... those two have ended up together."

Wang Hao shot him a sidelong glance, the corner of his mouth lifting.

Wang Hu almost laughed out loud.

You think you can learn just by watching others practice? Who do you think you are?

And of all people to learn from, you go and pick the outer sect's famous good-for-nothing.

"This senior brother, would it be convenient for me to watch you practice here?"

Li Mo first gave him a salute.

"Xiao Qin. If you want to watch, then watch. I can't guarantee you'll learn it."

Xiao Qin said dully.

Li Mo smiled warmly. "Senior Brother Xiao, just practice as you normally would. There's no need to mind me."

Xiao Qin's eyes were complicated.

This youth was a true disciple, yet he did not carry himself by relying on his status. On the contrary, he treated an outer sect disciple like him with courtesy.

After enduring so many cold eyes, it was rare for him to feel another person's respect.

For a moment, a faint feeling of two sufferers pitying each other actually arose in him.

"Junior Brother, this is Six Harmonies Fist. I'll start from the beginning. Watch carefully."

After Xiao Qin spoke, he deliberately slowed his movements.