Friendship Gathering

However, Jiang Ping was now penniless. Where would he find the silver to exchange for a Stance Technique?

"So while cultivating quickly is a good thing, if I want to keep growing stronger without pause, I still need to make money as soon as possible."

His brows furrowed slightly as he pondered how to make money.

"I've sensed my qi and blood!"

At that moment, a delighted cry that overwhelmed the entire grounds rang out, interrupting Jiang Ping's train of thought.

He followed the sound and discovered that it was his roommate, Luo Tiegen.

Like Sun Zheng, he was sharing the joy of his breakthrough with those around him.

In fact, because Qian Dele, Sun Qi, and the others had thoroughly demonstrated the importance of nutritious food.

After yesterday's test, most people had chosen to pay for double portions of meat. By now, quite a few had gotten their wish and taken their cultivation methods past the threshold. Luo Tiegen was one of them.

Of course, while double portions of nutritious food were immensely beneficial to the Martial Dao, results varied from person to person. Some had eaten double portions and still failed to get started.

For example, Luo Da Niu had not managed to enter the door. As he looked at Luo Tiegen now, his expression was complicated, with a trace of envy.

"Congratulations, Brother Tiegen. You've reached the same level as me," Sun Zheng, who thought well of Luo Tiegen, was the first to offer his congratulations.

Luo Tiegen answered smugly, taking quite a while to calm down from his excitement.

But in the end, he did not forget to call out to Jiang Ping.

"Brother Jiang, I broke through! I've caught up to you!"

Jiang Ping said nothing. Ever since he had ranked fifth, this person had been calling him "Brother" at every turn. He had not expected that the moment Luo Tiegen got started, even his form of address would change.

Of course, Jiang Ping did not care what the other man called him.

Then Jiang Ping put away his thoughts and focused on his own cultivation.

The Training Ground became quiet again, with only the rising and falling sounds of heavy breathing.

Evening arrived swiftly.

After three training sessions that day, Jiang Ping was drenched in sweat and had reached the Sage Time of his final session.

He did not grit his teeth and force himself onward. After greeting Liu Wensheng, who often came to talk to him, he chose to head straight back to the dormitory to rest.

On the way, Jiang Ping panted heavily while thinking to himself:

"My progress has slowed."

The double portions of nutritious food had indeed accelerated Jiang Ping's cultivation, but each layer of the Nourishing Life Technique was harder to cultivate than the last. He had only just broken through, so compared to yesterday, his speed had naturally slowed considerably.

Thus, his cultivation progress today was no longer as lightning-fast as before.

"The Nourishing Life Technique truly lives up to its reputation. Destiny says it takes half a year to master, which shows just how difficult this technique is—and I'm only at the Fifth Layer!"

"But then again."

This slowness was only relative to Jiang Ping's previous cultivation progress.

Judging it overall, in less than two days, he would still be able to advance the technique another step.

This was talent!

Before long, Jiang Ping returned to the dormitory. A moment later, he walked back out with a towel in hand.

More than half an hour later.

Jiang Ping returned from the bathhouse with a flushed face, only to discover that three people had returned to the dormitory ahead of him.

They were Qian Dele, Sun Zheng, and Luo Tiegen.

They were also the only people in the entire dormitory besides Jiang Ping who had entered the door of the Nourishing Life Technique.

The three had somehow acquired a low table and were sitting around it on the floor. Several plates of meat dishes and several jugs of wine were set upon the tabletop.

"Brother Jiang." Luo Tiegen greeted him as usual, seemingly holding no grudge.

Sun Zheng, meanwhile, gave him a cold glance before smiling and chatting with Qian Dele about the sensation that had just rocked the Training Ground. It turned out Sun Qi had broken through to the Second Level of the Nourishing Life Technique at an astonishing speed, shocking the entire Training Ground.

Jiang Ping's brows rose slightly when he heard this, and he was somewhat surprised.

Could Sun Qi truly be someone extraordinary? Otherwise, why had that fellow broken through just after he made progress, even mastering the power of the Second Level?

"Sure enough, heroes under heaven are as numerous as carp crossing a river. I can't underestimate anyone."

Jiang Ping thought this to himself, warning himself not to think too highly of his own abilities. There was always someone stronger beyond every person.

Across from him, Sun Zheng noticed Jiang Ping's expression and spoke with even greater enthusiasm.

But Jiang Ping quickly composed himself. Without asking about the three men's meal, he walked straight toward his bed without so much as a sidelong glance.

Just as he was about to climb onto the bed, he heard noisy voices outside the dormitory, drawing closer and closer.

When Jiang Ping glanced over, three or four people had already arrived together at the doorway.

By coincidence, the newcomers were precisely the Sun Qi Sun Zheng had mentioned, along with three others who had also entered the door of the Nourishing Life Technique. Jiang Ping recognized them all; their Fist Force rankings were all in the top ten.

"Brother Sun Qi, brothers, you're here."

Seeing the newcomers, the three seated men all rose to welcome them. Sun Zheng, in particular, was exceptionally excited.

Sun Zheng eagerly ushered Sun Qi to the main seat. The others took their seats, and after a round of solemn introductions, they began pouring wine and eating meat.

Jiang Ping, already lying on his bed, finally understood. This was a Friendship Gathering.

But it had nothing to do with him. With Qian Dele and Sun Zheng present, how could they possibly invite him?

Jiang Ping closed his eyes and thought about the Stance Technique.

But whenever men gathered for a meal and got carried away in conversation, their voices were like a battle raging—about as loud as could be.

Jiang Ping's train of thought was interrupted several times. He even suspected that Qian Dele had deliberately chosen this dormitory for the Friendship Gathering just to disgust him. Sun Zheng in particular had the loudest voice of all.

Of course, as long as they were not rubbing it in his face, Jiang Ping could endure it. After all, young men gathered for a meal were bound to get boisterous, and he was willing to be tolerant.

Below.

Their topic shifted again and again until they began discussing the Martial Dao.

"By the way, congratulations to Brother Qi for entering the Second Level of the Nourishing Life Technique. You're the strongest among our hundred people. Tiegen offers you a bowl of wine." Luo Tiegen enthusiastically raised his bowl and said with a broad grin.

There was a touch of pride on Sun Qi's face, but he modestly replied, "Not at all, not at all. I merely ate one more portion of nutritious food than you did."

"Three portions of nutritious food can bring such speed? It's making me want to spend silver on another portion of beef myself," Qian Dele said.

Only then did Jiang Ping, above them, learn why Sun Qi had broken through so quickly. He had already begun eating three portions of nutritious food.

"If I could..." Jiang Ping thought, then sighed inwardly. If those Eight Taels of Silver were still with him, he would not be in such a straitened state.

Of course, timing and Destiny were what they were. If not for those Eight Taels of Silver, he would not have left home in disappointment, nor would he have discovered his talent for the Martial Dao so quickly.

"It varies from person to person."

Sun Zheng's voice rang out. He curled his lip. "Nutritious food may indeed benefit the Martial Dao, but whether one can cultivate successfully depends on oneself. Take Brother Tiegen's two fellow villagers and the others in this dormitory, for example. They also ate double portions of nutritious food, but haven't we heard nothing from them so far? The path of the Martial Dao still depends on talent. Those people simply have talent too poor."

"That's not wrong."

The voice came not from their group, but from the doorway.

The other roommates had returned as well. The speaker was Luo Da Niu, though his expression was somewhat unnatural. The other roommates wore various expressions too. Clearly, they had heard Sun Zheng's insulting remarks.

"Da Niu, come have something to eat?" Seeing his fellow villager's expression, Luo Tiegen hurriedly waved an invitation. Da Niu shook his head and politely declined.

He naturally knew that this meal had requirements. They had all entered the door of the Nourishing Life Technique. As someone who had not yet gotten started, how was he qualified to sit at the table?

"Right, speaking of Peony Lane..." Tiegen wanted to change the subject, but before he could finish, he was interrupted again. Sun Zheng became more and more animated. Seven sentences out of ten praised Sun Qi, while the other three used Poor Students like Da Niu as comparisons, utterly disregarding the occasion.

Da Niu and the others did not react much. They silently took their towels and walked out of the dormitory.

In truth, Luo Da Niu understood that these people looked down on them. Otherwise, why would they not stop Sun Zheng from gossiping about them to their faces?