Four Questions of Utter Confusion, Not Bad at All

"Just a lucky breakthrough..."

Seeing Chen Mo spout nonsense with such a dead-serious expression, Yan Cheng felt too embarrassed to expose him. He merely smiled and said,

"I, Yan Cheng, keep my word. As long as you lasted thirty moves, I would agree to let you join the Martial Arts School. Without a doubt, you did it."

Thinking that his Martial Arts School had obtained the allegiance of such a peerless genius—one who would rank among the first tier even in the talent-packed capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty—without paying any extra price, and that Chen Mo possessed formidable real combat ability as well, Yan Cheng could barely stop smiling.

Without waiting for Chen Mo to speak, he directly said with a smile,

"Chen Mo, welcome to the True Martial Arts School. Given your Divine Valor Realm strength, becoming a Martial Arts School Disciple would clearly be inappropriate. No one here could teach you, either, so you can directly serve as an Instructor Martial Master. Don't worry, none of the benefits you deserve will be withheld."

"Then I'll respectfully accept rather than decline." Naturally, Chen Mo had no reason to refuse.

Becoming an Instructor Martial Master at the Martial Arts School would benefit him greatly from every angle. Only a fool would turn it down.

Seeing Chen Mo formally agree, Yan Cheng's smile grew even brighter.

He then gestured for the three True Disciples whom he had been instructing earlier to continue training there on their own. After sternly ordering them not to reveal any information about Chen Mo's realm, he left the Training Ground with Chen Mo.

At the same time, over at the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, Senior Brother Qi had already met School Master Lei Ming and quickly explained Chen Mo's situation.

"Master, should we go over to True Martial?"

Hearing Senior Brother Qi's words, Lei Ming waved his hand and calmly replied, "Forget it. He is, at most, a fifteen-year-old Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist. His potential is decent, but a genius who has yet to grow up is no different from an ordinary person. There's no need to pay him any attention."

Though he said that, Senior Brother Qi saw that the stone slab beneath his master's right foot had already shattered completely. His master's mood was clearly far from bright, so he wisely hurriedly took his leave.

Once Senior Brother Qi had left, Lei Ming could no longer maintain his earlier calmness. His face was filled with fury.

"Trash! They're all trash!"

A fifteen-year-old Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist! Such a genius had slipped through their fingers just like that. How infuriating!

Yet he could not bring himself to go to the True Martial Arts School and snatch Chen Mo away.

Based on what he knew of Yan Cheng, the other man would definitely recruit Chen Mo under his banner as quickly as possible. If Lei Ming went there now, he would only give that old rival an opportunity to mock him. He absolutely could not go.

He could only stew in his own anger.

Back to Chen Mo...

Led by Yan Cheng, Chen Mo toured every area of the True Martial Arts School. He was assigned an independent small courtyard as his residence, and Yan Cheng had someone personally deliver that month's cultivation resources and silver payment for an Instructor Martial Master to his home in front of him.

Yan Cheng even paid out of his own pocket to give Chen Mo an additional month's share of resources.

His warmth and generosity made Chen Mo a little wary. If Yan Cheng did not make some request, Chen Mo would almost feel embarrassed to accept all this.

In the eyes of the True Martial Arts School's disciples and other Instructor Martial Masters, the fact that School Master Yan Cheng personally led Chen Mo around to familiarize him with the Martial Arts School and introduced him to everyone was enough to show Chen Mo's standing in Yan Cheng's heart.

Naturally, none of them dared slight him.

Especially the senior Instructor Martial Masters. They were all shrewd and perceptive people, immediately understanding Yan Cheng's intentions.

How could they still dare put on the airs of seniors?

Not to mention that Chen Mo's reputation among the martial artists of Hequ County was far from small. A fifteen-year-old Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist—and not one who merely had the realm but lacked fighting strength.

That fact alone was enough to make them take him seriously.

Among martial artists, strength was always the most direct standard of measurement.

Seeing the reactions of those Instructor Martial Masters, how could Yan Cheng not know what they were thinking? He could not help but sigh inwardly.

"These fellows must all think I'm backing Chen Mo up. Little do they know that I'm doing this entirely to protect you."

The True Martial Arts School had twelve Instructor Martial Masters at the Divine Strength Realm or above. Three of them had even reached the Divine Valor Realm. Together with Yan Cheng, the Qi and Blood Realm School Master, they formed the Martial Arts School's highest combat force.

In terms of the number of top experts at the Divine Strength Realm and above, the Martial Arts School might have fewer than the Three Great Families. But when it came to peak combat power, it unquestionably surpassed them by a great deal.

Once one reached the Divine Valor Realm, whether in endurance, strength, or the body's ability to withstand punishment, they were far beyond what Divine Strength Realm Martial Artists could compare to. The possibility of defeating someone above one's realm was extremely low.

The True Martial Arts School possessed three Divine Valor Realm Martial Artists. Based on that alone, it would be difficult for any one of the Three Great Families to contend with it.

Of course, with Chen Mo joining, the number of Divine Valor Realm Martial Artists at the True Martial Arts School increased by one more, reaching four.

After Yan Cheng personally tested him, Chen Mo was confirmed to be the second strongest person in the Martial Arts School, including Yan Cheng himself.

If the long-established Instructor Martial Masters in the school—especially the three proud Divine Valor Realm Martial Masters—tried to suppress or target Chen Mo because of their greater seniority, the ones who would lose face and get hurt would certainly be them.

After all, they had spent so long together. For everyone's sake and dignity, Yan Cheng had put on this display so they would understand how highly he valued Chen Mo. As for those misunderstandings... he would find a way to clear them up.

With Chen Mo joining the True Martial Arts School, the balance between Hequ County's two top Martial Arts Schools, both backed by sects, had already been broken.

The True Martial Arts School undoubtedly held the upper hand.

Originally, Yan Cheng had only regarded Chen Mo as a fifteen-year-old Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist with astonishing potential. He had thought that, after a few years of cultivation, Chen Mo would most likely break through to the Divine Valor Realm with the talent he had displayed. At that point, the True Martial Arts School would be able to overpower the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School.

Who would have thought happiness would arrive so suddenly? Chen Mo was already a Divine Valor Realm Martial Artist. Judging from his combat strength, he had likely broken through into the Divine Valor Realm long ago.

This was a genius who knew how to hide his edge!

Geniuses like this generally rose to greatness in the end. They were exceptionally worthy of investment. That was precisely what Yan Cheng did: the moment Chen Mo joined, he raised Chen Mo's benefits and treatment to the highest standard in the Martial Arts School.

A fifteen-year-old Instructor Martial Master at a Martial Arts School—there had never been such a precedent.

But Chen Mo was worth it.

Chen Mo sensed something called sincerity from Yan Cheng, something he had never felt back at the Guo Family. Even so, he did not lower his guard. He would definitely continue testing for poison with Silver Needles and the like.

He also still needed to dig another underground tunnel.

That afternoon, Chen Mo roughly toured every area of the True Martial Arts School, met all the key figures, and then had dinner together with everyone.

There was no need to mention martial artists' appetites. Every one of them was a bottomless pit.

Instead, Yan Cheng, the School Master with the highest realm, ate relatively normally.

According to him, once one reached the Qi and Blood Realm, one could lock in one's own qi and blood so it would not leak away. So long as one did not fight or expend too much during cultivation, the energy needed for replenishment was not much, and there was no need to eat vast amounts.

Besides, the food at the Martial Arts School was no ordinary fare. It contained considerable energy.

In any case, after eating there for the first time, Chen Mo had taken a liking to the Martial Arts School's Canteen. He would definitely come often in the future.

Aside from the ten True Disciples, other disciples had to pay to eat there. Instructor Martial Masters did not, which counted as a major benefit.

After dinner, they chatted for a while longer. With Yan Cheng taking the lead, Chen Mo had friendly sparring matches with the Martial Arts School's three Divine Valor Realm Martial Masters.

More than an hour later, the three men, who had initially worn the manner of seniors, all began to doubt their lives.

Who was I?

Where was I?

What had I just experienced?

Was I dreaming?

Four questions of utter confusion!

A fifteen-year-old Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist was already shocking enough, yet Chen Mo was actually at the Divine Valor Realm, and his combat strength was even greater than those three veteran Divine Valor Realm Martial Artists. Their eyes nearly fell out of their heads, and they all began doubting themselves.

It felt as if they had spent all these years cultivating themselves into dogs.

Chen Mo merely smiled calmly. This was nothing. Now that I've joined the Martial Arts School, I have sufficient cultivation resources and can learn more martial arts techniques. My strength will continue to rise rapidly.

I should reach the Qi and Blood Realm very soon!

That night, Chen Mo finally returned to the small courtyard where he lived. Looking at the cultivation resources placed on the table, he smiled in satisfaction.

"True Martial Arts School... not bad at all."