This Child Has Entered the Blood-Tempering Realm, Yet He Is Ruined! Inner Court Disciple, Core Martial Arts

"Senior Sister Li?"

Wei Shan's chest heaved violently, his forehead slick with sweat.

His fierce, malevolent gaze remained locked onto Shi Wen, unwilling to let go, desperate to reclaim his lost face from this kid.

Finally, he snorted and withdrew his stance. "Consider yourself lucky, kid!"

He had already figured out the boy's patterns.

A few more exchanges and he could have finished him off, but unfortunately, Senior Sister Li had arrived.

Senior Sister Li was the second-ranked disciple of the Inner Court, a figure of such high status that even Senior Brother Sun Mingting had to treat her with utmost respect. How could he dare to offend her?

"What a pity..."

Shi Wen relaxed his tensed arms.

He had intended to break a few of Wei Shan's bones as a minor punishment, but he hadn't expected Li Qianqian to appear just then.

"Everyone, disperse."

With Li Qianqian's single command, the outer court disciples who had been watching the commotion scattered.

The inner court disciples, however, began to re-examine this mud-legged boy who was usually silent and worked with such grueling diligence.

A strange glint flashed in their eyes.

What was going on?

In just half a month, this kid had actually succeeded in the Blood-Tempering Realm?

Could it be that Senior Li had misjudged him?

Zhao Shanming, sitting under a tree sipping tea, had been observing Shi Wen for a long time.

He shook his head and said, "A pity. This boy must have tempered that sliver of blood-qi only at the very moment his body was completely hollowed out."

"Though his natural aptitude is poor, his comprehension is high. To be able to practice basic techniques to the point of resonating with blood-qi and successfully stepping into this realm is quite impressive. It is only a shame that the process of nourishing and tempering blood requires a well-nourished body; one must have a deep foundation before attempting to condense blood-qi."

"Otherwise, the forcibly condensed blood-qi acts like a starving wolf, plundering and draining one's very essence!"

"This is the reason for the importance of natural aptitude. Those with good aptitude not only possess innate talent in martial arts but also represent a deep and sturdy foundation."

"It is a pity. Barring any accidents, this boy will likely never progress beyond the Blood-Tempering Realm in his lifetime."

Zhao Shanming shook his head, pointing to the parts of Shi Wen's body where the skin seemed tightly stretched over his bones as an example. "This is the sign of an insufficient foundation—the moment the blood-qi was born, it forcibly extracted energy, leading to the depletion of his origin."

"He's finished."

His words caused the expressions of the inner court disciples present to shift.

Some had originally intended to befriend or recruit him, but after hearing Zhao Shanming's assessment, they lost all interest.

Zhao Shanming was the third-ranked disciple of the Inner Court, a martial arts expert who had spent years in the Blood-Coagulation Realm. Beyond the Baji Fist, he had mastered several other martial arts.

He was a man of formidable practical combat ability.

If Senior Brother Zhao said so, then it must be the truth.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Shi! Come to Jiangcheng Tower tonight for a meal; I'm hosting, and we'll celebrate properly!"

Yan Kai walked over with a grin, patting his arm. "You must come."

"Senior Brother Yan, what's the point of recruiting him? Senior Brother Zhao said he'll never get past the Blood-Tempering Realm. Recruiting him is just a waste of your family's money!"

Wei Shan muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on Shi Wen with undisguised malice.

As for the other inner court disciples, they remained silent.

The Yan family business was quite large, and as the only son, Yan Kai's primary goal in practicing martial arts—aside from strengthening his body—was to use his status to recruit martial artists to work for his family.

Many in the outer court with talent, strong techniques, or raw strength had already been recruited by Yan Kai to serve as guards for his household.

Even in the inner court, many held positions within the Yan Family Chamber of Commerce.

For instance, Sun Mingting, Wei Shan, and others.

They all received a generous monthly stipend.

"I knew Junior Brother Shi would make it into the inner court. Do you all remember what I said when Junior Brother Shi first joined the Fist Academy?"

Yan Kai said with a smile, adding, "Let's leave together after class, and we'll have a meal tonight to celebrate."

"Senior Brother Yan, if you insist on celebrating him, then don't bother celebrating me."

Qin Huan spoke up suddenly, putting Yan Kai in a difficult position. But since the words were already out, Yan Kai replied, "Your celebration banquet is tomorrow night. I've already invited many inner court seniors and some wealthy merchants from the city for you—that's the main event."

"I don't care. Senior Brother Yan, if you are going to host this kid, then I won't be going."

Qin Huan's gaze was cold.

He found this boy, who had managed to temper his blood-qi through his own efforts, deeply eyesore.

He had only become a martial artist by relying on medicinal pills, and seeing this kid succeed on his own made him feel incompetent by comparison.

Wei Shan, standing to the side, curled the corners of his lips and secretly gave Qin Huan a thumbs-up.

Qin Huan responded with a nod; the recognition from members of his small circle made him feel quite gratified.

"This..."

Yan Kai was suddenly in a difficult position, and Shi Wen had no appetite for any meal, saying calmly, "Senior Brother Yan, thank you for your kind intentions, but perhaps we could gather another time when you are free?"

"Very well."

Yan Kai sighed helplessly, and the two exchanged a few brief words.

The conversation had just ended.

The inner-court disciples, having finished watching the spectacle, lost interest in Shi Wen. One by one, they withdrew their gazes and began discussing the affairs of the Flying Cloud Pavilion among themselves.

Clearly, many inner-court disciples had been stirred by today's events.

On one side was a martial artist who had forcibly broken through by exhausting his foundation, and on the other, a genius with Grade Eight bone structure.

If they were Yan Kai, they would certainly choose to befriend Qin Heng as well.

Anyone with eyes could see who had the better talent and the higher potential!

Many inner-court disciples returned upon being summoned.

Li Qianqian spoke up, "Junior Brother Shi, come with me to register your information."

"Understood."

Shi Wen followed behind Li Qianqian toward the accounting office.

Aside from paying his tuition, Shi Wen had basically never been to this place.

"Junior Brother, these are the inner-court disciple robes and your identity token. If you encounter any trouble in Black Cloud County, you can reveal your status as a Fist Academy disciple; it might save you quite a bit of trouble."

"Furthermore, once you officially become an inner-court disciple, your tuition is waived. You will also receive 10 catties of exotic beast meat and a monthly supply of Bone-Strengthening Tiger Medicine for free. Additionally, you will receive the core martial art, the Six Harmonies Eight Desolations Baji Fist. This is the foundation upon which our Fist Academy stands; it possesses a complete set of techniques and methods for tempering the bones and tendons of the entire body. Only after learning this martial art can you be called a true Baji Fist disciple!"

Li Qianqian handed him several sets of clothes while personally carving the character "Shi" onto a wooden token.

She handed it to Shi Wen and said, "Having become an inner-court disciple, you may never betray the sect. If the sect has need of you, you must offer your assistance. At the same time, the academy will collect a ten percent commission on any outside affiliation fees you earn."

"This fee covers your free tuition, the Bone-Strengthening Medicine that complements the Baji Fist, the exotic beast meat, and the academy's core martial arts."

"Of course, if you do not have a suitable organization to affiliate with, the academy can help you contact appropriate chambers of commerce or gangs to sign an agreement, allowing you to obtain a stable source of income to sustain your daily training. In such cases, the affiliation fee is around thirty percent."

"If you are unwilling, you may also refuse."

Li Qianqian explained the situation in detail.

Upon hearing this, Shi Wen did not find anything unacceptable.

After all, Senior Sister Li had laid everything out clearly, and since he was here to learn, he knew that learning the core martial arts would naturally require paying a corresponding price.

He had originally expected to pay more tuition to learn the true Baji Fist.

He hadn't expected that.

Beyond the waived tuition, he would also receive 10 catties of exotic beast meat and monthly Bone-Strengthening Medicine; it was truly not bad.

As expected, only by entering the inner court could one be treated as an individual.

"Master Li is away from the academy for a few days, so you will have to wait for his return to receive this month's 10 catties of exotic beast meat, as the core supply is managed by him. As for the Bone-Strengthening Medicine, you can take it with you when you finish your lessons later."

Li Qianqian took out a pen and recorded some things on paper.

She then asked, "Junior Brother Shi, do you currently have any affiliated organizations?"

"Not yet." Shi Wen shook his head. Li Qianqian nodded, wrote something on the paper, and then said, "I will go make some inquiries over the next few days. Once I find a suitable target, I will help you sign the agreement directly. How does that sound?"

"I have no problem with that."

Shi Wen asked curiously, "I just don't understand, what is the approximate amount of these affiliation fees?"

"Affiliation is simply cooperating with a certain force. For example, some restaurants, streets, chambers of commerce, or small gangs might ask for your help. For a martial artist like you, Junior Brother, who has just tempered your blood-qi, it is usually between 10 to 100 guan per month. It is just a simple affiliation; you only go to help if something comes up. If you have multiple affiliations, the monthly profit can be quite substantial."

"Because you have only just tempered your blood-qi, Junior Brother, you have no reputation to speak of. It is only through the academy's reputation and connections that you have the opportunity to secure these affiliations."

Li Qianqian continued, "If you were to gain some fame, Junior Brother, you might be invited to serve as a consultant."

"Or, if someone takes a liking to you and wants to invest in you, you could likely have a public income of around 500 to 1,000 guan per month. Anything higher would depend on the specific circumstances, as a martial artist in the Blood-Tempering Realm has only just stepped onto the threshold of the martial path and cannot be considered a true expert."

"It is best if someone wants to invest in you. Junior Brother Yan Kai has invested in many disciples in the inner court; for instance, Junior Brother Wei Shan is a consultant for the Yan Family Chamber of Commerce."

"If the Yan Family Chamber of Commerce has any urgent matters, he must go to assist; he cannot refuse."

Following Li Qianqian's explanation.

Shi Wen understood quite a bit more and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister. I understand."

"Good. Junior Brother, I will first send your profile to some of the wealthy families in the city to see if they are interested in investing in you."

Li Qianqian wrote rapidly with her brush, "If no one chooses to bet on you, then we will proceed with the affiliation work. While multiple affiliations can accumulate some money, it is too scattered; it is better to have the support of a single house."

Hearing this.

Shi Wen said casually, "Very well, I will trouble you to keep an eye on it, Senior Sister."

"Very well. Since Master Li is away, I will teach you the Six Harmonies Eight Desolations Baji Fist for now. If you feel that my teaching is insufficient, you can ask Master Li for guidance once he returns."

Li Qianqian handed over all the tokens symbolizing her status as an inner-court disciple to Shi Wen.

She then walked to the open space within the inner courtyard.

She began to teach Shi Wen the Six Harmonies Eight Desolations Baji Fist.

Once Shi Wen understood the true Baji Fist, he was filled with admiration.

The moves of this Baji Fist were perfect and coherent, containing far more fundamental killing techniques than the basic exercises, while many of the moves could also temper more parts of the body.

What surprised Shi Wen even more was this.

Did this Baji Fist actually possess an internal energy circulation method, just like the Taibao Hard Qigong?

"Double Impact, Double Yang Peak, Dusting, Fist Salute, Bow, Full Bow Stance, Follow-Step Lift, Prop Punch..."

"Two Forms Stance, Overlord Lifts Tripod, Rib Elbow, Crotch Kick, Fence-Vaulting Punch..."

"Turning Palm Push, Hip Presentation, Hook-Stomp, Single Form Stance, Closing Stance!"

Li Qianqian gracefully finished performing the complete version of the Baji Fist and asked in a deep voice, "Junior Brother, could you tell what is different?"