Hanging a Man Like a Painting, Breaking Through to Bright Strength!

"Five Animal Fist proficiency +3!"

"Five Animal Fist proficiency +3"

"Five Animal Fist proficiency..."

When the final Bird Form settled as gently as feathers drifting to the dust, Jiang Ye slowly straightened, closed his eyes, and focused his mind as he gradually exhaled the stale breath in his chest.

His breath was long and fine as a thread, carrying a faint scorching heat as it left his mouth. In the crisp winter air, it condensed into a straight wisp of white vapor that lingered for a long while.

A faint sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. It was not sweat from exhaustion, but healthy perspiration born of surging blood and qi, as impurities within his body were forced out bit by bit.

Martial art mastered: Five Animal Fist [Beginner, 87/100]

"The fist technique is about to reach minor mastery."

A flicker of delight passed through Jiang Ye's eyes.

"The medicinal potency of the Blood Strengthening Soup has been almost completely absorbed."

His thoughts spun rapidly, and Jiang Ye immediately reached a conclusion. "It's time to stop."

He knew that haste made waste.

Cultivation was like drawing a bow; it required the proper balance of tension and release.

"I'll practice again tonight."

Jiang Ye slowly relaxed every muscle in his body, sat down, and began resting with his eyes half-open.

Ever since he had begun practicing martial arts, Jiang Ye felt that time passed faster and more meaningfully.

Closing time for the academy soon approached.

Jiang Ye opened his eyes at the proper moment. Like a silent observer, he watched the Martial Academy's liveliness gradually dissipate.

"Old Man Jiang, I'm heading out first."

A light, smiling voice rang out.

Su Yan strolled over. She had changed back into her usual light-colored dress, with a fox-fur cape draped over it, making her appear even more delicate and charming.

She deliberately paused and waved at Jiang Ye. Her bright, lovely face wore a genuine smile, without much of a young lady's arrogance.

"Take care, Miss Su."

Jiang Ye bowed slightly, returning her greeting with a faint smile on his aged face.

This girl was rare indeed, always maintaining a basic measure of courtesy toward an old gatekeeper like him.

Watching Su Yan's departing figure, Jiang Ye wondered who else had yet to leave.

Just then, another voice came from inside the gates, accompanied by somewhat dragging footsteps.

"Senior Brother Shi Lei, today... today, it was all thanks to you."

The voice was soft and weak, carrying deliberate dependence. It was Lin Xiaohe.

She followed half a step behind Shi Lei, head lowered. Her voice was quiet, but still clear enough for Jiang Ye by the gate to hear.

Jiang Ye raised his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over them calmly.

Shi Lei walked ahead, though his expression seemed even more solemn than usual.

Lin Xiaohe quickened her pace by half a step until she was nearly beside him. She raised her little face, still bearing bruises, and forced her eyes wide, a perfectly measured layer of moisture gathering within them as she wore a grateful expression.

"Senior Brother, it's so good to have you... Without you, I truly wouldn't know what to do."

Though her words sounded thick with tea fragrance to Jiang Ye, Shi Lei clearly fell for them.

Shi Lei paused and glanced sideways at her. When he saw the moisture in her eyes, some of the solemnity on his face melted away. He sighed, his voice low but firm.

"Junior Sister Lin, don't be afraid! Since I promised you, I will... do my best."

He did not make any grand declarations, but that plain, unadorned promise seemed all the weightier for it.

"Mhm! I believe in you, Senior Brother!"

Lin Xiaohe nodded vigorously, and at last a faint smile appeared on her face. Yet with the bruises that had not faded, that smile made her look all the more pitiable.

As they spoke, they reached the gate.

When Shi Lei saw Jiang Ye, the slight warmth on his face immediately vanished. He returned to his usual serious, even somewhat restrained demeanor, cupped his fists toward Jiang Ye, and spoke respectfully.

"Old Man Jiang, we're leaving."

Lin Xiaohe gave Jiang Ye an indifferent glance, with no intention of greeting him.

Shi Lei seemed to notice Lin Xiaohe's rudeness as well, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly once more.

But in the end, he said nothing. He merely nodded at Jiang Ye again before leading Lin Xiaohe out of the Martial Academy gates, one after the other.

Jiang Ye withdrew his gaze. His expression remained unchanged as he shook his head slightly, then closed the Martial Academy gates as usual.

The night was already deep.

Jiang Ye was preparing to break through to Bright Strength.

After years of serving as the Martial Academy's gatekeeper, he knew that breaking through was actually extremely dangerous.

So-called breaking through meant using one's will as a hammer and the blood and qi accumulated to its peak as fuel, fiercely "knocking" against some mysterious, unfathomable gate within the body.

The goal was to break through it in one stroke, allowing scattered blood and qi to twist into a single strand, condense and sublimate, undergo a qualitative transformation, and give birth to force.

If one succeeded, it would be like a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate, entering the ranks of true martial artists. One's force could leave the body, splitting steles and shattering rocks.

But if one failed...

Blood and qi would surge backward, damaging the meridians. It would take a long period of recuperation to recover.

Though Jiang Ye had great confidence in his own comprehension, this aged body still gave him a trace of concern deep in his heart.

"I will definitely succeed."

Jiang Ye suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his heart, and a flash of realization appeared in his eyes.

He began practicing the Five Animal Fist, tempering his blood and qi for one final charge.

Tiger Form gathered power with fierce majesty, his spine curving slightly like a great dragon.

Deer Form stretched with nimble grace, his blood and qi flowing like living water.

Bear Form was steady and heavy, his strength sinking into feet rooted firmly to the ground...

Martial art mastered: Five Animal Fist [Minor Mastery, 3/500]

At the instant Jiang Ye's fist technique broke through to minor mastery, the blood and qi coursing through his body seemed like a rushing river bursting through a dam.

Crack.

An almost imperceptible yet incomparably clear sound of shattering came from the deepest part of his dantian.

Immediately after—

A condensed, pure force surged forth wildly from beyond that shattered barrier!

Jiang Ye abruptly opened his eyes!

Within the dark gatehouse, two points of brilliant light flashed on like lightning tearing through the night sky, so sharp they seemed capable of piercing the void!

The light vanished in an instant, then sank deep into his eyes, leaving only two Cold Pools of unfathomable depth, with faint glimmers hidden within.

He slowly raised his withered right hand and curled his five fingers slightly.

Then he threw a punch.

Bang!

The air before him was faintly distorted by an invisible force, erupting with a sharp crack like firecrackers exploding!

Jiang Ye withdrew his fist and stood still.

The chiseled wrinkles on his aged face seemed to relax slightly.

A complicated smile, mingling exhilaration with a trace of disbelief, slowly spread from the corner of his lips. It gradually widened, finally turning into laughter he had suppressed for decades.

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

Strike a man and hang him like a painting; unleash force like thunder.

Bright Strength had been achieved!

Name: Jiang Ye

Lifespan: 80

Fate: Ascension Stairway [Effect 1: Extraordinary Comprehension]

Martial art mastered: Five Animal Fist [Minor Mastery, 3/500]

"My lifespan has increased!"

Jiang Ye's delight grew even greater.

This time, bringing the Five Animal Fist to minor mastery had not only allowed him to successfully break through to Bright Strength, but had also increased his lifespan.

Did this not mean that even if his strength did not reach the True Qi Realm, his lifespan might still surpass the hundred-year threshold?

Who would not wish for a longer life?

The ultimate joy of his breakthrough scattered all fatigue and drowsiness. His spirits soared to their peak.

Jiang Ye pushed open the door and strode into the courtyard.

The cold winter wind rushed at his face, bitter and sharp as a blade, yet it made him feel exceptionally clear-headed and exhilarated.

He needed this cold wind to cool his boiling blood, to confirm that everything before his eyes was not a dream.

However, just as he drew a deep breath—

An extremely faint yet exceptionally familiar cold fragrance drifted to his nose on the wind.

The scent was secluded and cool, like winter plum blossoms after snow, carrying a trace of moist vapor after bathing and the unique warmth of a woman's skin.

Jiang Ye froze slightly and instinctively turned his head.

Under the clear moonlight, a graceful figure was slowly emerging from the corridor on the other side leading toward the Inner Courtyard.

It was Liu Yiyi.

She seemed to have just finished bathing. She had changed into loose, moon-white casual clothes, while her long black hair had not been fully tied up and hung damply over her shoulders. Water droplets still clung to the tips, glimmering beneath the moonlight.

Without the cold, crisp sharpness she possessed while practicing during the day, she now had less edge and more of a woman's soft charm and languidness after bathing. Even beneath her loose clothing, her graceful figure still rose and fell in lovely curves.

This little girl has really grown up.

Jiang Ye sighed softly in his heart.

Perhaps sensing the gaze from nearby, Liu Yiyi paused as well and turned to look over.

Their eyes met.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Ye's face, usually old and haggard and carved with deep ravines, now carried an indescribable ruddy glow.

It was not the flush of illness, but the healthy color naturally revealed by abundant blood and qi and vitality at its peak.

Especially his eyes. They had once been cloudy and dull, but under the moonlight, they now appeared exceptionally clear. Faint radiance seemed to flow within their depths, sharp enough to intimidate, yet tranquil as an abyss.

This was not the complexion or gaze an old man of seventy should possess.

Liu Yiyi's cold eyes narrowed slightly. A distinct trace of confusion and incomprehension flashed across her usually expressionless face.

She stopped walking and fully turned to face Jiang Ye, carefully examining his face and body twice.

Though she had not voluntarily spoken to this old gatekeeper in years, she unexpectedly parted her red lips now. Her voice remained cool, yet carried a hint of inquiry.

"Old Man Jiang..." She paused, seemingly choosing her words. "Tonight... your complexion looks exceptionally good."

Even if she racked her brains, she could never have imagined that this old gatekeeper, whom she had watched grow old since childhood and whose life she had long believed would end quietly in the gatehouse, had just accomplished a shocking reversal—at seventy years old, he had broken through in a single night and stepped into Bright Strength.

Jiang Ye's heart tightened. He bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Miss."

"Perhaps... perhaps it was because I drank the Blood Strengthening Soup rewarded by the academy master at noon. My body felt warmer, so I slept more soundly at night, and my complexion looked a little better."

He attributed all the changes to that bowl of medicinal soup, which was perfectly reasonable.

"So that's how it is."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yiyi's cold gaze lingered on Jiang Ye's face for another moment. The confusion had not entirely faded, but she seemed unable to find a more reasonable explanation.

In the end, she merely nodded almost imperceptibly, said no more, turned around, and continued toward the small Inner Courtyard building where she lived.

Her wet hair brushed across her shoulders, leaving behind a cold, solitary silhouette beneath the moonlight.

"This little girl has quite sharp senses," Jiang Ye murmured.

It reminded him that he needed to act more cautiously in the future.

Having just achieved Bright Strength, his blood and qi were surging, and some outward signs were unavoidable. He needed to stabilize his realm as soon as possible and learn to conceal his aura better.