Banquet

"Breaking through the Three Qi and Blood Gates in just over a month—this is at the very least a mid-tier aptitude, perhaps even the absolute peak of mid-tier!"

Wang Qingzhu grew more excited the more she thought about it, a flush even appearing on her face.

The golden turtle-son-in-law she had been trying to hook was actually right by her side.

How could she not be overjoyed!

If any other disciple in the Outer Courtyard possessed such talent, she wouldn't be this stirred up.

But Jiang Chen was different.

Ever since he joined the Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Chen had been infatuated with her, hovering around her all day long.

Although Jiang Chen had changed significantly lately, she didn't believe he had truly let go.

As long as she showed a hint of affection, Jiang Chen would surely come crawling back just like before.

She remained extremely confident in her own looks and figure.

"Xiaoyue, do me a favor."

Wang Qingzhu, who had originally intended to head straight to the Inner Courtyard, forced herself to stop.

No.

She had to play it cool.

If she threw herself at him, it would be hard to control him later.

"Alright, I'm going now."

Hearing Wang Qingzhu's words, Zhao Xiaoyue hurried toward the Inner Courtyard.

She also wanted to see for herself if Jiang Chen had truly become an Inner Courtyard disciple.

Before long, all the disciples in the Outer Courtyard had heard about Jiang Chen.

This caused quite a commotion.

To the Inner Courtyard disciples, Jiang Chen was merely a name they had heard in passing, something to be forgotten quickly.

But to the Outer Courtyard disciples, the news of Jiang Chen was thunderous.

He used to be a notorious sycophant who had nearly lost his life for it.

Even if he had seen the light recently, it was impossible for him to have been promoted to the Inner Courtyard in such a short time.

Could it be that Jiang Chen was also a super-genius with top-tier aptitude?

Inner Courtyard private room.

Approaching You Hour.

"Hoo!"

Jiang Chen, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

[Cultivation: Three Qi and Blood Gates · First Aperture 100%]

On the Myriad Dao Chart, the cultivation column had changed once again.

The Primordial Pure Qi of the First Aperture had been completely absorbed and refined.

His martial arts qi and blood had successfully completed their transformation, becoming as pure and flawless as crystal.

That familiar aura of heaven and earth felt even more intense to Jiang Chen.

This further confirmed his hypothesis.

The cultivation of the Three Qi and Blood Gates was a process of returning from the acquired to the innate.

If he wasn't mistaken, cultivation in the True Martial Realm was likely related to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This cultivation system was interconnected, link by link, and remarkably seamless.

Time to break through to the second aperture.

Jiang Chen took out an Aperture Breaking Pill and swallowed it, the special medicinal power rapidly merging into his martial arts qi and blood.

Sss, sss, sss...

Immediately, a faint, audible friction sounded, like stone grinding against metal.

If one could see through his body, they would witness his martial arts qi and blood surging incessantly toward the second aperture.

Mark after mark appeared in succession upon the shell of the second aperture.

Gurgle.

Cultivation knows no time.

It wasn't until the sky turned dark and hunger rumbled in his stomach that Jiang Chen finally awoke from his state of deep, focused meditation.

"Time to eat."

Jiang Chen left his room and headed to the Inner Courtyard canteen.

When he was in the Outer Courtyard, not only did he have to sleep in a crowded dormitory, but he also had to pay for his own meals every day.

However, after being promoted to the Inner Courtyard, even the most expensive medicinal meals were provided free of charge.

Furthermore, the Martial Arts Hall provided monthly resource subsidies.

Items such as medicinal baths, massages, acupuncture, and even the Aperture Breaking Pill used for the Three Qi and Blood Gates were all supplied by the Martial Arts Hall at no cost.

This policy was naturally intended for disciples from ordinary backgrounds.

Those disciples with substantial family wealth, on the other hand, looked down upon the free resources provided by the Martial Arts Hall.

Of course, the resources of the Martial Arts Hall were not provided unconditionally.

The Martial Arts Hall conducted an assessment every month.

If one's cultivation level or rate of progress did not meet the standards, their subsidies would be reduced or even cut off entirely.

To put it bluntly, the resources of the Martial Arts Hall were only tilted toward those with potential.

"Did you hear? That new junior brother only has ordinary aptitude."

"No way? Can ordinary aptitude make Senior Sister Zhou value him that much?"

"It's true, Senior Sister Zhou said it herself, and Senior Brother Meng and the others all know about it."

"If he has ordinary aptitude, why would Senior Sister Zhou take him to the core area? Could he have offended Senior Sister Zhou?"

"It is said that his comprehension is extraordinary; that must be the reason Senior Sister Zhou values him."

"Comprehension? With the talent of ordinary aptitude, no matter how strong his comprehension is, it will be hard to achieve anything."

Seeing Jiang Chen arrive, the Inner Courtyard disciples in the canteen whispered among themselves.

Clearly, the events of the afternoon had already spread throughout the Inner Courtyard.

Jiang Chen did not care, however; he served himself a hearty meal and devoured it ravenously.

As his cultivation grew higher and his physique stronger, his appetite had also increased significantly.

Compared to when he was at the First Qi and Blood Gate, his food intake had now tripled.

"Junior Brother Jiang."

After finishing his dinner, just as Jiang Chen was about to return to his training, a familiar voice called out.

"Senior Brother Sun."

Turning his head, he saw that it was indeed Sun Wu who had arrived.

Beside Sun Wu were four Inner Courtyard disciples with impressive auras.

"I heard about what happened this afternoon. They are a bunch of short-sighted fools; there is no need to lower yourself to their level. They will regret it later."

Sun Wu walked over and offered words of comfort with a smile.

It seems there are factions among the Inner Courtyard disciples as well.

Jiang Chen exchanged polite pleasantries with a smile, though his mind was racing.

From Sun Wu's words, it was clear that he and core disciples like Meng Wentao were not on the same side; otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken so harshly, even calling them short-sighted.

He was not particularly surprised by this.

Wherever there are people, there is conflict.

It has been this way since ancient times.

"Oh, right, Junior Brother Jiang, let me introduce you. This is Junior Brother Zhou Yu, Junior Brother Wu Quan, Junior Brother Li Mo, and Junior Brother Han Jin."

Sun Wu introduced the four of them.

"Greetings, four senior brothers."

Jiang Chen cupped his fists in greeting.

He hadn't seen these four earlier in the day, so they likely weren't part of the core circle.

It appeared that Sun Wu, despite being a direct disciple, was in a somewhat precarious position.

The elite disciples with outstanding aptitude were not on his side.

"Junior Brother Jiang."

Zhou Yu and the others greeted him with smiles.

Compared to the invisible barriers of the core circle, the four of them seemed much more sincere.

"Junior Brother Jiang, we are hosting a banquet at the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion tomorrow at noon to celebrate your promotion to the Inner Courtyard. You must not decline."

Sun Wu stated his purpose, clearly hoping to recruit Jiang Chen into his small circle.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother Sun, I will definitely arrive on time."

If it were anyone else, Jiang Chen would truly be too lazy to deal with it.

But Sun Wu was different.

It was thanks to high-quality medicinal pills that he could step into the Three Qi and Blood Gates so quickly.

Naturally, he could not slight Sun Wu's face.

"Then it is settled."

Seeing Jiang Chen agree, Sun Wu smiled very happily.

After some polite exchanges, the group parted ways.

"Senior Brother Sun, is this Junior Brother Jiang's talent truly that outstanding?"

After leaving the cafeteria, Zhou Yu could not help but ask.

Han Jin and the other two also looked at Sun Wu.

They had heard something about the incident at noon.

Precisely because of that, they felt all the more surprised.

They did not understand why Sun Wu claimed that Jiang Chen's potential was not even weaker than Meng Wentao's.

One had to know that Meng Wentao possessed a top-tier medium-grade bone structure and had reached the second level of the True Martial Realm two years ago, breaking through to the third level this year.

If not for the emergence of Tang Mu, Meng Wentao would undoubtedly be the number one person in the Martial Arts Hall.

As for Jiang Chen, he only had an ordinary bone structure; even if his comprehension was monstrous, his potential was ultimately limited.

In the world of martial arts, there had never been a precedent of someone with an ordinary bone structure rivaling one with a top-tier bone structure.

"You will understand in the future."

Sun Wu smiled without offering any explanation.

Seeing is believing.

Once a few months passed and Jiang Chen stepped into the True Martial Realm, there would be no need to say anything at all.