Martial Arts Hall

Evening fell, the dying sun like blood.

"Hah!"

Jiang Chen, who had been holding the White Ape Stance, snapped back from his cultivation state.

Myriad Dao Chart

Dao Master: Jiang Chen

Cultivation: First Qi and Blood Gate Stage 14%

Technique: White Ape Stance

On the Myriad Dao Chart, the progress of the First Qi and Blood Gate had reached 14%.

In other words, after six hours of afternoon cultivation, his Qi and Blood had only increased by 12%.

And that was with the aid of Blood-Qi Soup.

If he had taken Tiger Bone Soup instead, the effect would probably have been halved.

"When it comes down to it, it's still a matter of bone talent. I wonder if there's some secret recipe that can improve one's martial bone talent."

Jiang Chen entertained this thought.

With the same secret medicine assistance and the same stance-holding time, different bone talent led to vastly different cultivation results.

"Let's test the power."

Then, Jiang Chen walked over to the old tree.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He threw several consecutive punches, and low, heavy impacts rang out.

"About three or four jin of extra strength. Agility and defense have also improved a bit."

Jiang Chen withdrew his fist with satisfaction.

Cultivating Qi and Blood in martial arts was a step-by-step process, each step echoing with progress.

This feeling of gaining rewards from effort was simply too good!

"Chen'er, since you've condensed your martial Qi and Blood, it's time to return to the martial hall."

During dinner that evening, Jiang Sihai brought up the matter of returning to the martial hall.

At the hall, there were dedicated instructors, and the results would far surpass hard training alone at home.

"Alright."

Jiang Chen nodded.

He had been thinking the same thing.

Once he returned to the hall, he would ask if there was any way to improve his bone talent.

The next day, early morning.

After breakfast, Jiang Chen packed his bundle and prepared to head to the White Ape Martial Hall.

"Chen'er, I've put the silver notes in the inner pocket. Train hard at the hall, and never go to dangerous places..."

Before he left, Lin Shuyun gave him detailed instructions.

"Father, Mother, I'm off."

After a round of reassurances, under the watchful eyes of his parents, Jiang Chen set off for the martial hall.

Along the way, vendors had already started their business.

Breakfast stalls had set up their stoves, steam rising in wisps.

Shoulder-pole peddlers walked slowly along the streets, their cries faintly heard.

Clerks at the cloth shop and weapon forge were sweeping the front of their stores...

The hustle and bustle grew, and the vast Prefecture City gradually came to life.

About three quarters of an hour later.

Jiang Chen arrived before an imposing residence.

At the main entrance of the residence stood two stone apes, majestic and awe-inspiring.

White Ape Martial Hall!

This was one of the most famous old-established martial halls in the East District.

Stepping through the main gate, a spacious Practice Field came into view.

The Practice Field was divided into three areas.

One area was lined with neatly arranged plum blossom stakes.

One area held stone blocks and stone locks.

Another area was a vast, open space, extremely spacious.

Though it was only the Chen Hour, over a hundred disciples were already training on the Practice Field.

Some cultivated on plum blossom stakes, crouching like apes.

Others used stone blocks and stone locks, steadily mastering the flow of qi and blood.

Still others swung their fists in the open space, the sharp whistling of their punches unceasing.

"Junior Brother Jiang, are you recovered?"

At that moment, a young man with a simple, honest face walked over to Jiang Chen.

Clearly, news of Jiang Chen's encounter in the Cursed House had already spread through the Martial Arts Hall.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Sun. I'm fine now."

This man was named Sun Wu, a personal disciple of the hall master, responsible for instructing the Outer Courtyard disciples.

As for the hall master, only elite disciples who had passed the Three Qi and Blood Gates could meet him.

"Train hard. Don't let your parents' hopes down."

Sun Wu patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder, offering encouragement.

Jiang Chen returned to his quarters, put away his luggage, and then went to the Practice Field to stand in the White Ape Stance.

Soon.

Martial qi and blood surged within his body, continuously absorbing source energy to grow stronger.

"Oh?"

Sun Wu, who was instructing the disciples, suddenly froze as his gaze swept across the field.

"Martial qi and blood?!"

The person he was looking at was Jiang Chen.

This left him quite surprised.

If he remembered correctly, during the last assessment, Jiang Chen's White Ape Stance had barely reached the entry level.

How long had it been since then, and Jiang Chen had already condensed martial qi and blood?

"Could he have used some special secret medicine?"

The thought instinctively popped into Sun Wu's mind.

After all, from entering the White Ape Stance to condensing qi and blood, there were several stages in between: Minor Success, Major Success, Perfection, and Stance Sense.

"No! He's comprehended Stance Sense!"

But then, Sun Wu dismissed that notion.

Because Jiang Chen, standing quietly in his stance, had a posture that was perfectly natural, his breathing long and calm—this was clearly a sign of having grasped Stance Sense.

In other words, had Jiang Chen really crossed several realms in just one month?

Was that possible?

Or had Jiang Chen been hiding his skill all along, having already perfected the White Ape Stance long ago?

"Not only has he comprehended Stance Sense... he can maintain it continuously?!"

After watching for a long time, Sun Wu made another discovery, and the shock in his eyes deepened.

Jiang Chen had actually been in a state of triggering "Stance Sense" the entire time?!

Even those who had perfected the White Ape Stance could only trigger Stance Sense when they were extremely focused.

It consumed a great deal of mental energy.

Even disciples with outstanding bone structure couldn't maintain Stance Sense continuously.

This was the first time he had seen someone like Jiang Chen, who could keep Stance Sense permanently.

And this meant that, in the same amount of training time, Jiang Chen's training quality would be several levels higher than others.

How was this possible?

Driven by curiosity, Sun Wu kept staring, wanting to see how long Jiang Chen could last.

The blazing sun gradually rose.

The disciples on the Practice Field had changed shifts several times.

Only Jiang Chen remained, rooted like an old tree, unmoving.

"Senior Brother Sun, what are you looking at?"

Just then, a crisp voice rang out.

A young girl with twin ponytails, a slender figure, and a youthful, radiant appearance approached.

"Junior Sister Zhou."

Sun Wu snapped back to reality and recognized the newcomer.

Zhou Yuqing, the daughter of the martial hall's master and a core disciple. She possessed a Medium Martial Bone, with considerable talent, and was secretly admired by many fellow disciples.

"Is there something strange about that junior brother?"

Following Sun Wu's gaze, Zhou Yuqing looked toward Jiang Chen, who was standing in his stance.

"Junior Sister Zhou, have you ever heard of someone being able to remain in a state of Stance Sense continuously?"

Recalling Zhou Yuqing's status, Sun Wu asked.

"I've heard my father mention it before."

Zhou Yuqing nodded.

"How is it done?"

Sun Wu was curious—could someone really achieve such a level?

"First, one must have high comprehension, able to fully grasp the True Meaning of White Ape Stance."

"Second, one must be focused enough to stand in the stance without being disturbed by external influences."

Zhou Yuqing explained.

Although all disciples who joined the White Ape Martial Hall trained in the White Ape Stance, very few in the hall's history had ever comprehended its True Meaning.

This wasn't because the disciples lacked comprehension.

Rather, ninety-nine percent of them crossed the First Qi and Blood Gate and entered the Second Qi and Blood Gate before ever grasping the True Meaning of White Ape Stance.

Once they reached the Second Qi and Blood Gate, they had to train in White Ape Fist, so naturally, there was no need to waste time delving deeper into the White Ape Stance.

"I see."

Sun Wu suddenly understood.

No wonder he'd never seen anyone maintain a constant Stance Sense in all his years at the martial hall.

"Senior Brother Sun, are you saying that junior brother can keep his Stance Sense going?"

Zhou Yuqing also caught on, curiously sizing up Jiang Chen, who stood as steady as an old bell.

"I've been observing for over an hour, and Junior Brother Jiang has maintained his Stance Sense the whole time."

Sun Wu nodded.

From what Zhou Yuqing had just said, Jiang Chen was clearly a disciple with extremely high comprehension.

"Oh, what about this Junior Brother Jiang's bone quality?"

Zhou Yuqing grew even more curious.

Normally, those with high comprehension also had decent bone quality.

"Junior Brother Jiang has ordinary bone quality. He joined the hall half a year ago."

Sun Wu said.

"Ordinary bone quality? Half a year ago?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuqing immediately lost interest.

If Jiang Chen was still standing in a static stance, it meant his cultivation was only at the First Qi and Blood Gate.

Having been in the hall for half a year without stepping into the Second Qi and Blood Gate, his talent was poor even among those with ordinary bone quality.

Someone with so little potential wasn't worth her attention.

"Senior Brother Sun, Senior Brother Meng is hosting a banquet at the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion today at noon for Inner Courtyard disciples."

With that, Zhou Yuqing stated her purpose and handed over an invitation.

"Senior Brother Meng is hosting? Could it be... he broke through?!"

Sun Wu took the invitation and opened it.

Sure enough, the content announced that Meng Wentao had stepped into the True Martial Third Layer.

"Senior Brother Meng was stuck at the True Martial Second Layer for nearly two years, but he finally broke through the day before yesterday!"

Zhou Yuqing smiled.

In the martial hall, martial artists in the Blood Qi Realm were only ordinary disciples. Even those at the Three Qi and Blood Gates were merely valued elite disciples.

The true core disciples of the hall were those at the True Martial level.

And core disciples at the True Martial Third Layer were rare across the entire hall.

Now that another True Martial Third Layer had emerged, it was naturally great news.

"True Martial Third Layer..."

Staring at the invitation in his hand, Sun Wu's emotions were complicated.

Among the personal disciples, only he—injured—remained stuck at the True Martial First Layer.

Barring a miracle, he would never have a chance to reach the True Martial Third Layer in this lifetime.