When the thick red mark on Chen Jing's arm finally stabilized, the Central Courtyard of the River-Breaking Fist Academy fell briefly silent. Then a thunderous chorus of gasps erupted.
One disciple was the first to react. He cried out, his voice shaking with disbelief: "He did it! Junior Brother Chen really broke through to the Blood River Realm!"
His eyes were fixed on the mark on Chen Jing's arm, as if he wanted to burn it into his memory.
"My heavens! He broke through from Blood Creek to Blood River in one try? That's absurd!"
Another disciple rubbed his eyes hard. After confirming he hadn't imagined it, he sucked in a sharp breath. "Two months to reach Blood Creek, then just one more to advance to Blood River. At this rate... could Junior Brother Chen actually have superior bones? Were we wrong about him before?"
His words instantly struck a chord with everyone.
After all, even the most talented senior disciples in the River-Breaking Fist Academy, Senior Brother Pu Shaojie and Fourth Senior Brother Zhuang Tao, had each failed once when breaking through to the Blood River Realm. They had only barely succeeded on their second attempt.
What mattered more was that both Pu Shaojie and Zhuang Tao came from wealthy families. They had taken Exotic Beast Meat every day throughout their breakthroughs to nourish their blood qi, and that was how they achieved such results.
But Chen Jing?
Everyone knew he had started out pulling carts and came from a poor family. He had to fight tooth and nail to earn even the resources he needed to cultivate. Exotic Beast Meat was out of the question; in the past, he might not even have been able to eat his fill every day.
Yet now, with such meager resources, he had broken through to the Blood River Realm in one go. How could anyone not be astonished by such talent and perseverance?
In the crowd, Xiang Lingfei stared at the red mark on Chen Jing's arm, the symbol of the Blood River Realm. His face had turned ashen, his teeth grinding, his fists clenched until his knuckles were white and his nails nearly dug into his flesh.
His eyes were full of jealousy and venom. It felt as if a boulder had lodged in his chest, leaving him so stifled he could barely breathe.
The thing he least wanted to see had happened after all.
Chen Jing had not only broken through, but done so with such dazzling success that he had utterly crushed the halo of talent Xiang Lingfei had once worn.
In stark contrast to Xiang Lingfei's loss of composure, Zhuang Tao was delighted.
Zhuang Tao strode over, his face wreathed in a sincere smile, and clapped Chen Jing hard on the shoulder. "That's my good brother! I knew you could do it! I was right about you!"
The other senior and junior disciples came to their senses as well and crowded around, all talking at once as they congratulated Chen Jing.
"Congratulations on reaching the Blood River Realm, Junior Brother Chen! Our academy has another Blood River Realm expert now!"
"Junior Brother Chen, you're incredible! You'll have to give us juniors some pointers from now on!"
Their enthusiasm nearly swept Chen Jing away.
Before this, the River-Breaking Fist Academy had only had four Blood River Realm martial artists: Senior Brother Pu Shaojie, Fourth Senior Brother Zhuang Tao, and two senior disciples who had been at the academy for many years.
Now that Chen Jing had successfully broken through, the academy had five Blood River Realm martial artists. It was a momentous occasion for the entire academy.
Feeling the heat of their gazes and hearing their sincere congratulations, Chen Jing gave a faint smile and cupped his hands to the crowd. "It was just luck. I owe it all to the care you senior brothers have shown me and to Master's guidance."
"Hmph, easy for you to say."
Xiang Lingfei gave a cold snort from outside the crowd. His voice was steeped in sourness, but he didn't dare speak loudly. He only glared at Chen Jing, the resentment in his eyes growing even deeper.
Just then, Fei Feng's voice came from beyond the crowd. "Chen Jing, come with me."
At once, everyone made way.
Chen Jing cupped his hands to Zhuang Tao and the others again, then hurried after Fei Feng toward a room in the rear courtyard.
Watching them leave, Xiang Lingfei could no longer contain his agitation and fury. He clenched his fists and began practicing the River-Breaking Fist with wild abandon.
His fists roared through the air, carrying a violent edge. But anyone who looked closely could see his form was scattered; emotion had clearly clouded his judgment.
The senior and junior disciples around him shook their heads and began murmuring among themselves.
"Now you're getting anxious? Where were you before? You used to slack off every day and mock Junior Brother Chen for working himself to the bone. Now he's surpassed you, and suddenly you're in a hurry?"
"Good talent, but poor temperament. Junior Brother Chen's achievements didn't come from talent alone. They came from working hard day after day!"
"Forget him. Let's focus on our own training."
The murmurs gradually faded. Only the sound of Xiang Lingfei's frenzied punches remained, strangely out of place in the academy.
Meanwhile, Chen Jing followed Fei Feng into a room in the rear courtyard.
Fei Feng walked over to the table and sat down. "Come here. I'll examine your bones again."
Chen Jing nodded and stepped forward.
Fei Feng reached out and, just as before, pressed precisely against the third rib on Chen Jing's chest.
The first time Fei Feng had examined his bones, Chen Jing had felt his scalp go numb as a fierce, burning pain shot through his chest, as if a red-hot iron had been pressed against it.
But now he was a Blood River Realm martial artist. His body was far stronger, and his blood qi reserves had undergone a qualitative transformation. Fei Feng's pressure was still uncomfortable, but nowhere near as painful as before. It only brought a faint, dull ache.
A moment later, Fei Feng withdrew his hand. His brows knit tightly as he studied Chen Jing in confusion.
He could clearly feel that Chen Jing's bones were exactly as they had been during the previous examination, still only of a below-average grade. They hadn't changed at all.
And yet, with such ordinary bones, Chen Jing had gone from a complete novice to the Blood River Realm in just three months. The speed at which he gathered blood qi was astonishing, too. Fei Feng simply couldn't make sense of it.
Still, Fei Feng didn't dwell on the matter.
After all, the path of martial arts was full of fortuitous encounters. Perhaps Chen Jing's comprehension was far beyond that of ordinary people, allowing him to make up for his inferior bones.
Fei Feng shook his head, pushing aside his confusion, then continued, "Now that you've broken through to the Blood River Realm, your blood qi will circulate faster and be consumed in much greater quantities. If you want to improve further, you'll need to keep up your cultivation resources."
"The Blood Qi Powder I gave you before could meet your cultivation needs for half a month per packet. Now, one packet will probably last only five days."
Fei Feng paused, then continued, "You'll also need better-quality Exotic Beast Meat. Ordinary meat won't meet your needs for increasing your blood qi anymore."
"The resources I can provide are limited. I can give you one pound of Spotted Flower Fox meat each month. If you want more, or something better, you'll have to buy it yourself."
After speaking, Fei Feng took a manual from the bookshelf and set it on the table. Then he stood and personally demonstrated the advanced techniques of the River-Breaking Fist, along with the accompanying stance for gathering blood qi.
Fei Feng's movements were slow and precise. He broke down every move in meticulous detail, explaining the force behind each technique and the routes his blood qi should follow, his tone far more patient than when he had taught the other disciples.
Clearly, Chen Jing's rapid progress had completely changed Fei Feng's opinion of him. He now regarded Chen Jing as one of the academy's core disciples, worthy of its special attention.
Half an hour later, Fei Feng had finished explaining all the techniques and stances. He waved his hand, signaling that Chen Jing could leave.
Chen Jing bowed deeply to Fei Feng and said respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Then he picked up the fist manual from the table and left the room.
As soon as Chen Jing stepped outside, he saw Zhuang Tao waiting by the door with a smile on his face.
Clearly, Zhuang Tao had been waiting there for quite some time.
"Junior Brother, congratulations on your breakthrough!"
Zhuang Tao strode over and slung an arm around Chen Jing's shoulders. "Now that you're a Blood River Realm martial artist, your benefits should naturally increase too!"
"Starting this month, I'll give you a monthly salary of eighty taels of silver. I'll also raise your monthly allowance of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat to thirty pounds!"
Zhuang Tao thumped his chest and said earnestly, "My family isn't as wealthy as the Liu Family, so I can't offer you unlimited resources. But this is the best I can give you—I've maxed it out!"
Eighty taels of silver and thirty pounds of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat!
That was far more than most Blood River Realm martial artists received.
Feeling Zhuang Tao's sincerity, Chen Jing smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your generosity, Senior Brother Zhuang. I'll remember it."
At the far end of the corridor, Pu Shaojie watched in silence, his fist clenching without him realizing it. His eyes were full of tangled emotions: envy, jealousy, and regret.
When Chen Jing had first joined the academy, Pu Shaojie had been too proud to reach out to him. He hadn't even offered him a single proper pointer.
If he had taken the initiative to support Chen Jing, the way Zhuang Tao had, and helped him with resources back then, perhaps Chen Jing would be as close to him now as he was to Zhuang Tao.
A thought rose in Pu Shaojie's mind: Should I go over and make amends now, offer Chen Jing some benefits?
But as soon as the thought surfaced, he pushed it down and gave a self-mocking smile.
Chen Jing had grown powerful now. As a Second Blood Martial Artist, he had enough strength to make a name for himself in Red Rock County.
If Pu Shaojie approached him now, it would seem too calculated. He would only make himself a laughingstock and make Chen Jing dislike him even more.
Just then, Chen Jing turned to Zhuang Tao and asked, "By the way, Senior Brother Zhuang, do you know the Cart-Pulling Carriage Firm in West City?"
Zhuang Tao was taken aback, then smiled. "The Cart-Pulling Carriage Firm in West City? I know a little about it."
"The owner is named Wang Chi. He used to be a martial artist, but unfortunately, his aptitude was poor, and he never broke through. So he gave up martial arts, went into business, and opened a carriage firm. He's eaten at the tavern before."
"He has a younger brother named Wang Cheng, a peak First Blood martial artist. He's also the leader of the Blue Scarf Gang, with some influence in West City."
Zhuang Tao paused, then asked, "What, did he offend you? You're a Blood River Realm martial artist now, Junior Brother, so your standing is different. Just say the word, and he'll crawl over and bow his head in apology!"
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