Inner Sect

The moment he stepped into the Training Ground, a wave of heat rushed over him.

Dozens of burly men stood bare-chested, the stench of sweat mingling with dust and fermenting within the square courtyard.

Lu Zhen had barely reached the corner when a figure in white came up to greet him.

"Brother Lu, morning."

Gu Yanzhi waved a folding fan in his hand, dressed in the black fitted uniform that marked an Inner Sect disciple. The gold trim on his cuffs was especially eye-catching beneath the morning sun.

Yet the smile on his face was unchanged from before. There was not the slightest hint of arrogance in him; his gaze was clear, carrying an earnest warmth.

Several apprentices nearby who had wanted to fawn over Gu Yanzhi saw this and sheepishly drew back.

Lu Zhen clasped his hands and smiled. "Good morning, Senior Brother Gu."

"Ah, why call me Senior Brother? Doesn't that make us sound distant?"

Gu Yanzhi snapped his fan shut and patted him on the shoulder. "We should still call each other brothers."

Lu Zhen looked at Gu Yanzhi's forthright manner and nodded to himself.

Children of wealthy families were usually full of pride. Someone like Gu Yanzhi, who had both family backing and talent yet still treated others as equals, was indeed rare.

This man was worth knowing.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gu Yanzhi stepped aside so as not to disturb Lu Zhen's boxing practice.

Lu Zhen stood in his usual spot and took a deep breath.

The transformation of the previous night made his body feel as though its core had been replaced.

His tendons sprang taut, his bones compact and solid.

He planted his feet and assumed the opening stance.

There was no longer any need to deliberately summon it. The force within him surged along the great dragon of his spine and instantly flowed through all four limbs.

"Hah!"

Lu Zhen exhaled sharply, his right arm lashing out like a whip.

This time, he did not use his full strength. He merely followed that current of force and sent out the punch with effortless ease.

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

Three crisp reports rang out.

The sounds were sharp and pleasing, like beans bursting in a pan, like silk ripping apart.

And the three cracks came in such rapid succession that they seemed to explode in a single instant, their echoes reverberating across the Training Ground.

The previously noisy grounds seemed as if someone had pressed pause, falling silent for a moment.

The apprentices still grunting through their punches all widened their eyes and stared incredulously toward the corner.

Triple Resonance?

That rickshaw puller, Lu Zhen?

The curtain over the back courtyard entrance was thrown open.

Yan Tieqiao emerged at a brisk pace, a purple clay teapot clenched in his hand.

His ears were sharp. He had heard those three crisp reports with perfect clarity.

Yan Tieqiao stood on the steps, his gaze like lightning as it fixed directly upon Lu Zhen. His brows furrowed slightly, his face carrying a trace of confusion.

In his recollection, Lu Zhen was already old, and his body had been worn down by labor. Though diligent, his aptitude had been utterly mediocre.

How could he have cultivated Triple Resonance in such a short time?

"Good!"

Before Yan Tieqiao could speak, Gu Yanzhi was the first to cry out in approval.

He strode over to Lu Zhen, his face full of delight, happier than if he had achieved it himself.

"I knew Brother Lu was no ordinary man! Silent until he struck, then his cry shook the world!"

By then, Yan Tieqiao had also approached.

He said nothing. He merely stretched out one dry, eagle-claw-like hand and abruptly placed it on Lu Zhen's shoulder.

Lu Zhen's body tensed. He instinctively wanted to resist, and the force he had only just cultivated within him sprang out on its own.

"Hmm?"

Yan Tieqiao's palm trembled slightly from the shock.

The doubt in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by surprise.

"Your skin and flesh are taut, your tendons spring like bowstrings..."

"You... broke through to the Mid Force Refining Realm?"

Lu Zhen withdrew his stance and nodded respectfully. "Yes. While pulling my rickshaw last night, I gained a sudden insight and was lucky enough to break through."

"Pulling a rickshaw..."

The corner of Yan Tieqiao's mouth twitched. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end swallowed it back.

After a moment of silence, he nodded.

"More or less."

"Reaching the middle stage of Force Refining only at thirty is a little late. You've already passed the golden age for martial training."

"But since you've crossed that threshold, then you've crossed it."

"From today on, you can be considered a competent hand. You are no longer a layman standing outside the gate."

Yan Tieqiao turned around and walked back with his hands behind his back, his voice drifting over lightly.

"Go change your clothes."

"Yes, Master!" Lu Zhen clasped his fists, his voice ringing loud and clear.

Gu Yanzhi smiled and pulled Lu Zhen along by the arm. "Come on, Brother Lu, I'll take you to collect your clothes! You'll look much more spirited in that black shirt!"

The two walked toward the back courtyard with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Several Inner Sect disciples who had just come out stood beside the Training Ground.

Among them was Zhang Lei, his face full of flesh.

They watched Lu Zhen's retreating back, their expressions rather colorful.

"So he broke through to the Mid Force Refining Realm..."

Zhang Lei curled his lip, his tone dripping with sour disdain.

"I was wondering how he suddenly got Triple Resonance. So he was just using his realm to force it out."

A female disciple beside him chimed in.

"Exactly. That doesn't count as much skill."

"A true genius comprehends the fist techniques before reaching the realm. Like Junior Brother Gu—that is real talent and understanding."

"Lu Zhen only ground his way into the middle stage at thirty. His potential is nothing special. He'll probably spend the rest of his life guarding homes and courtyards, never amounting to anything great."

Though they disparaged him aloud, they also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The Mid Force Refining Realm was indeed more difficult than simply gaining an entry-level grasp of fist techniques. It was a genuine transformation of the body.

But once they thought of Lu Zhen's age, their sense of superiority returned.

A laborer who bloomed late could not threaten their standing in their master's eyes.

But for the several dozen Outer Sect apprentices on the grounds, things were entirely different.

They all stopped what they were doing and stared longingly as Lu Zhen disappeared through the back courtyard entrance.

Their eyes were filled with red veins—bare, undisguised envy and jealousy.

Potential or no potential, old or young.

They did not understand, and they did not care.

All they knew was that Lu Zhen had gone in.

He had become one of those High Persons who did not need to pay money, could even receive money, and was respectfully addressed as "Senior Brother."

"Pa!"

A crisp crack exploded beside everyone's ears.

Xiong Yue stood with a dark face, the rattan cane in her hand lashing viciously against a wooden post beside her.

"What are you staring at? Your eyeballs are about to fall out!"

Xiong Yue roared, spittle flying everywhere.

"That's his own ability! Instead of wasting time turning green with envy, why not practice a few more rounds of punches?"

"Move it, all of you! Whoever slacks off again can get the hell out!"

The apprentices shuddered in fright and hurriedly withdrew their gazes. One by one, gritting their teeth, they began swinging their fists with all their might.

Shouts and cries rose once more across the Training Ground.

The back courtyard of the Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall was connected to a large bathhouse.

The water had been heated piping hot, and steam billowed everywhere.

Lu Zhen soaked in a large wooden tub, using a rough loofah sponge to scrub himself fiercely from head to toe.

With that scrubbing, it felt as though he wanted to scour away all the coal dust, sweat stains, and that lingering air of poverty that had accumulated in his pores over the past dozen years.

After the bath, his whole body felt clear and refreshed.

Lu Zhen dried himself and picked up the neatly folded set of new clothes.

This was the attire of an Inner Sect disciple.

The entire fitted outfit was black, made from high-quality silk. It felt smooth to the touch, breathable and non-clingy.

The collar stood high, the cuffs and trouser legs were cinched tight, and fine gold thread ran around the edges, making it look expensive at a glance.

Lu Zhen put it on, tightened his belt, and stepped into the pair of thick-soled swift boots.

He looked at himself in the bronze mirror.

It was still the same face, weathered rough by wind and snow. He had not turned into some handsome young gentleman.

But now, his back stood ramrod straight, his shoulders were broad, and his eyes were sharp.

That laborer's air of bowing and scraping, which no amount of washing had ever removed, was completely gone.

In its place was a fierce, steady presence, solid as a mountain.

Lu Zhen lifted the curtain and walked out.

Waiting outside were not only Gu Yanzhi, but also Zhao Peng, who had been smooth and sociable in every direction that day. Behind Zhao Peng stood Song Shi, the stuttering apprentice who had fought with all his life to achieve Triple Resonance.

Hearing the movement, Gu Yanzhi turned around, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"Good!"

Gu Yanzhi snapped his folding fan shut, circled Lu Zhen once, and clicked his tongue in admiration.

"As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Brother Lu, now that you've changed into this outfit, your whole spirit has transformed."

Zhao Peng stepped forward with a smile and said familiarly, "Junior Brother Gu is right. Just now, you looked like a suffering fellow from the Outer Sect. But standing here now, you have the bearing of a true expert!"

Somewhat unaccustomed to it, Lu Zhen tugged at his cuff and smiled.

"You two praise me too highly. I've only changed my outer layer. Underneath, I'm still a rough man."

Gu Yanzhi waved his hand. The smile on his face faded somewhat, and his expression became serious.

"This is not as simple as changing your outer layer. Once you take this step, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth."

Zhao Peng picked up the thread, pointing at Song Shi behind him as he smiled.

"Junior Brother Lu, having just entered the Inner Sect, you probably do not yet understand some of the rules inside.

A poor scholar and a rich martial artist—martial training is a bottomless pit, a Gold Devouring Beast.

Do you think all these senior brothers and sisters in the back courtyard stay indoors all day, building carts behind closed doors?

Other than a few whose families have mines, who doesn't have to go out and find work to earn money for medicinal supplements to strengthen the body?"

Gu Yanzhi nodded from the side and added, "That's right. Going out to take on work and hold posts is perfectly normal in this line of work. Only after earning money can you keep practicing your martial arts upward."