A thousand miles of autumn clear beneath the sky; the river flowed toward the heavens, autumn stretching beyond sight.
Chen Yuan practiced Six Harmonies Mind Boxing. He had mastered inch force, coiling force, and explosive force, wielding them with ease. As his fist wind brushed past the yellowing locust leaves, he thought, Autumn is deepening.
He finished his practice with a steady breath and made his way toward the crowd.
Xu Heng had grasped Clear Force and officially joined the ranks of beginner martial artists. It was a joyous occasion for Huo Academy.
Quite a few senior brothers wanted to offer gifts and curry favor while Xu Heng had only just entered the field and his horizons were still limited.
Chen Yuan had no gift to offer, but congratulating him was easy enough.
He couldn't just stand by, unmoved, while everyone else offered their congratulations. Would that mean isolating himself from them all? That went against his Dao of Survival principles.
After several people presented gifts of Blood-Qi Pills, Blood-Qi Powder, and other medicines for strengthening one's qi and blood, Song Qiao slowly stepped forward. As before, he held out a wooden box and said with a faint smile, "Junior Brother Xu, there are three Bone-Strengthening Pills inside. I hope you continue to advance and break through the Bone Realm soon."
A number of people clicked their tongues in surprise.
Amid their noisy discussion, Chen Yuan learned the value of the Bone-Strengthening Pills.
Each one cost two taels of silver.
They were best suited to martial artists in the Bone Realm, though those in the Skin Realm who had trained to the Copper Skin stage and were preparing to break through could use them as well. Song Qiao clearly believed Xu Heng's breakthrough into the Bone Realm was a foregone conclusion, and was offering the pills in advance to win him over.
"That's extravagant. Just one pill is worth a month of our allowance." Sun Chengjie sighed beside him, feeling the stark gap between people.
Xue Anping laid out the harsh truth. "You're not even outstanding among those with Grade D-Upper Bone Structure. What can you possibly compare to Senior Brother Xu, who has Grade B-Upper Bone Structure? Besides, his master is wholeheartedly nurturing him. I'd guess the effort exceeds even what the Gu Family is putting into raising Yu Yan."
Sun Chengjie gave a soft snort. "Isn't that only natural? I heard Yu Yan only broke through the Skin Realm a few days ago, while Senior Brother Xu has already grasped Clear Force. And Yu Yan started learning martial arts several days before Senior Brother Xu. The difference is plain to see."
This also showed the striking gap between different bone structures.
Even two people with Grade B-Upper Bone Structure could develop a clear difference in strength in just two months.
At the thought, Sun Chengjie couldn't help remembering how Chen Yuan had stood up to Gao Mingchang during last month's evaluation.
Despite the gap in bone structure and resources, Chen Yuan had held his own in both stance training and combat ability. That showed just how exceptional he was.
Was this the strongest among those with Grade D-Upper Bone Structure?
Even people with the same Grade D-Upper Bone Structure could be so different...
Thinking of this, the gulf between himself and Xu Heng seemed even more like an uncrossable chasm.
"Bone structure and comprehension are things Heaven decides. From the moment we're born, how far we can go in martial arts is more or less set. No matter how hard we work, we can't change much."
As he spoke, Xue Anping turned to Chen Yuan and asked, "Chen Yuan, the evaluation is tomorrow. How confident are you against those two with Grade C-Lower Bone Structure?"
Chen Yuan smiled faintly. "Depends on how I'm feeling. About fifty-fifty? I won't know for sure until we fight."
Xue Anping nodded, thinking that sounded about right.
The three of them had received equal resources this month, so it would come down to differences in bone structure and comprehension.
Looking back at last month's sparring match with the perspective he had now, he could clearly see that Gao Mingchang had held the advantage in qi and blood.
The reason they had fought to a draw was that Gao Mingchang had underestimated Chen Yuan, trying to finish the fight quickly and leaving himself open.
This time, Gao Mingchang would surely give it his all. It would come down to whose skills were sharper.
Sun Chengjie sighed. "If I weren't afraid that forfeiting outright would hurt my standing with the Gu Family, I wouldn't even want to fight. Brother Xue, go easy on me tomorrow."
He knew he was no match for Xue Anping. His goal after a month of hard training was simply to avoid being eliminated.
The same was true of He Qing.
"Don't worry. Just do your best," Xue Anping said with a smile.
He had realized that ever since he'd stopped comparing himself with Chen Yuan and had started measuring himself against Sun Chengjie and He Qing instead, he felt much better.
Worry was something you brought on yourself. So was a good time.
Soon, Tao Ping also presented a one-year-old precious herb that was highly beneficial for Skin Refining. It was a very generous gift.
He Qing suddenly blurted out, "With Senior Brother Xu's strength now, couldn't he take up an official post?"
Xue Anping shook his head, amused. "His strength is certainly enough, and with talent like his, those factions would probably offer far more than the standard rate."
Then he changed course. "But Brother He, that's a rather short-sighted view. Taking an official post is something disciples like us, who don't have money, consider. We're trading time spent training for silver.
"Senior Brother Xu was taken in as Master's direct disciple, so naturally he isn't short of money. The fees we paid to become disciples might even have gone toward supporting him. Why would he need an official post to earn money? Spending all his time on martial arts is the right path."
He Qing opened his mouth, then found himself at a loss for words.
It was true. For Xu Heng, breaking through the Bone Realm and grasping Dark Force was only a matter of time. Once he became an expert like that, plenty of factions would pay to keep him on their books.
What he envied—earning money through an official post—was, in someone else's eyes, nothing but a waste of time.
He couldn't help giving a bitter smile.
"By the way, Brother He, did any senior brothers agree to your plan to go into the mountains to hunt?" Sun Chengjie asked, smoothly easing the awkwardness.
He Qing still looked downcast and shook his head. "None of the senior brothers who've broken through the realm want to go into the mountains. They said they don't have time for now."
Chen Yuan wasn't surprised. Anyone who had successfully broken through a realm was already capable of earning money. Even if they didn't earn much, as long as they could just about get by, that was enough.
Aside from those who urgently needed money or were stuck at a bottleneck and ready to stake everything on one gamble, the others wouldn't consider taking such a risk.
One after another, people offered their congratulations. When Chen Yuan's turn came, he clasped his hands and offered the same polite well-wishes.
This time, Xu Heng merely nodded. He didn't even seem interested in lecturing him.
Chen Yuan was glad to have some peace. He turned and left, continuing his training on his own.
Over the past half month, everything except his comprehension had steadily improved.
[Comprehension: 10] [Bone Structure: 48] [Cultivation: None] [Techniques] [Rock-Solid Stance Technique (Beginner): 401/500] [Six Harmonies Mind Boxing (Beginner): 369/500] [Dao of Survival Points: 3] [Evaluation: You keep a low profile, do not make enemies, and understand the wisdom of hiding your brilliance. You have glimpsed the threshold of the Dao of Survival. Daily Dao of Survival Points +3]
With a bone structure of 48, Chen Yuan was confident that even if he hadn't reached Grade C-Upper Bone Structure, he was still stronger than Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan.
Two months of perseverance and hard work had brought him a handsome reward.
His Rock-Solid Stance Technique and Six Harmonies Mind Boxing continued to improve. He was confident he could advance both techniques to the Minor Accomplishment stage next month.
He had originally expected Six Harmonies Mind Boxing to take quite a while longer, but the addition of 56 Dao of Survival Points had sped up his progress in an instant.
His mastery of Six Harmonies Mind Boxing had also given him the confidence to defeat Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan tomorrow.
And yet Gao Mingchang hadn't tried to trip him up at all this month, which surprised Chen Yuan.
Was he planning to defeat him fair and square, or was he worried the Gu Family would uncover something?
Chen Yuan had even spent a little silver to have Qian Bao keep an eye out. It seemed that money had most likely gone down the drain.
But whatever the reason, nothing had happened, and he'd been able to train in peace. To him, that was the best outcome.
Keep your head down!
Before you continue