Bone-Strengthening Pill (Seeking Reads)

The autumn sky stretches for a thousand miles, clear and vast; the waters follow the sky into an endless horizon.

Chen Yuan practiced the Six Harmonies Mind Boxing. Inch force, wrapping force, and collapsing force were all applied with ease. As his fist wind brushed past the yellowing locust leaves, he mused that the chill of autumn was deepening.

He steadied his stance to conclude his practice and walked toward the crowd.

Xu Heng had grasped the Clear Force, officially stepping into the ranks of introductory martial artists—a joyous occasion for Huo Academy.

Many senior disciples wanted to take advantage of Xu Heng's recent breakthrough and his lack of worldly experience to offer gifts and curry favor.

Although Chen Yuan had no gift to offer, offering a word of congratulations was a simple enough matter.

One could hardly remain indifferent while everyone else was offering their well-wishes, could they? To isolate himself from everyone? That ran contrary to his Dao of Survival.

As several people presented Blood-Qi Pills, Blood-Qi Powder, and other supplements to bolster vitality, Song Qiao slowly stepped forward. He handed over a wooden box and said with a faint smile:

"Junior Brother Xu, inside are three Bone-Strengthening Pills. I hope you continue to advance and break through the Bone Realm soon."

A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd.

Amidst their chatter, Chen Yuan learned the value of these Bone-Strengthening Pills.

They cost two taels of silver apiece.

They were best suited for martial artists in the Bone Realm, though those in the Skin Realm who had reached the Copper Skin stage and were preparing to break through to the Bone Realm could also use them. Clearly, Song Qiao believed Xu Heng's breakthrough to the Bone Realm was a certainty and was gifting the pills early to win his favor.

"So extravagant. A single pill is worth a month's worth of our stipends," Sun Chengjie sighed from the side, feeling the disparity between people.

Xue Anping stated the cruel truth: "You aren't even considered outstanding among those with D-Grade Bone Structure; how can you compare yourself to Senior Brother Xu, who has B-Grade Bone Structure? Besides, he has the dedicated cultivation of his master. I suspect the investment is even greater than what the Gu Family spends on Yu Yan."

Sun Chengjie gave a soft huff. "Isn't that a given? I heard Yu Yan only just broke through the Skin Realm a few days ago, while Senior Brother Xu has already grasped the Clear Force. And Yu Yan started martial arts days before Senior Brother Xu did. The difference is clear at a glance."

From this, one could see the significant gap created by bone structure.

Even between those with B-Grade Bone Structure, a mere two months was enough to open up a clear gap in strength.

Thinking of this, Sun Chengjie couldn't help but recall the scene last month during the assessment when Chen Yuan went head-to-head with Gao Mingchang.

Despite the gap in bone structure and resources, Chen Yuan had not fallen behind in either his mastery of the stakes or his combat prowess, which spoke to his unique talent.

Is this what the strongest D-Grade looks like?

To think there is such a gap even among those of the same D-Grade...

At this thought, he felt the gap between himself and Xu Heng was like a chasm, impossible to cross.

"Bone structure, comprehension—these are things ordained by heaven. From the moment we are born, how far we can go on the martial path is basically set. No matter how hard we try, we can't change much."

As he spoke, Xue Anping looked at Chen Yuan and asked, "Chen Yuan, tomorrow is the day of the assessment. How much confidence do you have in your sparring match against those two C-Lower disciples?"

Chen Yuan smiled faintly. "It depends on my state. Maybe fifty-fifty? I'll have to fight to know for sure."

Xue Anping nodded, thinking that sounded about right.

Since their resources had been equalized this month, it would come down to the difference in bone structure and comprehension.

Looking back at that sparring match last month with his current perspective, it was clear that Gao Mingchang had held the advantage in vitality.

The fact that it ended in a draw was because Gao Mingchang had underestimated Chen Yuan and left himself open while trying to end the fight quickly.

This time, Gao Mingchang would surely go all out; it would come down to whose skills were sharper.

Sun Chengjie sighed. "If I weren't afraid that forfeiting would ruin my standing with the Gu Family, I wouldn't even want to fight. Brother Xue, you must show mercy tomorrow."

He knew he was no match for Xue Anping; his goal for this month's hard training was simply to avoid being eliminated.

He Qing felt the same.

"Don't worry, I'll just do my best," Xue Anping laughed.

He found that ever since he stopped comparing himself to Chen Yuan and started comparing himself to Sun Chengjie and He Qing, his mood had improved significantly.

Troubles are self-inflicted, but so is joy.

Soon, Tao Ping also produced a one-year-old precious herb, highly beneficial for skin refinement, as a gift—a sign that he held Xu Heng in high regard.

He Qing suddenly interjected, "With Senior Brother Xu's current strength, could he go out and take a commissioned post?"

Xue Anping shook his head with a laugh. "His strength is definitely sufficient. With such talent, those factions would likely offer terms far higher than the standard rate."

He then shifted his tone:

"But Brother He, your perspective is a bit short-sighted. Taking a post is something for disciples like us who lack money; we have to trade our training time for silver.

Xu Heng has been taken in as a personal disciple by his master, so he naturally isn't short on money. For all we know, the apprenticeship fees we paid have already gone into his pocket. Why would he need to take a post to earn money? Spending all his time on martial arts is the proper path."

He Qing opened his mouth but found himself speechless.

Indeed, for Xu Heng, breaking through to the Bone Realm and grasping the Dark Force was only a matter of time. Once he became such an expert, there would be no shortage of factions willing to spend money to support him.

What he envied—the ability to take a post and earn money—was, in the eyes of others, merely a waste of time.

He couldn't help but offer a bitter smile.

"By the way, Brother He, did any senior disciples agree to your suggestion of going into the mountains to hunt?" Sun Chengjie interjected at the right moment to ease the awkwardness.

He Qing's expression remained grim as he shook his head. "None of the senior disciples who are breaking through the realm have any intention of going into the mountains; they say they are too busy for the time being."

Chen Yuan was not surprised by this; those who managed to break through the barrier already possessed the ability to earn money, and even if it was a meager amount, it was enough to get by.

Except for those senior brothers who were in desperate need of money or stuck at a bottleneck and ready to stake everything on one final gamble, no one else would consider taking such risks.

The well-wishers came one after another. When it was Chen Yuan's turn, he still cupped his hands and offered polite, perfunctory blessings.

This time, Xu Heng only nodded slightly, seemingly having lost even the interest to preach.

Chen Yuan was happy for the peace and quiet; he turned and left, continuing to practice his martial arts on his own.

In half a month, everything except his comprehension had steadily improved.

[Comprehension: 10]

[Aptitude: 48]

[Cultivation: None]

[Techniques]

[Rock-Solid Stance Technique (Entry): 401/500]

[Six Harmonies Mind Boxing (Entry): 369/500]

[Dao of Survival Points: 3]

[Evaluation: You do not show off, you do not provoke others, and you understand the principle of biding your time. You have caught a glimpse of the Dao of Survival. Daily Dao of Survival points +3]

With an aptitude of 48, Chen Yuan was confident that even if he wasn't at the Grade C-Superior level yet, he was stronger than Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan.

Two months of persistence and hard work had yielded substantial rewards.

As his Rock-Solid Stance Technique and Six Harmonies Mind Boxing continued to improve, he was certain he could push both techniques to the Minor Accomplishment stage by next month.

He had originally estimated that the Six Harmonies Mind Boxing would take quite a bit more time, but with the boost from 56 Dao of Survival points, the process had accelerated instantly.

This level of Six Harmonies Mind Boxing gave him the confidence to defeat Gao Mingchang and Cao Yan tomorrow.

Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised that Gao Mingchang hadn't tried to trip him up or cause trouble over the past month.

Did he want to defeat him fair and square, or was he wary of the Gu Family uncovering any clues?

For this reason, Chen Yuan had even spent some silver to have Qian Bao keep an eye out, though it seemed that money had gone down the drain.

But regardless of the reason, being able to practice in peace without incident was the best possible outcome for him.

Stay low!