I Have Entered Clear Force (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

"Junior Brother Chen, congratulations on breaking through the Skin Realm," Tao Ping said with a smile.

To succeed in such a short time without the slightest sense of stagnation was a clear testament to his formidable accumulation of blood qi.

The surrounding junior and senior brothers offered their congratulations one after another.

Those still struggling to cultivate their blood qi could not help but reveal envy in their eyes.

As for the senior brothers who had already succeeded, they also showed goodwill; after all, breaking through in two and a half months showed decent talent.

It was only because Xu Heng's brilliance had come first that Chen Yuan's achievement seemed somewhat eclipsed, and naturally, there were no gifts to be had.

Sun Chengjie and his two companions also wore smiles; Chen Yuan had set a fine example for them.

Xue Anping felt an even greater sense of admiration in his heart.

To succeed in breaking through despite such emotional fluctuations—his usual diligence had played an indispensable role!

The Zhou Brothers' expressions turned incomparably ugly in an instant.

They had assumed Chen Yuan had little chance of success and had even hoped to kick him while he was down.

After all, they had been practicing martial arts for nearly five months, and their family savings had been drained, yet they still hadn't even touched the threshold of the breakthrough.

Never had they imagined Chen Yuan could succeed so easily; how were they supposed to bear this?

"It was just luck. Thank you, Senior Brother, for guarding me," Chen Yuan said, cupping his hands in gratitude.

Tao Ping nodded slightly. "It has nothing to do with me; it is the result of your usual diligent practice. You may collect a Blood Qi Pill from the Dining Hall later as a small reward."

It was a tradition at Huo Academy to reward any disciple who broke through the Skin Realm with a Blood Qi Pill.

He continued, "Junior Brother Chen, I believe you can feel it now. Having broken through the Skin Realm, your blood qi now permeates your skin and membranes, making them as tough as ox hide. Your defense has greatly increased. You may now begin skin refinement to further enhance the toughness of your membranes, while simultaneously continuing to accumulate blood qi in preparation for breaking through the Bone Realm."

Chen Yuan nodded.

Having practiced martial arts for over two months, he already had a basic understanding of the Four Realms and Three Forces of Martial Arts.

The Skin Realm focused on defense, the Bone Realm on overall physical improvement, the Muscle Realm on strength, and the Marrow Realm on continuous, inexhaustible power.

The so-called "Copper Skin, Iron Bones, Golden Muscles, and Jade Marrow" were the manifestations of tempering each realm to its absolute limit.

Not far away, Song Qiao teased, "Junior Brother Xu, your good friend has succeeded in his breakthrough. Aren't you going to go over and congratulate him?"

Xu Heng's tone was indifferent. "For him, it is quite rare. As for congratulations, others can say them; in the end, we are not on the same path."

He truly did not feel that succeeding in two and a half months was anything worth celebrating.

Having said that, he turned his head, no longer paying attention.

Song Qiao gave a mocking laugh. "Indeed. People of all sorts gather here at Huo Academy, yet their fates are vastly different."

Some would toil their entire lives only to achieve nothing.

Others were destined for greatness the moment their aptitude was measured.

The crowd of well-wishers dispersed.

Tao Ping smiled. "Junior Brother Chen, shall I help you familiarize yourself with the force of the Skin Realm?"

Chen Yuan nodded. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I have one more favor to ask."

Tao Ping raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Let's hear it."

Chen Yuan stated his intention: "Senior Brother Tao, I would like to ask you to keep an eye out for any job postings for me."

Tao Ping was the person in charge of such matters within the academy; hand-picked by Master Huo, he was well-informed and had extensive connections.

At this, however, he looked troubled. "Junior Brother Chen, it is not that I won't help you—I know your difficulties—but there are strict requirements for these positions. One must not only have broken through the Skin Realm but also grasped Clear Force."

It was not hard to understand Chen Yuan's urgency; having just had his funding from the Gu Family cut off, he naturally needed to earn money for next month's training.

However, it was an ironclad rule that only initiated martial artists could take on such roles.

The Skin Realm focused on defense, while Clear Force focused on offense; only by combining the two could one form effective combat power.

Chen Yuan said nothing. He stepped forward, bent his knees, dropped his shoulders, and threw a straight punch. His entire right arm crackled instantly, and a fierce gust of wind erupted.

He withdrew his hand and cupped his fist. "Senior Brother, I have already entered the ranks of Clear Force."

Amidst the continuous crisp snapping sounds, Tao Ping's pupils suddenly constricted. He looked at Chen Yuan in disbelief, his voice trembling:

"Junior Brother Chen... you have actually grasped Clear Force? When did this happen?"

It wasn't that it was inconceivable, but it was so sudden—to have grasped it quietly and then, out of the blue, drop such a bombshell.

If this wasn't startling, what was?

Chen Yuan smiled faintly. "I was lucky enough to grasp it yesterday."

Tao Ping looked at Chen Yuan deeply and let out a long sigh.

"Junior Brother Chen, you really are full of surprises. You have truly earned my respect."

To have grasped Clear Force even before breaking through the Skin Realm was extremely rare.

As everyone knew, the difficulty of Clear Force surpassed that of the Skin Realm. Even Xu Heng had achieved the Skin Realm first and Clear Force later; to reverse that order required an incredibly high level of comprehension.

But as far as he knew, Chen Yuan's comprehension wasn't particularly outstanding; otherwise, their master would have mentioned it long ago.

Chen Yuan lowered his head slightly. "Perhaps I've had a sudden breakthrough; it just clicked all of a sudden."

Tao Ping pursed his lips, his gaze drifting.

A breakthrough? Could Chen Yuan be the type who blossoms late?

Forget it, let it be.

He cleared his throat and said sternly, "Very well. Since you have already grasped Clear Force and broken through the Skin Realm today, you are now an initiate martial artist. I will help you keep an eye out for a post, and your share of Blood Qi Pills will be increased to two."

His voice wasn't loud, but he made no effort to hide it, and it instantly reached the ears of the disciples who had just begun to disperse. One by one, they doubted what they had heard—Chen Yuan had grasped Clear Force?

They crowded back around.

Chen Yuan couldn't help but offer a bitter smile. He had deliberately waited for the group to disperse before speaking, never expecting Senior Brother Tao to pull a stunt like this. He truly didn't want to show off.

After all, showing off and the Dao of Survival were fundamentally at odds; he didn't want his Dao of Survival points to be docked again.

He looked up, only to meet Tao Ping's meaningful smile.

Trying to scare me, are you? Thinking you can show off just to me? Not a chance!

Chen Yuan instantly read the look in his eyes and sighed repeatedly in his heart. He just wanted to be a man of the Dao of Survival—Senior Brother was ruining him!

"Senior Brother Tao, has Junior Brother Chen really grasped Clear Force? Don't lie to me; didn't he just break through the Skin Realm?"

"How is this possible? Who ever breaks through the Skin Realm after grasping Clear Force? That's complete nonsense!"

"Senior Brother Chen! Is what Senior Brother Tao said true? Did you really grasp Clear Force? When did you do it? That's incredible!"

A chaotic barrage of questions followed, their tones urgent and clearly filled with skepticism and curiosity regarding the news.

How could Clear Force be so easy to grasp?

Among them were those who had broken through the Skin Realm months ago, yet remained unable to grasp Clear Force or become initiate martial artists eligible for a post.

Hearing this news felt like the sky was collapsing.

Moreover, Chen Yuan only had Grade D-Upper aptitude. Becoming an initiate martial artist in two and a half months—even those with Grade C-Upper aptitude couldn't manage that, could they?

All sorts of doubts swirled in their minds, and the way they looked at Chen Yuan was filled with an insatiable intensity.

Tao Ping gestured to calm the restlessness and chuckled. "What is so hard to believe about this? Come, Junior Brother Chen, it's a perfect time to help you familiarize yourself with the strength of the Skin Realm. Show your fellow disciples a thing or two."

Hearing this, the crowd tactfully retreated to the perimeter, leaving space for the two of them.

At the same time, they widened their eyes, eager to see what kind of tricks Chen Yuan had up his sleeve.

Chen Yuan shook his head with a bitter smile. What else could he say?

He cupped his hands and said, "Chen Yuan, please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Tao Ping stood still. "Attack with everything you've got. The stronger you perform, the more confidence I'll have in raising the price when I help you find a post."

Hearing the word "price," Chen Yuan was instantly motivated. He raised his hands in the Eagle Catch stance and lunged forward in a single bound.