Learning the Martial Way

Chapter 15: Three Days After Starting the Martial Way

Lin Yi stood in a hidden cave, his gaze fixed on the rock face before him.

A large depression marked the center of the wall, cracks spreading like a spiderweb in all directions—the trace left by a single punch.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to look beside him, where a dark figure wreathed in Corpse Qi stood.

The figure was a black-bronze color, its face covered by a black-and-red iron mask with ferocious, demonic patterns.

Thick Corpse Qi emanated from it, sending chills down the spine. This was the corpse puppet Lin Yi had spent days refining.

"I've preserved its combat power as much as possible—about seventy percent of what it had in life." Lin Yi appraised his work with satisfaction, murmuring to himself. "Against an ordinary Ninth-grade martial artist, it can kill in one blow. Against an Eighth-grade martial artist, it can hold its own for a while."

Perhaps after spending so much time with Yu Qinglian, Lin Yi had picked up a bit of her appreciation for appearances. Hu Ma was ugly, so Lin Yi had specially crafted this demon mask for him, both to hide that hideous face and to add an air of intimidation.

Now, with the corpse puppet, Lin Yi finally had real combat power of his own.

Even better, the Corpse Puppet True Qi the puppet generated through its daily cultivation could feed back into him, aiding his own training.

At that thought, Lin Yi's mood lifted, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

The next day, Lin Yi returned to the Lin Clan alone.

He didn't bring the corpse puppet, leaving it behind in that secret base to cultivate.

First, the area near the cave had seen many deaths, making it rich in yin energy—perfect for the puppet to absorb and train.

Second, Lin Yi had stashed all his savings there and needed someone to guard them.

Recently, the Lin Family Restaurant's business had been booming. Chen was so busy she couldn't even look after Xiuwen and had gone to help at the shop.

When Lin Yi arrived home, he found Xiuwen sitting alone under the old locust tree in the yard, holding a book and reciting aloud, swaying his head.

"Brother, you're back!" Xiuwen's eyes lit up at the sight of Lin Yi. He put down the book and ran over.

Lin Yi ruffled his hair without saying much.

It wasn't until evening that Lin Hua and Chen returned from the restaurant, exhausted.

The family gathered around the square table, enjoying a rare reunion meal.

A few simple home-cooked dishes sat on the table—nothing lavish, but steaming hot, carrying the taste of home.

Lin Hua spoke first, turning to Lin Yi. "So, have you picked a martial hall?"

"I have. Rainbow Martial Hall." Lin Yi took a bite of food and answered casually.

Lin Hua nodded, a hint of approval on his face. "Rainbow Martial Hall is a good choice. It's an established hall in Jiaqing County."

"The hall master, Master Yuan, is said to be one of the top fighters in the county—a genuine Seventh-grade martial artist. Yi, once you're in the hall, train hard. Don't waste this opportunity..."

Lin Hua rambled on, his tone full of concern and expectation.

Lin Yi didn't find it annoying. He listened with a smile, occasionally grunting in acknowledgment.

"What's there to go on about? The kid's old enough—doesn't he already know all this?" Chen shot Lin Hua a look and placed a piece of meat in Lin Yi's bowl. "Yi, don't listen to your uncle's nagging. Eat more."

Lin Hua, brushed off by his wife, didn't get upset.

Lately, Chen had been under a lot of pressure too.

Lin Hua smiled and gently patted Lin Yi on the shoulder, a silent gesture of encouragement.

The next morning, Lin Yi said goodbye to his family and officially set out for the martial hall.

Rainbow Martial Hall was one of the seven major martial halls in Jiaqing County. The hall master, surnamed Yuan, was a Seventh-grade martial artist, and everyone in the county addressed him respectfully as "Master Yuan."

The hall's rules required new students to pay twenty taels of silver as a tuition fee for instruction. After that, they could train in the hall for three months, receiving a dose of Foundation Building Soup every ten days to help them break through their passes.

If, after three months, they still hadn't broken through to become martial artists and wanted to stay, they'd need to pay ten taels of silver per month as a continuation fee.

Occasionally, the hall master himself would appear to teach the students training techniques.

And if, within five months, they could break through the Martial Pass and successfully absorb Qi to become true martial artists, they'd be accepted as formal disciples of the hall.

At that point, they'd shed the identity of martial apprentice and could conduct business outside under the hall's name.

Lin Yi had another reason for choosing Rainbow Martial Hall.

The techniques and skills he'd sensed from Hu Ma all originated from Rainbow Martial Hall.

On the Martial Way, each hall's techniques and skills were closely guarded secrets, forbidden to outsiders.

If Lin Yi wanted to use these martial arts openly, his best bet was to become a disciple of Rainbow Martial Hall.

Walking down the street toward the hall, Lin Yi lowered his eyes, silently calculating in his mind.

In this world, the Martial Way's Qi absorption was the most common path, the most powerful in combat, and the most grueling to cultivate.

There were five Martial Passes to break through: the Skin Pass, the Flesh Pass, the Blood Pass, the Bone Pass, and the Viscera Pass.

By breaking through all five passes, the body's hundred orifices would open smoothly, allowing blood to condense and essence to refine, fully cultivating True Qi and stepping onto the martial path.

Different paths of seeking the Way all led to the same destination, so they could be cultivated simultaneously.

Even though Lin Yi had already started on the Corpse Puppet Path, he could still pursue the Martial Way alongside it.

However, juggling two paths would inevitably slow his progress, making it inefficient.

Therefore, most people choose to walk a single path to the end.

But for some Evil Cultivators—such as those on the Corpse Puppet Path, Infatuation Path, Death Path, or Annihilation Path—these paths have terrible reputations and easily invite trouble.

So they often cultivate a second, more common path on the side to conceal their true identity.

In the Martial Way, there are two most intuitive ways to judge talent and aptitude.

One is Bone Quality.

The other is Destiny.

Bone Quality is divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. Grade A is the best, Grade D the worst.

Lin Yi had tested his Bone Quality before—Grade B, which was one in a hundred, quite impressive.

He arrived at the entrance of Rainbow Martial Hall.

Looking from afar, there weren't too many people in the courtyard—no more than thirty or so in sight.

Learning martial arts was extremely expensive. For an ordinary family, the tuition was an astronomical sum, and the prospects were vague and uncertain.

Naturally, some couldn't afford it midway and could only leave in disappointment. Martial disciples came and went—one batch left, another arrived.

But in the end, none of this had much to do with Lin Yi.

Since he had come to this world and had the chance to touch the transcendent path, Lin Yi had never once entertained the thought of giving up.

He raised his head, saw the fluttering banner of Rainbow Martial Hall in the distance, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

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