Studying the Martial Way

Three days later.

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

A huge dent marred the center of the wall, cracks spiderwebbing outward from it. The damage had been left by a single punch.

He turned away from the wall and looked to his side, where a dark figure stood, its body wreathed in Corpse Qi.

The figure was black-bronze from head to toe. A black-and-red iron mask covered its face, its vicious patterns making it look like a demon.

Dense Corpse Qi billowed around it, sending a chill down one's spine. This was the Corpse Puppet Lin Yi had spent days refining.

"I've preserved as much of its combat strength as possible. It probably has about seventy percent of the strength it had in life." Lin Yi studied his handiwork with satisfaction and murmured, "It should be able to kill an ordinary Ninth-grade martial artist in a single strike. Even against an Eighth-grade martial artist, it can hold its own."

Perhaps spending so much time with Yu Qinglian had made Lin Yi more of a sucker for a pretty face. Hu Ma had been ugly, so Lin Yi had specially commissioned this demon mask for him. It hid his terrifying features and made him all the more imposing.

Now that he had a Corpse Puppet, Lin Yi finally had real combat strength of his own.

Better yet, the Corpse Puppet could cultivate on its own each day, generating Corpse Puppet True Qi that would flow back to him and aid his cultivation.

At the thought, Lin Yi's spirits lifted, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

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

He didn't bring the Corpse Puppet with him, leaving it to cultivate at their secret hideout.

For one thing, many people had died near the cave in the past, leaving it rich in yin energy—perfect for the Corpse Puppet to absorb as it cultivated.

For another, Lin Yi had hidden all his savings there, so he needed someone to keep watch.

Business at the Lin Family Restaurant had been booming lately. Chen was so busy she could barely look after Xiuwen, and had gone to help at the restaurant as well.

When Lin Yi got home, he found Xiuwen sitting alone beneath the old locust tree in the courtyard, holding a book and swaying his head as he recited from memory.

"Brother, you're back!" Xiuwen's eyes lit up when he saw Lin Yi. He set down the book and ran over.

Lin Yi ruffled his hair and said nothing more.

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

The family gathered around the Eight Immortals table and, for once, shared a meal together.

A few simple home-cooked dishes sat on the table. They weren't especially lavish, but they steamed warmly, filling the room with the comforting taste of home.

Lin Hua spoke first, looking at Lin Yi. "Well? Have you chosen a martial hall?"

"I have. Rainbow Martial Hall." Lin Yi picked up a bite of food and replied casually.

Lin Hua nodded, a hint of approval on his face. "Rainbow Martial Hall is a good choice. It's one of the old-established martial halls in Jiaqing County."

"I hear its master, Master Yuan, is among the strongest in the whole county. He's a true Seventh-grade martial artist. Yi, now that you've joined the martial hall, you must cultivate diligently. Don't let this opportunity go to waste..."

Lin Hua went on and on, his words full of concern and hope.

Lin Yi didn't mind. He listened with a smile, occasionally giving a brief reply.

"What's there to say? The boy's grown up. Surely he understands these things by now." Chen shot Lin Hua a look, then put a piece of meat in Lin Yi's bowl. "Yi, don't listen to your uncle nagging. Eat more."

Lin Hua took his wife's rebuke without complaint.

Chen had been under plenty of pressure lately, too.

Lin Hua smiled and gently patted Lin Yi's shoulder, offering wordless encouragement.

The following morning, Lin Yi said goodbye to his family and set off for the martial hall.

Rainbow Martial Hall was one of the seven major martial halls in Jiaqing County. Its master was a man surnamed Yuan, a Seventh-grade martial artist whom the locals respectfully addressed as "Master Yuan."

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

If they still hadn't become martial artists after three months but wanted to stay, they would have to pay ten taels of silver in tuition each month.

The master would occasionally appear in person to teach the students techniques for training.

If a student could break through the Martial Pass and successfully enter the qi stage within five months, becoming a true martial artist, the martial hall would accept them as a formal disciple.

At that point, they would not only shed their status as martial apprentices for good, but could also use the martial hall's name to travel and conduct business.

Lin Yi had another reason for choosing Rainbow Martial Hall.

The techniques and skills he had previously gained through his connection with Hu Ma had all come from Rainbow Martial Hall.

In the Martial Way, the cultivation methods and techniques taught by each martial hall were closely guarded secrets. Outsiders were forbidden to practice them.

If Lin Yi wanted to use those martial arts openly, the best way was to become a disciple of Rainbow Martial Hall.

As he walked along the street toward the martial hall, Lin Yi lowered his eyes and silently considered his plans.

In this world, entering the qi stage through the Martial Way was the most widespread path. It offered the greatest combat strength, but its cultivation process was also the most grueling.

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

Once all five were opened and the body's myriad apertures flowed freely, one could refine the blood and essence, fully cultivate True Qi, and step onto the martial path.

The different paths to the Dao ultimately led to the same destination, so they could be cultivated simultaneously.

Even though Lin Yi had already begun cultivating the Corpse Puppet Path, he could still cultivate the Martial Way as well.

However, pursuing two paths at once would inevitably slow his progress, making it a poor trade-off.

So most people chose one path and followed it to the end.

But for some Evil Cultivators, such as those who followed the Corpse Puppet Path, Infatuation Path, Death Path, or Annihilation Path, their reputations were so bad that they were liable to attract trouble.

So they often cultivated an ordinary path as well, to conceal their true identities.

In the Martial Way, there were two straightforward ways to judge one's aptitude.

The first was one's innate constitution.

The second was one's Destiny.

Innate constitutions were divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D, with A being the best and D the worst.

Lin Yi had already had his constitution tested. He was grade B, an exceptionally good result—one in a hundred.

He arrived at the entrance to Rainbow Martial Hall.

From a distance, the courtyard didn't look very crowded. There seemed to be only about thirty people.

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

Naturally, some couldn't afford to stay and had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Martial apprentices came and went, one group departing as another arrived.

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

Now that he had come to this world and had the chance to pursue a transcendent path, Lin Yi had never once considered giving up.

He lifted his head, spotted the flag of Rainbow Martial Hall fluttering in the distance, took a deep breath, and strode inside.