Time passed quickly, and the day of the Martial Exam drew ever closer.
The vast Pine Wind Martial Hall saw many new disciples join, and many old disciples leave in dejection.
Like Li Chuan, most people with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution left after cultivating to Bright Force.
Few remained, and fewer still persevered.
After all, for someone with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution, the chances of knocking on the gate a second time were far too slim.
No one was willing to spend one or two years and dozens of taels of silver gambling on that thread of possibility.
Come to think of it, aside from Yu Sinian, Li Chuan was actually the most senior Bright Force disciple in the Outer Courtyard.
As the days went by, many people's opinions of him changed somewhat.
Some thought he was stubbornly obsessed, doing useless work.
Others believed that his persistence and hard work were worth learning from.
But overall, there were few who thought highly of him and many who did not.
One day, Yu Sinian came to find Li Chuan.
There was a hint of excitement on his face:
"Junior Brother Li, my qi and blood have fully accumulated. I'm preparing to knock on the gate!"
After saying that, he grew uneasy again:
"This is already my second attempt to break through to Dark Force. Everyone says the second attempt has the greatest hope.
"The experience is more mature than the first time, and my fighting spirit is at its peak.
"If I still fail this time, where should I go from there?"
Li Chuan patted him on the shoulder:
"Relax, Senior Brother Yu. I'm still waiting for you to enter the Inner Courtyard and give me a leg up."
Yu Sinian flashed a toothy grin:
"May your words come true. If I really succeed, I'll treat you to a meal!
"Bear paws, bird's nest, shark fin—order whatever you want!"
Li Chuan smiled.
"Then don't you dare welsh on the debt!"
After Yu Sinian left, Li Chuan turned his gaze to the panel.
[Skill: Mountain-Holding Stance (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1789/2000] [Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1675/2000]
"Mountain-Holding Stance is only a little over two hundred proficiency away. In another half month, it'll break through!"
Li Chuan's spirits rose, and he immediately resumed practicing his stance.
Evening.
After finishing the venison in the Common Dormitory, Li Chuan returned to the Martial Arts Arena.
But before he even entered the Martial Arts Arena, he sensed that the atmosphere was strange.
Outer Courtyard disciples gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.
Some wore looks of gloating, but most had complicated expressions and sighed again and again.
Li Chuan's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling.
He pushed through the bustling crowd and made his way to the front.
Yu Sinian sat blankly on a stone bench, staring dazedly at the setting sun in the distance.
When he saw Li Chuan, bitterness filled his expression:
"Junior Brother Li, I failed. The qi and blood I accumulated over more than half a year has all gone down the drain.
"Master told me many times that those with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution should recognize reality. Once they reach Bright Force, they should leave the Martial Hall in time.
"They should find a way to make a living outside and stop walking the martial path."
Yu Sinian laughed at himself.
"Back then, I refused to accept it. I wasn't convinced. Why should people with Low-Grade Bone Constitutions be inferior to others?
"I insisted on breaking through to Dark Force with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution and slapping Master hard across the face.
"Half a year ago, my first attempt at knocking on the gate failed, but I didn't feel defeated.
"I thought I was still young. Failure didn't matter. I still had a second chance, and I would definitely succeed."
Yu Sinian pursed his lips, and his expression suddenly crumpled in defeat.
"But I failed. Even my second attempt, the one most likely to succeed, failed. As my body ages, the possibility of successfully knocking on the gate will only grow smaller and smaller.
"My father is already old. Supporting my martial arts training emptied the family coffers. Now he wants me to return, inherit the family business, marry a wife, have children, and live out my life.
"What should I do?"
Yu Sinian looked deeply pained, both hands clutching fiercely at his hair.
In the distance, Senior Brother Tang Xiang witnessed everything.
He sighed ruefully:
"Junior Brother Qin, look. Even Yu Sinian, the Martial Arts Maniac, failed to knock on the gate. This failure means he'll have no chances left in the future.
"Sure enough, it's still too difficult for a Low-Grade Bone Constitution to break through to Dark Force.
"And yet he worked so hard, so diligently..."
Qin Feng seemed not to hear him and continued practicing his fist techniques.
"Junior Brother Qin?"
"Junior Brother Qin?"
Tang Xiang thought Qin Feng had not heard him and called out twice more.
Qin Feng did not stop moving, his gaze icy.
"If hard work were useful, the whole courtyard would be full of Dark Force practitioners."
Those words were meant to show that his "talent" was unlike that of ordinary people.
Liang Hangzhou, standing at the entrance to the Inner Courtyard, also let out a soft sigh.
But he had long expected this outcome.
Who knew how many diligent disciples had been defeated and buried in the sands at the Dark Force gate?
Among them were no shortage of people with Mid-Grade Bone Constitutions.
As someone with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution, Yu Sinian would only have it harder than them.
People, in the end, had to recognize reality.
Yu Sinian watched the setting sun sink bit by bit, watching for a long time.
He stood and dusted off his backside.
"Junior Brother Li, after spending this time with you, I've realized that your comprehension is very high. I practiced Through-Arm Fist for a year and a half, yet in the end, I still couldn't perform it as well as you."
"You have more hope than I do of successfully knocking on the gate. I hope you make it."
"I'm leaving!"
Li Chuan could not help asking:
"Will you come back?"
Yu Sinian froze for a moment.
"Maybe."
Yu Sinian left.
That Martial Arts Maniac, the most hardworking disciple of the Outer Courtyard, left just like that.
His figure was swallowed by the boundless night, vanishing completely.
Li Chuan silently stepped onto the wooden post and began practicing Mountain-Holding Stance.
The sky grew darker and darker, and many disciples rose to leave.
Seeing Li Chuan still training bitterly, someone could not help murmuring:
"What's the use of working so hard? Even Yu Sinian failed to knock on the gate."
"That's right. Martial arts training requires a balance between work and rest. Nighttime is for relaxing."
"What do you know? This is called 'fake training.' It looks hardworking, but the results are poor."
Everyone spared no effort in criticizing Li Chuan's behavior.
As though doing so could prove the correctness of their own conduct.
And give them a lofty sense of superiority.
Li Chuan, however, was completely immersed in the world of martial arts.
His mind was filled with the qi circulation paths of Mountain-Holding Stance and Through-Arm Fist.
In a corner unseen by others, the numbers on the light screen slowly ticked upward.
After Yu Sinian left, he never returned.
It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Even Li Chuan, who had been familiar with him, heard no news of him.
Li Chuan became alone again.
Apart from Luo Zheng occasionally coming to spar with him, no one spoke to him.
Or rather, he had become a topic of conversation after other people's meals.
Li Chuan also grew silent. Other than training, he did nothing but train.
After he no longer needed to deliver medicine to the Luo Family Pharmacy, his days gradually became simpler, even reduced to a straight line between two points.
When he was hungry, he returned to the Common Dormitory to eat venison. When he was sleepy, he returned to the Common Dormitory to sleep.
After eating his fill and waking refreshed, he returned to the Martial Hall once more.
Fortunately, his efforts had not been in vain.
Half a month later.
Night.
There was still only one figure lingering in the Martial Arts Arena.
Li Chuan took a deep breath and looked at the panel before him.
[Skill: Mountain-Holding Stance (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1999/2000] [Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1875/2000]
"Breaking through to Dark Force will happen tonight!"
Before you continue