Yang Chen had achieved the standard for Ba Kong Fist long ago.
As for the ten spirit stones required to learn Ba Kong Fist, Yang Chen had no desire to waste that money. Thus, on the fourth day, he returned to Limitless Pavilion, intending to personally demonstrate Ba Kong Fist before Fourth Master Yang.
Limitless Pavilion had its own rules. If one could successfully learn a martial skill within ten days, there was no need to spend spirit stones. Such rules were nothing more than a way to squeeze the talents of the Yang family disciples, making them cultivate martial skills faster and more diligently.
If you could master it within ten days, the Yang family would not charge you the spirit stones. If you could not, then obediently hand them over.
Of course, those capable of successfully mastering a martial skill within ten days were few and far between...
Thus, when Fourth Master Yang saw Yang Chen return to Limitless Pavilion, he opened his eyes and asked in puzzlement, "Yang Chen, why have you returned?"
It had only been four days.
Could Yang Chen have felt that Ba Kong Fist did not suit him and returned to choose another martial skill?
This made him furrow his brows tightly, faint displeasure rising in his heart.
One had to know that the greatest taboo in cultivating martial skills was chopping and changing—learning this today and that tomorrow. It was undoubtedly a great taboo for martial artists.
Yet Yang Chen's answer was beyond his expectations.
Yang Chen respectfully said, "Fourth Master, this junior has already successfully mastered Ba Kong Fist. Naturally, I came to Limitless Pavilion to demonstrate it for you."
"What?!" Fourth Master Yang was dumbfounded for a moment. "Is what you say true?"
"It is true." Yang Chen smiled faintly.
Fourth Master Yang still could not quite believe his ears. He took a step forward and said, "Yang Chen, you must understand what it means to deceive the elders of the clan."
Yang Chen cupped his hands. "Fourth Master, you worry too much. Even if this junior were given several times the courage, I would never dare fool you."
Fourth Master Yang found those words rather pleasing. He waved his hand. "No matter how nicely you speak, it is better to show me yourself. You say you have successfully mastered Ba Kong Fist, then perform it before me. You must know that, to waive the spirit stones, at the very least, you must have learned thirty percent of Ba Kong Fist!"
"This junior understands." Yang Chen did not hesitate, nor did he intend to drag things out and waste time.
As his words fell, both feet stamped the ground. With a snap, dust flew from the earth, and Yang Chen's fists began to move and roam with his body.
Having mastered Ba Yun Fist, it was naturally as easy as turning his hand over for Yang Chen to produce the effects of Ba Kong Fist and meet Fourth Master Yang's requirements.
Compared to Ba Yun Fist, Ba Kong Fist lacked far too many subtleties.
Hard force, soft force.
Yang Chen moved both hands at once, one hard and one soft. Hardness and softness complemented each other, like yin and yang interweaving, his movements brimming with fierce power.
When he saw this, Fourth Master Yang froze where he stood. He even rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his gaze filled with shock.
It was a shock that rose from the depths of his soul.
"How is this possible?!" Fourth Master Yang's pupils contracted sharply.
Fourth Master Yang held an esteemed position in the Yang family as one of the Nine Elders, and his strength had long reached the Body Refining Realm peak. He had seen no shortage of geniuses, yet there were truly not many who could leave him this astonished.
In merely four days, Yang Chen had cultivated a martial skill to such a consummate level. That alone was enough to shock anyone.
But after Yang Chen finished this set of Ba Kong Fist, it had far exceeded Fourth Master Yang's expectations.
As the guardian of Limitless Pavilion, he naturally knew much about Ba Kong Fist. It could be said that even someone who cultivated Ba Kong Fist to completion might not necessarily produce effects superior to Yang Chen's. Yang Chen seemed to have cultivated Ba Kong Fist to another level altogether, reaching a new benchmark.
This made Fourth Master Yang think of a possibility. "When learning martial skills, opening up another path... This... could such a genius actually appear in my Yang family?"
Many geniuses, while learning martial skills, incorporated their own ideas, extending a martial skill whose path had originally been set in stone into something with even greater power.
Such geniuses were one in ten thousand, rare beyond measure.
And such a genius had actually appeared in the Yang family!
After about the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, Yang Chen brought Ba Kong Fist to its conclusion and calmly finished.
When Yang Chen saw Fourth Master Yang's face still immersed in shock, he knew that he had achieved his goal.
"Yang Chen, you... are you sure you have never practiced Ba Kong Fist before?" Fourth Master Yang swallowed hard, speaking as though he could scarcely believe his own eyes.
Yang Chen calmly said, "Fourth Master, Yang Chen has never practiced Ba Kong Fist before."
Indeed, he had never practiced Ba Kong Fist before.
However, his understanding of Ba Yun Fist ran far too deep.
Ba Kong Fist was a simplified version of Ba Yun Fist, while what he had cultivated was Ba Yun Fist—simply put, the ancestor of Ba Kong Fist. The fist technique he had displayed just now was Ba Kong Fist fused with Ba Yun Fist. It was no wonder Fourth Master Yang was so shocked. Even the tip of the iceberg of Ba Yun Fist, a martial skill considered exquisite even in the outside world, was enough to stun Fourth Master Yang.
Fourth Master Yang could scarcely suppress the excitement in his heart. He strode over, seized Yang Chen by the shoulders, and said incoherently, "Good, good... good! Yang Chen, you truly are excellent material. This old man did not misjudge you!"
He had guarded Limitless Pavilion for so many years and seen many geniuses, but Yang Chen was the first of his kind he had ever encountered.
He was overjoyed.
When he had first learned that Yang Chen was at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Level, he had only been somewhat surprised. He could not say that he had been particularly happy.
But now, it was different.
His heart was simply filled with joy.
"Yang Chen, you must cherish your own talent." Fourth Master Yang was not good with words. After taking a deep breath, he patted Yang Chen's shoulder. "Work harder at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony. There are some things that Fourth Master originally did not wish to meddle in, but after seeing your talent today, I will tell you in advance."
Yang Chen grew curious. "Fourth Master, please speak!"
"Many Yang family disciples believe the Coming-of-Age Ceremony is an examination, an occasion and grand gathering for internal clan competition. But that is not the case. On one hand, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony is meant to uncover the clan's geniuses. More importantly, it is meant to intimidate outsiders!"
Fourth Master Yang stroked his beard. "Why does every clan among the Great Wilderness Hundred Clans hold a Coming-of-Age Ceremony every year? It is to intimidate other clans, to let outsiders know the strength of the geniuses within their clan. The same is true for our Yang family. Every Coming-of-Age Ceremony is a chance to display the clan's prestige."
"If you geniuses perform poorly, that is when the Yang family loses face. If you perform well, that is when the Yang family gains glory!"
Yang Chen nodded thoughtfully. "This junior understands."
He had not thought deeply about it at first, but after giving it a little thought now, he understood.
Why, as the Coming-of-Age Ceremony drew near, did so many esteemed young ladies begin choosing to marry the Yang family's outstanding young men?
Had they taken a fancy to the Yang family's geniuses?
Perhaps that was part of the reason, but would their elders really be so foolish? Under the guise of marriage alliances, they were choosing someone who might have a voice in the Yang family in the future. Take Yang Wu, for example. If Yang Wu became the family head someday, would the girl from a small clan who married him not live in luxury?
"You must shine brilliantly at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony. At the very least, you must intimidate those petty scoundrels from other clans." Fourth Master Yang happily stroked his beard.
"Fourth Master, this junior will certainly give it his all." Yang Chen grinned. He had no intention of holding back at this Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
"Mm, work hard." Fourth Master Yang said.
Yang Chen did not linger further. "Then this junior will take his leave first."
Watching Yang Chen depart, Fourth Master Yang stood silently in a daze. Only after a long while did he mutter, "This Yang family Coming-of-Age Ceremony looks like it will be more interesting than in previous years. I never expected Yang Chen to be someone who hid his true abilities so deeply that even this old man's eyes were fooled. I wonder whether my Yang family can produce a genius capable of contending with the great clans."
There were twelve great clans in the Great Wilderness, while the Yang family was merely a medium-sized clan.
The reason great clans were called great clans was naturally because they possessed exceptional qualities. At the very least, during each year's Coming-of-Age Ceremony, those great clans would firmly suppress the other clans, forcing those clans that wished to replace them to abandon their ambitions.
Although the Yang family also had several promising seedlings, when Fourth Master Yang considered the gap between them and the great clans, he still shook his head.
Regarding this matter, he still had little confidence.
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