Giving Up

"Only seven left! It seems Junior Brother Lin is the only one to stand out from this batch of disciples!"

Wei Yu looked at Wang Sheng and the others, shaking her head slightly as she spoke.

"Heh heh, Junior Brother Lin's talent is indeed remarkable. But, Senior Sister, are you interested in a bet? Ten taels of silver, on who among them can last until the end today?"

Fang Mingguang sidled up and said.

"Sure!"

Wei Yu nodded.

She was quite fond of gambling and had excellent sportsmanship.

"Then I'll pick Wang Sheng. Senior Sister, you can't pick the same one as me!"

Fang Mingguang said immediately.

Wei Yu was taken aback, then shook her head helplessly. "Junior Brother Fang, just say if you want my ten taels of silver."

It had been nearly two months, and anyone could see Wang Sheng's unwavering determination in his daily diligent practice. Among the remaining seven new disciples, Wang Sheng was the last one to give up.

"Heh heh, Junior Brother just broke through to Bright Energy and urgently needs medicinal pills to nourish his strength. I can only try to get some from Senior Sister!"

Fang Mingguang said with a slight smirk.

Ten taels of silver, if saved carefully, could cover a common villager's food and drink for a year. But in the martial path, it was only worth a few pills.

"Alright, I'll pick him!"

Wei Yu casually pointed at someone, Su Youwen.

They were both talking in low voices, and with the Zhao Family's outer courtyard being spacious, the sounds of formal disciples practicing martial arts rose and fell, so they weren't afraid of the new disciples overhearing.

On the other side, The remaining seven new disciples, apart from Wang Sheng, were also filled with anxiety. Looking at their scarred hands, they wished they could stain them crimson with their blood to enter the martial path.

"How can I not succeed! I have Mid-Lower Aptitude!"

Sun Ping roared inwardly. In reality, he was almost desperate. He had thought his daily diligent cultivation would allow him to enter the martial path like the senior brothers from previous batches who had Mid-Lower Aptitude.

But these days, there was still no hope.

Only then did he realize that Mid-Lower Aptitude wasn't enough with just effort. What was lacking might require purchasing medicinal supplements!

After all, wealth is for martial arts, poverty is for literature.

Money was absolutely essential.

No martial academy had ever prohibited wealthy families from purchasing pills to accelerate their cultivation progress.

After half a day of futile rage, Sun Ping looked around and saw Wang Sheng still diligently practicing. His heart immediately felt much more balanced.

Wang Sheng, who was known as the most diligent in the entire academy, was still in the same state, unsuccessful.

This eased the anger in Sun Ping's heart.

Sun Ping looked at Wang Sheng and suddenly felt a bit more favorably towards him. They were in the same boat.

"Hmph, he's a stubborn one, with a donkey's temper,"

Sun Ping commented on Wang Sheng, then lamented his own situation. "The martial path is truly not for ordinary people. Having good aptitude isn't enough; you also need money. But how many young masters from wealthy families can endure hardship!"

At this moment, Su Youwen suddenly stopped his practice, lowered his head, and looked at his hands. The crimson color gradually faded, and he stared blankly.

Fang Mingguang had been watching Su Youwen from the corner of his eye. Seeing him stop, he was immediately delighted and quickly walked to Wei Yu's side. "Senior Sister, that person is going to give up!"

Wei Yu didn't respond. She hadn't finished her set of the Great Tablet Shattering Hand yet. She would stop after finishing.

Fang Mingguang wasn't in a hurry. While watching for Su Youwen to leave the martial academy, he secretly admired Wei Yu's posture.

If Fang Mingguang hadn't been so short of money lately, he wouldn't have set his sights on Wei Yu and bet with her.

Just then, Su Youwen looked up and saw Wang Sheng still staring intently at the wooden dummy, practicing the Great Tablet Shattering Hand. He walked over to him and couldn't help but sigh.

"Brother Wang Sheng, what are your plans? Are you really going to wait until the last day?"

"I'm starting to accept my fate too! I originally thought my Mid-Lower Aptitude gave me hope. But now it seems difficult!"

"It seems Brother Du Suo was right. We don't have the destiny for it; we should have given up long ago."

Wang Sheng remained silent. He also hadn't finished his set of martial arts. His hands moved like whips, cracking and hitting the wooden dummy with a buzzing sound.

Amidst Su Youwen's half-hearted rambling, he didn't notice that Wang Sheng's Great Tablet Shattering Hand was becoming more powerful, not only in form but also in spirit.

And in Wang Sheng's eyes, At his mental command, his golden finger appeared.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence: Learning will surely succeed.]

[Stone Stance Technique: Not yet entered (99/100)]

[Great Tablet Shattering Hand: Not yet entered (99/100)]

Suddenly, Wang Sheng delivered a heavy whip-like strike to the wooden dummy, making a loud sound.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence: Success is guaranteed through study.]

[Stone Stance Technique: Novice (1/300)]

[Great Tablet Shattering Hand: Novice (1/300)]

The surrounding new disciples also looked over upon hearing the sound.

Su Youwen stared, stunned. The sound was truly loud. "He hit himself that hard, did he break a bone?"

Wang Sheng didn't reply. He spread his hands.

His hands were covered in bruises, contusions, and bloodstains. Furthermore, the entire pair of hands had a distinct reddish-jade hue.

This was because after practicing martial arts, a reddish-jade color would appear on one's hands. It was rare to maintain it consistently.

So, when Su Youwen looked down and saw Wang Sheng's hands were reddish-jade, he wasn't surprised.

However, when Su Youwen noticed that the reddish-jade color on Wang Sheng's hands seemed even more pronounced than his own, he took a few more glances.

Then, when the signs of the reddish-jade color fading still hadn't appeared after a long while, Su Youwen, who had been looking down, began to tremble slightly.

After waiting for another dozen breaths, and becoming reasonably certain, Su Youwen suddenly looked up, his face full of disbelief as he stared at Wang Sheng. His eyes were wide, his lips trembling. He seemed about to say something, but didn't know what to say.

He wanted to congratulate him, but had he really succeeded?

He couldn't believe that Wang Sheng, with his Low-grade Physique, could actually succeed through effort beyond that of ordinary people?

While Su Youwen was staring at his hands, Wang Sheng was experiencing the benefits of mastering both the Great Tablet Shattering Hand and the Stone Stance Technique simultaneously.

With the Stone Stance Technique at the novice level, Wang Sheng's legs had become stronger, his stance more stable, and his steps no longer felt unsteady.

With the Great Tablet Shattering Hand at the novice level, possessing both form and spirit, three to five ordinary people would no longer be Wang Sheng's match.

When Su Youwen suddenly looked over, Wang Sheng nodded at him.

"You did it, you really did it!"

"Wang Sheng, you've entered the Martial Path! You've entered!"

Su Youwen's face was filled with joy. He suddenly grabbed Wang Sheng's shoulders, more excited than Wang Sheng himself, and shouted repeatedly.

He had thought that only geniuses like Lin Shu could enter the Martial Path within a month. It was impossible for anyone else, even within two months.

But Wang Sheng had done it, becoming the second among all the new disciples to enter the Martial Path.

Even better, he had a good relationship with Wang Sheng.

When Sun Ping heard this, he was the first to disbelieve. He cursed inwardly, thinking that if someone with Wang Sheng's Low-grade Physique could enter the Martial Path, he would immediately turn around and eat a pound of feces.

But when Su Youwen continued to shout repeatedly, not stopping, causing the sounds of martial arts practice throughout the courtyard to cease and drawing everyone's attention, Sun Ping's expression changed.

His face became incredibly ugly, even showing a hint of ferocity.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. How could a nobody like Wang Sheng, a lowly person, enter the Martial Path!"

The flames of jealousy and anger raged within Sun Ping. He no longer felt any pity or sympathy for Wang Sheng; all that remained was overwhelming jealousy and a hatred that made him want to go mad.

A nobody had surpassed him!

"Entered the Martial Path? How is that possible?"

Fang Mingguang's expression changed instantly upon hearing Su Youwen's shouts. He stood there dumbfounded.

"Junior Brother Fang, we bet on who could last until the end today, not on who would enter the Martial Path first. Junior Brother Wang Sheng is truly regrettable, he didn't last until the end!"

Wei Yu said with a bright smile on her face, which was adorned with sweat-beaded melon seeds, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Wang Sheng, he could also enter the Martial Path?"

Li Hu was somewhat shocked. He had never imagined that Wang Sheng could enter the Martial Path just by shedding a few more drops of sweat than others!

Once one entered the Martial Path, their words carried weight and commanded respect from ordinary people.

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.