Body Tempering First Layer

News of the Great Flood Dragon appearing at the River God Festival spread throughout Azure Cloud City in less than half a day.

On streets and in alleys, in teahouses and taverns.

Wherever people gathered, someone was discussing the matter.

Some said the Great Flood Dragon was dozens of zhang long, and its head alone, above the water, was as large as a fishing boat...

Others said it had swallowed the wooden sacrificial boat in a single bite, without even raising a splash...

Still others said its eyes were bigger than water vats, and a single glare could scare a person's soul right out of them...

The stories grew more and more outrageous with every retelling.

They sounded so fantastical because, during the previous six years of the River God Festival, no one had ever laid eyes on a flood dragon demon.

The people of Azure Cloud City were left half-believing, half-doubting.

Yet in this seventh year, no one had expected the rumors to be true.

There really was a Great Flood Dragon in the Dragon King River!

The commotion caused by the flood dragon demon at the River God Festival was simply too great.

Even the apprentices at the training grounds had gathered in twos and threes to discuss it.

Making the training grounds especially lively that day.

Fang Han stood in a corner of the training grounds, practicing the Gale-Breaking Fist over and over.

Not a single word of the apprentices' discussions around him escaped his ears.

"Have you heard? A Great Flood Dragon really appeared in the Dragon King River during this morning's River God Festival!"

"Of course! My cousin-in-law has a stall at the fish market docks and saw it with his own eyes. He said the thing's eyeballs were bigger than water vats, and one bite could swallow an entire boat!"

"Bullshit! If your cousin-in-law had really been at the docks, he'd have pissed himself in terror. How could he have come back to tell you about it?"

"Believe it or not! Plenty of people saw it today. It wasn't just me."

Fang Han continued practicing his fists while listening to their chatter.

His expression, however, remained as calm as still water, betraying no emotion.

Yet the scene he had witnessed that morning surfaced in his mind without his control...

The enormous, savage dragon head had burst from the water, its black scales gleaming with an icy sheen beneath the sun, its vertical pupils cold and merciless...

The shock of that moment had yet to fade, constantly reminding him of one thing.

This world was hundreds, perhaps thousands of times more dangerous than he had imagined.

From now on, he had to remain vigilant whenever he fished in the Dragon King River. He could not afford to be as careless as before.

Since the Great Flood Dragon had revealed itself, it meant it truly lurked in the depths of the Dragon King River. It might swim into the shallows at any moment.

If he carelessly ventured into the middle of the river and was swallowed whole by the Great Flood Dragon as a snack, that would be truly unjust.

He had no desire to die such a pathetic death.

After completing a set of Gale-Breaking Fist, Fang Han withdrew his fists and found a shady spot to sit and rest, pondering what path he should take in the future.

"I can't stop training. Though the Gale-Breaking Fist has reached mastery, the Nine Flood Dragon Palms still need to advance further...

"The tiger meat has been effective for replenishment. Tomorrow, I'll go to Poplar Street and buy a few more jin. The more Blood Qi I can gather, the better. As for the Dragon King Gang..."

Just as he was thinking, a cry of surprise suddenly rang out from the training grounds.

"Zhao Jing has reached Body Tempering First Layer!"

That cry was like a stone dropped into a still lake, stirring up towering waves.

The entire Outer Court training ground instantly erupted.

"What? Zhao Jing broke through to Body Tempering First Layer?"

"Really? How long has he even been at the martial hall?"

"He was practicing over there just now. In the middle of it, the Blood Qi around his body started surging. It took him quite a while to recover, then he laughed and said he'd reached Body Tempering First Layer! We just don't know which of the Sinew-Bone-Skin Third Layer he reached."

"Tsk, we can't compare to that kind of talent."

Hearing this, Fang Han raised his eyes and looked over.

On the eastern side of the training grounds, a crowd had gathered in a circle.

Zhao Jing stood with his chin slightly raised and a smile at the corner of his mouth, basking in everyone's praise and attention. His face was filled with pride.

Fang Han looked only once before withdrawing his gaze. His expression remained calm and unmoved.

With the panel in hand, he only needed to train step by step. Breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm was merely a matter of time...

Fang Han was about to rise and continue practicing when he saw the hall master and Senior Brother Huo walking over from the Inner Court.

News of Zhao Jing's breakthrough to Body Tempering First Layer had actually reached the Inner Court, even drawing the hall master out in person.

Zheng Hongfeng strode up to Zhao Jing and looked him over from head to toe.

His gaze was sharp as a blade, sweeping from Zhao Jing's head to his feet, then back from his feet to his head, as though examining something.

Zhao Jing felt uneasy beneath that stare. The pride on his face faded somewhat as he respectfully cupped his fists in salute.

"Disciple Zhao Jing greets the Hall Master."

Zheng Hongfeng said nothing. He reached out, placed his hand on Zhao Jing's wrist, and closed his eyes to sense him for a moment.

A moment later.

He opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them as satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Not bad."

Zheng Hongfeng nodded, his voice ringing like a bell.

"Your Blood Qi is stable and your foundation solid. You have indeed reached Body Tempering First Layer, and it is Bone Tempering at that."

Everyone present pricked up their ears.

Upon hearing the hall master confirm it himself, another wave of murmurs rose from the crowd.

Those who had harbored doubts could no longer refuse to believe it.

Zheng Hongfeng stood where he was, his gaze sweeping over every Outer Court apprentice present.

At last, it returned to Zhao Jing as he spoke each word distinctly.

"Zhao Jing, listen carefully."

"If you can complete Body Tempering Third Layer within one month, I will accept you as my closed-door disciple!"

The entire crowd erupted.

Everyone was stunned by the hall master's words, their eyes wide with shock.

The Outer Court apprentices who had just been envious and jealous now looked at Zhao Jing differently.

There was shock, envy, jealousy, and regret.

Some were already calculating how to curry favor with Zhao Jing and establish ties with him.

After all, anyone who could become the hall master's closed-door disciple possessed talent that would be exceedingly rare in any martial hall.

A true genius!

Moreover, a closed-door disciple was entirely different from an Inner Court direct disciple.

A direct disciple was merely a disciple in name.

But a closed-door disciple...

That was the true inheritor of the hall master's legacy, someone entrusted with all he had learned in his lifetime—a genuine master-disciple relationship.

A master would invest immense resources and connections into a closed-door disciple.

He would also impart his martial arts inheritance without holding anything back.

And once the closed-door disciple had mastered his studies, he would be expected to support his master in old age, take blows for him, and resolve his troubles.

He would even step forward when his master faced a life-or-death crisis!

Such a bond was as deep as that between father and son.

Upon hearing those words, Zhao Jing froze completely.

Then wild joy appeared on his face. He cupped his fists and bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly.

"This disciple... this disciple will certainly not disappoint the Hall Master's hopes!"

He thrust out his chest even farther and raised his chin even higher, like a proud rooster.

It was as though he had already become the hall master's closed-door disciple rather than merely reaching Body Tempering First Layer.

Fang Han's gaze, however, fell upon someone else.

He noticed something.

Senior Brother Huo stood behind the hall master, maintaining his usual calm and detached expression.

But when the hall master uttered the words "closed-door disciple," a trace of gloom and disappointment flashed across Senior Brother Huo's face.

The expression vanished in an instant, so quickly that one might have thought it an illusion.

Immediately afterward, he returned to his usual aloof and distant demeanor, as though nothing had happened.

But Fang Han had seen it clearly.

His heart stirred slightly, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

Senior Brother Huo was an Inner Court direct disciple. He had been in the martial hall for so long, yet had never become the hall master's closed-door disciple.

Now, before his very eyes, the hall master had promised that position to a newcomer who had only recently arrived.

It would have been strange if Senior Brother Huo had no feelings about it.

Still, none of this had anything to do with Fang Han.

He withdrew his gaze, rose to his feet, stretched his limbs, and resumed practicing his fists.