Withered Wood Fist

Both were children of wealthy families in town. Naturally, when they joined Withered Wood Fist Hall, they brought generous tuition gifts and lofty expectations.

"Master, is this our martial arts training ground? It looks far too shabby."

Su Yu looked around, his tone carrying a hint of criticism.

"Junior Brother Su, for those who practice martial arts, cultivating the heart is what matters. External things have never been all that important."

Lin Ruoxue offered a word of consolation.

At the same time, she was preserving their master's dignity.

With just that one sentence.

She won the approval of the older disciples.

Chen Wang thought very highly of Su Yu.

Thus, he did not get angry at Su Yu's earlier remarks.

Instead, he smiled and said, "Once you enter the ranks, Master will provide you with better conditions."

"For now, pursuing external things will only leave your foundation unsteady."

"Come, let Master see how your cultivation has progressed over these past few days."

Chen Wang spoke.

The disciples hurriedly began to demonstrate for their master.

Lately, it had been rare for them to even catch a glimpse of Master Chen Wang.

Now that they had this opportunity, every one of them wanted to seize it.

"Hey! Ha!!!"

At once, waves of passionate training shouts rang out.

Chen Wang nodded at times and frowned at others.

More often, he offered a few words of guidance.

Thinking of the events of recent days.

A few more traces of weariness appeared on Chen Wang's gaunt face.

Then, when Su Yu stepped before the stone trough and casually hefted the hundred-pound bluestone a few times.

The skin on his arms faintly flushed red.

His fair skin showed signs of turning bronze at that moment.

"Good, good, good!"

"In just three days, Su Yu's qi and blood can already be initially mobilized."

"He is nearly done with Grinding Force."

"Such talent is truly rare!"

Seeing Su Yu's transformation.

Chen Wang immediately burst into laughter.

The surrounding disciples also cast envious looks his way.

The difference between having talent and lacking it was truly heaven and earth apart.

Some people could not even touch the threshold of Grinding Force after a month.

Others were nearly finished with Grinding Force in two or three days.

Who could reason with that?

"Master, Grinding Force is too easy. Is there anything harder...?"

Su Yu's tone was somewhat arrogant.

Yet as a martial arts prodigy, some felt it was only natural.

"There is a second stage to Grinding Force, but would that not be too hasty?"

Chen Wang did not wish to pull up seedlings to help them grow.

"The Monster-Hunting Squad lacks fighters who can join battle immediately. If our hall wants fewer people to die."

"Then I must grow stronger quickly."

Su Yu spoke.

These past few days, he had followed Chen Wang to kill monsters.

He had yet to reach the Entry Realm, and Chen Wang treasured him greatly.

Every time, Chen Wang would beat the monsters until they had only one breath left.

Then hand them over to Su Yu to finish off.

That had also allowed Su Yu to grow rapidly.

Naturally, he wanted to kill monsters himself as well.

"You have a good heart."

Su Yu's words made Chen Wang even more satisfied.

Then Chen Wang looked toward Lu Yuan and saw that the skin on his arms was fair.

No different from before.

He could not help but frown.

"You all must hurry with your training. These times wait for no one!"

Chen Wang sighed.

Then he selected several more people to replenish the Monster-Hunting Squad.

He had them wait outside the door.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was called aside by Chen Wang.

After being here for so long, there was still not the slightest sign of Lu Yuan's skin changing toward a bronze hue.

In other words, Lu Yuan had not even touched the threshold of Grinding Force.

This showed that his skin and flesh had not been tempered in the slightest.

Even if Lu Yuan spent several months, or perhaps half a year or a year.

To complete Grinding Force and become a martial artist.

It would not necessarily be a good thing for him.

He might even be chosen for the Monster-Hunting Squad and lose his life.

"Lu Yuan! Your progress is too slow. You are not suited to martial arts."

"Before, I only let you try for Mr. Yan's sake."

"But your natural physique is poor. The longer this drags on, the more you will be delayed."

"Do not waste your money and life for nothing."

Chen Wang patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder.

Then turned and left.

"Master..."

Lu Yuan called out.

"If you have younger brothers or sisters at home, you can send them here to try."

"That way, your tuition gift will not have been wasted."

Chen Wang added.

Then he did not look back again.

He left with the members of the Monster-Hunting Squad.

"What was that about?"

Lu Yuan knew his master meant well.

But before he had even said a word, that unreliable master of his had left.

Did that count as being expelled from the martial arts hall?

Lu Yuan gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"Junior Brother, do not take it to heart. Sometimes, some things cannot be forced."

"Master is doing this for your own good."

Senior Brother You Tai walked over and patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder.

Lu Yuan said nothing. He had completed Grinding Force.

But he did not know any martial arts!

That did not count as inheriting the legacy of Withered Wood Fist Hall.

Lu Yuan did not say anything more.

He directly inserted his hands into the stone trough.

"Up!" "Down!"

"Up!" "Down!"

He demonstrated it once before You Tai.

Seeing Lu Yuan's movements, as well as his skin that even sharp stones could not cut.

You Tai froze. "This stone..."

He reached out and felt it for himself.

This was a massive five-hundred-pound stone.

"You..."

"Senior Brother, I have completed Grinding Force. What comes next...?"

"You... you actually completed Grinding Force?"

Feeling the weight of that five-hundred-pound boulder, You Tai drew in a sharp breath.

The skin on Lu Yuan's arms had not turned bronze.

In his view, perhaps everyone reacted differently.

"If that is the case, then I shall pass on the Withered Wood Fist to you in Master's stead!"

Afterward, You Tai imparted the Withered Wood Fist manual and the techniques for exerting force to him without reservation.

Withered Wood Fist was merely a low-grade martial art.

It was not much of a secret.

Now that Lu Yuan had succeeded in Grinding Force.

He counted as a true member of Withered Wood Fist Hall.

That way, even if Master found out.

He would not say anything.

Withered Wood Fist emphasized withered wood meeting spring, seeking life amid death. Its fist techniques were steady and heavy, yet when unleashed, they were like an old tree's roots coiling deep into the earth, unceasing and endless.

And it suited Lu Yuan perfectly at this moment.

Lu Yuan did not take that final step.

His purpose was to temper his own skin further.

After entering the martial artist realm and becoming a First-Rank Martial Artist.

He would still need Skin Tempering.

This was equivalent to Lu Yuan first laying his own foundation firmly.

At the same time, outside the martial arts hall's gates.

"Master, those martial artists without talent should have been expelled from the hall long ago."

"If they are chosen for the Monster-Hunting Squad, they will only hold everyone back when they encounter demons and monsters, throwing their lives away for nothing."

"If our martial arts hall wishes to grow stronger, we must select the elite and discard the dross to preserve the essence."

Thinking of the fellow disciples in the hall earlier, whose talents varied greatly and were mostly mediocre, Su Yu could not help but speak.

Lin Ruoxue beside him, however, frowned slightly and softly rebutted, "Junior Brother Su, you cannot put it that way."

"Learning martial arts is one of the few paths open to ordinary people in these chaotic times."

"Some are extraordinarily gifted and advance a thousand miles in a day, while others build up over time before erupting late and becoming great talents. If we sever their martial paths with a single stroke merely because of their temporary progress, it would be far too heartless."

Though Lin Ruoxue and Su Yu both came from wealthy families.

Their ways of handling matters were somewhat different.