Qinglin County's Greatest Genius in History

After entering Chen Clan Martial Hall, Chen Feiyi had made some inquiries into this disciple's past.

He had trained at Spirit Crane Martial Hall for three months without the slightest progress, unable even to cross the threshold of Skin Tempering.

Yet after falling unconscious for two days, he had awakened as though reborn, utterly enlightened.

Even Chen Feiyi had never seen such an experience before.

But regardless of what he had been like in the past, the one standing before him now was an out-and-out martial arts prodigy.

"Disciple, your master truly underestimated you before." Chen Feiyi's tone carried a trace of emotion. "I thought Silver Bone would be your limit. Now, it seems that striking for Gold Bone may not be impossible."

"If you lay the foundation of Gold Bone within Foundation Establishment's Three Gates, then even after entering the Five Elements Sect, you will not be inferior to anyone.

"If you entered today's Ascending Dragon Conference with a Gold Bone physique, you would be an invincible force, sweeping all before you."

Chen Feiyi's assessment had taken a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

"This disciple understands." Cheng Yang nodded. "But to forge Gold Bone, one needs at least five stance arts as a foundation."

"You need not worry about that." Chen Feiyi waved a hand. "You should already possess three stance arts, shouldn't you?"

Cheng Yang did not deny it. Chen Feiyi continued, "For the remaining two, your master will find a way.

"I will strive to help you forge Gold Bone within four years, win first place at the next Ascending Dragon Conference in one fell swoop, and enter the Five Elements Sect directly!"

His words were stirring and impassioned.

But Cheng Yang could not wait four years.

He fought for every moment.

"Master, I want to give this year's Ascending Dragon Conference a try."

"This year?" Chen Feiyi frowned. "With your talent, even if you cannot take first place at the next Ascending Dragon Conference, entering the Five Elements Sect is already a certainty.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"The Ascending Dragon Conference is no child's game. Those martial artists are gambling their lives for their futures." He added this in an earnest tone.

"Master, with my talent, I believe that in the remaining twenty-odd days, I may not be unable to contend with the martial artists at the Ascending Dragon Conference." Cheng Yang's tone was firm as iron.

"Arrogant!" Chen Feiyi's expression darkened. He felt that this disciple had begun to drift after making a little progress in martial arts. "There are Bone Tempering martial artists at the Ascending Dragon Conference. You are only in the Flesh Tempering Realm—how can you fight someone in the Bone Tempering Realm? If you are injured or something goes wrong, wasting such fine talent for nothing, that would be a heinous waste of heaven's gifts!"

"This disciple understands.

"But Bone Tempering martial artists are ultimately few at the Ascending Dragon Conference. Those in the Flesh Tempering Realm are the main force." Cheng Yang changed his approach. "I only wish to participate this year to get a feel for the atmosphere in advance and prepare for the next one. If I truly encounter a Bone Tempering martial artist, I can simply concede."

Upon further thought, Chen Feiyi's tone softened considerably. "Chen Clan Martial Hall has five spots for the Ascending Dragon Conference. The candidates have already been decided: your third senior brother and fourth senior brother, along with three disciples in the Flesh Tempering Realm."

"No spots left, Master?" Cheng Yang pressed.

"The candidates are decided, but..."

Chen Feiyi changed the subject.

"If you can defeat any one of them, your master will allow you to take his place."

Cheng Yang immediately felt reassured.

As long as there was a spot available, it would not be much of a problem.

"Thank you for granting this, Master."

"Do not celebrate too soon." Chen Feiyi reminded him, "Your third and fourth senior brothers are both Bone Tempering martial artists. With your current strength, it is impossible for you to defeat them in the short term.

"As for the other three Flesh Tempering disciples, they are all veterans who have immersed themselves in the Flesh Tempering Realm for two or three years. They are not opponents a newcomer who has just entered Flesh Tempering can easily defeat."

Cheng Yang's gaze shifted slightly.

He truly could not defeat his two Bone Tempering senior brothers, but as for the other three fellow disciples, with his current foundation, he might not necessarily lose. After all, he had the Peerless Bearing, a trump card that was practically a bug.

"Master, I have one more matter to ask of you." Cheng Yang clasped his fists.

"Speak."

"I would like to ask Master to spread word that I broke through to Flesh Tempering these past few days." Cheng Yang said it all in one breath.

"Why?" Chen Feiyi's brows knitted even tighter. "Do you not understand that a tall tree catches the wind? Last night's assassination was the best lesson."

"I understand. The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind." Cheng Yang paused. "But I need more resources. Though I have support from the Yan Family and the Chu Family, that is far from enough for me."

"How much meat do the Chu and Yan Families give you each month?" Chen Feiyi asked.

The Yan Family ran an ironworks and had considerable wealth. They should not have been stingy.

"Fifteen pounds."

"That still is not enough?" Chen Feiyi was taken aback, but quickly understood. The resources a genius required already far exceeded those of ordinary people, and Cheng Yang was a monster even among geniuses.

"How about this? Your master will personally subsidize you with another five pounds of meat each month."

Cheng Yang shook his head. "Still not enough, Master."

"Boy, you certainly have a large appetite." Chen Feiyi gave him a deep look. "Since that is the case, your master will not try to persuade you further. I only hope you do not regret today's decision."

"Master, the martial path lies entirely in one word: struggle. Struggle against others, struggle against heaven, struggle against fate.

"Seize every opportunity to improve one's strength. If one cowers and shrinks back, would that not be wasting this body of martial skill for nothing?"

Cheng Yang's voice was low and forceful.

The Ascending Dragon Conference was held once every four years. If he missed it, he would have to wait another four years. He could not afford to wait, nor did he want to.

Besides, he had his cheat by his side. There were still more than twenty days before the conference began. Though he had only just entered Flesh Tempering, as long as his resources kept up, even his master might not be his match in twenty-odd days.

If he did not dare to fight for it even with a cheat, then what was the point of having one?

"What boldness." Chen Feiyi looked at Cheng Yang, as though seeing the fire he himself had possessed in his youth. "Since that is so, your master will give you a push.

"Starting tomorrow, your name as a genius will resound throughout all of Qinglin County. This old man will get to bask in some of your glory as well."

"Thank you, Master."

The night passed without incident.

Before dawn had fully broken the next day, Cheng Yang rose early to train. Though he had already broken through to Flesh Tempering, he still had no mind to practice martial techniques. He remained wholly focused on stance arts. His Back-Piercing Stance had already reached Great Accomplishment; next came the Wild Bull Stance. It was likewise a mid-grade stance art and not difficult to begin.

After training with utter concentration for an hour, Cheng Yang stopped to catch his breath.

A young disciple with a childish face seized the opportunity to approach. Gathering his courage, he asked:

"Senior Brother Cheng, may I ask how you managed to break through from Skin Tempering to Flesh Tempering in just five days?

"Was there some special technique? Could you teach it to me? I am willing to pay for it."

Master's moves really are fast. Cheng Yang sighed inwardly, then rejected him cleanly, "It cannot be taught."

"Ah... all right." The young disciple's face was full of disappointment.

"It is not that I do not want to teach you. There simply is no technique." Cheng Yang paused, then added, "This is all pure talent."

He silently added in his heart, Of course, if you also had a cheat, you could do it too.

The young disciple's mouth twitched. Senior Brother Cheng really is not low-key in the slightest...

Elsewhere, Cai Qingwen and his father, accompanied by their lackey Qian Biao, were hurrying toward Chen Clan Martial Hall.

Cai Qiming held an exquisite gift box in his hands. Inside was an old mountain ginseng over a decade old, prepared as an apology for Cheng Yang.

Upon reaching the martial hall entrance, Cai Qiming handed the gift box to his son. "You will personally give this gift to him later."

Cai Qingwen accepted the gift box with extreme reluctance, cursing inwardly.

A mud-legged peasant, and he deserves this young master bringing him a gift?

What was more, Cheng Yang had publicly boasted yesterday that he would "guide" him in martial arts.

You, a mere Skin Tempering runt, think you are worthy of guiding me, someone in the Flesh Tempering Realm?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

But with his father present, he did not dare make a scene.

The three crossed the stone steps into the martial hall's front courtyard. Noisy discussion immediately washed over them. The clamor made it feel as though they had not entered a martial hall, but stepped into a marketplace. And these disciples had one, and only one, topic of discussion.

Cheng Yang.

"Five days! He crossed from the Skin Tempering Realm into the Flesh Tempering Realm in just five days! He is simply Qinglin County's greatest genius in history! Terrifying beyond belief!"

"Senior Brother Cheng is awesome!"

Cai Qingwen's mouth fell wide open, his mind buzzing as he failed to react for a moment.

Who?

Cheng Yang?

How had he become...

Qinglin County's greatest genius in history??