Shattered Hopes

The students who wanted to take a master, after simply trying it a few times, changed color.

"Damn, this is way too hard to practice. It feels like it's pulling my tendons out."

"I'm different. It feels more like someone's smashing me with a hammer."

"Hahaha, my Martial Dao aptitude is better than yours. It only feels like my muscles got twisted hard—just a bit worse than when my old mother pinches my flesh."

That one remark from the boy immediately made quite a few of the prospective students around him laugh.

The atmosphere was no longer quite so tense.

"Mm, this technique is quick to initiate. As expected of the Huang Family Martial Hall's technique. Coming to the martial hall to learn was the right choice."

After Senior Brother Tao came down, he said little. He merely stood to one side, watching them review the technique and attempt to practice it.

All in all, the youths found the Initiation Stake Skill difficult, but not absurdly so.

Nearly half of them, paired with the mnemonic, could execute it with extreme difficulty.

Lin Xiaotian also tried to perform this set of Stake Skill.

When he used the stake stance alone, some movements simply could not be made, as though he were trying to break his own bones.

But once he employed the Stake Skill mnemonic, his blood qi visibly changed.

Those movements that were exceedingly difficult to perform became, with blood qi's divine assistance, smoother and less strained around the critical joints, allowing him to force the movement out.

Yet after completing it, the pain made sweat stream down his face.

Looking at the others beside him, those who could instantly perform the Stake Skill all had a faint sheen of sweat on their faces.

Lin Xiaotian understood now.

In terms of Martial Dao aptitude, this body of his was not top-tier, but neither was it trash. It fell somewhere slightly below average.

However, he possessed special blood qi.

Lin Xiaotian paused for a moment and felt the muscles that had just been forcibly twisted and damaged.

They were visibly recovering.

He smiled inwardly.

Through that firsthand experience, he had roughly understood what made this blood qi special.

His own blood qi could heal injuries. If they were too severe, however, it could not repair them quickly.

But if something like Rift Mist existed for him to absorb, even somewhat heavier injuries could be healed.

As for whether this blood qi possessed any other extraordinary traits, he would need to uncover them in the future.

He felt that this blood qi was not limited to healing alone.

Just then, a small disturbance rose from the crowd.

One person in the middle suddenly stepped out and walked toward the stakes. Upon reaching them, he looked at Senior Brother Tao and said:

"Senior Brother, I think I'm about ready. I want to try it on the stakes."

Senior Brother Tao gave him a serious look, his eyes carrying the air of someone watching a joke, and replied:

"Mm. Half a day has already passed. If you think you're ready, then give it a try."

"To be honest, practicing atop the stakes and practicing on the ground are as far apart as heaven and earth."

The man cupped his fists.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

With that, he climbed up and stood atop a stake.

Everyone below watched, scarcely daring to breathe as they waited for the first person to eat the crab.

"Rise!"

The man shouted and began practicing.

This first form looked fairly decent.

Watching from below, Lin Xiaotian recognized him as one of those with sharper powers of observation and silently praised him.

He learns quickly enough.

Just as he was praising him inwardly, after only a few forms, the man suddenly swayed atop the stake. His balance faltered, and he let out a faint cry of pain.

"Urgh..."

Then he fell straight off the stake.

With a bang, he hit the ground below, kicking up a little dust.

Fortunately, the stake was not very high. Otherwise, after that fall, he could forget about getting out of bed for ten days or half a month.

"This... this... how could this happen..."

The observing youths below immediately began to lose heart again, their hearts hanging in their throats.

The confidence they had just built up was once more doused with a bucket of cold water.

"How was it?" Senior Brother Tao's booming voice rang out.

He looked at the silent, shivering group of disciples about to enter the hall and said calmly:

"Practicing below the stakes and practicing atop them are two different matters. You have seen that for yourselves."

He paused slightly, his voice still faintly echoing in everyone's ears.

"If you truly want to master this Stake Skill, then you must practice atop the stakes. Only then can you forge real skill and true ability."

A youth below said unwillingly:

"But what if we can't practice it atop the stakes? That brother just now fell pretty hard... He was beside me before, and he was practicing very smoothly."

Senior Brother Tao swept his gaze over him, his expression stern.

"Where is Martial Dao initiation ever so simple? True skill lies atop the stakes. Only when you can perform it atop the stakes have you truly entered the gate."

"Enough. For the rest of the time, practice atop the stakes. I hope more of your batch can successfully initiate."

Though most of the youths came from ordinary backgrounds, they still possessed the hot blood of youth.

One unconvinced boy said:

"I don't believe it. I'm already this strong below the stakes—how could I be too poor atop them? Even if I am worse, I can't be ridiculously worse."

"That guy just now must have been careless. That was why he made a mistake."

As he spoke, he rushed forward and ran up before Senior Brother Tao.

"I'll do it!"

Senior Brother Tao nodded.

The youth did not waste words and immediately climbed up.

The moment he stood atop the stake, he did not begin at once. Instead, he tried shifting left and right, familiarizing himself with the stakes' layout.

Senior Brother Tao nodded, a strange light appearing in his eyes along with a trace of hope.

Lin Xiaotian watched and silently approved as well.

This kid isn't reckless. He has drive without being blind.

After less than a quarter of an hour, the child moved. Once he stepped into the first form, confidence appeared on his face, and the corners of his mouth relaxed into a faint smile.

But when he assumed the second form, his expression suddenly changed. A faint crack sounded.

The child cried out, "Ah—," and fell straight from the stake.

With a bang, he struck the ground and raised another small cloud of dust.

This time, all those who wished to take a master were no longer composed. Their brows were nearly twisted into knots.

The first time could be called an accident. But this second youth had been so careful and still fell. That was enough to explain the problem.

Senior Brother Tao shook his head, looking down arrogantly at the group of young boys who had lost their fire. His voice boomed again:

"Anyone else want to try? Practicing atop the stakes is more than ten times as effective as practicing below them. Our martial hall's stake technique cannot be learned no matter how much you practice beneath the stakes."

Under Senior Brother Tao's string of words, another young boy finally went up.

As expected, with a bang, he fell again.

Senior Brother Tao began mocking the young boys.

"Hahaha, I told you that you couldn't do it. Did you think just anyone could cultivate martial arts? Why not piss in a puddle and look at yourselves? You wasted those five taels of silver for nothing."

"What have you brought your households? You have only added frost atop snow."

The young boys could no longer hold back. Several more went up one after another.

The result was that they all fell from their mounts and crashed down.

The young boys grew timid. For a time, none dared move again.

Senior Brother Tao mocked them once more, while only a few weak mutters could be heard:

"We've mastered it below the stakes. Practicing atop them, it must just be because we aren't familiar with it yet."

Senior Brother Tao said nothing more. He had seen such scenes before and knew what these little fellows were thinking.

He swept his gaze around and saw fire in the young boys' eyes, though unfortunately they still looked too afraid to step forward.

When his gaze moved onto Lin Xiaotian, a glint flashed in his eyes.

"This little junior brother, could you take the lead and let everyone see that this technique is not impossible to perform atop the stakes?"

"Me?" Lin Xiaotian pointed at himself and met Senior Brother Tao's fixed gaze.

He had never imagined that Senior Brother Tao would single him out to demonstrate.

Was Senior Brother Tao so certain that he would succeed? Even so, he understood the saying that the bird that poked its head out got shot first.

Lin Xiaotian truly did not want to stand out, but he looked into Senior Brother Tao's eyes, then at the prospective fellow disciples drawn over by the commotion.

Something stirred in his heart.