Entering the Sect at Last, Shocked by Terrible News

"Good lad! You really made something of yourself!"

Liu Meng shook out his trembling hand, no longer daring to underestimate Chen Mu. He stood straight and cupped his fists. "Wait here a moment, Junior Brother Chen. I'll go inside and report to Senior Brother Qin."

Chen Mu smiled faintly and returned the salute. "Sorry for the trouble."

It was the same thing—paying money to grease the wheels—but two days ago, Chen Mu could only bow and scrape before Liu Meng, smiling carefully to curry favor.

Today, Liu Meng looked no different from roadside weeds, something that could be uprooted with a casual hand.

Chen Mu felt as though his eyebrows had risen and his breath had finally escaped, but he soon calmed himself.

Liu Meng was merely a registered disciple of the martial academy, guarding the gate day after day. What was there for Chen Mu to compare himself with?

Chen Mu silently warned himself not to grow rash and impetuous. He stood solemnly before the gate and waited with a tranquil mind.

Who would have thought that he would wait for the time it took half a cup of tea before Liu Meng finally hurried back out?

"Junior Brother Chen, come with me. Senior Brother Qin is teaching punches in the inner courtyard."

Chen Mu immediately perked up and followed Liu Meng inside at a brisk pace.

There were not many people in the front courtyard. The two went straight through to the bluestone square of the inner courtyard.

The disciples here were still sweating like rain. Several dozen bare-chested men were practicing punches and stances.

Chen Mu spotted Qin Tieya at once. The man was simply too conspicuous.

Nearly two meters tall, with an inverted-triangle build, he stood before the crowd in dark black martial attire like a guardian deity at the gates.

He was explaining the fist manual to the disciples, speaking of the key points of the Rampaging Bull Force breathing method.

"You must remember this: Rampaging Bull Force places weight on one word—'sink.'"

"Inhale as a bull drinks, opening chest and abdomen together. Exhale as horns thrust forward, drawing strength from the earth. If any of you lift that breath to your throat, get out there and slaughter pigs. Don't come here to practice boxing."

The disciples burst into laughter, then trained even harder.

Chen Mu had already mastered it completely through his stat boosts, yet he did not find it tedious as he listened, waiting quietly to one side.

After offering a few more pointers, Qin Tieya swept his gaze across the square and landed on Chen Mu.

He waved Liu Meng away, signaling him to withdraw, then strode over.

"Come with me."

Without exchanging pleasantries, Qin Tieya turned and left. Chen Mu quickly followed.

They passed through the side gate of the second courtyard and arrived at the secluded patch of sand where the last assessment had been held.

The millstone-sized stone lock was still there. The snow had been swept away completely, exposing the uneven frozen earth beneath.

Qin Tieya stopped and turned to look Chen Mu up and down, one brow lifting slightly.

"Why did you come early?"

His tone was calm, but his tiger eyes held scrutiny.

Chen Mu had prepared for this. Cupping his fists, he said, "Senior Brother, after receiving the fist manual that day, I returned home and practiced day and night. By luck, I gained some insight. Things are unsettled in the city right now, so I wanted to enter the academy early and put my mind at ease."

"By luck?" Qin Tieya's gaze lingered on Chen Mu.

Chen Mu secretly released thirty percent of the Blood Essence within his dantian. On the surface, he still looked like someone who had only just broken through, his aura yet unstable.

But even that thirty percent was enough to explain everything in the eyes of an expert like Qin Tieya.

"Only two days... Body-Tempering First Stage?" Qin Tieya was visibly astonished.

At the right moment, Chen Mu took the copy of Rampaging Bull Force from his robes, along with the Azure Dragon Token from last time, and returned them with both hands.

"This disciple has memorized the fist manual in full. I return it to its owner. Please take back the token as well, Senior Brother."

At the very instant Qin Tieya reached out to accept them, Chen Mu deliberately released another fraction of his aura.

That fierce, robust presence flashed by in an instant, but it was enough to make Qin Tieya's hand pause in midair for a beat.

"Good lad."

A sharp glint flared in Qin Tieya's eyes, and the corners of his mouth rose for the first time.

He took the token and stepped back half a pace, one arm behind his back as he spread his other hand and crooked his fingers.

"Come, then. Let's test your hands again."

Chen Mu understood at once and cupped his fists. "Then excuse my offense."

Before his words had even faded, Chen Mu stomped forward in a charge. His right fist wrapped in a gust of force as it drove straight at Qin Tieya's chest.

He used only half his strength in this punch, deliberately holding back as he employed the most basic Mighty Bull Fist.

Yet half the Blood Essence of the Body Tempering Third Tier was already far beyond that of an ordinary person. As his fist wind passed, even the sand on the ground rolled to either side.

Qin Tieya neither dodged nor evaded. He raised his right palm, spread his five fingers, and caught Chen Mu's fist with incomparable precision.

Bang!!

Fist and palm collided with a sharp crack in midair, the shockwave whipping both men's robes into a flutter.

Chen Mu's pupils abruptly contracted.

His fist was gripped firmly in Qin Tieya's hand, as if he had driven it into a mountain.

Qin Tieya's palm did not retreat in the slightest. He grinned, the muscles on his face twitching.

"Watch out! Take this punch!"

Qin Tieya suddenly roared, shoving hard with his right palm before launching a ferocious punch.

Boom! The howling pressure of the wind bore straight down on Chen Mu's face.

His pupils quivered. The shove had left him unsteady, and he could only cross his arms in a frantic block.

A booming crash erupted across the field.

Chen Mu was sent flying, both arms wracked by pain as though they were about to break.

"Again!"

Chen Mu climbed up from the ground, and instead of fear, a savage fire ignited in his eyes as he attacked once more.

Bang bang bang bang!

Two figures crisscrossed through the sandy ground, fists flashing and fierce winds surging.

Chen Mu drove the Mighty Bull Fist to its limits, occasionally mixing in an elbow strike or a kick.

But no matter how he changed his moves, Qin Tieya only blocked lightly or brushed aside his attacks, dissolving his entire offensive.

The longer Chen Mu fought, the more alarmed he became.

He had thought that after breaking through to the Body Tempering Third Tier, he would at least be able to glimpse some measure of Qin Tieya's true depth.

But only after truly exchanging blows did he realize that Qin Tieya had been playing with him from beginning to end as though indulging a small child.

Bang! Chen Mu was swept away by a roundhouse strike and crashed heavily into the center of the sandpit.

He lay prone on the ground, gasping violently, every muscle in his body trembling beyond his control.

It was not that he could not get back up. It was that if he did, he would give himself away.

Chen Mu immediately pretended to be spent and gave a bitter smile. "Senior Brother's fist technique is formidable. I concede."

Qin Tieya laughed loudly.

"You're not bad, kid."

"To make such progress in only two days—I underestimated you. Get up."

Qin Tieya withdrew his hand, walked over to Chen Mu, and hauled him to his feet.

Once steady, Chen Mu quickly cupped his fists. "Thank you for showing mercy, Senior Brother."

His voice carried breath he could not quite suppress, but his back remained straight.

Qin Tieya gave him another look, seeming as though he wanted to say something. In the end, he merely shook his head.

"Your Rampaging Bull Force has reached the proper level. With this skill alone, you are more than qualified to enter the academy as a registered disciple."

"Come with me. First, we'll pay respects to the founding patriarch."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Chen Mu answered loudly, overjoyed.

He had finally made it!

Even if he was only a registered disciple, he had still crossed the threshold. The rest would be much easier.

Once he became a formal disciple, he could cast off his lowly status and establish a respectable household. Then he could welcome A-Ning into his home in a grand wedding procession.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Mu did not dare delay. He brushed the sand from himself and hurried after Qin Tieya.

The two passed through the hanging-flower gate of the third courtyard and arrived at the main hall.

A bronze statue of the founding patriarch stood enshrined within, with a leopard's head, ringed eyes, and an Azure Dragon coiled around his arm. It was the founding patriarch of the Azure Dragon Martial Academy.

Three sacrificial animals and fruit offerings sat upon the altar, alongside two ever-burning lamps. Incense smoke curled upward, leaving the patriarch's statue half-lit and half-shadowed.

Qin Tieya stopped before the patriarch's statue, his expression solemn.

He took three incense sticks, lit them, and placed them in the burner. Then he turned to Chen Mu.

"This is our sect's founding patriarch, Liu Yunji. He came from the military in his early years. Just remember that much; there are not so many rules."

"Kneel now. Once you offer this incense, you will be a registered disciple of our martial academy."

Chen Mu did not hesitate. He knelt on the cushion before the patriarch's statue and solemnly recited, "This disciple, Chen Mu, enters the Azure Dragon Martial Academy today. I shall strictly observe the academy rules and diligently cultivate martial arts. I shall never betray my master or dishonor my ancestors, nor shall I harm my fellow disciples. Should I violate this oath, both men and gods shall cast me aside."

Chen Mu recited the speech he had long prepared in a resounding voice, steady and forceful.

Satisfied, Qin Tieya took a prepared iron plaque from the altar and handed it to Chen Mu.

The token was forged from ordinary iron, somewhat lighter than Qin Tieya's. The words "Azure Dragon" were carved on the front, while the back was blank.

"This is your disciple token. Do not lose it, and do not lend it to others."

"If you encounter a fellow disciple in trouble outside, you must help. Remember: you must not fight one another. There is nothing else."

After saying that, the fellow yawned and waved lazily. "Remember it, then go. Find an empty room in the front courtyard and stay there for now."

Chen Mu took the token, somewhat surprised. "That's all?"

He had been waiting for the martial academy to impart an advanced cultivation method!

Qin Tieya seemed to see through his thoughts and grinned.

"What else do you want to hear?"

"Master has been away hunting demons for two days. When he returns, I'll take you to serve him tea. He can tell you the rest of the rules himself."

Chen Mu understood as soon as he heard this. This fellow clearly wanted to shirk work. He only wanted to take in disciples, not trouble himself with teaching any real skills.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Chen Mu was about to cup his fists and agree when hurried, chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.

"Senior Brother Qin! Something terrible has happened! Something happened to Master!"

Liu Meng stumbled inside, his face deathly pale and his forehead drenched in cold sweat.