Initiation

"So fast!" Zhang Yong stared at Lu Ren in shock.

His innate aptitude ranked second, and for the past few days, his motivation for training so hard had been to become the first to reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

Yet he felt he would probably need another three or four days to reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, while Lu Ren had already done it.

"Congratulations, Brother Lu! You're amazing!"

The lackey Luo Dehu ran up to Lu Ren, his face full of flattery, and showered him with praise. In just a few days, he had become Lu Ren's devoted lackey.

No matter how exhausted he was from training, he still dragged his weary body over to fetch Lu Ren's meals.

Although everyone looked down on him and secretly despised him, Xu Yang understood that if Lu Ren alone became a martial artist, Luo Dehu would probably end up doing the best out of all of them.

Once Lu Ren succeeded, he would be his earliest follower.

"A mere Entry—how could that stop me?" Lu Ren said with a laugh.

Over these few days, he had changed more than anyone else. Youthful spirit shone through his every movement, his confidence steadily grew, and a heroic air had emerged between his brows.

"Wait here, everyone. I'm going to find Master and learn the fist techniques, see what mysteries they hold."

Having reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, he could hardly wait. He turned and ran toward the Inner Court.

I'm almost there too!

Now that Lu Ren had reached Entry, Xu Yang doing the same would no longer seem so conspicuous.

Xu Yang looked at his panel!

[Turtle-Snake Great Stance: 4/5]

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 9]

Apart from that first time, he had only used the panel once over the past few days to improve his progress in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Moreover, he already felt that even without the panel, he would reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance by tomorrow at the latest.

In other words, without using the panel, he would need around eight days to reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Although that speed fell short of Lu Ren's, it definitely surpassed many others.

He had received three martial dao longevity points each day over the past few days. If he kept his head down and carried on, his talent would surpass Lu Ren's sooner or later.

"When Brother Lu comes back, I'll ask him to guide me to Entry. Back when I told everyone to stick together, you thought I was holding you back. Regretting it now, aren't you?"

Luo Dehu looked smug, eager to see regret on the faces of Xu Yang, Zhang Hong, and Zhang Yong.

The ten of them had, in fact, already split into little factions. Luo Dehu and the five with D-Grade Upper aptitude had all sided with Lu Ren.

Xu Yang and the other two had never spoken of forming an alliance, but they had implicitly drawn together to stand against Luo Dehu and the others.

"He only just reached Entry, and he can already guide you there? If it were really that simple, wouldn't the senior brothers who reached Entry before him be even better teachers?" Zhang Yong shot back without mercy.

Luo Dehu laughed. "Keep talking tough. When Brother Lu becomes a martial artist and you leave in dejection, I hope you can still say that."

Zhang Yong fell silent, assumed his stance, and resumed training. That was one point he truly could not refute.

He trained harder than ever, pushing himself desperately until he collapsed limply on the ground.

An hour later, Lu Ren returned looking exhilarated, carrying a few things in his hands.

"Brother Lu, how did the lesson go?" Luo Dehu hurried over and reached out to take the things from him.

But Lu Ren shifted aside instead of handing them over. "The fist techniques really are profound. They're much harder than the Turtle-Snake Great Stance."

"What are those things you're holding? Did Master Lin give them to you?" Luo Dehu asked curiously. How had he come back from learning fist techniques with gifts?

Lu Ren shook his head. "No. A senior brother and a senior sister from the Inner Court gave them to me-a five-year-old root of wild ginseng and a Body-Refining Medicinal Pack."

Luo Dehu was astonished. "The senior brothers and sisters in the Inner Court are that generous?"

He did not know how much a medicinal pack for bathing cost, but a five-year-old root of wild ginseng was worth at least two or three taels of silver. Wouldn't that mean he could get some too once he reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance?

"Generous? Senior Sister Gu Fang and Senior Brother Jiang Ping don't give congratulatory gifts to just anyone who reaches Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and enters the Inner Court. They only give them to genuine talents."

The Zhou Brothers arrived together with several longtime disciples and cupped their hands toward Lu Ren. "Congratulations on reaching Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, Junior Brother Lu. From now on, we can practice our fist techniques together, compare what we've learned, and spar."

"Of course!"

That afternoon, unexpectedly, even the Huang Family heard about Lu Ren reaching Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Huang Jin hurried over, offered Lu Ren words of encouragement, and increased the resources allocated to his training from eight taels to ten, leaving everyone envious.

The day quickly passed. Today was Xu Yang and the others' fifth day at the Mighty Far Hall. He had paid an extra tael of silver for Body-Strengthening Soup, so today was another day to drink it.

After their meal, the ten youths, outwardly harmonious but inwardly divided, headed to the Medicine Hall together as usual. Unexpectedly, besides Luo Dehu, Zhang Hong had also received a tael of silver from his family to buy Body-Strengthening Soup. Thus, just as last time, all five of them had soup to drink.

Of course, Lu Ren was different from the others. He received a bowl of Body-Strengthening Soup every two days, fifteen bowls a month.

After drinking the Body-Strengthening Soup, everyone headed outside.

"Brother Lu reaching Entry is a happy occasion. Why don't we all chip in and celebrate?" Luo Dehu suddenly suggested, looking at everyone.

"You still have room to eat?"

"How many coins do you have in your pocket?"

Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong spoke almost simultaneously, leaving Luo Dehu at a loss for words.

Before coming here, these youths could hardly even fill their stomachs. Their pockets were cleaner than their faces.

"Forget it. Let's leave it for another time."

Lu Ren sighed. Such a major occasion deserved a celebration, but he did not have a single copper on him either. The ten of them probably could not scrape together even a hundred copper coins-not enough for a jug of wine.

The following afternoon!

Under the blazing sun, Xu Yang's skin had taken on a bronze hue. His once-fair complexion had become dark.

Sweat soaked his trouser legs and drenched his hair. Beads the size of beans kept rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground.

His expression was focused, his chest and abdomen rose and fell, and he breathed out clouds of hot air.

Almost there!

Suddenly, joy appeared on his face. During that last run-through, he had linked the entire Turtle-Snake Great Stance together without making the mistakes he used to.

This meant he had reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. He only needed a little more refinement to feel what it meant for strength to rise from the ground.

Instead of continuing to train, Xu Yang ran to a shaded spot and sat down. He carefully recalled everything that had just happened, committing that state to memory while letting his body recover in preparation for reaching Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

What's Xu Yang up to? Has he given up and started slacking?

Zhang Yong's gaze swept over Xu Yang.

He wanted to be the second to reach Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. His only competitors were Xu Yang and Zhang Hong. As for that lackey Luo Dehu, he had never considered him a threat.

When they rested from exhaustion, it usually lasted no longer than fifteen minutes.

But this time, Xu Yang had already rested for more than fifteen minutes. He had even closed his eyes, as though asleep.

This had never happened before. The only explanation Zhang Yong could think of was that Xu Yang had realized how difficult the martial path was and had started giving up on himself.

Giving up is fine too. Better that than battering your head until it bleeds.

Half an hour later, Xu Yang felt that his body had recovered fully. He returned to the training ground and assumed his stance.

This time truly was different. The moment he began practicing the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, he felt the sinews and bones throughout his body move with the rhythm of his breathing, his blood growing hotter and hotter.

At a certain moment, he felt a faint current seemingly rise from the ground. It climbed through his feet, passed his shoulders, surged straight to the crown of his head, then slowly sank into his dantian.

Strength rose from the ground!

Boom!

In an instant, it was as though something had detonated. A surging tide spread from his dantian and swept through his entire body. Xu Yang felt his blood boil like water, his muscles swelling as though his whole body were being inflated.

It was as though every lingering ailment had been swept away and he had been born anew. As the boiling blood and vital energy washed through his body, his sinews and bones drew ever tighter like bowstrings, growing stronger through repeated tempering.

I've reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance!

Xu Yang was filled with joy. He finally understood why Lu Ren had been so excited when he broke through that day. It was not a desire to show off-the sensation of being born anew was simply too wonderful.

Being able to feel his blood flowing and his sinews and bones strengthening so clearly was marvelous beyond words, like a young seedling breaking through the soil and feeling the warm spring breeze.

"You... you've reached Entry in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance?"

"That's right!"

As soon as Xu Yang opened his eyes, he saw Zhang Yong lying exhausted on the ground, his face filled with disbelief.