The three-month period had passed. Next, the students would enter the next stage of their training.
Liu Sidao and Ma Shou had already become the focus of the new students' attention. One had placed first, the other second-the two who had come out on top.
Although Sun Xiaohu looked sturdy and tigerish, he was no good with words, so he had fewer fans than those two.
Never mind anyone else-even Murong An had gained a large following of fangirls.
A good family, great talent, and most importantly, he was handsome!
Murong Xue had done well too. After all, she was the only cute little girl in the top ten, and quite a few boys had fallen for her.
At thirteen, she already counted as a young maiden.
With her well-off family and adequate nutrition, her body had already begun developing, which made a bunch of adolescent children feel an inexplicable attraction to her.
Lin Pingzhi had not fared so well. Despite taking eighth place, he had been given a thorough dressing-down by his father in front of the entire class.
In Lin Junfeng's eyes, his son's failure to enter the top three was an original sin!
Another who had unlocked the achievement of getting hurt was Liu Che.
As the boss of Class Ten and the head of the Heavenly Dragon Association, he had only taken seventh. How humiliating!
In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Dragon Association dissolved on its own.
Previously, relying on his many buddies and his fondness for showing off, Liu Che had gathered a crowd of underlings. Even Sun Xiaohu had been one of his people.
But through this tournament, the students had all learned he was a silver spearhead made of pewter, and one after another, they switched sides.
Once the competition ended and they returned to their classes, there was joy for some and sorrow for others once again.
The homeroom teachers led their respective classes back and began addressing them in their class training grounds.
Lu Guying was happy-visibly happy.
Looking at his students, especially Liu Sidao and Li Goudan'er, he could barely resist shouting.
"These are all my beloved disciples!"
"A few words!"
Lu Guying smiled. "The three-month progress tournament for new students is now over.
"As your teacher, I'm very pleased. Our class achieved some good results.
"In particular, three of the top twenty-five came from our class.
"We had two in the top ten, and among them, Liu Sidao even took first."
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching." The handsome little boy grinned smugly.
Lu Guying pointed at him. "Everyone received the same teaching. You also did yourselves proud."
As he spoke, he glanced at Li Goudan and Zhao Ling'er.
Li Goudan'er and Zhao Ling'er smiled shyly. It was their first time being praised in public, and they were not quite used to it.
Lu Guying continued, "Of course, don't get cocky. Getting results is a good thing, but if you let success go to your heads and other people overtake you, you'll be the ones embarrassed!"
"Yes!"
The students shouted in unison, their voices resounding with impressive force.
Although the other students had not placed, Liu Sidao and the others' achievements gave them a shared sense of honor and pride.
They even had something to brag about outside: know the number one student at Tianyang Martial Dao Academy? He's in our class.
If Liu Sidao and the others became great heroes in the martial world someday, they could declare with even greater pride: you know Liu Sidao of the first-grade realm? He's my buddy-we were classmates!
"Of course, I have grounds for saying this." With his hands behind his back, Lu Guying continued addressing the students. "Those who placed mustn't grow complacent, and those who didn't needn't worry.
"Because tomorrow, a second-year teacher will teach you how to cultivate internal arts."
The moment the students heard this, the crowd erupted into a buzzing uproar.
Some were excited, some were nervous, and others were reluctant to part.
"Teacher, won't you be teaching us anymore tomorrow?"
"Teacher, I can't bear to leave you."
"Teacher Lu, can I stay? I feel like I'm not ready yet."
"Teacher, I don't want to leave you."
The students clamored, expressing their reluctance to part with Lu Guying.
Their feelings were all genuine, without a trace of pretense.
Most of the disciples were farmers' children or commoners' children, and some were beggars.
Apart from Principal Zhang Qingyuan, Lu Guying was the first person to give them warmth and care.
Three months spent together day and night had already forged deep feelings between them and Lu Guying.
After all, he was their first teacher, and their most important one.
Old Lu was gratified and deeply moved, but he did not show it. Instead, he put on a stern face and said, "Well, those who can't bear to leave me may have a chance to stay."
"Huh?" The students did not understand.
Lu Guying said, "Cultivating internal power is different from the fundamentals I've taught you.
"With basic martial techniques, even the slowest person will have learned a few skills.
"These martial techniques are simply attacking and blocking, dodging and grappling.
"But cultivation in internal arts is very different from martial techniques.
"No matter how well you practice your fighting skills and martial moves, the same may not hold true for internal arts.
"Internal arts depend heavily on talent, and also place high demands on your meridians and dantian.
"Put simply, you can master martial techniques through hard work and diligent practice.
"But cultivation in internal arts depends heavily on talent.
"Take me, your teacher, for example. My martial moves and various skills are as slick as anyone's, and fighting opponents above my realm is no problem at all.
"But my internal power has remained stuck at the eighth-grade realm.
"That's because there are problems with both my meridians and my dantian. My internal power doesn't circulate smoothly, so I can't advance any further."
The students listened intently, looking at one another, their thoughts unknown.
"Some people may learn moves and techniques slowly, but progress very quickly in internal arts.
"That's why I said not to place too much importance on your rankings in this competition.
"Because nobody knows which of you will progress quickly or slowly when you cultivate internal arts.
"I hope that when graduation season arrives next year, every one of you will earn the chance to attend your second year for free and receive a scholarship. Better yet, at the first-year graduation tournament, all two hundred of the top places will belong to our class!"
Fired up, the students shouted in unison, "Yes!"
"One more thing," Lu Guying added. "As I just said, not all of you will be leaving me. Nor does tomorrow mean you'll become second-year students.
"Anyone who fails to sense Qi within three days will have to come back and train under me, honing your martial techniques while cultivating internal arts.
"Those who sense Qi and cultivate internal power shouldn't get smug either. If your martial techniques are clumsy, you'll still have to get your asses back here and hone them while attending lessons with the second years!"
"Yes!"
In Class Two, Elder Sister Zhan was likewise holding a meeting with her students.
"Our class achieved good results in this progress assessment. Ma Shou, in particular, deserves special praise."
The students applauded spontaneously, all eyes turning toward Ma Shou.
They all knew by now that Ma Shou was Zhan Hongling's son, but none of them thought he had taken second place by relying on his mother.
They had all witnessed what Ma Shou had gone through over these three months.
He received the harshest scoldings and the fiercest beatings.
Zhan Hongling had not given him any special treatment either. He ate, slept, and trained alongside the other students.
Ma Shou felt rather awkward under his classmates' burning gazes, his face flushing deeply.
"Hongbing did well too, taking fourth."
"Hehe, I just got lucky."
Zhao Hongbing scratched his head. He had drawn byes in several rounds and somehow advanced without quite knowing how. There really was something mystical about it.
Zhan Hongling said with satisfaction, "I've seen all your hard work. In the final ranking matches, you also took fourth through your own strength.
"If you didn't have real ability, how could you have held on to fourth place?"
"You flatter me, Teacher. You're making me embarrassed."
"All right, you two remember this about the Minor Rejuvenation Pills awarded to the top ten: don't take them recklessly before reaching the sixth rank. Minor Rejuvenation Pills increase True Qi. One pill adds five years of True Qi cultivation. Before your internal power transforms into True Qi, your meridians won't be able to withstand it. Understood?" Zhan Hongling reminded them.
"Understood!"
After praising her students, Elder Sister Zhan began explaining tomorrow's internal arts training. It was largely the same as what Lu Guying had said.
The same was happening in Class Three. Looking at his students, Chen Siwen was very happy with their performance, but felt considerable regret over the results.
Their class had the most talented students in the top twenty-five, top fifty, and top hundred.
Yet in the end, not one had made the top ten.
Only one girl, Han Mei, had made the top thirteen, taking eleventh place without earning a single Minor Rejuvenation Pill.
He had thought that with so many talented students in his class, even if they could not claim every top-ten spot, surely securing three would be no problem.
Yet fate insisted on toying with him.
Chen Siwen sighed inwardly. "Come, let's talk. Your results in this competition were good. Tomorrow, you'll begin cultivating internal arts. Now I'll explain the things you need to watch out for..."
In Class Four, Li Qian'er held a saber, grinning with his teeth bared.
"Xiaohu, you have enough strength, but you still need to practice those martial moves more diligently. Just a little more-just a little more and you would've been first."
Sun Xiaohu sniffed back his snot, looking at his teacher rather guiltily.
"Teacher, I, uh..."
"All right, it's fine. We made the top three, at least. Anyway, a few words about tomorrow..."
As Class Five's homeroom teacher, Liu Jinghong looked at Murong An with considerable dissatisfaction.
Murong An was embarrassed too, and hurriedly explained, "Teacher, I really had no choice. Murong Xue is my little sister, and my father and second uncle were watching from the platform. What could I do?"
Liu Jinghong waved and sighed. "Fine, fine. That one place makes no difference to me. You got a Minor Rejuvenation Pill anyway. Keep it safe."
"Yes."
"Ah, tell me, I'm an all-rounder, proficient in everything-sabers, spears, staffs, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forked weapons, and great swords. How did I end up teaching idiots like you?
"Especially you, Murong An. You're the oldest, already fourteen, yet you couldn't beat a few ten-year-olds."
Liu Jinghong scolded him with a smile. It was not mockery, just regret and frustration that iron would not become steel.
"Teacher, I..."
"Stop right there. Starting tomorrow, you'll be cultivating internal arts. Of course, whether you do well or not, you're all coming back. Back into the furnace for reforging!"
At Class Six's training ground, Li Changsheng held Zhang Xiaohua's face, kneading it over and over.
"Oh, Xiaohua, you've really done your teacher proud."
"Mmph..." Not daring to resist, Zhang Xiaohua mumbled, "Teacher, I didn't do it on purpose. I really couldn't beat them."
"It's fine," Li Changsheng said. "A few words. Tomorrow, you'll be going to cultivate internal arts, but don't worry. I'll be going with you."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, huh?" Li Changsheng raised his head and looked at the students. "Am I not welcome?"
He had the greatest talent of all the teachers to begin with, and he had only come to the Tianyang Sect to read its secret manuals.
Most of the other teachers had become teachers because they had no hope of breaking through to the next realm.
He, however, had come here because he wanted to practice advanced martial arts legitimately.
Seeing his disciples sighing one after another, Li Changsheng said, "Tomorrow, I'll attend the lessons with you. You'd better all stay sharp. If I catch anyone not paying attention, don't blame me when I kick you."
Standing at Class Seven's training ground, Liu Ying happily praised Murong Xue first, then commended Ding Buyang and Ding Buyin.
She was rather gentle. After encouraging the students, she began explaining tomorrow's internal arts training.
In Class Eight, Liu Tianming was not holding a meeting. Instead, he was comforting his student.
Lin Pingzhi had been so harshly scolded in public by his father that he had not stopped crying since, sobbing in fits.
Old Liu was genuinely afraid that such a good child would never recover from his father's scolding.
At the same time, he was angry too. Who scolded their own son like that?
"There, there, don't feel so wronged. Your father, well, that's just how he is. You have your teacher here. I know you're a genius, and you'll definitely surpass your father in the future. Stop crying."
"Hic... hic... sniff... sniff... What... right... sniff... did he... hic, hic... have... to scold me... like that... sniff..."
Seeing the child sobbing so hard he could barely breathe, Old Liu said with considerable heartache, "Listen to me. Cultivate hard. Aim to reach the seventh rank in a year, the fifth rank next year, and the fourth rank in three years. Then go home and slap your father hard across the face."
Lin Pingzhi glanced at his teacher and cried even louder.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"Anyway, gather here tomorrow morning. A new teacher will lead you in cultivating internal arts."
Having said that, he could not spare any attention for anything else and continued comforting Lin Pingzhi.
In Class Nine, Chu Xiong held Qin Shuang's hand, all but ready to become sworn brothers with him.
"Shuang, thank goodness you were here. You really did your teacher proud. You were our class's sole remaining seedling. Who would've thought you'd really hold on to a top-ten spot?"
"It's all thanks to your teaching," Qin Shuang said shyly.
"Oh, please, don't say that. If Teacher Chen, Class Three's homeroom teacher, heard you, he'd die of anger. Haha... hey!"
Chu Xiong and Chen Siwen had no major conflict. It was just that Chen Siwen had previously shown off how many talented disciples his class had, and Chu Xiong had felt looked down upon.
In this competition, his class's lone seedling had entered the top ten while Old Chen's class had none. Of course he felt great.
His repressed heart found instant satisfaction.
"In a little while, I'll go down the mountain and buy you candied hawthorn skewers. One each!"
"Long live Teacher!" the students shouted in unison.
"Tomorrow..."
After explaining tomorrow's internal arts training with a smile, Chu Xiong set off for Phoenix Cry City without a moment's delay.
He wanted the whole world to celebrate!
At Class Ten's training ground, Wei Wu looked at his students, especially Liu Che. This child had suffered quite a blow too.
He felt he had become a laughingstock, so he had remained gloomy throughout.
After summarizing the competition, Wei Wu began counseling Liu Che.
"It's not that bad. What's one temporary setback? You can win it back later."
"But, but..."
"No buts. You'll start cultivating internal arts tomorrow. Cultivating internal arts isn't the same as practicing martial techniques.
"Some people are good at martial techniques, but their internal arts might not keep up. Just like Teacher Lu."
"Really?"
"Really." Wei Wu nodded. "Tomorrow, just surpass them in internal arts, and there you go."
"Yeah!"
Liu Che nodded fiercely and gritted his teeth. "My Heavenly Dragon Association cannot fall apart!"
Wei Wu sighed, thinking, This kid...
That evening, during the students' free time, they gathered in twos and threes to discuss tomorrow's internal arts cultivation.
Liu Che sought out Liu Sidao and the others to issue a challenge.
"We start cultivating internal arts tomorrow. Just watch. Everything I've lost, I'll take it all back!"
"Brother Che, stop competing. There's no point. Can't you just focus on cultivating?" Ma Shou said helplessly.
Liu Che gritted his teeth. "Impossible. I have to fight for my pride. Not to prove how great I am, but to prove I'm no worse than you!"
Ma Shou said helplessly as well, "But what if you can't match us in internal arts either? What will you do then?"
"Heh, cultivating internal arts isn't about how you apply martial moves. It's about the innate talent of your meridians and dantian. Being skilled in martial techniques doesn't mean you'll cultivate internal arts well too. Just wait!"
Ma Shou shook his head. "All right, then. I wish you success."
He really wanted to say, You don't know what my talent is like, so why are you so confident in yourself?
But he was afraid of dealing him a blow, so he left the rest unsaid.
"Hmph!"
Just then, Qin Shuang came over with a group of people, each holding a skewer of candied hawthorns.
"Oh, everyone's here."
"Where did you get the candied hawthorns?" Ma Shou and the others asked enviously as they looked at them.
They had been at Tianyang Martial Dao Academy for three months. Although the meals were very good, they hadn't had a single bite of a snack.
Especially candied hawthorns-to these children, they were even more tempting than braised pork right now.
Licking his candied hawthorns, Qin Shuang said, "I made the top ten, so our homeroom teacher gave me a reward."
Then he continued with a very earnest question. "Hey, you two came first and second, and Brother Che, you came seventh. What rewards did your teacher give you?"
Everyone: "..."
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