Superior Grade

With an infusion of funds, Warm Breeze Hall's operations ran increasingly smoothly, and its position on Baile Street grew ever more secure.

Zhang Lingfeng devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

He left Warm Breeze Hall's affairs to Zhang Pingping.

According to the subsidy rules, he could cultivate the middle section of the Twelve-Routine Iron Mountain Fist to its utmost limit within the year, at which point he could smoothly attempt to break through to Dark Force.

Once he became a Dark Force expert,

earth-shaking changes would come to him, the Zhang family, and even Warm Breeze Hall.

Thus, nothing could be allowed to affect his cultivation progress, no matter what happened. Zhang Pingping understood how crucial this was, too, and began deliberately gathering funds, spending more money on Zhang Lingfeng.

Of course, nothing could be allowed to go wrong with Warm Breeze Hall's operations, either.

"Top-tier superior-grade bone structure!"

"Good!"

"Hahaha, wonderful!"

Guo Wei's laughter rang out from the front courtyard.

People came to seek apprenticeship and learn martial arts almost every day.

Guo Wei always examined their bones. If someone had no aptitude in their bone structure, he refused to accept them regardless of how much money they offered, lest they damage his reputation.

He had never expected to find someone with superior-grade bone structure today.

And it was the best among the superior grade-top-tier superior-grade bone structure.

It belonged to a fifteen-year-old boy, the same age as Zhang Fugui. His parents owned a butcher's stall at the market, so he regularly had plenty of meat to eat. Though only fifteen, he was powerfully built.

Guo Wei's eyes lit up the moment he saw him.

After carefully feeling his bones and confirming the boy's bone structure, he could not help bursting into laughter.

Zhang Lingfeng, Wu Yun, and the others practicing martial arts in the inner courtyard were all drawn by Guo Wei's laughter and could not resist running out to look.

Guo Wei was not annoyed.

Instead, he told Zhang Lingfeng and the others, "Let me introduce you. This is your junior brother, Ye Fan. From now on, he'll cultivate in the inner courtyard just like you. Take good care of him."

"Yes, Master!"

Zhang Lingfeng answered along with everyone else.

They were all deeply shocked. He had only just entered the martial arts school and had yet to practice martial arts, but he could already cultivate in the inner courtyard and become Guo Wei's disciple. It seemed Ye Fan's bone structure truly was extraordinary.

"Greetings, senior brothers and sisters."

Ye Fan cupped his fists.

He showed no stage fright, and even looked somewhat pleased and proud, seemingly aware of the value of superior-grade bone structure.

"Come, let your master explain what the Twelve-Routine Iron Mountain Fist is."

Guo Wei seemed to have grown more than a decade younger, brimming with vitality.

"Thank you, Master."

Ye Fan followed behind him the whole way. Meeting his senior brothers' and sisters' gazes, he smiled and nodded, but completely ignored the apprentices in the outer courtyard.

"Top-tier superior-grade bone structure?"

Zhang Lingfeng frowned.

"Master's laughing so happily. It looks like he intends to make Ye Fan the inheritor of his mantle."

Wu Yun sighed.

"Top-tier superior-grade bone structure-one in a thousand. Master finally found what he'd been waiting for."

A senior brother surnamed Ma sighed.

"What a pity. Junior Brother Zhang also has superior-grade bone structure, but he started learning too late, and his bone structure has already closed. Otherwise..."

A senior brother surnamed Wang looked sympathetically at Zhang Lingfeng.

"Being able to cultivate alongside everyone and receive Master's guidance together is already more than enough for me."

Zhang Lingfeng smiled as he spoke.

Inwardly, however, he was weighing things up.

Guo Wei is one of the few Transformation Force Great Perfection experts in Baiyang County. If Ye Fan becomes the inheritor of his mantle, even if I successfully break through to Dark Force in the future, it'll be hard for me to obtain his complete legacy.

Zhang Lingfeng had long since learned from Wu Yun

that the Iron Mountain Fist originally had thirteen moves. They only cultivated twelve routines. The thirteenth move was Guo Wei's secret technique, which he did not teach outsiders. Only by becoming his personal disciple and receiving his legacy could one learn it.

Otherwise, no matter how exquisitely one mastered the twelve routines, one would still be at the mercy of someone who knew the thirteenth move.

Although my bone structure has closed, I have the Subsidy System's support. I shouldn't lose to Ye Fan. No matter what, that legacy can only be mine.

Zhang Lingfeng thought to himself.

With someone as terrifying as Guo Wei watching over Ye Fan, Zhang Lingfeng knew no one would dare lay a hand on him.

He returned to the inner courtyard to continue practicing his fist technique.

A while later, Zhang Lingfeng, Wu Yun, and the others saw Guo Wei lead Ye Fan out of the room. Ye Fan held the manual for the lower section of the Twelve-Routine Iron Mountain Fist.

Guo Wei had already arranged for someone to clean a room for Ye Fan.

This would allow Ye Fan to live at the martial arts school permanently.

By the looks of it, he intended to let Ye Fan carry the manual with him.

Back then, even after paying a full year's tuition and the fees for Qi and blood restorative soup, Zhang Lingfeng had merely been led into the inner courtyard by Guo Wei and allowed to read the manual once inside the room.

Not only could Ye Fan move in, but it seemed he did not even have to pay tuition, and he could carry the manual with him.

This difference in treatment immediately highlighted Ye Fan's status, making even a Dark Force expert like Wu Yun want to approach him and establish a friendship.

There was even less need to mention the others.

"Don't underestimate these twelve routines. They encompass stance training and breathing exercises, and even contain the essentials of movement techniques. You might not understand all this if I explain it now.

"First, I'll teach you the first routine, the Descending Mountain Form!"

Guo Wei personally guided Ye Fan through practicing the fist technique in the inner courtyard. His seriousness and focus made it seem as though he were tending to his own child.

When Ye Fan was drenched in sweat, master and disciple drank thick Qi and blood restorative soup together in a corner.

The sight left Zhang Lingfeng and the others green with envy.

After practice ended, Zhang Lingfeng returned to his rented home and told Zhang Pingping about it.

"Superior-grade bone structure?"

"And the best of the superior grade-top-tier superior grade!"

Zhang Pingping looked astonished, and Zhang Lingfeng added that detail.

"In that case, you need to find a way to befriend this Junior Brother Ye before he rises, so he recognizes you as his senior brother.

"If he inherits Master Guo's mantle in the future, we'll have to rely on him."

Zhang Pingping said.

"There's no need. Although his bone structure is better than mine, he certainly won't outshine me in the future. From what I've seen, he's arrogant and overbearing, with eyes only for those Dark Force senior brothers. Trying to befriend him now would only leave me feeling miserable."

Zhang Lingfeng shook his head. Ye Fan was shortsighted, unlike the reasonable and understanding Wu Yun. There was simply no need to befriend him now.

Besides, so what if he had top-tier superior-grade bone structure? Zhang Lingfeng did not believe he would lose to Ye Fan.

"In that case, decide for yourself. It's best not to offend him for now."

Zhang Pingping offered her advice. She always respected Zhang Lingfeng's choices and would not restrict or sway his thinking.

Time hurried by, and nearly a month passed in the blink of an eye.

[Twelve-Routine Iron Mountain Fist, middle section: (237/600)]

For nearly a month, Guo Wei's attention had been entirely on Ye Fan. Ye Fan had lived up to his expectations, too, getting the hang of the Twelve-Routine Iron Mountain Fist in just a few days.

By now, he performed it with proper form.

His movements brimmed with imposing force.

Guo Wei bought spirit fish to nourish him.

Wu Yun said Ye Fan would make his first attempt at breaking through within a month and a half, and that his chances of success were extremely high.

Things also unfolded just as Zhang Lingfeng had expected. Ye Fan was arrogant and overbearing, usually associating only with Wu Yun and the others. He actually ignored even his senior brothers with Ming Jin cultivation, leaving many people deeply displeased. Zhang Lingfeng took the opportunity to draw closer to those Ming Jin senior and junior brothers.

Within the inner courtyard, a circle of Ming Jin disciples formed around him, while a circle of Dark Force disciples formed around Ye Fan.

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