Hammer Them to Pieces

Lin Changkong stepped forward like lightning and threw a punch. The Eight Extremes Collapse Fist landed squarely on Gong Lian's face.

"Bang!"

Gong Lian saw only a fist flying at his face. Golden stars burst before his eyes, searing pain exploded across his face, and wind howled past his ears as he was sent flying over ten feet away.

His two hands could not cover everything at once; he did not even know whether to clutch his crotch or his face.

"Gong Lian!"

Gong Cheng, standing nearby, was utterly shocked. He had never expected Lin Changkong to attack so suddenly—and with such ruthless force.

Hong Ye's eyes widened as well. Were the Servant Courtyard disciples all this fierce now?

"Damn it! Kid, you dare hit an Outer Sect Disciple? You're courting death!"

Gong Cheng flew into a rage and charged at Lin Changkong with a clenched fist.

Lin Changkong did not yield in the slightest, throwing a punch straight at Gong Cheng's fist.

"Bang!"

The two fists collided. Gong Cheng's face twitched as he staggered back several steps, several bones in his fist already broken.

"An Outer Sect Disciple, and this is all you've got? You still have the nerve to act arrogant? Worthless trash—take another punch from your grandpa!"

Lin Changkong closed in swiftly and punched Gong Cheng in the chest again. Gong Cheng was sent flying in response, crashing onto the ground and curling up like a worm.

Lin Changkong walked over, raised his foot, and began viciously stomping on his face.

"Your grades may be failing, but you scored a hundred in talking crap. Take another kick from your grandpa!"

Only after a savage barrage of kicks did Lin Changkong stop. Gong Cheng and Gong Lian lay on the ground, both completely stunned.

Hadn't they said Servant Courtyard disciples had garbage talent and poor aptitude? Since when could they pin down Outer Sect Disciples and beat them senseless?

After finishing, Lin Changkong turned and clasped his fists toward Hong Ye. "Thank you for helping me, Senior Sister. If Senior Sister hadn't upheld justice today, I don't know how badly these two rats would have bullied me."

Hong Ye's mouth twitched.

I didn't even make a move. You were clearly the one who hammered them to pieces. And you still dare say they bullied you?

"Ah, this..."

"It's nothing. This is what I should have done. Those two are shameless scoundrels in the Outer Sect. They bully newcomers every year, and I only spoke up out of a sense of justice because I couldn't stand them."

"By the way, what's your name? I haven't seen a newcomer this fierce in a long time."

Lin Changkong said, "My name is Lin Changkong."

"So it's Junior Brother Lin. My name is Hong Ye. You can call me Senior Sister Hong Ye from now on. If you run into any problems later, you can come find me."

"By the way, haven't they arranged your residence yet?"

Hong Ye held Lin Changkong in high regard. He had beaten up two Outer Sect Disciples the moment he arrived. This kind of lawless behavior was exactly what she liked.

Especially since Gong Lian and Gong Cheng were two people she deeply disliked. Seeing Lin Changkong give them a beating made her admire him even more.

Lin Changkong nodded. "They really haven't."

Hong Ye patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Then come with me. There happens to be an empty room beside my courtyard. You can stay there."

Not long after, Lin Changkong followed Hong Ye to a courtyard. She led him into a house beside it.

"You'll live here from now on. The courtyard next door is mine. You can come find me if you need anything."

Lin Changkong looked around. This house was clearly much better than the rooms the other Servant Courtyard disciples had been given.

After he put down his belongings, Hong Ye said again, "Come take a look at my courtyard. Familiarize yourself with it—it'll be more convenient later."

Lin Changkong nodded and followed her over. Once inside the courtyard, he found that it was far better than his own room.

This was a genuine courtyard, with a separate cultivation room, dining room, and various other rooms for different purposes.

Hong Ye smiled. "The top twenty disciples of the Outer Sect can all have their own private courtyards. With your talent, you'll definitely be able to live in a courtyard like this someday. Keep it up."

"Judging from the strength you showed when beating Gong Cheng and the others, you should have reached the Body Refining Ninth Level, right?"

Lin Changkong nodded. "That's right."

"Since you've reached the Body Refining Ninth Level, you need to start learning cultivation methods for the Qi Gathering Realm. Only then can you reach the Qi Gathering Realm as soon as possible."

"Though some Outer Sect disciples, like the Gong brothers, are still in the Body Tempering Realm, if you truly want to be competitive, you must reach the Qi Gathering Realm."

"For example, I'm currently at the Qi Gathering Eighth Level. In a month, I'll be taking the assessment to enter the Inner Sect."

Lin Changkong asked, "I understand. Senior Sister, do you know what level that Zhang Qingfeng is at?"

Hong Ye said, "Qi Gathering Eighth Level. But not long ago, an elder accepted him as an inner disciple, so he'll definitely receive preferential resources. His progress will speed up considerably afterward."

"You shouldn't be too anxious yet. The Qi Gathering Eighth Level is still far too distant for you. Your most urgent task is to choose a cultivation method that can be cultivated to the Qi Gathering Realm."

"If you don't mind, I can take you to the Martial Arts Hall to help you choose a cultivation method and give you a little guidance. Of course, you can also attend the sect's cultivation classes, where elders will teach and guide everyone together."

Without even needing to think about it, Lin Changkong said, "I trust Senior Sister more. Please help me, Senior Sister."

Hong Ye beamed. "Good eye!"

At the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Changkong looked over the cultivation methods arranged on the shelves. Every single one was a third-rank cultivation method.

"All of these cultivation methods can be cultivated to the Qi Gathering Realm. But the Heavenly Fire Sect is famous for fire-element cultivation methods, and those are also the sect's best. So I suggest you begin with a fire-element cultivation method."

Lin Changkong nodded. After making his selection, he finally picked up a peak third-rank fire-element cultivation method, the Crimson Flame Blood Fiend Technique.

"Peak third rank—it's considered quite high-grade. But it's also rather difficult. Many people cannot even get started after several months, unable to condense a spiritual energy vortex. If you choose this one, you must be patient and not rush."

"I cultivate the Crimson Flame Blood Fiend Technique too. Back then, it took me more than a month to condense a spiritual energy vortex and count as having entered the basics."

Hong Ye continued explaining enthusiastically.

Lin Changkong said, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. I'll cultivate patiently."

"Alright. Read through the cultivation method first. Only begin cultivating after you've committed it to memory. Remember, don't be too eager for quick results."

Hong Ye patted Lin Changkong on the shoulder before leaving him to study it alone.

Lin Changkong found a place to sit and began reading the cultivation method. It involved many things he had never encountered before.

It included cultivation secrets related to the human body, such as meridians and acupoints. After reading through it once, he had barely remembered anything.

But the Crimson Flame Blood Fiend Technique had already appeared on the panel.

[Cultivation Methods: Vajra Body Refining Technique (Second Rank, Transcendent); Crimson Flame Blood Fiend Technique (Peak Third Rank, Not Yet Begun)]

"Peak third rank. Let's see just how difficult it is."

Lin Changkong took out the Qi Gathering Pill Zhang Shanhe had given him earlier and swallowed it.

"System, extract cultivation."

Lin Changkong had not extracted any cultivation today because he knew that, upon entering the Outer Sect, he would surely need to cultivate a method capable of reaching the Qi Gathering Realm. He wanted to see whether he could maximize his cultivation.

Now that he had obtained a cultivation method, this was naturally the best time.

With ten years of cultivation thrown at it, he refused to believe he still could not get started.

[Distributing cultivation. Distribution successful]

[First year: You attempted to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth according to the cultivation method's guidance. You sat in meditation day and night, yet never managed to sense the existence of spiritual energy.]

[Second year: Through unrelenting persistence, you finally sensed a clump of energy moving through your lower abdomen. You thought you had sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, only to discover that you had simply eaten too much and had intestinal gas.]

[Third year...]