Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

「The next morning.」

The shouts in the Outer Hall’s training yard were sparser than usual.

Many disciples had tacitly stopped their training and gathered near the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate to see off a departing disciple.

Chen Cheng watched from a distance. The man’s name was Zhou Heng, in his early twenties, and he had been in the Outer Hall for two or three years. He was also a ”King of Competition” on par with Lin Fengxiao.

Whenever Chen Cheng trained late into the night, he would see Zhou Heng’s tireless figure, drenched in sweat.

’Things were going fine. Why is he leaving?’

Chen Cheng was puzzled until he overheard the hushed discussions of the disciples returning from the send-off, which finally gave him an answer.

”It’s such a shame about Senior Brother Zhou. His Root Bone and Comprehension weren’t bad, and he worked so hard. But that Third Pillar of Blood Qi... he tried to break through countless times but just couldn’t condense it...”

”I heard his family was on the verge of ruin because of him... He had no choice but to leave.”

”Sigh... It can’t be helped. Not everyone can be like Xiao Yi and get recruited into the Inner Hall by special exception... For ordinary disciples like us, we absolutely have to condense the Third Pillar of Blood Qi to enter the Inner Hall.”

”Yeah, and if you can’t get into the Inner Hall, you aren’t qualified to participate in the Martial Selection... If you can’t participate in the Martial Selection, what’s the point of practicing Martial Arts? It’s better to just give up the dream early, use your youth to go out and earn more money, and maybe have a slightly better life later on...”

”Don’t think so far ahead... Among the hundred or so disciples in our Outer Hall, many can’t even condense the second pillar of Blood Qi...”

”True... Let’s get back to training. If we can condense the second pillar of Blood Qi, our benefits will improve... If we don’t make any progress, our spirits will be ground down sooner or later...”

”Sigh... Back to training...”

Their low voices scattered in the morning breeze, and a chill of shared sorrow—the kind one feels when a hare dies and the fox grieves—settled over everyone.

The path of Martial Arts had always been cruel. Those who could truly ascend step by step, forging ahead relentlessly, were always a tiny minority.

Who knew if they would be the next one to leave?

However, even this kind of worry was a luxury only Black Disciples could afford. The White Disciples, bound by their Death Oath Contracts, had no say in whether they stayed or left.

The Outer Hall’s assessment was drawing closer. Any White Disciples who had shown no progress for a long time and were deemed to have exhausted their potential would be sent away without exception to fulfill their oaths and repay their debts with their lives.

Chen Cheng glanced toward the Inner Hall. For him, that goal was no longer so distant.

Just then, from the shadows under a distant eave, several gazes, faint yet palpable, latched onto Chen Cheng, filled with probing and ill intent.

They belonged to the few disciples who had been getting very close to Xiao Yi lately, known in the Outer Hall for their wealthy backgrounds.

”Tsk... Why do I get the feeling that kid... seems a little different today?”

Sun An was slightly chubby, with long, narrow eyes, and had a habit of squinting at people.

”That vitality, the power in his fists... Don’t tell me he’s condensed the second pillar of Blood Qi?”

”Impossible!”

The one who responded was Dong Li. He was tall and sturdy, with a perpetual air of arrogance. Hearing this, he didn’t even have to think before curling his lip in undisguised contempt.

”A worthless coward who crawled out of the slums. I heard his Root Bone is the lowest of the low. The day he arrived, Master Ye couldn’t even be bothered to look at him... Someone like him? It’ll take him three to five years before he even gets a sniff of the second pillar of Blood Qi!”

”Possible or not, what’s the use of just standing here guessing? Why don’t we test him and find out?”

The last to speak was Luo Boqing. His features were somewhat effeminate, and his eyes often held a calculating glint.

”Anyway, that kid used to be close to that unlucky bastard Qian Baolu. Senior Brother Xiao has found him an eyesore for a while now... Why don’t we go and test his depth first?”

The group exchanged a look. Just as they were about to move, their feet suddenly froze.

The small, vermilion-lacquered door to the Inner Hall slowly opened, and a slender, graceful figure in green stepped out.

It was the sixth senior sister of the Inner Hall, Zhuang Zhen.

She seemed to be in a hurry, likely heading out on some business.

But at that very moment, Chen Cheng, who had been quietly practicing his fists in the distance, suddenly stopped. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he walked straight toward Zhuang Zhen.

Seeing this, Luo Boqing and his cronies all shrank back.

How could they dare to act presumptuously in front of an Inner Hall Disciple?

They could only stand rooted to the spot, staring.

Chen Cheng approached and cupped his fist in a salute. ”Senior Sister Zhuang, this disciple, Chen Cheng, has something to report.”

”...Junior Brother Chen, go ahead.”

Zhuang Zhen stopped and gave a slight nod.

”During my training yesterday, I was fortunate enough to condense the second pillar of Blood Qi. I heard... the benefits are different?”

”You? You succeeded again?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhuang Zhen’s eyes.

She had a strong impression of Chen Cheng.

First, in the past six months, he was the only one to have climbed up from that hellhole, the Lower Courtyard.

Second, Master Ye had skipped even the routine introductory meeting with him. Everyone in the hall knew what that implied.

How could a youth from the slums, with no resources and no Root Bone to speak of, manage to condense the second pillar of Blood Qi in such a short time?

That speed was even faster than Xiao Yi, who had just recently entered the Inner Hall!

Zhuang Zhen was stunned for a moment before she composed her Heart Spirit.

”Words are no proof. I’ll have to check for myself.”

”As you wish, Senior Sister.”

Chen Cheng’s expression was calm as he took half a step forward.

Zhuang Zhen placed her hand on Chen Cheng’s shoulder. A numbing thread of Power penetrated his body, instantly coursing through him.

Chen Cheng felt his bones and muscles tremble slightly, and even the tips of his hair seemed to shiver as if zapped with electricity.

”You... you really did it!”

Zhuang Zhen’s beautiful eyes widened, her expression turning somewhat complicated.

She withdrew her hand, her fingertips curling unconsciously.

”Your Root Bone is clearly the lowest of the low. How could you succeed so quickly... And... your Blood Qi seems more solid and robust than a normal person’s...”

Chen Cheng didn’t answer, merely shaking his head slightly to indicate he didn’t know either.

”In any case, you have indeed succeeded...”

Zhuang Zhen composed herself and said,

”Go to the General Affairs Room to register and exchange your token for a Silver Waist Token. From now on, you will receive one free serving of Deer Meat Medicinal Cuisine daily, you can request one guidance session from Master Ye per month, and you can also get a referral from the Martial Arts Hall for a position at some major businesses or wealthy households...”

She paused, then added,

”As for how much you can earn or how high you can climb outside the hall, that will depend on your own ability.”

Chen Cheng nodded and cupped his fist in thanks.

Zhuang Zhen didn’t linger, turning and walking briskly out of the hall.

Chen Cheng resumed his stance and continued to practice the Hidden Dragon Fist, his emotions remaining quite steady.

In his view, the guidance from Master Ye and the opportunity for a position were not particularly significant.

The only tangible benefit was the free Deer Meat Medicinal Cuisine.

One serving per day was worth five maces of silver. Calculated over a thirty-day month, this would save him a full fifteen taels of silver.

This money could buy three bottles of Blood Nourishing Powder, enough to last him for ten to twenty days.

All told, this would create a virtuous cycle and greatly alleviate his financial pressure.

You don’t know the cost of firewood and rice until you run a household, and you don’t realize the saying ”the poor pursue literature, the rich pursue martial arts” is no joke until you practice Martial Arts yourself.

The windfall he had received that night was already more than half gone, and the remaining portion would be spent quickly as well. If nothing else, his Blood Nourishing Powder was used up, and it was time to buy more.

From a distance, Luo Boqing and his cronies were still glancing toward Chen Cheng, intentionally or not, but the probing and ill intent in their gazes had clearly subsided.

—