Chapter 36 : Chapter 36
Chapter 36. The One and Only!
“Brother Xu, having confidence is a good thing.” Wang Huan immediately laughed, replying in a strange, mocking tone. The implication was obvious.
As soon as his words fell, perhaps because Xu Yuan had spoken, Chen Sanli suddenly raised his head and said with a smile,
“I should reach that point within these next couple of days. Practicing alongside Brother Xu has truly benefited me greatly!”
“Just now, while practicing, my force manifested outward, and I’ve already stepped into the basics of the fist technique.”
Tian Yang added calmly, no longer carrying his earlier boastful tone.
“You two…” Wang Huan suddenly turned to look at them, his face alternating between pale and flushed.
When he had asked them questions, they had pretended not to hear, yet the moment Xu Yuan spoke, they immediately responded—leaving him no face at all.
At this point, however, no one paid him any attention. Instead, they gathered around Gao Yuan and Tian Yang to offer their congratulations.
Among them, Qin Yang, who stood on the outer edge, felt the most regret.
Everyone in the same dormitory had either already entered the basics or was about to, and the pressure in his heart surged.
What puzzled him the most was Chen Sanli. The man had been tagging along with him every day, yet he was about to reach the basics as well?
…
The next morning, the mist had yet to disperse.
Chen Ze arrived at the training ground as usual. After leading everyone through a set of Benlei Fist, he began answering various questions from the martial artists.
Just as Xu Yuan and the others were about to step forward, a figure blocked their way first.
The newcomer had a tall, upright figure and neat short hair—it was Zhou Yu, the leader of Sun Rong’s dormitory.
Her gaze swept across the group before settling on Xu Yuan, and she said coldly, “You are Xu Yuan?”
“And you are?” Xu Yuan looked at her curiously, recognizing her as the woman who had reported her progress in mastering the Benlei Fist before him.
“My name is Zhou Yu.” The short-haired woman slightly raised her chin, her voice cool. “You are quite impressive… to have entered the basics of the fist technique on the same day as me.”
“I also agree with your insights on the fist technique. However, while your comprehension is good, your aptitude is somewhat lacking. This month, you will likely find it difficult to break through to the second meridian…”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Xu Yuan frowned, feeling uncomfortable with her condescending tone.
“Nothing much. I will break through to the second meridian tomorrow. Still, I will remember you—at least, in terms of the fist technique, you once stood at the same level as me.” Zhou Yu maintained her arrogant demeanor. After speaking, she turned and left decisively.
“What is wrong with that person?” Xu Yuan felt utterly baffled.
“Brother Xu, do you know her?” Tian Yang asked.
Xu Yuan shook his head. “Forget about her. Let’s go tell Instructor Chen.”
Chen Ze was still answering questions from the martial artists and had not yet left. Xu Yuan, Tian Yang, and Gao Yuan stepped forward together.
Behind them, Li Shan, Qin Yang, and the others had only just learned that Xu Yuan had already broken through to the second meridian. They looked at him with envy.
Chen Sanli, however, did not think much of it. He was about to enter the basics himself, likely by tomorrow. But after learning of Xu Yuan’s breakthrough, he became even more certain that Xu Yuan was a powerful figure worth following.
In the distance, Zhou Yu was about to pass through the crowd when the corner of her eye caught sight of Xu Yuan and the others heading toward Instructor Chen. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“Could it be that he…”
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
Her aptitude ranked among the top of all the martial trainees. There was no reason that a mere servant of average talent could surpass her.
“No… even if he broke through, there wouldn’t be that many people around him, right?” Zhou Yu quickly shook her head. “He must have encountered some problem in cultivation and went to ask Instructor Chen.”
“Yes… that must be it…”
She comforted herself inwardly.
But things often did not go as one wished. After Xu Yuan and the others said a few words, Instructor Chen suddenly burst into laughter, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
“Broken through to the second meridian?” Chen Ze confirmed by feeling Xu Yuan’s pulse, then clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “Haha, excellent!”
“Among this batch of martial artists, there are now two who have reached the second meridian. Including the two of them, seven have entered the basics of the fist technique. But as for achieving both—so far, you are the only one!”
To make progress in both cultivation and martial techniques within a single month—such talent was enough to attract the attention of the higher-ups.
Chen Ze himself would also receive additional rewards for his effective teaching—a mutually beneficial outcome.
Afterward, he explained to Xu Yuan the issue of monthly stipends, as well as the promotion system for retainers, which took place on the first day of each month and required verification.
After all, there were so many martial artists in the Shangyang Residence. One never knew when someone might break through, requiring assignment of duties or a month of martial training.
With different times and locations, if everyone rushed in for promotion at once, it would consume enormous manpower and resources.
After hearing this, Xu Yuan was not in a hurry. There were only two days left in the month, so waiting a little longer did not matter.
Once Chen Ze left, discussions immediately erupted across the training ground.
Zhou Yu stood there with her mouth slightly open, her face filled with shock.
She had never expected that Xu Yuan would break through faster than her!
Hadn’t Huang Lihong said that he took more than fifty days just to break through the first meridian, making his aptitude exceptionally mediocre?
How was this mediocre?!
Thinking back to her earlier “declaration,” Zhou Yu’s usually cold face flushed with embarrassment.
“No… this is impossible…” She still refused to believe he was truly stronger than her. “He must have used some kind of precious medicine!”
Staring at Xu Yuan in the distance, a trace of unwillingness flashed in her eyes. “Even if you were lucky enough to surpass me at the second meridian, what about the third? I refuse to believe you can still outdo me!”
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yu cast Xu Yuan one last look before turning and leaving.
Meanwhile, some people in the training ground recognized Xu Yuan as the one who had previously entered the basics of the fist technique. Now hearing that his cultivation had also broken through, they could not help but sigh at the disparity between people.
Elsewhere, hearing the noisy commotion from the training ground, Wang Huan walked out of a quiet chamber.
He was actually in quite a good mood today. Judging by his current progress, he would break through to the second meridian tomorrow!
“What is going on?”
Seeing the crowd ahead and unable to make out the situation, Wang Huan asked someone nearby.
“Someone has broken through to the second meridian, and I heard his fist technique has also reached the beginner level. He can now obtain a self-selected assignment for half a year!” The envy on that person’s face was almost tangible.
“He achieved both?” Wang Huan was momentarily stunned, then sighed. As expected, there was always someone more talented than you.
“Xu Yuan is probably still stuck in some quiet chamber right now, scratching his head in frustration, unable to make progress, isn’t he?”
Wang Huan glanced around, imagining Xu Yuan’s troubled expression as he struggled at a bottleneck, and could not help but laugh.
“Hey, Brother Wang, what has you so happy?”
At that moment, Chen Sanli appeared beside him at some unknown time, a faint, inexplicable smile on his face.
…