Chapter 21

In other words, if he didn't use the panel, he could enter the Turtle-Snake Great Stance in about eight days. Although this speed couldn't compare to Lu Ren's, it definitely surpassed many people.

Martial Dao Longevity Points, these past few days he had been settling three points every day. If he kept a low profile, his talent would sooner or later surpass Lu Ren's.

"When Brother Lu comes back in a while, I'll let him guide me on how to enter. You thought letting everyone unite was delaying you, regret it now, don't you?"

Luo Dehu looked triumphant, wanting to see the regretful looks of Xu Yang, Zhang Hong, and Zhang Yong.

The ten people had actually already split into small groups; Luo Dehu and the five people with Grade D-plus innate talent were all on Lu Ren's side.

The three of Xu Yang hadn't spoken of an alliance, but they were vaguely gathered together to oppose Luo Dehu and the others.

"He just entered, and he can guide you to enter? If it were really that simple, wouldn't those senior brothers who entered earlier than him teach better?" Zhang Yong retorted without hesitation.

Luo Dehu laughed: "Just keep being stubborn. When Brother Lu becomes a martial artist and you are forced to leave in sorrow, I hope you can still say that."

Zhang Yong fell silent and struck a pose to practice again. This point he truly couldn't refute.

He was more diligent than ever, risking his life, not stopping until he collapsed on the ground.

Half an hour later, Lu Ren returned with a spirited face, carrying some things in his hands.

"Brother Lu, how was the learning?" Luo Dehu hurriedly greeted him and took the initiative to help Lu Ren take the things in his hands.

But Lu Ren tilted away and didn't give them to him: "The fist technique is indeed mysterious; the difficulty is much greater than the Turtle-Snake Great Stance."

"What are those things in your hands? Did Master Lin give them to you?" Luo Dehu was curious; how could he bring things back after learning fist techniques?

Lu Ren shook his head: "No, these were given to me by a senior brother and a senior sister in the inner courtyard—a five-year-old wild ginseng and a packet of medicine for cleansing the body."

Luo Dehu was shocked: "Are the senior brothers and sisters in the inner courtyard that nice?"

He didn't know how much the medicine packet for cleansing the body was worth, but a five-year-old wild ginseng was worth at least two or three silver taels. If he entered the Turtle-Snake Great Stance in the future, wouldn't he be able to get one too?

"Nice? It's not just anyone who enters the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and enters the inner courtyard; Senior Sister Gu Fang and Senior Brother Jiang Ping will give gifts. They only give them to true geniuses."

The Zhou brothers and several old disciples came together and bowed to Lu Ren: "Congratulations, Junior Brother Lu, on entering the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. In the future, we can all practice fist techniques together and verify and learn from each other."

"Naturally!"

By the afternoon, unexpectedly, the news of Lu Ren entering the Turtle-Snake Great Stance had even alarmed the Huang family. Huang Jin rushed over, not only encouraging Lu Ren but also increasing his cultivation support from eight taels to ten taels, making everyone envious.

A day passed quickly. Today was the fifth day since Xu Yang and the others entered Weiyuan Hall. He had added one silver tael to buy the Body-Strengthening Soup, so today was the day to take it again.

After eating, the ten people who were at odds with each other went to the medicine hall as usual. Unexpectedly, besides Luo Dehu, Zhang Hong's family had also given him one silver tael to buy the Body-Strengthening Soup, so the five of them, like last time, all had soup to take.

Of course, Lu Ren was different from them; Lu Ren's Body-Strengthening Soup was one bowl every two days, fifteen bowls per month.

After drinking the soup, everyone walked out.

"Brother Lu's entry is a joyous occasion. Why don't we all pool some money to celebrate?" Luo Dehu suddenly looked at everyone.

"Can you still eat?"

"How many coins do you have in your pocket?"

Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong spoke almost simultaneously, and Luo Dehu was choked up instantly.

These people, before this, could be said to be unable to even eat their fill, and they were youths, their pockets cleaner than their faces.

"Forget it, let's talk about it later."

Lu Ren sighed. Such a major event should be celebrated, but he didn't have a single wen on him either. The ten of them probably couldn't even pool together one hundred wen, not enough for a pot of wine.

The next day, afternoon!

Under the scorching sun, Xu Yang's skin presented a bronze color; he, who had been fair-skinned, had become dark.

Sweat soaked his trouser legs and dampened his hair; beads of sweat the size of beans kept sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground.

He was focused, his chest and abdomen rising and falling, exhaling puffs of hot air.

"It's about to happen!"

Suddenly, joy appeared on his face. In the round just now, he had linked the Turtle-Snake Great Stance together without any hitches like before.

This meant he had entered the Turtle-Snake Great Stance; he was just a little bit away from feeling what it meant for strength to rise from the ground.

Xu Yang didn't continue practicing but ran to a cool place to sit down, carefully recalling everything from before, remembering that state, and adjusting his body to prepare for entering the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

"What is Xu Yang up to? Has he given up and started to slack off?"

Zhang Yong's gaze swept over Xu Yang.

He wanted to be the second to enter the Turtle-Snake Great Stance; his only competitors were Xu Yang and Zhang Hong. As for that sycophant Luo Dehu, he had never taken him to heart.

When tired, resting usually didn't exceed a quarter of an hour, but this time Xu Yang's rest had already exceeded a quarter of an hour, and he had even closed his eyes as if sleeping.

This situation had never happened before. The only thing he could think of was that Xu Yang had seen the difficulty of the martial dao and started to give up.

"Giving up is better than ending up battered and bruised."

Two quarters of an hour later, Xu Yang felt his body state had been adjusted and returned to the martial arts arena to strike a pose.

This time it was indeed different from the past. As soon as the Turtle-Snake Great Stance began to operate, he felt his whole body's tendons and bones moving along with the rhythm of his breathing, and his blood became hotter and hotter.

At a certain moment, he felt a weak current of air coming from the ground, climbing up along his feet, crossing his shoulders, rushing straight to the top of his head, and then slowly sinking into his dantian.

Strength rises from the ground!

"Boom!"

In an instant, it was as if something had been detonated. A surging wave spread from his dantian, sweeping through his whole body. Xu Yang felt his blood boiling like boiling water, his whole body feeling as if it were being inflated, his muscles expanding.

It was as if all his old ailments were gone, and he had been reborn. Under the scouring of the boiling blood and Qi, his tendons and bones became tighter and tighter like bowstrings, repeatedly tempered and becoming stronger.

"Turtle-Snake Great Stance entry!"

Xu Yang was full of joy. He finally understood why Lu Ren was so excited when he broke through that day; it wasn't because he wanted to show off, but because this feeling of rebirth was truly wonderful.

This state of being able to clearly feel his blood flowing and his tendons and bones becoming stronger was truly indescribable, like a seedling breaking through the soil and feeling the warm spring breeze.

"You... you've entered the Turtle-Snake Great Stance?"

"Not bad!"

Opening his eyes, what Xu Yang saw was Zhang Yong lying on the ground, exhausted and looking at him in disbelief. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====