[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback":3,"chapter-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising from Obscurity: My Martial Path Comeback",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2265870,4424,"Chapter 35: The Brutality of the Wuguan Outshines the Martial Hall","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>The next day, dawn’s first light!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the courtyard, Lin Chen began his training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trained for a full half-hour before stopping, and only then did the sky begin to pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Lin Chen, three hours of sleep each night was enough to keep him refreshed the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why he didn’t train at night and rest by day, it was because the human body needed yin-yang balance and exposure to sunlight; short-term avoidance was fine, but prolonged neglect would inevitably disrupt qi and blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took off his training attire, tossed it into a bucket, scrubbed it twice, then hung it on a bamboo pole in the courtyard before stepping out of the dormitory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All Wuguan students were to assemble at the training ground today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chu Lu Training Ground was for new students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jing Shui Wuguan had three training grounds altogether, named Chu Lu, Die Wu, and Feng Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Lu was for new students, Die Wu for veteran students, and Feng Ming—the largest—hosted full-school sparring matches and major events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The names of the training grounds were quite literary!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the difference between Jing Shui Wuguan and other wuguan; Lin Chen had learned from Lu Yongfeng and Zhao Jingchuan that other wuguan named their training grounds arbitrarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either by sequence—Jia, Yi, Bing—or by location—East Zone, West Zone…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the students put it, what’s the point of giving a training ground a fancy name? Only Jing Shui Wuguan’s women would come up with such frivolous titles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Chen arrived at the Chu Lu Training Ground, it was already crowded with female students—over thirty at a glance, their rosy cheeks indicating most had not yet opened their qi orifices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a quick scan, his attention was drawn to the first few female students—not because they were particularly beautiful, but because their faces showed no flush, meaning their qi and blood had already stabilized, confirming they had reached the Opening Orifices realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Lin Chen joined them at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he wanted to be conspicuous—he couldn’t avoid it. Even if he stood at the back, he’d still be the most noticeable, since he was the only male student present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen’s position at the front drew curious glances from three nearby female students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Junior Lin Chen, greetings to the three senior sisters,” Lin Chen said, offering his most sincere smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re the legendary male student of our wuguan,” said the tallest of the three, her gaze boldly scanning him: “Not bad—you’re far more refined than those rough men from Iron Blood Wuguan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Junior Lin may be a bit dark, but that’s fine—Senior Sister has some rouge here, top-grade Golden Swallow Powder from Jin Yan Shop. I’ll lend it to you; you’ll be fair and soft in no time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are female students always this forward?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t it normal for men to be dark and rough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And… how did I become the legendary male student?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word “legendary” usually applies to gossip figures—I don’t seem to have any gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Senior Sister, but I’m quite content as I am—no need to change.” Lin Chen politely declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t tease Junior Lin,” said another. “I’m Li Xue, opened three orifices. This is Fang Shimei, also three orifices. Xiao Shimei has only two, but she’ll reach three this month without doubt. Junior Lin, what realm are you in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wuguan, strength determined status. Li Xue was clearly the strongest among them; once she spoke, the other two stopped teasing Lin Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I barely broke through to two orifices yesterday—I can’t compare with you senior sisters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen sighed inwardly—he suddenly understood something: the new cohort of female students at Jing Shui Wuguan, especially those who had opened orifices, might be of higher overall quality than those at other wuguan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason had just occurred to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how progressive the world’s customs, after living among villagers for over a year, Lin Chen knew the bias toward sons still existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was true in the village, it was true in the county town too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such conditions, a family that still sent a girl to train in martial arts must be far from ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because before training a daughter, they’d already trained their sons—and still had money left over…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take his own family: if he hadn’t quarreled with his grandfather, after supporting Lin Liang’s training, his grandfather would have chosen him over his cousin Xi Xi. For Xi Xi to train too, the family would have to have enough wealth to support all grandsons—and still have surplus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These weren’t just senior sisters—they were all white, rich, and beautiful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, some parents truly doted on daughters, or had no sons at all—but in Lin Chen’s view, such cases were more likely among the unopened orifice students behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Lin Chen had only just opened two orifices, Li Xue and the others looked at him in surprise. Two orifices was normal—but to have opened them just yesterday? That was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d assumed the wuguan had made an exception for Lin Chen because of his exceptional potential—but now it seemed there was another reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere grew quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen wasn’t embarrassed. His family background and realm were impossible to hide; anyone curious could find out easily, especially here in Jing Shui Wuguan, where female students outnumbered men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the group fell silent, five new figures appeared at the training ground entrance—five female students walking together, heading straight for the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The one in front must be Senior Sister Jiang Qing—she opened five orifices on her first day, the highest realm ever recorded at the wuguan in nearly twenty years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xue whispered, voice tinged with envy. Lin Chen followed her gaze to the lead figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a simple training suit, her long black hair loosely tied at the nape, a few strands swaying gently in the breeze—efficient and poised, yet still fresh and playful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qing paid no attention to the students’ reactions; she was used to it. Her eyes swept the crowd, paused for a moment on Lin Chen, then moved on without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen didn’t overthink it—he didn’t assume her brief glance meant any special interest in him. It was simply because he was a man, and that had surprised her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after Jiang Qing and the others arrived, another pair of figures appeared down the opposite corridor: Kong Yinglei and another female instructor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students fell silent, watching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those who hadn’t opened orifices, they only recognized Shen Jixi—the instructor who had reviewed their applications. Kong Yinglei was unknown to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yinglei scanned the crowd, and when her eyes landed on Jiang Qing, a smile spread across her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five orifices opened!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jing Shui Wuguan had struck gold—she wondered where Senior Sister had dug her up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d assumed Senior Sister had gone to Fucheng to seek breakthrough methods for her own cultivation—but instead, she returned with this astonishing news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new student who had opened five orifices would join the wuguan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this meant forfeiting the last Opening Orifice Pill slot, the resources gained from trading one pill were nothing compared to the value of a five-orifice student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As deputy director, she had come here solely for Jiang Qing—and had already volunteered to lead this new cohort of orifice-openers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Qing, five orifices; Fu Jingya, four orifices; Kong Lingyun, four orifices; Gu Qingqing, four orifices; Li Xue, three orifices…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yinglei’s gaze swept over the front-row orifice-openers, her smile barely contained—until it reached the end…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, how many orifices have you opened?” Kong Yinglei asked directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two,” Lin Chen answered calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good—faster than I expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this exchange, Jiang Qing and the others glanced again at Lin Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two orifices was the lowest possible—why would Deputy Director Kong seem satisfied?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Yinglei noticed their confusion but offered no explanation. Having witnessed Lin Chen take half an hour to open his first orifice, she was certain he had truly generated essence with only twenty taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family background was genuine. His spending was genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given his circumstances, opening a second orifice was already impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingya and Gu Qingqing, who had opened four orifices, had generated essence long ago and arrived early to take the Opening Orifice Pill. Students who came from the town in the final month mostly had only two orifices open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen hadn’t fallen behind—that alone surprised her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scanning the ten of them, Kong Yinglei turned her gaze away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students in the back row, seeing the deputy director had never once looked their way, wore expressions of disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they really so unimportant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Martial Dao respects strength alone. So does this wuguan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Kong Yinglei suddenly shouted, her gaze sweeping the entire field—her piercing stare left no one daring to meet her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know many of you think the wuguan has been too dismissive of those who’ve generated essence. Let me be clear: it’s not just your thought—it’s the truth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen’s mouth opened slightly—he couldn’t imagine how such a gentle, oval-faced woman could speak so coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too harsh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not your mother or father. This wuguan isn’t your home. If you want support and resources, you need only one thing: strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I give you three months. If you haven’t opened an orifice by then, your martial path ends here. I advise you to quit now, leave the wuguan, and find a husband—raise children, manage a household.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of Kong Yinglei’s words struck the essence-generating students like a hammer. Lin Chen saw several female students turn pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You ten, follow me,” Kong Yinglei said, her gaze returning to Lin Chen and the others, her smile restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stark contrast in her demeanor made Lin Chen sigh inwardly—among the qi-refining students, she was surely their villain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shen Shimei, these students are yours now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Sister, rest assured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the exchange between Deputy Director Kong and the instructor, and seeing the grim faces of the other students, Lin Chen suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a staged act!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deputy Director Kong played the villain, laying bare the wuguan’s cruelty. Now, this Shen Instructor would play the hero—offering encouragement, stoking ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those truly crushed by Kong’s words? Then she was right—they weren’t suited for the martial path. They’d be better off returning home to marry and raise children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1739,"2026-06-19T20:25:56.550Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7a6f0020a646f5fd6e8fb97f2306ec20f895770cdb4a547e9079d0d82f17a2da","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-36","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-34",591,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-cover.jpg"]