Chapter 99

Wu Yuan.

A quiet courtyard.

Song Yu looked at the other five people and cupped his hands: "I am very grateful to you junior brothers for giving me face and coming to the appointment."

This gathering was invited by Song Yu, and the five people in front of him were all the students with the current top strength among the new batch of students in their respective martial halls.

Fei Hong of the Tiexue Martial Hall, Gu Shan of the Zhenyue Martial Hall, Zhang Qing of the Kuangfeng Martial Hall, Qi Fei of the Yunyin Martial Hall, Zhao Kang of the Mantang Martial Hall, and Shao Hong of the Qing Feng Wuguan.

"It's a pity that Jiang Jiang Shijie has left the Jing Shui Wuguan."

Song Yu sighed. He had also sent an invitation to the Jing Shui Wuguan side, but the response he received was that Jiang Qing had not been at the Jing Shui Wuguan recently.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie has left Poyang County, but Lin Lin Shixiong is still here, right?"

Zhao Kang looked at Gu Shan: "It is said that Lin Lin Shixiong has been staying at the Zhenyue Martial Hall recently?"

Gu Shan nodded and said: "Yes, Lin Lin Shixiong is practicing the Iron Bone Art at our Zhenyue Martial Hall today and has been in the hall the whole time."

"Lin Lin Shixiong Song, why didn't you invite Lin Lin Shixiong?"

Zhao Kang had doubts in his heart. The invitation Lin Lin Shixiong Song sent was to invite them to the Wu Yuan to discuss the county sparring match. As the first place in the third-month sparring match, there was no reason for Lin Lin Shixiong Song not to invite Lin Lin Shixiong.

It was not just Zhao Kang who had doubts; the others at the scene also looked at Song Yu with doubtful expressions, waiting for Song Yu's explanation.

Song Yu glanced at Shao Hong, whose expression was a bit awkward. He had two reasons for not inviting Lin Chen; one was that he was afraid of making Shao Hong awkward.

Shao Hong was defeated by Lin Chen, and coupled with the grudge between Lin Chen and the Qing Feng Wuguan, Shao Hong was probably still brooding over that sparring match.

The Song family and the Shao family were both famous and influential families in Poyang County, and the two families were also family friends. He and Shao Hong had a good relationship. If he had invited Lin Chen, Shao Hong would definitely not have come.

As for the other reason, Song Yu did not hide it and said directly: "Lin Lin Shixiong is practicing the Iron Bone Art. Other students may not know the inside story, but you all should know."

The extreme martial arts cultivation method was very unfamiliar to the students of Poyang County. Even Song Yu and the others did not know about it before this. But when they learned that Lin Chen had run to the Zhenyue Martial Hall to practice the Iron Bone Art, the elders in their families had told them the inside story.

"Lin Lin Shixiong Song, what do you mean by that?" Gu Shan asked with a frown.

"Is the path of extreme cultivation so easy to walk? Lin Chen was first in one sparring match, so he is arrogant and conceited, really thinking he is a peerless genius?"

Before Song Yu could answer, Shao Hong had a mocking expression: "Wait until he wastes months of effort; the gap between him and us will only widen. And his advantage of a perfected Qingfeng Palm is gone. In terms of martial arts stage, what does he have to compare with us? Just rely on those two Opening Aperture Pills?"

Having lost to Lin Chen, Shao Hong was still unconvinced in his heart. He admitted that Lin Chen's Qingfeng Palm was perfected and he was no match, but that was because the time was short and his own advantages had not been fully utilized.

There were twenty-four acupoints in the Open-Acupuncture Stage. Given Lin Chen's family background, once the cultivation assistance brought by the perfected Qingfeng Palm was exhausted, what would he have to compete with him?

It was just luck. It happened that Lord Su set up the third-month sparring match, allowing him to receive many awards. Otherwise, he would probably be like those ordinary students in the martial hall after the eighth acupoint, racking his brains to earn silver for subsequent martial arts expenses, and how could he still focus on cultivation?

In his view, if Lin Chen had continued to stay at the Jing Shui Wuguan, relying on the generous rewards given by the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo and the martial hall, he might have been able to barely keep up with the pace of cultivation and not fall behind.

But Lin Chen had actually made such an absurd decision to walk the path of extreme cultivation. In his eyes, given Lin Chen's background and conditions, stepping onto this path was undoubtedly ruining his own future.

Song Yu and Shao Hong had communicated privately, and he held the same view as Shao Hong. However, his words were not as blunt as Shao Hong's; he just explained: "Lin Lin Shixiong is now starting to practice the Iron Bone Art, so his breakthrough in martial arts stage will inevitably slow down. Even with a perfected Qingfeng Palm, his advantage in the county sparring match three months later will not be as great as before."

In three months, with their talent, at the very least they could all bring their respective techniques to the Small Success stage. Although they could not compare with the power of perfected techniques, the gap in techniques had already narrowed, while the advantage in stage had been raised.

With the rise and fall of these factors, Song Yu did not believe that Lin Chen could still have a good ranking in the county sparring match three months later.

"I cannot agree with Lin Lin Shixiong Song's words."

Zhao Kang shook his head. He did not approve of Song Yu and Shao Hong's words. Shao Hong went without saying; he had a grudge against Lin Lin Shixiong, so naturally, he would not have good words. But he did not expect Song Yu to also look down on Lin Lin Shixiong like this.

He was the senior brother among the new batch of students in the Mantang Martial Hall, but compared to these five people in front of him, his family background was a bit worse. When he saw Lin Lin Shixiong's achievements in the official document issued by the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo a few days ago, he felt very admiring of Lin Lin Shixiong in his heart.

He did not believe that Lin Lin Shixiong, who had paid so much hardship to reach this step, would become arrogant because of being first in one sparring match and make an unwise choice.

Lin Lin Shixiong must have his reasons for doing so.

"Zhao Lin Shidi, Lin Chen is not here. It is useless for you to kiss his ass like this. He won't share an Open-Acupuncture Pill with you," Shao Hong said sarcastically.

"It doesn't matter if I kiss his ass; it's better than some people who become jealous after losing," Zhao Kang also retorted without mercy.

"Zhao Kang!"

Shao Hong was furious. Zhao Kang sneered: "What, ashamed into anger? Could it be that you and I also need to have a fight?"

"Junior brothers, do not be angry. Gathering everyone is to discuss how to deal with those martial artists from Yanshan County. Do not fight with each other."

Song Yu spoke to dissuade them, and the others also followed suit to persuade them.

"Forget it. I don't agree with Lin Lin Shixiong Song's views. This junior brother will not participate in this meeting. I will take my leave now."

How could Zhao Kang not know the relationship between the Song family and the Shao family? Shao Hong saying these words probably represented Song Yu's thoughts as well.

It was just that one said it directly, and the other said it tactfully.

"Zhao Lin Shidi?"

"Sigh..."

Zhao Kang turned and left, very decisively. Song Yu sighed, looked at the remaining people, and said helplessly: "I didn't expect Zhao Lin Shidi to have such a fiery temper. He really doesn't look like someone who practices the Mantis Fist. I don't know, I would have thought he was practicing the Iron Collapse Fist."

"Zhao Kang was already at the bottom among us. It doesn't matter if he leaves. Why care?" Shao Hong snorted lightly and said disdainfully.

Song Yu saw Gu Shan and the others frowning, so he knew that Shao Hong's words had made them unhappy. He immediately changed the subject and said in a deep voice: "Junior brothers, I have already received news that there are already seven students from Yanshan County with nine acupoints opened, a number far above ours."

"Lin Lin Shixiong Song, let the Hall Masters and Lord Su worry about such things. We can't also demand that the junior brothers in the martial hall break through their stages rapidly."

Qi Fei shook his head helplessly. All they could do was keep breaking through themselves, but as for others, they couldn't control them. It was impossible to provide cultivation resources to those junior brothers as well.

"This is indeed not something we disciples should consider. I have an idea. I want to invite those people from Yanshan County to the Wu Yuan arena to have a sparring match and see how their strength is."

Poyang County had a Wu Yuan, but Yanshan County did not, and even Raozhou Prefecture did not have a Wu Yuan.

"Does Lin Lin Shixiong Song think those people will come to the appointment?" Gu Shan's eyes lit up. If those people from Yanshan County could come to Poyang County, they could know exactly what the other side's strength was by sparring on the arena.

"We want to know how their strength is; presumably, they also want to know how our strength is?"

Once Song Yu said this, everyone present smiled knowingly. That was true; those people from Yanshan County also wanted to figure out their strength.

"I have an uncle who has quite a lot of connections in Yanshan County. It should be no problem for him to arrange this matter."

"Lin Lin Shixiong Song, once those people from Yanshan County arrive, notify me. I will definitely rush over."

"Me too."

……

……

Zhenyue Martial Hall.

Lin Chen stood in the courtyard, his whole body's skin flushed red, but if one observed carefully, one could find that beneath the layer of flushed skin, there was a layer of blood flowing.

Blood strengthening the skin!

This was the sign that the Iron Bone Art had entered the introductory stage.

In the bathtub, the water temperature was already suitable. Lin Chen stepped into the tub, then took out the Purple Crystal Marrow Liquid placed on the bathing rack on the side and poured a drop into the water.

The first bottle of Purple Crystal Marrow Liquid had already been used more than halfway, and its effect made Lin Chen feel it was heaven-sent.

Just after a quarter of an hour of medicinal bath, all his fatigue and soreness disappeared, and he recovered to a perfect state.

It was precisely by relying on the Purple Crystal Marrow Liquid that he was able to hammer his body day and night, and it was also why he was able to introduce the Iron Bone Art in such a short time.

"Panel!"

Lin Chen whispered, and the panel appeared.

【Host: Lin Chen】

【Stage: Open-Acupuncture Stage (8/24): (95/100)】

【Qingfeng Palm: Perfected】

【Water Cloud Palm: Small Success (0/1)】

【Iron Bone Art: Introductory (1/100)】

【Title: Black Horse to the End】

【Destiny: 【Water to Channel Success】: First Stage of the Martial Way, perseverance, step-by-step, unstoppable, no bottleneck trouble.】

Seeing that the Iron Bone Art had entered the introductory stage, a satisfied smile appeared on Lin Chen's face.

Just as he was about to retract the panel, he saw the text on the panel start to float. The text kept jumping like tadpoles, becoming more and more blurred, until finally, the entire panel became blank.

This sudden change made Lin Chen's pupils shrink sharply, but the next moment, a line of text appeared on the panel.

"Detected that the host's martial arts advancement path has changed, re-planning the martial arts advancement panel..."

Seeing this line of text, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

He was really afraid that something had gone wrong with the panel. If the panel had just disappeared like this, it would mean that not only could he no longer check his cultivation progress in real-time, but more importantly, the blessings of his destiny and title would also be gone.

"Martial arts advancement path has changed?"

Pondering the words on the panel, Lin Chen fell into thought.

His only change was that he had switched to practicing the Iron Bone Art and was walking the path of extreme martial arts.

In this way, what the panel had originally planned for him was the mainstream martial arts advancement route that most students walked, and now that the path he was walking had changed, the panel also had to change accordingly.

There was a look of anticipation in Lin Chen's eyes. He didn't know what kind of surprises the panel would bring him after this change.

The last change brought him a title.

(End of chapter)