Chapter 11: The First Elimination

Over the next few days, Zhang Shu seemed to have been scared stiff; whenever he saw Zhou You, he would walk around him, his eyes flickering.

Within the ranks of the new Apprentices, the law of the jungle also applied.

The Big Senior Brother had a generous nature, but he was no pushover; after all, practicing martial arts was inherently a process of determining superiority.

Therefore, he would not interfere in private brawls and fights between Apprentices, as long as no one was killed.

After the incident, Zhang Shu had tried several times to incite Li Hao to stand up for him.

But Li Hao was at a critical moment of breakthrough, so how could he have time to pay attention to him?

Moreover, it was no secret that Zhang Shu had poor character; Li Hao looked down on him and had no interest in getting involved.

Thanks to this conflict, Zhou You could be considered a little famous.

After all, defeating a veteran newcomer who practiced the Subduing Tiger Fist using only basic hand and foot techniques was a miracle of sorts.

However, the Apprentices generally did not think highly of him; no matter how solid one's basic training was, without diligent practice of the Subduing Tiger Fist, it was impossible to develop internal force.

Zhou You deeply understood this point as well.

The Imperial Strike Hands and the Square Circle Steps were equivalent to the four arithmetic operations—they were the foundation of mathematics.

Theoretically, a master of mathematics could use the four arithmetic operations to solve any problem under the sun.

But theory is just theory, and very few people could actually achieve it.

The Subduing Tiger Fist was like an advanced equation, built upon the foundation of the four arithmetic operations, possessing the effect of achieving twice the result with half the effort.

If Zhou You did not have his interface, even if he spent his whole life practicing the Imperial Strike Hands and the Square Circle Steps, it would be impossible to develop internal force.

However, no one knew that he practiced these hand and foot techniques to accumulate Experience Points.

He had been in the martial arts hall for nearly a month.

During this time, he had received four patches of Tiger Bone Paste, and under the cumulative effect of the medicine, his three attributes had increased by 3 points.

Drug resistance was beginning to show, and the Tiger Bone Paste was becoming less effective each time.

Even so, his Subduing Tiger Fist had been raised to Lv6.

The Imperial Strike Hands and the Square Circle Steps had also been raised to Lv7 through day and night of training.

Name: Zhou You.

Strength: 9.

Speed: 9.

Defense: 9.

Experience Points: 34.

Occupation: Martial Arts Apprentice.

Skills: Imperial Strike Hands Lv7, Square Circle Steps Lv7, Subduing Tiger Fist Lv6.

According to the progress of the Subduing Tiger Fist, once it reached Lv10, he would be able to develop internal force and obtain the qualification of a Zhengshi Xuitu of the martial arts hall.

But the closer one got to the end, the higher the requirements for strength, speed, defense, and skill proficiency became.

Zhou You dared not relax in the slightest and continued to train day and night.

Time flew by...

This day was the day the Outer Courtyard of the martial arts hall held its assessment to decide which Apprentices would stay and which would go.

His roommate Song Fugui, who was also Zhou You's only sparring partner, had not developed internal force by the end of the hundred-day period and was expelled as expected.

Leaving with him were five or six other Apprentices, each showing different reactions.

Some looked dejected and ashen-faced, while others wailed and knelt on the ground, begging for another chance.

The Big Senior Brother Lu Qiang had a cold expression and remained unmoved despite their crying and clamoring.

Song Fugui had a good attitude and packed his luggage to bid farewell to Zhou You.

"Zhou You, I'm going home to sell oil. Next time I pass by your door, I'll give your mother a cost price."

He laughed heartily, "I told you, I'm not cut out for martial arts, but my old man wouldn't listen."

"So much silver was spent; how much oil will you have to sell to earn it back?"

"Old Song, who sells oil, has been shrewd his whole life, but he made this one losing deal."

Zhou You patted him on the shoulder, "When I can get out next month, I'll come find you for tea and a chat."

When Song Fugui followed the other Apprentices out the door, he looked back with a hint of reluctance.

He knelt at the door and kowtowed three times, "Big Senior Brother, I'm leaving."

This was the experience of the vast majority of Apprentices; after joining the martial arts hall for three months, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of the Hall Master Wang Jianxiong.

In their eyes, the Big Senior Brother Lu Qiang was an elder who was both a teacher and a brother, worthy of respect.

"Li Hao, you have developed internal force; demonstrate it for everyone."

Song Fugui and the others left the martial arts hall, but there were also those who had successfully developed internal force within the three months.

Li Hao, the most outstanding of the Outer Court Apprentices, had finally developed internal force within the deadline.

Lu Qiang's voice attracted the surrounding new Apprentices, who gathered around slightly.

Li Hao stood before a wooden post, took a deep breath, and a faint roaring sound could be heard during his breathing.

This characteristic was clearly the entry-level of the Subduing Tiger Fist: the Tiger's Roar breathing technique.

Looking at his bulging muscles and the movement of his tendons and bones, even the slightest motion carried a faint, fishy scent.

The surrounding Apprentices watching were filled with terror, as if they were seeing a fierce tiger from the mountains ravaging the flat ground.

Li Hao breathed for a few cycles, built his momentum to its peak, and struck with all his might, hitting the wooden post squarely.

This post was made of century-old hardwood, which was difficult for even knives and axes to leave a mark on, possessing both hardness and toughness.

The eyes of the crowd blurred as a shadow flashed by; the wooden post snapped with a crack, revealing white, splintered wood at the break.

A chorus of gasps erupted and continued for a long time.

Apprentices often punch and kick wooden stakes to train their strength, so they know clearly how sturdy the stakes are.

Li Hao smashed a wooden stake in two with a single punch, and the broken wood even flew over ten meters away, which clearly showed he had truly cultivated force.

Zhou You thought to himself that if he had this kind of strength, he could have smashed Zhang Shu's kidneys with one punch back then, making him vomit black blood and die.

Force is a threshold, the difference between hitting someone and killing someone.

Starting from cultivating force, fist martial arts truly transform into a killing technique worthy of the name.

"Good, Li Hao has cultivated force and can be promoted to a Zhengshi Xuitu, remaining in the Outer Courtyard."

Lu Qiang nodded upon seeing this.

The surrounding new apprentices wore expressions of envy, and the companions who had just been expelled were already cast to the back of their minds.

Only by becoming a Zhengshi Xuitu does one have the qualifications to become a student of the martial arts hall.

Otherwise, one can only borrow the name of the martial arts hall for three months, which is equivalent to spending money to buy a hundred days of peace.

Like those expelled apprentices, not only is their tuition money wasted, but they must also return their wooden plaques, which is equivalent to gaining nothing at all.

Even if they cultivate force after leaving the martial arts hall, they have no chance to join it again.

Only someone like Li Hao, who cultivates force within a hundred days and becomes a Zhengshi Xuitu, has the qualifications to continue further training.

"What is mere force?"

"My goal is to eventually manifest blood-Qi, promote to a martial warrior, and re-enter the position of a City Gate Guard."

Li Hao's blood boiled in his chest, and he was full of confidence in the future.

The Tiger-Subduing Fist is the foundational fist technique for entering Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall; only by practicing it to perfection does one have the qualifications to catch the hall master's eye and be accepted as an Inner Court Disciple.

The hurdle of force initially filters out the majority of the mediocre.

The subsequent blood-Qi hurdle is the true difficulty.

The twenty or thirty Zhengshi Xuitu in the Outer Courtyard have all been stuck at the blood-Qi hurdle, unable to make progress.

In Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall, those who manifest blood-Qi are the Inner Court Disciples, the true elite among men.

The Mountain Monarch Life-Changing Pill is a true spiritual pill of the Martial Dao; taking one has the effect of shedding one's mortal body and exchanging one's bones.

Li Hao comes from a family of military officers, so his knowledge is far beyond that of an ordinary family, and his plans for the future are very clear.

Entering the Inner Court, becoming a formal Disciple, and obtaining the Mountain Monarch Life-Changing Pill—he is determined to achieve this step by step.

A chaotic era is about to arrive; only power can protect his family, and it is also the foundation for his future success and prosperity.