Chapter 535: Condensing the Grandmaster Mark

Swish, swish, swish!

Gazes converged upon Zhou You; why did the Fujun call his name?

Liu Fengji represented the noble families, and Yan Baihu had the backing of Dayin Mountain; the factions they belonged to were both weighty and exemplary, so the political significance of providing them with guidance was profound.

Then, someone realized: oh, Zhou You represents the common martial artists.

Common martial artists are numerous, and among them are many with great potential; they are also a part of the united front.

Others thought they had guessed the Fujun's intention, but in reality? The Fujun had simply recalled the previous episode where he opposed the Gaoyang Clan and made them lose face, a feat in which Zhou You had played an indispensable role!

On a sudden whim, he gave Zhou You this final opportunity.

"Many thanks, Fujun."

Zhou You immediately raised his question; from his perspective, it did not matter what he asked, as long as the Fujun answered, he could use the Palm Martial Arts Hall to pass on the Grandmaster's experience without reservation.

The question he posed was precisely the confusion one faces when breaking through from an Intermediate Martial Master to a Senior Martial Master.

Liu Fengji, Yan Baihu, and the others were dismissive at first, but as they listened, their expressions grew grave.

Why did Zhou You's description of the bottleneck from Intermediate to Senior sound even more difficult than their own breakthroughs to Strong Martial Omen?

The Fujun was knowledgeable and experienced; he smiled slightly after hearing it, "I understand your predicament. As the old saying goes, 'As the Dao rises one foot, the demon rises ten.' The stronger the strength, the greater the bottleneck. To break through the bottleneck, one must subdue the obstacle with absolute strength."

"This advice is for reference only; you must walk your own path to reach the end!"

The Fujun spoke from the high vantage point of a Grandmaster, leaving many of the martial artists confused and bewildered.

But with the support of the Palm Martial Arts Hall, Zhou You's mind was crystal clear; he had captured the essence.

"Clang!"

A melodious bell rang out; the three-day period had ended.

A deep, resonant chime echoed in Zhou You's ears, and his heart trembled; the panel notification sounded immediately, "Grandmaster Mark condensation complete."

"Trial Project (Six-Star): Condense the Grandmaster Mark completed, Experience Points +350,000."

The Grandmaster Mark: invisible and intangible, yet truly existent.

After confirmation via the panel, Zhou You realized the Grandmaster Mark was a conceptual creation; it had no physical form, yet it truly existed. When triggered under the right conditions, it directly influenced the operation of the outside world and left traces behind.

Hmm, the Strong Martial Omen could only break through to Strong Martial, but this Grandmaster Mark was a direct ticket to the realm of the Grandmaster.

Zhou You compared them and felt his harvest exceeded that of Liu Fengji and the other.

The Fujun's three-day lecture concluded, and the two recognized as having the greatest harvest were Liu Fengji and Yan Baihu, who both had an epiphany regarding the Strong Martial Omen.

Although others had gains, no third person had an epiphany on the spot like them.

After leaving the Gongyuan, the crowd dispersed one after another; before leaving, Zhou You heard Liu Jinguo call out to him, "Hall Master Zhou."

"Hmm? Does Liu Shifu have something to say?"

"Hall Master Zhou, after today, we in this group share a common brand: we are the Three-Day Disciples of the Fujun."

Liu Jinguo analyzed, "Although it was a temporary lecture, once a teacher, one should serve them for life."

With this reminder, Zhou You suddenly realized; the status of teacher and student was paramount. Even if they had only listened to the Fujun's lectures for three days, they could brazenly call themselves 'Disciples' to the outside world.

Of course, this tiger skin could not be abused; if it caused the Fujun displeasure, that would be counterproductive.

Liu Jinguo meant that one should visit frequently throughout the seasons, send gifts, and offer greetings, serving the Fujun as a master. As long as one put in the effort, even a heart of stone could be softened over decades.

It must be said that in terms of worldly wisdom, this noble daughter was a genius.

"Liu Shifu's words are reasonable."

Zhou You's thanks came from the bottom of his heart; if not for her reminder, he would have almost forgotten. Having finally established a connection with the Fujun, how to maintain this relationship was a long-term strategy that could not be forgotten for a single day.

Hmm, with the Fujun's vision, there were few things in the world that could move him; a gift was merely a gesture of sincerity to express one's heart.

Zhou You felt Liu Jinguo was someone worth befriending; he had seen her ruthlessness in not letting any opportunity slip by on the battlefield, and the intention behind her reminder this time was also worth pondering.

Just as Liu Jinguo said, they all had a label: Three-Day Disciples of the Fujun.

Since there was this 'classmate bond,' this relationship could not be wasted; there would be plenty of opportunities for mutual support in the future.

Liu Jinguo's resources were naturally inferior to Liu Fengji's, and it was impossible for her to reach his height, so she had to use every method to increase her own advantages and catch up to Liu Fengji's pace.

It was the same when she apprenticed to the Blind Old Man before, and it was the same now in befriending Zhou You.

Come to think of it, the reason Zhou You could make her look at him with high regard was still because the Fujun had specifically called his name earlier.

The two walked and talked, moving from the core area of Fucheng to the bustling outskirts.

"Hall Master Zhou, to tell you the truth, I feel more comfortable and relaxed here."

Liu Jinguo looked at the bustling streets, messy and dirty, occasionally emitting unpleasant odors, but she did not mind at all, "The scene before us is more vibrant and has more of a human touch."

Suddenly, the street was in chaos; several passersby were running for their lives, not even knowing they had lost their hats and shoes, crying as they ran, snot and saliva flying in the wind.

They were using all their might to escape; what on earth had they encountered?

"A tiger is eating people! Run! A tiger has entered the city!"

What? This was Fucheng; outside the city were only wilderness and flat land, not a single forest—where would a tiger come from?

Moreover, with the security of Fucheng, martial artists could be seen walking the streets everywhere; if they encountered a tiger, they would kill it on the spot, unless it was...

"Beast Charm!"

Zhou You and Liu Jinguo looked at each other, realizing the severity of the situation. A Beast Charm was appearing openly in the market; where were the City Gate Guards? Panic was spreading, and before the tiger even appeared, more and more people joined the fleeing crowd.

Zhou You had sharp eyes and noticed many martial artists mixed in; what kind of tiger could make martial artists flee for their lives?

"Go intercept it; once the City Gate Guards arrive, no matter how powerful the charm is, it will surely die."

A bustling market was already empty, with overturned stalls everywhere and shoes and hair ribbons scattered on the ground.

The street, which had been packed with people, was cleared out by the panic.

When Zhou You and Liu Jinguo arrived, the scene they saw looked as if it had just been ravaged by a chaotic army.

"Waa, waa, waa, waa!"

The sound of a small child crying rose not far away; some adult must have been in such a panic to escape that they had left their own child behind.

Zhou You and Liu Jinguo exchanged a look, and from their gazes, they understood each other's meaning: the enemy was unknown, so they could not act rashly.

A gust of foul wind swirled up from the street surface, carrying the distinct stench of the mountain forest, as well as a murderous aura.

"A tiger!"

No sooner had the words fallen than a massive paw slapped down onto the stone slabs, causing the ground to tremble and groan.

When the owner of the paw appeared before Zhou You, he saw a furry mountain of flesh burst into his line of sight, and only then did he understand why so many people were fleeing for their lives in terror.

This tiger was a full 5 meters tall and over 10 meters long; a single paw could easily crush a millstone like a walnut.

Its entire body was covered in golden fur that, under the sunlight, looked as if it were made of pure gold filaments.

(End of chapter)