The next morning.
After finishing a set of Long Arm Fist, steam rose from Chen Qing's body, and his bones and tendons let out faint, crackling sounds.
"Brother Chen, wipe your sweat."
Just then, a disciple came trotting over with a basin of water and a towel.
"Thanks."
Chen Qing took the towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The disciple's name was Song Yufeng. He had joined the Zhou Institute half a month ago. His father was an itinerant doctor, and his mother did odd jobs at Sun's Restaurant, so his family was quite poor.
According to the Zhou Institute's tradition, he practiced his forms under the guidance of an "older" disciple, Chen Qing.
Song Yufeng gave a sheepish grin. "You're too kind, Brother Chen."
Chen Qing put down the towel and asked casually, "How's your Long Arm Fist coming along?"
"Reporting to Brother Chen, I've memorized all the moves, but..." Song Yufeng answered quickly, then scratched his head. "Something feels off, and I can't quite put my finger on it."
Chen Qing said, "Go through it once for me."
Song Yufeng didn't dare to delay, immediately assuming a stance and beginning the form.
The essence of Long Arm Fist lay in the changing application of Power. Since he hadn't yet reached Manifest Force, his execution of the form appeared extremely soft and weak.
Chen Qing watched carefully, then personally guided Song Yufeng's posture. "For 'Ape Arm Reaching the Heavens,' your shoulders should be relaxed and your elbows should drop. Your intent should flow to your fingertips, not the face of your fist. And for this move, 'Iron Lock Cross River,' the force originates from your waist and back, not your arms."
"Right now, your Power is weak and your qi and blood are insufficient. You should focus on accumulating them first."
He explained in great detail, just as Sun Shun had once done for him.
Song Yufeng nodded repeatedly, his face filled with gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chen. I'll go practice my Pile Skill now and won't disturb your Cultivation any longer."
With that, he quickly returned to his corner and focused on his stance training.
Chen Qing rested for a moment before continuing to practice Long Arm Fist.
[Long Arm Fist: Minor Achievement (963/1000)]
If his Long Arm Fist reached the Great Success Realm, his strength would undoubtedly rise to another level.
There were currently seven or eight disciples at the Dark Force Realm in the institute, but not a single one had achieved Great Success in Long Arm Fist.
Reaching Great Success in Long Arm Fist required transforming a single form into multiple moves and mastering the Softening and Firm Emission of Power.
Transforming one form into many demanded extreme proficiency with the Long Arm Fist moves, to the point of muscle memory. This required not only comprehension but also years of dedicated Cultivation.
As for Softening and Firm Emission, that required mastery over one's Power.
One had to reach a Realm where the fist arrived with the foot, and Power followed the step.
Chen Qing practiced Long Arm Fist two more times before heading to the River Department.
A River Patrol Officer's duties involved three patrols a day during busy times and one a day when it was quiet.
By the time he returned to the Zhou Institute, it was already afternoon.
As soon as Chen Qing stepped into the Zhou Institute, he noticed the courtyard was bustling with activity.
He saw Qin Lie surrounded by a crowd of disciples, like the moon surrounded by stars.
The usually stern Zhou Liang stood opposite him, a smile on his face.
'Junior Brother Qin is back from fighting the bandits!?'
Chen Qing's heart stirred at the sight.
Qin Lie took a deep breath, cupped his fists, and said, "Master, I have returned."
"Good. Very good."
Zhou Liang looked Qin Lie up and down, a gratified smile spreading across his face.
He could tell that Qin Lie was completely different from before; he had clearly seen real combat.
Sun Shun's feelings were complicated. When their eyes had met a moment ago, he felt the hairs on his skin stand on end.
He knew that after this bandit-suppression campaign, Junior Brother Qin's strength had improved again. He was probably no longer a match for him.
"Come inside. We can talk at length."
Zhou Liang clapped Qin Lie on the shoulder, his tone gentle, and turned to lead him toward the rear courtyard.
Anyone with eyes could see that Qin Lie's return had brought a lot more smiles to Zhou Liang's face.
"Brother Fang, tell us about the bandit-suppression mission."
"Did Junior Brother Qin really kill three Water Bandits!?"
"Did the Lord Captain make a move!?"
...
Seeing Qin Lie follow Zhou Liang into the rear courtyard, the crowd turned to the other disciples who had gone on the mission.
"The Lord Captain's Spear Technique is truly unpredictable! Shen Tong, the leader of Bailang Lake, didn't even last three rounds against him! The scene... tsk tsk!"
A senior brother who had also gone along spoke with a tone of shared glory, "With the Lord Captain and masters from the Five Great Races overseeing things, we just followed behind to clean up the remaining bandits. We broadened our horizons and got to know many skilled practitioners from other institutes..."
Hearing this, many of the disciples who had hesitated before showed a hint of regret, realizing they had missed a great opportunity.
If they had known it would be like this, they would have signed up too.
Chen Qing didn't dwell on it, calmly returning to his spot to continue practicing.
'The Master is busy now. I'll just have to find another chance to report to him.'
As night deepened, the courtyard gradually grew quiet, and the chatter about the bandit mission died down.
The disciples tidied up and began to leave one by one.
Seeing Chen Qing still practicing, Zhou Yu couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Chen, it's so late. Aren't you going home?"
She had already changed out of her training clothes and was wearing a white ruqun, her eyes carrying a trace of gentleness and charm.
Chen Qing said, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Zhou. I'll head back after practicing a little longer."
Zhou Yu smiled faintly. "Alright, but don't stay too late."
With that, she returned to the rear courtyard.
...
Night deepened further. Moonlight poured like water into the silent courtyard, leaving only the rustling of insects.
Suddenly, Zhou Liang's stomach rumbled with emptiness.
His qi and blood were vigorous, so his need for food was far greater than that of an ordinary person. He often needed to eat late at night.
"Hungry again."
He rubbed his stomach, got up, and pushed open the door, planning to find something to eat in the kitchen.
Just as he stepped out of the rear courtyard and passed through the moon gate connecting to the front, a rhythmic sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.
"Hm? There's a disciple still training this late?"
Slightly surprised, Zhou Liang followed the sound with his gaze.
Under the moonlight, a figure was moving and turning in the courtyard, practicing Long Arm Fist.
His form was as lithe as an ape's, and the swing of his arms created subtle yet fierce gusts of wind. A crisp "CRACK!" sound echoed through the air from time to time—a sign of extremely solid Manifest Force training.
But what caught Zhou Liang's attention even more was the figure's fluid and seamless movements. Each move looked fierce and powerful, yet it concealed a flexible and yielding quality. Especially in the transition between retracting and extending his force, there was a restrained, penetrating feeling that no ordinary Manifest Force disciple could possess.
He couldn't help but stop and watch with focused attention.
And as he watched, his heart skipped a beat!
That disciple was none other than Chen Qing!
He could clearly see steam rising from Chen Qing's body as he moved, with a faint white mist gathering above his head—a sign that his qi and blood were circulating at their absolute peak.
But more importantly, his breathing was long and deep. Every time he exerted force, the Power was contained yet potent, released but not scattered!
This... these were clearly the characteristics of Dark Force!
Although it was a recent breakthrough, and he couldn't yet retract and release it completely at will, with some signs still imperfectly hidden, it was definitely Dark Force!
"How is this possible?!"
Zhou Liang almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Chen Qing?
'The same Chen Qing with a mediocre Root Bone and a poor family, who took nearly three months just to break through to Manifest Force?'
'How could he have possibly mastered Dark Force so quickly?'
Zhou Liang held his breath and observed for another moment, confirming without a doubt that it was Dark Force.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he strode forward.
"Good lad!"
"Master!"
Chen Qing quickly finished his practice and cupped his fists.
Zhou Liang waved his hand, looking Chen Qing up and down before asking in a deep voice, "You... When did you break through to Dark Force?"
Chen Qing answered honestly, "Reporting to Master, it was yesterday."
"Yesterday..."
Zhou Liang muttered to himself, then stared intently at him. "When did you join the institute last year?"
"Last November," Chen Qing replied.
"November... November..."
Zhou Liang quickly calculated in his mind. It hadn't even been a full year since he had joined.
At that speed, he was definitely considered quite good in the entire Zhou Institute!
Looking at the disciple before him, his clothes soaked with sweat, Zhou Liang was momentarily at a loss for words.
He knew Chen Qing's family situation all too well. It was impossible for him to have a steady supply of meat and precious medicinal supplements. To have come this far, the hardship and effort he must have put in were likely several, or even ten times, that of others!
He had originally thought this was a disciple with limited talent who could only barely keep up through sheer diligence, destined to linger in the Manifest Force Realm at best. He never expected... he never expected that he had completely misjudged him!
"You've done very well!"
A gratified smile appeared on Zhou Liang's face.
'Chen Qing is quite a promising sapling.'
'Planning to find me alone... he clearly doesn't want to show off.'
'For a young man to be so composed is quite rare.'
'Qin Lie's biggest problem is his impatience and inability to stay composed.'
'But that can't really be considered a fault of Qin Lie's. After all, coming from poverty and suddenly obtaining wealth and status, very few people can maintain complete self-control.'
'What a pity...'
Zhou Liang thought to himself. 'If there were no Qin Lie in the Zhou Institute, I would definitely focus on cultivating Chen Qing.'
'But with Qin Lie already here, I can only let Chen Qing be overlooked for now.'
Zhou Liang pondered for a long moment before saying, "For the next period, focus on consolidating your qi and blood. Refine the Dark Force within you and spread it throughout your body, starting with your torso, then moving to your internal organs. Remember not to get discouraged."
"If there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me."
Chen Qing felt a pang of disappointment. "I understand."
He had originally thought Zhou Liang would give him special attention, just as he did with Qin Lie, and provide him with some Cultivation Resources.
With resources, his Cultivation speed would increase significantly.
After all, reaching Dark Force in less than a year, while not as fast as Qin Lie, was still very impressive.
But on second thought, Chen Qing felt at ease. 'Qin Lie is the Master's Closed-door Disciple, destined to inherit his legacy and protect him in his old age.'
"I'm not busy right now. Let me explain the techniques for refining Dark Force."
Zhou Liang gave a detailed explanation, then patted Chen Qing's shoulder and encouraged him, "Cultivate well. You can participate in this year's Martial Arts Examination. Even if you don't succeed, you can treat it as gaining experience."
Chen Qing nodded. "Yes, Master!"
Zhou Liang said, "Go home and rest early."
"This disciple will take his leave."
Chen Qing cupped his fists and prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Watching the disciple's departing back, Zhou Liang felt a pang of sympathy and couldn't help but call out to him.
"Is any faction currently sponsoring you?"
Chen Qing replied, "The Cheng Family of Gui Lan Square."
'Just a minor family... a drop in the bucket. It's already impressive that he managed a second breakthrough attempt.'
Zhou Liang thought to himself, then said aloud, "Come with me."
Chen Qing followed Zhou Liang to his study, where the master took out a small celadon porcelain vial from a cabinet.
"Inside are three Blood Coagulation Pills."
Zhou Liang's voice was low and steady. "Their effect is similar to the Blood Qi Pills on the market. They will be of great benefit to you in stabilizing your Dark Force and tempering your qi and blood. From now on, come find me on the fifth of every month, and I will give you three more."
'Qin Lie is sponsored by the Luo Family, so he doesn't lack for resources.'
'But Chen Qing is different. I'll give him my own share.'
Chen Qing bowed deeply. "Thank you, Master."
A single Blood Qi Pill cost three taels of silver on the market, meaning three were worth nine taels. To the current Chen Qing, this was a considerable sum.
Zhou Liang waved his hand. "Go on."
Chen Qing nodded firmly and then headed home.
The river of stars stretched across the sky, a casual adornment to the vast twilight, its deep, boundless expanse enveloping the late-summer crescent moon.
On the way, Chen Qing kept replaying Zhou Liang's words in his mind.
The difference between Manifest Force and Dark Force was huge. For Manifest Force, one only needed to accumulate qi and blood and temper the skin and muscles. But Dark Force required one to connect the sinews, bones, skin, and muscles as one.
...