[Name: Lin Chen]
[Profession: Martial Artist]
[Qi and Blood: 4000/5000]
[Fate:[Things Fall Into Place]: Martial Path, First Realm — perseverance, steady progress, advancing like a breaking bamboo, no bottlenecks to hinder the way.]
Looking at the increase in qi and blood on his panel,
Lin Chen only wanted to say one thing now: people like Lu Yongfeng and Yan Dexing were nothing more than straw dummies waiting to be cut down.
After refining essence energy, his qi and blood had instantly increased by a thousand points, and his strength had reached eight hundred jin.
Now, with a single punch, he should be able to knock Lu Yongfeng to the ground.
What he didn't understand, however, was why the upper limit of qi and blood had become 5000.
A 5000 qi-and-blood cap meant one thousand jin of strength.
What did this one thousand jin represent?
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Lin Chen lost in thought, Yu Yongnian asked with a smile.
"This… this disciple feels that after refining essence energy, the whole body feels different—there's strength everywhere, like it can never be used up."
"When the body has essence energy, qi and blood are naturally generated, circulating endlessly. Only at this step can one be said to have truly set foot on the martial path."
Yu Yongnian smiled slightly, then said, "It seems you don't know much about martial arts. Today, I'll explain it to you properly."
"You should already know that martial artists temper the body through two and a half realms. Right now, you are at the half-realm. Next, what you must do is use the essence energy within your body to strike the acupoints. Once you succeed, you will step into the Aperture-Opening Realm."
"After opening apertures comes Organ Refinement. Only after that can one be considered a ranked martial artist—from Ninth Rank to First Rank. Those who have not entered Ninth Rank are uniformly called unranked martial artists."
...
...
Listening to the instructor's explanation, Lin Chen finally gained a basic understanding of the martial path.
Opening apertures and refining the organs—these were the two great thresholds of martial arts.
Only after crossing both could one be considered a ranked martial artist.
Ninth Rank was the lowest, First Rank the highest.
The nine-rank system of martial artists mirrored the Liang Dynasty's nine-rank official system.
So after a year of hard work, in the eyes of true martial artists, he could only be considered a martial apprentice?
"Don't think that ranked martial artists are common. In the entire Poyang County, there are only two Ninth Rank martial artists—the County Magistrate and the head of the Martial Administration Office."
Yu Yongnian could guess what Lin Chen was thinking. He had gone through the same thing back then.
After refining essence energy, one would feel spirited and ambitious, ready to gallop across the martial path—only to later realize this was merely the starting point.
So few?
Lin Chen clicked his tongue. He hadn't expected that all of Poyang County only had two ranked martial artists.
"What I said was that there are only two Ninth Rank martial artists in actual standing. That doesn't mean Poyang County has no others. On the surface, there are still around ten Ninth Rank experts, but aside from the County Magistrate and the Martial Administration Office head, the rest are already over fifty. Their qi and blood have begun to decline, and their current strength no longer reaches Ninth Rank."
"Martial artists' strength can regress?"
"Don't tell me you think a martial artist in their twilight years can still be compared to a young and vigorous one?"
Yu Yongnian chuckled softly. "For unranked martial artists, once they pass forty, their qi and blood begin to decline, and further realm advancement becomes very difficult. Even entering Ninth Rank only extends things by ten years at most, unless one can break through to the next rank. With your current strength, you could punch a hundred-year-old Seventh Rank martial artist to death."
Lin Chen's mouth twitched slightly. Punching a hundred-year-old Seventh Rank martial artist to death wasn't exactly something to be proud of.
But under these circumstances, a saying from his previous life fit perfectly.
For martial artists, revenge after ten years is not too late.
If ten years isn't enough, then twenty—wait until the opponent's qi and blood decline.
"This is the cruelty of the martial path: better to bully the old than to offend the young and strong."
Yu Yongnian pondered for a moment. Thinking of Lin Chen's village background and how the county city's martial halls were far more complicated than those in the towns, he asked, "Any major clan is unwilling to offend young and vigorous martial artists. But if they have already offended one, and reconciliation is impossible, what do you think those clans would do?"
"Use every possible means to prevent that young martial artist from growing."
Lin Chen's answer was tactful. He understood what his instructor meant—those great clans wouldn't easily offend young martial artists, but once they did, they would strangle them in the cradle.
Unless the clan believed its own younger generation had great potential, they would have to guard against future retaliation once that young martial artist grew old enough to strike back.
Yu Yongnian nodded slightly and didn't elaborate further. As long as Lin Chen stayed within the martial hall, he wouldn't come into conflict with the major city clans. This was merely a reminder.
"It's precisely because unranked martial artists' qi and blood decline after forty that there's a saying in martial circles: five years to open apertures, ten years to refine the organs—any slower, and entering rank becomes difficult."
"After entering a martial hall, if you cannot break through aperture opening and step into organ refinement within five years, it will be very hard to enter rank afterward."
"If you discover that the martial path cannot be quickly advanced, you can seek a position at the yamen—earning silver while practicing martial arts, leaving yourself a way out. Otherwise, if you fail to enter rank and your qi and blood decline, you may end up destitute."
Martial artists were glorious—but also cruel.
That glory was built with silver and effort. Once past forty, when qi and blood began to wane, ways of earning money diminished. Without sufficient savings, one could only do menial work beneath one's former status.
There was once a martial artist who had perfected organ refinement. Obsessed with cultivation, he borrowed money from money houses when he ran out of funds, accumulating a massive debt of a thousand taels. After forty, his qi and blood declined, his income dwindled year by year, creditors hounded him, and enemies he had offended in the past caused trouble—forcing him into becoming a brothel tortoise.
Resolute determination on the martial path was necessary, but one could not burn all bridges, especially after having family and descendants. One had to leave oneself a retreat.
"With your family background, no matter how the future turns out, you've already brought honor to your family. You should fight hard on the martial path, but you must also act within your limits."
This wasn't an exaggeration. Lin Chen had refined essence energy within a year. According to the martial hall's recruitment rules, the first-place disciple would receive an Aperture-Opening Pill. Even if progress afterward was slow, as long as ten acupoints could be opened, there would be a chance to secure a minor official post at the yamen.
A yamen constable was already a major figure in a village—indeed, enough to bring honor to one's family.
As for ranked martial artists, that was not something those of ordinary family backgrounds could aspire to.
Every ranked martial artist had the backing of vast family resources.
"Come back to the martial hall in two days. I'll take you to the county city's martial academy. Today, you can return home and share this joy with your elders."
"Then this disciple takes his leave."
Lin Chen nodded. Going home to tell his parents that he had refined essence energy would surely make them overjoyed.
After Lin Chen left, Yu Yongnian murmured softly, "Refining essence energy within a year—it's time to finally hold your head high. If there's pent-up resentment in the heart, one's thoughts won't flow smoothly. I'll help you dissolve that resentment."
...
...
Just as Lin Chen left the martial hall and set off on the road back to the village,
in the rear courtyard,
Lu Yongfeng let out a furious roar, his entire body flushing red, like a roaring tiger.
The movement startled Zhao Jingchuan and the other four.
"I broke through—I've refined essence energy!"
Lu Yongfeng's expression was ferocious, but when he saw the bewildered looks on Zhao Jingchuan and the others, all the air seemed to leak out of him at once.
The person who should have been here wasn't.
The excitement and joy in his heart instantly dropped by more than half.