Walking hand in hand with the young girl, Chen Yu felt a sense of unreality.
Before him, Mu Xueqing was like a peony blooming after the rain, with her shy red cheeks that invoked an overwhelming sense of tenderness. The long skirt accentuated her delicate figure, imbuing an impression of purity and elegance.
The girl's hair, soft and fragrant, brushed past his ears, sending a tingling and fiery sensation to his heart.
Especially, the girl's fair and slender arm brought a truly smooth and soft feeling.
However, the steady and powerful heartbeat, filled with an invisible strong conviction, did not allow him to lose himself.
Having undergone the transformation of the crystal heart, Chen Yu's body and mind reacted far beyond what they had before.
Contemplating, Chen Yu felt something was amiss.
Where there's an abnormal occurrence, there must be something unusual.
For the past two years, he had pursued Mu Xueqing for quite a while.
However, Mu Xueqing never refused nor accepted, and this ambiguous feeling left him uneasy.
It felt like Mu Xueqing wasn't indifferent to him but was unconsciously distancing herself due to some unknown reason.
And now.
Mu Xueqing suddenly laced her arm with his in public, an intimate gesture that came as a surprise and seemed unusual.
As they walked out of the canteen, the girl stopped in her tracks.
"Brother Chen,"
Mu Xueqing suddenly let go of his hand, the redness fading from her charming face.
She took a small breath, her clear eyes filled with a resolute decision, looking at Chen Yu openly.
The sudden release of her hand gave Chen Yu a slight sense of loss.
Moreover, Mu Xueqing's changed expression, that serene gaze like a calm lake, felt unfamiliar to him.
"Does Xueqing have something to say?"
Chen Yu steadied his thoughts, the steady and powerful heartbeat emboldening him to face the dream girl he once dared not desecrate.
Mu Xueqing was slightly startled, feeling something different about the boy before her.
However, this wouldn't change her initial resolution.
"Brother Chen, given your aptitude, you might fare better returning to the mortal family. Perhaps the sect isn't necessarily suited for you, and Xueqing can't bear to see you mistreated..."
Mu Xueqing's gentle voice lingered at his ear.
The voice was melodious, but the implicit meaning in it sent a chill down Chen Yu's heart.
In that instant.
He felt an illusion of falling from the clouds into a bottomless abyss; like a basin of cold water was poured onto his fiery heart.
"You think my aptitude is lacking and want me to leave the sect and return to the mortal world? So, your earlier gesture was merely to 'protect' me?"
Chen Yu interrupted her.
Mu Xueqing's bright face involuntarily stiffened.
Her words were already rather tactful, aimed at sparing Chen Yu's pride.
She hadn't expected him to point it out directly.
Indeed.
Mu Xueqing's act in the canteen earlier was her way of not wanting to see Chen Yu bullied, opting for a disguised "protection."
"Exactly!"
Mu Xueqing bit her lip, maintaining a dignified appearance, "I meant well in advising Brother Chen to return to the mortal world. And besides..."
"And besides what?"
Chen Yu surprisingly calmed down.
"Soon, I'll be entering the 'Inner Sect,' becoming an inner sect disciple. By then, no matter what decision Brother Chen makes, we will ultimately... be people from two different worlds."
Mu Xueqing sighed softly as she spoke of her "decision," her eyes clear and peaceful.
After voicing this decision, the guilt and unease in her heart seemingly subsided into tranquility.
We will ultimately... be people from two different worlds.
"So this is your decision?"
Chen Yu suddenly laughed.
Mu Xueqing's words were tantamount to completely drawing a line with Chen Yu; it also meant that Chen Yu's past pursuits and efforts had all been in vain!
The Inner Sect was the core of the Yunyue Sect.
Inner sect disciples were the focus of the sect's nurturing, worlds apart from outer disciples.
Based on Chen Yu's performance in the past two years, even maintaining a foothold in the outer sect was no simple task.
In some ways... Mu Xueqing's conclusion and decision didn't seem wrong.
"Brother Chen, Xueqing knows you are a good person and feels deeply sorry for you. If you truly wish to stay in the sect, as long as Xueqing is here, no one will oppress you."
Mu Xueqing bit her thin lip gently, guilt written on her face.
After all, the two had known each other from a young age, harboring some feelings towards one another.
Was she being too harsh?
She worried that Chen Yu might not be able to withstand such a blow.
"Thank you."
Chen Yu exhaled those three words, with a strange smile on his face.
That smile had a sense of relief, like a burden lifted off his shoulders.
Remembering the past years, he had pursued Mu Xueqing, feeling her drift further away, more unfamiliar and distant.
It turns out.
Mu Xueqing had already moved so far ahead, about to enter the Inner Sect.
In this light, the efforts of the disciples in the Outer Sect, be it him or Wang Lingyun, including numerous other admirers, were all in vain.
The only difference being Chen Yu had once captured the beauty's heart—could this be considered a bittersweet victory?
Chen Yu couldn't help but imagine:
If Mu Xueqing had been frank earlier, severing his affection, he might have spent more energy in martial arts practice over the past two years.
Perhaps by now, he would have broken through to the Meridian Passage Stage, at least with a higher success rate.
"Luckily, it's not too late now."
Chen Yu shed the heavy burden, feeling at ease; though there was inevitable heartache, he had nonetheless crossed this threshold.
Thank you?
Mu Xueqing's bright eyes scrutinized Chen Yu carefully, suddenly finding this young boy somewhat indistinct.
"I will remain in the sect, but I don't need your so-called protection."
Chen Yu said calmly.
Martial arts was the path he yearned for. The world of the sect, martial arts prowess, they were the true masters of this world.
He longed for this path.
After speaking, Chen Yu showed no hint of nostalgia, turning away decisively.
That determined boy's back made Mu Xueqing's heart flutter inexplicably, feeling a sense of loss and pain.
At this moment, the confidence and masculine spirit emanating from the boy pulled at her heartstrings.
"Chen..."
Mu Xueqing's bright eyes turned slightly red.
Suddenly, she felt as though she had lost something precious, irretrievably.
At this moment.
Chen Yu suddenly turned his head, leaving a message: "See you in the Inner Sect later."
"See you in the Inner Sect? That's impossible!"
Mu Xueqing shook her head slightly, almost instinctively concluding.
She understood Chen Yu's present situation well. She feared he would find it very challenging to maintain even a toehold in the Outer Sect.
Soon, Mu Xueqing calmed her emotions, her eyes clear and decisive.
Since she chose this path, she would experience no regrets!
She had her family, her life goals, and a broader future. How could she be trapped in an unstarted ambiguous feeling?
...
Parting with Mu Xueqing, Chen Yu sprinted toward the more remote mountain area of the sect.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Leaping all the way, Chen Yu felt lighter, the world in his eyes growing wider.
After some brief agony, a sense of open clarity emerged in his heart, like blue skies appearing after the storm clouds.
"I must establish myself in the sect, enter the Inner Sect. I want my family to be powerful, to make my parents proud of me..."
Flying through the air, Chen Yu shouted.
In that moment, the youthful boy brimmed with vigour and strength, setting his own goals.
What he didn't know.
Was just how far, how high he would stand, having taken this step forward.
In the wild forest.
"Iron Plow Fist!"
The young figure flickered, his fist movements whistling, producing a succession of rumbling sounds, dull and alarming.
With the passage of time.
The power of Chen Yu's fist grew stronger, evoking an illusion of cleaving the waves, of a crashing thunderstorm.
He continually practiced, not only to enhance his cultivation and martial timing but also to adapt to the enhanced body.
After integrating that mysterious heart, Chen Yu's recovery ability surged; typically, even after several consecutive hours of practice, he wouldn't feel fatigued. Only when his stomach growled with hunger would he go hunting for some wild game.
This meant that his training time and efficiency far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Time slipped away bit by bit.
Chen Yu's mastery of fist techniques, and even his cultivation level, progressed simultaneously. Especially the former, advancing at lightning speed.
On the evening of the tenth day.
Crash!
The roaring iron fist directly shattered a tree as thick as a bowl, sending chips flying.
For a moment, dust rose, and wild animals retreated in shock.
"To blow through hardwood as thick as a bowl in one punch, with wood shattering at the break, this can only be achieved at the point of achieving 'Great Success' in Iron Plow Fist..."
In the center of dust, the young boy closed his eyes, a satisfying smile on his face.
Through these ten days of rigorous practice, his Iron Plow Fist finally reached the Great Achievement Realm!
General martial arts were categorized into four realms: Coming into the Basics, Small Success, Martial Mastery, and Reaching the Pinnacle.
These could be simplified as Entry Level, Partial Mastery, Great Success, and Peak.
A martial art—even a low-level one—when practiced to the point of Great Success, could wield considerable power.
Especially considering that.
Iron Plow Fist was known to be easy to learn but hard to master. The further one advanced, the more powerful it became.
In the Entry Level and Partial Mastery stages, compared to martial arts of the same level, its power was even slightly inferior.
Yet upon reaching Great Success, its power surged remarkably!
"With my current strength, I may not lose even against a disciple at the Early-stage Meridian Passage."
Chen Yu closed his eyes, feeling the vigorous power inside his body.
At this moment, not only did his Iron Plow Fist progress greatly, but his cultivation had also reached the peak of the Body Refining Stage—Peak of Body Refining!
Peak of Body Refining was already equipped for impacting the Meridian Passage Stage's basic conditions.
Meaning.
Chen Yu could now attempt an impact on the "Meridian Passage Stage." Whether successful or not was another matter.
"There's no rush to make an impact, there's still one and a half months remaining."
Chen Yu's face reflected contemplation.
He'd heard from teaching elder within the sect that the foundation in the Body Refining Stage ought to be as solid as possible.
The more solid the foundation, the greater the internal energy strength the "Meridian Passage Stage" could bear later, and the further the path of martial arts could go in the future.
Additionally.
The breakthrough's primary cultivation technique also held considerable weight.
The higher the primary cultivation technique's level, the deeper the foundation, and the more formidable the strength after breaking through to the Meridian Passage Stage.
Upon entering Yunyue Sect, Chen Yu had freely selected a low-level martial art, Iron Plow Fist, from the Heavenly Martial Pavilion.
According to the regulations.
Upon advancing to the Meridian Passage Stage, he could freely choose a higher-level "intermediate martial art."
Otherwise, he could only rely on sect contribution points!
Completing some tasks entrusted by the sect earned contribution points, yet acquiring them posed a significant challenge.
During nearly three years in the Outer Sect, Chen Yu had accumulated enough contribution points solely for another low-level cultivation technique redemption.
This held little significance for him.
"My target is the Inner Sect; my starting point must not fall short. I must gather more contribution points to select a fairly good primary cultivation technique before breaking through to the 'Meridian Passage Stage'..."
Chen Yu briefly considered and quickly reached a resolution.
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