"Martial Arts Hall inner courtyard.
"Today was a good day. Early in the morning, two honorary disciples met my Red Line Fist entry requirements," Master Zhou said, sitting on the Imperial Tutor chair, looking down at the two below with a smile on his face, and taking a sip from his tea cup.
"According to the old rule, Wei Tao is ranked seventh, and Wang Lianshan is ranked eighth. From now on, they have entered the inner courtyard and officially become the main direct disciples."
Master Zhou looked left and right, and his gaze fell upon Tan Pan's body. "As the Eldest Senior Brother, you should usually bring two more Junior Brothers with the newcomers. You should explain the rules that need to be clarified and remind them of the areas that require attention."
"Yes, teacher," Tan Pan nodded.
"Little Fifth and Little Liuzi went out to run an errand. Ying Xue, you take someone to get some wine and food to celebrate the entry of these two."
The tall woman standing on the side, Ying Xue, bowed slightly and left the inner courtyard.
After explaining the matter, Master Zhou folded his hands behind his back, slowly paced into the room, and closed the door with a bang.
The others dispersed, leaving only Tan Pan behind.
"There are only three sect rules in this gate," Tan Pan began, addressing Wei Tao and Wang Lianshan.
"First, do not betray your masters or extinguish your ancestors.
The second is not to harm one another.
Third, the true teachings must not be leaked.
Do you remember?"
Wei Tao nodded. The sect rules were indeed straightforward.
In essence, the rules could be summarized into two points: keeping secrets and not harming fellow disciples.
The rest was left unsaid.
Tan Pan glanced at the two, cleared his throat, and continued.
"Since the teacher asked me to remind you of the precautions, I will add a few more words. Remember them well.
"First and foremost, the Martial Arts Hall is the Martial Arts Hall, and the Red Line Sect is the Red Line Sect. Do not confuse the two.
Once you enter the inner courtyard, your identity as a true disciple of the Red Line Sect is fundamentally different from the honorary disciples of the Martial Arts Hall outside.
The relationship between those honorary disciples and the Martial Arts Hall is simple. They pay money in exchange for the opportunity to practice martial arts, and that's it...
But you are different. In the future, whenever you need to cultivate, you will receive resources from the library regularly and free of charge. However, as a member of the Red Line Sect, you will also have to serve the sect and perform the tasks assigned to you.
Especially when you leave this courtyard, every word, action, and movement of yours will naturally reflect upon the main sect. Each of us forms a network of mutual support and protection."
Tan Pan looked up at the slightly gloomy sky, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
"Furthermore, the inner city, the outer city, and the several hundred li of land centered around Cangyuan City are inhabited by countless people.
The intricate relationships between people and the entangled alliances between different factions have formed an invisible, expansive network."
"In this net, each of us occupies a different position. Some are in the center, while others are at the edge. The impact we have on the entire net varies," Tan Pan explained. His expression turned serious as he continued, "When you venture outside, remember not to be arrogant or domineering just because you are a direct disciple of the Martial Arts Hall."
He paused and looked at the group, emphasizing, "We must realize that in Cangyuan City, we are not at the center. Not everything can be easily resolved. I hope all eight of you understand this."
Wang Lianshan let out a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, "The three major families in the inner city and Mister Hu in the outer city are influential figures that should not be provoked. Additionally, there are other groups such as the Hidden Blade Society, Iron Leg Sect, and Mountain Armor Sect. They possess real qi and blood internal training methods comparable to ours. We should be respectful towards their core members."
Tan Pan nodded approvingly and added, "Let's not forget the Wind Forest Guard Army stationed a hundred miles south of the city and the Moon Shadow Temple deep in the Cangmang Mountain. Although we rarely encounter their people, they possess the strength of the three major families in the inner city."
Wei Tao listened attentively, taking note of the important locations and factions mentioned.
It wasn't until Second Senior Sister Wang Yingxue returned from buying wine that Tan Pan stopped talking and began arranging the dishes, gesturing for everyone to take their seats.
.............
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the inner courtyard of the Martial Arts Hall, Wei Tao's hands were lightly stained with blood as he executed different postures, continuously adjusting his footwork and movement techniques, striking the wooden stake in front of him.
His movements were not aggressive or fast. He focused on precision, aiming to better perceive the flow of qi and blood.
After dozens of repetitions, he gradually eased up and carefully recalled the sensations of his qi and blood during the practice.
This was the true transmission internal training method of the Red Line Fist. The requirements for manipulating qi and blood were much higher compared to when he was just starting out.
Aside from this, the movement techniques also played a vital role in the internal training method.
Master Zhou had given it a fitting name: the Blood Jade Hammer. It symbolized the scarlet color of blood and the unyielding strength of jade.
The Red Line Fist encompassed both offensive and defensive maneuvers, featuring complex techniques and demanding movement methods. It required precise coordination with the mobilization of qi and blood. Compared to the basic punches and kicks he learned as an honorary disciple, it was exponentially more intricate.
Shua!
Wei Tao calmed himself, and the intricate golden talisman once again appeared before his eyes.
After receiving the true transmission of the Red Line Fist, a progress bar related to the technique finally appeared in his status bar.
It was now on the right track, no longer stuck like before.
Staring at the progress bar that had just begun, Wei Tao felt a tinge of annoyance. He regretted his impulsive decision to spend five gold coins on advancing the cultivation of the Traveling Stone Fist. As a result, he now had only two coins left.
Even after another two months of accumulation, he had managed to increase his coin count to only four.
From his perspective, the true difficulty lay in the cultivation of the Red Line Fist's internal training method.
After progressing through Skin Refinement, Muscle Refinement, Blood Condensation, and Red Line, it was time when the gold coins were truly needed.
This was the optimal choice for maximizing benefits.
But if he took a step back and considered that if he hadn't chosen to improve the cultivation progress of the Traveling Stone Fist, he might not have met the entry requirements for the Red Line Fist. Even with more gold coins, he wouldn't have had a follow-up path.
After pondering for a moment, Wei Tao gathered his thoughts and quickly made his way to the iron pot in the center of the outer courtyard.
He instructed someone to add some medicinal powder to it and then directed the honorary disciples to focus on perceiving the key points of qi and blood during their scrubbing practice outside. This completed today's duty task.
Not far away, several honorary disciples were sitting and chatting.
"Did you hear about the major incident at Changle Market recently?"
"Isn't that Seventh Uncle's territory? How dare someone from the outer city cause trouble there?"
"Could it be the Hidden Blade Society and Changle Market clashing again?"
"No, remember? The Young Master of the Huang Family intervened and brought the two sides together for reconciliation."
"Oh, right. Go on."
"I heard that two strangers from elsewhere went to Suo Qi's farm to catch shrimp, but they ended up offending Young Master Huang, who was there for fun."
"After humiliating Young Master Huang on his own property, Suo Qi couldn't catch those two strangers and make them pay?"
"Suo Qi did send people to catch them, but unexpectedly, those two turned out to be skilled and dangerous individuals. The dozen or so subordinates sent after them never returned, dead or alive. There wasn't even a single person who came back to report."
"Seriously? Those two must be incredibly bold, not only disrespecting Seventh Uncle but also embarrassing Young Master Huang!"
Pa!
A willow branch smacked a few disciples who were talking.
"Focus on your martial arts practice! I will personally check each one of you later. Anyone who doesn't meet the requirements won't have lunch."
Wei Tao's expression was stern as he brandished the willow branch.
The disciples quickly dispersed and found their positions to resume their training.