Chapter 21: Breaking Through_2
"What's this?"
"Have I entered the Force Refining stage?"
Chen Yuan withdrew his fist and glanced at the red mark on it.
The western district, crowded with impoverished residents, was relatively chaotic.
To ensure safety, most homes in the area had double-layered solid wood doors soaked in tung oil.
Even a strong adult wielding an axe or a blade would take considerable effort to break through.
Punching through such a door was simply beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.
Only martial artists proficient in Force Refining, capable of channeling the energy of their entire body to a single point, could possess such power.
Chen Yuan's instinctive straight punch just now was enough to confirm some things.
He clenched his fist and examined the taut muscles on his arm.
Sure enough, under the bulging skin in certain areas, he could see muscle groups distinct from the rest.
This was a hallmark of achieving the Force Refining entry stage with the "Little Swallow Wing Fist." Under the concentrated exertion of power, these special muscle groups would become visible.
He calmed his excitement, refraining from rushing to a conclusion, and instead focused on sensing the Huang Ting Jade Manual.
In the next moment:
[Name]: Chen Yuan
[Realm]: Force Refining · Entry Stage
[Strength]: 1.1 (approx.)
[Constitution]: 1.1 (approx.)
[Dexterity]: 1.3 (approx.)
The increase in his Constitution attribute was the result of Chen Yuan's two months of relentless training.
However, the most striking detail was the content displayed under the "Realm" section.
After all this time, the Huang Ting Jade Manual had collected a vast amount of human body data thanks to Chen Yuan's relentless efforts.
Among the data were profiles of several Force Refining martial artists from the Swallow Wing Fist Academy.
Now, with this feedback, Chen Yuan's breakthrough was beyond doubt.
"Diligence is never unrewarded by the heavens. All my hard training and the expense of buying those Blood-Activating Pills… it was all worth it."
Chen Yuan felt immense satisfaction.
Now that he had succeeded in Force Refining, as long as he passed Master Li Yue's assessment, he could officially become a disciple of the Swallow Wing Fist Academy and gain a reliable background to rely on.
Beyond that, there was another matter—
He could finally start planning to reclaim the butcher shop business that had been taken from him.
Over the past two months, Chen Yuan had done some investigation into Zhang Hong's situation.
With his current strength and the right preparations, he now had the ability to "resolve the issue"...
Yet, amid his joy, he couldn't help but glance at the hole in the wooden door he had punched through earlier.
"Well… looks like I'll have to spend money replacing that door."
The next day.
Swallow Wing Fist Academy, Outer Courtyard.
Chen Yuan entered the courtyard and caught sight of Zhao He's figure. He was about to approach and mention his Force Refining breakthrough when he noticed Zhao He was talking to an apprentice.
Not wanting to interrupt, he stood nearby and listened.
Zhao He glanced at him, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, but didn't call him over.
Turning back to the apprentice, Zhao He asked, "Have you made your decision, junior brother?"
The apprentice forced a bitter smile. "After a year of training and much care from you, senior brother, I truly don't want to leave the academy. But I've spent so much silver and still haven't managed to reach the Force Refining stage. Neither my family nor I can afford to continue."
Zhao He looked regretful. "You're still young, just seventeen. Who's to say when you might have your breakthrough and become a formal disciple, learning the true techniques? But if you leave now, it'll be hard to come back later."
"Given the situation, I don't have the confidence to keep gambling," the apprentice replied with a sigh.
The apprentice sighed, cupped his hands, and said, "I had planned to bid farewell to Master in person before leaving, but I don't want to disturb him in the inner courtyard. Senior brother, I'll trouble you to convey my intentions."
"Even so, since I learned martial arts at the academy, if senior brother ever needs my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
With that, the apprentice left the academy with a visible air of resignation.
Chen Yuan watched from the side, feeling a wave of emotions.
The departing apprentice had been one of his fellow trainees for the past two months. While they weren't particularly close, they weren't strangers either.
The apprentice's family background was slightly worse off than Chen Yuan's, but he had the advantage of a harmonious family with supportive parents.
His talent, however, was relatively poor. Still, being younger than Chen Yuan, he had joined the academy half a year earlier.
Comparing their situations, the two weren't vastly different.
If Chen Yuan hadn't possessed the Huang Ting Jade Manual, regardless of his identity as a transmigrator, his eventual fate in learning martial arts at the academy would likely have been the same as his peer's.
"Junior brother, do you need something from me?"
Zhao He noticed Chen Yuan's somewhat affected expression but chose not to comment further.
He knew that the batch of apprentices he was responsible for had relatively modest conditions for practicing martial arts—Chen Yuan included.
Even if he wanted to use this moment to encourage Chen Yuan, given the reality of their situation, it would be meaningless.
In truth, when Chen Yuan had first joined the academy, it was only his display of certain unique qualities that had drawn Zhao He's attention. Otherwise, they might not have had much interaction at all.
The reason Zhao He continued to show Chen Yuan a bit more care now was largely because he admired Chen Yuan's character and conduct.
As for any significant expectations of Chen Yuan achieving mastery in martial arts? He didn't really have any.
Bringing up the matter of the departing apprentice in detail, in Zhao He's view, would only add unnecessary psychological pressure to Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan withdrew his gaze and nodded. "Senior brother, I wanted to ask you about officially joining the academy. As I recall, you mentioned that apprentices who reach the Force Refining stage should be able to become formal disciples, right?"
Zhao He froze, momentarily unable to process the question.
For a few moments, he was silent.
Zhao He's expression turned to one of shock and uncertainty as he stared at Chen Yuan's face. "Junior brother, why are you asking about this?"
He already had a suspicion but found it hard to believe.
Chen Yuan's aptitude had been personally assessed by Li Yue himself.
At his age, Chen Yuan's martial talent was deemed average at best, with only a slightly above-average memory to his credit.
Moreover, it had only been a little over two months since Chen Yuan joined the academy.
To put this in perspective:
Even Zhao He, who came from a well-off background with significant family support for his martial training, had taken over three months to reach the Force Refining stage. And that was starting at the age of thirteen, with a body intentionally conditioned beforehand under his father's guidance.
Given Chen Yuan's circumstances, even with the aid of Blood-Activating Pills, it should have taken much longer for him to achieve any real progress.
If Chen Yuan had truly reached Force Refining in just over two months, factoring in his older age and late introduction to martial arts, his aptitude would rival prodigies like Mo Chen—renowned for their natural talent in the martial path.
Chen Yuan could more or less guess what Zhao He was thinking.
Without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his forearm. He quietly channeled his energy, tensing the muscles to display the distinct markings characteristic of someone who had reached the Force Refining stage with the Little Swallow Wing Fist technique.
"Yesterday, while practicing at home, I unexpectedly had a breakthrough," Chen Yuan explained. "I found my ability to control my body improving significantly. As I channeled my energy, these muscle imprints became visible."
He continued, "I recall that achieving Force Refining with the Little Swallow Wing Fist causes this phenomenon. That's why I came to consult you, senior brother."
This…!
Zhao He's breath caught in his chest as his gaze locked onto the distinct muscle markings on Chen Yuan's forearm.
He was stunned.