153: Ximen Peak of Fucheng Martial Arts Academy

Fu City Martial Academy, Training Ground:

Young men and women were either sparring or cultivating on their own.

Nearby, a bonfire was lit, and under the service of their followers, people roasted meat, drank wine, and sang songs.

To the side, there were many stone houses, big and small.

Inside the largest stone house, several young men and women sat upright.

They were the outstanding individuals of this year's Inner Courtyard.

At this moment, they gathered around a round table, discussing matters:

"First: Three students from the Outer Courtyard have applied for follower slots; each of them will pay ten thousand taels of gold!"

Someone calmly said, "There are no more slots."

"Next item on the agenda."

"Second: The Wang Family from the previous Inner Courtyard wants us to send someone to Shiji County to suppress someone named Wang Yinyang."

Someone sneered, "They want to use us for their internal Family conflicts?"

"Tell him, at least one hundred taels of black gold."

"Next item on the agenda."

..."Twenty-first: In three days, the exchange competition will begin again."

The Crowd's spirits lifted.

A young woman excitedly asked, "Will anyone challenge us this time?"

"Yes, this time six county-level Martial Academies have registered."

"The Martial Instructor has given us the list of these people."

"Do you want to study it?"

The young woman shook her head, saying, "No need!"

"A bunch of country bumpkins, or Noble families' failures."

"Nothing worth paying attention to."

"Let's focus on the Zhou City exchange competition in three days!"

Martial Academy students from county cities can challenge those from Prefecture Cities.

Those from Prefecture Cities can naturally challenge those from Zhou City.

A young man said with a complex expression:

"Nangong Family's top Prodigy, Nangong Yu, is also going to Zhou City to challenge this time."

"If she wins, it will be her fourth consecutive victory."

"One step closer to ten consecutive victories."

In the exchange competition, those who achieve ten consecutive victories can enter the next level of Martial Academy.

The Crowd fell silent.

Although they were outstanding individuals and had participated in exchange competitions.

However, they were not as good as the Nangong Family's top Prodigy.

At this moment, the young man chairing the meeting pulled out three documents from a pile of materials and handed them to the person beside him, saying, "Pay attention to these three people."

The Crowd took turns looking.

Someone frowned.

Someone sneered disdainfully.

The young man chairing the meeting said:

"The first person: Zheng Xilong, he is the younger brother of the rebel Zheng Zhixiang, studying at the Beihe County Martial Academy."

"It is said that he achieved Perfected Gold Tendons yesterday."

"He is supported by the Bingjia Sect, the rebels, Wu Fort, a certain Powerful Family in Zhou City, and four other forces."

"His main Cultivation Technique is—Dragon Fist!"

"He should have a set of ordinary Secret Inheritance."

"His potential is immense."

Someone sneered, "Zheng Xilong? Perfected Gold Tendons? Heh heh... I wonder how many resources he wasted."

"I Cultivate the Dragon Subduing Fist, which just happens to counter him."

The Crowd nodded.

The second document was about a woman named Ren Qingying.

"Her parents are from the Bingjia Sect, and she comes from a Prefecture City Powerful Family: the Ren Family."

"She Cultivates..."

A young woman said coldly, "The trash from the second branch, I'll break her bones in three punches."

"Good!"

Finally, only one document remained.

After reading the document, The Crowd's expressions were strange.

【Chu Qing: Born into poverty, with no backing.】

【Cultivation Techniques include: Iron Fist, Mantis Fist, Red Snake Leg, Iron Cloth, etc.】

【Allegedly achieved Perfected Gold Tendons in late April or early May.】

【Achievements: Annihilated three Wu Forts, took the Martial Instructor's head from the Martial Academy, annihilated the Qin Family, beheaded thousands of cannon fodder under Zheng Zhixiang.】

【Assessment: This person's actions are ruthless, his heart like iron, his hand like a knife; someone once threatened him with his Godmother, and he declared he would take a share!】

【This person is extremely dangerous!】

The information on the other people was very simple.

However, only Chu Qing's information was quite detailed.

There was even a portrait.

This showed how much the person who collected the information valued him.

"Chu Qing?"

"Is his information wrong?"

Miss Ren asked suspiciously:

"Wearing coarse clothes and barefoot, a Mud Leg by birth."

"With no backing, how could he Cultivate Perfected Gold Tendons?"

"Does a Mud Leg even know about Golden Tendons?"

"Is this information wrong?"

The other people also nodded in agreement.

This information was too incredible, beyond their comprehension.

Early March, new students entered the Martial Academy.

Late April, early May, already Perfected Gold Tendons?

What a joke!

They had been to the Zhou City exchange competition.

The Prodigy of Zhou City, the Nangong Family's top Prodigy, had only recently achieved Perfected Gold Tendons a few days ago.

The resources they consumed for Perfected Gold Tendons were countless.

It was said that to Cultivate the Nangong Family's top Prodigy, the entire Nangong Family's assets had shrunk by more than half.

The total assets of a Powerful Family could easily support a county city for ten, or even twenty years.

What a huge loss it was to lose half of their assets?

And even then, it was only a few days ago that she achieved Perfected Gold Tendons.

Chu Qing, by what virtue or ability, achieved Perfected Gold Tendons two months ago?

"The intelligence is absolutely incorrect!"

A young man from the Ximen Family named Ximen Feng said dismissively:

"Leaving aside Perfected Gold Tendons, and not even mentioning him annihilating entire families, just the claim that he killed thousands of rebel cannon fodder is as fake as it gets!"

The Crowd looked at him, puzzled.

Ximen Feng pointed at the information and said:

"Anyone who has killed knows that after killing ten or eight enemies, one's heart is like iron, and one's hand is like a knife."

"But after killing hundreds of enemies, even if nothing happens at the time, when alone at night, one's mind will definitely be shaken, filled with regret and fear."

"Imagine: thousands of cannon fodder lined up for you to kill, who could bring themselves to do it?"

"I heard that decades ago, a similar thing happened in the Imperial Capital: at that time, a ruthless Prodigy, facing thousands of unarmed cannon fodder, was eventually forced to flee in disarray."

"That Prodigy used to annihilate entire families and kill countless people at will!"

"Can a Mud Leg compare to a Prodigy of the Imperial Capital?"

"If Chu Qing comes, I'll slap him to death."

Ximen Feng simply did not believe Chu Qing's achievements.

The Crowd pondered and nodded in agreement.

Only Miss Ren said, "Killing is not allowed in the exchange competition."

Ximen laughed heartily, "Then I won't kill him, I'll just cripple him."

"Then, I'll hurry to Zhou City and let the Prodigies there see my methods."

The meeting host clapped his hands and laughed, "Alright, the matters are dealt with, it's time to relax."

They called their followers to pour them wine and even dance for them.

These followers, outside, were also imposing and from prominent families.

But in front of them, they could only act as servants.

Even so, many people still flocked to them... Cui Moyang and others found Chu Qing.

Because:

They heard that Chu Qing was going to Prefecture City to participate in the exchange competition.

They all tried to persuade him not to go.

"The Prefecture City Inner Courtyard is full of top Prodigies from various Noble families and Wu Forts."

"Many of them, even before entering the Martial Academy, received Family resources and began cultivating Golden Tendons."

"Moreover, they all Cultivate Advanced Cultivation Techniques."

"Now, even if they haven't reached Great Perfection of Golden Tendons, they are close."

"Some Prodigies who gave up on Golden Tendons might even have cultivated all their bones."

They spoke over each other, all trying to keep Chu Qing from going to Prefecture City.

Although killing was not allowed in the exchange competition.

However, if he was seriously injured, or even had his Foundation damaged, then it would be over.

Don't look at them having cultivated all their Golden Tendons.

They could have already held their own in a region.

But they still regarded Chu Qing as their pillar of strength.

If something happened to Chu Qing, they truly wouldn't know what to do.

Chu Qing laughed heartily, "It's just an exchange competition."

"Even if I can't beat them, I can still retreat safely."

Under his reassurance, Cui Moyang and the others reluctantly agreed.

Finally, Chu Qing shooed them away, saying, "I'm going to Cultivate now, don't disturb me."

The Crowd left.

But not long after, Nangong and Cui Moyang came over, one after the other.

They brought him a large amount of bone-refining resources.

"Qing Ge, you use these first."

"Try to Cultivate two more Golden Bones!"

Chu Qing smiled, "In a Martial Artist's battle, a few more tendons and bones or a few less Jingu does not determine the outcome."

"It depends on their respective methods."

"You use these resources."

"Otherwise, you will fall even further behind me."

"I don't want to find myself hopelessly disappointed by your weakness when I need your help someday."

Nangong... Cui Moyang...