40: Chapter 40 A Reprimand

As the Hall Master's voice faded, the atmosphere in the training grounds became increasingly stagnant and heavy.

Three spots, two already claimed, the last one hanging in the balance for half a year later; the only criterion for judgment was simple yet cruel: Second Realm.

There was no discussion, no clamor. The fervor that had just ignited in the eyes of most Disciples rapidly cooled, replaced by a sense of almost desperate anxiety.

Half a year to go from First Realm to Second Realm—for over ninety percent of those present, it was nothing short of a pipe dream.

But the temptation of rising to the top in one bound, that Opportunity to escape their current social class and grasp power, burned their nerves like poison.

It was foreseeable that in the coming half-year, Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall would be filled with a nearly maniacal atmosphere of cultivation.

Competition for resources, secret rivalries, and even unscrupulous methods might all come into play.

Lin Tian dispersed with the crowd in silence, his heart devoid of ripples, filled only with cold calculations.

Returning to Sifang Pavilion, he tidied up briefly and settled his mind. The Hall Master had said that during these six months, if Disciples had difficulties in their cultivation, they could seek guidance from the Elders or even the Hall Master himself.

This resource could not be wasted.

"I need to make more trips to the martial arts hall from now on," Lin Tian mused. Although Sifang Pavilion was quiet, there were limits to training in isolation. The Hall Master and the Elders had been immersed in the martial arts for decades; their experience and pointers might allow him to avoid many detours.

Cultivation needed to have priorities.

Lin Tian assessed himself and placed "Wind-Chasing Footwork" and "Five Elements Stance" at the forefront.

Footwork was a matter of survival; it was the Foundation for dealing with potential killing moves from Liehuo Martial Arts Hall, or indeed any crisis he might face in the future.

Five Elements Stance was the Foundation, the orthodox Cultivation Technique for improving Qi and blood and strengthening internal breath. Moreover, practicing Five Elements Stance was in itself a tempering of Qi and blood—getting two benefits from one practice, the highest efficiency.

As for offensive techniques, Metal Element Fist and Wood Element Fist had already reached Major Achievement, and it was hard to have a qualitative leap in the short term. Water Element Fist had just been mastered, so it could gradually improve alongside the cultivation of Five Elements Stance; there was no need to waste too much primary energy on it.

Having set his plan, Lin Tian began another round of hard training.

Between Sifang Pavilion and Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall, there was now a grey figure hurrying back and forth.

He no longer deliberately avoided that shadow-like dark red gaze, and even had a few brief, cold stares with the old man from Liehuo Martial Arts Hall on the outskirts of the martial arts hall.

The other party just kept staring, like a patient viper.

A month of time slipped away in hard training that nearly squeezed out every ounce of his potential.

In the quiet room, Lin Tian finished his cultivation, feeling the increasingly surging and solid Qi and blood in his body, his mind sweeping over that familiar interface:

Five Elements Stance (Major Achievement 400/1000)

Wind-Chasing Footwork (Proficiency 432/500)

His Qi and blood were steadily improving; the progress of Five Elements Stance, though slow, was solid. As for the Proficiency of Wind-Chasing Footwork, he was only one step away from the next Realm, "Minor Achievement".

He could feel that his comprehension of "wind" and his control over speed and form had reached a subtle critical point; perhaps one Epiphany or one high-intensity application would be enough to break through.

That day, he went to Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall again. Firstly, he wanted to use the more spacious grounds within the hall to try and break through the Bottleneck of his footwork; secondly, he had accumulated several questions about the power conversion of the Five Elements Fist and wanted to find an Opportunity to ask for guidance.

In the martial arts hall's training grounds, the shouts and the sounds of fists and kicks breaking through the air were more rapid and dense than usual.

Many Disciples had dark circles under their eyes, but their expressions carried a fierceness, clearly all struggling desperately for that faint hope.

The air was filled with a stifling heat.

When Lin Tian found Wang Yu in a corner, he was striking an iron-clad wooden dummy lazily, his movements somewhat scattered, a knot of gloom that could not be dissolved between his brows.

"Senior Brother Wang," Lin Tian approached.

Wang Yu turned back, and seeing it was Lin Tian, managed a reluctant smile: "Junior Brother Lin." He then turned back, striking a palm out absent-mindedly.

"Not in high spirits?" Lin Tian asked.

Wang Yu stopped his movements, gave a bitter smile, and sighed heavily: "Junior Brother Lin, to tell you the truth, my spirit has leaked out a bit."

He looked at the desperate figures on the training ground, his eyes complex. "The Hall Master gave a six-month deadline, but I know my own weight. Even if I practiced without eating, drinking, or sleeping, in half a year... there is absolutely no way I could break through to the Second Realm.

Talent is like an invisible wall; it's not something you can smash through just by working hard."

Lin Tian was silent.

Wang Yu was telling the truth.

In martial arts cultivation, resources, perseverance, and opportunities are certainly important, but one's aptitude determines the starting point and the upper limit.

For the vast majority of people, a Bottleneck is just a Bottleneck; sitting in meditation for ten years might not loosen it even a fraction.

If it weren't for the Proficiency System that clearly quantified and fed back every bit of effort, he would likely also feel despair before the long Bottleneck.

He was deliberating how to offer a few words of comfort, but Wang Yu continued on his own: "Sometimes, I really envy you true geniuses. For someone like me, no matter how much I struggle, the upper limit is just set there.

If I practice for another year or two and still can't break through to the Second Realm, my family will start urging me...

Sigh, by then, I'll probably just have to go back, take over those thirty-some shops at home, and live out my life as a mediocre wealthy man."

His tone was desolate, carrying a deep sense of unwillingness, yet also revealing a resignation-like helplessness.

The words on the tip of Lin Tian's tongue suddenly stuck, and the look he gave Wang Yu became somewhat strange.

Thirty-some... shops?

In his mind, the scene of shops lining the bustling streets of Heishan City instantly appeared.

So this Senior Brother Wang, who usually kept a low profile and was even somewhat marginalized, was actually a hidden wealthy heir?

And listening to this tone, going back to "inherit the family business" seemed to be a rather helpless, or even somewhat "embarrassing" choice?

The corner of Lin Tian's mouth twitched slightly; his previous feeling of shared misery instantly vanished.

He suddenly felt that his previous thought of trying to comfort him was truly superfluous, even laughable.

"Ahem..." Lin Tian coughed twice, patted Wang Yu on the shoulder, and squeezed out a sentence, "Senior Brother Wang... look on the bright side, life... is more than just the path of martial arts."

He himself felt that these words had no strength at all.

Wang Yu clearly didn't take it in either, just sighed heavily again.

After chatting a few more sentences, Lin Tian found an excuse to leave.

He crossed the noisy training ground and headed straight for the residential area at the back of the martial arts hall, where the Hall Master and the Elders meditated and handled affairs.

After reporting to the guard Disciple, not long after, he was led to a study with simple furnishings, yet filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and ink.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall was sitting behind a large desk, holding an ancient book. Seeing him enter, he raised his eyes to look.

"Disciple Lin Tian pays respects to the Hall Master." Lin Tian bowed and saluted.

"Hmm, sit." Chen Qingfeng put down the book, his gaze sweeping over Lin Tian, and he nodded slightly. "Your Qi and blood are solid, and your footsteps are steady yet conceal lightness. In this period, you have improved quite a bit. What do you seek me for?"

"Disciple is practicing the Five Elements Fist and has some doubts, wanting to ask for the Hall Master's guidance." Lin Tian sat in the guest seat below and stated his purpose directly.

"Speak."

"Hall Master, the Five Elements Fist is divided into five styles: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. I am currently focusing on Metal and Wood, and have just begun with Water. My doubt is, if these five types of fist techniques are practiced to a certain Realm, can they cooperate with each other to produce greater power? If so, what is the way of this cooperation? And how much is the difference in power compared to using a single fist technique alone?"

Lin Tian threw out the question he had been pondering for a long time, "I need to decide based on this whether I should draw from the strengths of many, practicing several to achieve the effect of cooperation, or specialize in one or two to seek the ultimate."

Chen Qingfeng listened, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he frowned slightly, looking Lin Tian over with a scrutinizing gaze. After a long while, he slowly said, "You want to ask about the Five Elements generating and overcoming each other, and the method of combined fist strikes?"

"Yes."

Chen Qingfeng shook his head, his tone becoming serious, even carrying a hint of admonition: "Lin Tian, your talent is indeed outstanding, and your Comprehension Ability is good. But in martial arts cultivation, the greatest taboo is reaching for the stars before establishing a Foundation, coveting exquisite changes before your Foundation is stable. The techniques for combining the Five Elements Fist certainly exist, and their power is by no means comparable to a single fist technique. If one can master them, they are endless and ever-changing. But—that requires practicing at least two or three fist techniques to a considerably profound Realm, and having a very deep understanding of Fist Intent and the conversion of power, only then is it possible to touch the threshold."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze like lightning: "Any style of the Five Elements Fist is not an easy technique to master. For ordinary Disciples, it is not easy to spend several years of effort to bring one style to the point of entering the hall. Although you are gifted and your progress in the Metal and Wood Fists is quite fast, wanting to master any of the Water, Fire, or Earth styles in the short term, and reaching a level sufficient for cooperation, is difficult! Difficult! Difficult!"

"I know you are anxious about that Imperial Guard spot, but the road must be walked step by step. At your current Realm, you should settle your heart, train the already Major Achievement Metal Element Fist or Wood Element Fist to Perfection, or go all out to break through the Second Realm barrier; that is the right path. Being greedy for more and seeking completeness, dispersing your energy, I fear you will end up achieving nothing, and instead delay yourself."

"Cultivation, after all, must be down-to-earth." Chen Qingfeng's last sentence was earnest and well-meaning, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

In his view, this young Genius, while commendable in his ambition, was a bit too eager, even somewhat ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, and needed some discipline to avoid going astray.