As he executed the leg technique, it moved like waves crashing against the shore—swift and fierce. It perfectly complemented the raw power of his Mountain-Shattering Fist, leaving several of his junior brothers by the sidelines secretly dumbfounded.

During a break, Yang Jing willed it, and the panel appeared directly before his eyes. The training progress for his two martial arts was clearly visible—

[Great Success of Mountain Shattering Fist (385/1000)]

[Minor Achievement of Shocking Wave Leg (495/500)]

Seeing the progress of his two martial arts, Yang Jing nodded slightly.

Over the past month, he had consumed ten Spirit Fish and a large amount of Exotic Beast Meat. Coupled with the steady supply of Qi Storage Pills from his master, his training progress had advanced by leaps and bounds.

In just one month, his progress in Mountain-Shattering Fist had more than doubled, and his Shocking Wave Leg was on the verge of breaking through to the Dark Energy realm.

Being able to clearly see every little bit of his improvement gave Yang Jing even more motivation to train. He immediately threw himself back into his practice.

His diligence and focus earned him the sincere admiration of many of the surrounding disciples.

In the distance, Qi Yun stood under a covered walkway, her arms crossed. Her gaze fell upon Yang Jing, her expression complex.

Lately, she had been on the receiving end of no small amount of grumbling and complaining from her brother, Qi Kang.

Before the training ground assessment, Qi Kang had learned that Sun’s Martial Arts Hall had a new Dark Energy disciple. He had wanted to invite him to the Qi Family as a Guest Minister, promising generous compensation.

At the time, however, she had felt that Yang Jing had only broken through to the Dark Energy realm by sheer luck and possessed no real skill. Moreover, he had a Lower-Grade Root Bone and thus no potential to speak of. She had rejected the idea outright, saying that the Qi Family had no need to waste resources on some country bumpkin martial artist.

But now, Yang Jing had made a name for himself in the training ground assessment, becoming a hot commodity in Yuhe County. Even the Chen Family and the Jiang Family were thinking of recruiting him.

If the Qi Family tried to invite him now, not only would their offer no longer be competitive, but it was also uncertain whether he would even be willing to come.

Qi Yun watched the figure in the training yard, whose fists moved like a dragon, and sighed inwardly.

Who could have imagined that the once-unremarkable boy from the Martial Arts Hall could rise so quickly in such a short time? So fast that she hadn’t even had a chance to react.

Qi Yun gazed at Yang Jing’s figure in the yard, her expression growing ever more complex.

She recalled this time last year. The Yang Jing in her memory always seemed to be tagging along behind Lv Yang, Zhou Lin, and their group. He would frequently try to get close to her, looking like he was desperately trying to curry favor. He often asked to treat her to a meal, and although she turned him down most of the time, she had accepted a few times.

On one occasion, it was said that Yang Jing had emptied his pockets just to treat her to a meal.

But the young man before her now stood tall and straight. His fists carried an imposing aura that could not be underestimated, and his eyes were so focused it was as if the only thing in the world was his training.

No matter how she tried, she couldn’t reconcile the Yang Jing of this moment with the boy from her memories, who had seemed so eager to please, almost like a sycophant.

Suddenly, a thought struck Qi Yun, and she froze.

She felt she had come to understand Yang Jing’s personality over this period.

Focused, calm, and resolute, he was completely devoted to his training. He would flat-out refuse to join the sparring groups organized by his senior brothers. After breaking through to Bright Energy, he never deliberately tried to curry favor with the Dark Energy senior brothers in the Martial Arts Hall. Even when facing a recognized genius like Lin Yue, he never showed a hint of sycophancy.

’How could a person like that have been so desperate to curry favor with me back then?’

A thought washed over her like a tidal wave, causing her heart to skip a beat.

’Perhaps he wasn’t trying to curry favor back then. Maybe... he liked me?’

’He was just using the excuse of treating me to a meal to get a little closer.’

’Yes, that must be it.’

’Later, I was so cold to him, barely even bothering to say a word. Even when he spent all his money to treat me, I didn’t give him a second glance. He probably felt it was hopeless and gave up on the idea completely, throwing himself entirely into the Martial Dao.’

The more Qi Yun thought about it, the more plausible her theory seemed. Her gaze toward Yang Jing now held a complex, indescribable mix of emotions: realization, sentimentality, and a hint of secret smugness.

Just then, a faint noise came from the side as a set of footsteps approached.

Zhao Wenzheng had just finished a set of fist forms. His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was about to take a breather. He turned to say a few words to Qi Yun, only to find her staring blankly in one direction, her eyes glazed over.

"Hm?"

Water flask in hand, Zhao Wenzheng followed her gaze.

Suddenly, Zhao Wenzheng’s expression stiffened.

Qi Yun was looking at... Yang Jing!

A strange fire surged in his heart, and he squeezed his water flask so hard that it creaked.

Zhao Wenzheng had secretly been in love with Qi Yun for a long time and always looked for opportunities to talk to her. Seeing her staring so intently at Yang Jing now, the complex and unusual look in her eyes was like a thorn in his heart. It made him deeply uncomfortable, and even his breathing grew heavy. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

He clenched his fists and suppressed the displeasure in his heart. Clearing his throat, he broke the silence. "Senior Sister, what are you looking at?"

Hearing Zhao Wenzheng’s voice, Qi Yun merely shot him a brief glance and tossed out, "Nothing," before turning and walking toward the spacious central area of the yard. She began to stretch, preparing to practice her forms, clearly unwilling to talk further.

Zhao Wenzheng’s heart sank, and he couldn’t help but grit his back teeth.

He walked to the spot under the covered walkway where Qi Yun had been standing, picked up his water flask, and took several large gulps. All the while, his eyes, sharp as daggers, swept over Yang Jing in the training yard.

An uncontrollable jealousy grew wildly in his heart, like a creeping vine.

Before, the core of the Martial Arts Hall was Lin Yue.

The master valued him the most, practically seeing him as a successor. Not only did he receive the most detailed and patient instruction for the longest duration each day, but he was also frequently gifted precious medicines and high-grade Exotic Beast Meat. It was a level of treatment other disciples could only look up to with envy.

But now that Lin Yue was seriously injured and recuperating, a Yang Jing had popped up out of nowhere!

The master’s high regard for him was an exact replica of how he had treated Lin Yue. Detailed instruction, the longest guidance sessions each day, and even the Elixir resources were being funneled his way.

Zhao Wenzheng had been at the Martial Arts Hall for seven or eight years and was considered one of the master’s senior disciples. He believed he had been diligent and hardworking, yet he had never received such preferential treatment.

Seeing Yang Jing’s meteoric rise now, he felt a knot form in his chest, a profound sense of injustice.

And just now, catching the strange look in Qi Yun’s eyes as she watched Yang Jing, that suffocating feeling only intensified.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Zhao Wenzheng abruptly hooked the water flask to his waist, grabbed his things, and turned to leave.

He was in no mood to train today. He was full of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it, and everything he looked at was irritating. He had to find a place to blow off some steam; he was just too furious today!

A disciple he was acquainted with saw him leaving and was about to call out a greeting, but Zhao Wenzheng walked straight out of the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate without a backward glance. His retreating figure radiated a hostile "keep away" aura.

After leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Wenzheng stormed ahead, his only thought to go to the Spring Breeze Courtyard for a few drinks to let off steam.

But before he had even left Chengping Square, he ran right into someone—it was Shen Lie.

The two had seen each other a few times in the county’s martial arts circles but were hardly acquaintances.

When Shen Lie saw him and was about to strike up a conversation, Zhao Wenzheng simply gave a curt nod without even slowing his pace and walked straight past him.

"Hmph!"

Shen Lie’s face instantly darkened. Staring at Zhao Wenzheng’s back, he cursed under his breath, "Who does he think he is! Are all the disciples from Sun’s Martial Arts Hall this arrogant? Just wait until I’m done with that bastard Yang Jing. You’re next!"

He was just talking tough, though.

He dared to go after Yang Jing, but he wouldn’t dare to actually make a move on Zhao Wenzheng.

After all, Yang Jing was just a mud-legged peasant from the bottom rungs of society. Zhao Wenzheng, on the other hand, was from the Inner City Zhao Family. Although the Zhao Family couldn’t compare to the six great families of Yuhe County, they were still an established power. Making a move on him would inevitably cause trouble, and Shen Lie wasn’t that stupid.

Shen Lie had just finished recovering from his injuries in the last few days. The thought of Yang Jing stealing the spotlight at the training ground assessment and causing him to lose face made his blood boil. Even that woman, Zhao Yuman, had clearly become less attentive toward him recently. He seethed with hatred, constantly looking for a chance to teach Yang Jing a harsh lesson.

Unable to hold back any longer today, he decided to sneak over to the vicinity of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall to scout things out and get a feel for Yang Jing’s situation.

He never expected that just as he arrived at Chengping Square, before he could even figure out how to investigate Yang Jing, he would run into a furious Zhao Wenzheng storming out of the Martial Arts Hall.

Although Zhao Wenzheng’s strength was no match for Shen Lie, who was at the Peak of Dark Energy, he wasn’t afraid of him, thanks to the backing of his family.

Shen Lie watched Zhao Wenzheng’s retreating figure, his expression growing uglier. His impression of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall worsened as well.

He composed himself, suppressed his aura, and moved a few steps closer in the direction of the Martial Arts Hall. Finding a spot where he could see inside, he hid behind an old locust tree at the corner of an alley, his cold gaze fixed on the hall’s courtyard.

...

PS:

I almost couldn’t keep it up today. Writing 12,000 characters a day is exhausting; I’m completely numb.

For the sake of this pitiful author, please vote with a monthly ticket. Thank you all so much~