Starting with photographic memory, I've worked my way up to become a martial arts immortal.

The next day.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Jiang!" a martial arts school disciple greeted him.

Jiang Yuan felt puzzled, but still smiled and replied, "Good morning."

Before long, disciples began to enter the courtyard one after another. Many of them took the initiative to greet him. He quickly realized the reason and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"Junior Brother Jiang, I never expected you to be so amazing! You've been hiding your true strength. I'll have to take care of you in the future."

Jiang Yuan looked up and recognized the old man from the martial arts school as Dong Erbao.

This Dong Erbao is the son of a wealthy merchant. He has average talent and seems to lack comprehension. He is always scolded by his master when he practices. He has been in the martial arts school for almost a year now and has not yet broken through to the Ming Jin level. If it were anyone else, they would have given up long ago. But he has a good attitude and comes to the martial arts school to practice every day, just like clocking in for work, rain or shine.

Jiang Yuan smiled slightly, feigning ignorance, and said, "I don't deserve Senior Brother Dong's praise. What makes you say that?"

He rarely interacted with Dong Erbao and didn't know why this man had come all the way to praise him, so naturally he wouldn't offer his praise.

Dong Erbao waved his hand, "Don't hide it anymore. Your feat of taking on ten opponents at Shen's Martial Arts School has already become the talk of the town."

He explained the reason in a long, drawn-out manner, and Jiang Yuan then learned that bringing Shen Yingying to the martial arts school yesterday had attracted the attention of some people. One of the disciples approached Wei Chong and, with the promise of benefits, quickly managed to extract information about the small meeting.

However, even if Wei Chong didn't say anything, the news that the Shen family martial arts school was leaderless would spread very quickly.

"Third senior brother has such a big mouth." Jiang Yuan shook his head helplessly.

At this moment, Dong Erbao pulled him aside, squinted his eyes, and asked, "Junior Brother Jiang, is someone sponsoring you?"

"Sponsorship?"

Jiang Yuan's heart stirred. He knew that some wealthy young men would select promising talents and provide them with money, food, and medicine before they matured, thus forging a bond. If any of these sponsored disciples could grow into capable individuals, then their initial investment wouldn't have been wasted.

However, he is of average talent, and few people have high hopes for him, making it difficult to obtain such funding.

"What does Senior Brother Dong mean?" Jiang Yuan asked, raising his eyelids.

"That's exactly what I mean," Dong Erbao said casually. "It was my poor eyesight before that I failed to discover your hidden gem, but it's not too late now. My Dong family is willing to provide you with two taels of silver and ten catties of meat every month. How about it?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan lowered his head, appearing to be deep in thought.

Such financial assistance was already quite generous for the other disciples, barely enough to cover their daily training expenses.

He had amassed a considerable fortune through murder and was now quite wealthy. He needed to carefully consider the potential debts he might incur from others for the sake of that money. He knew nothing about the Dong family and needed to understand them thoroughly before making a decision.

Thinking of this, he asked, "May I ask what kind of business your family does, Senior Brother?"

"Junior Brother Jiang is quite cautious. My Dong family runs a herbal medicine business in the outer city. Have you heard of Dong's?" Dong Erbao said with a smile.

Jiang Yuan nodded. Dong Ji had opened more than a dozen pharmacies in the west of the city and had a very good reputation.

He didn't buy medicine from Dong's shop for two reasons: firstly, because the quality of their herbs was high and the prices were also high; secondly, both Baihe Martial Arts School and his shop were located in the east of the city, which was quite far away.

He immediately said, "So, Senior Brother is the young manager of Dong's Restaurant."

"Indeed, the Dong family has always valued integrity and harmony in business, so you can rest assured, Junior Brother." Dong Erbao stroked his chin and continued, "If Junior Brother Jiang can break through to the Ming Jin level, the funding will increase further, so you can rest assured."

In fact, Dong Erbao comes to the martial arts school every day not only to practice his skills, but also with the idea of ​​discovering hidden talents.

Thanks to his father's methods, the Dong family rose to prominence in the outer city in just over ten years, becoming one of the wealthiest families in the western part of the city.

However, as the business grew, so did the obstacles. Many wolves and tigers set their sights on his family. If his father hadn't spent a fortune hiring many skilled fighters, they would have been wiped out long ago. Even so, the Dong family was trapped in the western part of the city, and they simply didn't have enough military force to protect them if they wanted to expand their business elsewhere.

He had been paying attention to Jiang Yuan for a while before and found that the disciple was very hardworking. However, the fact that he had ordinary aptitude made him give up on the idea. After all, his family's money didn't come from thin air.

He has been staying at the White Crane Martial Arts School for almost a year now, and has also sponsored more than ten disciples, but unfortunately all of them have failed.

Jiang Yuan was able to defeat more than ten disciples from other schools in a row during the small gathering, so he must have some extraordinary abilities. Seeing that his father was increasingly doubting his abilities, he came to him in desperation.

Jiang Yuan looked at Dong Erbao's sincere gaze, pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother Dong. I will remember this kindness in the future."

"good!"

Dong Erbao was very happy to hear this and immediately invited Jiang Yuan out for a small gathering that evening, but Jiang Yuan declined.

He wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was even happier and chatted with Jiang Yuan for a few more minutes before leaving.

Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

In the outer courtyard, Jiang Yuan was practicing standing meditation under the sun.

The aches and pains throughout his body constantly stimulated his nerves, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered. Large beads of sweat kept flowing down his body, wetting the stone slabs under his feet.

"It won't work."

After a while, Jiang Yuan could no longer hold on and staggered as he slowly finished his practice, feeling as if his legs and feet were not his own.

After stretching his limbs a few times, he took a bowl from his bundle, walked to the large water vat by the well, and drank several large bowls of cool well water before letting out a long sigh of relief.

He found a shady spot to sit down and casually glanced at the disciples practicing in the courtyard, noticing a few new faces.

Most of them were standing in precarious stances, gritting their teeth and persevering, unwilling to give up easily.

"Most of the new disciples are very hardworking, but as time goes on, very few of them can persevere."

Jiang Yuan watched silently for a while. Things had been peaceful lately, and Hou An had been behaving himself without causing any trouble, which made him quite satisfied with his current life.

Wei Xuan stood not far away, measuring the physical attributes of a young man who was becoming his disciple.

"Oh? Good potential." Wei Xuan said with some surprise.

Upon hearing this, many disciples immediately turned their gazes in that direction.

Over time, the disciples have summarized Wei Xuan's evaluation of their physical attributes.

Root bone can be roughly divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower, with some subtle differences in the middle.

If Wei Xuan says that his physical constitution is ordinary, then it is most likely that it is of inferior quality.

It's alright, somewhere between average and below average.

That's right, that's average physical constitution. Out of a hundred people who come to learn martial arts, only one might have it!

As for higher praise, they had never heard of it.

Dong Erbao's eyes lit up in the corner, then his gaze swept over his two competitors as he pondered how to win over this new disciple.

As darkness fell, only the bright moon remained hanging high in the sky.

Jiang Yuan stood in his own courtyard, carefully feeling the changes in strength when practicing the Crane-shaped stance.

"Xiao Yuan, it's getting late, you should rest."

Li Guihua pushed open the door and saw her son practicing his martial arts in the moonlight, sweating profusely. She couldn't help but wipe her eyes, sighed, and went back inside.

Jiang Yuan was engrossed in his own world and did not hear his mother calling him.

He already knew that he was about to break through.

Time passed second by second.

Suddenly, he sensed a strange change in his body.

His heart began to pound violently, and waves of heat spread to his limbs and bones, flowing through his body like a river.

Jiang Yuan felt a burning sensation between his eyebrows and vaguely heard a sound like a bubble being popped.

Then, he suddenly felt an unprecedented clarity in his mind, and a faint, subtle sound came from his bones and muscles, and all the stagnation in his body disappeared.

Jiang Yuan understood immediately, and in the next instant, he took a lunge and threw a punch.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound rang out loudly in the quiet night.

"Finally, a breakthrough!"

Jiang Yuan was overjoyed, feeling that his efforts over the past two months had not been in vain.

With a thought, the panel appeared in his field of vision.

Name: Jiang Yuan

[Potential]: 9.8

【技艺】：研读（破限236/5000）、鹤形桩功（小成1/2000）、鹤形拳（小成409/2000）

【Characteristic】: Photographic memory

Jiang Yuan was finally relieved after seeing the information on the panel.

He stood quietly for a while, calming his excited emotions, before returning inside to rest.

···

The next morning, Jiang Yuan went to find Wei Xuan as soon as he arrived at the martial arts school.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Master, I have successfully broken through the barrier and reached the Ming Jin level."

Wei Xuan, who was originally sitting in the armchair, couldn't sit still any longer upon hearing this and stood up abruptly.

"Show me a boxing match," he said.

"yes!"

Jiang Yuan assumed a fighting stance and began to perform a set of fluid and graceful boxing techniques.

Wei Xuan stood there, nodding as he watched. "Alright, you're right. He has indeed broken through to the Ming Jin level, and there are no hidden injuries. Very good."

"Master, how come there are hidden injuries?" Jiang Yuan pressed down with both hands and slowly finished his exercise.

Wei Xuan stroked his beard and explained, "Each time you break through a barrier, you need to accumulate your internal energy and blood to its peak. If you fail, at best your energy and blood will drop, and at worst, your foundation will be damaged."

Jiang Yuan nodded; this was something all the martial arts disciples knew.

Wei Xuan continued, "If we compare a person to a cup, the peak of one's Qi and blood is like a cup filled with water. If you want to fill it with more water, you have to break the cup and make a bigger one. This process is extremely dangerous, and most people will fail at this step. Some people may succeed by a narrow margin, but the cup will be cracked and needs to be stabilized and recuperated for a period of time. Otherwise, if you are not careful, it will cause a backlash and damage your foundation."

"So that's how it is."

Jiang Yuan nodded thoughtfully. It turned out that the risks for others to break through were so great, unlike him who had a template and whose breakthroughs were all natural, without such dangers and troubles.

When did you achieve that breakthrough?

"last night."

Are you feeling hungry?

"Yes, I went to the kitchen for several meals last night and didn't sleep well at all. I was just about to ask Master if this is normal," Jiang Yuan said with a wry smile.

"Of course it's normal. You've just broken through, and your body will undergo tremendous changes in all aspects. This usually lasts for two or three days. These changes aren't without cause, so you need to eat to replenish them. Do you still have the Qi-Nourishing Pills I gave you?" Wei Xuan returned to his seat and said patiently.

"Half remains."

"That's enough. Besides meals, start taking three pills every day from today. It will be good for your health."

"Thank you, Master."

Wei Xuan shook his head. "You're a Ming Jin Martial Master now. Do you want to stay at the martial arts school to solidify your foundation, or do you want to go out and take up a temporary post?"

"For the time being, I will stay in the martial arts school and continue to practice." Jiang Yuan felt that going out to take up a temporary post was still somewhat risky. Anyway, he had money now, so he might as well stay in the martial arts school and practice in peace. It wouldn't be too late to talk about taking up a temporary post later.

"Alright, I'll take you to the inner courtyard now so you can meet your senior brothers and sisters."

Jiang Yuan followed Wei Xuan out of the house and entered through a small door connecting the outer and inner courtyards on the side.

Several sharp-eyed disciples noticed this scene and couldn't help but find it strange. Normally, the inner courtyard wouldn't allow outer courtyard disciples like them to enter, unless…

Did you see that?

"I see, could it be that Senior Brother Jiang has broken through?"

"He must have gone into the inner courtyard with his master for some business. After all, he has only average aptitude and has only been practicing martial arts for a little over two months. How could he possibly have broken through?"

They exchanged a few words briefly and then stopped talking.

In this world, there is no television or mobile phone, and very few things to entertain people. The disciples of these martial arts schools train hard and are under great pressure every day. Many of them like to relax by chatting about gossip and strange things as a form of entertainment.

Dong Erbao naturally noticed this scene as well. He didn't believe that Jiang Yuan would break through so quickly, but he still held onto a sliver of hope.

Wei Xuan arrived at the inner courtyard, handed Jiang Yuan over to Fang Yan, gave a few more instructions, and then left.

Jiang Yuan looked around curiously and found that the inner courtyard was the same size as the outer courtyard, but it seemed very empty, with only five or six people. One of the female disciples quickly caught his attention.

It wasn't that he was lecherous; it was simply that the woman was not only beautiful but also had an excellent figure, making her stand out among the many men in the martial arts school.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you broke through so quickly?" Even though Fang Yan was somewhat prepared, he was still a little surprised. He didn't expect Jiang Yuan to break through so early.

"It was just luck. I suddenly felt the opportunity to break through last night, and I didn't expect it to actually work." Jiang Yuan scratched his head.

Fang Yan said seriously, "Luck is also a part of strength. Many people perform well in ordinary times, but quite a few fail when it comes to the crucial moment."

"Alright, let me introduce you to some of the inner courtyard disciples. That short, stocky guy over there is Gao Fan, he practices the Tortoise Form Fist, Ming Jin (manifest strength). That female disciple is Bai Shuang, she practices the Crane Form Fist, An Jin (hidden strength). And that's Zhang Xiaofeng, you know him..."

As the morning drew to a close and Jiang Yuan still hadn't emerged, Dong Erbao grew restless. During a break when Wei Xuan was explaining stance training to some new disciples, Dong Erbao shamelessly approached him and asked, "Master, I saw Junior Brother Jiang enter the inner courtyard. Did he break through to the Ming Jin level?"

Wei Xuan glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "Why are you worrying about others instead of practicing your skills?"

"It's not that I'm on good terms with Junior Brother Jiang," Dong Erbao said with a sheepish smile.

"He broke through to the Ming Jin level. Your physical constitution is better than his. If you focus more on practicing, you also have a chance," Wei Xuan encouraged.

"Yes." Dong Erbao bowed and left, but he could no longer suppress the smile on his lips.

"I told you my judgment was right, but my dad hasn't believed me lately. I'll talk to him when I get back and tell him to give Jiang Yuan more benefits to keep him loyal." Dong Erbao was overjoyed. As the first disciple he successfully sponsored, he would definitely treat this matter with utmost seriousness.