A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Muddy Alley, the old Zhou family residence.

It was already high in the sky when Zhou Yuan slowly woke up.

"I did drink quite a bit last night."

He rubbed his throbbing temples, lamenting that even after becoming a martial artist, his alcohol tolerance hadn't improved; he should probably drink less in the future.

After hastily shoveling down a few mouthfuls of food, Zhou Yuan hurriedly headed to the Qingyang Martial Arts School.

Although he has now broken through to the Skin Refinement stage, his strength is so weak that it wouldn't even make a ripple in the entire Luochuan County, so he cannot afford to be complacent.

As soon as Zhou Yuan stepped into the martial arts school courtyard, he sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat different from usual.

Many disciples had already begun practicing their skills, and shouts filled the air. However, among the crowd, there was an unfamiliar figure.

It was a burly man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, pacing around the arena with his hands behind his back, occasionally stopping to point out a disciple's incorrect stance or way of exerting force.

Unlike the strictness of the academy's master, Zhu Xiaowen, this burly man spoke quite kindly, and most of the disciples he instructed were filled with gratitude.

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred slightly. He had been at the martial arts school for several months and had never seen this person before.

Just as he was sizing up the other man, the burly man also noticed him and walked straight over.

"So you're Zhou Yuan?" The man looked him up and down, a slight smile on his face. "The junior brother who recently broke through to the Skin Refining Realm?"

"Yes." Zhou Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Not bad, not bad."

The burly man nodded in satisfaction, patting Zhou Yuan's shoulder heavily with his large, fan-like hand.

"With a solid foundation and steady breathing, he is a promising talent for martial arts."

He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "My name is Shen He, and I'm the senior disciple at the martial arts school. I've been away from home for a while, so feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."

"Senior Brother." Zhou Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute again.

Shen He offered a few more words of encouragement, then turned and walked toward the other disciples to continue giving them guidance.

Zhou Yuan stood there, watching Shen He's retreating figure. The man's aura was as solid and imposing as a mountain, far surpassing that of ordinary skin-refining martial artists.

It's probably at least the Bone Forging Realm, and not just any ordinary Bone Forging Realm.

Moreover, although Shen He had a kind expression, Zhou Yuan could vaguely sense a faint but palpable murderous aura emanating from him.

That's the aura of someone who has truly seen blood and killed.

To find out what was going on, Zhou Yuan walked over to an older disciple who was resting nearby. He recognized the man; he had been at the martial arts school for a long time.

"Senior brother," Zhou Yuan asked, clasping his hands in greeting, "was that our eldest senior brother?"

Upon seeing that it was Zhou Yuan, the senior disciple quickly returned the greeting: "Junior Brother Zhou, you're too kind. Yes, that's Senior Brother Shen He; he's a very busy man."

"What does the eldest brother do?" Zhou Yuan asked casually.

"The eldest brother is a ghostwriter affiliated with the county government, specializing in clearing out bandits in Black Wind Mountain. He is not at the martial arts school most of the year."

The old disciple lowered his voice, his face full of admiration, "I heard that this time he came back specifically to find some rare medicinal herbs in the mountains to help the master heal his hidden injuries."

The knife-wielder, tasked with suppressing mountain bandits.

Zhou Yuan understood; no wonder he had that murderous aura.

He then remembered something and asked, "I've been at the martial arts school for so long, and I've met my second, fourth, and fifth senior brothers, but why have I never met my third senior brother?"

Upon hearing the words "Third Senior Brother," the senior disciple's expression suddenly became somewhat strange. He glanced around before speaking in an even lower voice:

"Speaking of the third senior brother... he is a true legend, a brilliant and talented man. The head of the academy once said that he is the most promising genius to break through the Yi Jin Jing realm in Qingyang Martial Arts Academy in recent decades, and he is even more than a level above Wang Tengfei now."

"And then what happened?"

"Later..." the old disciple sighed, "then he mysteriously disappeared. The master searched almost the entire Luochuan County for him, but to this day, he has neither been found alive nor dead."

Zhou Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

A perfectly healthy person, a martial arts genius, just vanished into thin air?

Just then, Shen He, having finished instructing his disciples, headed towards the backyard.

As he passed the pavilion, he gave a slight nod to Jiang Qian and Han Ming inside, as if to say hello.

But when his gaze fell on Wang Tengfei, he clearly paused for a moment.

Inside the pavilion, Han Ming watched Shen He's retreating figure, shaking his head and sighing, "Our senior brother is not only incredibly powerful, but his filial piety is also beyond compare."

Jiang Qian let out a soft, ambiguous laugh.

"So what? All these years, hasn't Master still not passed on that fundamental diagram to him?"

Fundamental diagram?

Wang Tengfei, standing to the side, looked puzzled upon hearing this unfamiliar term.

He has now successfully integrated into this small group and become a rising star around Jiang Qian and Han Ming.

Han Ming noticed his confusion and explained, "Junior Brother Wang, you may not know this, but although our Qingyang Martial Arts School is located in the outer city, our strength is not to be underestimated in the entire Luochuan County. Firstly, our master is quite skilled and is a master of martial arts."

"Secondly," Han Ming paused deliberately, with a hint of mystery, "it's because this Six Harmonies Stance Technique isn't as simple as it seems. It actually has a corresponding fundamental diagram."

"Obtaining the fundamental diagram and verifying it with stance training will allow one to break through the shackles of the four stages of body tempering and hopefully glimpse a higher level of mastery. This thing is the true foundation of our Qingyang Martial Arts School, and it is invaluable."

Han Ming's words made Wang Tengfei's eyes light up instantly.

These secrets were information he would never have had access to when he was a fisherman's boy.

Jiang Qian glanced sideways at Shen He's departing figure and slowly added, "Although Senior Brother has been in the Bone Forging Realm for many years and has rich practical experience, it's a pity that his physical constitution is average. He has tried to break through the Tendon Changing Bottleneck three times in a row, but all of them ended in failure."

"As he grows older, his vital energy and blood gradually decline, and it is feared that he will have little hope of breaking through the Yi Jin Jing in this lifetime. Naturally, his master will not waste the fundamental diagram on him."

The conversation wasn't loud, but every word reached Zhou Yuan's ears in the corner of the courtyard.

Zhou Yuan's mind was violently shaken.

The Six Harmonies Stance Exercise... actually has a corresponding fundamental diagram?

Beyond body tempering, are there even higher realms?

This news opened a door to a whole new world for him.

At the same time, he also felt a mix of emotions towards his senior brother, Shen He.

The path of martial arts is indeed arduous and long. Talent, resources, and opportunities are all indispensable.

Some hurdles, once overcome, will leave you stuck in the same place for the rest of your life, watching helplessly as your vitality declines and you are eliminated by the years.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Yuan slowly gathered his chaotic thoughts.

All of this is too far away for him to grasp; thinking about it any further is pointless.

Increasing strength is the only way to succeed.

He walked to the corner of the courtyard, and with a thought, the panel unfolded before his eyes.

[Realm: Body Tempering Stage 1 - Skin Refinement]

[Exercise Method: Six Harmonies Stance Exercise (Beginner)]

[Progress: 90/500]

[Martial Arts Skill: Mountain-Shaking Fist (Second Level)]

[Progress: 100/500]

Watching the progress bar steadily increase, Zhou Yuan felt increasingly at ease.

Just then, a figure appeared in front of him.

It is Chen Shaoshang.

He was acting out of character today; he didn't open his signature folding fan, and his face showed a hint of apology, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Fifth Senior Brother, is there something you need?"

Zhou Yuan looked at Chen Shaoshang and asked curiously.

"Junior Brother Zhou..."

Chen Shaoshang hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"The matter of affiliating with my Chen family... didn't go through with it. There are some tricky things going on at home lately, my father..."

Chen Shaoshang didn't continue speaking, and even his eyes seemed to dart away.

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Yuan felt somewhat disappointed, but he wasn't too surprised.

A powerful family like the Chen family has no shortage of martial artists at the Skin Refining Realm to attach themselves to. It's normal for someone like me with "mediocre talent" to have no competitiveness.

However, he was already very grateful that Chen Shaoshang had gone to such lengths for him.

"Fifth Brother, there's no need for that."

Zhou Yuan smiled, his smile genuine.

"I'm already very grateful that you thought of helping your junior brother out; there's no need to take this to heart."

"But……"

"Junior brother, I'll find you another patronage that's no less powerful than my Chen family!"

Seeing his behavior, Chen Shaoshang felt even more guilty.

Zhou Yuan shook his head, politely declining his offer.

"I appreciate Fifth Senior Brother's kindness. However, regarding the affiliation, I'd like to look around some more and find one that suits me best."

Looking at Zhou Yuan's calm and composed demeanor, Chen Shaoshang's sense of guilt suddenly transformed into deep admiration.

Be neither arrogant nor humble, and remain unperturbed by favor or disgrace.

This person is no ordinary individual.

......