A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Xie Hongwu's loud words echoed in the room, each word like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's hearts.

He forcefully severed the Yi Jin Jing!

With a body forged in bone!

Zhu Xiaowen, Shen He, Han Ming, Zhu Mengran... everyone froze.

The four realms of body tempering each represent a new level of existence.

This has long been a consensus in the martial arts world, an irrefutable rule.

Fighting beyond one's level only exists in the stories of storytellers; it's a legend that only the super geniuses of powerful forces outside the state capital can possess.

But now, this legend is unfolding right before their eyes.

In an instant, everyone's gaze in the study turned to Zhou Yuan, filled with shock and confusion.

Zhou Yuan met everyone's gazes, did not deny it, but calmly clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"It was just luck."

These four words are tantamount to a personal admission.

boom!

Everyone felt as if another thunderclap had struck their minds.

Zhu Xiaowen looked at the disciple in front of him, whom he had never truly valued, and his heart was in turmoil.

Diligent, down-to-earth, and even a bit stubborn.

This was all he had ever known about Zhou Yuan.

He acknowledged that Zhou Yuan worked very hard, and that his ability to reach the Bone Forging Realm with only mediocre talent was already a testament to his extraordinary perseverance.

But that's where it ends.

Compared to the exceptionally talented and radiant Wang Tengfei, Zhou Yuan was merely a green leaf to set off the red flower.

However, at this moment, the red flower withered, was completely wasted, and became worthless.

But this green leaf, which he had never paid attention to, shone with a brilliance a hundred times brighter than the red flower, and accomplished a feat that made Luochuan famous!

Forge bones and sever tendons!

What terrifying combat power!

Did I... misjudge him?

A strong sense of unreality welled up in Zhu Xiaowen's heart.

He quickly suppressed the shock in his heart and forced a smile at Xie Hongwu.

"Chief Inspector Xie is too kind. Zhou Yuan is a talented and hardworking boy. As his mentor, I only offer him some guidance."

Upon hearing this, Xie Hongwu burst into laughter.

"Master Zhu is too modest! Who doesn't know your formidable reputation when you challenged the school back then? A great teacher produces a great student; it's only natural, absolutely natural!"

Xie Hongwu was clearly in a great mood. He patted Zhou Yuan on the shoulder and turned to continue speaking.

"Zhou Yuan, you not only saved Miss Rong this time, but also slew the ruthless bandits of Black Wind Mountain, ridding Luochuan County of a great scourge. The County Magistrate speaks highly of you!"

He cleared his throat and announced loudly.

"By order of the county magistrate, Zhou Yuan is promoted to Inspector of the North City Patrol Division! Furthermore, he is awarded a second-grade elixir, one Nine Yang Pill!"

Inspection!

Nine Yang Elixir!

Zhou Yuan was also startled.

He wasn't particularly interested in the position of inspector.

But that Nine Yang Pill gave him hope for a rapid breakthrough!

Only by reaching the Yi Jin Jing realm and combining the immense power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill will he truly have the ability to protect himself in Luochuan County!

"Thank you for your appreciation, County Magistrate, and for your guidance, Chief Inspector." Zhou Yuan bowed deeply.

"Don't mention it, you deserve it."

Xie Hongwu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Five days from now, the county magistrate will host a banquet for you at Wangjiang Tower to celebrate your victory. Several officials from the patrol and defense battalion will be present, so please don't be late."

Even the commander of the patrol battalion will be present?

It seems that this time, I have truly caught the county magistrate's eye.

Zhou Yuan agreed again.

Seeing that everything had been explained, Xie Hongwu did not linger any longer. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Zhu Xiaowen, he laughed heartily and strode away.

With Xie Hongwu gone, the oppressive atmosphere in the study finally eased.

"Junior Brother Zhou, congratulations!"

"Seventh Junior Brother, you truly are a hidden master!"

Han Ming immediately surrounded them, his face beaming with congratulatory smiles.

Zhu Mengran stood to the side, her bright eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan, filled with admiration.

She watched this young man grow step by step from an ordinary martial arts apprentice to where he is today.

Zhou Yuan returned the greetings one by one, responding to everyone's compliments.

The look of shock on Zhu Xiaowen's face had not yet completely faded.

Today, he has experienced the highs and lows of life.

He looked at Zhou Yuan, and after a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Zhou Yuan, come with me."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the attic in the backyard.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan stepped forward and followed.

The light inside the attic was somewhat dim.

Zhu Xiaowen did not light a lamp, but went straight to a corner and took out a long and narrow box, more than ten feet long, from a dusty wooden box.

He handed the box to Zhou Yuan.

"This is an inner armor I acquired during my travels in my early years. It is made of golden silkworm silk mixed with black iron, making it impervious to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire. It has saved my life several times. Today, I give it to you."

Golden silkworm inner armor!

Zhou Yuan took the box and felt a sudden weight in his hand.

He had long heard of the preciousness of the inner armor. Its forging process was extremely demanding, and each piece was worth a fortune, a life-saving treasure in critical moments.

This gift is truly significant.

"in addition……"

Zhu Xiaowen paused, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back.

In the end, he just waved his hand wearily.

"Go now and cultivate diligently."

Although Zhou Yuan was puzzled, he did not ask any further questions. He picked up the inner armor and turned to leave.

Watching Zhou Yuan's departing figure, Zhu Xiaowen let out a long sigh.

For a fleeting moment, he considered passing on the fundamental diagram of the Qingyang Martial Arts School to Zhou Yuan.

With the talent and combat power that Zhou Yuan has shown so far, he is absolutely qualified to carry on this legacy.

But when he thought of Wang Tengfei, who had become a cripple in his bed, he felt a little guilty.

Although this is largely due to Wang Tengfei's own personality, the root of the problem still lies with him.

Before long, only a long sigh remained in the attic.

……

On the other side, in the inner city's Jinyufang, at the Wu residence.

On the spacious training ground, a burly young man, nearly two meters tall and with bulging muscles, was shirtless, practicing frantically against a human-shaped training dummy made of pure iron.

boom! boom! boom!

Each collision produced a dull, thunderous roar.

The young man's bronze skin gleamed with a metallic sheen, and he was completely unharmed.

On the contrary, the hard iron stake was covered with dented fist marks.

A moment later, with the youth's final heavy punch, the entire iron man's stake collapsed and turned into a pile of parts.

"Sigh, this is the third one this month."

The young man shook his head, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.

Just then, an old man in a gray robe strode over, bowed, and said, "Young Master Xing Tong, we've found out. The man who killed Xu Qingyi outside the city yesterday is named Zhou Yuan, a disciple of the Qingyang Martial Arts School in the outer city."

The young man was Wu Xingtong, the young master of the Wu family, one of the five major families in the inner city.

Because of his superb external martial arts skills, he was nicknamed "Luochuan Copper Man" and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Yi Jin Jing.

"Oh? Qingyang Martial Arts School?"

Wu Xingtong wiped his sweat and said with great interest, "Doesn't that mean we'll encounter this person at the martial arts tournament two months from now?"

Wu Xingtong's other identity is that of a disciple of Longwei Martial Arts School, the number one martial arts school in the inner city.

……

The inner city, Wangjiang Tower.

From the private room by the window, the rolling Caohe River can be seen in its entirety.

"So, the rumors are true?" A refined-looking young man put down his wine glass and asked in surprise.

"good."

The person who answered him was a woman dressed in a black outfit with her hair tied in a high ponytail.

The woman was beautiful, yet she possessed a heroic and ruthless air.

She was Xue Min, another centurion in the patrol battalion.

At that moment, she picked up the wine pot and took a big gulp directly from the spout, her posture quite bold.

"Xu Qingyi, the one with the 'Unpredictable Flying Knife,' was almost powerless against this person, and could be described as a brutal killing."

"Hiss..." The refined young man gasped. "In that case, we'll have another formidable opponent in this martial arts tournament."

……

Meanwhile, in the inner city, in a secluded attic.

Inside a private room on the fifth floor, a middle-aged man dressed in a yellow brocade robe was leisurely sipping tea.

Beside him, an arrogant-looking young man impatiently put his legs up on the table.

"Master, why hasn't that person arrived yet? Even if he doesn't tell me Wang Tengfei's fighting style, I can still cripple him!"

The young man was none other than Qin Lie, the genius of Changsong Martial Arts School who crippled Wang Tengfei.

The middle-aged man did not answer, but poured another cup of tea and placed it on the empty seat opposite him.

"arrive."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man wearing a straw hat silently walked in from outside the door.

His straw hat was pulled low over his head, obscuring his features, but the faint but palpable aura of menace emanating from him made the arrogant Qin Lie subconsciously lower his leg.

"Three thousand taels of silver and ten Spirit Rhinoceros Fruits are your reward."

The man in the brocade robe, Du Chong, the owner of Changsong Martial Arts School, pushed over a stack of silver notes and a brocade box.

The man in the straw hat accepted the gifts and took a sip of tea.

"You can reconsider what I said last time," Du Chong said in a deep voice.

"No need, I don't want to kill him," the man in the straw hat refused outright.

"Please do as you please," Du Chong said, not pressuring him further.

The man in the straw hat stood up, but when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.

"Now that Qingyang Martial Arts School has produced another genius, eliminating Wang Tengfei alone is far from enough..."

......