A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

The muddy alley was barely light of dawn.

Zhou Yuan got up early and washed his face with the cool water from the well. The refreshing feeling instantly dispelled the last trace of sleepiness.

With the boxing match over, and her sister's life in the embroidery tower back on track, she can now devote herself entirely to cultivation.

After breakfast, he pushed open the courtyard gate and prepared to go to the martial arts school.

As soon as the door was pushed open, Zhou Yuan paused in his steps.

Outside the door, a crowd had gathered. He recognized the man at the head; it was Ding Yong, the Salt Gang leader he had met that night at the Song family's general store.

At this moment, Ding Yong was much more humble than he had been in the alley that night. As soon as he saw Zhou Yuan come out, he did not hesitate for a moment and immediately bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Master Zhou!"

Behind him, dozens of members of the Salt Gang, dressed in matching outfits, knelt down on one knee in unison.

"We greet Master Zhou!"

The sounds converged and carried far through the muddy alley in the early morning, attracting many early-rising neighbors to peek out.

Zhou Yuan stood there, staring blankly at the extravagant display.

What are these salt gang members up to?

Just as he was pondering to himself, Ding Yong straightened up, strode forward, and put on a respectful smile.

"Master Zhou, our leader Xu Zhan witnessed your divine power in Qing Shi Lane yesterday and is full of admiration for you. He specially sent me to invite you to a banquet at our Salt Gang headquarters tonight."

Xu Zhan, leader of the Salt Gang?

Zhou Yuan recalled the bald, burly man standing beside Wang Xuanzhao during the boxing match. It was common knowledge that the Salt Gang was a vassal of the Wang family.

He had just crippled the Wang family members on the stage, slapping them in the face, and instead of seeking revenge, they were hosting a banquet to invite him?

This banquet is probably a trap.

Zhou Yuan instinctively wanted to refuse.

Ding Yong seemed to have anticipated his reaction and clapped his hands calmly.

Behind him, two gang members immediately carried forward an exquisite brocade box and carefully opened it.

A chilling aura swept over us.

Inside the box lay a herb, its entire body crystal clear, like an ice sculpture, with fine frost still clinging to its leaves.

"We heard that Master Zhou has been collecting medicinal herbs from ancient prescriptions. Our Salt Gang has made many inquiries and put in a lot of effort to find this Ice Crystal Grass for Master Zhou," Ding Yong added from the side.

Ice Crystal Grass!

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

He hadn't expected the other party to be so thoughtful, even finding out that he was searching for the Ice Crystal Grass.

With this Ice Crystal Grass, all the medicinal ingredients needed for the ancient prescription have been completely gathered.

My sister's leg injury will be healed soon.

Despite the turmoil within him, Zhou Yuan remained calm on the surface. He reached out and took the brocade box, then closed it.

"Your gang leader is very thoughtful."

Seeing that he accepted the gift, Ding Yong's face lit up with even greater joy, and he quickly asked tentatively, "And the banquet tonight...?"

"I will go then," Zhou Yuan replied calmly.

"Great! Great!" Ding Yong was overjoyed. "Then I'll wait for Master Zhou tonight!"

After saying this, he bowed solemnly to Zhou Yuan, then waved his hand and led dozens of his followers away in a grand procession.

Watching Ding Yong and the others walk away, the calm on Zhou Yuan's face slowly faded, and a hint of doubt appeared.

The Wang family not only showed no hostility, but also went to great lengths to show goodwill. What exactly do they want?

If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it for now.

Since we've already accepted their gifts, there's no harm in attending the banquet.

Zhou Yuan carefully placed the brocade box back into the house and put it away properly along with the other medicinal herbs before turning around and walking towards the Qingyang Martial Arts School.

An hour later, at Qingyang Martial Arts School.

The training ground was no different from any other day. The apprentices practiced on their own, gathered in twos and threes to exchange their experiences, or whispered about the strange and unusual things that had recently happened in Luochuan City.

As usual, Zhou Yuan walked through the crowd, preparing to find a quiet corner to cultivate.

However, when he appeared in the training ground, the originally noisy environment became eerily quiet.

Everyone stopped moving.

All eyes turned to him, filled with shock, awe, and undisguised admiration.

Zhou Yuan is now undoubtedly a rising star among the younger generation in Luochuan County.

With his body tempered by bone forging, he defeated two masters of the Yi Jin realm in a few days.

Especially Liu Cang, the renowned "Iron-Blooded Eagle Claw," who had been affiliated with the Wang family for many years and possessed formidable strength, was crushed in just a few moves in front of Senior Brother Zhou.

These people actually came from their Qingyang Martial Arts School!

After a brief silence, and seemingly out of nowhere, all the apprentices present, regardless of their experience level, stopped what they were doing and bowed in unison towards Zhou Yuan.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhou!"

The voices were perfectly synchronized and powerful, which startled Zhou Yuan.

This feeling of being the center of attention made him somewhat uncomfortable.

After a moment, he realized his mistake and, without being presumptuous, returned the greeting by clasping his hands in a fist salute to the crowd.

"Greetings, fellow disciples. Zhou Yuan is also a disciple of Qingyang Martial Arts School, just like you all. There's no need for such formalities."

Seeing that he had risen to fame, yet remained humble and unpretentious, his words were so gentle and kind that they felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, and their respect for him deepened even further.

Zhou Yuan then exchanged a few pleasantries with several familiar disciples and even gave some pointers to two new apprentices.

The two new apprentices were so nervous in front of this famous figure in Luochuan that they couldn't even finish their sentences.

After dealing with everyone, Zhou Yuan went to a corner again, cleared his mind of distractions, and began practicing the Six Harmonies Stance Technique on his own.

In the pavilion not far away, Jiang Qian and Han Ming watched this scene with sighs of regret.

"Zhou Yuan's current influence far surpasses that of Wang Tengfei back then. Yet he remains humble and treats these apprentices of humble origins with respect. He's truly remarkable," Jiang Qian said softly.

"Who can argue with that?" Han Ming replied with a wry smile. "The phrase 'a clear mind' has now spread throughout Luochuan. There's even a saying among the people that 'one should make friends like Zhou Yuan.'"

Jiang Qian sighed softly.

"It's a pity that our vision is not as good as Chen Shaoshang's."

Han Ming remained silent. He naturally understood what Jiang Qian was referring to.

Wang Tengfei, whom she had high hopes for, was exceptionally talented, but he was arrogant and domineering. He not only eventually betrayed the Jiang family, but is now a cripple.

On the other hand, Zhou Yuan, whom they secretly looked down on and thought was just lucky, became close friends with Chen Shaoshang when he was at his lowest point.

The difference is obvious.

The backyard of the martial arts school.

Zhu Xiaowen remained seated at the stone table beside the artificial hill. With his five senses at the Marrow Cleansing Realm, he could hear everything that happened on the training ground clearly.

"I thought he was just average in terms of physical constitution, but I never expected that he was born with superhuman strength."

Zhu Xiaowen murmured.

He was naturally aware that the boxing match had caused quite a stir in the city.

Judging from the fight that day, Zhou Yuan was able to defeat the Yi Jin Jing master so easily not because of his cultivation level or martial arts techniques, but because of his terrifyingly powerful and unreasonable strength.

This also explains why this person, who previously had mediocre talent, was able to suddenly unleash such powerful combat strength.

Thinking of this, Zhu Xiaowen stroked a roll of animal skin drawings in his hand.

On the picture, several ancient characters are written in cinnabar: Liuhe Zhuang Gong (Blood Exchange Method).

This is the foundation, the fundamental diagram, of Qingyang Martial Arts School.

The so-called fundamental diagram is actually a blood-changing technique above the fourth level of body tempering.

The method of blood transfusion is extremely dangerous. It can be said that every breakthrough after the fourth stage of body tempering is a brush with death. Failing to break through the barrier can result in severed meridians or even instant death.

This is also why there are many experts in the Marrow Cleansing Realm in Luochuan County, but very few martial artists in the Blood Exchange Realm.

Firstly, the blood transfusion method is extremely precious; secondly, the risk of breaking through is too great, with a success rate of less than one in ten.

Which of these marrow-cleansing martial artists in Luochuan County isn't a person of status and position?

A failed breakthrough would mean losing everything one has. Therefore, without thorough preparation, no one dares to take that step lightly.

This is why he values ​​talent and physical constitution so much. The higher one's talent and the stronger one's physical foundation, the greater the probability of breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm.

After a moment's thought, Zhu Xiaowen slowly put away the scroll of fundamental diagrams, abandoning his plan to pass it on to Zhou Yuan.

Even if Zhou Yuan is born with superhuman strength and his combat power is comparable to Yi Jin Jing, so what?

Ultimately, he was of average or below-average physical constitution.

If one is lucky enough to break through to the Yi Jin realm in this lifetime, that would be a great blessing. As for the subsequent marrow cleansing and even blood exchange, the hope is too slim.

Giving him the fundamental diagram would not only be a waste, but could actually harm him.

Just then, Zhu Mengran, carrying several medicine packets, walked over quickly.

"Father, the main ingredients in that bone-healing formula are too rare. I searched all the pharmacies in the city and only managed to collect this many."

Zhu Xiaowen nodded slightly, not surprised. This prescription was something he had obtained during his travels in his early years; its effects were mysterious, but the ingredients were equally rare. However, it was the only way now.

Seeing this, Zhu Mengran hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but speak up.

"Father, are you still going to place all your hopes on Junior Brother Wang?"

As she said those words, the image of that resolute figure silently and diligently training in a corner of the training ground unconsciously appeared in her mind.

Zhu Xiaowen sighed slightly.

"Tengfei has only lost his way temporarily; he's not a bad person at heart. Ultimately, what he values ​​most is talent. If his meridians can be healed this time, perhaps he can rise from the ashes again; who knows?"

"But I see that Junior Brother Zhou..."

"Zhou Yuan is not bad," Zhu Xiaowen interrupted her, a hint of regret on his face. "He possesses superhuman strength, extraordinary combat prowess, and a decent character. However, his innate talent..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Zhou Yuan has already made a name for himself, and even without a solid foundation, he will live a good life in the future. But Teng Fei... if I don't take care of him, his life will truly be over."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Mengran wanted to offer a few more words of advice.

Zhu Xiaowen raised his hand to stop her, and suddenly changed the subject.

"Mengran, I remember you're not young anymore, it's time to think about getting married."

Zhu Mengran was taken aback, completely unprepared for her father to bring this up suddenly.

"I...I've been busy practicing medicine lately and haven't thought about these things," she stammered.

"Your mother passed away early, and it's my fault as your father for not caring for you enough."

Zhu Xiaowen sighed softly and looked into the distance.

These past few days, for some reason, he's felt uneasy and really wants to make sure he's settled on some things in advance.

......