Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Ye Xiao returned to the martial arts school today not only because he was short of fuel, but also for another reason.

He can't disappear for too long.

He had just barely escaped the mire, and any trace of a sudden change in his whereabouts would attract unwanted attention. He didn't want even a casual glance.

In the mist, the bluestone of the training ground exuded a chill.

Ye Xiao stood in the far corner, setting up the Dingyue Pillar.

Feet half a foot apart, knees slightly bent, hips tucked in, spine straight... the movements are not chaotic, even very precise.

But the next moment, his breathing became erratic.

The Dingyue Stake should be deep, but also loose, even, and long.

He has been severely drained by the Northern Furnace these past few days. Not only can he not stand on the Crimson Blood Stake, but now even the Steadfast Mountain Stake is unstable.

He could only use even harder methods to press down: the soles of the feet were more rigid, the waist and abdomen were tighter, and the shoulders and back were more taut.

This forced posture was gradually and naturally corrected.

Every tiny deviation is like being gently pushed back into place by an unseen hand: toes curling back, knees centering, hips closing, and spine straightening.

So what outsiders see is...

The pile frame is upright, yet there is a slight, uncontrollable tremor; the center of gravity is heavy, yet it feels stiff; the breath tries to be drawn out, but it breaks off in segments.

Several outer sect students glanced over from afar, were taken aback at first, and then burst out laughing:

"Hey, isn't that the guy from Silent Alley?"

"It looks decent, but it's all just brute force. The worst thing about Dingyue stance is to stubbornly resist; he's just 'ruining himself by standing like that'."

"Haha, I thought he was so great, but it turns out he's just all show and no substance."

As they spoke, their words became more and more fluent, and the ridicule came at them like pebbles.

Ye Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids.

He broke down the problem in his mind: it wasn't his posture that was wrong, it was that his breathing was uneven; it wasn't that he couldn't sink down, it was that he couldn't relax.

If we can't find enough fuel, let alone Dingyue Zhuang, we might not even be able to practice Bengyue Quan.

Xue Chan's voice fell through the mist:

"Quiet."

She glanced at Ye Xiao, offering neither praise nor sarcasm, but simply said:

"The pile frame is correct."

"But you are using your strength to stand firm against the mountain."

"Go back and slow down your breathing. Don't rush to sink your breath. First, practice developing 'evenness'."

The next moment, everyone's attention was abruptly drawn away from the training ground.

It wasn't the sound of a punch.

It was the sound of footsteps.

The footsteps were steady and clean, like a blade falling on a bluestone... silent, yet they made one's heart tighten.

The fog was cut by footsteps, and a boy walked in from the direction of the inner gate.

His features were so upright they were almost rigid. When he looked at someone, it was as if he were looking at an object—clear, but without warmth.

His back was straight, and the corners of his clothes were damp with sweat, indicating that he had just come from the inner training ground and did not train with the outer sect.

His mere appearance caused an uproar in the outer gates.

"Senior Brother Chen Tao!"

"The master's last disciple!"

"The number one genius of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts Academy!"

"I heard he has already reached the Great Perfection of Bone Forging, and is not far from perfection... With his talent, it won't be long before he becomes a quasi-martial artist!"

Envy, awe, and jealousy exploded in the air.

The outer disciples all stopped what they were doing, not intentionally, but instinctively.

Ye Xiao also looked up.

There was no emotional fluctuation.

I'm just checking... whether the person in front of me poses a threat.

Chen Tao's gait, breathing, and posture—every detail conveys the same thing:

A foundation for traditional craftsmanship.

The force lines and the strength of the stance are natural, the skeletal structure is stable, the breathing is long and deep, and the structure is perfectly fitted.

This is the aura that only those who "live in the light" possess.

Ye Xiao quickly came to a conclusion:

If such a person were thrown into the Silent Alley, he would be beaten to a pulp by the Green Owl Gang's knives and clubs on the very first day.

But at the martial arts school... he's a genius.

The same bones and blood, placed in different places, will produce completely different results.

Chen Tao's gaze swept across the training ground and landed on Ye Xiao, who was alone in a corner.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Chen Tao asked a gatekeeper standing nearby, "Who's that?"

The outer disciple explained earnestly, "He's a new guy from the Silent Alley. He used to show up every day, but he suddenly disappeared a few days ago. He's back today."

Chen Tao gave a soft "hmm".

It's not sarcasm, nor is it contempt; it's simply a judgment made with utmost composure.

"Then... I won't be staying long."

After saying that, he calmly withdrew his gaze.

It was as if Ye Xiao was just an ordinary shadow in the morning mist, which would be wiped away by the sun in the blink of an eye.

Footsteps echoed from the high platform, and Xue Chan stepped down.

Chen Tao then stopped.

He stepped forward and said, "Junior sister, Master said that the outer sect will hold an assessment in five days... The winner will be able to enter the inner sect directly."

Xue Chan nodded: "I understand, I will pass it on."

The outer gate became even quieter instantly.

Inner disciple... an identity that over three hundred outer disciples dream of.

Unless one reaches the level of Bone Forging, the only way to survive is through the trials.

After giving his instructions, Chen Tao left.

As everyone gazed at that retreating figure, a mixture of awe and bitterness filled their hearts... It was a height they might never reach in their entire lives.

"Hurry up and practice your skills!"

Xue Chan spoke coldly.

She glanced around and found that, apart from Ye Xiao, who hadn't stopped practicing, everyone else had stopped their cultivation because of Chen Tao's appearance.

She couldn't help but glance at Ye Xiao again.

Upon closer inspection, one realizes that Ye Xiao is more focused and concentrated, like a nail driven into a stone.

Chen Tao's appearance seemed meaningless to him.

More than the spotlight on the platform, he was concerned about whether his feet could sink even a fraction deeper.

Xue Chan's lips twitched very slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

……

Around noon.

The students in the outer training ground gradually dispersed.

Ye Xiao waited until almost everyone had left before finally ending his stance training and leaving from a corner.

Even though he wasn't in good shape, he still outperformed many students who had unsteady steps and couldn't stand properly.

A breeze blew from the depths of the martial arts school through the corridor, carrying the smells of sweat and medicine, mixed with the dampness from the trodden bluestone floor.

This smell is different from the musty smell of the Silent Alley; it carries a vitality that has been gradually brought out by sweat and medicine.

He was a step too slow, turning his head to look at the side courtyard of the martial arts school.

That's the direction where the pharmacy is located.

The words the pharmacy owner uttered last night, "We need a note from the martial arts school," were still echoing in his ears.

That seemingly polite remark separated him from the "inner students of the martial arts school," as if drawing a line under his feet.

【Dingyue Stance - Beginner Level: 120/300】

[Collapse Mountain Fist - Minor Mastery: 200/500]

The word "light" flashed across my eyes.

Ye Xiao raised his hand and rubbed his still somewhat tight chest.

The injury is long gone, but the relentless pressure from the North Furnace these past few days has made my body increasingly overwhelmed... If this continues, it won't be the stance that collapses first, it will be the person.

He needs to slow down and stabilize his foundation first.

To achieve stability, one cannot avoid... the use of liquid medicine.

"Buying medicine is urgent."

Ye Xiao thought to himself as he turned to the side courtyard.

The pharmacy was small, with several strings of dried herbs hanging at the entrance. They tasted bitter and astringent, as if the air had been boiled and then dried into a hard, dry outer layer.

Inside the room were two rows of wooden shelves, a large celadon jar containing medicinal wine, and an old table against the wall where someone was dozing off.

What is coming?