Martial Arts: My talent multiplier increased

Eighth day.

It got light earlier than usual in Liangshui City. When Fang Yuan opened his eyes, the light outside the window was still a grayish-blue.

He lay on the earthen bed for a while, not getting up immediately, but closing his eyes to feel the circulation of qi and blood in his body.

Eight days ago, when he broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm, his blood and qi flowed into his muscles with a raw, untamed quality, like a newly dug riverbed, the water rushing but overflowing everywhere. Now, however, his blood and qi are completely tamed, each strand flowing along a fixed path, fast or slow as he pleases, with no unnecessary loss in the process.

For eight days, without any income from the "Power Pill" or any additional medicinal residue, Fang Hao cut off all his external supplies.

But what Fang Hao didn't know was that Fang Yuan didn't need those things at all.

With double the innate talent, just one bowl of the martial arts hall's daily blood and qi soup was enough to hone his foundation at the early stage of the Body Refining Realm to its peak. The sales channels that Fang Hao cut off and the medicinal dregs that he intercepted were merely icing on the cake, never his lifeline.

Fang Hao thought he had choked him, but he was actually choking the air.

Fang Yuan sat up and moved his wrists, his knuckles making a soft cracking sound.

Fifty-two taels of silver lay quietly in a wooden box under the bed. Half a tael was still short of a hundred, but there was no rush; more important matters lay ahead.

Assessment.

He pushed open the door, and the air in the courtyard was so cold it stung his skin.

Fang Ying was already awake. The little girl, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat, was squatting on the doorstep, holding half a cold steamed bun in her hand. When she saw Fang Yuan come out, she immediately jumped up and ran over, holding the steamed bun to his mouth.

"Brother, eat! Mother steamed it."

Fang Yuan took a bite, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and reached out to press down the stray hairs sticking up on Fang Ying's head.

"Stay home and behave yourself today, don't go anywhere."

Fang Ying blinked, her expression overly serious: "Is my brother taking a test today?"

"Um."

"My brother will definitely get first place!"

Fang Yuan didn't reply, but patted her head and turned to leave the courtyard.

The voice of her father, Fang Lin, came from behind her, deep and filled with barely suppressed tension: "Yuan'er, be careful."

Fang Yuan didn't turn around, but raised his hand as a response.

The training ground of Fang Family Martial Arts School looks different today.

The bluestone slabs were swept clean and spotless. At the four corners of the training ground stood four iron pillars, each about ten feet tall, with the Fang family's clan emblem and banners hanging on them, fluttering in the morning breeze.

A three-story viewing platform was erected on the north side of the training ground.

Five people were sitting on the stage.

In the center was an elderly man with gray hair and beard, dressed in a black brocade robe, with a black iron token at his waist. He had a thin face but sharp eyes, and was none other than Fang Zhengkun, the current head of the Fang family.

Two elders sat on either side of him, both core members of the Fang family. Their aura was restrained, making it impossible to discern their true strength, but just their presence alone made the air in the entire training ground feel heavier.

Below the viewing platform, nearly a hundred members of the Fang family stood on either side, clearly separated.

On the left are the main family members, dressed neatly and full of energy. Fang Hao, standing at the front, has his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, his gaze sweeping over the collateral branch members opposite him, and a faint smile playing on his lips.

On the right were the collateral relatives, nearly half the number of the main family, and their ranks were much looser. Many of them were pale-faced, standing there as if waiting for their verdict.

When Fang Yuan entered the training ground, he felt at least thirty eyes on him at the same time.

He paid no attention and walked straight to the end of the side line, where he stood.

Fang Ping was standing two seats in front of him. He quietly turned his head, winked at him, and silently said two words: "Good luck."

Fang Yuan nodded slightly.

Fang Hao also saw him.

The gaze shot over from the other side, scrutinizing and certain. Fang Hao's expression was relaxed, as if he were looking at a problem that had already been solved. In fact, in Fang Hao's mind, after cutting off the source of medicinal residue, blocking the sales channels for pills, and isolating the collateral descendants, Fang Yuan should have had a very difficult few days. Stagnation in cultivation was the best outcome, and a mental breakdown was the norm.

Fang Yuan met that gaze without any expression, nor did he look away. He simply stared at it calmly for a couple of breaths before turning his gaze back to the viewing platform.

Fang Hao's brow twitched slightly.

This calm made him uncomfortable, just like the last time in the training ground, it felt like hitting cotton. But he quickly suppressed this irritation. The assessment would reveal the true strength then, and the difference in skill would be clear; there was no need to fight over a mere glance.

"quiet."

Fang Yuanshan's voice boomed from the center of the training ground. His towering figure stood between two rows of disciples, and his hawk-like gaze swept across the entire field.

All the whispers vanished instantly.

Fang Yuanshan turned to face the viewing platform, knelt on one knee, and placed his right fist against his left chest: "Patriarch, all eighty-seven disciples participating in this assessment are present."

Fang Zhengkun sat in the center of the viewing platform and nodded slightly: "Let's begin."

Fang Yuanshan stood up and turned to the disciples in the training ground. His voice was steady and powerful, each word striking the bluestone slab.

"The assessment consists of three parts. First, realm verification. Second, strength test. Third, practical combat training."

He paused, then scanned the entire room.

"The first item is the realm verification. Anyone who has not reached the Flesh Refining Realm will be eliminated on the spot and expelled from the Martial Hall."

As soon as he finished speaking, several suppressed gasps rang out from the collateral branch's ranks. Some people's legs were trembling, and some people's faces turned from white to pale. Fang Yuan glanced at the very end of the ranks and saw that the eyes of two collateral branch members were already red.

An elder with a square face and graying temples stepped down from the viewing platform. He was Fang Shouzhen, the second elder of the Fang family, who was in charge of this assessment.

He walked to the center of the training ground and stood behind a black wooden square table. His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire area.

"Step forward one by one and state your name."

The first one to go up was Fang Ming, a member of the main family.

Seventeen years old, of medium build, his steps were fairly steady when he walked in front of Fang Shouzheng, but the fists clenched tightly at his sides betrayed his nervousness.

Fang Shouzhen raised his hand and placed his palm on Fang Ming's lower abdomen, where a surge of powerful qi and blood entered.

Three breaths later, Fang Shouzheng stopped.

"Fang Ming, peak of the Skin Refining Realm."

Fang Ming's expression changed instantly.

Peak of the Skin Refining Realm. Not the Flesh Refining Realm.

Fang Shouzhen's gaze swept across his face, and without saying much, he simply uttered two words in a deep voice: "Elimination."

Fang Ming's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but when he met Fang Shouzheng's eyes, all the words stuck in his throat. He stood frozen in place for two breaths, then finally lowered his head and turned to walk towards the exit of the training ground.

As he passed the main family's procession, no one looked at him, no one spoke to him, and everyone deliberately looked away, as if he no longer existed.

Fang Yuan watched this scene with a calm expression, but he remembered the detail clearly in his mind.

That's the Fang family's rule: if you win, you get everything; if you lose, you don't even get sympathy.

It's always been like this.

Next, the children stepped forward one by one.

"Fang Kun, early stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, qualified."

"Fang Chen, early stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, qualified."

"Fang Yu, peak Skin Refining Realm, eliminated."

"Fang Tong, late stage of Skin Refining Realm, eliminated."

With each "elimination" announcement, someone walked out of the training ground with their head down. Some bit their lips to hold back their tears, while others squatted against the wall after leaving, their shoulders trembling.

The side branches' queues are getting shorter and shorter.

Fang Ping stood in the queue, his palms sweating profusely. He had only reached the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm in the past few days thanks to Fang Yuan's guidance and the help of the Power Pill. He was still a long way from the Flesh Refining Realm, and he knew he would definitely fail today's test.

But he still came.

I had to come; otherwise, I wouldn't even have the right to the last bowl of Qi and Blood Soup. By coming, at least I can stand here and see just how far Fang Yuan can go.

"Fang Ping, late stage of the Skin Refining Realm."

Fang Shou-zheng's voice was devoid of any emotion.

"disuse."

Fang Ping swayed slightly, barely managing to steady himself. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, nodded in Fang Yuan's direction, turned and walked towards the exit, his back ramrod straight, but the fists clenched at his sides remained firmly in place.

Fang Yuan watched him leave without saying a word.

What needs to be said will not be said today.

The elimination process continues.

Seven or eight more people left the side line, leaving less than ten people, each with a tense face, as if they were walking on a knife's edge.

The situation wasn't much better for the main family. After Fang Ming, three more members of the main family were eliminated, but the proportion was far lower than that of the collateral branches. With overwhelming resources, the overall level of the main family's members was indeed much higher, which was unavoidable.

Finally, it was Fang Hao's turn.

He strode up to Fang Shouzheng, his steps steady and his expression composed. After stopping, he even gave a slight bow, showing perfect manners.

Fang Shouzheng pressed down with his palm.

Three breaths.

Fang Shouzhen raised his eyebrows slightly, then nodded after withdrawing his hand.

"Fang Hao, early stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, with abundant Qi and blood, and an excellent foundation."

The word "superior" carried significant weight when spoken by Fang Shou-zheng.

Fang Shouzhen only said "qualified" to the previous dozens of disciples who passed the test, but when it came to Fang Hao, he added four more words to the evaluation.

On the viewing platform, the patriarch Fang Zhengkun's gaze lingered on Fang Hao for a moment. An elder beside him nodded slightly and whispered something. Fang Zhengkun's lips seemed to twitch.

Fang Hao turned and walked back to the line. When he passed Fang Yuan, he paused for a moment.

He didn't speak, nor did he provoke anyone; the curve of his lips simply deepened slightly.

The meaning of that curve is very clear. You see it? That's the difference.

Fang Yuan stood still, not even lifting his eyelids.

Fang Hao is gone.

The queue continued to shorten, one, two, three...

Finally, Fang Shouzhen's gaze fell on the last person.

"Next."

The entire room fell silent.

All eyes—the main family, the collateral branches, those on the viewing platform, and those by the training ground—were focused on the same person.

Fang Yuan took a step.

He walked neither fast nor slow, his footsteps landing on the bluestone slabs with clear and even sounds.

It takes a total of seventeen steps from the queue to the front of Fang Shou.

With each step he took, dozens of eyes followed his retreating figure.

Fang Hao stood at the front of the main family's line, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the back of Fang Yuan's head. The smile on his lips was still there, but his fingers unconsciously curled up inside his sleeve.

Fang Yuanshan stood on the sidelines, his hands behind his back, his towering body motionless, only his eyes slowly following Fang Yuan's steps.

Fang Yuan walked up to Fang Shouzheng and stopped.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Fang Shouzhen looked him up and down without any extra expression, then raised his hand and placed it on his lower abdomen.

Qi and blood penetrate.

Fang Shouzhen's technique was very steady, and the speed of blood and qi penetration was neither too fast nor too slow. According to convention, the verification could be completed in three breaths.

At the first breath, Fang Shouzhen's expression remained calm.

In the second breath, Fang Shouzhen's brow twitched slightly.

Fang Shouzhen's fingers tightened suddenly, and the pressure of his palm on Fang Yuan's lower abdomen increased abruptly. His pupils contracted violently, and a crack appeared on his originally calm face in an instant, a trace of his attempt to suppress surprise but failing to do so completely.

He did not stop.

The fourth breath.

The fifth breath.