In chaotic times, one can become a martial immortal.

"I don't know either. Brother Hong just relayed the message that we should all gather here first!"

Chen Pi shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing a mixture of doubt and curiosity: "Let's wait and see. We'll know once Brother Hong and the others come out!"

Lu Yuan nodded and stood quietly waiting.

He turned his head and looked around, and found that there were a few new faces, while a few familiar faces were gone.

Almost every three to five days, new people would come in and old people would leave, so he had long been used to it.

Although Lu Yuan has only been at Song Academy for about half a month, he can already be considered a true elder.

His cultivation progress was already far ahead of others.

Even Hong Lei and Fang Chang, who had been trained by Master Song in the inner courtyard, might not be able to compare to him.

Before long, three figures emerged from the inner courtyard.

Besides Hong Lei and Fang Chang, there was also Master Song, who rarely came to the outer courtyard.

"Master Song!"

Everyone quickly clasped their hands in a fist and bowed to Master Song.

"All those who have mastered the Five Animal Fist, come before me!"

Master Song nodded slightly, and then spoke directly.

Immediately, Wu Yu, Chen Pi, Lu Yuan, Gu Ming, Chen Yong, and several others, a total of about ten people, quickly stepped out of the crowd and stood in front of Master Song.

Master Song's gaze swept over everyone, and when it landed on Lu Yuan, he couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

However, the look of surprise quickly dissipated.

The Five Animal Fist is ultimately just a very basic Yellow-grade martial art, and its entry difficulty is not very high.

He had personally examined this boy's physique before, and found it to be far inferior to Fang Chang's. The fact that he could master the Five Animal Fist within a month probably meant he had already exhausted his potential.

It is absolutely impossible to master the Five Animal Fist in a short period of time. As for undergoing the first Qi and Blood Tempering to become an External Force Martial Artist, that requires years of diligent study and hard work.

All his hopes still rested on his two direct disciples, Hong Lei and Fang Chang, who possessed exceptional talent.

"Everyone else can leave now. You can continue your cultivation at home for the next few days!"

Master Song waved to the crowd behind him and said directly.

Although everyone looked puzzled, they dared not say anything and turned to leave.

"I have kept you here today because I have something important to tell you!"

Master Song turned his gaze to the dozen or so people in front of him and said.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I've taken on a delivery mission, and you can all come with me. Each of you will receive five taels of silver as a reward after it's finished!"

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but get excited.

That's five taels of silver! Even if they ate meat every day, it would be enough for them to live on for two or three months.

"Five taels of silver, plus the two taels I have on me, should be enough to buy two servings of ordinary medicinal soup!"

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly. With the help of two medicinal soups, his cultivation progress should be able to speed up considerably.

"This escort mission will take about ten days and is quite dangerous. Those who do not wish to go may leave now."

Master Song looked up at everyone and said again.

However, everyone remained standing there quietly.

They all knew, of course, that escorting goods was dangerous; they might encounter highway robbers, bandits, or even mountain bandits.

However, not to mention the reward of five taels of silver, it was enough to tempt them. If they really left now, they would probably lose not only the opportunity to be valued by Master Song, but also the opportunity to continue to cultivate at Song Academy.

Although they have already mastered the basics of the Five Animal Fist, practicing can't be done in isolation. If they encounter problems and don't receive guidance, they will not only be less efficient but may also make mistakes in their practice.

It can be said that if Hong Lei hadn't come out to give them pointers every few days, they would never have been able to master the Five Animal Fist so quickly.

Moreover, they have all mastered the Five Animal Fist, and their internal energy can unleash even greater power, making them true martial artists, not helpless fighters.

In short, they had to go on this escort mission!

"Of course, to better protect yourselves, you can learn another sword technique during your escort mission. How much you learn in ten days depends on yourselves!"

Master Song nodded in satisfaction, then said with a faint smile.

"I can even learn a sword technique!"

As Master Song finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but become even more excited.

If they could learn a sword technique unconditionally, they would definitely want to go on this escort mission no matter what.

Hong Lei and Fang Chang, standing behind Master Song, remained calm.

Clearly, they must have already begun practicing this sword technique.

"I never expected such a pleasant surprise!"

Lu Yuan's eyes also brightened slightly. He had been hesitating about whether to go or not, but now it seemed that he had no choice but to go.

He not only lacked money and resources, but also lacked the techniques to improve his offensive capabilities.

Now, by making this delivery, one can not only earn five taels of silver, but also learn a sword technique, which is a win-win situation.

For others, learning a sword technique in ten days is extremely difficult.

Even with an exceptional memory, having memorized everything through rote learning, most of his time and energy was still devoted to continuing to practice the Five Animal Fist, leaving him with very little time to practice this sword technique.

Lu Yuan, however, was different. Relying on his destiny, he could master the skill through practice. Not only could he learn it in one go, but he was also not limited by talent and would not encounter any bottlenecks or constraints. Once he obtained a certificate, he would have it forever.

Besides, he can only practice the Five Animal Fist once a day now, so he has plenty of time and energy to practice swordsmanship.

Most importantly, he can get faster and faster with practice.

Ten days is neither a long nor a short time. Without exaggeration, he could have mastered this sword technique to a high level, or even perfected it, before returning.

"Go back and prepare. Come back to assemble in an hour!"

After Master Song finished speaking, he led Hong Lei and Fang Chang back to the inner courtyard.

Without delay, everyone left Song Courtyard in a hurry.

……

Lu Yuan first bought enough food for Yang Shi and Nannan to eat and drink for ten days, and then went to the blacksmith shop and spent half a tael of silver to buy the cheapest long knife.

Since the goal is to practice swordsmanship, it's impossible to do without a sword.

Be careful when you're out and about!

Upon learning that Lu Yuan was about to embark on a long journey, Madam Yang merely offered a word of advice and said nothing more.

After silently preparing for her godmother's arrival, she sat quietly and carefully sewed clothes for Lu Yuan. Every now and then, she would glance at Lu Yuan, who was enjoying his meal, with a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Brother, I'll be a good girl and wait for you to come home!"

The little girl was very well-behaved, pecking Lu Yuan's face several times.

About half an hour later, Lu Yuan, carrying a large bundle on his back, gradually walked away into the distance amidst the reluctant gazes of Madam Yang and Xiao Nannan.

……