Chaos and monsters begin with the red dragon's clone.

The next day, at Flying Stone Boxing Academy.

In the center of the compound, the training ground was empty.

A group of students in gray cloth trousers formed a circle, whispering to each other, their expressions complex as they looked ahead—where stood several senior students from the inner court dressed in blue robes, and a poor boy whose face was flushed and who was kowtowing excitedly.

"My elder sister went to serve others, and she saved up her dowry for so long, all of which was used to support my martial arts training. How can I not master it? Senior brothers, I beg you, please let me continue to train at the martial arts academy!"

Senior Brother Zhao dodged to the side and advised, "Your aptitude isn't good enough. Continuing to train will only be a waste of time. Keeping you around will only harm you. Go back and find a job, and take good care of your older sister."

"No, I want to master it..." the boy pleaded desperately.

"Take him away."

Another senior disciple from the inner courtyard, Chen, waved his hand indifferently, "The martial arts academy's grounds are only so big. New people come every month, and the older ones who don't make it have to leave. This is the rule set by the master, and there's no room for compromise. If you want to continue training, you can go to another place."

"No!!"

The boy struggled frantically, tears streaming down his face, before being carried to the side by two students, where he remained silent and motionless.

Zhang Xun stood in a corner of the crowd, surrounded by sighing gazes.

He glanced at it as well, and sighed inwardly.

Although the yield of sweet potatoes is large enough to fill one's stomach, necessities such as clothing, firewood, and salt still have to be earned through labor. If one cannot learn martial arts and the poor family has no connections to work in a workshop or learn a trade as an apprentice, they will probably have no choice but to take the hardest and most difficult path—risking their lives to run errands for caravans in the wilderness, or risking their lives to reclaim land near foggy areas.

As for going to another school? Although the essence of martial arts training is the same, each school has different training methods. Not to mention how much time it would take to readjust, especially since one's aptitude is only average.

"Wow!"

A gasp interrupted his thoughts, and Zhang Xun looked up.

A young man in white was practicing the Flying Stone Fist technique. His movements were skillful and fluid, and soft, crisp sounds came from his body, one after another.

"Nine claps of flying stones, one clap is the beginning, nine claps are the mastery. Song Zhou... have you mastered the basics of boxing?"

"How long has he been training? Less than three months, right?"

"Wow, their qualifications are amazing!"

The students' mouths gaped open. A steady sound rang out; this was a genuine introductory course, no faking it.

A good aptitude is judged by a six-month timeframe—if one has a normal diet and sufficient Qi and blood, mastering the basics within six months is considered good aptitude; failing within a year is considered poor. What kind of aptitude is it to master the basics in less than three months?

With average talent, even a beginner in martial arts can enter the inner academy for training, forming a closer network with other senior brothers. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they can also reach the second stage of Body Tempering. At that point, they'll be well-treated anywhere in the outer city, have no worries about work, and be able to support their families. Those with exceptional talent, needless to say, might even become Master Chen's personal disciple and rise to a position of great importance.

Many people looked on with envy as Song Zhou was pulled into the inner courtyard by Senior Brother Chen before he had even finished his set of boxing techniques.

The examination was then conducted by Senior Brother Zhao and others.

"Next up, Deng Changshun."

A short, stocky man was still staring in the direction Song Zhou had left, his eyes filled with shock, resentment, and bitterness, his fists clenched so tightly under his sleeves that they cracked. Upon hearing the name, he trembled, quickly forced a smile, and stepped forward.

He finished his punches, unwilling to leave the ring.

He was trying his best to comfort himself when another low moan rang out.

"These moves, the fluidity of the techniques... has he already mastered the basics?"

"How could that be? I remember he trained for a year, and it was all mediocre with no hope of improvement?"

"Zhang Xun... he stepped on the line and it went off!"

The short man was startled, and suddenly looked up in disbelief.

…………

At this moment, Zhang Xun slightly bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and took a step forward, his momentum suddenly changing. His moves were powerful and swift, unlike his previous emphasis on stance.

First move: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail.

"Second move, Scout Hand."

"Third move, Riding the Dragon Backwards." Zhang Xun took a large stride, his spine seemingly riding a dragon to ascend to heaven. His moves stretched out faster and faster, with bursts of fist shadows and crackling sounds in the air. His movements were both strong and soft, agile and fluid.

Bang.

A crisp sound came from his body, like bamboo shoots growing wildly in the night, and firewood burning in the stove.

Zhang Xun felt a slight swelling in his hands, legs, buttocks, and abdomen, his muscles bulging slightly. A faint yet real heat surged from his body, coursing through his limbs and bones. His entire body trembled slightly, resonating and clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Zhang Xun has truly mastered the basics and broken through to the first level of Body Tempering!"

"His movements have a balance of strength and flexibility, like an inner court senior. With that level, breaking through to the next level shouldn't be a problem. But he wasn't like this yesterday. How did he suddenly transform overnight, like a completely different person?"

"Even with mediocre talent, if you work hard like Zhang Xun, you'll eventually be rewarded and break through your limitations! If Zhang Xun can do it, so can I!"

Many trainees, looking at Zhang Xun, were inspired, unlike Song Zhou who had been so discouraging. They were all full of fighting spirit, clapping and cheering.

After finishing his routine, Zhang Xun stopped, his skin slightly red and sweating profusely.

"good!"

Senior Brother Zhao Shaoting was overjoyed and slapped Zhang Xun hard on the shoulder, both happy for the other and proud of his own good judgment.

"You've truly made a breakthrough. Your stance training is extremely solid, excellent!" Zhao Shaoting praised.

"I must thank you for your guidance, senior brother," Zhang Xun said with a smile.

"Haha." Zhao Shaoting laughed, tossed the roster to the other senior brothers of the inner courtyard, grabbed Zhang Xun, and said, "Come on, I'll take you to see the teacher and formally become a disciple of the Flying Stone Fist."

Those in the outer academy are all students who pay money to learn the skills, but only learn the basics and can switch academies at any time.

Those in the inner courtyard are formal disciples, with tuition waivers. They can use the sect's name outside, be stationed to guard the sect's properties, or be recommended to other forces to easily find work and make a living. Only then can they be considered to have truly joined the organization and have some backing.

Zhang Xun had no reason not to join.

Under the envious gazes of the other students, they followed Zhao Shaoting through the moon gate into the inner courtyard, then through the archway and the corridor, and arrived at the secluded courtyard where the master of the Flying Stone Fist sect usually resided.

yard.

A tall, sturdy old man with a long braid, dressed in a black short jacket, was surrounding Song Zhou, who had arrived earlier. He reached out and massaged Song Zhou's shoulders, arms, and ribs, and a look of joy gradually appeared on his face.

"Not bad, his potential is generally good, and he even cracked a horn in less than three months, making him a promising talent!"

At this moment, Zhang Xun entered, and Old Man Chen glanced at him. Before Zhao Shaoting could explain, he already knew the situation and beamed with delight: "Oh, what day is it today? Is there more than one promising talent?"

"Well."

Zhao Shaoting was speechless. Although he thought highly of Zhang Xun, it was in terms of character and temperament; in terms of aptitude, Zhang Xun was far inferior to Song Zhou.

Zhang Xun took the initiative to clasp his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Master Chen. I'm afraid I've disappointed you, as I only practice boxing once a year, far inferior to Junior Brother Song."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen's hopes were dashed, but seeing Zhang Xun's performance, he nodded slightly.

He's not stage-frightened, has a calm temperament, and is courageous. Even if someone's aptitude is slightly lacking, they can still become his student.

"I'm not aiming for anything too high, just want a stable job to make a living. My aptitude doesn't matter... I'll just have to put up with it!"

Old Chen strode up to Zhang Xun, his large hands like pincers, pinching down his shoulders and spine with such force that it seemed he could crush the bones.

Zhang Xun was in so much pain that sweat beaded on his forehead. This was a bone-crushing exercise, which couldn't reveal too much detail, so it could only roughly determine whether someone was good or bad. Therefore, it was necessary to consider the time spent learning the martial arts before assessing their aptitude.

"Not bad. Let's begin."

After finishing his massage, Old Chen withdrew his hand, gave a nonchalant comment, and sat down on the chair in front of the door.

A senior student went to the room to bring tea and a roster.

A moment later, the two respectfully served tea to Old Master Chen, read out the rules and regulations of the sect, and registered their names, thus officially becoming disciples. From then on, they could address him as "Master Chen" from their student days and shed their lowly status.