"White Ape Leaning on the Mountain!"
Under the night sky, Su Yu's body arched like a bow. He shot forward, his shoulder slamming hard against the solid Ironwood Stake.
"BANG!"
A dull thud exploded out, and the stake trembled violently.
"White Ape Shaking Armor."
The Qi and Blood in his body began to vibrate at high speed, emitting a series of crackling pops. Steam rose from his body under the moonlight, his spine rippling like a great dragon. He looked just like a ferocious white ape cloaked in human skin!
"POW! POW! POW!"
Three consecutive punches, his Qi and Blood surging, struck the stake, causing it to thunder with each impact.
This was the power of a first-gate breakthrough!
A casual punch surpassed the limits of an ordinary person. In his past life, not even a heavyweight boxer could do this!
And now, after just over two months of training, he had achieved his first-gate breakthrough and surpassed the limits of his past life.
'Time to try a full Pile Skill routine!'
Su Yu leaped to the center of the Martial Arts Arena and began with the White Ape Seal. He quickly noticed a difference.
Performing the routine now felt effortless and fluid. His body could now grasp the secrets of power generation that he couldn't perceive before.
Moreover, he completed the entire routine in less than half the usual time.
[Skill Level +2]
'Excellent! I gained two Skill Level points without even using the Herbal Decoction!' Su Yu stopped his routine and stretched. 'Although the Skill Level needed to break through the Skilled Realm has risen to 1200, my training efficiency has increased so much that with the Herbal Decoction, my progress will be even faster than before!'
'It's true that the first step is always the hardest. Once you truly set foot on the path of a Martial Artist and overcome the first-gate bottleneck, your body begins to transform! The path ahead will only get smoother!'
Instantly, Su Yu was filled with even greater expectations for the future.
The next day, Su Yu slept in for the first time in a long while. Perhaps it was because he had trained late the previous night, or perhaps because a weight had been lifted from his heart, but both his body and mind were fully rested.
Many apprentices came to the Outer Courtyard's Martial Arts Arena, and not seeing Su Yu there, they felt it was a little strange.
"What's with Su Yu? Why isn't he here? Isn't the assessment coming up soon? How could he be slacking off?"
"He must have given up, seeing no hope of a breakthrough. With his Root Bone talent, he can't even compare to Ma Fei. It's only a matter of time before he's kicked out."
Su Yu arrived late. He heard the gossip but paid it no mind, simply starting his Pile Skill routine on his own.
While practicing, he pondered his situation. He had achieved his first-gate breakthrough, but he was out of silver taels again. He needed to make money quickly, or his supply of Herbal Decoction would be cut off.
'Before the assessment, I should show Senior Brother Xu my breakthrough, then ask for leave to go fishing at the Black Water River.'
'With my Net Casting Skill having Broken its Limit twice, I can probably catch a lot of rare fish. If I can get a treasure fish, I won't have to worry about cultivation resources for a while.'
"Senior Sister Lin!"
"Senior Brother Chen!"
A commotion interrupted his thoughts.
From the direction of the Inner Courtyard, a man and a woman emerged.
The man was Chen Fan, dressed in brocade robes, looking full of vigor.
The woman was none other than an Inner Courtyard senior, Lin Wanzhu.
Today, she wore tight-fitting gray training pants, a plain white tube top, and a light gauze jacket over it. The tube top was cinched extremely tight, which only served to accentuate her breathtakingly full curves.
Although Lin Wanzhu wasn't as beautiful as Qin Yu, her personality and temperament far surpassed Qin Yu's shrewish immaturity. She exuded the charm of a ripe peach, a hint of seductiveness blended with her gentle demeanor.
That was why, at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall, she was actually the most beloved senior sister.
"From now on, I will be instructing the Outer Courtyard." Lin Wanzhu's ruby lips parted slightly, her voice soft and sweet, making the apprentices' bones feel like they were melting.
Su Yu, however, frowned slightly. 'Senior Brother Xu went back to the Inner Courtyard?'
'I wonder if Senior Sister Lin is easy to talk to. If I ask for leave right after she's taken over, will she single me out?'
But Su Yu didn't hesitate for long. He stepped forward directly, cupped his fist, and said, "Senior Sister Lin, I am Su Yu. My family is facing financial difficulties, and I would like to request a few days' leave to earn some money. I hope Senior Sister will grant my request."
Lin Wanzhu's beautiful eyes shifted as she glanced at Su Yu.
She had a slight impression of this apprentice. He seemed to have taken leave during last month's assessment as well.
"Su Yu? You've been at the hall for almost three months, haven't you? If you still can't achieve a breakthrough in this upcoming assessment, you'll be dismissed according to the rules." Her tone was gentle, yet held a professional distance.
"In reply to Senior Sister, I was just about to report," Su Yu said, neither servile nor overbearing. "By a stroke of luck yesterday, I have already achieved my first-gate breakthrough."
"What?!"
As soon as he said this, the surroundings fell silent for a moment, followed by an uproar.
"Su Yu broke through? How is that possible!"
"Doesn't he have a Lower-Grade Root Bone? In less than three months? That speed is almost as fast as Wang Hu's!"
Voices of doubt rose one after another. No one believed that a perennial loser could suddenly turn his fortunes around.
Chen Fan, standing beside Lin Wanzhu with a smile on his face, took a step forward. He put on the airs of a senior brother and said in a seemingly gentle tone:
"Junior Su has made some decent progress. I remember when I achieved my second-gate breakthrough, I was worried you wouldn't be able to keep up. Since you say you've broken through, why not perform the Pile Skill routine for everyone? We can consider it an early assessment."
After speaking, he turned to Lin Wanzhu, appearing suave and elegant. "Senior Sister, what do you think?"
"Fine." Lin Wanzhu nodded.
Su Yu glanced at Chen Fan, scoffing inwardly.
'It's only been a few days. Has he changed this much already? Putting on such airs when he speaks?'
He couldn't be bothered with Chen Fan's transformation. He took a step forward, and his aura changed dramatically.
"Opening stance!"
His movements were strong and powerful, no longer the flashy but empty forms of before.
As he moved through the forms, the Qi and Blood in his body began to surge wildly.
"White Ape Shaking Armor!"
"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!"
A series of clear, dense, cracking sounds emanated from his body. It was the sound of Qi and Blood washing over his sinews and membranes, as distinct as the vibrating of a bowstring!
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
The apprentices who had been mocking him just moments ago now stood with their mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief.
The resounding boom of Qi and Blood!
This was a genuine first-gate breakthrough! It couldn't be faked!
'Su Yu, the one with the poor Root Bone, actually broke through?'
'His luck is just too good! In the past few months, not a single person in the Outer Courtyard has broken through. Even those with mid-grade Root Bones failed in their attempts.'
'He's just so damn lucky!'
Many people's eyes filled with jealousy. A first-gate breakthrough! This meant Su Yu was no longer an ordinary person like them. Even if he was still far from being a true Martial Artist, he could now live a much better life!
Finishing the set, Su Yu concluded his form. His face was ruddy, and his breathing was long and steady.
"Not bad." A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Wanzhu's eyes as she picked up a brush and made a mark in the register. "You have indeed broken through. Your Root Bone may be poor, but your Pile Skill is solid."
Chen Fan still had a smile on his face as he commented:
"Junior Su's Pile Skill certainly shows a lot of hard work. However... your power generation is still a bit stiff in a few places. For example, in the Long Arm Waist Pulling move, your foundation needs to be more stable. When you reach the second-gate breakthrough, you'll understand its essence."
Su Yu's expression was calm. He cupped his fist and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother. Senior Sister Lin, about my request for leave?"
"Approved." Lin Wanzhu closed the register. "Since you've broken through, you have a bit more freedom at the hall. The next assessment is in six months. By then, you will need to have achieved a third-gate breakthrough."
"I understand!"
Su Yu cupped his fist, turned, and left. His retreating figure was crisp and decisive.
Behind him, Chen Fan was all smiles. He intercepted the apprentices who wanted to ask Senior Sister Lin for advice, gave them some pointers himself, and then turned to chat and laugh with Lin Wanzhu while asking his own questions.
...
「Qingxi Village. Afternoon.」
The village was quiet, exuding a desolate air.
Su Yu went next door and knocked on the dilapidated wooden door.
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."
After a long while, the door opened with a "CREAK."
A small head peeked out. Beneath a messy thatch of hair was a small, emaciated face.
"Brother Su, you're back!"
Seeing Su Yu, Yaya's eyes lit up. She quickly pulled the door open, her tone light and cheerful.
Su Yu sized her up.
Before, Yaya had been like a walking corpse, her eyes empty. But now, although still thin, there was color in her cheeks, and she was even... smiling?
She was like a completely different person.
"Yaya, have you been doing okay? How's Uncle Liu?"
Yaya smiled and said, "My dad's dead."