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Chapter 685: Black Tiger
Chapter 685: Black Tiger
The world's tides of fortune, once united, must eventually divide, and once divided, must eventually reunite.
After the fall of the ancient Great Xia, the world plunged into a long era of darkness and turmoil...
During this dark age, even the years became blurred.
In this era, martial practitioners engaged in countless internal wars, and countless more died in these conflicts. The number of beasts grew once more, and they rampaged, slaughtering human cities without restraint.
Until the Grand Founder of Dakan rose with his three-foot sword, pacifying the world, and the Nine Provinces were once again united.
This marked the boundary between the ancient era and the modern age.
The Grand Founder of Dakan, a martial practitioner who pursued the heavens, established a new martial system, setting up the 'Nine Ranks' and organizing the various sects and schools. By his own strength, he kept the world in check for five hundred years!
Alas, when the five hundred years were up, he turned to ashes.
Moreover, among his descendants, few were outstanding, and over the countless years, none reached the realm of the Grand Founder of Dakan.
Therefore, after the Grand Founder of Dakan passed away, the world immediately fell into chaos for sixty years.
Sixty years later, the 'Grand Founder of Dayuan' rose, reaching the same realm as the Grand Founder of Dakan and keeping the world in check for another five hundred years. The Grand Founder of Dayuan was luckier in that his descendants also broke through to the pinnacle of martial arts, continuing to rule the world for five hundred years.
However, the rise and fall of history are not determined by human will. When he passed away, Dayuan quickly declined, and various regional lords rose up, each controlling their own territories.
Moreover, martial arts flourished, and countless strong practitioners who broke through to the pinnacle of martial arts emerged, and no one could unite the world again.
As time passed, the descendants of Dayuan were wiped out, and the great peak practitioners established their own sects and schools, passing down their legacies...
The Nine Provinces were completely plunged into the 'Era Without an Emperor,' with the 'One Temple, Two Sects, and Six Major Schools' each occupying a territory.
Amidst these major forces, there were also numerous second-tier forces and noble families.
This was the era of the great flourishing of martial arts.
Almost every major sect had the ambition to unify the world!
They widely recruited disciples, hoping that martial arts would continue to progress and that someone would break through to the pinnacle of martial arts, once again unifying the world!
To bring the world under one rule!
...
The Five Beasts Sect was one of the Six Major Schools of the 'One Temple, Two Sects, and Six Major Schools,' occupying a large part of Chuzhou.
On this day.
At the White Deer Academy, on the square.
Children stood solemnly, watching as a broad-shouldered, muscular man respectfully inserted three thumb-thick green incense sticks into the bronze incense burner in front of him.
The man turned around, his face full of ruggedness and without a trace of a smile: "After paying respects to the ancestors, you will be disciples of the 'White Deer Branch' of the Five Beasts Sect... Our Five Beasts Sect has five branches: Tiger, Deer, Bear, Ape, and Crane! Every year, we widely recruit disciples, and as long as you pay the fee, you can enter. However, whether you can advance to the ranks, whether you can successfully refine inner strength and reach the Sixth Rank, and whether you can join the true Five Beasts Sect, depends on your own fortune..."
The man's voice was thunderous, making the children's eardrums ache.
Below, a twelve-year-old boy in a practice uniform listened solemnly.
Around his neck hung a stone talisman, the True Martial Talisman!
This was Gou San, no, Xun Lao Liu's son, whose name was Xun Black Tiger!
After the New Year, Xun Lao Liu paid five hundred taels of silver in tuition to send Xun Black Tiger to the White Deer Academy, making him a proud outer disciple of the Five Beasts Sect.
But he could still be expelled at any time...
Inside the True Martial Talisman.
Fang Xing sat on a stone chair, one hand supporting his chin, the other tapping the armrest idly.
This True Martial Talisman was a mysterious object. Xun Lao Liu spent a long time examining it but couldn't figure out what it was. Later, he had it appraised by a master of precious stones, who thought it was worthless and discarded it.
Xun Black Tiger found it and liked it, and Xun Lao Liu, not minding the bad luck, gave it to him as a toy.
Until now, it had accompanied him to the White Deer Branch.
Outside, the muscular man continued:
"Martial arts have nine ranks, each step a peak. The lower three ranks are the foundation, focusing on strengthening the body. As long as you reach the Ninth Rank, the Copper Gate Realm, you will have a body like copper and strength like a bull, clearly distinguishing you from ordinary people. You can join any sect or army and start as a squad leader or company captain!"
"However, this is just the foundation. The lower three ranks are about building a solid base, preparing for the breakthrough to the middle three ranks..."
"Once you reach the Sixth Rank, 'Inner Strength,' you will be a formidable force in the world."
"Middle three-rank martial practitioners can live for two hundred years! With some treasures and proper care, living for three hundred years is not difficult!"
"As for the upper three-rank grandmasters, they are qualified to compete for positions on the Dragon Tiger List. The top ranks of the Dragon Tiger List, in ancient times, were figures like the Grand Founders of Dakan and Dayuan, capable of easily unifying the world and pacifying chaos... with a lifespan of five hundred years!"
...
Fang Xing listened carefully, knowing that as the world's origin developed, martial arts were indeed advancing.
The muscular man's words about the basics of martial arts were just to give these young men and women a goal.
In reality... if a few of them could reach the Sixth Rank of Inner Strength, it would be a cause for celebration.
...
"Alright, what you need to consider now is how to advance!"
The broad-shouldered, muscular man didn't give the young men and women a chance to ask questions, continuing: "Your families spent five hundred taels to send you to the White Deer Academy. Is it a lot? Not at all! Let me tell you, even the 'Copper-Lead Pill,' which is just for building a foundation to reach the Ninth Rank, requires a large amount of medicinal herbs, mixed with copper, iron, and lead... each pill costs one tael of silver!"
"Practicing martial arts, the lower three ranks require mountains of gold and seas of silver. As long as you can successfully reach the rank, this five hundred taels will be worth it. If you break through to the eighth rank, the sect will have to invest even more in you!"
At this, the eyes of the young men from modest backgrounds, like Xun Black Tiger, lit up.
"Coach Xiong, when do we start taking the pills and cultivating?"
A young man in fine clothing standing at the front asked.
"Taking pills? Take your dreams with you!"
Coach Xiong cursed, "Do you know why you have to wait until you're ten to start cultivating? Because taking pills is the most damaging to the body. If an ordinary person takes a 'Copper-Lead Pill,' they'll end up with their intestines burned through..."
"Therefore, the first step in martial cultivation is to train, nourish, and eat!"
"Practice stake postures, nourish your qi and blood, and take tonics!"
"Once your body is strong and your qi and blood are abundant, then you can try taking pills, using your qi and blood to digest the pill's power, repeatedly damaging and healing your body to forge the 'Copper Gate'!"
"I will now teach you the 'White Deer Stance,' a secret technique of the White Deer Academy. There is a rhyme: 'The white deer roams the forest, standing firm as a pine, stepping in the pattern of the seven stars, powerful as a rainbow, qi sinking to the dantian, embracing the sun and moon, yin and yang, the four symbols guarding the universe'..."
Coach Xiong assumed a stance. Despite his broad and muscular build, he exuded an unexpected lightness: "This White Deer Stance, first, you must root your feet, and second, your eyes must be sharp... If you can't make your body light, start with your eyes, using your eye strength..."
He had the young men and women assume their stances one by one, then circled around, slapping those who didn't look right.
Slap!
The young men and women who were slapped gritted their teeth, thanked the coach, and then got up to continue their practice.
"Starting today, you will stand the White Deer Stance for one hour each day, followed by various physical training and literacy classes... You will eat medicinal dishes in the canteen to nourish your qi and blood."
Coach Xiong smiled and suddenly said, "As the ancient saying goes—'A hundred days to lay the foundation of martial arts!' Therefore, after three months, there will be the first assessment. If you can't stand the stake and manipulate your qi and blood... you will be expelled from the White Deer Academy. Such failures won't even qualify to take pills... which means the five hundred taels your families paid will be wasted..."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xing noticed Xun Black Tiger tremble and clench his fists.
He could almost hear the other's thoughts—'I must manipulate my qi and blood; I cannot be eliminated!'
...
Two months later.
On the training ground.
Xun Black Tiger's body moved like a white deer, beads of sweat the size of beans dripping from his forehead.
Splatter!
The sweat droplets rolled and shattered on the stone slabs.
"Huff... huff..."
He panted heavily, "I'm still a little short of the qi and blood power... The assessment is in ten days."
"Black Tiger..."
A young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes looked over. "How's it going?"
This was Ouyang Daniu, a friend Xun Black Tiger knew.
He shook his head, "Still no success..."
"Ah."
Ouyang Daniu sat on the ground, his posture unrefined: "I heard those geniuses from noble families, like Yuchi Gang and the others, mastered their qi and blood in the first month and applied to take the 'Copper-Lead Pill' for cultivation... And just yesterday, Ye Fengchun broke through."
Xun Black Tiger fell silent.
Those martial geniuses from noble families had eaten countless tonics from a young age and had elders to guide them. He knew he couldn't compete, and he didn't think about it.
But Ye Fengchun?
That was his childhood friend from the same town, whose family were tailors.
Being outdone by this friend left him feeling very frustrated.
'No... I can't be expelled after just three months. I must reach the rank, and I must break through to the sixth rank, truly joining the Five Beasts Sect!'
Xun Black Tiger felt anxious.
He glanced over and saw a well-built girl among the girls, who seemed to look his way.
He quickly lowered his head to hide his gaze.
...
As night fell.
Xun Black Tiger found himself in a stone hall, in a daze.
"Where... where am I? Wasn't I in the dormitory?"
Xun Black Tiger widened his eyes, staring at the hazy mist and towering stone pillars.
On the many steps ahead, there was a hazy figure.
"This is inside the 'True Martial Talisman.'"
Fang Xing spoke calmly, having observed for a long time, he finally decided to take action.
By 'action,' he meant he found the boy somewhat agreeable and decided to cultivate him.
"True Martial Talisman?"
Xun Black Tiger's eyes widened. "What is it?"
"The True Martial Talisman is a supreme treasure in martial arts. You have a connection with it, and it will assist you... Are you not troubled by your qi and blood bottleneck? The True Martial Talisman excels at breaking through barriers, be it mastering qi and blood, reaching the rank, or even advancing from the seventh rank to the sixth, or from the fourth rank to the third..."
Fang Xing smiled, "Don't believe me... try it for yourself."
(End of Chapter)
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