Chapter 92: Expanding the Inner Hall
Chapter 92: Expanding the Inner Hall
Inside the Gu Family Estate's main hall, a boy of about seven or eight stood nervously, his eyes filled with awe as he gazed at Qingfeng Gu.
On the other side, Qingfeng Gu also looked at the boy. Unlike the pale and emaciated state he was in before, a month of good food and martial training had significantly improved the boy’s health and vitality.
“His vitality is like that of a bull!”
“Indeed, a clear sign of stepping into the path of martial arts!”
Qingfeng Gu nodded in satisfaction. Just by observing the boy’s vitality, he could tell whether the boy had truly entered the realm of martial arts. After all, martial artists had robust vitality, and even those just beginning to cultivate the Skin Tempering stage had a level of vitality and strength that far surpassed ordinary people.
“What’s your name?”
“R... Reporting to the Estate Lord, my name is Duke—”
The boy’s voice was tensely stuttering.
Qingfeng Gu asked, “Where are you from originally, and do you have any family left?”
“Estate Lord, I have forgotten my original home. I only have my parents, but they died of famine a few years ago. Now, I am alone.”
This time, Duke, now known as Quan Gu, answered more fluently.
Qingfeng Gu nodded slightly.
“Since that’s the case, from today forward, you will be known as Quan Gu and will become a formal disciple of the Inner Hall. This is the Inner Hall Master, Yang Gu. He will guide you in your cultivation from now on.”
As he spoke, Qingfeng Gu pointed to Yang Gu beside him. Quan Gu was taken aback for a moment, then he was overjoyed, bowing deeply in gratitude.
“Thank you, Estate Lord!”
“Greetings, Hall Master!”
During his time at the Gu Family Estate, Quan Gu had heard about the Inner Hall. It was a higher tier than the Outer Hall, and only direct descendants of the Gu family or those granted the Gu surname could join.
Quan Gu hadn’t really aspired to join the Inner Hall. His true goal was to reach the Skin Tempering stage within a year and become a formal Outer Hall disciple, which would mean he wouldn’t have to return to the life of eating one meal and going hungry for three days. But to his surprise, he not only became a formal disciple of the Gu Family Estate but was also directly admitted to the Inner Hall and given the Gu surname. He couldn’t help but be deeply moved.
...
Quan Gu stepped back, and Yang Gu took him to familiarize himself with the Inner Hall’s environment.
Strictly speaking, this was the first disciple of the Inner Hall. As the core of the Gu Family Estate, Qingfeng Gu naturally wouldn’t allow just anyone to join. Only direct descendants of the Gu family or those who were truly loyal to the Gu family and possessed sufficient talent could become Inner Hall disciples.
Quan Gu was young and an orphan, and with the Gu Family Estate’s focused cultivation, the seeds of loyalty would be planted in his heart from a young age, ensuring his loyalty would not be a problem.
In terms of talent, there was no doubt.
He had managed to enter the initial stage of Skin Tempering in just one month. Such talent was far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Qingfeng Gu himself had taken several years to barely break through to the initial stage of Skin Tempering, highlighting the significant gap between them.
In general, those who could break through to the initial stage of Skin Tempering within a year could be considered geniuses and would have no problem breaking through to the Blood Tempering stage. Even reaching the Bone Tempering stage was a possibility. If they could break through in half a year, the Bone Tempering stage would be a certainty. If they could break through in three months, they would have the potential to become a Small Grandmaster. And if they could break through in just one month, they were the seeds of a Grandmaster.
Indeed, with Quan Gu’s talent, if he didn’t die, he might even have the potential to become a Grandmaster.
Of course.
The probability of breaking through to the Master level is very low, but there is still a chance.
There are many martial artists in the world, but how many can truly reach the Master realm?
Therefore, when Gu Qingfeng learned of Gu Quan's potential, he was somewhat surprised.
Who would have thought that among a mere thousand orphans, such a top-tier genius could emerge?
Even if the other nine hundred and ninety-nine were all useless, this batch of Gu Family Manor was still a complete success.
...
On the other side, in the Inner Hall disciples' quarters, Gu Yang looked at the person in front of him and handed over a secret manual.
"This is the Gu Family Fist. I believe you practiced it in the Outer Hall, but the version for probationary disciples is only a part of it. Now, I'm giving you the complete version, which is a mid-grade martial technique.
This martial technique will help you lay a solid foundation and allow you to advance to the Blood Refinement stage.
However, this technique can only be practiced by you. If you transmit it outside without permission and it is discovered, it will be an unforgivable crime!"
"I understand, Sir!"
Gu Quan's face showed surprise, and he hurriedly bowed his head to speak.
Gu Yang nodded. "Good. Practice diligently. With your talent, you will surely have a place in the Inner Hall in the future. Don't let the Manor Lord's high regard for you go to waste."
"Yes, Sir!"
Gu Quan nodded earnestly and took the manual with his young hands.
Gu Yang then gave a few more instructions, telling Gu Quan to come to him if he had any questions, before turning to leave.
The Inner Hall now had someone, which made Gu Yang quite pleased.
After all, this way, he wasn't just an empty title as the Head of the Inner Hall.
In the Inner Hall disciples' quarters, Gu Quan looked around at the surroundings. Unlike the Outer Hall, where probationary disciples shared rooms with four or five others, Inner Hall disciples each had their own room, which was clean, tidy, and spacious.
This change made Gu Quan feel even more grateful.
—
Over the next few months, Gu Qingfeng continued to practice quietly. Unfortunately, among the many probationary disciples in the Outer Hall, no one else emerged as a top-tier genius like Gu Quan.
He found this quite understandable.
After all, top-tier geniuses are rare. It was already astonishing to find one in a thousand, and finding another would be highly unlikely.
However, after three months, there were four upper-tier geniuses who broke through to the martial path. Their backgrounds were similar to Gu Quan's.
Therefore, Gu Qingfeng bestowed the Gu surname upon them and took them all into the Inner Hall.
Gu Qingfeng had no intention of filling the Inner Hall with mediocrities. At the very least, they needed to have the potential to break through to the Visceral Refinement stage and become Lesser Masters to be eligible for the Inner Hall.
From the beginning, Gu Qingfeng had set the Gu Family Manor to match the standards of top-tier forces. The manor might seem weak now, but that's only because it is still in its early stages and lacks the foundation of larger organizations.
If given several decades or even a century to grow, the Gu Family Manor could easily rival any of them.
Therefore, Gu Qingfeng would not lower the standards for the Inner Hall.
Later, those who broke through to the Skin Refinement stage after six months or a year were all made official Outer Hall disciples. Whether they could enter the Inner Hall would depend on further rigorous evaluations.
(End of Chapter)
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