Free Web NovelChapter 25: Chapter 25: Breakthrough
Xie Yuan looked at Tao Jelin’s smile, which looked more like he was about to cry, and raised an eyebrow.
"Brother Tao, did something happen?"
Tao Jelin let out a breath, a look of frustration on his face as he said:
"Just yesterday, I broke through to the 1st Layer."
Xie Yuan was a little surprised. Tao Jelin’s cultivation progress was actually quite fast.
He recalled that when they had first started, Tao Jelin’s aptitude was second only to his own. The man was clearly quite talented.
’But why the long face?’
"This is a good thing, Brother Tao! Such rapid progress in your cultivation. Congratulations, congratulations!"
Xie Yuan cupped his fists.
Tao Jelin let out a mournful sigh.
"Good thing? What good thing? The only reason my cultivation is so fast is because my old man threw a ton of silver at it, letting me buy medicinal soups so I could break through. That old coot is going to be the death of me..."
Xie Yuan’s eyebrow twitched. If it weren’t for the genuinely pained expression on Tao Jelin’s face, he would have thought he was humblebragging.
He asked, confused,
"So, Brother Tao, what’s so bad about it? Countless people would be green with envy... You don’t want to cultivate too quickly?"
"I didn’t before... but I do now."
Tao Jelin sighed and said in a low voice,
"Do you remember Xu Yang, the guy I told you about?"
Tao Jelin’s reminder instantly brought the man to Xie Yuan’s mind—a rich kid who liked to force people into sparring. Realization dawned on him.
"Don’t tell me he challenged you to a spar?"
Xie Yuan sized up Tao Jelin and only then noticed his awkward posture. Something seemed off about him.
’Did he really get beaten up?’
Tao Jelin sighed again and nodded.
"That’s right. No sooner had I gleefully told Senior Brother Huo about my breakthrough than Xu Yang, that bastard, showed up the moment Senior Brother Huo was gone, wanting to ’spar’ with me."
"That bastard’s been training for god knows how long, he’s about to break through to the 2nd Layer! How could I possibly be his match? He beat the hell out of me... HISS..."
Tao Jelin rubbed his lower back, but he touched a sore spot and instantly sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.
"I never should have broken through to the 1st Layer. I should have waited for you to break through first, Brother Xie. Let you beat his ass, and then I’d break through."
Xie Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said,
"You really overestimate me, Brother Tao. My cultivation isn’t even as fast as yours. I don’t have that kind of skill."
"With your skills, Brother Xie, you’ll definitely surpass him and put him in his place. I mean it."
The words rolled right off Tao Jelin’s tongue.
He was only half-serious. After all, he was the son of a merchant, and compliments didn’t cost any silver.
But he always felt that there was something different about Xie Yuan.
’We started at the same time, so I know better than anyone how strong his comprehension is and how fast he learns. His body might be a little weak, but it’s not some incurable disease. That can be fixed sooner or later. And anyway, doesn’t he have a healthy color in his cheeks now?’
Just as Tao Jelin was about to continue using Xie Yuan to vent his frustrations, an arrogant voice called out from behind them.
"What are you two talking about over here?"
Tao Jelin shuddered the moment he heard the voice.
He spun around swiftly, a warm smile plastered on his face as if he were greeting his dearest friend.
"Senior Brother Xu! I was just praising your amazing talent and exquisite Cultivation Technique. Few in the martial hall can be considered your match!"
Xie Yuan also turned and saw a tall, well-built, and arrogant young man with a round face standing before them—it was Xu Yang.
With his head held slightly high, he listened to Tao Jelin’s flattery with a pleased expression.
"You exaggerate. Senior Brother Huo and the other Direct Disciples are true Martial Artists. I can’t compare to them just yet."
"..."
Tao Jelin was speechless.
’This Xu Yang is so shameless. He makes it sound like he’ll be able to match the Direct Disciples in no time.’
’And it seems he doesn’t even think the Core Disciples are worth mentioning...’
After speaking, Xu Yang added his critique.
"You need to practice your skills more; your foundation is too weak. Ponder those few pointers I gave you earlier. Do you hear me?"
’Fuck, do you think you’re the Sect Leader?’
In his head, Tao Jelin cursed Xu Yang’s ancestors back eight generations, but the smile on his face was brighter than a spring flower.
"You’re right, Senior Brother Xu. It’s just that your skills are so profound. Even if I want to learn, how could I ever hope to catch up!"
"I never expected you to catch up. With your level of talent, just learning the basics will be enough to benefit you for a long time."
Tao Jelin’s smile froze. For all his eloquence, he was utterly at a loss for words and could only manage a stiff nod.
Xu Yang’s gaze shifted, turning to Xie Yuan.
"You’re Xie Yuan, right?"
"Senior Brother Xu."
Xie Yuan cupped his fists.
Xu Yang stood with his hands behind his back.
"I remember you started out quite fast. Even wanted to become a... ’Core Disciple.’ What, you still haven’t broken through to the 1st Layer?"
He paused on the words "Core Disciple," clearly placing some importance on them.
"Not yet."
Xie Yuan said simply.
Seeing that Xie Yuan’s attitude wasn’t respectful enough, Tao Jelin quickly tried to signal him with his eyes.
But Xie Yuan didn’t react, as if he hadn’t seen a thing.
Xu Yang frowned, stopping a follower behind him who looked ready to lash out. His voice turned slightly cold. freёwebnovel.com
"Such poor aptitude. Then again, that’s about the standard for you lot. When you break through to the 1st Layer, I’ll give you a pointer or two. I’ll show you how a real genius cultivates."
"Alright."
’I can’t be bothered with this self-important rich kid.’
’His skill is just at the tree-bark level. I might not win in a spar, but if this were a real fight, one swing of my axe would send him to meet his ancestors.’
Xu Yang sensed Xie Yuan’s indifference, and his expression darkened slightly.
But he prided himself on being an expert and couldn’t be seen losing his temper with a new disciple. He merely pursed his lips and said,
"You’d better break through soon. Don’t keep me waiting."
After Xu Yang stormed off, Tao Jelin cried out,
"Brother Xie, why are you so stubborn? Couldn’t you have just humored him a little? From his tone, it’s obvious he’s got it in for you now. He’s just waiting for you to break through so he can teach you a lesson!"
"Brother Tao, you were plenty polite to him. What good did it do?"
Xie Yuan’s single question left Tao Jelin speechless.
"When someone dares to come after you, you can’t give an inch. You have to chop off their arm. That’s a lesson I only learned recently myself."
Hearing the flat tone of Xie Yuan’s voice, Tao Jelin shivered, a look of astonishment on his face.
’Isn’t Brother Xie a woodcutter?’
’How is his killing intent even heavier than the pig butcher’s at the market?’
Xie Yuan found Cao Shan and checked in, letting him know that he hadn’t run off and was still planning to train.
After asking for a few pointers on cultivating the Iron Cloth Shirt, he exchanged for five more sets of medicinal soup. He used the remaining two silver to buy some meat, vegetables, and grain, then pushed it all back to Little Stone Village on his flatbed cart.
With enough meat, grain, and medicinal tonics, Xie Yuan’s cultivation progress immediately rose to a new level.
His Body-Nourishing Skill grew more and more proficient. Gradually, Xie Yuan could feel a wisp of energy stirring within his body.
The energy was still faint, but it quietly strengthened his Qi and Blood and nourished his meridians.
Nourished by the tonics and this energy, the Blood Qi in his chest grew thicker and thicker, eventually reaching the width of his little finger.
Xie Yuan circulated this strand of Blood Qi, letting it travel across the surface of his skin to constantly strengthen it.
His skin grew increasingly tough, and his physical strength seemed to grow along with it. freёwebnovel.com
As he continued to cultivate like this, he finally felt like he was truly practicing martial arts and strengthening his body.
Finally, after nearly ten more days, Xie Yuan had finished all the medicinal soups. He methodically practiced the Iron Cloth Shirt’s Pile Skill forms, pushing his progress to its peak.
[Iron Cloth Shirt · 1st Layer: (500/500)]
