Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

"Benefits..."

All the new disciples looked on with anticipation.

The entry benefits were likely what all the new disciples were most looking forward to.

If they hadn’t been hoping to obtain better Cultivation Resources at the Qingxuan Sect, they wouldn’t have traveled thousands of miles to join it.

The atmosphere grew tense as all the disciples held their breath in concentration.

"First."

Elder Chen held up one finger.

"All new disciples may receive one Middle Grade Internal Qi Technique for free, but it must not be taught to outsiders."

As soon as he said this, a subtle, irrepressible commotion broke out, and unconcealable joy appeared on the faces of most disciples.

A Middle Grade Cultivation Technique!

A precious Cultivation Technique that their families had coveted for generations but could never obtain was now theirs for free.

Despite the restriction against teaching it to others, this was still a surprisingly wonderful benefit.

Fang Han’s heart trembled as a wave of fervent excitement washed over him.

Switching to a better Inner Qi Cultivation Technique had been one of his primary reasons for joining the Qingxuan Sect in the first place.

He had originally thought he would need to exchange Sect Contribution Points for a better Inner Qi Cultivation Technique, never expecting it would be given away for free as a benefit for new disciples.

This alone showed how generous the Qingxuan Sect’s benefits were.

However, a few people in the crowd remained calm, like Li Feng, who stood with his blade cradled in his arms and merely raised an eyebrow.

Huang Ling’er, in her goose-yellow dress, blinked, showing little reaction.

The purple-veiled Yun Qianyue’s gaze remained as cold as ever.

Evidently, they came from extraordinary backgrounds; a Middle Grade Internal Qi Technique was nothing rare for them.

What they were currently cultivating was likely a Middle Grade Internal Qi Technique or even something better; they had no need to switch at all.

"Second."

Elder Chen held up a second finger.

"On the first day of each month, you may collect thirty Sect Contribution Points with your Identity Jade Token."

This time, a hint of disappointment appeared on some disciples’ faces. Thirty points really didn’t sound like much.

"Only thirty points? What’s that enough for?"

"Yeah, why only thirty?"

A few low murmurs rose from the crowd.

"Heh, be grateful! Sect Contribution Points are worth much more than silver."

"In the Contribution Hall, one point can be exchanged for a Peiyuan Pill. This pill is more effective than an Inner Qi Pill, and its market price is at least twenty taels of silver—and it’s often unavailable even if you have the money!"

Just then, a new disciple who was in the know whispered.

His words were like a stone tossed into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

"Contribution Points are that valuable?"

The disciples who had been disappointed just moments ago stared wide-eyed, their expressions quickly replaced by pleasant surprise.

One Contribution Point was worth twenty taels of silver, so thirty points was six hundred taels.

This fixed monthly income of resources already far exceeded what they could get from their own families.

’Six hundred taels a month... that’s seven thousand two hundred taels a year!’

Fang Han couldn’t help but marvel at the Qingxuan Sect’s immense generosity.

Before he left, the Patriarch had given him ten thousand taels and promised to support him with another ten thousand each year, an extremely large sum of money.

But the Qingxuan Sect’s basic benefits alone were already not far off from that amount, and this was just one of the basic benefits for new disciples.

Once his status in the Qingxuan Sect rose, the corresponding benefits would surely become even better.

"Third."

Elder Chen held up a third finger, his voice still steady.

"On the first and fifteenth of each month, I and several Stewards from the Sub-Branch will hold public lectures in the Inheritance Hall to answer your questions. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, you may raise them then."

Unlike the second benefit, this one immediately sparked interest in the eyes of many disciples, Fang Han included.

On the path of cultivation, blindly forging ahead alone was not advisable. With guidance from an expert, one could undoubtedly avoid many detours.

The difference between having guidance and having none was immense, especially when it came to understanding Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques, and breaking through bottlenecks.

’My Talent Amplification can speed up my cultivation, but it can’t make me self-taught. If I can get guidance from an expert, I can definitely avoid many missteps and make my already fast cultivation speed even faster.’

Moreover, if the Elder and the several Stewards were in Liangshui City, every single one of them would be considered the strongest Martial Artist there.

What an honor it was to be guided by such "strongest" experts.

Of the three benefits, this last one might just be the most valuable.

"The above are the three basic benefits the Sect provides for new disciples. If you wish to obtain more beyond these, there are two ways."

Elder Chen waited for the disciples to gradually digest this information before continuing.

"The first way is to achieve a high rank on the Martial Arts Stele of our Sub-Branch, or even the main Sect. You will be rewarded with a certain amount of Contribution Points each month based on your rank. The second way is to accept and complete missions issued by the Sect to earn Contribution Points."

A bold disciple immediately asked loudly, "Elder Chen, what kind of rank is considered a high rank?"

Elder Chen looked at the disciple and said flatly, "For now, you don’t need to think about the main Sect’s Martial Arts Stele rankings. The only thing you can strive for is the ranking on our Sub-Branch’s Martial Arts Stele."

"Those who can secure a spot in the top ten of the Sub-Branch’s Martial Arts Stele will be considered outstanding and will receive a certain amount of Contribution Points as a monthly reward."

"The top ten?"

At these words, the eyes of many disciples who were confident in their own strength immediately sharpened.

Their gazes instinctively darted toward those around them who might be a threat, and a subtle air of competition filled the space.

A grim arc formed on Li Feng’s lips, Yun Qianyue’s eyes glinted, and Huang Ling’er looked around curiously, as if wondering who would make it into the top ten.

"Now, follow me."

Elder Chen said no more and turned to leave.

The several Stewards immediately motioned for everyone to follow.

The group of over a hundred people passed through several corridors and arrived at a wide, stone-paved clearing deep within the Sub-Branch.

In the center of the clearing stood a massive Jade Stele.

The entire stele, over three zhang tall, had the gentle, lustrous white of jade.

It was set into the ground, its surface as smooth as a mirror, with a restrained, pearly luminescence that flowed in the faint light of dawn.

The face of the stele was blank—it was the Martial Arts Stele.

A disciple, looking puzzled, whispered to another, "Why is it empty? Where are the rankings of the senior brothers and sisters from previous years?"

Hearing this, one of the accompanying Stewards explained, "According to our sect’s rules, once disciples reach the age of thirty, they must leave the disciple ranks. They can either become a Steward or an Elder."

"The last batch of Sub-Branch disciples all left last year. Right now, aside from the Elder, us Stewards, and the servants, you new disciples are the only ones here. There are no disciples from previous years."

Everyone finally understood. At the same time, they realized that their batch would be the main body of the Sub-Branch for the next few years, and they would all be rivals.

"Now, step forward one by one and strike this stele with your full power. The Martial Arts Stele will automatically record the strength of your attack and generate a ranking."

Elder Chen announced the rules concisely.

The test began. One by one, the disciples stepped forward and struck the Martial Arts Stele with all their might.

For a moment, the stone clearing flashed with the light of Inner Qi, filled with everything from Palm Wind and Fist Force to Sword Pointing and Sword Aura.

As the attacks landed on the jade-colored surface of the stele, they triggered flashes of light of varying intensity, and temporary numbers would then appear after the corresponding names on the stele’s face.

The test proceeded quickly, and soon it was Fang Han’s turn.

He took a deep breath, walked to the stele, and drew his Cyan Blade Sword. Circulating the Pure Yuan Skill, he gathered the Inner Qi of an Early Stage of Ninth Grade cultivator at his sword’s tip and then thrust it forward!

The tip of the sword touched the stele’s surface. The stele flashed with light, which then faded, generating a temporary ranking.

However, since many disciples had not yet recorded their Power of Attack, checking the rankings now was meaningless. He stepped aside to let the other disciples record their own Power of Attack.

There were only one hundred and ten new disciples in total, so everyone finished recording their results quickly.

"Sixty-nine."

Fang Han looked at his final rank. Behind his name, the number "69" appeared.

Seeing this rank, he was rather surprised—not because it was low, but because it was higher than he had expected.

But after a moment of thought, he figured out the reason.

In terms of Inner Qi Cultivation alone, he was probably near the bottom among the hundred disciples who passed the assessment.

However, in terms of his level of comprehension of Martial Techniques, he was far from the bottom; in fact, he should be relatively high up.

It was by relying on the boost to his Attack Power from his Martial Technique that he was able to compensate for his weaker Inner Qi, surpassing thirty-one others to rank sixty-ninth.

This proved how crucial the cultivation of Martial Techniques was.

"He actually ranked... sixty-ninth?"

Wang Meng was also checking the rankings. She first looked at her own rank. As someone who had gotten in through connections, she was at the bottom, ranked one hundred and eighth.

Then, she looked at the rank of Fang Han, the person with whom she had an awkward relationship.

Seeing that Fang Han was ranked sixty-ninth, her eyes revealed her astonishment.

She had originally thought that someone from a small place like Liangshui City, even if he managed to pass the assessment and join the Qingxuan Sect, would surely be at the bottom of the pack.

But she never expected him to actually place sixty-ninth, a middle-of-the-road rank.

’I have to admit, I underestimated him a little,’ she thought. ’But that’s all it is.’

She refused to believe that he could one day become a prodigy on the Celestial Pride List like her own elder brother.

After confirming his own rank, Fang Han’s gaze shifted to the ten people at the top.

As expected, Li Feng, Yun Qianyue, and Huang Ling’er were all in the top ten, and had even taken the top three spots.

The full top ten rankings were as follows:

First, Yun Qianyue, Early Stage of Eighth Grade.

Second, Li Feng, Early Stage of Eighth Grade.

Third, Huang Ling’er, Late Stage of Ninth Grade.

In terms of Talent, she was definitely on the same Level as Yun Qianyue and Li Feng. She was just a year younger than them, which was why her strength was a tier lower.

Fourth, Shi Meng, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. He was a tall, sturdy youth with coarse features. His punches were fierce and carried a heavy, earthen aura.

Fifth, Liu Suifeng, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. He was a cold and arrogant youth in green robes, carrying a long sword on his back.

Sixth, Yan Hongyu, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. She was a young woman with a fiery look in her eyes, skilled in Palm Techniques.

Seventh, Han Yi, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. He was a rather steady-looking youth with unremarkable features, but ranking seventh proved he was anything but simple.

Eighth, Zhao Lin, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. She was a young woman with a gentle disposition who wielded a pair of Short Swords.

Ninth, Xiong Chong, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. True to his name, he was a brawny youth with a bronze complexion whose Fist Technique was powerful and heavy.

Tenth, Gao Yuan, Late Stage of Ninth Grade. He was tall and thin with eyes as sharp as an eagle’s, and he specialized in a fast Finger Technique.

As the ranks were finalized, the top ten drew the gazes of all the disciples.

Some disciples looked on with unconcealed envy, others with deep awe, while those who were not far from the top ten had the unyielding fire of battle spirit lit in their eyes.

After all the disciples had been tested and the rankings were locked in, Elder Chen nodded slightly and said, "The ranks are set. Now, step forward in order to receive this month’s contribution."

The disciples lined up again, stepping forward according to their rank to receive their monthly Contribution Points.

Naturally, everyone was especially curious to see just how many Contribution Points Yun Qianyue and the rest of the top ten would receive.