Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Wu Yongfeng shook his head. "The Martial Arts Ascension Dragon is a crucial path for Martial Arts Sects to select disciples. How could it not be important? You all know that an ungrateful person like Lu Ren can’t be trusted. Do you really think the Gu Clan Leader is a fool?"

At this, the others fell silent.

Their goal was merely Qi Gathering Minor Achievement. The ambitious ones might dare to dream of Qi Gathering Great Success. But the Gu Family was aiming for the Martial Arts Sects. They were on a completely different level, so how could their thinking be the same?

They didn’t care if Lu Ren would betray them in the future. All that mattered was that Lu Ren could contribute on behalf of the Gu Family’s young master during the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon.

"Do you know anything about the Martial Arts Sects?"

Xu Yang thought, ’So the "Dragon Ascension" in Martial Arts Ascension Dragon is about ascending to a Martial Arts Sect.’ 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Wu Yongfeng, Qiu Wenjie, and the others all shook their heads.

"I’ve heard that the Martial Arts taught in the Martial Arts Halls of Qingyuan County are all incomplete, only reaching the Marrow Cleansing stage at most," Zhang Hong sighed. "Only by entering a Martial Arts Sect can one obtain a complete Cultivation Technique and pursue the peak of the Martial Dao. Unfortunately, I’m already out of the running."

With his talent and Cultivation Resources, it was impossible for him to reach Qi Gathering Great Success within two or three years.

Because just like Xu Yang, he had a Lower C-class Root Bone.

"The Martial Arts Ascension Dragon... I will participate. I’ll go see the sights of the Martial Arts Sects for all of you." Zhang Yong’s fists tightened.

Hearing this, Wu Yongfeng’s eyes lit up. "Junior Brother Zhang Yong, have you already reached Qi Gathering Minor Achievement?"

Zhang Yong nodded lightly. "I had a fortunate breakthrough last night. My Qi Gathering has reached Minor Achievement."

Wu Yongfeng was overjoyed. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhang Yong! It looks like we’re going to have a Martial Scholar in our midst."

Immediately after, Qiu Wenjie and Zhang Hong also stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Xu Yang also stepped forward to congratulate Zhang Yong, not at all surprised that he had reached Qi Gathering Minor Achievement.

In their group of ten, Zhang Yong’s Root Bone was second only to Lu Ren’s. In terms of cultivation, even he and Lu Ren could only be considered diligent, while Zhang Yong’s training could be described as desperate.

Furthermore, after he succeeded in Qi Gathering, unlike Zhang Hong who was ignored by everyone, Zhang Yong’s Upper C-class Root Bone had caught the eye of a minor family. They had arranged a marriage to recruit him as a son-in-law, providing him with silver coins to support his martial arts training.

With no lack of resources, it was perfectly normal for Zhang Yong to reach Qi Gathering Minor Achievement a few days later than him. At this rate, it was entirely possible he could reach Qi Gathering Great Success before the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon.

"It’s a shame you were unwilling to bend the knee. Otherwise, you and I could have continued to compete in the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon," Zhang Yong said, looking at Xu Yang with some emotion.

He had finally surpassed Xu Yang for the first time, but it was because he had bowed his head to money, and he felt no joy in it.

Xu Yang shook his head but didn’t explain.

Seeing this, Zhang Hong changed the subject. "The Huang Family announced today that they’re holding another selection to find and cultivate new talent. If you have any suitable young relatives, you can tell them to head to the Huang Family estate tomorrow for the bone-reading..."

Sure enough, as soon as he brought up the Huang Family, everyone’s attention shifted. Even some of the other martial brothers nearby crowded over to ask questions.

...

"This is absurd. If it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out. Why resort to such despicable tactics?"

Huang Jin had immediately come to find Huang Ling’er after hearing what she had done.

"Fifth Uncle, isn’t this all your fault? I disagreed from the start, but you insisted I use a marriage alliance to win him over."

"Now this mud-caked peasant has rejected me, rejected the Huang Family! If I don’t do this, what will happen to my reputation when word gets out? Where is the Huang Family’s dignity? People will mock us, saying even a peasant looks down on our family."

Huang Ling’er didn’t think she was in the wrong. She was just saving the Huang Family’s reputation.

Huang Jin fell silent. It wasn’t that he had insisted on the marriage alliance, but that Huang Ping had demanded Xu Yang marry a Huang Family woman in exchange for financial support.

"It’s true that I didn’t think this through properly. But only a few of us knew about this. If we don’t say anything, who would ever find out?"

"Now you’ve made it public knowledge. If Xu Yang tells the truth, the Huang Family’s reputation will be the one truly ruined."

"And you, Fifth Uncle, can you guarantee that Xu Yang won’t talk?"

Huang Ling’er sneered. "Let him explain. We’ll see if people believe my Huang Family or that mud-caked peasant."

She was certain that even if Xu Yang came forward to clarify things, no one would believe him.

Huang Jin shook his head. "By bullying him like this, we’ve destroyed what little goodwill existed between us."

Huang Ling’er’s expression was full of disdain. "A mere Lower C-class Root Bone. What use is his goodwill? After rejecting my Huang Family, he’ll be lucky to even reach Qi Gathering Great Success in this lifetime."

Huang Jin felt heart-weary. He had always been optimistic about Xu Yang, which was why he had tried so hard to preserve the goodwill between the Huang Family and Xu Yang, even after things fell through. But Huang Ling’er’s actions had completely severed that connection, and might even have earned his enmity.

The Huang Family was already in such a state, yet instead of making friends, she was turning them into enemies. He had no idea what Huang Ling’er was thinking.

"Enough, Fifth Brother!"

Huang Ping waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t mention this Xu Yang again. Just consider this his way of repaying the Huang Family for nurturing him. How are the arrangements for the talent selection coming along?"

Huang Jin sighed and cupped his hands. "I have already sent people to spread the word everywhere, even to the villages outside the city."

Huang Ping nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, dismissing Huang Jin.

...

The heavy snow stopped the next day, but the thick drifts were already past knee-deep. The roofs of several houses in Bai Shi Workshop had collapsed under the weight, though thankfully no one was killed.

After getting up, Xu Yang cleared the snow from his roof once more before heading up the mountain to chop firewood.

He used to just buy it, but now, with no one daring to go up the mountain, he had no choice but to cut it himself.

It was his own fault for being too focused on his training and not preparing in advance.

On the way, the knee-deep snow made walking difficult, even for a Qi Gathering Martial Artist like him.

"This is going to be a problem," Xu Yang sighed.

He couldn’t remember a snowstorm this bad in the last seven or eight years. If it continued for a few more days, people would start starving, if not freezing to death.

When he had bought rice and grain in the city yesterday, the prices were already rising.

People facing a crisis of survival were capable of anything.

Even the Sanhe Gang, for all their exploitation, wouldn’t dare push everyone to the point of not being able to survive.

Returning with a load of firewood, he saw a crowd gathered in front of his house from a distance and immediately quickened his pace.

Thankfully, it wasn’t any trouble, nor were they there to borrow money or grain. It was a group of young people from Bai Shi Workshop who had heard about the Huang Family’s selection and had come to him for confirmation.

He hadn’t expected the Huang Family to make such a big move, sending people to spread the news in Bai Shi Workshop despite the heavy wind and snow.

In the crowd, he spotted Zhang Daniu and He the Third—two people who utterly detested martial arts training had come as well.

"Brother Ah Yang, is it true?"

The one who spoke was a cousin from Xu Yang’s own clan, named Xu Zheng.

Xu Yang nodded. "The news is true. As long as you meet the standard after the bone-reading, the Huang Family will send you to a Martial Arts Hall to train. That’s how I was chosen back then."

Hearing that this was how Xu Yang had become a Martial Artist, the group of young men grew flushed with excitement.

If Xu Yang could make a name for himself this way, why couldn’t they?

"Ah Yang, please take them to the Huang Family, then," his uncle, Xu Daxin, said excitedly. He was Xu Zheng’s father.

Xu Yang thought for a moment. "I happen to be going into the city anyway, so I can guide them to the Huang Family. But the snow is thick and makes walking difficult. If anyone can’t keep up on the way, I won’t be waiting for them."

"If they can’t even walk to the city, what business does such trash have wanting to practice martial arts?" Xu Daxin said.

It was a small effort, so Xu Yang didn’t mind helping these peers get a chance to change their fate. He immediately led the group and set off toward the city.