Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Time flies, and more than a month has passed.

Several major events have occurred in Songjiang County.

One was that Commandant Qin personally ordered the annihilation of all the remaining members of the Black Tiger Gang, a move that was extremely powerful.

The Black Tiger Gang has been deeply rooted in Songjiang County for many years, with intricate connections and ties to various wealthy households. Rumors have circulated that Commander Qin has made a fortune from this operation.

The second thing is that the county will hold a martial arts competition at the Ming Jin level, which will be personally presided over by Commandant Qin.

Two things became topics of conversation among many martial arts practitioners.

That day, after a period of continuous rain, the weather was exceptionally cold.

Ye Ci had just been standing on the stake for over an hour, wiping the sweat from his forehead, when his second senior brother, Qi Wang, strolled over.

He was a young man in his thirties, always smiling when his master wasn't around. Upon seeing Ye Ci, he waved.

"Junior Brother Ye, Master said you should participate in the Ming Jin martial arts competition in the county. Firstly, it will allow you to accumulate combat experience, and secondly, since the opponents are of varying skill levels, it will be easier for you to show your abilities."

"When?"

"Next week, the captain said that it's cold today and he's worried that everyone will be too warmly dressed to move around freely."

"Can I not participate?" Ye Ci asked.

Qi Wang was taken aback: "Why not participate?"

Ye Ci said, "For now, I want to focus on martial arts training. Even if other wealthy families take a liking to me, it will only be a part-time job. I'm doing very well at the Ping An Escort Agency. The senior members there take good care of me, and I've always done short-distance escorts, which doesn't interfere with my training. So, even if someone invites me to do other part-time jobs, I won't agree."

"That's true. With Fifth Junior Brother looking after you, you don't need to rush to rely on other wealthy families."

Hearing that what he said made sense, Qi Wang nodded, then said with a touch of emotion:

"Only someone like Junior Brother Xiao Hua, with the talent of a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, can get investment from others. That's real money coming in for free."

It means that receiving money for free means that you don't need to pay much; it's just a gift from others to establish a good relationship.

Ye Ci glanced towards the backyard and chimed in, "I see that Junior Brother Xiao rarely goes out. He's probably busy practicing his skills. If he passes the imperial examination, then all those investments won't be wasted; they'll be good karma he's built up in advance."

Qi Wang glanced at the backyard as well: "Master told him not to go out before he reaches the Inner Strength level. Someone with his talent is easy to be targeted... But once he reaches the Inner Strength level, he will be hard to beat in the county. Even if someone wants to harm him, they will have to think twice."

It turned out to be the case.

Ye Ci felt that Master Yang was quite experienced. No wonder the Black Tiger Gang had been watching for so long without finding an opportunity; it turned out that Master Yang had already guessed it.

"However, Junior Brother Xiao will soon be at the level of internal strength." Qi Wang clicked his tongue in amazement. "Those with exceptional talent and comprehension can indeed develop internal strength faster than ordinary people."

"Is it about to reach its hidden power level?"

Ye Ci felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected this kid to be so fast. He knew very well that Xiao Hua was not the type to endure hardship in his training.

Sure enough, it seems like geniuses have suddenly become omnipotent.

"That's considered slow. Logically speaking, the first three years of training are extremely important, and it's also the time when strength increases the fastest. It's not uncommon for some noble children to break through to the Dark Force level in a month or two."

After Qi Wang finished speaking, he patted Ye Ci on the shoulder again:

"By the way, Master said you must participate in the county's martial arts competition. It's not that Master is forcing you, but that Commandant Qin requires it... All Ming Jin disciples from all the martial arts schools in the county must participate..."

"I'm here to remind you that you've been focusing on strengthening your qi and blood lately, so you should also spend some time practicing your fist and sword techniques."

"Since we are both Ming Jin (a type of martial arts), fighting style is very important. If you perform well and gain the favor of the captain, it will be very good for you."

After saying that, he shook his head regretfully: "It's not worth the effort for you to try and break through the barrier a second time. You should practice your fighting style more..."

After all, it is almost impossible for someone with extremely poor aptitude to attempt a second attempt.

Ye Ci frowned slightly.

He didn't mind Qi Wang's tone; he knew it was well-intentioned.

But a martial arts competition...

The Ming Jin style of martial arts school must participate.

It seems the plaster man really wants to find himself...

[Technique: Minor Mastery of Rock Stance (1551/2000)]

A week?

Can one reach the level of internal strength in a week?

Now, thanks to the tonics, his physical strength has significantly improved. In addition, having given up his training methods, he is also constantly increasing the number of times he trains each day.

During this period, I focused all my energy on improving my stance training, and my daily proficiency level was only around 30 to 40 points.

In other words, it is impossible to break through to the Dark Force level within a week.

The captain arrived at just the right time!

As a disciple of Ming Jin, one must participate in martial arts competitions.

The plaster cast is really not letting itself off the hook!

Just as they were pondering what to do, a cry of surprise came from the other side of the courtyard, followed by a commotion.

"Huh!? What happened?"

Ye Ci looked over and saw Xiao Hua raising his arms and shouting wildly.

"It's done! It's done! I did it!"

Just then, Jiang Ding'an saw Ye Ci and Qi Wang talking and decided to come over and join in the fun.

Hearing Xiao Hua shouting wildly at the backyard gate, I couldn't help but say:

"Shutting around like that! It's done? What's done? Has it become a spirit? Damn it..."

"He... *thump thump thump*... broke through to the Dark Force realm."

Jiang Du followed behind Xiao Hua and spoke to the disciple beside him.

The disciples all gathered around without prior arrangement.

"Junior Brother Xiao has broken through to the Dark Force realm?"

"This training hasn't even lasted a year... no, not even half a year!"

"..."

The disciples present were discussing it animatedly.

Ming Jin and An Jin are worlds apart. Ming Jin emphasizes physical strength developed through rigorous training, and its fighting style involves responding to each move and engaging in direct, forceful combat, creating a powerful and dynamic force.

Hidden strength is concealed within and manifested subtly. It emphasizes "gathering" the power of manifest strength into the dantian, and then seeps into the skin, flesh, and bones along the meridians. When exerting force, it appears gentle, but in reality, the power penetrates the internal organs.

Moreover, after developing internal strength, the skin becomes several times more resilient than before, and the bones become much harder, making it difficult for ordinary people to get injured.

It could be said that if Xiao Hua had reached the level of internal strength last time, he would not have been slapped again and a palm print would not have been left.

Of course, this was Ye Ci's thought; he simply glanced at it calmly and then looked away.

As usual, I continued practicing.

The disciples all stepped forward to congratulate Xiao Hua, their words mostly filled with flattery.

To reach the Dark Force level in less than half a year is an astonishing talent.

Some disciples, after offering their congratulations, became dejected, and Meng Zhaoting, who had a past relationship with Xiao Hua, also sighed:

"Junior Brother Xiao! I'm considered one of the top three in Ming Jin within the academy, but after more than three years of training, I still haven't been able to break through to the second stage... while you, Junior Brother, have only had less than half a year..."

Over the years, he has been practicing diligently, and his family has invested a great deal of money, but he has never been able to pass the test a second time.

"Um?"

Surrounded by the crowd, Xiao Hua gradually calmed down after his initial euphoria. He glanced at Meng Zhaoting and said calmly:

"Watch your words. I've only been cultivating for about three months now, what do you mean by half a year...?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples around him felt that his tone was very different from usual, and they all paused and fell silent for a moment.

Meng Zhaoting's expression was somewhat embarrassed, and he chuckled awkwardly, "Junior Brother Xiao truly lives up to his reputation as a genius. No wonder Master took him on as his last disciple..."

He also noticed that Xiao Hua's attitude had changed.

Looking back, Xiao Hua wasn't like this when the Commandant hosted the banquet before. He had asked me many times what I should pay attention to when socializing outside.

now……