I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

Chen Lutang was in high spirits. He accepted Xie An's bow, then gestured with his hand, "Then it's settled. Tomorrow is New Year's Day. Come to the martial arts school, and I will bring all my disciples to publicly perform the apprenticeship ceremony for you, to formally establish your status."

"It's entirely up to you, senior brother."

Chen Lutang drank a few more sips of wine before turning and leaving.

After seeing Chen Lutang off, Xie Yu returned, still somewhat dazed. "Brother, you're truly a blessed man. Just because of that hesitation earlier, you went from being an apprentice to a junior disciple..."

Xie An, also feeling the unpredictability of life, scratched his head and said, "I never expected things to turn out this way..."

Xie Yu was very happy: "I can tell that Master Chen truly values ​​you, brother. With this new status, your future path will be much smoother."

Xie An nodded in deep agreement.

After dinner, the brother and sister got together to cut paper snowflakes and paste up couplets. Seeing that people in town were setting off fireworks, they went out to watch them.

This is a good year.

……

The next morning, Xie An got up early and went to the courtyard to practice the sixth form of Bajiquan, Tiger Embrace.

This move simulates the contraction and gathering of power before a tiger pounces on its prey. The movement involves wrapping the arms around the opponent's arms and body, bringing them under control, and then generating power from the waist and hips to create a unified force that both embraces inward and explodes outward.

The core principle is to encircle and block the tiger in times of crisis, emphasizing speed like lightning and seizing the initiative in an instant.

Xie An had already entered the Ming Jin stage, and his cultivation was no longer as difficult as before; on the contrary, he could get started very quickly.

Within an hour or two, the panel reacted.

[Tiger Hug: 2/100]

Xie An finished his practice and checked his martial arts level on the panel:

Ming Jin (Beginner)

"It seems that the Ming Jin level is different from the five basic stages. There is a saying that there is minor success and major success once you enter the gate. I will have to ask my senior brother after I go to the sect to pay my respects."

Moreover, Xie An clearly felt that after entering the Ming Jin realm, practicing Bajiquan... would have no effect on improving his martial arts level.

It seems that one needs to cultivate internal martial arts techniques specifically designed to hone one's inner strength.

This is also why Xie An chose to become a disciple.

After breakfast, Xie An took Xie Yu out to the martial arts school.

As soon as I arrived at the Central Court's martial arts training ground, everyone turned to look at me and took the initiative to come up and greet me.

Good morning, Senior Brother Xie An.

"Senior Brother Xie An."

"Congratulations, Xie An," Mai Qiuyan said as she came forward to offer her congratulations.

Liu Jiang followed suit and came up to offer his congratulations.

Wu Wei, Ma Tie, and Pang Tong stood at a distance without saying a word. Whenever Xie An looked over, they would lower their heads, appearing quite awkward.

"Junior Brother Xie An, Master wants you to go to the Hall of Merit." Zhan Ping rushed over at this moment.

Xie An noticed that Zhan Ping's way of addressing Chen Lutang had changed, so he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "It seems that Master Chen has already accepted you as his personal disciple. Congratulations, Senior Brother Zhan Ping."

Zhan Ping beamed, "Well, it's all thanks to you. But Master summoned all six of his former direct disciples to the Shougong Hall today; it seems he has something important to arrange. Come with me quickly."

After saying that, Zhan Ping instructed Mai Qiuyan: "Call the other formal disciples to the gate of Shougong Hall. Master has something to arrange."

……

Xie An followed Zhan Ping all the way to Shougong Hall.

The atmosphere in the spacious hall was extremely solemn and dignified. Chen Lutang and Lin Xiulan sat at the head of the table, with Wei Xiang, Shen Lie, and Chen Ling standing to their left, and four more people standing to their right. Apart from the lowly Wei Dian, Xie An did not recognize the other three.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw Xie An arrive.

Wei Xiang walked over and introduced, "You know Shen Lie and Chen Ling. You also know Wei Dian. This is your first time meeting the other three personal disciples, so let me introduce them to you..."

Thanks to Wei Xiang's introduction, Xie An finally learned about the three people.

A burly man, two meters tall, named Zhu Liehu, was a master of external martial arts and a Ming Jin martial artist. His father was the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of the Lion and Tiger Escort Agency in Baiyun County.

A handsome young man dressed as a scholar was named Zhang Wenqing. He had passed the imperial examination in Baiyun County in his early years and came from a family of scholars. He was also a martial arts master.

There was also a dashing and tall young woman named Zhou Yurao, whose family was in the salt business in Baiyun County. She was also a martial arts expert.

Xie An gave Zhou Yurao a closer look. She was wearing a fitted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her long legs were truly impressive. She had a beautiful face and a dashing appearance.

The three of them greeted each other warmly.

cough cough.

Chen Lutang then spoke up, "Zhanping's apprenticeship ceremony has just concluded. Now I have an announcement to make."

After saying this, Chen Lutang stood up and faced the portrait hanging high on the wall.

The old man in the painting has white hair and a youthful face, with his hands behind his back and his eyes shining brightly. He is none other than the founder of the Bajiquan school.

An altar was set up in front of the portrait, with sacrificial animals, fruits, and an incense burner on it, and candles flickering on both sides.

Chen Lutang took three incense sticks from the table, lit them, raised them high above his head, and said loudly:

"By the patriarchs of the Bajiquan School, your disciple Chen Lutang, now under the tutelage of your senior master Cihang, has accepted Xie An as his junior brother. Although Xie An entered the school relatively late, he possesses exceptional talent and a pure heart. After only six months of developing Mingjin (internal strength), he is capable of undertaking great responsibilities. Your disciple Chen Lutang humbly requests the patriarchs to grant him permission to enter the school, to inherit the Bajiquan martial arts, and to promote the righteous spirit of our school."

He bowed deeply three times and inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner.

Lin Xiulan stood up, took a dark bronze plaque from the table, and handed it to Chen Lutang. The front of the wooden plaque was engraved with the three characters "Bajimen" and the back with the two characters "Xie An". The edges were inlaid with silver wire, giving it an ancient and solemn appearance.

Chen Lutang turned to face Xie An and solemnly said, "Xie An, kneel down."

Xie An knelt down, his back ramrod straight.

Chen Lutang nodded and said in a clear voice, "The Eight Extremes Sect has three rules: First, respect your teacher and value the Way; you must not deceive your teacher or betray your ancestors. Second, uphold justice and uphold righteousness; you must not bully the weak. Third, be diligent and strive for improvement; you must not be lazy or complacent. Can you do that?"

Xie An cupped his hands in greeting: "This disciple can do it."

"Alright." Chen Lutang handed him the bronze token. "This is the token of the Bajiquan Sect. Holding this token while traveling the martial world signifies that you are a disciple of the Bajiquan Sect. From now on, you are my peer, ranking above Wei Xiang, Shen Lie, and others. When they see you, they should address you as 'Uncle-Master'."

Xie An accepted the wooden plaque with both hands, kowtowed three times, and said: "Disciple Xie An pays respects to Grandmaster Wu and reveres Master Cihang."

Chen Lutang reached out and helped him up, then faced the crowd: "Why don't you quickly greet your junior uncle?"

Wei Xiang stepped forward first, clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Disciple Wei Xiang greets Junior Uncle."

Shen Lie followed closely behind, his voice clear and bright: "Disciple Shen Lie greets Junior Uncle."

Chen Ling pursed her lips and followed suit, bowing: "Disciple Chen Ling greets Junior Uncle."

Zhu Liehu, Zhang Wenqing, Zhou Yurao, and Chen Ling bowed in unison, saying, "Disciples greet Junior Uncle."

Zhan Ping's face lit up with joy, and he bowed respectfully: "Disciple Zhan Ping greets Junior Uncle."

Finally, it was Wei Dian's turn.

His lips trembled slightly, his hands hung at his sides, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and he was struggling to control himself.

This poor boy, who was washing dishes with him in the backyard just six months ago, is now going to become his "uncle-master".

He opened his mouth, but his voice was barely audible, as if squeezed from his throat: "Your...disciple Wei Dian...pays respects to...Junior Uncle."

After saying those words, all the color drained from his face, his eyes reddened, and he looked completely drained.

Chen Lutang glanced at him, said nothing, and only sighed softly.

"Let's go." Chen Lutang took Xie An's hand and strode out of Shougong Hall.

Outside the Shougong Hall, more than thirty formal disciples were already lined up and waiting. The morning light shone on them, illuminating their young faces, some curious, some expectant, and some bewildered.

Chen Lutang stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice booming: "Today, I, Chen Lutang, on behalf of my master, accept Xie An as my junior brother. From this day forward, Xie An will be your junior uncle, your peer. When you see him, you must treat him with the respect due to a disciple, and you must not be negligent!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

"Junior Uncle? Xie An... has become the Master's junior brother?"

"He's only been a disciple for six months! Six months to reach the Ming Jin level, and he's already our senior uncle!"

"This...this is too outrageous."

The discussions came like a tidal wave, but were quickly replaced by awe.

Everyone stared at the boy in the coarse cloth jacket on the steps, their eyes shifting from shock to envy, and then from envy to awe.

Xie An stood beside Chen Lutang, his back straight and his face calm. The morning light shone on his face, adding a touch of composure and serenity to his young features.

More than thirty formal disciples knelt down and shouted in unison, "Disciples pay respects to Junior Uncle!"

The sound was like thunder, echoing in the air above the training ground, causing the snow on the eaves to fall in a rustling sound.

Xie An took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed slightly: "Please rise, my fellow disciples."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

That wasn't the profoundness of the Blood Rush Realm, but rather the restraint and clarity unique to Ming Jin martial artists.

Lin Chong, kneeling on the ground in the crowd, looked up at Xie An with his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

Mai Qiuyan, who was next to him, had her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Liu Jiang's expression was complicated, while Pang Tong kept his head down, making his expression unreadable. Wu Wei and Ma Tie huddled at the back of the crowd, barely daring to breathe.

Upon seeing this scene, Wei Dian lowered his head again, standing like a withered tree in the wind and snow, completely out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.

Resentment, grievance, regret, disappointment...

A mixture of emotions, a chilling, bone-deep feeling.