Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

The two stepped out of the library and headed towards the blacksmith's workshop.

On the way, the two fell silent.

Wu Zhi'ai suddenly spoke up: "You must be wondering why I'm willing to gamble 10% of the caravan's rights on your future?"

Chen Mo had a rough idea of ​​what was going on: "Because even 10% of the caravan's profits are hard for Boss Wu to handle?"

Wu Zhiai smiled and said, "That's one point. For me, 10% of the caravan's rights isn't much, but for Boss Wu, even half a percent would be very tempting."

"Secondly, it's because I had no other choice."

"No other choice? There must be dozens of Ming Jins in Heihe Town, right?" Chen Mo asked, somewhat puzzled.

Wu Zhiai shook her head. "On the surface, there are dozens, but in reality, most of them have already been assigned to someone. Moreover, the upper limit of those who have entered the Ming Jin realm early is already set, far inferior to you, a nineteen-year-old Ming Jin."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "So when I said there was no choice, I meant that among everyone else, there was no one more suitable than you."

After speaking, she smiled, her beauty standing out against her blue silk skirt.

This third young lady of the Wu family has reached marriageable age, but she has never sought her good match. Instead, she is trying to navigate the increasingly murky and stagnant waters of the Wu family.

Perhaps it's just to prove something.

Or perhaps, she just hasn't found her perfect match yet.

The two walked to the blacksmith's workshop.

"I won't bother you any longer," Wu Zhiai said. "If you need anything else, feel free to let me know."

"There really is." Chen Mo thought for a moment, "Sister Ai, could you help me buy some refined iron?"

"Refined iron... should only be available in the county town. I'll have the people who went to buy goods today buy some while they're at it."

After Wu Zhiai left, Chen Mo immediately immersed himself in cultivating his skills amidst the mountains and rivers...

……

Ten more sunrises and sunsets have passed.

The first light of dawn in spring.

After finishing his morning cultivation, Chen Mo checked the progress of his Mountain and Water Nourishing Technique in his mind:

He has now almost entered the late stage of Ming Jin (明劲), and has fully mastered the first four forms of Fu Hu Quan (伏虎拳), and has also begun to understand the wonders of Luo Yan Bu (罗烟步).

He stood up, stretched, and his previous injury had completely healed, leaving no trace.

"It's time to go to Tianqing Martial Arts School. We must secure a spot in the martial arts program."

He hadn't been to the martial arts school these past few days, and Yin Tianqing hadn't taken it to heart. Although the Hansha Gang had sent people to spy on the Wu family, they hadn't made any direct moves.

"Let's eat breakfast first before we go."

Chen Lan kept him there, and when the maid brought breakfast, Chen Mo devoured it as usual, quickly emptying the bowls and plates.

"Be careful on the road," Chen Lan instructed, a hint of worry on her face.

The fact that Chen Mo had been assassinated could no longer be kept from her. She didn't blame Chen Mo for hiding it from her, but she was uneasy every day afterward.

"Don't worry, sister, I'm not the same as before."

Chen Mo left the Wu family, walked through the streets and alleys, and stepped into the Tianqing Martial Arts School. The shouts of martial arts practitioners rose and fell in his ears.

Two pairs of eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light when they saw him coming.

One was Ji Chang, and the other was Yin Shanshan.

Ji Chang walked up to Chen Mo and clicked his tongue twice. "Tsk tsk, the man who is rumored to have killed two Ming Jin members of the Fierce Sand Gang is standing right in front of me now."

"By the way," Ji Chang changed the subject, "the selection for the martial arts exam has already begun, and Senior Brother Yue Lun has firmly secured one of the spots."

"Two spots remain, and they must be chosen from among all the Ming Jin disciples."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo glanced around.

Besides him and Ji Chang, there were six others who were at or above the mid-stage of the Ming Jin realm: Luo Heng, Zhou Pi, Yin Shanshan, and others.

He clenched his fist secretly.

With his current strength at the late stage of Ming Jin, coupled with the enlightenment brought by cultivating his skills in the mountains and rivers, it would not be difficult for him to win a spot.

"What are the selection rules?" he asked.

A hint of worry flashed in Ji Chang's eyes, "The two final winners of the competition can participate in the martial arts examination."

He was clearly a little unsure of himself. "We'll have four rounds of competition in the morning to select four people, and then we'll select two more from those four in the afternoon."

Chen Mo understood.

Over there, Yin Tianqing walked out of the inner room, his gaze sharp as lightning, landing on each disciple.

When he glanced at Chen Mo, he showed surprise and strode over, "You kid, I didn't expect you to have reached the late stage of Ming Jin in just a few days."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chang and his fellow disciples were all taken aback.

Such speed is outstanding even in the entire martial arts school.

Zhou Pi, who was already no match for Chen Mo, now showed some fear. Beside him, Luo Heng gritted his teeth, ready for the life-or-death struggle to come.

"Let's begin the competition for election slots now." Yin Tianqing took out a wooden box that had been prepared beforehand, inside which were scattered seven or eight crumpled pieces of paper.

"Each person randomly picks a piece of paper with two numbers, A and B, written on it. The two people with the matching numbers compete."

"For example, if A1 and B1 compete, A2 and B2 compete, the last winner competes against the second winner, and the third and fourth winners compete."

After Yin Tianqing finished explaining, the group took the paper balls one after another.

Chen Mo opened the crumpled paper and saw the words "Yi San" written on it.

Ji Chang, who was beside him, held up the "A2" slip of paper to him, and then looked around. When he saw that his junior brother Li, who was at the peak of Ming Jin, had received the "B2" slip of paper, half of his heart sank.

Yin Shanshan drew "A1" and her opponent was Zhou Pi, while Luo Heng drew "B4" and his opponent was a senior brother who was also at the mid-stage of Ming Jin.

Chen Mo saw a senior brother Liang, who was in the late stage of Ming Jin, holding a "Jia San" slip of paper. The two clasped their fists in greeting.

Senior Brother Liang has been practicing Ming Jin for a long time and has a gentle and kind nature.

There were no major grudges or rivalries among the four groups in this round.

The competition began with Yin Shanshan facing off against Zhou Pi. Both were at the mid-stage of Ming Jin. Yin Shanshan's Soft Cloud Hand was like cotton wool, seemingly soft and weak, but in fact, the force was continuous, wave after wave.

In the thirteenth round, Zhou Pi was knocked out of the ring, and Yin Shanshan won.

Next, Ji Chang faced Li, a junior brother at the peak of Ming Jin. After only a few rounds, he was defeated by a casual punch from his opponent.

In the past few days, no matter how diligently Ji Chang worked, he still hadn't reached the late stage of Ming Jin. The gap between the middle stage and the peak of Ming Jin was obvious.

He left the scene with a somber expression.

Who wouldn't want to showcase their skills in the martial arts competition, achieve top honors, and rise to the top?

Seeing his reaction, Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder but said nothing.

He and his senior brother Liang entered the venue at the same time and bowed to each other.

The scene of their duel was as calm as still water. Senior Brother Liang's Crane Palm was not known for its destructive power, but rather for its continuous and unending force.

But the longer the battle dragged on, the more he frowned, because no matter what he did, he couldn't break through Chen Mo's defenses. The latter's mysterious movement technique was like a bird in the clouds, making it difficult to get close.

In the end, in the nineteenth round, Chen Mo knocked Senior Brother Liang out of the arena with a single move, a Stone-Shattering Strike, using only 80% of his strength.

The last group is the most suspenseful, as both are at the mid-stage of Ming Jin. Luo Heng's attack is ruthless, but his opponent is no pushover either.

Back and forth they exchanged blows, their fists flying like locusts.

Finally, after a full-force exchange of punches, the two retreated towards the edge of the boundary.

Luo Heng won by a hair's breadth.