Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

The disciples gathered around, each offering their congratulations.

Chu Hong responded politely as well.

Before long, news of his breakthrough to the Dark Force level spread throughout the entire martial arts school.

The crowd was shocked, and their expressions varied.

Those who flatter and worship are already freely discussing it with their companions:

"Senior Brother Chu is amazing! He succeeded in passing the challenge on his first try. I want to be as strong as him."

Some disciples also questioned it in hushed tones.

"That's not right. Senior Brother Chu has only been at the martial arts school for less than five months. Isn't he supposed to have inferior aptitude? How come he's passed the entrance exam so quickly?"

"Are you blind? He's a hidden force built up by the Song family's resources. With those resources, not only him, but even a pig could get through the gate."

"Shh, don't say that, or Senior Brother Chu will come after you."

"Ha, why would I be afraid of him? As long as I don't talk back to him to his face, he won't dare to cause me any trouble."

The words were fragmented and disjointed, but Chu Hong ignored them, pretending not to hear them.

His thinking was simple: most of these people feared power but not morality, and once he demonstrated his strength, they would shut up on their own.

Before long, Zhuang Chengfeng also arrived upon hearing the news.

Zhuang Chengfeng patted Chu Hong on the shoulder and smiled slightly.

"Chu Hong, congratulations on breaking through to the Inner Strength realm. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"This disciple is willing!" Chu Hong replied.

"Alright!" Zhuang Chengfeng nodded. "Since you are my disciple, if you encounter any difficulties while traveling, you can mention my name."

"You're probably already aware of the benefits of living in the inner courtyard, but I'll repeat them again: you can move there and receive a bowl of secret-recipe medicinal soup every day, and ten catties of tiger meat every seven days..."

"Also, feel free to ask me anything you don't understand about martial arts training."

As an inner disciple, one's treatment is naturally different from that of an outer disciple.

The secret medicinal soup that takes seven days to obtain in the outer courtyard can be obtained in one bowl, while it is available every day in the inner courtyard.

Tiger meat, which was never eaten in the outer courtyard, can now be enjoyed in the inner courtyard.

Moreover, Zhuang Chengfeng would personally provide guidance on any questions regarding martial arts training.

This is an honor that the School of Foreign Languages ​​cannot enjoy.

Chu Hong quickly clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Master!"

Zhuang Chengfeng nodded and turned to walk towards the inner courtyard:

"Let Xiaoyue take you to your residence in the inner courtyard. I have other matters to attend to."

Zhuang Chengfeng's actions were observed by everyone, and a strange look appeared in their eyes.

Chu Hong, being of inferior aptitude, failed to gain much attention from Zhuang Chengfeng despite his rapid progress in mastering internal energy.

Because everyone knows that his vitality and energy are entirely due to the support of the Song family.

Zhuang Chengfeng's opinion of Chu Hong never changed.

Those with inferior physical constitution, whose strength is merely superficial or hidden and developed through resources, have no potential and are not worth cultivating.

Even though the martial arts exchange meeting had impressed him, it did not change his fundamental thoughts.

Even if you keep piling it up, can you still reach the Transformation Realm?

Someone gloated, "It seems Master went to instruct Senior Brother Pang on his boxing techniques."

Song Yue approached Chu Hong and whispered words of comfort:

"Junior Brother Chu, don't take it to heart."

"Master... he just needed to guide Senior Brother Pang in martial arts, he wasn't targeting you specifically."

"Senior Sister Song, I know." Chu Hong nodded calmly and said no more.

He understood and comprehended Zhuang Chengfeng's actions.

As Zhuang Chengfeng's closed-door disciple, Pang Hai, the disciple who inherits the lineage, is naturally more important than Zhuang Chengfeng's inner disciple.

This was something that he, his other disciples, and even his senior brothers who were also his direct disciples, all understood very well.

Chu Hong never expected to receive preferential treatment at the martial arts school.

He came to the martial arts school simply to practice martial arts.

I ask for nothing more.

"Let's go, Junior Brother Chu. Pack your things, and I'll take you to the inner courtyard," Song Yue said softly.

In the dormitory, only Chu Hong's bunk and luggage remained.

The other two berths were empty; no one had moved in since Tang Sinian and Xiao Yi left.

Two weeks ago, the girl in green and the old man returned to Yunxi County.

After having a long talk with Xiao's mother, he took Xiao Yi to the Azure Dragon Mansion.

Only there, when his innate talent is truly unleashed, can he go further on the path of martial arts.

The two stepped into the inner courtyard.

At a glance, one could see the inner courtyard martial arts arena, where Zhuang Chengfeng was smiling broadly as he instructed Pang Hai in boxing, a stark contrast to his previous indifference.

The degree of intimacy or distance between people is self-evident.

Pang Hai, on the other hand, had an innocent and obedient appearance, and was completely absorbed in his boxing.

Looking at him like this, even if Zhuang Chengfeng didn't know his background, Chu Hongruo would find it hard to believe that he was actually a member of the Wuyou Sect.

"Huh, Junior Brother Chu?! You've hidden your inner strength?"

As Pang Hai turned around, he suddenly saw Chu Hong's figure, and a look of joy immediately appeared on his face. He quickly walked over.

He grabbed Chu Hong's arm, seemingly approaching him with great enthusiasm, and said with great excitement: "I knew you could do it."

Chu Hong subtly dodged the attack, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect:

"Senior Brother Pang, thank you for your concern, but we are not familiar with each other, so please be respectful."

Pang Hai's hand froze in mid-air. Although he still had a smile on his face, his expression had turned cold.

He withdrew his hand without any embarrassment and laughed heartily:

"Junior Brother Chu, tonight it's my treat, let's go to a restaurant to celebrate."

He then glanced at all the disciples and continued:

"Everyone come together and make it lively. Don't leave Junior Brother Chu out."

The disciples all echoed, indicating that they would definitely attend that night.

Chu Hong shook his head and refused, his tone firm:

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Pang, but I'm in a hurry to go home and tell my parents the good news, so I won't bother you any longer."

He leaned closer and whispered, "Senior Brother Pang, don't try to get on my good side. I haven't forgotten the insults you gave me that day!"

His tone was calm, but it was filled with deep hatred.

It's clear they want to stand on the opposite side from Pang Hai.

However, such a statement would only lead people to misunderstand that the feud between the two stemmed from that mockery, and would prevent them from thinking about it more deeply.

Chu Hong stepped aside, then turned and gestured to Song Yue with his hand:

"Thank you for leading the way, senior sister."

The two left, leaving everyone behind.

Pang Hai stood there, his smile long gone, his face now quite gloomy.

He didn't expect Chu Hong to be so disrespectful to him.

He refused him in front of his master and many disciples.

As he watched the two figures disappear into the distance, Pang Hai's gaze grew increasingly dangerous.

Do you really think that once you've successfully mastered the hidden strength, you've turned your life around?

At this moment, someone quickly stepped forward and spoke in a fawning tone:

"Senior Brother Pang, that Chu Hong, with his mere hidden strength, dared to spoil your fun! I'll go teach him a lesson for you!"

The newcomer waved his fist, eager to try.

If Pang Hai nodded even slightly, he would immediately rush forward and engage Chu Hong in a real fight.

Having been at the bottom of the inner circle for many years, he knew the importance of getting on the good side of someone powerful.

He didn't have this opportunity before, but now the opportunity is right in front of him.

If we don't seize this opportunity, we'll be at a huge loss.

Pang Hai nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then whispered the instructions:

"Alright, eight days from now is the perfect time for Master to test your skills and take advantage of his remaining influence. Find an opportunity to cripple him."

"This..." Yu Wei trembled, his face showing fear.

When a master tests the strength of his disciples, he will have them compete against each other, but only to a limited extent.

If he were to seriously injure or even cripple Chu Hong, he would be immediately expelled from the martial arts school.

This is not the outcome he wanted.

Pang Hai's brows furrowed, and he said unhappily:

"What are you afraid of? My Zhao family is in dire need of a guard captain, and I think you're quite suitable."

"..." Yu Wei hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine!"

He was also of inferior aptitude, and it took him several years to accumulate enough strength to finally unlock the hidden power level.

However, he discovered that after mastering the hidden strength, his blood and qi grew extremely slowly, so slowly that he would never be able to transform into the next level of strength in his lifetime.

Having foreseen the outcome early on, he decided to cling to powerful figures and find a stable path for himself.

The clear path that Pang Hai is pointing out is the opportunity he has been searching for for many years.

He didn't want to give up.

Yu Wei secretly assessed that although he was at the bottom of the inner courtyard in terms of strength, he had been honing his skills in internal energy for many years and could be considered a veteran internal energy practitioner.

Moreover, he had already mastered the Nine Forging Fist technique.

Chu Hong's newly formed internal strength, and his less than six months of training, meant he was no match for him.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Pang, I will definitely show Chu Hong what I'm capable of."

"Beat him to a pulp isn't enough. Once we leave the martial arts gym, I'll finish him off."

Pang Hai nodded: "Do it cleanly, don't leave any evidence; the Zhao family needs you as their guard captain."