Gou Zai Xianwu Chaos World, Physical Sainthood

An uproar immediately erupted around them.

"What's going on? Why is there only one strand?"

"That's right, that 'local tycoon' just now filled more than half of the stone sphere with it."

"The worst of those people ahead of him had seven or eight strands of hair, how come he only has one?"

The three men at the head of the table, Feng Zhan and his companion, had rather gloomy and uncertain expressions.

The three of them were unlike the disciples who were waiting for the test.

As a martial artist in the Body Refinement Realm, one can still sense and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth even without the aid of formations.

They had already sensed Lu Cheng's increased absorption of vital energy.

Its commotion was no less than that of the "local tyrant," and logically, at least half of the vital energy inside the stone sphere should have been injected into it.

But the current situation can only mean one thing: Lu Cheng is unable to retain his vital energy.

Feng Zhan and the other two began another conversation that no one else could hear, and this time it lasted much longer.

The surrounding chatter grew louder and louder, and the three chubby boys had already helped Lu Cheng down from the stone platform to rest.

The chubby boy thought Lu Cheng was hungry, so he opened the bag of pork knuckle:

"Lu Cheng, you're probably too hungry to have any strength. Quickly eat some pork knuckle and then take the test again."

Lu Cheng shook his head. He was indeed a little hungry, but it wouldn't affect the test.

That sudden appearance of the vulnerability was truly bizarre.

Fortunately, it seems that I've already filled myself up.

Take a break, test it again, and it should be fine.

Before Lu Cheng could speak, Feng Zhan, who was at the head of the table, spoke up, his tone filled with obvious regret:

"Lu Cheng, this isn't the first time you've experienced this. If I'm not mistaken, it's because your original Qi and blood are depleted, which has caused problems with the integration of your innate Qi."

"The three elements of bone structure, tendons, and blood complement each other."

"The root bone affects strength, the tendons and meridians affect the circulation of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and the blood and qi affect how much primordial energy one can ultimately absorb."

"When martial artists practice martial arts, they first cultivate their internal strength. Once they have cultivated their internal strength, they can control their blood and qi to interact with the primordial energy of heaven and earth within their meridians. Then they temper their physical body in preparation for what comes next."

"This Qi and blood does not refer to the Qi and blood in your current body, but rather the innate Qi and blood you are born with from your mother's womb."

"Only the innate original qi and blood, which share the same origin as the primordial qi of heaven and earth, can be combined with it."

Having said that, he pointed to the stone ball that had already fallen onto the surface of the stone platform:

"Your innate vital energy and blood are too deficient, like a container with a large belly but no bottom. Your vital energy flows like water, and no matter how much enters your body, it cannot be retained."

"Progress in the Body Refinement Realm will be extremely difficult in the future."

Seeing that Lu Cheng kept his head down, Feng Zhan sighed inwardly.

Falling from genius to genius in a short period of time would inevitably cause anyone to feel frustrated.

Just as I was about to say a few words of comfort, Lu Cheng raised his head:

"Thank you for your clarification, Third Escort. In that case, am I still qualified to join the Changfeng Escort Agency?"

"Hmm?" Feng Zhan looked at Lu Cheng in surprise, not expecting that the young man could adjust his mood so quickly.

Little did Lu Cheng know that he felt nothing at all from beginning to end.

Whether others criticize or praise you, it won't harm your life or protect your safety, so why care?

So what if your vital energy and blood are depleted? Does that mean you should give up martial arts?

The fish gang alone is the most deadly threat at hand.

Without joining a sect, it's hard to say whether there will be a tomorrow.

Moreover, it's not like I'm completely unable to exchange even a trace of my own energy.

What Feng Zhan said was somewhat different from his own situation.

The "vulnerability" within oneself does not seem to be that serious.

At the last moment, the primordial energy of heaven and earth began to flow rapidly towards the stone sphere.

However, I lacked the energy to continue.

Therefore, if one can increase their energy, then the "gap" caused by the depletion of vital energy and blood can be made up for.

At least in the Body Refinement Realm and the early stages of the Body Refinement Realm, he was still considered a genius.

As for what happens after reaching the Body Refinement Realm.

Then we'll have to see how strong the [Destiny] is in the sea of ​​consciousness!

Before Feng Zhan, who was at the head of the table, could react, the man in the middle said in a deep voice:

"Of course, when Changfeng Escort Agency accepts apprentices, the most important thing is their character and moral integrity."

Then, she changed the subject:

"However, the rules must still be applied equally. No matter who it is, if they cannot develop strength within three months, they must leave the school."

Lu Cheng bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:

"Disciple understands."

The man nodded:

"Alright, you go and register. The rest of you, please continue."

The Changfeng Escort Agency charges ten taels for tuition for the first three months. If room and board are required, an additional two taels will be charged.

Twelve taels of silver was indeed unaffordable for most families.

Fortunately, there were contributions from You Lancang and Yu Xing.

Lu Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his name written on the list of disciples.

At this point, the trouble caused by the ulcer was basically resolved.

Before long, the three chubby boys had all finished their bone and muscle measurements and stood beside Lu Cheng with long faces.

The chubby boy kept complaining about the little girl's bad luck.

As Liu Wan'er had predicted, all three were merely "ordinary people" in terms of aptitude. Liu Wan'er was slightly better, but she was still quite far from being a "fine jade" of a higher caliber.

Liu Wan'er was the girl among the three.

Subsequently, no particularly outstanding talents emerged.

Let alone "a great man of his generation" or "a man of unparalleled talent", there is not even one who comes close to being "a fine piece of jade".

Surprisingly, the three brothers who had clashed with him earlier started talking to him.

Aside from not giving the chubby boy a friendly look, he greeted Lu Cheng and the skinny guy and introduced them to each other.

The eldest brother's name is Hu Liang, and he is the same age as Lu Cheng.

The second child's name is Hu Ming, and he is fifteen years old.

The third child is named Hu Guang, and he is fourteen years old.

The entire process was almost entirely dominated by the second son, Hu Ming, so Lu Cheng paid some attention to him.

This person was not as muscular as the eldest and third brothers, but was clearly more clever than them.

He was sincere in his words and seemed like a person worth befriending.

Lu Cheng and his group of four arrived rather late, and before long, the remaining twenty or thirty people entered the room.

There were 113 people in total, including both men and women.

Based on this, it seems that Changfeng Escort Agency can earn more than a thousand taels of silver every three months!

No wonder they stopped escorting goods.

Whether it was for the sake of simplicity or because they were too lazy to prepare tea, the step of paying respects to the master and offering tea was omitted.

More than a hundred people knelt neatly in the square, listening to the admonitions of Feng Zhan and the other two.

The one who spoke was the man in the middle.

"My name is Feng Qi, you can call me the Chief Escort."

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Everyone immediately responded in unison:

"Greetings, Chief Escort!"

More than a hundred voices rang out in unison above the escort agency, startling the birds on the branches into taking flight.

"The man on the left is Feng Ji, the second head of the escort agency. He is in charge of all the clothing, food, and utensils in the agency, as well as rewards and punishments."

"Greetings, Second Chief Escort!" ×113

"The man on your right is Feng Zhan, the Third Escort. He will be responsible for teaching and testing your martial arts from now on."

"Greetings, Third Chief!" ×113

The three phrases "I've seen it" rise one after another.

Feng Qi nodded in satisfaction and continued:

"Now that you have joined my sect, you must uphold my principles and righteousness."

"Respecting teachers and valuing the teachings, and uniting with fellow disciples, goes without saying."

"In addition, there is one more thing I want to warn you about, so listen carefully."

"If you become very capable in the future, you can join the Great Yun Zhenwu Guard, either to catch bandits and thieves or to guard a region. Even I will have to bow to you when I see you."

"The next best option is to work as a bodyguard in the mansion of a high-ranking official or nobleman; that's a respectable profession where you won't have to worry about food and drink."

"If you don't want to be bound by that, you can join the martial arts industry like the three of us. Whether you open a school and teach students, or work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), it's also a way of passing on the tradition from master to disciple."

"The worst that can happen is that you don't make a name for yourself and end up as a peddler after three months."

"But with these three months of martial arts training, even the most notorious scoundrels in the city would not dare to bully us easily."

"No matter what, our bond as master and disciple will never be broken."

"But if anyone harbors evil thoughts, relies on evil means to commit unjust acts, or even engages in murder, arson, robbery, or other such activities..."

At this point, Feng Qi paused, then said sternly:

"Hmph, don't blame me for showing no mercy and killing you!"

The word "kill" here is written with force.

As soon as he spoke, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck everyone's head, and even those standing on the training ground trembled.

"Do you all understand?"

The heads of hundreds of people were buzzing from the shock, and it took them a long time to react. Once they regained their senses, they immediately shouted back:

"Disciple understands!"

Feng Qi glanced around, his tone softening considerably:

"That being said, it is not to tell you to be timid and hesitant. If you encounter injustice, you are free to stand up for justice. If you are provoked by petty villains, you must not back down in fear."

"My Changfeng Escort Agency still has a certain reputation in this Yangcheng County."

The last sentence carried a hint of arrogance.

As soon as Feng Qi finished speaking, a calm and unhurried voice rang out from outside the courtyard:

"Excellent, excellent! Chief Escort Feng is indeed unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness. Changfeng Escort Agency truly deserves to be the mainstay of martial arts in Yangcheng."