After leaving the Medicine Hall's assessment area, Yang Chan now carried the waist token of an Official Disciple of the Cyan Yuan Sect. This token signified that he was now a Cyan Yuan Sect Disciple, under its protection.
Following the advice of the person who issued his token at the assessment area, he headed to the Instructor Hall alone. The Ox Demon's Mighty Fist he currently cultivated was incomplete; it was missing the External Refining Method.
Luo Yang had left as soon as Yang Chan entered the Medicine Hall's assessment area.
The Cyan Yuan Sect's Instructor Hall wasn't too far from the Medicine Hall. After asking an Official Disciple for directions, it didn't take Yang Chan long to find it.
Unlike the Medicine Hall, the moment he stepped into the Instructor Hall, he felt a dense wave of Qi and Blood Power wash over him, accompanied by various loud shouts and the sounds of fist training.
With his waist token on display, Yang Chan walked into the Instructor Hall. He saw many people sparring, while some Servant Disciples served as living targets, helping the Official Disciples practice their fist techniques or temper their bodies.
A few other Servant Disciples wielded wooden clubs, striking the Official Disciples to help them temper their skin and flesh.
In Martial Arts Cultivation, after grasping Power, a cultivator would continuously accumulate it. Once they reached a certain level, they would begin using that Power to temper their body, starting with the skin and flesh.
Once the skin and flesh were tempered to a certain degree, one would enter the External Refining Realm, and their strength would undergo a qualitative change.
"Senior Brother, have you just passed the assessment to become an Official Disciple?"
A Servant Disciple stepped forward and took the initiative to ask.
He asked because Yang Chan was still dressed in the coarse, short clothes of a Servant Disciple, yet the token of an Official Disciple hung from his waist.
This was the typical appearance of someone who had just been promoted.
"That's right. Junior Brother, could you please take me to a Dharma Transmission Steward?"
Yang Chan nodded.
After becoming an Official Disciple, one could get the subsequent parts of the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist from the Instructor Hall. They could also go to the Internal Affairs Hall to receive their Official Disciple robes, a reward of silver coins, and the key to their new residence, among other things.
Within the Cyan Yuan Sect, becoming an Official Disciple was a massive upgrade—like trading a rusty musket for a cannon. Every aspect of one's life, from food and clothing to housing, changed qualitatively.
"Senior Brother, please follow me."
A look of envy flashed across the Servant Disciple's face as he led Yang Chan into the Instructor Hall.
"Senior Brother, over here is Steward Lin of the Instructor Hall. He's in charge of new Official Disciples. Just show him your waist token."
"Before I go, I'd like to wish you great success on your Martial Arts journey, Senior Brother."
The Servant Disciple led Yang Chan to the entrance of the main room in the Instructor Hall, then gestured toward a person to the east who was practicing calligraphy.
He offered a final blessing before he left; after all, good wishes were free.
"Thank you, Junior Brother. I wish you a swift breakthrough as well."
Yang Chan replied with a smile.
'It's best to respond to kindness with kindness.'
He walked up to Steward Lin but didn't speak immediately, choosing instead to observe.
Only then did Yang Chan notice that the brush in Steward Lin's hand wasn't an ordinary one made from bamboo, but an iron brush forged from refined iron. The cold light glinting off its surface was a testament to the forger's skill.
The brush alone weighed at least as much as half a grown man, yet Steward Lin's hand was as steady as a mountain as he wrote, forming perfectly neat characters.
It looked like calligraphy practice, but it was actually a form of bone training, meant to temper the bones in his arm and wrist.
When he finished the set of characters, Steward Lin finally set the brush down. It landed with a heavy thud, causing the entire table to shake.
"A newly promoted disciple?"
Steward Lin looked up, his sharp, bright eyes fixing on Yang Chan as if trying to see right through him.
"My name is Yang Chan, a disciple from the Medicine Hall. I grasped Power last night and completed the hall's assessment today."
Yang Chan replied quickly; the Steward's gaze was so intense it made him feel pressured.
"A Medicine Hall disciple!"
When Steward Lin heard Yang Chan was from the Medicine Hall, a strange look appeared in his eyes.
Just yesterday, Gu An, the Hall Master of the Medicine Hall, had gone to Cyan Jade Hall, the Sect Leader's residence. Shortly after, the Sect Leader had summoned the other Hall Masters and Sect Elders to Cyan Jade Hall to discuss an important matter.
After the discussion, Hall Master Gu An of the Medicine Hall had proposed a bet on which hall could produce the next Official Disciple, with a one-month deadline.
He hadn't expected someone from the Medicine Hall to break through the very next day.
He didn't suspect that Hall Master Gu An had made the bet knowing Yang Chan had already broken through. It was just a small, friendly wager, so there was no need to resort to such tricks.
Gu An was not only the Hall Master of the Medicine Hall but also one of the Sect Elders. His status was significant, and he was known for his bold and generous character.
"Yes, I am a disciple of the Medicine Hall."
Yang Chan nodded, confirming.
Although he wondered why Steward Lin's expression was so odd, he wasn't particularly worried.
There was competition and conflict between the various halls in the Cyan Yuan Sect, but it hadn't reached the point of a life-or-death struggle.
Besides, he was just an ordinary Official Disciple. He kept a low profile and had never offended any of the Cyan Yuan Sect's higher-ups.
"Grasping Wild Ox Force and becoming an Official Disciple right now... not bad. Are you interested in becoming a disciple of the Instructor Hall?"
Instructor Hall Steward Lin Shiyu's expression returned to normal as he asked.
Yang Chan was stunned for a moment. 'What's going on? Are new Official Disciples in the Cyan Yuan Sect in such high demand?'
"Thank you for your kind offer, Steward Lin. However, I have been in the Sect for two and a half years. The only reason I was able to grasp the Wild Ox Force was thanks to a bowl of Qi Nourishing Soup granted to me by Hall Master Gu, Steward Sikong, and the others. It was a lucky breakthrough."
"I've heard that all the senior brothers in the Instructor Hall are disciples of superior talent. My own aptitude is poor, so I wouldn't want to make things difficult for you, Steward Lin."
Yang Chan didn't understand Steward Lin's motives, but he rejected the offer. His reply, however, was tactful rather than direct.
'I can't afford to offend someone at the Steward Level right now. If he decided to make things difficult for me, the trouble wouldn't be worth it.'
"In that case, let's just forget it."
When Lin Shiyu heard it had taken Yang Chan two and a half years to grasp the Wild Ox Force, his brow furrowed. He had only made the offer because he assumed Yang Chan was a Servant who had been in the Sect for six months or perhaps a year.
Furthermore, once Yang Chan mentioned Hall Master Gu and Steward Sikong, Lin Shiyu lost all interest. Openly poaching a disciple from Hall Master Gu would just be asking for trouble.
Hearing Yang Chan's response, he took the easy way out, not wanting to escalate the matter.
"You just became an Official Disciple, so you're here to receive the follow-up Cultivation Technique for the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, right?"
It was a question, but Lin Shiyu's tone was one of certainty.
"Just as you say, Steward Lin. After I completed the assessment, a disciple there reminded me to come to the Instructor Hall to receive the rest of the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist."
Yang Chan nodded.
The Ox Demon's Mighty Fist he was currently cultivating lacked the External Refining Method, which was a deliberate omission by the Cyan Yuan Sect.