"Lu Ren is holding a celebratory banquet tonight, and he's invited you all to attend."
As dusk fell, Luo Dehu found Xu Yang and his friends.
Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment, then, as if remembering something, asked, "We don't have to chip in, do we?"
He wouldn't be interested if he had to chip in, but he was more than happy to get a free meal.
Luo Dehu shot him a glare. "What do you take Lu Ren for? With his current status, why would he need us to chip in for his own celebration?"
Zhang Yong frowned. "You dare leave Weiyuan Hall?"
Xue Fangsheng's threat still loomed; if they left Weiyuan Hall, he might ambush and kill them.
Luo Dehu said, "Lu Ren already had a word with him. He won't touch us."
Having achieved Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi, Lu Ren was no longer some nobody struggling at the bottom but a Martial Dao prodigy tied to the Huang Family. With his new status, even someone like Xue Fangsheng—who had reached the Qi Gathering realm over a year ago—had to give him face.
"Alright!" Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong both agreed.
After a moment of thought, Xu Yang also agreed to go, since people from the Huang Family would also be there.
He was on the verge of Qi Gathering; it was time to lay his cards on the table with the Huang Family.
"Watch your table manners later," Luo Dehu warned. "A lot of senior Martial Artists from the Inner Courtyard will be there, along with some influential figures on good terms with the Huang Family. Don't you dare embarrass Lu Ren."
The banquet was primarily the Huang Family's way of announcing they had gained a talented Martial Artist, so it wouldn't be just the few of them attending.
"Get lost! You think we're a pack of starving animals?" the others retorted.
After washing the stench of sweat off in the bathhouse, the group left Weiyuan Hall together and went to the banquet, where they were all seated at the same table.
Aside from the five of them, the table was shared with a few people who appeared to be Lu Ren's relatives. Their conversation was filled with compliments for Lu Ren, proclaiming that the Old Lu Family had finally produced a dragon, and so on.
Lu Ren and Huang Jin stood at the restaurant's entrance, personally greeting the arriving guests with ceaseless smiles.
Xu Yang wanted to approach Huang Jin for a talk, but by the time the banquet began, he still hadn't found the right moment.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Huang Jin was still in a private room entertaining the influential guests, so Xu Yang had no choice but to leave with Zhang Yong and the others.
But just as they stepped out of the restaurant, they were called back and led into a private room to wait.
After a short wait, Huang Jin entered, reeking of alcohol.
The group rose and cupped their fists in unison. "Fifth Master."
Huang Jin waved his hand. "Everyone, sit. I called you back because I have something to tell you."
The matter he brought up was the very thing Xu Yang had wanted to clarify that day.
Huang Jin stated frankly that the Huang Family's resources were limited. They couldn't afford to support too many Martial Artists; they only needed Lu Ren.
Should any of them succeed in Qi Gathering, the Huang Family would not be hiring them as Honored Martial Masters. They would be free to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The family would consider the resources spent on their training as a gesture of goodwill.
No one was particularly surprised by this. With Lu Ren's successful breakthrough, the Huang Family had inevitably made its choice.
Nor did they resent the Huang Family. Although the family had gone back on their agreement, the debt of gratitude remained. Without the Huang Family, none of them would have ever had the chance to enter the Martial Arts Hall.
If they truly managed to achieve Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi, there were plenty of patrons willing to hire a Qi Gathering Martial Artist as a Tributor.
The conversation ended quickly, and the group dispersed.
The next day, Qiu Wenjie found Xu Yang and gave him the Qiu Family's sponsorship funds for the month.
"Brother Xu, will you succeed in Breaking Through today?" Qiu Wenjie asked curiously.
In fact, he wasn't the only one; many people in the Outer Courtyard were waiting to see if Xu Yang would follow his usual pattern and break through on the day right after Lu Ren did.
"Still a little ways off. I'll need a few more days," Xu Yang replied, shaking his head.
He was confident his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist could reach the Minor Achievement Realm at any moment, but his Turtle and Snake Grand Posture was still lacking. He hadn't had the money to practice it as much, so his Physique wasn't sufficiently tempered.
He planned to temper his Physique for a few more days before attempting Qi Gathering and wasn't in a hurry.
Since the Huang Family had already decided not to hire him, competing with Lu Ren was pointless. There was no need to attract that kind of attention.
That day, Xu Yang did not achieve Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi, to the great disappointment of many in the Outer Courtyard.
Lu Ren, who had been watching in secret, breathed a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely afraid that if Xu Yang achieved Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi today, the Huang Family might change their minds and hire Xu Yang after all.
Two prodigies serving the same family... even though he was confident that Xu Yang was his inferior, some of the resources would inevitably be diverted. That was not a situation he wished for.
He had even made some secret arrangements that morning, just in case.
For the next two days, Xu Yang focused on using the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture to temper his Physique and build up his qi and blood. Both were crucial for a successful breakthrough and could not be neglected.
Most people couldn't control the timing of their breakthrough, but he had his panel. He knew the exact progress of his Cultivation Technique, which meant he could control when he broke through.
In the afternoon, the qi and blood in his body suddenly surged, and the rate at which he accumulated them increased dramatically.
[Turtle and Snake Grand Posture·Minor Achievement (1/300)]
'The Turtle and Snake Grand Posture has reached Minor Achievement!'
Another key to Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi was reaching Minor Achievement in the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist. Most people couldn't clearly perceive their Cultivation Technique's progress, so they would often begin Breaking Through unconsciously while practicing their Fist Technique, which was why the success rate was so low.
Furthermore, for the same reason, many were forced to attempt Breaking Through before their Turtle and Snake Grand Posture had even reached Minor Achievement.
If one could first reach Minor Achievement in the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture before Breaking Through, the success rate would increase dramatically.
'Today is the day I Break Through and Gather Qi!'
Xu Yang found a corner to sit down in, closing his eyes to rest and gather his energy. At the same time, he summoned his panel and added to his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.
His mind jolted as a flood of insights washed over him.
[Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist·Minor Achievement (1/500)]
He checked the panel again: Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had already reached Minor Achievement.
'This method of Breaking Through is basically cheating!'
When others broke through, they had to trigger some kind of insight while practicing their Fist Technique. Only when their technique's realm advanced would they begin the breakthrough process. This was a process fraught with potential issues that could lead to failure, such as insufficient insight into the Fist Technique, an inadequate reserve of qi and blood, or a Physique that hadn't been tempered to its absolute limit.
But he had everything perfectly prepared. Before even starting the breakthrough, his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had already reached Minor Achievement. He understood the entire process of Qi Gathering completely, as if he were doing it all over again.
Under these circumstances, he couldn't imagine how he could possibly fail. Barring any outside interference, failure was impossible.
"I'm going to break through! Stand guard for me!"
After giving his instructions to Qiu Wenjie, Xu Yang leaped to his feet.
Qiu Wenjie was completely stunned. 'How did Brother Xu know he was about to break through?'
The moment he executed the Minor Achievement Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, Xu Yang immediately felt the difference. The qi and blood within him followed the flow of his Fist Technique, moving as an extension of his will—no longer a chaotic, uncontrollable force.
BAM! BAM!
The whistle of his fists grew louder. A current of "qi" surged from every fiber of his being and poured into his meridians, circulating with his Fist Technique and blasting through blockages.
The moment this qi appeared, it felt as though something had been unlocked within him. A massive amount of qi and blood surged forth from his body as the strength of his Physique skyrocketed.
The process of Qi Gathering was unexpectedly simple; everything just fell into place.
As the qi within his meridians grew more abundant, Xu Yang felt his Fist Force increase and his five senses sharpen. His vision grew clearer, and he could even hear the breathing of people far away.
BOOM! BOOM!
The booming sound of his fists drew the attention of everyone nearby. The disciples practicing in the Martial Arts Arena stopped what they were doing and stared at Xu Yang in utter shock.