[Martial Arts]: White Ape's Six Changes (Skilled 1198/1200)
Time flew by. Another month passed, and Su Yu's White Ape's Six Changes had reached the final moments before a breakthrough.
"Sixth Form: Spiritual Ape Returns to the Cave!"
Su Yu slowly pressed his hands downward. A deep, thunderous sound rumbled from his chest and abdomen as he exhaled a breath of turbid air like a white ribbon, kicking up the dust on the ground.
[White Ape's Six Changes Skill Level +2]
[Martial Arts]: White Ape's Six Changes (Minor Achievement 1/2000)
"Finally... I've broken through!"
In the next instant, a powerful surge of Qi and Blood erupted from within Su Yu's body. Starting from his Dantian, it rushed along his meridians and coursed through his entire body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The almost tangible, explosive sounds echoed continuously within him. It was the sound of his surging Qi and Blood erupting to impact and reforge his body.
Similar to when he broke through the first gate, Su Yu felt his physical strength increase once more. His bones crackled and popped, as if he had again surpassed some human limit.
After a moment, the torrent of Qi and Blood throughout his body subsided, and the breakthrough was complete.
Su Yu clenched his fists, feeling his entire body brimming with power. Every muscle seemed to sing, yearning for release.
'Time to test my strength!'
Su Yu threw a punch at the Ironwood Stake before him. A loud BAM! echoed across the Martial Arts Arena.
The stake, as hard as iron, shook violently. Where his fist had connected, the wood grain splintered, leaving a deep imprint!
The apprentices training nearby were startled by the loud sound and all turned to look.
"What's going on? Su Yu's punch seems even stronger now."
"No way... I thought I heard the explosive sound of Qi and Blood just now. Could it be...?"
As they finished speaking, their expressions changed, and an incredible thought flooded their minds.
"Impossible. Doesn't Su Yu have a poor Root Bone? How could he break through the second gate?"
"Right, right, it's impossible. He already got ridiculously lucky breaking through the first gate. How could he be fortunate enough to break through again?"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Su Yu struck the Ironwood Stake several more times. After the breakthrough, he felt like he had an inexhaustible supply of energy, and it was frustrating not to vent it.
'I know,' he thought. 'It's because my body hasn't adapted to the sudden surge in strength yet.'
The series of heavy blows echoed across the Martial Arts Arena, attracting even more apprentices.
"Impossible!"
"With that kind of power... Su Yu has really broken through the second gate!"
Finally, someone cast aside their doubts and realized Su Yu had actually achieved a breakthrough.
Instantly, the expressions of everyone in the Martial Arts Arena shifted.
One had to understand that the apprentices of the Outer Courtyard would most likely remain stuck at the first gate for their entire lives. In fact, most of them were stuck even before reaching the first gate.
To become a practitioner who had broken through the first gate, or to shamelessly boast and call oneself a Half-Step Martial Artist, was already to be outstanding among ordinary people.
As for breaking through the second gate, that was something only those with at least mid-grade root bone talent would even consider attempting.
In everyone's mind, one's Root Bone was an insurmountable barrier. For someone with a Lower-Grade Root Bone to break through even once was a fluke. To attempt the second gate was nothing short of a fool's dream.
But now, to see someone with a poor Root Bone just like them actually break through... how could they not be filled with shock, jealousy, and envy?
After throwing several dozen consecutive punches, the destructive urge within him finally dissipated. Su Yu relaxed his stance, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.
He ignored the crowd and walked straight over to Senior Sister Lin, who had just arrived in the Outer Courtyard. He cupped his fist in a salute. "Senior Sister Lin, I have broken through the second gate."
Lin Wanzhu wore a form-fitting, light-gray training uniform. The sweat-dampened fabric clung to her skin, outlining her breathtaking curves. Glistening beads of sweat adorned her fair neck, tracing a path down into the deep valley of her cleavage. Her entire being exuded the sweet fragrance of a ripe peach.
She had just finished training in the back courtyard and came to the Outer Courtyard to check on the apprentices' progress, only to witness Su Yu's breakthrough.
She, too, was incredibly surprised.
If she remembered correctly, Su Yu's Root Bone was truly quite ordinary. And yet, he had broken through the first gate a little over two months ago, and now, just over two months later, he had broken through the second.
Such progress was truly astonishing.
"Mm, step forward."
Su Yu was a little confused, unsure of Senior Sister Lin's intentions, but he obediently stepped forward. At once, a fragrance like orchids mixed with a warm, sweet, powdery scent reached his nose.
Lin Wanzhu reached out with a delicate hand, placing her slender fingers on Su Yu's broad chest. She spoke softly, "Brace yourself. I'm going to feel your bones again."
CRACK...
An immense force came from her delicate hand, easily piercing through his seemingly solid muscles to grip his very bones.
HISS...
Su Yu couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. The sense of inflated power from his breakthrough instantly vanished.
'I can't believe the seemingly gentle Senior Sister Lin possesses such strength.'
'Is this what a Martial Artist is?'
'I wonder what realm she's in. The Skin Tempering Realm? Or the Flesh Refining Realm?'
'If she's this strong just at the Skin Tempering Realm, that would be terrifying.'
Lin Wanzhu's hand slid from Su Yu's upper body down to his lower half, her elegant brows furrowing slightly. Her hand then moved back up, and it was only when she saw his comical expression—eyes wide, yet not daring to speak—that she seemed to realize and withdrew her hand.
'There's no mistake,' she thought. 'Even though my bone-reading isn't as accurate as Master's, Su Yu's Root Bone is utterly unremarkable. In fact, it's unquestionably poor.'
'In that case, his aptitude must be excellent.'
'Martial Arts cultivation is influenced by factors beyond just Root Bone, such as aptitude and wealth.'
'Wealth is self-explanatory, but aptitude is ethereal and hard to measure or perceive.'
'Though not as influential as one's Root Bone, Master always said that aptitude does affect one's Martial Arts training and plays a role in breaking through bottlenecks.'
At this thought, a hint of curiosity entered Lin Wanzhu's gaze as she looked at Su Yu. She hadn't expected another impressive disciple to emerge from the Outer Courtyard besides the genius, Junior Brother Chen.
"Junior Su, your Root Bone is indeed ordinary. But being able to break through the second gate shows that you are diligent in your daily training and have excellent aptitude."
Hearing Senior Sister Lin's evaluation, Su Yu knew the real reason for his success. But he didn't mind her attributing it to his aptitude. 'It's not a bad explanation,' he thought, 'and it saves me a lot of trouble.'
"You flatter me, Senior Sister. I just train diligently and had a bit of good luck," Su Yu said, cupping his fist in a salute before adding.
"To be honest, Senior Sister, while I'm happy about the breakthrough, my pockets are empty. I don't even have the silver for Herbal Decoctions anymore. I was planning to ask you for a leave of absence so I could go raise some funds."
"I see. A leave of absence is fine. You've broken through the second gate and are now among the top disciples in the Outer Courtyard. The next assessment is more than four months away, so you have plenty of time to break through the third gate," Lin Wanzhu said. As she spoke, her gaze softened with a hint of tenderness as it fell upon Su Yu.
"However, you don't need to go all the way back just to raise funds. I have some silver on hand. How about I lend you some?"
With that, she took out a Little Yuanbao and handed it to Su Yu. "This is ten taels of silver. Take it."
Su Yu froze. 'She's this generous?'
This was ten taels of silver, a fortune for an ordinary person. Outside the city, it was enough money to become a master's apprentice, or even to change one's fate.
Aside from resorting to murder and arson, Su Yu had no idea how long it would take him to earn that much.
"What, is it not enough?"
Su Yu quickly accepted it and thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Senior Sister. I was just stunned by your generosity. No one has ever lent me this much silver before."
Seeing Su Yu's earnest expression, Lin Wanzhu let out a chuckle. The movement sent waves rippling across her chest, a sight dazzling enough to make one's head spin.
"Just take it. You were able to break through the second gate, so you clearly have potential. Consider it my investment in you."