Star Sky Professional

The grand trend of the world is that union leads to separation, and separation leads to union.

After the fall of the Ancient Da Xia, the world fell into a long period of dark turmoil...

During the dark period, even the chronology became obscure.

During this time, Martial Artists waged intense internal wars, leaving countless dead from internal conflicts, and the number of Fierce Beasts grew once more, wantonly slaughtering Human Clan cities.

Until Da Kang's Grand Ancestor raised a three-foot sword, pacifying the world, and Jiuzhou once again returned to unification.

This marked the division between the Ancient Times and the modern era.

The Da Kang Grand Ancestor excelled in Heavenly Human Martial Arts, establishing a new martial system, setting the 'Ninth Grade,' and classifying the Sects of the world, using the power of one person to suppress the world for five hundred years!

Unfortunately, once five hundred years passed, he turned to ashes just the same.

Moreover, there were too few outstanding descendants among his heirs, and throughout countless years, not a single one could reach the realm of the Da Kang Grand Ancestor.

Thus, after the Da Kang Grand Ancestor passed, the world immediately fell into chaos for a cycle of sixty years.

Sixty years later, the 'Great Yuan Grand Ancestor' rose, reaching the same realm as the Da Kang Grand Ancestor, suppressing the world for five hundred years, but the luck of the Great Yuan Grand Ancestor lay in having descendants who broke through to the pinnacle of Martial Arts, continuing to rule the world for five hundred years.

But history's rise and fall are never dictated by man, and after this figure passed, the Great Yuan rapidly declined, with various local powers rising and establishing their own territories.

Moreover, Martial Arts gradually flourished, and powerful figures breaking through to the pinnacle of Martial Arts emerged one after another, with no one able to successfully unify the world.

With the passage of time, the remnants of the Great Yuan died out, and the great pinnacle strong figures established sects, passing down their traditions...

Jiuzhou completely fell into an 'era without an emperor,' with the 'Nine Supreme Sects'—consisting of 'One Temple, Two Sects, Six Great Sects'—each occupying their own territory.

Among these major forces, there were also numerous second-rate forces and various Families.

This was an era where Martial Arts flourished.

Almost all Great Sects harbored desires to unify the world!

They extensively accepted disciples, hoping that Martial Arts would continuously advance, and that someone would appear to break through to the pinnacle of Martial Arts, unifying the world once more!

To make the world united again!

...

The Five Beasts Sect, one of the Six Great Sects under 'One Temple, Two Sects, Six Great Sects,' occupied more than half of Chu State.

On this day.

In the plaza of the White Deer Institute.

A group of children stood solemnly, watching as a stout man with a burly build respectfully inserted three thumb-thick green incense sticks into the copper furnace before them.

The stout man turned around, his face full of muscles, showing not a hint of a smile: "After paying respects to the Grandmaster, you will become Disciples of the White Deer Lower Institute of our Five Beasts Sect... Our Five Beasts Sect has five major lower institutes: Tiger, Deer, Bear, Ape, and Crane! Each year we widely recruit disciples, and you can join by paying money, but whether you can advance in grades and successfully refine Inner Strength to advance to the Sixth Grade and be accepted into the true Five Beasts Sect depends on your destiny..."

The stout man's voice boomed like thunder, causing the eardrums of the children to ache.

Below, a twelve-year-old boy dressed in martial training clothes listened solemnly.

On his neck, he wore a Stone Talisman, none other than the 'True Martial Talisman'!

This boy was Gou San—no, the child of Xun Laoliu, named 'Xun Heihu'!

After the New Year, Xun Laoliu spent five hundred silvers on tuition to send him to the White Deer Institute, becoming a proud Outer Sect Disciple of the Five Beasts Sect.

Though one who could be expelled at any moment...

Inside the True Martial Talisman.

Fang Xing sat on a stone chair, resting his chin on one hand, tapping the back of the chair with the other in boredom.

This True Martial Talisman concealed its mystique, and Xun Laoliu pondered over it for a long time but couldn't discern its significance. Eventually, he consulted a master at appraising ores who deemed it worthless and casually set it aside.

Later, Xun Heihu saw it, and since the child liked it, Xun Laoliu didn't consider it unlucky and gave it to Xun Heihu as a plaything.

Until now, it had been brought along to the White Deer Lower Institute.

Outside, the stout man's speech continued:

"The Nine Grades of Martial Arts, each step to an absolute peak, the lower three grades form the foundation by refining the physique. Once you enter the grade and achieve the Ninth Grade Copper Gate Realm, your body becomes like copper, as strong as an ox, setting you apart from ordinary people, allowing you to join sect armies, becoming squad leaders upon entry!"

"And this is just laying the foundation. The so-called lower three grades are constantly thickening the foundation to prepare for breaking through to the middle three grades..."

"If you reach the Sixth Grade 'Inner Strength,' haha, you're already considered a good hand in the martial world."

"A middle three-grade Martial Artist lives for two hundred years! If you acquire some Treasures and take good care of yourself, living up to three hundred years isn't difficult!"

"As for the upper three-grade Grandmasters, they're qualified to compete on the 'Dragon-Tiger Rankings,' and those at the forefront of the rankings, in ancient times, were like the Da Kang Grand Ancestor or the Great Yuan Grand Ancestor, easily unifying the world and bringing order to chaos... living for up to five hundred years!"

...

Fang Xing listened intently, knowing that with the development of the World's Origin, Martial Arts in this world were indeed constantly advancing.

And this stout man's discussion of martial enlightenment was merely to give these young men and women a goal.

In reality... they'd be overjoyed if even a few prospects reached the Sixth Grade Inner Strength.

...

"Alright, what you need to consider now is how to enter the grade!"

The tiger-backed stout man did not give the young men and women below a chance to ask questions, continuing: "Your families have sent you to the White Deer Institute, spending five hundred silvers! Is it much? Not at all! Let me tell you, even just to lay the foundation for charging into the Ninth Grade, with the 'Copper Lead Elixir,' it takes mixing in a lot of Spiritual Medicine with copper, iron, and lead medicine... each one costs one silver!"

"Martial arts training for the lower three grades requires mountains of money and seas of silver. As long as you successfully enter the grade, that five hundred silvers will be earned back. If you break through to the Eighth Grade, the Sect will have to subsidize you!"

These words made the eyes of the youths from seemingly poor backgrounds, such as Xun Heihu, light up.

"Master Xiong, when do we start taking Elixirs to cultivate?"

A young person dressed in fine clothes standing at the front opened his mouth to ask.

"Swallow an elixir? Swallow your egg!"

The head coach cursed, "Do you know why we want you to start training after you are ten years old? Because practicing the elixir technique harms the body the most, if an ordinary person swallows a 'copper lead elixir', it would just burn their intestines..."

"Therefore, the first step on the path of Martial Arts is to train, nurture, and eat!"

"Practice Pile Skill, nurture Qi and blood, eat supplements!"

"Once the body is strong and Qi and blood are robust, try swallowing the elixir. Use Qi and blood to digest the power of the elixir, constantly harm and then restore the body, thereby forging the 'Copper Gate'!"

"What I'm teaching you now is the White Deer Lower Institute's secret transmission, the 'White Deer Posture,' there's a song mnemonic, 'White Deer roams the forest standing like pine, steps turn seven stars like a rainbow, Qi sinks to Dantian embracing the sun and moon, Yin and Yang four images guard the center of the universe'..."

The head coach assumed a stance, although he looked broad and bear-like, somehow giving an inexplicable sense of lightness: "This White Deer Posture, first is to root your feet, second is to have agile eyes... If you can't make your body agile, then at least start with your eyes agile, use eye strength..."

He made these young boys and girls stand in posture one by one, then inspected around, and if he found someone really unsatisfactory, he would give them a slap.

Pa!

The boys and girls who got slapped gritted their teeth but still had to thank the coach first, then get up and continue working hard.

"From today onward, you will stand one session's worth of the White Deer Posture every day, followed by all kinds of physical training, reading and writing... All three meals are medicine food prepared in the dining hall, to nurture Qi and blood."

The head coach smiled slightly, suddenly spoke: "As the old saying goes—Hundred Days of Building Martial Arts Foundation! Hence, after three months, there will be the first assessment, if still unable to stand in posture and enter meditation, and maneuver Qi and blood... then you'll be directly expelled from the White Deer Institute, such waste doesn't even qualify to take elixir... which means the five hundred silver from your family would be wasted..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xing noticed Xun Heihu visibly shook, clenching his fists in secret.

He seemed to hear the other's inner voice—'I must maneuver Qi and blood, I can't be eliminated!'

...

More than two months later.

On the training grounds.

Xun Heihu's form was like a white deer, sweat beads the size of beans dripped from his forehead.

Plop!

As the sweat beads rolled down, they burst into eight pieces on the bluestone slab.

"Huff huff..."

He was panting heavily, "The power of Qi and blood is still a bit lacking, cannot sense it... In ten days, the assessment will be held."

"Heihu..."

A young boy with thick brows and big eyes looked over, "How's it going?"

This was Xun Heihu's acquaintance, his friend Zhao Daniu.

He shook his head, "Still not enough..."

"Sigh."

Zhao Daniu sat on the ground without care about his image, "I heard those geniuses from Martial Arts families, like Wei Chigang and the others, managed to grasp Qi and blood in the first month and applied for 'copper lead elixir' training... Just yesterday, Ye Fengchun also had a breakthrough."

Xun Heihu fell silent.

Those favored by their families in martial arts, since childhood, had consumed many supplements, receiving the elders' guidance in training. He knew he couldn't compare, and he hadn't thought of competing.

But Ye Fengchun?

The other is a small partner from his town, from a family of cloth craftsmen.

Being surpassed by this small partner made him very unwilling at heart.

'No way... I can't be expelled after three months, I need to get graded, I have to break into the sixth grade, and truly join the Five Beasts Sect!'

Xun Heihu was inwardly anxious.

He took a glance, seeing on the girls' side, a well-built girl.

After all, girls usually mature earlier, she seemed to have glanced his way.

He quickly bowed his head, concealing his gaze.

...

As night fell.

Xun Heihu found himself somewhere vague and dreamlike, arriving at a stone hall.

"This... where is this? Wasn't I in the dormitory?"

Xun Heihu widened his eyes, looking at the vague gray fog and towering stone pillars.

A vague figure was standing above many steps ahead.

"This is inside the 'True Martial Talisman.'"

Fang Xing spoke indifferently; after observing for so long, he finally decided to act.

The so-called action was determining that this young man was to his liking, preparing to cultivate him a bit.

"True Martial Talisman?"

Xun Heihu widened his eyes, "What is this?"

"True Martial Talisman is the supreme treasure of martial arts, you are destined with it, it will naturally assist you... Right now you are troubled by the bottleneck of Qi and blood, aren't you? Within the True Martial Talisman, it excels at breakthroughs, whether it's controlling Qi and blood, or advancing in grades in the future, or breaking through boundary thresholds like seventh grade advancing to sixth grade, and fourth grade breaking through to third grade..."

Fang Xing laughed, "If you don't believe it... you can try."