stjorthotic Chapter 67 Showing Support
Chapter 67 Showing Support
After leaving Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy, Chen Luo returned to the carriage.
Master Huang instructed the driver to head towards Qingyun Martial Arts School, adding, "You are about to enter Qingyun Martial Arts School, and there are a few important things you need to know."
Chen Luo immediately straightened his expression and listened attentively.
"You once asked what the trials at Qingyun Martial Arts School are, and how passing the trials allows one to enter the Inner Realm."
Huang Mingyuan continued, "Actually, it's more like a training exercise than a trial."
"Cultivation?" Chen Luo asked, puzzled.
"That's right." Huang Mingyuan nodded. "Do you know what the biggest difference is between interior and exterior shots?"
Chen Luo recalled the scene of Luo Yi fighting the demon monkey that day and said, "The inner realm, in terms of both power and speed, has surpassed the limits that the outer realm can achieve."
"That's just the surface, not the essential difference." Huang Mingyuan shook his head. "The essential difference between inner and outer visions lies in the source of the heart."
"Heart Source?" Chen Luo asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I told you before that the first realm of inner vision is the realm where the source of the mind lies dormant within the physical body. The key lies in this source of the mind."
Huang Mingyuan slowly said, "The source of the heart lies dormant within the physical body. The training at Qingyun Martial Arts Academy is to teach people to see the source of the heart dormant within their bodies. Once you see the source of the heart, you are considered to have entered the inner realm."
"The source of the heart lies dormant within the body; to see it is to see its inner landscape..." Chen Luo pondered these words, still confused. "What exactly is this source of the heart?"
Huang Mingyuan shook his head. "The source of the heart is different from the five internal organs. It is not an organ, nor does it have a physical form. It is difficult to describe." He paused and continued, "To some extent, you can understand the source of the heart as a projection of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth into the bodies of all living beings, which can give people endless power."
Chen Luo felt that this question sounded a bit mystical, so he changed his question, "Then how can one access the Heart Source?"
"That depends on your training at Qingyun Martial Arts School. Someone will teach you then. There's no point in me telling you now."
Huang Mingyuan smiled and said, "All you need to know is that the Qingyun Martial Arts Academy's trial is actually a form of cultivation, and the purpose of this cultivation is to allow you to see the source of the heart."
"In other words, as long as you successfully reach the Heart Source, you will be considered to have entered the Inner Realm and will be able to stay at the Qingyun Martial Arts School and continue on the path of martial arts."
"Disciple understands." Chen Luo nodded, then, remembering something, asked, "What is the relationship between mastering the Nine Yang Strength and the Source of the Heart?"
Huang Mingyuan smiled slightly, "One cannot see the Heart Source without mastering the Nine Yang Strength."
Chen Luo pursed his lips; these words were as good as saying nothing at all.
"What I just said is one thing," Huang Mingyuan said. "The other thing is, if you encounter any trouble at Qingyun Martial Arts School, you can go and find Pharmacist Xu Chang."
Encountering trouble... Chen Luo frowned slightly, "Is the headmaster referring to Lin Duhai and his son?"
"Exactly."
Huang Mingyuan became much more serious and said in a deep voice, "Lin Duhai is the deputy head of Qingyun Martial Arts Academy. This man is very cunning. Although he is bound by the rules of the Martial Arts Selection Division and dares not do anything to you openly, he will never let you cultivate in peace. In particular, his son Lin Lu is also in the martial arts academy and has a certain competitive relationship with you. Therefore, Lin Duhai may very well harm you in secret. You must be careful and guard against him."
"If you encounter a problem that you can't solve, go to Pharmacist Xu. I have a past relationship with him, and I know that you went to the martial arts school to ask him for medicine. He will naturally help you."
"I understand," Chen Luo nodded, but felt it was somewhat tricky.
He knew that Lin Duhai was at Qingyun Martial Arts School, but judging from Huang Mingyuan's words, he was actually the deputy head of Qingyun Martial Arts School.
If a deputy curator were to turn against him, it would indeed be very troublesome.
"With Pharmacist Xu here, you don't need to worry too much. He wouldn't dare to do anything too outrageous. If you're careful, nothing should happen."
As Huang Mingyuan spoke, he sighed again, "Speaking of which, Youcai has been in Qingyun Martial Arts School for quite some time now. I wonder how he is doing now."
"Senior Brother Gu has been accumulating knowledge and experience for a long time, so there shouldn't be any problem with him," Chen Luo comforted him.
Gu Youcai was the first among the younger generation to break through to the Great Perfection of the Nine Yang Force during this period. After him, those who achieved the Great Perfection of the Nine Yang Force appeared one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Including himself, there were already five in just a few months.
The carriage soon arrived near the Qingyun Martial Arts School.
Upon arriving in the vicinity, Chen Luo was astonished.
He had visited Qingyun Martial Arts School several times before, and the area outside the school was usually deserted, but today was quite different.
Outside the martial arts school gate, there was a large crowd of forty or fifty people, dressed in various styles, giving the impression of a group of passersby watching a spectacle.
More importantly, this group of people seemed to be coming for him.
His carriage was still half a mile away when he faintly heard a shout from the crowd, "Look! That's the carriage from Licheng Martial Arts Academy, Chen Luo is here!"
"..." Chen Luo thought he had misheard and looked at Principal Huang, "Were you calling me just now?"
"You'll find out when you get there," Huang Shuzhang said with a smile.
As they drew nearer, Chen Luo lifted the carriage curtain and saw that all eyes were fixed on him, and a buzz of whispers filled the air.
"So this is Chen Luo! I heard he's incredibly talented, and his cultivation speed is even faster than Song Ruokui's!"
"That's right! But while talent is one aspect, the nurturing he received from Licheng Martial Arts Academy has also played a crucial role. It's said that since entering Licheng Martial Arts Academy, his martial arts progress has been incredibly rapid!"
"Yes, this Licheng Martial Arts Academy is extraordinary. Recently, two out of the five people who have mastered the Nine Yang Strength and entered the Qingyun Martial Arts School are from Licheng Martial Arts Academy, which is one more than that Jingyi Martial Arts Academy!"
"The Jingyi Martial Arts Academy is not what it used to be! Back then, Song Ruokui was incredibly talented, but she stagnated after going to the academy and only broke through to the Great Perfection after leaving! The feng shui of the Jingyi Martial Arts Academy is truly terrible!"
"Exactly! In my opinion, if we're going to choose a private school in Qingshan County, we should choose Licheng Martial Arts School!"
"..."
"..."
Outside the carriage, there was much discussion, mostly praising Licheng Martial Arts Academy and a small portion criticizing Jingyi Martial Arts Academy.
Chen Luo looked at Huang Mingyuan with a strange expression, "Headmaster...were all those people outside shills you hired?"
"Not entirely."
Huang Mingyuan chuckled, "I only spread the news that you have mastered the Nine Yang Strength and entered the Qingyun Martial Arts School today, and invited some people to come and stir things up. Most of the people here were attracted by the excitement."
"This slogan sounds so fake, can it really have any effect?" Chen Luo felt so embarrassed listening to the exaggerated shouts.
"One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred, and so on. As the saying goes, 'Many voices can melt metal.' Even if they think it's false, after hearing it so many times, they will naturally start to believe it's true."
Master Huang smiled calmly, "Please don't take offense. As the headmaster, I have to put in some effort to help Licheng Martial Arts Academy grow stronger."
No wonder you took an extra day to arrive; you were busy arranging all this. Chen Luo smiled knowingly and said, "I understand."
Although he disliked noise, as a disciple of Licheng Martial Arts Academy, it was his duty to contribute to his academy.
"Actually, not all of them were people I invited." Huang Mingyuan smiled slightly again and said, "Some came voluntarily, and some even fought to come."
"Are they scrambling to come?"
Chen Luo was startled, and as if realizing something, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
"You'll see for yourself."
Huang Shuzhang pointed in a direction, and Chen Luo looked in that direction and immediately spotted Zhou Xiaoliang and Lu Qun shouting and yelling in the crowd.
Chen Luo: "..."
Although these two have joined the Mountain Guard Division, they haven't lost their old tricks of praising and creating hype.
"Alright, they've shouted enough. Let's get off the bus." Master Huang said with a smile, "In the path of martial arts, personal image is extremely important. Remember to show some of the demeanor of a martial arts prodigy later."
"Yes."
Chen Luo took a deep breath, opened the door, and got out of the car. Huang Mingyuan followed closely behind.
The moment he landed, he immediately suppressed all expression, his face turning cold and stern.
Having experienced life-or-death battles, his temperament naturally possessed a sharp edge. Coupled with the black outfit specially prepared by Master Huang and his deliberate tense expression, he appeared even more extraordinary, even showing a hint of looking down on all others.
Huang Mingyuan also put away his usual gentle smile, and his expression became solemn and dignified.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Luo bowed deeply to Huang Mingyuan, his voice solemn: "This disciple will take his leave now. After I have accomplished my mission, I will come back to thank the headmaster for his guidance."
"Go ahead," Huang Mingyuan replied calmly, his hands behind his back.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding crowd began to discuss the matter again.
"Look, that's Huang Mingyuan, the headmaster of Licheng Martial Arts Academy. As expected of an Inner Realm expert, his demeanor alone tells you he's a master!"
"Chen Luo is even more remarkable. In just over a year, he has gone from the beginner level of the Nine Yang Force to the master level. Such talent is truly unheard of!"
"Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he's also incredibly handsome and has an imposing presence. I've heard that the prodigy Song Ruokui once had a legendary romance with this Chen Luo..."
Chen Luo heard those last two exaggeratedly flattering sentences clearly; they were definitely the voices of Zhou Xiaoliang and Lu Qun.
The two sentences they shouted, especially the last one, surprised many passersby.
"Really? Song Ruokui actually has something to do with Chen Luo?"
"I think I've heard about this before..."
"Miss Song is as beautiful as a fairy, and this Young Master Chen is also a handsome man; the two are indeed a perfect match..."
"..."
Before Chen Luo could even move toward Licheng Martial Arts Academy, he couldn't stand it anymore and glared at Zhou Xiaoliang and Lu Qun.
"Look, Chen Luo is looking this way! As expected of a prodigy, what a sharp gaze!"
"Of course! Don't you know? This man charged in and out of the Western Mountain monster tide seven times, earning a first-class merit from the Mountain Guard. That night, the blood flowed like a river..."
"Hiss, it seems that Chen Luo is not only exceptionally talented and handsome, but also possesses such noble character. To defend his homeland, he even fought amidst the monster tide! I, Zhou, admire him!"
Zhou Xiaoliang and Lu Qun seemed oblivious to his murderous glare, continuing their banter and shouting like comedians, which drew another round of astonishment from the surrounding crowd.
"Such a thing is true..."
"This Chen Luo is truly extraordinary; even I, Wang, admire him!"
"This child's future achievements are limitless..."
"..."
"..."
Chen Luo silently withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and kept this deadly grudge in his heart, vowing that once he finished the inner scene, the first thing he would do was beat those two bastards to death.
After making a solemn vow, he ignored the surrounding disturbances and strode towards the entrance of the martial arts school.
The two guards in front of Qingyun Martial Arts School naturally recognized him as the person who had sneaked into the school that day. However, times had changed, and especially after hearing the discussions just now, the two guards looked at Chen Luo with a mixture of respect and fear. They didn't dare to ask a single question and quickly moved aside.
Chen Luo glanced at the two of them sideways, then calmly stepped into the gate of Qingyun Martial Arts School.
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