Chapter 82

"Your knowledge of martial arts is still lacking. Here, I have a set of books about the realms of martial arts that I used when I was training before. I'll send them over to you shortly."

Lü Ling quickly regained his composure and said to Yang Ji.

"Okay."

Yang Ji nodded without refusing. These common knowledge things might be trivial to Lü Ling, but they were precisely what he needed.

"Thank you, Lü Ling."

Yang Ji expressed his gratitude.

"Haha, why are you saying this to me? If it weren't for you saving me last time, I probably wouldn't have been able to return to Pingchuan City."

Lü Ling patted Yang Ji's shoulder and laughed it off.

Given her status, whether it was teaching Yang Ji archery, gifting him the "Divine Dragon Bone Strengthening Stance" and the "Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound," or guiding him in martial arts knowledge, these were all trivial matters.

Compared to this, Lü Ling appreciated Yang Ji's talent and sense of righteousness. She had taught many servants in the city lord's residence, even more advanced martial arts, but they were all hopeless cases. On the contrary, Yang Ji, whom she taught the least, achieved the most.

"How about it? Do you have confidence in this martial arts examination? I heard that this time it's on a grand scale, with many powerful experts. Yang Ji, you need to work hard!"

Lü Ling was eager, her whole body exuding excitement, as if she were more excited than if she were participating in the martial arts examination herself.

"It's not that easy."

Yang Ji thought of Li Chen and smiled bitterly. "Not to mention other things, just in terms of realm, I probably have a significant gap with them."

"Haha, Yang Ji, don't belittle yourself. It's true that the martial arts examination requires a strong realm, but it's not just about that. I have high hopes for you this time. Let me think... Here, I'll first teach you how to guide blood and refine your organs. After you reach a certain level, you can take the Blood Qi Pill, and you will definitely reach the second realm of martial arts, on par with them."

Lü Ling smiled with her eyes squinting. If she could personally teach a martial arts student, that would be a big deal. According to the rules of the Han Dynasty, women were not allowed to participate in the martial arts examination, so despite her martial arts skills and ambitions, Lü Ling could only sigh in frustration.

However, nothing could be more exciting than teaching a "martial arts student" as a disciple. Lü Ling became more and more excited.

"Yang Ji, these few days, you should intensify your training. Whenever I have time, I'll practice with you. On the day of the competition, I'll go to the venue to cheer you on!"

Lü Ling's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"It's a deal!"

Yang Ji was overjoyed. He was worried about lacking a sparring partner, and Lü Ling's appearance was just what he needed.

Half an hour later, after Lü Ling taught Yang Ji the techniques for guiding blood and refining organs, she left.

As soon as Lü Ling left, Yang Ji couldn't stay still.

"Time is tight, I should make the most of these few days to train."

After Lü Ling's messenger delivered the martial arts book, Yang Ji packed his bag and left shortly after.

...

Outside Pingchuan City, the waterfall roared, and Yang Ji stood by the pond, silently recalling what Lü Ling had taught him.

The second realm of martial arts, refining organs, did not involve anything profound. What Lü Ling taught him was not a cultivation method but a simple technique.

It's like if someone doesn't know the method, they can only use a sniper rifle as a club. But if someone gives them a hint, they can pull the trigger and hit a target a thousand meters away with one shot.

This is the difference in knowledge.

Yang Ji had already surpassed the peak of the first realm and met the requirements to enter the second realm of refining organs. What he needed was just someone to tell him how to pull the "trigger."

"Buzz!"

Yang Ji stood under the waterfall, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, channeling his blood qi throughout his body. He performed the "Taihe Demon Tiger Fist" under the waterfall!

Boom!

A loud noise echoed, and the air trembled. Yang Ji's punch directly cut off the waterfall. Under the influence of the Taihe Demon Tiger Fist, the blood qi in Yang Ji's body roared and rapidly circulated.

However, this time, it was different from before. When the blood qi reached his chest and abdomen, Yang Ji suddenly divided his mind and controlled the blood qi, guiding it into his organs. One strand after another, continuously flowing in...

Yang Ji's body trembled violently. This time, he could clearly feel that the blood, rich in essence, entered his chest and lungs, dividing into thousands of strands, like streams of fire, flowing into various parts through the capillaries, and the essence was absorbed by the organs.

"Exactly like this!"

A thought flashed through Yang Ji's mind. He could feel that the blood qi he guided with his mind did not disappear but was thoroughly absorbed by his chest and lungs.

With a thought, Yang Ji immediately absorbed the essence from the outside, integrating it into his bloodstream. This time, the essence did not dissipate from his body but was thoroughly absorbed.

Yang Ji put his mind at ease and fully immersed himself in training.

The sky gradually darkened, and Yang Ji did not sleep all night, training intensely by the waterfall. When he was tired, he rested for a while and then continued training.

The next day, it was the time for the second round of the martial arts examination. Yang Ji had to seize every opportunity to enhance his strength.

Time passed, and the sky slowly brightened, with a hint of dawn.

"It's time to go!"

Under the waterfall, Yang Ji opened his eyes, his gaze shining with a brilliant light, more dazzling than before.

After a night of training by the pond, Yang Ji felt his strength had increased significantly. Every cell in his chest and lungs was stretching, autonomously absorbing energy from the outside, and his internal organs had become much tougher.

Moreover, he felt refreshed and renewed, with a more solid and grounded presence in his movements.

"Indeed, hard work pays off. With my current situation, if I persist for a while longer and combine it with the Blood Qi Pill awarded in the martial arts examination, I can definitely reach the advanced stage of the second realm of refining organs."

A thought flashed through Yang Ji's mind.

A single night of training would not normally yield such significant results. However, Yang Ji's strength had long reached the peak of the first realm of martial arts, with a solid foundation.

What seemed like a night of training was actually Yang Ji channeling the blood qi he had accumulated over time into his chest and lungs. The significant effect was due to the substantial consumption of blood qi.

"Rushing water!"

Water splashed as Yang Ji waded to the cliff edge. A flash of blood light enveloped his body, and the dense blood qi evaporated the water from his clothes, drying them completely.

Yang Ji took out the "Iron Bone Pill" from the wooden box and swallowed it.

The martial arts examination had entered the eighth day, and the second round of the preliminary competition was about to begin. The 23 opponents Yang Ji would face next might be even stronger than those he had encountered before.

Yang Ji had not yet completed the blood qi transformation and could not take the "Blood Qi Pill" yet. Before that, he dared not be complacent and tried to seize every possible opportunity to improve himself.

Yang Ji glanced at the gray-white pill in his hand and quickly swallowed it.

The "Iron Bone Pill" was the second pill Yang Ji had taken, and it was clearly of a higher grade than the "Hundred Grass Pill." Yang Ji knew little about the Iron Bone Pill, only that it was made from many precious materials and could directly enhance the user's strength.

"Buzz!"

A burning energy exploded from his abdomen, then split into thousands of strands, spreading throughout his limbs and bones. Unlike the "Hundred Grass Pill," this energy penetrated his bloodstream and, like a parasite, drilled directly into his bone marrow.

Yang Ji groaned in pain, feeling as if a moment had passed, or an eternity. The burning energy finally dissipated, and Yang Ji could clearly feel that his bones had become denser and stronger, and his overall strength had increased significantly.

"Good, with my current strength, I can definitely defeat more than half of the opponents in the preliminary round!"

Yang Ji thought to himself.

Half of the preliminary round was 12 candidates, and Yang Ji's ability to surpass these people was already quite impressive. Unfortunately, only 7 candidates would advance from the second round.

Even if Yang Ji could defeat half of the opponents, the situation was still not optimistic!

"Whoosh!"

Yang Ji's body flickered, and he leaped out of the pond.

As Yang Ji headed to the Martial Hall, in another direction in Pingchuan City, Yang Wen and Yang Wu were holding a list and arguing.

"I don't believe it, Yang Wen! I absolutely don't believe this kid is so powerful that he could make it to the second round of the preliminary competition!"

Yang Wu clenched his teeth, looking at a name on the list.

"Cal down. I just said it's possible. Yang Ji was in Pingchuan City a few days ago. While there are many people with the same name, it's too coincidental that two Yang Jis would appear in Pingchuan City."

Yang Wen said thoughtfully.

A few days ago, the two had planned to use their status as martial officials to infiltrate the martial arts examination and gather information about Yang Ji. However, the martial arts examination had become unusually strict, and they could not gather any information with their status.

It wasn't until later that they used the influence of seven or eight people and various methods forbidden by the court to finally infiltrate.

However, unexpectedly, in just seven days, they found "Yang Ji's" name on the list of the martial arts examination.

At first glance, the two felt as if they had seen a ghost. Even a bolt of lightning striking their heads would not have been more shocking.

"Yang Wen, if what you say is true, do you know what that means?"

Yang Wu stared at Yang Wen with wide eyes.

"Of course, I know. But it's not impossible."

Yang Wen said calmly, but his eyes betrayed his uncertainty. Clearly, he was not entirely confident in this theory.

If the Yang Ji on the list was the same person they knew, it would mean that this Yang family member, who had no presence in the clan and was once mocked and considered the least promising, had created an incredible "miracle."

—In just over half a year, he had advanced from the third stage of breathing to the realm of martial arts and had made it to the second round of the preliminary competition in the "martial arts examination," which included six or seven thousand martial arts experts.

Such an achievement was something even they, who were once considered the most outstanding disciples of the Yang family, had not accomplished.

Moreover, if the person on the list was indeed him, the "Madam" who was actively preparing to expel Yang Ji would suffer a heavy blow!

Compared to this unbelievable speculation, Yang Wen was even more inclined to believe that among the six or seven thousand participants in the martial arts examination, there was a person with the same name as Yang Ji.

After all, with such a large population, it was not strange for there to be people with the same name.

"Regardless, once we enter the Martial Hall today, we'll know if it's him or not!"

Yang Wen spread his palm, and two wooden plaques tied with silk ribbons for the martial arts examination slid out of his hand...

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