Grinding to the Martial Sage from the White Ape Fist-Chapter 43: Qi and Blood Like Thunder

The ferocity of this Qi and Blood was incomparable to his previous three attempts to break through.

If before it was streams converging, then right now, it was a flood bursting its dams, the celestial river pouring down!

BOOM!

A dull, thunderous roar exploded within Su Yu’s body.

It wasn’t an auditory hallucination, but the visceral thunder of his organs, caused by Qi and Blood rushing through the chambers of his heart!

Qi and Blood like thunder—the foundation of a Martial Artist!

The berserk energy, like a furious dragon, smashed through his four limbs, broke through the Heart Mirror in his chest and abdomen, and finally surged straight to his crown!

In an instant, it was as if every pore on Su Yu’s body opened at once, expelling a jet of scorching white vapor. Countless greasy, grayish-black impurities were forcibly squeezed out of him—toxins and old injuries that had settled deep within his body.

Under the repeated cleansing of his Qi and Blood, his originally rough skin first turned crimson like a branding iron, then rapidly cooled and tightened, finally taking on a luster that was warm like ancient jade, yet tough as ox-hide.

His bones crackled and popped within his body, as if they were restructuring and compressing, becoming even denser.

His muscle definition emerged like flowing water, no longer in stiff, blocky chunks, but in streamlined forms filled with explosive power.

An hour later, the thunder within his body gradually subsided.

Su Yu slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light radiating from his pupils.

’This is... a Martial Artist?’

’It’s a complete rebirth!’

He carefully took in all these changes, feeling as if his body now held limitless potential.

This feeling of power, of being in control of everything, was intoxicating. No wonder the people of this world held Martial Artists in such high regard. The difference before and after the breakthrough was like night and day.

’I should wash up first.’

Su Yu got up, walked to the well, stripped off his clothes, drew a bucket of bone-chilling well water, and poured it over his head.

SPLASH!

As the cold water cascaded down, Su Yu felt no chill at all, only a refreshing and cleansing sensation.

’With my Qi and Blood this strong, even ice-cold water doesn’t feel cold at all. To think that back then, before winter even started, I almost froze to death in the Black Water River...’

Su Yu couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion. In these chaotic times, he was finally no longer an ordinary person who could lose his life at any moment. He finally had some capital to stand on.

After getting dressed, Su Yu went to a corner of the Martial Arts Arena.

Standing before an Ironwood Stake, he freely circulated his Qi and Blood, channeling it into his fist. The sensation was incredibly smooth this time. It seemed that after his breakthrough, all the meridians in his body had cleared, allowing his Qi and Blood to flow without obstruction, free from the stagnation he used to feel.

It was as if the moment the thought formed, the power had already reached his fingertips.

He threw a casual punch!

THUMP.

The punch didn’t land with a loud crack, but a somewhat muffled thud.

But the next second...

CRACK!

The stake, as hard as iron and able to withstand countless heavy blows, instantly developed several cracks spreading up and down from the point of impact, then burst apart!

’So that’s how it is! The power of the Martial Artist Realm is so much greater, mainly manifesting in this destructive force! The power is concentrated into a single point, forming pure destructive might!

’This power is probably more than ten times that of the Gate-locking Realm! No wonder they say a Martial Artist can kill an ordinary person as easily as slaughtering a chicken. With a punch like this, even a huge beast would be killed instantly!’

Su Yu withdrew his fist and looked at the skin on his knuckles. There wasn’t a single scratch. This was thanks to the second distinct change of the Martial Artist Realm!

A defense from skin as tough as ox-hide!

He then pulled out a Fine Iron Flying Saber, which he usually used for practice. His gaze hardened, and he forcefully slashed the blade across the skin of his forearm.

SCREECH!

A cringe-inducing scraping sound rang out, like a dull knife cutting across old leather. After the blade passed, it left only a faint white mark on his skin that vanished in an instant.

’A defense like wearing armor... how could anyone below the Martial Artist Realm even fight this?’

Su Yu grew even more astonished at the power of the Martial Artist Realm. No wonder it was said that everyone below this realm was like an ant. He felt that Senior Brother Xu’s previous description of the Martial Artist Realm had been far too conservative.

With his current strength, he could probably take on ten practitioners at the peak of the Gate-locking Realm!

If he ran into any members of the Water Snake Gang again, he could wipe them all out by himself.

No wonder Cao Bin was able to become a leader in the Water Snake Gang right after his breakthrough. With his current strength, no matter where he sought a position, he would be treated as a superior!

...

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

On the Martial Arts Arena, a new batch of apprentices was training hard amidst Xu Feng’s scolding shouts.

Standing beside Xu Feng were two new faces—a pair of twin girls. The older sister, Yang Zhen, was calm, while the younger sister, Yang Ai, was lively. Both were dressed in fine silks, clearly the daughters of a prominent family in the city.

The male apprentices were all training with extra vigor, their eyes constantly glancing in the girls’ direction. After all, besides their Junior Sister Ye Lu, who only ever orbited around Chen Fan, the Martial Arts Arena was practically a monastery.

"To train in martial arts, you must first train your mind!" Xu Feng’s brow furrowed. He barked a few reprimands, immediately forcing the apprentices to rein in their thoughts and focus on their training.

Just then, Su Yu happened to walk in from the direction of the living quarters.

He had returned late last night after his breakthrough, so he had slept in for the first time in a long while.

Today, he planned to inform the martial arts hall about his breakthrough to the Martial Artist Realm. He had no intention of hiding it.

Only by becoming a Martial Artist could he enter the hall’s inner circle and find more ways to earn money.

After his breakthrough, he was completely broke, with less than one tael of silver to his name.

Seeing that Senior Brother Xu was there, Su Yu quickly walked over to Xu Feng’s side.

"Senior Brother Xu!"

Xu Feng nodded upon seeing Su Yu and replied, "How’s your training progressing? Are you ready to challenge the Martial Artist bottleneck yet?"

"I was just about to tell you, Senior Brother Xu. I broke through to the Martial Artist Realm last night," Su Yu said calmly.

Xu Feng didn’t quite register it at first. He nodded, but then his eyes shot wide open, bulging like a bull’s.

"What did you say?"

Su Yu calmly repeated, "Senior Brother, I broke through to the Martial Artist Realm last night."

In the next moment, a disbelieving Xu Feng immediately pulled Su Yu over to an Ironwood Stake. "Here, try it!"

Su Yu said nothing more, simply inhaling and throwing a punch.

BAM!

With a dull thud, wood splinters exploded outwards.

The intact stake was as fragile as rotten wood under his fist, instantly splitting open a palm-width crack and revealing the splintered ironwood inside.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Xu Feng burst out laughing. Seeing that punch, he had confirmed Su Yu’s breakthrough!

"Good kid! You actually broke through to the Martial Artist Realm!"

He knew Su Yu’s background better than anyone: Lower-Grade Root Bone, no backing whatsoever!

Although he had always admired his mindset, he hadn’t been optimistic about his prospects. He had assumed Su Yu would just fade away like so many other apprentices.

He never expected that Su Yu would advance so steadily, step by step. It wasn’t fast, but in the end, he had actually broken through!

He felt a daze as he recalled the moment he had first accepted him for entry-level training.

Xu Feng’s loud laughter drew the gazes of all the other apprentices. When they heard the conversation, they were all stunned.

"Senior Brother Su broke through to the Martial Artist Realm?"

"My heavens! How is that possible!"

"Senior Brother Su actually broke through too! That’s a Martial Artist! He’s truly leaped the dragon gate!"

A buzz of discussion rose from the crowd.

In the crowd, Ye Lu bit her lip so hard her face turned pale. A tide of jealousy and regret washed over her heart.

’Su Yu actually broke through to the Martial Artist Realm?’

’Senior Brother Chen clearly said he had nothing but a Lower-Grade Root Bone, that he was a piece of trash with no hope of breaking through.’

’But now he’s actually become one of the elite!’

’Could it be... I chose wrong?’

But her expression quickly changed as she comforted herself, ’No, Senior Brother Chen has a Top-Grade Root Bone and is a personal disciple. His future is definitely brighter than Su Yu’s! I didn’t choose wrong, I didn’t choose wrong...’

Meanwhile, the beautiful eyes of the newly arrived twin sisters were sparkling with excitement.

The younger sister, Yang Ai, tugged on her older sister’s sleeve and whispered excitedly, "Sis! That senior brother is amazing! We just got here and we already saw him break through to the Martial Artist Realm! And he’s so handsome! His future is boundless! Let’s pick him!"

The older sister, Yang Zhen, was much calmer. She poked her sister’s slender waist, a scrutinizing glint in her eyes. "Keep your voice down. It’s only your first day here!"

The Yang Sisters were from the city’s Yang Family. The Yang Family was a minor merchant house that had been developing quite well in recent years.

They had joined the martial arts hall this time for two reasons. First, to learn some martial arts for self-defense. Second, to find a suitable Martial Artist to befriend and invest in.

In the future, they could either have him take up a position as a Guest Minister for the Yang Family or have him marry into the family directly.

And because their father had a good relationship with Master Qin, they had joined the White Ape Martial Arts Hall.

"Su Yu, come on! Follow me to the Inner Courtyard to see Master!" Senior Brother Xu Feng’s face was flushed with excitement as he strode quickly towards the Inner Courtyard.