Rise in the Martial Chaos: Starting From a Martial Arts School

When Sun Yong finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned once again.

"He broke through to Dark Energy?!"

"Yang Jing... he’s reached the Dark Energy realm?!" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The words hit them like a bolt from the blue, leaving their minds reeling.

Just moments ago, their minds were consumed by the shock of the arranged marriage. It took them a moment to process, but then the true weight of their master’s words sunk in.

Xu Hong gasped, his eyes, filled with unconcealed astonishment, scanning Yang Jing from head to toe. "Junior Brother Yang... have you really reached the Dark Energy realm?"

Countless people were stuck at the Peak of Mingjin, unable to cross that threshold in their entire lifetimes. How had Yang Jing quietly broken through to Dark Energy?

Zhao Wenzheng muttered, "How is that possible... His Root Bone isn’t exceptional. How could he..."

The shame and anger on Qi Yun’s face froze, replaced by utter disbelief.

She had always thought of Yang Jing as nothing more than a simpleton who only knew how to train relentlessly. She believed achieving some proficiency in Mingjin was his absolute limit. And now he had silently broken through to Dark Energy?

’Doesn’t that mean, given enough time, he might actually catch up to me?’

After all, the next realm after Dark Energy was the Huajin Martial Artist. She wasn’t very confident she could break through to Huajin herself. It was very likely she would remain at the Peak of Dark Energy for a long time, perhaps even her entire life.

She didn’t believe Yang Jing could get lucky enough to break through to Huajin as well, but he would inevitably reach the Peak of Dark Energy sooner or later...

Lin Yue’s gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Yang Jing, a storm brewing in his heart.

He had always been the most celebrated genius disciple in the Martial Arts Hall. Now, Yang Jing’s sudden emergence meant a new potential competitor. Although he didn’t take this competitor too seriously, Yang Jing’s breakthrough to Dark Energy had still far exceeded his expectations.

Only Liu Maolin, after his initial shock, broke into a wide grin. He gave Yang Jing a subtle thumbs-up. His brother had broken through to Dark Energy—this was fantastic news!

With Sun Yong’s single sentence announcing Yang Jing’s breakthrough, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Shock, scrutiny, wariness... all sorts of gazes converged on Yang Jing, making him the center of attention.

"Yes, Yang Jing broke through to Dark Energy yesterday. He has always been diligent in his training. Although he has just broken through, his foundation is very solid," Sun Yong said with a nod.

Qi Yun glared at Yang Jing, her nails digging so deeply into her palms they nearly drew blood.

After the shock subsided, an uncontrollable rage began to burn within her.

Her master had actually compared her to Yang Jing! This was a complete humiliation!

She, Qi Yun, was from a great family with a mid-to-high grade Root Bone. She had been doted on since childhood and was a Core Disciple at the Martial Arts Hall, second only to Lin Yue. On what grounds should she be associated with some country bumpkin with a Lower-Grade Root Bone?

’A Lower-Grade Root Bone is still a Lower-Grade Root Bone. So what if he got lucky with a breakthrough?’

She scoffed inwardly. ’On the path of the Martial Dao, one’s Root Bone is destiny. Yang Jing just struck dumb luck this time.’

She remembered how Yang Jing used to bow and scrape whenever he saw her, not even daring to speak loudly. He had tried desperately to suck up to her but wasn’t even qualified to be her follower.

And now he had actually made their master consider an arranged marriage. This made her feel even more aggrieved, and her gaze toward Yang Jing was now tinged with disgust.

Zhao Wenzheng and Xu Hong exchanged a look, seeing a similar thought reflected in each other’s eyes.

Yang Jing’s breakthrough to Dark Energy was certainly astonishing, but they were more inclined to believe it was a fluke. After all, it was already difficult for a Martial Artist with a Lower-Grade Root Bone to reach the Mingjin realm. Dark Energy? He must have stumbled upon some fortunate opportunity, but it was unlikely to last.

Only Liu Maolin couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

He clapped Yang Jing on the arm, the force of the pat carrying his genuine happiness. "You’re really something else, my friend!"

When he had first arranged a position for Yang Jing at the medical hall, it wasn’t because he saw any great potential or future in him, but because he valued his steady and reliable character. Now, it had turned into a pleasant surprise.

He knew better than anyone what a Dark Energy Martial Artist was worth. From now on, the Liu Family Medical Hall would have that much more backing.

He was already calculating in his head. He would go back and tell his father later to raise Yang Jing’s monthly salary and increase his meat rations.

With his friendship with Yang Jing, plus the fact that the medical hall had always treated him well, Yang Jing would never easily leave for another faction.

Even if other powers tried to poach him, the Liu Family had the first-mover advantage.

Yang Jing could feel the gazes of Qi Yun and the others but paid them no mind.

He stood with his eyes lowered, silently feeling the Dark Energy flowing within him. This was the only thing that truly mattered.

Sun Yong cleared his throat, his gaze shifting to Lin Yue. His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable weight. "Lin Yue, your focus has been scattered recently."

Lin Yue’s heart tightened, and he instinctively straightened his back.

"The banquets with the major families, the social events in the markets... they’ve been taking up too much of your time," Sun Yong said slowly. "You have the best Root Bone in the hall—an upper-grade one. That’s a talent countless people could only dream of. You should be focusing more on your training."

He glanced at Yang Jing beside him. "Learn from Yang Jing. Settle your mind and focus on your practice. Don’t let these distractions ruin your future."

Lin Yue’s face flushed red, then went pale. He was utterly frustrated. He came from a common background. If it weren’t for his Upper-Grade Root Bone, he would probably be struggling to make a meager living at the bottom of the county’s society.

Later, he displayed his talent, making a stunning debut at Sun’s Martial Arts Hall with his Upper-Grade Root Bone. He caught the eye of various powers in the city and used the opportunity to network with the great families to expand his connections. He never expected his master to call him out in front of everyone, even comparing him to Yang Jing—a man with a Lower-Grade Root Bone who had only broken through by a fluke!

But he didn’t dare to retort. He could only lower his head and say, "Yes, this disciple will remember Master’s teachings."

Seeing this, Sun Yong said no more. His gaze swept over the group. "You are all the core of the Martial Arts Hall. In the future, you must support each other and remain united. Don’t let trivial matters harm your fellowship. The path of Dark Energy requires even more tempering. Go back and cultivate diligently."

"Yes, Master," everyone replied in unison.

The group filed out of the room. Qi Yun walked at the very front, her steps hurried, clearly still fuming over what had just happened.

Lin Yue followed close behind, his expression still grim.

Xu Hong and Zhao Wenzheng walked behind them, whispering to each other and occasionally glancing at Yang Jing’s back.

Only Liu Maolin sidled up to Yang Jing, lowering his voice to say with a laugh, "Well done, you! Now even Master is using you as an example. I’m treating you to a meal later. We have to celebrate this properly!"

Yang Jing just smiled and said nothing.

...

「The Inner Courtyard.」

The door closed, shutting out the noise from outside. Only Sun Yong and his daughter remained in the room.

Sun Ningxiang brewed a cup of hot tea and offered it to her father, sighing softly. "I never expected Junior Brother Yang to break through to Dark Energy. He works so hard at his training every day. It seems his efforts weren’t wasted after all."

Sun Yong took the teacup, his fingertips tracing the warm porcelain. "Indeed," he said with a smile. "Having another Dark Energy disciple in the Martial Arts Hall is always a good thing."

He thought back to what had just happened and shook his head again. "Speaking of which, if things had worked out between Qi Yun and Yang Jing, a union between two Dark Energy disciples would have made our Martial Arts Hall’s bonds even stronger. What a pity."

"Father, marriage can’t be forced," Sun Ningxiang said with a faint smile. "Junior Brother Yang achieved what he has today through his own perseverance. I used to see him come to the Martial Arts Hall before dawn and not leave until after dark. I remember thinking what a shame it would be if all that grueling work came to nothing. Now it seems his hardship has finally paid off."

Listening to his daughter, Sun Yong’s gaze fell upon her face, and a sudden thought struck him.

’Ning Xiang is gentle-natured and knows pharmacology. Yang Jing is steady and resolute. If the two of them were to get together, it might not be a bad match at all, would it?’

But as soon as the thought emerged, he suppressed it.

He looked out the window, just as Lin Yue’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, and began to ponder silently.

Lin Yue’s Root Bone was upper-grade, his talent far surpassed Yang Jing’s, and his future achievements were limitless. His chances of breaking through to become a Huajin Martial Artist were extremely high. Moreover, he could see that Lin Yue was interested in Ning Xiang. If they were to marry, then when he grew old, Lin Yue could take over the Martial Arts Hall, and Ning Xiang would have a secure future. That was the best possible choice.

Yang Jing was good, but in the end, his Root Bone was inferior. His potential had a clear ceiling.