136: Chapter 136 Shocking the Peak Master

On the Training Ground, everyone's gaze was fixed on Lin Tian.

Those gazes were like a net, closing in from all directions, firmly trapping him in the middle.

The senior Disciples stood with arms crossed, a mocking expression on their faces.

They knew the inside story—this Lin Tian was someone Peak Master Su Hanyan had personally taught for five days, yet he hadn't even been able to get started with the Purple Qi Diagram.

How could such a person possibly Cultivate Internal Energy within a year?

They were waiting to see Lin Tian make a fool of himself, waiting to see Peak Master Su Hanyan personally pass judgment, and then watch this unlucky newcomer roll out of the Qixia Sect in disgrace.

The newcomers' expressions were more complicated.

Over the past few months, Lin Tian had earned their respect with his financial resources and his performance on Taixuan Mountain.

But respect was one thing; Cultivating Internal Energy in a year wasn't something one could achieve just by having money.

They watched Lin Tian's lonely back as he stood in place; some sighed, some lowered their heads, and some clenched their fists, nervous for him.

Zhao Mingyang stood at the very front of the crowd, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

He had waited for this moment for a long time.

Ever since Lin Tian took out those twelve thousand taels of silver at the Wanbao Pavilion, ever since the newcomer Disciples who used to revolve around him started turning to Lin Tian,

ever since the rumors of Liu Yiyi gifting a sword and him slaying a Fourth-Rank Warrior in the canyon—he had been suppressing a fire in his heart.

Today, that fire could finally burn out.

So what if he had money? So what if he was honored as a guest by the Liu family?

In the face of true martial arts talent, none of that counted for anything.

He crossed his arms, his voice neither soft nor loud, just enough for those around him to hear: "Why bother performing? You might as well just concede and leave obediently. Save yourself the embarrassment."

Zhao Mingyue stood beside her brother and also gave a light laugh.

Peak Master Su Hanyan stood three steps in front of Lin Tian, her cold, clear face devoid of any extra expression.

Her gaze landed on Lin Tian's face, as if she were looking at something that had nothing to do with her.

Honestly, she had already thought through the subsequent process—Lin Tian would make a move, she would investigate, confirm there was no Internal Energy, then announce the result, and turn and leave.

The whole process would take less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

This Disciple, whom she had originally snatched from other peak masters and later personally judged to be trash, could finally disappear from her Zixia Peak.

Out of sight, out of mind.

"Then make your move. Let me see if you have Cultivated any Internal Energy." Peak Master Su Hanyan's tone was as flat as if she were speaking of a trivial matter.

Lin Tian didn't say much.

He extended his right palm.

This action was very simple, so simple that there was no preparation or energy-gathering process.

His shoulders didn't move, his arm didn't retract, and he didn't even adjust his breathing.

He just lifted his hand plainly, palm facing forward, and tapped lightly.

Internal Energy erupted.

A short, sharp explosion rang out in the air, as if something had been instantly torn apart.

Three inches in front of Lin Tian's palm, several fallen leaves blown up by the morning breeze were blasted into fragments by an invisible force, and the debris scattered in the air.

The blue-grey paving stones on the ground didn't break, but the fine layer of dust floating on the stone surface was shaken away, revealing the original color of the stone.

Zhao Mingyang's smile froze on his face.

His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape, and he stood frozen on the spot as if someone had cast a binding spell on him.

He had just been saying "might as well just concede," and the echo of his words was still drifting in the air, when Lin Tian had already struck out with that palm.

It wasn't the strength of blood and Qi, nor was it brute force; it was real, pure Internal Energy.

The effect of that force erupting from within the body, passing through the palm, and creating an explosion in the air was something that the strength of blood and Qi could never achieve.

The entire Training Ground went quiet for a moment.

Then it exploded.

"Internal Energy! It's Internal Energy!"

"He unleashed Internal Energy? How is this possible!"

"Wasn't it said he was trash? Wasn't it said the Peak Master personally taught him for five days and couldn't teach him? You call this trash?"

The newcomer Disciples were stunned, the senior Disciples were stunned, and Steward Zhou, who was in charge of the assessment, was stunned.

Even the several Elders sitting on both sides of the high platform stood up in unison, the chair legs scraping against the stone floor with a harsh sound.

Peak Master Su Hanyan was also stunned.

Her expression underwent a visible change in that instant—her brows furrowed slightly, her gaze shifted from indifferent to stagnant, her lips moved, but no sound came out.

She looked at the fragments of leaves still drifting in the air in front of Lin Tian's palm, looked at the clean circular trace of dust shaken out on the ground, and her pupils contracted slightly.

To be honest, she had thought about finishing the assessment quickly and then kicking this piece of trash out of the Qixia Sect.

From the moment she threw her cup and left that remote courtyard a year ago, she hadn't given this person a second thought.

Once the year was up, perform the assessment, and be done with it.

From then on, they would have nothing to do with each other.

She had even thought about how to explain it to the other peak masters—just say the Disciple was unteachable, hadn't even Cultivated Internal Energy after a year, and was expelled according to the rules.

No one would be able to say anything.

But now, Lin Tian had struck out with Internal Energy.

The Elders behind Peak Master Su Hanyan looked at each other, their expressions no better than those of the newcomer Disciples.

Steward Zhou even leaned in and said in a low voice: "Peak Master, this... this isn't right, is it? Didn't you say this child had mediocre Aptitude and was unteachable?"

Peak Master Su Hanyan did not answer.

Zhao Mingyue's shrill voice broke the brief silence: "Impossible! This is impossible! How could you possibly Cultivate Internal Energy? Could it be that you are a Genius like my brother?"

Her words voiced the thoughts of many.

Hundreds of people on the Training Ground were all thinking the same question—wasn't Lin Tian supposed to be a fake Genius?

Wasn't it said that even with the Peak Master teaching him personally for five days, he couldn't even get past the first level of the Purple Qi Diagram? How could such a person Cultivate Internal Energy in one year?

One must know that breaking through from the Third-Rank to the Fourth-Rank in one year definitely counted as top-tier Genius on Zixia Peak.

Zhao Mingyang was the best example.

As soon as he had a Breakthrough, Steward Zhou exclaimed on the spot, the Peak Master personally said "Not bad," all the newcomers gathered around to flatter him, and the seniors also nodded in recognition.

Because breaking through in one year was indeed difficult; not everyone could do it.

But Lin Tian had also done it.

A person personally judged as trash by the Peak Master had achieved the same thing as a top-tier Genius.

This matter itself was full of contradictions.

Peak Master Su Hanyan's brows furrowed tightly.

She looked at Lin Tian, her gaze no longer indifferent and detached, but something indescribable—like confusion, like scrutiny, and also like the feeling of being stung.

She had taught Lin Tian.

She had taught him personally, for five whole days.

During those five days, she had broken down the introductory Mind-Cultivation Technique of the first level of the Purple Qi Diagram and explained it thoroughly, not once, not twice, but three times.

Lin Tian nodded every time, saying he understood, but when he practiced, everything was wrong.

By the third day, she knew this person was hopeless—it wasn't that he didn't work hard, it was that his talent was too poor.

It was as if there was a layer between his Meridians and the Cultivation Technique; no matter what, the Qi would not circulate.

By the fifth day, she threw her cup, decided he was trash, turned, and left, never to return.

Such a person, let alone a Genius, was worse than an ordinary person.

She could teach ordinary Disciples to get started in two or three tries, and even the slower ones could find the threshold after a few more days of teaching.

Lin Tian hadn't even touched the edge after five days of teaching—this wasn't just being slow, this was simply not material for martial arts.

Yet it was this very person who had Cultivated Internal Energy in one year.

What was the concept of Cultivating Internal Energy in one year? Those on Zixia Peak who could do this were all people of outstanding talent.

Zhao Mingyang did it, and he was a Prodigy.

Lin Tian also did it, so what was he?

"I will investigate."

Peak Master Su Hanyan's voice returned to its cold, clear state, but those who knew her could hear that something restless was suppressed beneath that coldness.

She took a step forward and reached out to grab Lin Tian's wrist.

Her fingers were slender and fair, her fingertips resting on Lin Tian's pulse, applying slight pressure.

This posture brought the distance between them within an arm's length.

Peak Master Su Hanyan was half a head shorter than Lin Tian; she tilted her head up slightly, her gaze fixed on Lin Tian's eyes from below.

"Use your Internal Energy to attack me."

Her tone was unquestionable.

Lin Tian did not hesitate.

He activated his Dantian, and the Internal Energy flowing through his Meridians suddenly contracted, then erupted like a spring compressed to the limit, rushing fiercely along the Meridians of his arm.

Peak Master Su Hanyan's palm felt a sharp pain.

It felt like being stung by a bee—no, sharper and more concentrated than a bee sting.

The Internal Energy emerged from Lin Tian's palm and collided with her palm; the force wasn't great, but it was extremely condensed.

Her Realm was far higher than Lin Tian's, so this Internal Energy couldn't hurt her in the slightest, but that pure and solid force still made her fingers twitch involuntarily.

It wasn't injury. It was shock.

Because when this wave of Internal Energy rushed over, she clearly felt it—it wasn't just one strand.

When the Internal Energy rose from Lin Tian's Dantian and ran along the Meridians to his palm, it wasn't a thin wisp, but a thick mass.

That force was continuous, with the rear force overlapping the front, wave after wave, like water in a riverbed; on the surface, it was just a flow of water, but the undercurrents were layered one upon another.

This was not the state of having just had a Breakthrough to the Fourth-Rank.

For a Martial Artist who had just had a Breakthrough to the Fourth-Rank, the Internal Energy in the Dantian had just condensed into form, and the Meridians had not yet fully adapted to the circulation of Internal Energy, so when they struck, the Internal Energy was scattered, raw, and intermittent.

Just like Zhao Mingyang—when Steward Zhou investigated him, although that Internal Energy was indeed present, it was weak, raw, and not round enough.

But the Internal Energy that Lin Tian unleashed was rounded, thick, and continuous.

This was not the state of having just had a Breakthrough; this was the state of having firmly stood in the Fourth-Rank Realm and taken a big step forward.

"You really have Cultivated Internal Energy."

Peak Master Su Hanyan's voice changed.

It wasn't a question, it was a confirmation.

But the confirmation carried a tremor she hadn't even noticed herself.

She let go of Lin Tian's wrist, stepped back, and looked at him again.

The Training Ground exploded again.

"What? The Peak Master personally confirmed it? He really Cultivated Internal Energy!"

"No way, right? The Peak Master said so, could it be fake?"

"Damn! This is another top-tier Genius!"

"Wait, wasn't it said he was trash? Even the Peak Master personally taught him and couldn't teach him, how did he become a top-tier Genius? What is going on?"

The senior Disciples' expressions were spectacular.

The few who were shaking their heads and saying "I knew it" just a moment ago now had stiff muscles on their faces, as if they had been slapped across the face.

The newcomers were even more agitated—there were two Geniuses among them who had had a Breakthrough to the Fourth-Rank in one year: one was Zhao Mingyang, and the other was Lin Tian.

And looking at the Peak Master's reaction just now, Lin Tian's Internal Energy seemed to be even stronger than Zhao Mingyang's?

Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun stood in the crowd, completely bewildered.

She knew Lin Tian's background better than anyone else.

A year ago, Lin Tian spent one thousand taels of silver to ask her to teach him the Purple Qi Diagram, and she taught him for a whole month.

In that month, she watched with her own eyes as Lin Tian went from not being able to find the threshold at all, to gradually finding the feeling, and finally managing to get started with the first level of the Purple Qi Diagram.

Getting started in a month—this speed definitely couldn't be considered fast among the newcomer Disciples; it could even be said to be on the slow side.

She comforted Lin Tian at the time, saying take it slow, it's good that you can get started.

But now, this person who took a month to get started had Cultivated Internal Energy in one year.

And she, Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun, was still at the Early Stage of the Fourth-Rank.

She looked at Lin Tian's back standing in the center of the Training Ground and suddenly felt that the back was somewhat unfamiliar.

Was the young man who came to her with silver notes a year ago, clumsily asking for advice on the Purple Qi Diagram Mind-Cultivation Technique, really the same person as the one now being personally investigated by the Peak Master and watched by everyone with shocked gazes?

The Zhao siblings were completely dumbfounded.

The triumphant expression on Zhao Mingyang's face was shattered completely.

He stood there, his lips pale, his fingers gripping the sword hilt until his knuckles rattled.

Just a moment ago, he was still saying "might as well just concede," still glancing at Lin Tian with that condescending look, and still calculating in his heart how to secure his position as the number one newcomer after Lin Tian was kicked out.

As a result, in the blink of an eye, not only did Lin Tian Cultivate Internal Energy, but judging from the Peak Master's reaction, the thickness of that Internal Energy even exceeded his.

How is that possible? He, Zhao Mingyang, was a Prodigy, the number one newcomer, the Genius personally praised by the Peak Master.

What was Lin Tian? Just a rich man who relied on throwing money around to curry favor.

Yet this rich man stood at the same height as him in terms of martial arts talent—no, perhaps even higher than him.

Zhao Mingyue stood beside her brother, her lips tightly pressed, the color drained completely from her face.

She remembered the scene where she questioned the shopkeeper at the Wanbao Pavilion, remembered her disdain and coldness toward Lin Tian along the way, and remembered that sentence just now: "Could it be that you are a Genius like my brother?"

Looking back now, every scene was like a slap, burning painfully on her face.

The commotion on the Training Ground gradually subsided.

Everyone's gaze fell back on Lin Tian, on this newcomer Disciple who, a quarter of an hour ago, everyone was certain would be kicked out.

Lin Tian stood in place, his back still straight, the expression on his face still calm.

From beginning to end, whether he was being surrounded and discussed by the crowd, or when he unleashed the Internal Energy and shocked everyone, his expression hadn't changed much.

Not nervous, not triumphant, not flamboyant, nor low-key.

Just very normal, as if he were doing something that was no big deal.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he looked at Peak Master Su Hanyan and asked: "Peak Master, can I continue to stay on Zixia Peak to Cultivate now?"

Peak Master Su Hanyan withdrew her palm.

Her expression had returned to calm, at least on the surface.

Her cold, clear face became calm again, as if that momentary shock had never happened.

She glanced at Lin Tian, and the complex emotions in her gaze were covered by a thin layer of frost, making them unclear.

"You may."

Her voice was faint.

Then she turned, the hem of her purple clothes sweeping across the bluestone ground, took two steps, and then stopped.

"Follow me. I will personally teach you martial arts."

This sentence was spoken plainly, but everyone who heard it was unsettled.

The Peak Master personally teaching martial arts? What kind of treatment was this?

The Disciples on Zixia Peak who could be personally guided by the Peak Master could be counted on one's fingers.

Those were all the Peak Master's Personal Disciples, the true pillars of Zixia Peak.

Lin Tian, a newcomer who had just passed the assessment, actually received this kind of treatment?

Zhao Mingyang's face turned completely pale.

He had just received a "Not bad" from the Peak Master and felt it was a great honor, smugly enjoying it for a while.

But now, compared to Lin Tian, that "Not bad" was simply like charity.

The other person was personally called away by the Peak Master to be taught martial arts.

What was he?

Peak Master Su Hanyan ignored the whispers behind her.

She walked out of the Training Ground, her pace neither fast nor slow, the purple sleeves of her clothes fluttering gently in the mountain breeze.

She didn't look back, seeming certain that Lin Tian would follow.

Lin Tian glanced at her back and followed.

He could probably guess what Peak Master Su Hanyan was thinking.

A person she personally judged as trash, a Disciple she taught for five days who couldn't get started, had not only Cultivated Internal Energy in one year, but the thickness of the Internal Energy was far beyond the level of just having had a Breakthrough.

This matter itself didn't make sense.

She wanted to personally teach him martial arts, not because he had good talent, but because she wanted to figure out—what exactly had happened to this person.

Two figures left the Training Ground one after the other, leaving hundreds of people standing in place, looking at each other.