In another corner of the front courtyard, Lin Yue was also practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

His stances were still standard, and his fists carried a certain ferocity. But the nearby Inner Strength masters, Xu Hong and Qi Yun, could both see that his Inner Strength was circulating weakly. A nearly imperceptible sluggishness marred the transitions between his moves. He lacked his usual composure, appearing somewhat disorganized instead.

BANG!

He threw a punch at a wooden stake, but the force was slightly off, leaving only a shallow dent in the wood.

Lin Yue abruptly pulled back his fist, his brows knitted tightly. The turmoil in his heart was a tangled mess he couldn’t seem to sort out.

His mind was completely consumed by last night’s banquet.

It was a banquet hosted by Xiao Wenxuan, the third son of the Xiao Family—one of the six great families in Yuhe County. All the attendees were prominent young talents from around the county.

During the meal, Xiao Wenxuan had been unusually friendly, his words laced with the intent to win him over. He even smilingly offered to introduce Lin Yue to his own sister, Xiao Yue.

’Xiao Yue...’ Lin Yue thought of the woman who had made a brief appearance at the banquet. She was exquisitely beautiful with a gentle disposition—truly a rare beauty. Not to mention the Xiao Family’s power. If he could marry into their family, it would undoubtedly be a shortcut to a meteoric rise.

But in his heart, he had already given it to his Senior Sister Ning Xiang.

Senior Sister Ning Xiang was his master’s only daughter. Gentle, intelligent, and lovely, her beauty surpassed even that of Miss Xiao.

More importantly, if he could marry Senior Sister Ning Xiang, the inheritance rights to the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall would most likely fall to him.

His master’s insights into the Transformation Realm, the Martial Arts Hall’s network and resources—all of it would become his.

It was for this very reason that when faced with Xiao Wenxuan’s matchmaking, he had hesitated repeatedly before finally, politely, refusing.

But after refusing, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

’How deep were the Xiao Family’s reserves? The resources they could offer to help him break through to the Transformation Realm alone were far beyond what the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall could compare to.’

’The Transformation Realm... a state that countless Martial Artists dream of achieving.’

’With the Xiao Family’s support, my chances of breaking through to the Transformation Realm would increase by at least thirty percent.’

’And besides...’ Recalling Miss Xiao’s delicate beauty, Lin Yue felt a restless scratching in his heart, like a cat’s paw.

"I should have just accepted first, even if only to stall for time..." Lin Yue muttered to himself, slamming a fist into the wooden stake with a dull thud.

Wanting the Xiao Family’s backing but unwilling to give up Sun Ningxiang and the Martial Arts Hall’s inheritance—the two thoughts tore him in opposite directions, leaving him deeply unsettled.

It even affected his practice, making him unable to focus. His Inner Strength surged chaotically through his meridians, and he almost lost control of it.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and assume his starting stance once more.

But when his gaze inadvertently swept over to a nearby spot, he saw Yang Jing’s steady and focused figure. Every punch and kick radiated solid Inner Strength, and a fresh wave of irritation washed over Lin Yue.

’A once-unremarkable, ordinary Registered Disciple has now become an Inner Strength master and is even receiving special guidance from Master.’

’And here I am, paralyzed by indecision over romance and family interests...’

「Less than an hour later.」

With a CREAK, the Moon Gate was pushed open, and Sun Yong walked out from the inner courtyard. He wore a simple training uniform, and his steps were steady.

His gaze swept over the disciples in the courtyard. Seeing that most were engrossed in their training, sweat rolling down their temples, he couldn’t help but stroke his beard and nod.

However, his brow furrowed slightly when he glanced at Lin Yue. If even Xu Hong and Qi Yun could tell something was wrong with Lin Yue’s condition, Sun Yong naturally saw it at a glance. The Mountain-Shattering Fist he performed was a mess of scattered moves, his Inner Strength flickering on and off. He was clearly distracted.

Sun Ningxiang followed behind him carrying a food box. She walked to the stone table in the courtyard and began portioning out the mung bean soup inside for everyone.

"It’s hot. Everyone, have some soup to cool down." Her voice was gentle, and the hands that passed over the bowls were fair and slender. The disciples took the bowls, thanking her one after another, their eyes filled with respect. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

A few of the younger disciples were too shy to look at her directly. They lowered their heads, blushing, and took small sips of the soup, though the corners of their mouths couldn’t help but lift into a smile. In their hearts, their master’s daughter was like the moon in the sky: beautiful, pure, and gentle.

Sun Yong first walked over to a disciple practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows. The force of your fists is too weak; you’re just using your arms. The power needs to come from your waist."

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, applying a steady force. The disciple immediately felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been added to his fists, and his stance stabilized considerably.

After instructing a few others, Sun Yong came to Yang Jing’s side.

At that moment, Yang Jing was just reaching the end of the Mountain-Shattering Fist form, his fist, wrapped in Inner Strength, slamming into the wooden stake.

THUD!

The wooden stake actually trembled slightly.

Sun Yong nodded slightly. He could feel that the force in Yang Jing’s fists was more condensed than a few days ago, and his control over his Inner Strength was becoming more fluid. He praised him, "Not bad. You can retract and release your Inner Strength now, and you’re about thirty percent more stable than when you first broke through. Remember, Inner Strength isn’t the final destination. Only when you can project your power completely out of your body without any loss of force can you be considered to have touched the edge of the Transformation Realm."

Yang Jing bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Sun Yong grunted in acknowledgment and then walked toward Xu Hong and Qi Yun.

Yang Jing, meanwhile, turned to continue his training. As his fists flew in a blur of motion, sweat dripped from his jawline and hit the ground, spreading into a small, dark patch. His eyes, however, were astonishingly bright.

Meanwhile, after instructing a few more disciples, Sun Yong’s expression had already darkened by the time he finally came to stand before Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was halfway through a set of fist forms when he saw his master approaching. He hurriedly tried to end the sequence, but because of his unsettled mind, he nearly lost control of his Inner Strength while pulling back, and his body swayed slightly.

"Stop." Sun Yong’s voice was stern. "What is this you’re practicing? It’s not a proper fist, and it has no proper power!" He pointed at the dent on the wooden stake. "Your force is scattered and unfocused. How have you been training lately? Instead of improving, you’ve actually regressed!"