Martial Arts Hall.
Today’s training session for martial arts has officially wrapped up.
On the ground paved with blue stones, the outer sect disciples were all busy practicing, sweating like waterfalls.
Among them was Wang Hu.
The achievement of climbing the Heavenly Steps isn’t measured by the highest level one reaches, but rather by the final tier they end up on.
In the end, after enduring excruciating pain to claw his way up, he was only relegated to the outer sect.
And all of that? Thanks to one person!
“He must have used some trick to obscure the Heavenly Steps!”
“One day, I’ll expose his true form!”
Bang—Bang—
He pounded the sandbag, making loud thuds like he was imagining it was the guy who made him grit his teeth in anger.
It was the only way he could vent his frustration.
After all, Li Mo was the real deal.
Even his cousin Wang Hao couldn’t take him on.
“Wang Junior Brother, your cousin has gained quite a bit of skill with the Six Harmonies Fist.”
“The meridians are open now; I don’t even need to teach him anymore.”
A blue-robed outer sect steward raised an eyebrow.
“Little Hu has had a bit of talent for martial arts since childhood; he just picked up a few moves from my uncle haphazardly.”
Wang Hao wore a smile, but a hint of coldness flashed across his lips.
“He should be an inner sect disciple like Xiao Qian.”
The steward shook his head and looked at a young guy in the crowd.
This young man had an unremarkable appearance, dressed in a short robe, and his eyes sparkled with determination.
He was diligently practicing, completely drenched in sweat.
“Brother, you’re wrong; Tiger’s talent can’t be compared to that waste.”
“He started out with my batch in the inner sect but has only gotten worse with time—his vitality is almost at the level of just opening his meridians again, isn’t it?”
A trace of mockery danced in Wang Hao’s eyes.
Just then, a figure emerged through the sunlit doorway.
A young man wearing a cloud-patterned robe radiated a sunny smile.
“Huh?” Wang Hao raised an eyebrow.
“Li Mo?”
Wang Hu, seeing that familiar face, accidentally punched the sandbag so hard it burst!
Everyone practicing martial arts paused, expressions of confusion plastered on their faces.
Isn’t he supposed to be a true disciple?
Why is he here at the outer sect’s Martial Arts Hall?
“Brother Li, I’m He Hongfeng. What brings you here…” The blue-robed outer sect steward stood up, all polite and formal.
Li Mo cleared his throat, “Brother He, I’m here to learn some basic martial arts.”
He Hongfeng: “?”
A true disciple has come to the outer sect to learn basic martial arts?
You must be joking!
“Do the elders know about this?”
“Uh, my master fell asleep, so Elder Xue sent me here.”
Li Mo nodded.
“Your master… Elder Shang Wu?”
He Hongfeng suddenly thought of that fiery-haired beauty elder, his thoughts clear as day.
Makes sense.
The expressions of the crowd varied, some delighting in his misfortune, some pitying him, others simply scoffing.
A true disciple, reduced to learning martial arts in the outer sect.
This says a lot about his status…
Well, it made sense.
The elders had their own true disciples, and recently, Ying Bing’s popularity was soaring. Many were saying she would be the next leader of the Qingyuan Sect, so naturally, the elders flocked around her.
Li Mo also ended up with a master who was more disliked than a dog in a cat café.
Being neglected wasn’t too hard to understand.
In the crowd, a certain Xiao Qian was wiping sweat and couldn’t help but sigh a little.
His situation wasn’t much better!
“A true disciple can’t come to the outer sect Martial Arts Hall?”
“The rules don’t explicitly say no, but once today’s basics are taught, if you want to learn more, you’ll have to seek an inner sect brother who teaches martial arts.”
He Hongfeng was responsible for guiding the outer sect disciples in opening their meridians and refining their energy.
“An inner sect brother to teach martial arts…”
Li Mo followed his gaze and saw Wang Hao casually sipping tea.
Without even looking up, Wang Hao spoke in a not-so-friendly tone:
“The Martial Arts Hall has its own rules; I only practice with outer sect disciples for an hour a day.”
“If you come late, no exceptions for anyone.”
Saying this, he raised his head, pretending to be surprised, “Li Junior Brother? Aren’t you a true disciple?”
“If you insist on breaking the rules, I suppose I’ll have to whip up a little special lesson for you.”
That sounded pretty sinister.
If he opened his mouth to ask to learn, it was as good as admitting he was gonna break the rules.
Suddenly, people would start thinking it was unfair to give him an extra lesson, when originally it seemed like no big deal to help out.
“Older cousin, a true disciple is quite something!”
“Coming to the outer sect means doing things by the book!”
Wang Hu joined in, playing the perfect sidekick.
Even though he hadn’t formally apprenticed, he was practically an accessory to Fu Tu’s discipleship.
In terms of status, Li Mo, the pariah true disciple, didn’t intimidate him.
He Hongfeng just stood there silently; his job was to oversee the Martial Arts Hall and ensure nothing went wrong—no involvement in other people’s conflicts.
“Alright, alright, are you two here to perform a comedy skit?”
Li Mo raised his hand to silence them and turned to He Hongfeng, “Is it against the rules for me to just watch others practice?”
“Well, that’s perfectly fine.”
“Great.”
Li Mo nodded and stepped into the Martial Arts Hall, looking around.
“He looks like he’s practicing quite well?”
Locking his gaze, Li Mo approached the corner where Xiao Qian was.
“Tsk… these two are pairing up now.”
Wang Hao shot a sidelong glance at him, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
Wang Hu almost burst out laughing.
Really? You think just watching others practice will help? Who do you think you are?
Plus, out of all people, he decided to learn from the well-known outer sect loser?
“Brother, would you mind if I watch you practice for a bit?”
Li Mo first gave a polite bow.
“Xiao Qian, if you want to watch, feel free, but I can’t guarantee you’ll learn anything.”
Xiao Qian muttered.
Li Mo smiled warmly, “Brother Xiao can just practice as you wish; no need to mind me!”
Xiao Qian felt conflicted.
Here was a true disciple who didn’t flaunt his status; instead, he treated an outer sect disciple with respect.
After suffering many cold looks, he was surprisingly touched by this humble gesture.
For a moment, he even felt a sense of shared struggle.
“Junior Brother, this is the Six Harmonies Fist; I’ll start from the beginning, pay close attention.”
Xiao Qian said as he deliberately slowed down his movements.
