Returning to the dojo, the night was already deep.
Su Yueli walked onto the open ground of the inner courtyard, assumed her stance, and began to throw punches without saying a word.
The first form, Mountain Splitter.
The second form, Bone Entangler...
With her blood qi surging, she was like a tireless machine, throwing punch after punch into the air as sonic booms rang out one after another in the small courtyard. She didn't know how many punches she had thrown, her clothes completely soaked in sweat, yet she felt no fatigue.
The moment she stopped, her mind would be filled with those densely packed graves and her master's shattered skull.
Tie Ling'er was awakened by the noise and walked out, draping a coat over her shoulders.
Seeing Su Yueli's crazed state, Tie Ling'er was startled. She hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Su Yueli's arm to comfort her and ask what had happened.
Panting, Su Yueli looked at the worried girl. She twitched the corners of her mouth, but couldn't force a smile.
She didn't know where to begin explaining such deep-seated hatred and the brutal truth of the cultivation world. In the end, she simply shook her head and said nothing.
Not knowing how to comfort her, Tie Ling'er could only stand by her side in silence.
The days passed by like this, one by one.
Since that night, Su Yueli had become a complete martial fanatic.
She spent far more time practicing her punches, even reaching the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. The brewing business was gradually handed over entirely to Tie Ling'er.
In the front yard, Tie Tu recruited more and more martial apprentices, and the reputation of the Iron Bone Dojo in Qingzhou City soared.
As for Tie Tu, he was growing older and older.
Time flew by like a fleeting shadow. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Qingzhou City, the inner courtyard of the Iron Bone Dojo.
“Hu—”
Su Yueli slowly withdrew her stance, exhaling a long breath of turbid air.
The Fourth Realm.
Through five years of bitter cultivation day and night, Su Yueli had forced her realm all the way to the peak of the Fourth Realm, only a single step away from the Fifth Realm, Martial Opening, which was Tie Tu's level.
“Sister Yueli!”
The sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate as Tie Ling'er walked in, wearing a fine silk dress.
Now twenty-three, she had long since shed her youthful naivety, and her brow carried the shrewdness of a head manager.
Over the past five years, she couldn't endure the hardships of the martial path. After barely reaching the Second Realm, she couldn't advance any further no matter what, so she simply gave up martial arts entirely and put all her heart into the beer business.
On the contrary, the beer business flourished under her management. They had now built a dedicated brewery outside Qingzhou City, raking in gold daily.
“Sister Yueli, guess how much our brewery made today?” Tie Ling'er waved the ledger in her hand, smiling as if claiming credit.
Su Yueli smiled faintly, casually taking the ledger and scanning it.
“You stay cooped up in the courtyard practicing punches all day; you're going to get rusty. Come on, accompany me for a walk!” Tie Ling'er hugged her arm.
Su Yueli didn't refuse and agreed.
The two walked out. As they passed the front yard, they saw the sixty-five-year-old Tie Tu teaching the new apprentices.
By now, Tie Tu's temples were completely white, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened significantly. Although his blood qi was still robust, it clearly carried a trace of decline compared to five years ago.
His movements were less domineering than before, replaced by a touch of steadiness.
The two greeted him and left the dojo, walking along the most bustling main street of Qingzhou City.
Before long, they passed their own liquor store, which bore a massive signboard.
The shop was packed with people, and the workers were sweating profusely, the business incredibly booming.
Looking at this scene, Su Yueli couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.
In the beginning, she had only been short on money and wanted to make some coins to buy wheat. She had never expected it would grow to such a scale one day.
As she watched, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd at the entrance of the shop.
“An immortal master is here! Make way, quickly!”
The customers whispered among themselves, stepping back with reverent expressions.
A woman dressed in the attire of the Chiyan Sect walked over and went straight to the counter. “I am here to pick up the twenty kegs of beer ordered by Senior Brother Xu Changfeng.”
The woman looked up and happened to see Su Yueli and Tie Ling'er standing at the door. Knowing they were the owners of the brewery, she nodded slightly as a greeting.
Seeing this, Tie Ling'er asked curiously, “Immortal Lady, why didn't Immortal Master Xu come in person today?”
Hearing this, the woman's expression darkened slightly.
Sighing, she lowered her voice and said, “Senior Brother Xu cannot come. Half a month ago, our sect clashed with another immortal sect at the border. During the battle... Senior Brother Xu was killed.”
“However, the enemy cultivator of the same realm was also mortally wounded by Senior Brother Xu's desperate counterattack. They ended up taking each other down.”
Tie Ling'er's eyes widened. She froze on the spot, unable to stop herself from covering her mouth.
Su Yueli lowered her eyes, her heart also shaking.
Since handing over the beer business to Tie Ling'er, she had been practicing her punches behind closed doors in the back yard, rarely coming out to manage things, so she naturally seldom saw Xu Changfeng.
But he was still a regular customer of five years, and the first cultivator she had met in this world who put on no airs.
To think that after only five years, he was dead just like that.
Five years might seem long to a mortal, but to those cultivators who went into seclusion for decades at a time, it was merely the blink of an eye.
A trace of chill welled up in the depths of Su Yueli's eyes. As expected...
Even if one crossed the chasm between mortal and immortal to become a cultivator, if their talent was insufficient and their strength lacking, they would still be nothing more than bottom-tier cannon fodder to be slaughtered in brutal sectarian conflicts.
At this moment, the words Shen Qing'an had spoken back in the village suddenly surfaced in Su Yueli's mind.
“So what if one can cultivate? Fighting and killing all day long... It's better to be a mortal, living a peaceful and stable life.”
Her thoughts drifted, and Su Yueli sighed in her heart.
Perhaps Shen Qing'an had a point.
The cruelty of the cultivation world was hundreds of times worse than the swords and shadows of the mortal world.
Only, she could not back down.
Deep in her bones, she still wanted to fight for that breath of justice. Moreover, she carried the blood debts of her parents, her master, and Shen Qing'an.
If she did not avenge them, she would never find peace.
Losing their mood to wander, the two walked a short distance before turning back.
The moment they stepped through the gates of the Iron Bone Dojo, Tie Tu walked up to them in a hurry.
“Yueli, you've returned at just the right time!”
Holding a bright yellow notice in his hand, Tie Tu said in a deep voice, “The Great Li Dynasty has just issued an announcement. They are going to hold a Martial Arts Tournament! With your current talent and realm, you can definitely go give it a try!”
Su Yueli took the notice and scanned it.
This continent was incredibly vast, divided into eight great dynasties.
Qingzhou City was situated within the territory of the Great Li Dynasty.
“Are all the participants of this Martial Arts Tournament martial artists?” Su Yueli raised an eyebrow. “What is the reward for the champion?”
“Of course they are all mortal martial artists!”
A trace of yearning appeared on Tie Tu's face. “This Martial Arts Tournament is only held once every thirty years. It is the pinnacle martial arts event of the Great Li Dynasty.”
“As for the rewards, they have always been shockingly generous. Not only are there top-tier manual secrets for fist and saber techniques treasured by the imperial family, but also rare elixirs that can help a martial artist break through their realm!”
“Although the specific rewards for this year haven't been finalized yet, they will definitely be of immense benefit to you!”
At this point, Tie Tu's voice lowered slightly.
“During the previous Martial Arts Tournament thirty years ago, Old Lu and I went together.”
A hint of reminiscence flashed in Tie Tu's eyes, as if he had fallen into distant memories. “Back then, we were young and aggressive, making quite a name for ourselves in the tournament. But it was also because we showed too much of our edge back then that we provoked those troublesome enemies...”
Tie Tu took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and looked at Su Yueli seriously. “But this is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The Great Li Dynasty is a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Going there will not only hone your martial path but also allow you to make connections with top experts from all sides.”
“As the saying goes, more friends mean more paths. If the influential figures and martial artists of Great Li can be of use to you, it will be of immense benefit. I hope you can make good use of this.”
Su Yueli held the bright yellow notice, her gaze deepening.
A tournament held once every thirty years.
The place her master had once visited.
Thinking of this, she tightened her fingers, gripping the notice in her palm. “Alright, I will go.”
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