C9 Challenge

The continuous clinking of the long pickaxe echoed in the ears of Chu Tianwen and his wife, Hu Yewan. Despite their diligent efforts, progress was painfully slow. The purple-red soil, a product of millennia of erosion at the mountain's base, contained the essential nutrients needed by the Spiritual Mountain Medicine.

Though termed soil, its hardness rivaled that of stone.

They were aware that Chu Guangxiang was deliberately making their task harder, yet they neither complained nor haggled.

Both were resilient souls who had once resigned themselves to a life devoid of hope. Now, fueled by the promise of a brighter future for their son, who possessed a Grade 2 Martial Dao Talent, they toiled with renewed vigor. In just over twenty days, he would join the Chu Family Courtyard as an inner court member, and they too would follow.

The prospect of leaving behind their grueling labor for a life within the Chu Family's inner court filled them with anticipation. What were their current hardships compared to the hope on the horizon?

An hour later, their sweat-soaked clothes clung to their bodies. Chu Tianwen stripped off his shirt, revealing a back darkened by the sun and muscles honed by years of hard work. With every movement, his muscles quivered, sending droplets of sweat cascading to the ground.

Exhausted, Chu Yangxiang collapsed onto the earth. The morning's grueling training had pushed him to his limits, depleting the essence of the Demonic Beast Blood he had absorbed the day before.

Previously, he had seen no path to becoming a Martial Cultivator. But now, with the peak within reach, he was all in. Success was earned through struggle, and for the sake of his hardworking parents and his own aspirations, he was determined to push through.

He could sense his body growing stronger and his understanding of the South Bear Fist deepening after the morning's relentless training.

"I will reach the peak," he vowed to himself. "I will become a figure of renown in the Nine States Empire, just like the legendary ancestor of the Chu Family."

A strong desire was etched deep within his heart.

Chu Yangxiang emerged from the slaughterhouse, burdened with two hefty wooden buckets. He was spent, barely able to hoist the buckets brimming with Beast Blood.

With a firm grip, Chu Yangxiang hoisted the buckets onto his shoulders and moved forward with deliberate steps. His stride was unwavering, his shoulders rock-steady, ensuring not a single drop of Beast Blood was lost.

Upon reaching Xuanwu Spring, Chu Yangxiang set down the buckets, splashed water on his face, took a sip, and rested briefly. Then he lifted the buckets once more and resumed his trek home.

Under the relentless sun, onlookers could spot a slight thirteen-year-old figure, laboriously carrying an unusually large pair of wooden buckets step by step toward the west.

The journey took him over four times longer than usual.

Chu Yangxiang was finally nearing home, his legs feeling almost too heavy to lift.

At home, Chu Yangxiang carefully stored the Beast Blood, shed his clothes, and submerged himself in a bucket of the blood. He began cultivating the Martial God Heavenly Technique and the South Bear Skill.

His body glowed with a red aura as the vibrant Tortoise Shell Patterns became distinctly visible, casting light upon the Demonic Beast blood.

The essence of the Demonic Beast blood swiftly converged on the Tortoise Shell Patterns, coursing through his body and depositing into the skin pockets the size of fingernails.

Profound Qi from the surrounding environment streamed into his body, transforming into Profound Power and being stored within his meridians.

Chu Yangxiang opened his eyes to the evening light; he had been cultivating since dawn. While the Martial God Heavenly Technique could rejuvenate his physique, it struggled to alleviate his mental exhaustion. He had inadvertently dozed off during his practice.

Upon awakening, he sensed a slight advancement in the Martial God Heavenly Technique. Its hue was shifting toward orange, and the Profound Power had begun to amass in three of his meridians.

This rate of progress was astounding. Typically, it would take an average person six months to reach the status of a One-star Profound Warrior. The Chu Family, however, would spend just a month to merely ascertain the presence of Profound Power in an individual's body.

After Chu Yangxiang finished his shower and got dressed, he was ready to prepare a meal for his parents. However, upon opening the rice jar, he was surprised to find it completely empty, not a single grain of rice in sight.

He borrowed a scoop of rice from a neighbor, then went out to forage some wild vegetables from the land.

Dinner was a simple affair: a porridge made with wild vegetables and the borrowed rice.

With the meal prepared, Chu Yangxiang practiced his boxing while waiting for his parents to return for dinner.

Night had fallen, yet his parents had not come back.

At the medicinal farm, Chu Guangxiang addressed them with a chilling tone, "If you don't finish today's task, I can't pay you. I'm willing to stay here in the medicinal farm until the job is done."

Chu Tianwen and Hu Yewan, his wife, remained silent, their energy sapped by the grueling day's labor. Hunger had set in long ago.

They were utterly drained. Even as they hoisted the long pickaxe, it barely made an impact on the soil. They had no idea when they would manage to complete the substantial remainder of their task.

That day, they had pushed themselves to the limit, managing to overturn three-quarters of the medicinal farm. They had surpassed the halfway mark of their task, yet a quarter of Chu Guangxiang's assigned quota remained unfinished.

They persisted in tilling the medicinal farm.

"Father, Mother," called out Chu Yangxiang. His slender frame soon appeared beside the weary couple.

Chu Tianwen managed a wry smile. "Son, we haven't finished our task for today."

Chu Yangxiang's expression grew stern as he glanced at Chu Guangxiang, who sat casually on a stone nearby. He realized this was retribution for the injury his brother had inflicted. Chu Guangxiang was seeking to torment Chu Yangxiang's parents as revenge for his brother.

Chu Yangxiang's fists clenched tightly before he released them, understanding that he was no match for Chu Guangxiang. With a sense of desperation, Chu Yangxiang approached and asked in a subdued voice, "What must I do for you to call this off?"

Chu Guangxiang let out a smirk. "You said that if anyone crossed you, you'd break their arms and legs, right? If you can break my arms and legs, then we'll consider this matter settled."

Chu Yangxiang's eyes sparkled with determination. "In just over twenty days, once I've passed the test, I'll challenge you. You won't have to answer for my life or death, agreed? And you can't give my parents any trouble afterward, deal?"

Chu Guangxiang burst into laughter. "Agreed, a deal it is."

Their palms met in a solid clap. With this gesture, they took an oath, vowing to never renege on their promise.