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Chapter 1

""...I don't have anything which I can pay you back with for these pointers senior." The teenager went into his humble mode, and even called him senior! They are at the same age for fuck sake!

*Snort*As I was saying, do you want some pointers?" Xiao Tian Long offered with raised eyebrow.

"It's good enough for me that there will be someone in this wide continent that it's not injuring himself for minimum gains." He then motioned for the kid to follow him to boulder close to the tree.

The tree punching guy sighed, he doesn't really like this kind of charity, especially from a stranger, but in the end, if it will improve his cultivation speed then why not?

"So, why don't you introduce yourself first? You already know my name." Xiao Tian Long opened his mouth first as he got comfortable on the boulder.

"It's Lin Ming." The now named Lin Ming answered, he was keeping himself away from him.

"Well, then Lin Meng let me ask you this, do you know why the first six stages are called 'Body Transformation'?" Xiao Tian Long asked the teenager.

He allowed the kid to think for some moment.

"It's where one transforms into a proper Martial artist?" He answered back after thinking for some time.

"The right term would be 'cultivator' but yes, the first six stages are where one's body is trained to become a proper 'cultivator', Houtian IS the beginning of cultivation, where you start training essence as your body should be at 'acceptable' condition by then, its the very foundation of cultivation, and what you are doing right now is damaging those foundations before you can solidify them" Tian Long explained him.

"And why should I trust you? You are at the same stage as I am." Lin Ming pointed out.

"For a very simple reason, how long have you been at this stage?" The teenager sitting on the boulder asked in turn.

"...three years." Lin Ming answered with a neutral voice.

"And I have reached my in two weeks and I am already midway to Muscle Altering Stage." Tian Long said that with a small smile.

Lin Ming eyes widened to massive proportions hearing that.

"Before you ask my martial talent is middle third grade." He answered the question before Lin Ming can even ask.

"In the end, the most important thing is efficiency, maximum gains from least effort, the reason humans are apex species in this world is that we are the smartest beings around." Xiao Tian Long jumped down from the boulder and walked over to him.

"What you been doing is just training your hand muscles, you have to train ALL your muscles to achieve Pulse Condensation stage, your body has to be at the very peak, that means eating proper diet as well, which is rich in nutrition." He continued to explain to Lin Ming.

"Let me show very basics and from there you can do things on our own…"

~~~

After showing 'ropes' to Lin Ming, he started training not far from him.

Next day he was back again at the same location, from time to time the teenager would observe Xiao Tian Long training, with curiosity, after all, all he does are very basic training exercises he picked up from his original reality, which has modern science in which muscle have properly observed and recorded by medical science.

Eventually, the day of registering has arrived and as Xiao Tian Long was having a simple conversation with Lin Ming, then a fat kid around same age walked over to their side.

"Brother Ming there you are!" He greeted Lin Ming then looked at Xiao Tian Long, there was some realisation in his eyes.

"Oh, you must be the one who was giving my brother Ming tips in training?" The fatty asked curiously.

"Yep, he has the drive, but drive alone is useless when one doesn't know how to use it." Xiao Tian Long answered, he then extended his hand in greeting.

"My name is Xiao Tian Long." He introduced to the fatty, that moment the outworlder remembered that Protagonists in CN settings usually have fatty buddies, its amusing cliche in a good way.

Seeing how casual Xiao Tian Long was the fatty smile and shook his hand.

"I am Brothers Ming cousin Lin Xiaodong, nice to meet you." He then looked at Lin Ming.

"Brother Ming, the registration has started why are you not going there?" The fatty asked.

"Because the lines would be extremely long its better to go in a few hours later." hearing the answer Lin Xiaodong just shook his head.

"What Lin Ming means is that he can spend some time training instead of waiting in the line." Xiao Tian Long said with a smirk, to which Lin Ming nodded, and the fatty just sighed.

"What about you? You going to register as well?" Tian Long asked the round teenager.

"I will try obviously, as it's expected from Lin family member."

"But, from your tone alone I can hear that you expect to fail." The outworlder deadpanned.

"Trying is good enough for me, as long I can keep my position in Lin family, I am satisfied." Lin Xiaodong explained.

"Really? So, you have no interest in beautiful girls as well?" Xiao Tian Long asked with raised eyebrows.

"You do realise that the higher you go the more beautiful they are, and the longer you can live with them?" He then continued pressuring the fat teenager.

Lin Xiaodong gulped down nerviously, and Lin Ming looked with slightly raised eyebrow at Tian Long, is he persuading his cousin to train?

"I can see that you hate pain, but don't pay attention to Lin Ming previous training methods." He waved his hand casually, in-process insulting Lin Ming.

"One can achieve Houtian if he trains his body properly, by then you can have a noble title and beautiful wife for several hundred years." He continued talking.

"Everyone has a different type of 'Martial Heart', the most important thing is following it, without being consumed by fear and insecurities" He was ripping off stuff he read from web novels.

"Woah… no wonder Brother Ming looks up to you, such profound words!" Lin Xiaodong said that with open mouth.

Xiao Tian Long rolled his eyes, cultivators and their ass-kissing!

"Yeah, if you say so, why don't we start walking towards the registration?"

"Brother Long, are you trying to join Seven Profound Valley Martial House?" Lin Xiaodong asked curiously, so was Lin Ming looking at him.

"Yeah, its best place in hundred thousand leagues, so its no brainer." Xiao Tian Long shrugged, his words were slighly alien to the Lin duo, they never heard such word before! He is not from around here, is he?

~~~~~~

Tian Long was still is in a small tourist mode from time to time, looking with wonder at the builds as they passed through to the squire where registration is going to happen.

Even if they are a couple of hours late, there is still massive lines of people who wish to join the Martial House.

The trio joined the line, as they waited for their turn.

"Hey! What's that line over there? It's much shorter than ours!" Lin Xiaodong asked with a pointed finger.

"It Should be obvious… it's for the 'Elite', or more precisely for people who are well connected in the Sky Fortune Kingdom." Xiao Tian Long casually explained to the fatty.

"Aristocracy…" Lin Ming said with an unreadable expression, Tian Long nodded hearing that.

Few minutes later as the line moved, both Lin's noticed something coming from the 'elite' line.

Xiao Tian Long noticed that as well, it was two people who are leaving the martial house through the elite side of gates, one of them...

Screamed nobility, not the young master vibes he was expecting. No, this was someone who has the title and works to keep it, yet same time he posses the arrogance which comes with the said title.

As this duo was walking, they would pass the trio, the moment fatty realised that he swear under his breath, something about 'detestable person'.

Moments later the young aristocrat gaze went on Lin Ming, there was a look of recognition which turned into frown moments later.

"You are called Lin Ming, I am right? How unexpected you followed us all the way here. You, with mere cultivation of the First Stage of Body transformation, want to take the test to enter Seven Profound Valley Martial House?" The noble dressed in blue asked him with extremely arrogant voice.

"Whether or not I manager to pass the assessment is my problem. I not here as a result of following anyone. I am here due to my pursuit of the road of Martial arts."

"Road of Martial arts? A mere above-average talent like you dared to utter the words of pursuing martial path! Insolence!"

The aristocrat snapped his fingers and his sword shoot from his sheath! The blue dressed noble then grabbed the sword into his hand and slashed the air, releasing an intense sword energy, which created an air splitting sound. A thin energy outwards accelerated and cut half of the canopy of a tree in a distance.

The sound of falling branches and leafs attracted the attention of the young inspiring Martial Artists, their age was pretty much the same as the sword-swinging idiot, the reaction they had was that of utter shock towards him, the aristocrat was basking in the limelight that moment.

He was about to say something, but at that moment a simple golden sword beam cut the rest of tree of...

The blue dressed noble quickly looked at the source and saw that it was a teenager who was just behind Lin Ming.

"Hmm, not bad, I guess my swing still needs a little bit of work, it only been three weeks since I started swordsmanship, what do you think guys?" Xiao Tian Long just stole the thunder from the blue dressed dude who was staring with utter shock at him.

He was just at the First stage of Body transformation! Just like Lin Ming.

"What? You were showing off, and I wanted to do the same, this was my first time using Sword intent offensively." Xiao Tian Long them sheathed his simple-looking sword.

"H-How can you use Sword Intent at the first stage of Body Transformation!?!" The blue dressed dude asked with a shaky voice, he never seen anything like this!

Tian Long moved his head to side.

"What are you talking about? Sword Intent has nothing to do with cultivation, it's a separate system just like Spirit and essence cultivation." He shook his head then sighed.

"Look, I don't know why you so interest in people which are way bellow your cultivation level, but we have some things to do." Xiao Tian Long crossed his hands and looked towards the lines where everyone was, literally everyone was looking at him with awe and shock.

The noble realised that if he stays here longer he will lose his face, as he was pretty much humiliated by First Stage Of Body Transformation!

He quickly sheathed his sword and gave Lin Ming a single glance then left with his friend who was just as shell shocked as the rest.

…

…

Once they were away Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong looked at Xiao Tian Long with awe, especially the fatty.

"Brother Xiao that… was AMAZING the face Zhu Yan had was like he has swallowed a lemon! it was brilliant!" The fatty laughed heartily.

Lin Ming has nodded as well.

"So, his name is Zhu Yan? I don't really care. But, he out of nowhere stopped in front of us and THEN started talking down like that, that kind of arrogance will be his undoing." Xiao Tian Long snorted as he looked at the line in front of them.

The fatty quickly nodded, so did Lin Ming.

"But, it was not out of nowhere, was it? He knew you, Lin Ming?"

Before Lin Ming can answer, the fatty decided to give a short version of what happened.

Basically, because of a girl, which was nothing more than a small crush to Lin Ming, who by this point had already got over It, even stopped caring about it.

"Damn… that's one insecure fellow…" Xiao Tian Long said with a sigh.

"He is a very petty person Lin Ming, if you pass the test he will continue to haunt you inside the Martial house."

Lin Ming sighed hearing that.

"Then he will be nothing more than a stepping stone to my road of martial arts!" The teenager said with resolution.

Xiao Tian Long nodded hearing that, he then started to think how he will get entertained by this, and might profit out of it.