Chapter 52: The Arrival of Wang Jin and Shen Congyun

The front courtyard of the martial arts hall.

With the appearance of Wang Jin and Shen Congyun, the previously noisy courtyard fell silent instantly.

"Master Wang!"

"Greetings, Master Wang!!"

"Greetings, Master!!"

"..."

Voices rang out one after another across the courtyard.

From behind the crowd, Jiang Ning and Cheng Ran also turned their gazes toward them.

"The teacher is coming out!" Cheng Ran said with excitement. "Now that the teacher has appeared, we can observe the Tiger's combat at close range immediately. Whether my Tiger-shaped Fist can reach Great Completion—today is a crucial moment!!!"

At this moment, Jiang Ning's gaze was involuntarily drawn to Shen Congyun, who stood beside Wang Jin.

Jiang Ning asked, "Is that the Pavilion Master Shen Congyun that Senior Brother Cheng mentioned earlier?"

In Shen Congyun, Jiang Ning saw the aura of a master.

Elegant and easygoing.

His presence, in particular, was filled with mystery.

He did not look like a martial arts expert, but rather a great Confucian scholar whose elegance radiated from his inner cultivation.

As Jiang Ning spoke, Cheng Ran's gaze also fell upon Shen Congyun.

He nodded excitedly. "That is indeed the big figure, the Vice Pavilion Master of Wanhua Pavilion, Shen Congyun! If I can gain the favor of such a great figure later, I will truly rise like a soaring cloud and change my destiny!!"

Hearing Cheng Ran's words, Jiang Ning clicked his tongue inwardly.

Rising like a soaring cloud!

Changing one's destiny!

Could merely being noticed by Shen Congyun truly have such an effect?

One had to know that Cheng Ran's family owned thousands of acres of fertile land in this era; they were a truly wealthy household.

Cheng Ran did not lack the resources required for martial advancement.

Jiang Ning also knew that if it weren't for his family's wealth, Cheng Ran would not have made it this far.

At his age, he had already achieved perfection in his blood and qi, circulating it throughout his entire body, and was on the verge of reaching the Ninth Grade of martial arts.

This was largely due to the resources his family provided.

In literature, poverty is a struggle; in martial arts, wealth is a necessity.

To advance rapidly in martial arts, one required vast amounts of precious medicinal herbs, various decoctions, Essence-Nourishing Pills, Qi-Supplementing Pills, Blood-Building and Bone-Strengthening Pills...

This entire process was a massive drain on money.

For someone in Cheng Ran's position, claiming that being noticed by Shen Congyun could "change his destiny" seemed a bit much.

Could being favored by a figure as grand as Shen Congyun truly have such an exaggerated effect?

Jiang Ning felt a hint of doubt.

At that moment.

Wang Jin arrived at the front courtyard. Looking at the disciples filling the yard, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

The prosperity of the martial arts hall gave him a sense of pride.

"Brother Shen, these are my somewhat useless disciples. What do you think?" Wang Jin spoke to Shen Congyun beside him.

"Quite good!" Shen Congyun replied, nodding slightly.

As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over the crowd.

He fully understood Wang Jin's intention.

The reason Wang Jin had asked him to come out was, quite simply, because he was unwilling to let talent go unnoticed and wanted Shen to cast an eye over them.

He wanted to see if any disciple in the hall could catch his eye and thus secure investment from Wanhua Pavilion.

Out of respect for Wang Jin, he was willing to come and take a look.

In his view, this also demonstrated Wang Jin's character.

Despite having a vast future in martial arts and not needing to rely on his disciples for old-age support, Wang Jin still thought of his disciples' well-being.

He was trying to fight for even a slim chance of fortune for them.

This was enough to prove that Wang Jin was a man of good character.

This realization made Shen Congyun feel even better.

Whether investing or making friends, no one wanted to deal with someone of poor character.

However, deep down, Shen Congyun held no expectations for Wang Jin's disciples.

A martial arts genius worthy of Wanhua Pavilion's attention must have the potential to become a first-rate expert!

That is to say, one must be able to cross the threshold of Internal Strengthening and reach the Fourth Grade of martial arts.

Only such potential was worth the attention and investment of Wanhua Pavilion.

As for whether a genius could become a Grandmaster, that was something one could only encounter by chance.

Historically, any powerhouse capable of becoming a Grandmaster possessed a combination of talent, background, opportunity, and luck.

Even the person ranked first on the Guangning Prefecture Hidden Dragon List was only praised by the world as having the *potential* to become a Grandmaster in the future.

In a mere remote place like Luoshui County, being able to discover someone like Wang Jin—who could achieve greatness late in life and had a chance to glimpse the realm of a Grandmaster—was already more than enough for him.

He no longer held hope for finding more.

Thus, as he looked at the crowd in the front courtyard, Shen Congyun was somewhat indifferent.

At the same time.

When Zhou Xing saw Shen Congyun appear, his expression instantly turned to shock. Shen Congyun's appearance was far beyond his expectations.

In the next moment.

His shock transformed into wild joy.

Regarding the one main and two deputy Pavilion Masters of Luoshui County, he had long harbored the desire to meet them.

He was confident in his own talent and hoped he might be noticed by Wanhua Pavilion, thereby creating a life-changing opportunity.

However, despite all his previous efforts, he had never had the chance to meet those three Pavilion Masters.

Even when his father sent invitations to them, they fell like stones into the ocean, receiving no response whatsoever.

He knew that while the Zhou family seemed to have status, it was only within the small confines of Luoshui County.

Moreover, there were many families in Luoshui County even more prosperous and powerful than the Zhous.

In the Great Xia Empire, a family like the Zhous could not even touch the threshold of a Great Clan.

Even the three great families—Cao, Liu, and Xie—had not yet reached the threshold of being considered Great Clans.

Therefore, Zhou Xing understood that without fate, he would never have the chance to meet the three Pavilion Masters of Wanhua Pavilion in person.

If even meeting them was difficult, how could he hope to be noticed by them?

Thus, he had long since tucked that thought away.

But now, seeing Shen Congyun—Pavilion Master Shen—with his own eyes, the spark of hope in Zhou Xing's heart flared up once again.

If he could secure investment from Wanhua Pavilion and gain their favor...

Then the possibility of the Zhou family growing to the level of the Cao, Liu, and Xie families would increase significantly.

In Great Xia, if one's martial arts were strong enough, one could achieve anything.

At the very least, if he were strong enough to become a Martial Scholar and earn official honors, the Zhou family would immediately become a bustling, prestigious household, and he, Zhou Xing, would bring glory to his lineage.

A Martial Scholar was a symbol of both strength and status.

To become a Martial Scholar, one only had the qualification to participate in the martial examinations before the age of thirty.

Once one passed thirty, that path was closed forever, regardless of strength.

Even though he felt that the Great Xia Empire was currently in a state of instability and turmoil...

If he could become a Martial Scholar, it would be a monumental stroke of luck.

A starving camel is still larger than a horse; the world, after all, still belonged to the Great Xia Dynasty.

At this moment, Zhou Xing knew his opportunity lay right here, with Shen Congyun.

If he could catch Shen Congyun's eye, everything he imagined would become possible.

His future world would become much broader, and he would lead the Zhou family to a new level, with the chance to join the ranks of the Great Clans and noble houses.

Only then could he fulfill his heart's desire and achieve his ambitions.

All these thoughts made it impossible for Zhou Xing to remain calm, and his fists involuntarily clenched tight.

"Later, I must step onto the field and perform my best."

Zhou Xing's resolve was set.