Morning had barely begun when the bells of **AzureCloud Martial Hall** rang across the mountains.
Deep and resonant, the sound rolled down the stone terraces like distant thunder. One strike followed another, echoing through pavilions, courtyards, and training grounds. The sound was impossible to ignore a call that reached every corner of the vast martial hall.
Inside the outer disciple dormitory, Linfeng's eyes snapped open.
The bells continued to ring outside.
For a moment he simply lay there staring at the wooden ceiling above his bed, the echoes vibrating faintly through the building.
Then he sat up quickly.
"So this is the morning training bell…" he muttered.
Sunlight slipped through the paper windows, painting pale gold lines across the dormitory floor. Around him, several other new outer disciples were already waking, some groaning as they dragged themselves out of bed while others hurriedly dressed.
Linfeng stretched his stiff arms and rolled his shoulders.
His body still carried faint soreness from the injuries he had suffered during his fight with **Xiao Long** two days ago, but thanks to **Xu Lan's treatment**, the pain had faded into little more than dull aches.
It was manageable.
And today, none of that mattered.
Today was his **first real day as an outer disciple** of AzureCloud Martial Hall.
Linfeng swung his legs off the bed and reached for the folded robe placed beside him.
It was the robe issued to every outer disciple.
Plain but dignified.
The fabric was a deep blue, simple yet sturdy, with the embroidered symbol of **AzureCloud Martial Hall** stitched over the chest — a swirling cloud wrapped around a rising blade.
He lifted it carefully.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the emblem.
A quiet smile appeared on his face.
"So it's real," he whispered.
Yesterday he had only received the robe during registration.
Now he was wearing it.
Pulling the garment over his shoulders, Linfeng tied the sash around his waist and adjusted the sleeves. The robe felt slightly loose on his lean frame, but it carried a strange weight — not physical, but something deeper.
Responsibility.
Expectation.
Opportunity.
He glanced at his reflection in the small bronze mirror hanging beside the dormitory wall.
Linfeng scratched the back of his head and chuckled quietly.
"Heh… Granny Mei would probably laugh if she saw this."
The bells rang again outside.
Louder this time.
Disciples began rushing out of the dormitory.
Linfeng grabbed his training belt and stepped outside as well.
Cold mountain air greeted him immediately.
The sight before him still made his chest tighten slightly with awe.
The vast structures of **AzureCloud Martial Hall** climbed the mountainside like stairways toward the heavens. Crimson pavilions stood atop stone platforms, and long stairways connected courtyards where disciples already moved like flowing streams.
Linfeng exhaled slowly.
"Alright…" he murmured to himself.
"First day."
He rolled his shoulders once and began walking toward the **outer court training field**, following the stream of new disciples heading toward the courtyard.
wide stone tiles stretched across the ground, bordered by tall wooden pillars and banners bearing the insignia of the hall.
Cold mountain wind swept through the courtyard.
His body had mostly recovered after Xu Lan treated him two days earlier, though faint soreness still lingered in his ribs.
But that didn't bother him.
If anything, the pain reminded him why he was here.
To become stronger.
To climb the martial path.
To never be powerless again.
At the front of the courtyard stood the instructors of the outer court.
They had introduced themselves the previous day during the orientation of new disciples.
Among them, one figure stood out.
Instructor **Kang Jinhai**.
Tall and broad-shouldered, the man stood with his arms folded, his sharp gaze sweeping across the gathered disciples like a hawk studying its prey. His expression carried the quiet authority of someone who had trained countless martial artists before.
The moment the bell finished echoing, his voice rang out.
"Form rows."
The courtyard stirred immediately as disciples rushed to stand in formation.
Some noble youths moved with visible reluctance, their robes far too clean for what awaited them.
Linfeng quickly found a place in one of the rows.
Instructor Kang slowly walked in front of the disciples.
"Most of you arrived here thinking you would immediately begin learning powerful martial techniques."
A few disciples shifted uncomfortably.
Instructor Kang stopped walking.
"You will not."
His words were blunt.
"Before learning martial arts, your bodies must be strong enough to endure them."
He gestured toward the courtyard.
"For new outer disciples without cultivated **true qi**, training begins with the foundation."
He raised a finger.
"Horse stance."
Another finger.
"Mountain running."
A third finger.
"Stone carrying."
Then finally—
"Endurance training beneath the waterfall."
A murmur spread through the gathered disciples.
Several noble youths frowned.
One even muttered under his breath.
"This isn't martial arts… this is labor."
Linfeng, however, felt something completely different.
His eyes quietly lit up.
*So this is how martial artists build their foundation…*
He clenched his fists slightly.
*Good.*
*The harsher the training, the stronger I'll become.*
He scratched his cheek and whispered quietly to himself.
"Guess the mountain really doesn't raise weaklings."
Instructor Kang clapped his hands once.
"Horse stance."
The disciples hesitated.
His voice hardened.
"Now."
Everyone quickly spread their legs and lowered their stance.
Linfeng bent his knees and steadied his breathing.
At first, the posture didn't seem difficult.
But within minutes the burn began.
Muscles trembled.
Sweat formed.
The quiet courtyard slowly filled with strained breathing.
As the disciples struggled to maintain the stance, a familiar voice spoke beside Linfeng.
"Still standing, huh?"
Linfeng glanced sideways.
Standing next to him was the tall, broad boy he had seen in the dormitory earlier.
The boy's shoulders were massive compared to most disciples, and although his legs were shaking slightly from the strain, he still managed to grin.
"You were in the dormitory yesterday," Linfeng said between breaths.
The boy nodded.
"Yeah. Saw you there."
Both of them focused on maintaining the stance for a moment.
The burn in their legs only intensified.
Then the tall boy chuckled quietly.
"You're the one who fought Xiao Long, right?"
Linfeng scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yeah… that was me."
The boy's grin widened.
"Took guts to stand up to that guy."
After another moment, he added,
"Name's **Guo Ren**."
Linfeng nodded.
"I'm Linfeng."
Guo Ren tilted his head slightly.
"Just Linfeng?"
Linfeng smiled faintly.
"Just Linfeng."
Guo Ren laughed quietly.
"Well then, Linfeng… looks like we'll both be suffering through this training together."
Linfeng exhaled slowly, his legs trembling.
"Yeah… looks like it."
A shout suddenly rang across the courtyard.
"Lower!"
Instructor Kang walked through the rows, correcting postures with sharp precision.
"Your stance is too high!"
"You call that balance?"
"If your legs shake now, they'll shatter in battle!"
Time passed slowly.
One by one disciples began collapsing.
Some cursed under their breath.
Others simply fell backward onto the stone ground.
But Linfeng gritted his teeth.
*Endure.*
Beside him, Guo Ren was doing the same.
When Instructor Kang finally raised his hand, nearly half the courtyard had already collapsed.
"Enough."
The remaining disciples immediately dropped their stance, gasping for air.
Linfeng sat down heavily on the stone tiles.
His legs felt like molten iron.
Guo Ren dropped beside him.
"By the ancestors…" the big boy groaned.
"My legs are dead."
Linfeng laughed weakly.
"Mine too."
But the training wasn't over.
Instructor Kang's voice rang out again.
"Next."
He pointed toward the mountain path leading upward through the forest.
"Stone carrying. Two laps around the mountain trail."
Several disciples looked horrified.
Guo Ren stared at the path.
"That's… far."
Linfeng walked toward the pile of training stones and hoisted one onto his shoulder.
It was heavy.
But he tightened his grip.
When the signal came, the disciples began running.
The trail wound along the mountainside like a serpent, climbing steeply through trees and rocky terrain.
Linfeng leaned forward and pushed himself onward.
Every step made his legs burn.
But instead of slowing down, he forced himself to move faster.
*If this is what it takes to become stronger…*
*Then I'll endure it.*
Beside him, Guo Ren glanced over and laughed breathlessly.
"You're pushing like someone's chasing you."
Linfeng shook his head.
"No."
His eyes remained fixed on the path ahead.
"I'm chasing strength."
By the time they finished the second lap, the sun had already begun climbing higher in the sky.
The disciples staggered back into the courtyard.
Most collapsed instantly.
Linfeng and Guo Ren both sat near the edge of the training ground, breathing heavily.
Sweat soaked their robes.
Their muscles screamed with exhaustion.
But neither complained.
Not far away, Instructor Kang Jinhai stood with his arms folded, watching the exhausted disciples scattered across the courtyard.
Some groaned in pain.
Others simply lay there staring at the sky.
His gaze eventually settled on two figures sitting near the edge of the courtyard.
Linfeng.
And Guo Ren.
Both were drenched in sweat, their breathing heavy, their bodies clearly pushed to their limits.
Yet neither cursed the training.
Neither spoke of quitting.
They simply endured.
Instructor Kang watched them quietly for a moment.
Then, almost imperceptibly…
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Hmph."
"At least a few of them have some backbone."