Rise in the Martial Chaos: Starting From a Martial Arts School

Chapter 372: Chapter 143: Promotion to the Inner Sect

The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze caressed his face.

An irrepressible joy filled his heart. He looked up to a vast sky dotted with wispy clouds, warmed by a gentle breeze.

A long-suppressed sense of triumph surged from deep within him. The exhaustion from days of arduous cultivation vanished, replaced by the solid satisfaction and elation of his promotion to the Inner Sect.

Ever since joining the Xuanzhen Sect, he had buried himself in cultivation, training day and night without daring to slacken his pace for even a moment. The persistence and hardship of the past few months had finally paid off.

Today, he had finally passed the Dragon Gate martial trial and officially become an Inner Sect Disciple of Lingxi Peak, taking a crucial step on his path of cultivation.

A thought occurred to Yang Jing. ’Today’s trial is over. I should probably put cultivation aside for a bit and get some real rest.’

’After I get cleaned up, I’ll ask Senior Sister Sun Ningxiang to leave the island with me. We can go to the town on the shore of Hidden Dragon Lake and have a nice meal.’

’It’ll be a celebration for my promotion and a chance to relax. More importantly, I can use the opportunity to spend more time with Senior Sister and do my part in looking after her.’

Before coming to the Xuanzhen Sect, he had solemnly promised his master that he would take good care of his senior sister and not let her suffer any grievances.

But for the past few months, he had been completely engrossed in his cultivation, spending all day in the Training Room honing his strength and leaving himself with very little free time.

His senior sister was the only one who would occasionally seek him out for a brief chat or to give him some Cultivation Materials. He had rarely taken the initiative to visit her, and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Today was the perfect opportunity to make up for it.

As Yang Jing mulled over his plans, he walked with a light step toward the Inner Sect Disciple residential area located on the mountainside.

The path was lined with lush greenery, and the crisp air carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, lifting his spirits even higher.

When he reached the Inner Sect living area, he was greeted by the sight of tidy, elegant courtyards scattered gracefully across the slope—a world apart from the crowded, spartan dwellings of the outer sect disciples at the mountain’s base.

One could hardly see any of the blue-robed outer sect disciples here. Most of the people coming and going were white-robed Inner Sect Disciples. Each carried themselves with a steady aura and a calm expression, exuding a presence entirely different from that of the outer sect.

Seeing Yang Jing approach in his tattered blue robe, the passing Inner Sect Disciples shot him surprised looks, their eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

They couldn’t understand why an outer sect disciple would be in the Inner Sect’s residential area, let alone one dressed so shabbily. Many even stopped in their tracks to size him up from afar, murmuring amongst themselves.

Yang Jing paid them no mind, searching among the rows of small courtyards for Qing No. 4 Courtyard. Before long, he found his destination in a relatively flat area.

The courtyard’s location was excellent. It sat on a gentle slope, with a wide, flat, and neatly kept open space in front of its gate.

It wasn’t like some of the other courtyards, which faced steep inclines that were not only inconvenient for passage but also felt oppressive and cramped.

Yang Jing walked up and gently pushed open the unlatched gate, stepping inside.

The courtyard wasn’t luxurious, but it was remarkably serene. The ground was paved with smooth bluestone slabs. A small pile of fallen leaves had gathered in one corner, likely blown in by the wind.

Aside from that, the rest of the courtyard was spotless. The table, chairs, and stone benches were all neatly arranged. It was clear that servant disciples came regularly to clean and maintain it.

The courtyard’s layout was simple and practical. On one side stood a wing and a storage room. The wing was bright and clean, while the storage room held various cleaning tools and miscellaneous items.

On the other side was a small kitchen, fully equipped with pots and pans. He wondered if they were provided by the sect or left behind by the previous Inner Sect Disciple.

Directly opposite the gate was a spacious main house with a roof of blue-green tiles. The doors and windows were carved with simple, elegant patterns.

In the center of the courtyard was a well, its opening covered by a stone slab with a bucket placed beside it. All the necessities for daily life were provided.

Yang Jing went through the rooms, inspecting them one by one.

The main house was divided into two sections: an inner room and an outer one. The inner room served as the bedroom and contained a wooden bed and a wardrobe.

The outer room was a sitting hall with a table, chairs, and a bookshelf, all kept very neat.

He found a bronze key on the wooden table in the hall. Taking it to the courtyard gate, he compared it to the bronze lock hanging there. The size and grooves were a perfect match. It was clearly the key to the gate, so he tucked it away safely.

After his inspection, Yang Jing was extremely satisfied with the courtyard. The location was good, the layout was practical, and it had all the necessary amenities. It would certainly be a comfortable place to live.

He felt a growing sense of gratitude toward Steward Zheng. If the steward hadn’t gone out of his way to pick out such a fine courtyard for him, he would have had no grounds to complain even if he’d been assigned a remote and shabby one, according to sect rules. Such thoughtfulness was truly rare.

Now that his new residence was settled, Yang Jing finally noticed how sticky and uncomfortable he felt.

His own injuries were merely superficial, and he hadn’t lost much blood. His clothes and skin, however, were caked with the blood of exotic beasts, and even some bits of... red and white matter.

He had been too busy dealing with the post-trial procedures to notice before, but now that he had a moment of peace, he felt disgusting from head to toe and could smell a faint, coppery stench on himself.

’Whoops. No wonder so many people were staring at me. I wonder if Steward Zheng is scrubbing his chair right now...’

Yang Jing thought for a moment, then turned, closed the courtyard gate, and went to the storage room to rummage around.

He found a clean wooden basin, then carried the bucket to the well and drew up a full pail of cool water.

He placed the wooden basin in the middle of the courtyard, filled it with water, and began to wash himself right then and there.