Chapter 323 - 162: Promise

"Sigh... Don’t even mention it!"

Meng Lei heaved a long sigh.

"My luck is just too bad. I drew a top-tier prodigy this round. I’ve already confirmed my forfeiture..."

"What? You forfeited?!"

Hearing this, Song Che instantly lost his composure. His voice cracked as he shouted, drawing glances from those nearby.

The faint, forced smile on Song Yingzhi’s face froze instantly, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head.

"You can’t blame me for this..."

Meng Lei said helplessly,

"The guy I drew is a monster who can kill a Secret Martial Arts user without using Secret Martial Arts himself. I’m nowhere near his level. The crucial part is, he really kills people. He smashed half of his last opponent’s head in... I don’t want to die."

"Then... who is that person?"

Song Che and Song Yingzhi’s eyes widened in unison. They had never seen or heard of such a thing.

"There, that clean-cut young man."

Meng Lei raised a hand and pointed into the distance.

Song Che and Song Yingzhi looked over. Their expressions faltered for a moment, then they exchanged a glance.

The looks on their faces instantly became a spectacular sight.

That young man was none other than the one the father-daughter pair had disdained a few months ago for his abysmal Root Bone, the one they had refused to associate with...

"Cheng!"

Zhuang Zhen said with a beaming smile,

"Congratulations! Your opponent confirmed his forfeiture! You’ve secured a spot in the top twenty-two. The Military Merit is in your hands!"

Fatty Fang also came running over, his belly jiggling. His face was wreathed in smiles. He started to pat Chen Cheng’s shoulder with a chubby hand, but he stopped mid-air, pulled it back, and said half-jokingly,

"Brother Cheng! Don’t forget me when you make it big!"

Under the canopy.

Shen Mi, Zhuang Hui Xian, and Yu Feng had to stand aside as a continuous stream of people from various factions came over to congratulate the Li Family.

Even Pang Shixun had the disciple from the Pang Family’s Direct Lineage who followed him come over to offer congratulations.

The Shen Family’s Heir, Shen Qian, also came to congratulate them personally.

Then, he politely greeted Shen Mi, not forgetting Shen Chun either.

"It’s been a long time, Aunt. You look more radiant than ever, and your ventures are prospering! And you, Cousin, your progress in Martial Arts is astonishingly fast! Having you two is truly a blessing for the Shen Race!"

Shen Mi froze, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

Of course, she knew what Shen Qian’s friendly gesture meant. She knew, even more clearly, that all of this was thanks to Chen Cheng.

Before, she had only thought that investing in Chen Cheng was the wisest decision of her life.

But gradually, she began to realize it wasn’t just wise—it was lucky. It was a monumental stroke of fortune! Chen Cheng’s appearance was nothing short of a gift from the heavens! It was fate showing her its favor!

She didn’t respond. Her gaze went past Shen Qian to rest on Chen Cheng in the distance. The complexity in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of gratitude that was almost devout.

Beside her, Shen Chun’s expression was incredibly complex.

For all these years, she had desperately trained in Martial Arts and desperately accumulated merits abroad. All she wanted was to make the family regret their initial decision and welcome her branch of the family back into the Inner City.

This long-held wish had finally been realized. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the one who had achieved it—Chen Cheng was.

To be more precise, Chen Cheng hadn’t even done it intentionally.

A mere ripple from Chen Cheng’s achievement today had effortlessly delivered to her doorstep what she had striven for her entire life but could never reach.

At this thought, Shen Chun felt a sharp pang in her heart, as if it were being squeezed.

She couldn’t tell if the feeling was sorrow, disappointment, or resentment.

It wasn’t that she was unhappy, it was just... she suddenly realized that the small bit of pride she had earned by fighting tooth and nail all these years was utterly insignificant in the face of true brilliance.

"Sister Zhuang."

Chen Cheng collected his thoughts and asked,

"Once you obtain Military Merit, does that mean you can no longer join a Sect?"

"Of course not."

Zhuang Zhen said,

"The ten new merits outside the lists this year require you to go to the front lines—there’s no choice in that. But for the merits from the Golden List and Silver List, there are two options."

"The first is to enter service. You are appointed as a Military Officer based on your rank. The four from the Golden List can take up positions in an Inner City Government Office—different offices hold different levels of actual power. The eight from the Silver List can serve in an Outer City Government Office, which is a tier lower in both status and real authority."

"The second is Chucai, or talent preservation. You don’t enter service for the time being. Instead, you cultivate and improve according to your own plan, reporting to the government once a year. When you do wish to enter service, you must undergo another assessment by the government."

"Entering service gives you real power, while Chucai offers more freedom. Regardless of your choice, the privileges of the Military Merit itself don’t change. That is, your registered relatives are all exempt from commercial and land taxes, as well as military and labor conscription."

"I can’t talk anymore... It’s my turn to go on stage!"

Zhuang Zhen waved and walked quickly toward a distant arena stage.

Chen Cheng’s heart stirred. His gaze followed her retreating figure, but his Heart Spirit was focused on the Secret Cloud Peng Leg Technique.

’I may have perfectly reached the Entry Level, but secretly learning another’s Martial Arts has always been a supreme taboo.’

’I can never use this martial art in public. I even have to practice it in secret.’

’If word gets out, the Qin Family, the Cloud Platform Hall, and even the Sect where this martial art originated will hunt me down relentlessly, to the death.’

As for the special nature of Secret Martial Arts, Chen Cheng was now beginning to grasp the basics.

However, this special quality wouldn’t manifest until he reached the Divine Storage Realm, so there was no point dwelling on it.

At his current stage, the greatest benefit of reaching the Entry Level in a Secret Martial Art was a massive boost to his cultivation speed. His Blood Qi and physique would also be strengthened far beyond others of the Same Tier.

The Leg Technique focused on the lower body, and as it happened, the Eighth and Ninth Pillars of Blood Qi would condense in his legs. His cultivation speed would likely become even faster.

In the few days since Chen Cheng had condensed his Seventh Pillar of Blood Qi, his cultivation efficiency had dropped significantly without the aid of supplementary medicines.