The Nine Cauldrons

“One thousand will be enough. I am afraid majority of them will be eliminated in three months,” Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

Cultivating Internal Martial Arts required that the cultivator be extremely talented and that they possess a great power of understanding. The Spiritual Qi of the Heavens and the Earth was abundant in the Land of the Nine Prefectures, which was much better for cultivation than the previous world in which Teng Qingshan had dwelled. Yet, it was already considered good if one hundred out of one thousand people were suitable for the cultivation of the Internal Martial Arts.

Moreover, only Teng Qingshan and Teng Shou were able to teach the Internal Martial Arts. So, they couldn’t have too many disciples.

“Yes, it would be best to be strict,” Zhuge Yuanhong suddenly started speaking with a serious tone. “Qingshan, it would be best if you abstain from revealing too much information to your parents.” Actually, Zhuge Yuanhong understood why Teng Qingshan had taken the initiative to disclose the information to his parents that their son was safe and sound. Still, Zhuge Yuanhong felt slightly anxious.

When they were at Teng Yongfan’s house, Zhuge Yuanhong had repeatedly urged Teng Yongfan and his wife not to tell anyone of this secret for the sake of their son, Teng Qingshan.

“Making my parents worry really pained me,” Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly. As he thought about the tears his parents had shed for him, he just felt so guilty.

“Let’s not talk about this.” Teng Qingshan suddenly forced a smile.

“Senior Jing Yi!” Suddenly, a shout of surprise rang out.

Both Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong looked up and saw Teng Qinghu walking over.

“Sovereign, Senior JIng Yi,” Teng Qinghu greeted with enthusiasm.

Teng Qingshan grinned as he nodded. “Teng Qinghu, right? I saw you on the city wall previously.”

Immediately, Teng Qingshan’s words made Qinghu excited. After all, these words were coming from an Emptiness Realm Expert! Then Teng Qingshan pointed at the youngster nearby, who was lifting a rock that weighed several Jin, and instructed, “Teng Qinghu, ask that young fellow to come here.”

“Yes.” Teng Qinghu roared hastily at the teenager, “Little Monkey, come here.”

“Second Uncle,” the youngster greeted as he ran over. It was obvious that he admired Teng Qinghu. The youngster stood obediently beside Teng Qinghu who then pointed at Zhuge Yuanhong and Teng Qingshan, and then introduced, “Little Monkey, these two are powerful and honorable seniors.”

“Honghou pays respect to the two honorable lords.” The youngster bowed respectfully.

A smile appeared on Teng Qingshan’s face. In Teng Jia Village, Teng Qingshan’s grandpa was part of the generation of people who had the word ‘Yun’ in their names, while Teng Qingshan’s father was part of the generation of people who had the word ‘Yong’ in their names. As for Teng Qingshan, he was part of the generation of people who had the word ‘Qing’ in their names. Now, the youngster before their eyes was part of the generation of people who were subsequent to Teng Qingshan’s generation. This was the generation with the word ‘Hong’ in their names.

TLN: Guess what? I think he’s called Little Monkey because the word Hou (侯) is pronounced the same as the word 猴 which means monkey.

“Little Honghou, copy these few moves.”

As Teng Qingshan said that, he lifted his right leg and placed both of his hands behind his back. He then stood with one leg and instructed, “Stay like this and breathe ten times.”

“That’s easy,” Teng Honghou said as he copied the moves.

“Do this now.”

Teng Qingshan did six moves casually, and Honghou copied the six movies with great ease.

“Yes. That’s good. How old are you?” Teng Qingshan asked with a smile.

“Eleven,” Honghou answered.

“Teng Qinghu, ask his parents if they are willing to let this little fellow learn martial arts from me. If they are willing, I will take him with me,” Teng Qingshan said with a smile. He had asked his teacher, Zhuge Yuanhong, to find kids aged below ten, but the age was not that important for the cultivation of the Internal Martial Arts.

In his previous world, there were many people who had started cultivating at the age of fifteen to sixteen and still managed to become Grandmasters. Teng Qingshan’s third disciple Xue Xin had been much older than Honghou when he started cultivating.

“His parents will definitely agree. His father is not a fool. Being able to be taught by a senior like you is a blessing.” Teng Qinghu was extremely excited. He had seen the intense fight that happened beneath the city walls... Even Qinghu himself wanted ask Teng Qingshan to be his teacher.

“Hm.” Teng Qingshan nodded and said with a smile, “Stay at home first. The Gui Yuan Sect will take him in two days.”

With this, Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong left.

On the street:

“Teacher, you saw the six stances I did,” Teng Qingshan said. “These six moves can be done by anyone easily as long as their muscles and bones are flexible and as long as they started training since they were young. Teacher, when you recruit the one thousand boys for me, only accept them if they can do these six stances.”

“These stances are not difficult. In this chaotic world, every kid trains and cultivates. Most will be able to do those six stances.” Zhuge Yuanhong nodded. “I will immediately command the men to start recruiting young boys.”

“However, because we have to make sure that they can do the six stances, the process will be slowed down a little,” Zhuge Yuanhong said with a smile. “I think we will be able to recruit all one thousand young boys within three days.”

On the next day, the first of April, the Gui Yuan Sect officially began recruiting student aged ten and under.

When some of the core members of the Gui Yuan Sect heard that it was actually Senior Jing Yi who wanted to teach these youngsters, they immediately sent their grandchildren, great grandchildren, and any relatives who met the age requirement to take the test. When the people throughout Jiangning County-City, as well as those who lived in the rural areas near Jiangning County heard of this news, immediately sent their kids to the Gui Yuan Sect, especially after hearing the teaching would be free.

On the first day, three hundred people were accepted.

The people who received the news later, such as those who lived in the countryside or the ordinary families in Jiangning County, only sent their kids to the Gui Yuan Sect on the second day. Therefore, there was a particularly great number of kids recruited on the second day.

As such, during the afternoon of the second day, the Gui Yuan Sect recruited a thousand people.

......

On the 3rd of April, the Gui Yuan Sect sent a troop of a thousand soldiers to escort these kids to the Yi City of Jiangning County. The Gui Yuan Sect were assured of the safety of these children because Teng Qingshan was also heading to Yi City with these kids.

“Senior, can the kids travel at such a speed?” The commanding officer of troop of a thousand soldiers asked respectfully. “I am afraid they won’t be able to walk till the end.”

“Just travel at this speed. Do according to my orders,” Teng Qingshan instructed. “At the same time, give out this order: the ones who are unable to make it to Yi City shall be sent home immediately.”

“Yes,” the officer said respectfully.

Teng Qingshan stared at the group of children. Cultivating Internal Martial Arts required a much higher perseverance than what was needed for cultivating inner strength. The cultivation of inner strength only required the cultivator to sit cross-legged in silence. Once the cultivator was immersed in the cultivation, the entire cultivation would continue for several hours. However, the cultivation of Internal Martial Art did not have distinct cultivation levels, so it was very boring to cultivate it. The cultivator had no idea of when it would end.

The cultivator would only enjoy cultivating when they had reached the highest realm in the cultivation.

“The distance of three hundred Li should be considered the first round of training for these kids. I wonder how many of all them will be eliminated,” Teng Qingshan thought as he strode beside the children.

......

It was a journey of three hundred Li, and the children were all carrying small bundles of their belongings. Although all these kids had good physical qualities, they still had a hard time advancing at the speed Teng Qingshan had set. On the first day of the journey, many kids had already whined and shouted that they couldn’t endure it any longer. However, when the soldier announced that the ones who didn’t want to walk would be sent back home, all the kids persisted.

After all, if they were eliminated and sent back home because of this, their families would definitely scold them.

However, on the second day, 13 kids could no longer endure it. They collapsed and cried as they gave up.

Then on the third day, a total of 56 kids gave up.

On the fourth day, 11 kids gave up.

On the fifth day, six kids gave up.

Finally, on the afternoon of the sixth day, many kids bawled their eyes out when they arrived at the gigantic mansion in Yi City which the Gui Yuan Sect had specially prepared for them. However, none of the kids had given up on the last day.

This meant that...

During the five-and-a-half-day journey, a total of 86 kids had given up. Hence, there were 914 kids left.

“The result is better than I expected,” Teng Qingshan thought while nodding. “It’s been five and a half days, and we have traveled over three hundred Li...” One should know that the official road wasn’t smooth at all. The five-and-a-half-day journey had been torturous to many of the kids. However, to some of them, this journey had been easy.

Many of the ones from the countryside had trained from a young age. Therefore, it wasn’t hard for them to travel a distance of a hundred Li in one day.

On 8th of April, 914 kids took residence there and were allowed to rest to the fullest on that same day. None of them were asked to do anything.

Teng Qingshan rode the Six Legged Bladelike Chi and brought his eldest disciple, Teng Shou, back from Tai Ah Mountain Range.

With Yang Dong, Xue Xin, and the other gang members, the status of the Xiong Shou Gang in Tai Ah Mountain Range had become very stable. As such, Teng Shou, the Supreme Force Expert, no longer needed to assist the them.

......

On 9th of April, a huge training field was specially constructed in the super big mansion, and the 914 children were now standing perfectly straight on that huge training field. The guards and servants, whom the Gui Yuan Sect had specially arranged for, stood nearby, smiling as they watched the crowd of children.

Donned in beast skin, Teng Shou stood before the children, with his gaze inciting fear in their hearts.

“Teacher.” Teng Shou turned and looked afar.

He had seen Teng Qingshan by the courtyard entrance. However, in the blink of an eye...

Teng Qingshan disappeared from before the courtyard entrance and appeared right beside Teng Shou, who had been a hundred Zhang away from him.

“Wow!”

“Oh, my!”

“A deity!”

Some of the children couldn’t help but shout loudly in surprise as their eyes opened wide. Even the guards and servants of the Gui Yuan Sect were amazed.

When Teng Qingshan saw the shocked expressions of children, he couldn’t help but grin. Actually, this was a tactic many teachers used. By revealing some of their strength at the start, it would motivate the disciples to work hard and cultivate diligently.

“Many people hope to learn the cultivation of martial arts.” Teng Qingshan spoke in a voice which was not loud, but it reverberated in the ears of every one of the kids. “However, in the Gui Yuan Sect, only a thousand people have the opportunity to do so. Yet 86 people lost their opportunities during the journey here. So, now, there are only 914 of you left.”

“However, amongst the 914 of you, 800... or perhaps even more... may be eliminated,” Teng Qingshan said coldly.

The youngest child was six years old, while the oldest child was 11. All of the children were old enough to understand Teng Qingshan’s words.

When the children heard that 800 or more people would be eliminated, they were all shocked.

“However, if you endure to the end, you will all become powerful experts.” As Teng Qingshan spoke, he suddenly stomped his feet.

“Rumble~~~”

The entire earth shook, causing the 914 children to scream in fright. Many kids fell and tumbled onto the ground. A huge and scary crack stretching out several Zhang appeared beneath Teng Qingshan’s feet. Under Teng Qingshan’s control, the crack which ripped the earth apart didn’t reach the ground that the children stood on.

“Wow.”

“This is...” The group of children stared at the huge and deep crack in shock. It would take a long time for ordinary people to dig a crack this long.

Yet Teng Qingshan had done it with just the force of one stomp?

The guards and the servants, who were standing far away, were also astounded.

“As long as you cultivate with diligence, you will all have the chance to do this,” Teng Qingshan said. Then he stared at Teng Shou and added, “From now on, you will all learn from my eldest disciple, Teng Shou.”

With a cold expression, Teng Shou took a step forward.

......

That very same day, Teng Shou crushed several man-made hills with just a few punches and acquired the admiration of all the children. Some of the huge rocks which formed the man-made mountains weighed over ten thousand Jin, but Teng Shou was able to crush them with just a few punches. The children had never seen anyone this powerful.

According to Teng Qingshan’s instruction...

Teng Shou only taught one technique—the Three Postures!

Teng Shou taught them the breathing method as well as each and every important point of the Three Postures. Teng Qingshan had once told him that the Three Postures were the foundation of the Internal Martial Art, and that even he himself would have to practice them frequently. Additionally, Teng Shou had been instructed not to teach the children the Three Postures with a contemptuous attitude. He was also told that he would naturally gain enlightenment during this process of teaching since teaching was a form of cultivation as well.

Due to these words, Teng Shou taught the nine hundred children conscientiously.

The best thing about the eldest disciple, Teng Shou, was that he was very obedient. If Teng Qingshan asked him to complete a mission, Teng Shou would accomplish it perfectly.

In the courtyard of this huge mansion, there was a slightly smaller training field. Besides Teng Shou, no one else was allowed into the training field. If the children entered the training field, they would be thrown out and sent back home. If the guards and servants entered the training field, they would be sent to jail.

Therefore, no one dared to trespass the training field.

“Three months. The Land of the Nine Prefectures has abundant Spiritual Qi of the Heavens and the Earth. This means that the talented and gifted ones will possess inner strength after a month of cultivation, while the ones who are less talented will possess inner strength within two months of cultivation.” Therefore, Teng Qingshan set a limit. He decided that the youngsters who were unable to cultivate inner strength within three months would be eliminated.

One should know that Teng Qingshan had managed to cultivate inner strength within a month even when he had still been a three-year-old kid with an underdeveloped physique.

......

One and a half months later, on the training field in the inner court:

The Six-Legged Bladelike Chi lay down at the side, watching Teng Qingshan cultivate his spear art. Occasionally, the Six-Legged Bladelike Chi would also brandish its own bladelike legs.

“Although the close-range offensive body art of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》is perfect, the best technique is the one that the cultivator finds most suitable.” Teng Qingshan combined the Swimming Pisces Body Art, the Earth Elemental Technique, and the body art which contained the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》. Then he modified the combination into a body art that suited himself the most.

The body art Teng Qingshan had created was not as perfect as Emperor Yu’s, but it was more suitable for Teng Qingshan.

“Chi!” “Chi!”

The Reincarnation Spear would occasionally transform into lotus flowers, and sometimes it would also transform into a huge dragon which soared up into high altitudes. Other times, it would be like a gigantic electric drill about to tear the heavens and the earth apart. The terrifying howl of the spear frightened the group of children on the training field in the outer courtyard.

“Awesome!”

With the body art and the spear art, Teng Qingshan was like a fish in water as well as a strong and fast cheetah. The body art and the spear art coordinated with each other smoothly.

However, because Teng Qingshan was immersed in the cultivation of spear art, he didn’t notice that the Six Legged Bladelike Chi, who had been watching Teng Qingshan practice, was no longer looking at Teng Qingshan. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi itself was immersed in its own practice of the blade art. As Teng Qingshan practiced his spear art in a carefree manner, a golden glow gradually appeared around the Six Legged Bladelike Chi.

“Eh?” Teng Qingshan finally stopped practicing his spear art. Then when he turned toward the corner of the training field, he saw that Six Legged Bladelike Chi’s entire body was enveloped by a golden glow. It was like a golden sun.

“Roar~~~”

The Six Legged Bladelike Chi suddenly emitted a painful and mad roar, which resounded above the heavens. Immediately, the golden glow rushed wildly toward the Six Legged Bladelike Chi. The endless golden glow was like a giant whirlpool in the sea. It even disturbed the surrounding rockery, smashing it open.

“Perhaps the Six Legged Bladelike Chi...” Teng Qingshan’s eyes lit up. Excitement surged through his heart.