Supreme Martial Arts: Unlock Boundless Power!

Chapter 8

Inside Zhou Family Manor, on the evenings of the first and middle days of each month, the elderly patriarch Zhou Wude would appear in the main hall for dinner. These were the occasions when the entire family gathered to dine together, except for Zhou Quanming, who was in charge of the businesses in the city and couldn't make it back. All other direct descendants of the family would be in attendance, and it was also the only time Zhou Quanxin would leave the courtyard of the book repository.

When Zhou Yi followed his uncle to the main hall, everyone was already present. Two tables were set up in the hall, with only five seats at the head table. Seated in the main seat was the elderly man who had established Zhou Family Manor, Zhou Wude. To his left, there was an empty seat, which belonged to Zhou Quanxin. To his right sat Zhou Quanyi, his third uncle. And in another seat sat a young, handsome, and elegant young man named Zhou Yitian, the eldest grandson who had already reached the seventh layer of internal energy at the age of twenty.

In Zhou Family Manor, Zhou Yitian was the only third-generation disciple permitted to sit at the table with the elders. As the cultivation of internal energy progressed, the difficulty increased. It was already a remarkable achievement to reach the sixth layer before the age of twenty. Among the third-generation disciples, Zhou Yihai and Zhou Yixuan both reached the sixth layer at the age of seventeen or eighteen. However, all the elders agreed that without ten or twenty years of arduous practice, they could forget about advancing further.

As for the eldest, Zhou Yitian, he had broken through to the sixth layer at the age of fourteen and then reached the seventh layer before turning twenty after six years of arduous training. He was regarded as the future pillar of the family.

As for Zhou Yi, when he advanced to the fifth layer at the age of nine, the family had high hopes for him, even more so than for Zhou Yitian, with three times the attention. But due to the excessive pressure from their expectations, his internal energy cultivation stagnated. Now, his position within the family was far inferior to that of Zhou Yitian, the eldest grandson.

All the third-generation disciples, except Zhou Yi, were present among the second-generation disciples. Even Zhou Yihai and Zhou Yixuan, who had always secluded themselves to diligently enhance their own cultivation, attended the gathering on time.

Seated at the forefront, Zhou Wude possessed a broad forehead and thick eyebrows. His slightly profound eyes concealed a wisdom that understood others well. He raised his head and smiled, saying, "Quanxin, you're late today."

Zhou Quanxin quickly saluted and replied with a smiling face, "Father, although I arrived late, I bring you good news."

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Wude's eyes as he asked, "What good news?"

"Father, today Yi visited the Scripture Pavilion." Zhou Quanxin paused and reached out to pull Zhou Yi beside him. He continued, "Yi is now qualified to practice martial skills."

The main hall immediately fell silent. Zhou Quanyi immediately stood up, filled with joy, and asked, "Yi, have you broken through to the sixth level?"

Zhou Yi nodded heavily and said, "Yes."

The expressions of the third-generation disciples in the second seat varied. Several of them who had a good relationship with Zhou Yi exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with delight. If it weren't for the presence of the elders, they would surely have celebrated uproariously.

On the other hand, Zhou Yizhang, who had a relatively antagonistic relationship with Yi, had a slight change in his complexion. A hint of confusion flickered in his gaze.

Zhou Yihai and Zhou Yixuan, the two third-generation disciples who had already reached the sixth level, exchanged a complex look. Amidst their intense joy, there was a tinge of unusual dimness and envy.