Upon entering Weiyuan Hall, Xu Yang is thrust into a competitive crucible where the sponsored disciples of the Huang Family are ranked by their innate talent. The spotlight belongs to Lu Ren, a prodigy with an Upper Grade B Root Bone, who receives the lion's share of resources and the fawning sycophancy of fellow disciples like Luo Dehu. Meanwhile, the cynical Zhou brothers mock the poorer students, claiming that without a fortune to spend on medicinal baths and premium meat, the commoners are doomed to fail the three-month deadline to achieve Qi Gathering. Undeterred, Xu Yang quietly trains, using his panel to steadily increase his Root Bone and master the breathing rhythms of the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture. The power dynamics shift dramatically when Xu Yang achieves the Entry Level of the stance just one day after Lu Ren, shocking the senior disciples who had written him off as a mere peasant. When the greedy Huang Family redistributes resources, taking a portion of the arrogant Zhang Yong's stipend to award it to Xu Yang, a deadly grudge is born. Tension escalates at home when his shameless father, Xu the Second, steals their old hen to feed his stepson, Yang Jun, prompting Xu Yang to storm their courtyard, shatter Yang Jun with a single punch, and publicly sever all family ties. This domestic triumph is short-lived, as the local Sanhe Gang enforcer, Li Hu, begins blackmailing Xu Yang for silver while targeting his beautiful sister, Xu Qing. Realizing that passive cowardice will only lead to their destruction, Xu Yang ambushes Li Hu and his two lackeys in the dead of night, using a sharpened wooden staff and brute strength to ruthlessly snap their necks and bury their bodies deep in the mountains. This initial taste of blood sets off a chain reaction, forcing Xu Yang to realize that the local gang syndicate will never stop hunting his family unless he takes the ultimate, preemptive gamble. He secures a packet of Muscle Relaxing Powder from his wealthy friend Qiu Wenjie, slips into the Sanhe Gang's local hall under the cover of a stormy night, and silently poisons the drinking water, leaving over a dozen hardened thugs paralyzed and helpless before his cold, unforgiving blade.

With the local Sanhe Gang hall completely annihilated, Xu Yang cleverly writes the name of the rival Sishui Gang on the wall in blood, successfully instigating a tense turf war that distracts his enemies and buys him precious time. While the criminal underworld is thrown into chaos, Xu Yang quietly collects the fallen gang's protection money, netting over ten taels of silver that he immediately reinvests into daily portions of fresh pork and premium Strengthening Soup. Meanwhile, the other Weiyuan Hall disciples, blinded by greed and desperate for quick cash, agree to follow the shady senior disciple Xue Fangsheng into the dangerous Tiansheng Mountains to hunt Exotic Beasts. Recognizing the trap, the cautious Xu Yang flatly refuses to join, earning the mockery of his peers who label him a coward. The venture turns into a horrific disaster when Xue Fangsheng intentionally uses the disciples as living bait to distract a mutated tiger Exotic Beast, resulting in the brutal deaths of several students. When the traumatized survivors return and demand their share of the profits, they are forced to use their blood-money to hole up inside Weiyuan Hall for protection, while Xu Yang's reputation for wisdom and caution is vindicated. Seizing the momentum, Xu Yang accepts a secret sponsorship from the local Qiu Family, who offers him three taels of silver a month in exchange for his future friendship, allowing him to bypass the stingy Huang Family entirely. As the deadline for the first major martial barrier approaches, Lu Ren arrogantly announces his breakthrough to the Qi Gathering realm, basking in the fawning praise of the Inner Courtyard and securing a luxurious retainer contract with the Huang Family. However, Xu Yang refuses to let the genius monopolize the spotlight, quietly retiring to a secluded corner of the martial arts arena to unleash his own prepared breakthrough, shocking the entire hall as he effortlessly condenses his True Qi to become a certified martial artist just one day later.

Now a recognized Qi Gathering martial artist, Xu Yang's elevated status allows him to enroll his sister in a prestigious local school, shielding her from the predatory grasp of the slums. However, his rapid rise draws the attention of the dangerous Sishui Gang leader, Zhang Sishui, and the corrupt martial artist Li Sanhe, who seeks to use Xu Yang as a tool to assassinate Zhang Sishui's son, Zhang Tong. Caught in a web of gang politics and threatened with death if he refuses, Xu Yang pretends to comply with Li Sanhe's demands, only to turn the tables with lethal efficiency. He utilizes his newly acquired Flying Swallow Skill to maneuver through the shadows, ambushing Li Sanhe instead, and using his mastery of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist to shatter the gang leader's heart before he can even unleash his full True Qi. To clean up the remaining threats, Xu Yang hunts down Zhang Sishui himself, infiltrating his stronghold and executing the gang leader in a swift, brutal display of force that leaves the Sishui Gang completely leaderless and shattered. This massive victory yields a treasure trove of cultivation resources, including fourteen packets of Qi-Replenishing Powder and nearly one hundred taels of silver, which Xu Yang immediately uses to fuel his progression toward the Great Success stage of Qi Gathering. As his physical body transforms under the influence of the rare Vajra Skill, his skin becomes impervious to ordinary blades, and he masters the devastating Wind and Thunder Strength, a rare force layer that targets an opponent's internal organs. When the arrogant Gale Hall genius Kong Yu, who possesses a rare Lower A-class Root Bone, challenges Weiyuan Hall's honor, the senior disciples are easily defeated, leaving Weiyuan Hall's reputation on the brink of collapse. Just as the crowd despairs, Xu Yang is forced to step onto the stage, preparing to unleash his hidden strength against the county's most celebrated prodigy, setting the stage for a spectacular clash of titans that will decide the fate of the local martial arts hierarchy.

The highly anticipated Martial Arts Ascension Dragon Examination arrives, drawing the most elite young talents of Qingyuan County, all vying for a chance to ascend to the prestigious Martial Arts Sects. The first stage of the exam, a grueling lock-lifting test designed to measure physical conditioning and True Qi depth, sees the heavily backed Lu Ren achieve a respectable Middle C-class score, earning the loud cheers of his Gu Family sponsors. However, Xu Yang stuns the spectators by matching Lu Ren's score lift-for-lift, proving that his self-funded, low-profile training is fully equal to the resources of a major noble clan. As the tournament transitions to the combat stages, Xu Yang is matched against his bitter rival Zhu Yang, a vicious opponent who attempts to use the domineering Shocking Wind Palm to crush him on the stage. Xu Yang counters with his perfected Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, channeling his immense physical strength to shatter Zhu Yang's defenses before ruthlessly stomping on his neck to secure a decisive, fatal victory. This brutal display of force strikes terror into the hearts of the other competitors, setting up a climactic semi-final match against Lu Ren himself. Realizing that Xu Yang's physical body is as tough as refined iron due to his hidden Vajra Skill, Lu Ren attempts to use a joint-locking technique, only to find himself completely overpowered by Xu Yang's monstrous arm strength. With a swift, lightning-fast strike to the throat, Xu Yang forces Lu Ren to concede defeat, securing a coveted Dragon Ascension slot and cementing his status as the true champion of the commoners. Having refused the predatory marriage alliances of the major clans and the hollow prestige of the local families, Xu Yang stands victorious on the arena stage, ready to leave the corrupt politics of Qingyuan County behind and take his first steps into the vast, uncharted territory of the immortal martial sects, where his system-backed longevity will finally find its true purpose.