The God of Blacksmiths

Although this approach was too domineering, Si Ming didn't think there was anything wrong with it. If the other party was a hero who cared about the world, then Xu Zhengyi had fulfilled his wish, and he could die without regret. If the other party was a hypocrite who cared about his reputation, then he deserved it. Justice is clear, and retribution is inevitable.

If the same situation applied to Yan Jinghong, Xia Guanxue could replace Yan Jinghong and accomplish what he wanted to do, Si Ming believed that his master would not care about settling their grudges by committing suicide, because Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens was a True Lord.

After successfully guiding Xu Zhengyi onto the right path and fulfilling his duty of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, Si Ming began to teach him martial arts.

However, because Xu Zhengyi's foundation was too poor, everything had to be taught from scratch. Moreover, he did not have the extraordinary talent to understand everything immediately. In his eagerness to leave, Si Ming quickly became impatient and simply wrote down all the Buddhist School martial arts he knew on a piece of paper, threw it to him and told him to learn it on his own. Then he ran to find He Qichang and Murong Qing.

"Have you all finished learning? Are we ready to go?"

The village chief said angrily, "They've only been learning for a day, and they've only just begun to grasp the basics of the Soul Art. Even if their souls are not weak, it will take at least a month for them to fully convert Martial Form's Cultivation Body into physical strength."

"A month is too long. We're not here on vacation. How about one day?"

You think this is bargaining?

"Tsk, isn't this too passive? Can't we use a more proactive tactic?"

"For example?"

"To catch the thief, catch the king; what do you think of this brilliant plan?"

"Get out!"

Chapter 519 God of Blacksmiths

"In the end, he was just an ordinary man, unable to grasp the essence of this plan; how foolish."

Si Ming shook his head in disappointment and walked back to his original resting place. There he saw Xu Zhengyi practicing the Arhat Fist. Although it was only a basic introductory fist technique, he had mastered it in just one day. His punches were powerful and his postures were perfect. This kind of talent far surpassed that of the martial arts geniuses that ordinary people talked about.

In Si Ming's opinion, Xu Zhengyi's talent was only above average. Not to mention outstanding talents like Murong Qing, he was even a step below Ke Chajing and Hu Jixian. Obviously, Arhat Martial Physique had contributed to this.

"When practicing martial arts, the center of gravity is between the legs. The whole body exerts force, blurring the distinction between pure and impure energy. Using acquired intention, one guides the breath, accumulating it in the Dantian, making it as firm as iron and stone, heavy throughout the body, standing like Mount Tai. As the saying goes, the feet strike 70% and the hands strike 30%, the five elements and four extremities must be in harmony. Qi connects with intention and can be used at any time, striking hard and advancing without obstruction."

Si Ming stepped forward and unleashed a powerful "head-on strike," intentionally controlling his strength to maintain the same level as his opponent.

Xu Zhengyi knew this was a test, so he dared not be careless. He raised his right arm and countered with Heavenly Gang Elbow. The fist and elbow struck each other, and the force reverberated. Xu Zhengyi quickly used the force to retreat, intending to avoid the enemy's sharp edge and wait until he could catch his breath before launching a counterattack.

But Si Ming didn't give him that chance at all. He took two steps in one go, as fast as a Qilin, and as he closed in, he clenched his fists and smashed them down in succession, like Li Yuanba swinging his hammer, using force to defeat the enemy.

"The most important thing in boxing is momentum. If you retreat, your momentum dissipates. If you are strong, the enemy is weak; if you are weak, the enemy is strong. When responding to an enemy, you should be firm when you should be firm and soft when you should be soft. Rising, falling, advancing, retreating, and changing all can be used according to the enemy. For example, the thousands of techniques are all forms and moves. Within each move, there is also endless potential."

With a series of powerful punches—following step punch, twisting punch, turning punch, lifting and blocking punch, groin punch, Xu Zhengyi punch, distraction punch— Si Ming relentlessly hammered Xu Zhengyi, forcing him to retreat step by step. Xu Zhengyi was forced to use the Arhat Martial Physique to surpass Si Ming in strength, barely managing to maintain his defense.

"You've almost mastered the fist techniques, but Arhat Fist also includes leg techniques. Don't just remember the upper body and forget the lower body. Remember the Seven Stars of Arhat, the steps are swift, the left and right movements are as fast as the wind, and the left and right movements are like shooting stars aimed at the chest."

Xu Zhengyi tried to create some distance, but Si Ming clung to him like a leech, using the Arhat Seven Star Steps to deliver a continuous barrage of punches and kicks. His momentum steadily increased, and even though he had barely practiced Arhat Fist, the abbot of the Arhat Hall Glazed Temple would have to admit defeat.

Even basic boxing techniques possess unpredictable power. Xu Zhengyi was repeatedly forced to reveal weaknesses, but Si Ming deliberately ignored them, refraining from delivering a decisive blow. After all, he wanted to hone his skills through practical combat, not settle scores with a novice.

Xu Zhengyi did not disappoint him. This kid was born with the characteristic of growing in adversity. The more he was suppressed, the more he accumulated strength. Just like a spring, he grew rapidly under oppressive attacks.

Only when Xu Zhengyi was exhausted did Si Ming knock him to the ground with a move called "Subdue the Dragon and Tame the Tiger".

"Thank you, Master, for the pointers..." Xu Zhengyi said, panting heavily.

"I can't stay here for long. You should focus on your cultivation and ask me any questions you have, because we might not have another chance to meet again."

"So soon! Are we setting off to attack the Domain Lord now?"

Xu Zhengyi had thought it would take several months for his master's two companions to finish cultivating the Soul Art and absorbing Martial Form's power, but judging from their tone, it seemed they were about to act.

"They do need to sharpen their knives for a while longer, but I don't intend to just wait idly. That would be too passive. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. I do need to probe their strength first. Even in war, we must send scouts to gather intelligence."

"So it was a test. It was indeed necessary. We still don't even know what abilities the Domain Lord has," Xu Zhengyi suggested. "But Master, you don't know anything about Soul Artifact or Spirit Domain. Without the corresponding search methods, if we just rely on luck, we might not even see a trace of the Domain Lord even after spending a whole day. I'll go with you."

Do you still have the energy to travel?

"I don't know if it's because I've grasped the essence of the Arhat Fist, but I've now entered the second stage. I can use the characteristics of the Arhat Fist and its soul skills. The characteristic of the Arhat Fist is to cut off all worries and be unaffected by chaotic thoughts. Its soul skill, 'Eighteen Arhat Formation,' can enhance physical fitness and quickly restore vitality. Master, just wait for me for ten minutes."

After speaking, Xu Zhengyi sat cross-legged, calmed his mind, and then eighteen illusory figures of Arhat appeared around him, forming a small formation. Golden light shone within the formation, solemn and majestic.

Ten minutes later, the Arhat Formation dissipated, and Xu Zhengyi stood up, his body fully recovered and brimming with Primal Qi. He said, "Master, let's set off."

Si Ming nodded and stepped forward, with Xu Zhengyi following closely behind. At the same time, Xu Zhengyi took out something that looked like a compass, claiming it was an essential tool for Soul Artifact Hunters that could sense the aura of a Domain Lord.

Along the way, Si Ming felt that Xu Zhengyi's speed was not fast enough, so he taught him the Buddhist School lightness skill "Cross the River on a Reed," teaching and learning as they walked.

"Cross the River on a Reed" is considered Higher Vehicle light-body skill in Glazed Temple, so it's not something you can learn so quickly. But even just mastering some techniques for generating power made Xu Zhengyi's speed increase by 50%.

An hour later, the two suddenly heard the sound of fighting. They quickly concealed their presence and slowly approached. After crossing a barren hillside, they saw a group of people with distinctly Western features fighting.

"It's the priest who hired me!"

Xu Zhengyi immediately recognized one of the leaders, a middle-aged man dressed in white sacrificial robes. He had deep-set eyes, a high nose, and distinct facial features. He had a slight stubble on his chin and was a typical Western-style handsome man. He had three pairs of white feathered wings on his back and held a scepter. Whenever he waved it, light would sweep out, sometimes turning into sharp blades or arrows.

Besides the priest, there were three knights and two archers. The six of them ganged up on a masculine man who was shirtless, half of his body was mechanized, and he was holding an iron hammer. He looked like a god.

Xu Zhengyi blurted out, "Hephaestus!"

"What kind of 'drink'?" Si Ming was a little confused. To him, the names of Western gods all sounded pretty much the same.

"It's Hephaestus, the God of Blacksmiths in the mythology of the Western Luo Continent. Many divine artifacts in Western mythology were made by him. It seems he is the lord of this Spirit Domain. No wonder the creatures here are all mechanical..." Xu Zhengyi slammed his fist on the ground. "That priest completely fooled me. The God of Blacksmiths is a six-star spirit, equivalent to a fourth-rank Martial Form. How could we possibly be his match?"

Si Ming had no idea who Hephaestus. He was quite familiar with Huaxia mythology, but completely ignorant of Western mythology. Of course, he didn't think there was anything shameful about it. It was better than someone who knew all about other people's gods but was completely ignorant of his own culture.

He only recognized a few of the more famous figures in Western mythology. He knew the divine roles of people like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. He was somewhat familiar with Achilles and Heracles, but he categorized the rest as "something-something-something," since their names were all similar.

"These must be gods from Greek mythology... Speaking of which, the gods of Daoism and Buddhism in the Sea Continent are quite similar to those on Earth. There are also stories like 'Journey to the West: The Tale of the Monkey King.' Could it be that mythological stories are also transmitted across different worlds? Or perhaps, in order to increase faith, the gods intentionally spread their stories to various worlds, and Earth is just one of them?"