The blood-red setting sun dyed vast stretches of the distant sky.
The students who had been dismissed early chattered noisily as they descended the stairs, distracting the martial arts students in the classes across the two teaching buildings. Together with the teachers' booming shouts, it carried a touch of youthful energy.
Li Xijun followed Zhang Haifeng directly into the teachers-only elevator and headed to the offices on the upper floors.
Though it was called an office, each martial arts teacher essentially had a room to themself. The space was enormous, complete with a Martial Arts Classroom, testing equipment, a bathroom, hot springs, and even an electronic Therapy Room.
In the entire key high school, No.7 Middle School, aside from the martial arts teachers, only the thirty members of the Elite Class received this kind of private Martial Arts Classroom treatment.
After entering and seeing such a comfortable room, Li Xijun could not help feeling a little envious when he compared it to his own tiny one-bedroom, one-living-room, one-kitchen, one-bathroom place.
He finally understood why some Elite Class students would disappear into that separate teaching building in the morning and not be seen again all day.
With facilities like these, unless one's family was wealthy, the school classrooms really were more comfortable.
"Your talent for martial techniques is already very strong among your peers."
Zhang Haifeng was in no hurry to give him the money. Instead, he brought Li Xijun into the training room, intending to teach him first.
"Next, I'll demonstrate the final two killing moves and core principles of the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms. Memorize them first, then practice them slowly afterward."
With that, he waved a hand. A mechanical arm emerged from the wall beside the classroom, carrying out two humanoid practice dummies and placing them in the center.
"The True Martial Thirty-Six Forms are the great path for cultivating martial techniques during high school."
"The mediocre can walk it, ordinary people can walk it, and geniuses can walk it too. Generally speaking, once ordinary students have learned the second form reasonably well for the College Entrance Exam, I let them advance to weapon cultivation."
"But for you, I hope you can completely master the second and third forms."
"Because once the second form, Drooping Cloud Hand, reaches mastery, it allows you to control the power of your tendons and bones."
As he spoke, Zhang Haifeng walked up to one of the humanoid dummies. He raised both hands as though mimicking a bird, then let them fall lightly, without the slightest trace of force.
But in the next instant, the dummy's entire chest looked as though it had been slashed by a blade. Its ribs snapped section by section, leaving behind five neat wounds that looked as though they had been carved by swords.
"Once the third form, Void Shock, reaches mastery, firstly, it will help you further develop your body's Blood Essence after reaching Blood Essence Level 9."
"Secondly, it can help you accelerate the transformation of your body during Mortal Shedding."
After saying that, he placed a hand on the chest of the other humanoid dummy.
Then he suddenly snorted coldly.
From the spot inside the dummy marked as its heart came a simultaneous bang, the sound of something bursting apart.
Zhang Haifeng cut open the outer flesh and displayed the simulated heart that had already been shattered by the "shock" before him.
Li Xijun nodded repeatedly at the sight.
The killing move of the second form, Drooping Cloud Hand, should be able to corroborate and complement the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist's tendon-and-bone training, just as before.
The killing move of the third form, Void Shock, was a more advanced technique capable of "shaking" the internal organs.
From what Zhang Haifeng said, martial artists in this world likely used the "shock" cultivated through this form to stimulate their five viscera and six bowels to a certain extent, further excavating the potential of their physical bodies and raising their Blood Essence Level beyond 9.0.
It certainly could not compare to Dasheng's level, where even the five viscera and six bowels had been "refined," cultivating Inner Breath energy inwardly.
Still, it counted as progress. Once successfully cultivated, it would at least grant a clear understanding of the human body, from the internal organs to the tendons, bones, blood, and flesh.
"These two killing moves are indeed difficult to cultivate, but today I'll do my best to help you get started. Once you break through to 7.0 in a few months, the difficulty of Drooping Cloud Hand will decrease somewhat."
As he said this, Zhang Haifeng began personally instructing Li Xijun in the cultivation of the True Martial Killing Move, Drooping Cloud Hand.
Time passed bit by bit.
He repeatedly unleashed these True Martial Killing Moves, which consumed tremendous physical strength and Blood Essence circulation, corrected them, then unleashed them again.
By the time Li Xijun felt that his physical strength was nearly exhausted, a message finally appeared in his vision.
Your "True Martial Thirty-Six Forms" mastery has increased from Proficient 5% to Proficient 7%.
Taking advantage of the last of his strength, he struck once more. His wrist bent, and his right hand drifted down as lightly as a bird's lowered wing, yet the killing power within it already far surpassed the thunderous Sky Grasping Hammer.
"Not bad. This move finally has some shape to it. You've made a start." Zhang Haifeng nodded in satisfaction.
At the same time, he gained a truly direct understanding of Li Xijun's talent.
First, he improved every single time. No matter how slight the improvement, once a mistake was corrected, it never appeared a second time. He had never regressed.
Second, his condition could actually remain at the same level the entire time. Ordinary people would inevitably fluctuate due to fatigue and repeated practice, but Li Xijun had shown no such signs even now.
This made Zhang Haifeng increasingly satisfied.
"Next, you can go back and get some proper rest."
He said this first. Only after Li Xijun thanked him, got up to leave, and had already taken several steps did he suddenly speak again.
"Oh, right, Xijun. I remember your family is in rather difficult circumstances, so I applied for a hundred-thousand-yuan scholarship for you."
Li Xijun turned back in surprise, just as expected.
Zhang Haifeng then stepped forward with an earnest expression, patted his shoulder, and continued.
"You're a martial arts genius. I don't want to see your talent buried."
"Besides the scholarship, this hundred thousand is my personal support for you. I hope you can get into a university on the level of the Nine Schools Alliance, so I can have some glory on my face as well."
Seeing the anonymous black card that had already been slipped into his pocket, Li Xijun immediately understood.
"Rest assured, Teacher. I'll work hard to get into a prestigious school and repay you in the future."
"Ah, what repayment?"
Zhang Haifeng hurriedly waved him off, while Li Xijun continued expressing his gratitude.
Only after the two finished their performance of mutual refusals and Li Xijun accepted the black card and turned to leave—
The large screen in the private Martial Arts Classroom suddenly lit up!
Not only that,
At that moment, every screen in the school lit up. Every phone currently in use across Bocheng was also forcibly made to display a livestream.
"Dear viewers, this is an emergency broadcast from Bocheng TV Station! We are bringing you breaking news—Spiritual Power levels at the Eastern Bocheng Mythic Rift have surpassed the first warning threshold! Large numbers of unknown mythic creatures are pouring out of the rift and attacking Bocheng High-Speed Rail Station. The situation at the scene is extremely dangerous!"
Before you continue