Dragon Gate Master

At the main Dragon Gate Martial Hall in the city center, Yao Juan was slowly practicing a set of fist techniques in the instructor's training room.

Her movements were slow, yet focused. With every move, the muscles throughout her body trembled rhythmically. After a while, the routine finally ended. She pressed her hands down and exhaled a visible stream of white vapor.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the training room door.

"Come in."

Yao Juan wiped away her sweat with a towel without turning around.

The door opened, and the person who entered was the martial hall's receptionist.

"Instructor, a student is looking for you."

"Who is it?"

It was still so early. Classes had not even started yet.

"His name is Su Ti."

"Su Ti."

Hearing that name, Yao Juan paused, and a flash of disappointment passed through her eyes.

"I understand."

"Mm, he's waiting for you in the students' training room."

After the receptionist left, Yao Juan opened the door and strode toward the students' training room, her expression somewhat grim.

To be honest, when Su Ti had first joined Dragon Gate Martial Hall, she had thought highly of him.

Not only did he already have a certain foundation in martial arts, but he also held great respect and love for it. He was genuinely serious about practicing martial arts, fundamentally different from those rich kids who trained casually on a whim.

Moreover, Su Ti's talent was not bad either. He had attained enlightenment the moment he came into contact with the Dragon Shape Five Forms. Seeing that, Yao Juan had even considered recommending him to her master, but...

Su Ti had joined Dragon Gate Martial Hall less than a week ago. He had been diligent at first, practicing at the hall every day, but he had not come to class for the past few days.

Yao Juan could roughly guess the reason.

Compared to modern martial arts, which could produce decent combat ability within months or even weeks of rapid progress, Ancient Martial Arts were practiced over years.

Su Ti was already an expert in modern martial arts at such a young age, but that did not mean his talent for modern martial arts would apply equally to Ancient Martial Arts. Ancient Martial Arts themselves required a great deal of time to temper.

So after studying hard for several days without seeing results, Su Ti had started to slack off.

Yao Juan had seen far too many people like Su Ti, people who relied on their talent and practiced only sporadically.

They might have decent talent, but because they could not endure solitude, they would never go far in Ancient Martial Arts.

"If you want to practice martial arts, you have to put in the work. And being able to endure loneliness and monotony, staying consistent for ten years as though it were one day, is itself a kind of talent."

Thinking this, Yao Juan sighed and pushed open the door to the students' training room.

Su Ti was already waiting inside, but he was not wearing a Martial Arts uniform. Instead, he wore his ordinary clothes.

Seeing him dressed like that, understanding dawned in Yao Juan's eyes. Just as Su Ti opened his mouth, she raised a hand and interrupted him.

"I understand. You don't need to say anything."

Su Ti froze, then smiled. "Instructor Yao, you're impressive. You actually saw through it at a glance."

At that moment, Su Ti thought Yao Juan had seen through his current strength.

That was right. The backer he wanted to find was Dragon Gate Martial Hall's true master, Long Yuanzheng, the man Yao Juan had mentioned before.

He had long wanted to take this path, but Yao Juan had previously said that Long Yuanzheng was strict in accepting disciples and would assess their talent. Since Su Ti's martial arts progress had been slow, he had not asked Yao Juan to recommend him.

However, two days ago, he had unexpectedly come into contact with a Cursed Antique through Xu Jun. After absorbing its energy, he had relied on the Crimson Martial Arts Modifier to forcibly cultivate the Dragon Shape Five Forms to mastery. He had even fused the modern fighting art Comprehensive Fighting Techniques, creating a new technique unique to himself: Dragon Shape Comprehensive Fist.

Although he had used the modifier to raise his martial arts realm, in other people's eyes, reaching such a level in just one week should count as having "martial arts talent," no matter what.

That was why he had come to Dragon Gate Martial Hall. He wanted Yao Juan to recommend him, wanted to formally take Long Yuanzheng as his master, and seek his protection.

Yet contrary to Su Ti's expectations, Yao Juan shook her head after hearing that, speaking with frustration at his failure to live up to expectations.

"You're actually proud of yourself. Do you know how many people want to learn Ancient Martial Arts but never get the chance? Junior Brother Liu really misjudged you by introducing you to me."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, 'huh'? Let me tell you, if you can't endure even this much hardship or this little solitude, then no matter how talented you are, it's all wasted."

Su Ti frowned at her words.

"Instructor Yao, what are you talking about? I don't understand a single word."

"You don't understand? Then I'll put it plainly. If you can't cultivate anything, I won't recommend you to Master. I gave you the enrollment slot for free, so there's no refund either."

Yao Juan folded her arms, speaking irritably.

After that explanation, Su Ti roughly understood what had happened and spoke up.

"Instructor Yao, I think you've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood what? You came to the martial hall dressed in ordinary clothes instead of a uniform. Aren't you here to get your money back? Or are you saying you still want me to pull strings for you? Let me tell you, that's impossible."

Boom!

Su Ti pulled back his left hand and threw out a punch with his right. The strength in his bones and muscles surged forward layer by layer. With a tearing crack, the air exploded as if a string of firecrackers had been set off!

Then he stomped the ground and stepped forward with a high kick. The ground trembled slightly, followed by another thunderous crack through the air.

Looking at Su Ti's raised right leg, Yao Juan's mouth fell open. She looked as though she had seen a ghost and did not recover for a long while.

After a long time, she finally closed her mouth and said in disbelief.

"You've reached the Tongli Stage?! The Dragon Shape Five Forms are at mastery?!"

Su Ti lowered his raised right leg and said calmly.

"That's what I came to tell you."

Inside a car heading toward the outskirts of Mingguang City.

Su Ti and Yao Juan sat in the back. Yao Juan's huge body occupied half the rear compartment, and her head nearly touched the roof. If this had not been an SUV, she would have had to bend over to get into an ordinary sedan.

The vehicle belonged to Dragon Gate Martial Hall, and the driver in front was also the martial hall's dedicated driver. They were currently on their way to where Dragon Gate Martial Hall's master, Long Yuanzheng, lived.

Along the way, Yao Juan kept talking nonstop.

"Don't talk too much after you meet Master. I'll tell him everything about you. And if he asks you questions, you must answer honestly. You can't hide anything. Master has lived in seclusion in the villa district for many years and no longer concerns himself with worldly affairs. He cares little for fame or profit, so you..."

Yao Juan chattered on and on, seeming even more nervous than Su Ti.

Su Ti, however, remained calm and said steadily.

"Don't worry. I know all that."

He was not particularly nervous about meeting the Dragon Gate master. Whether he could successfully become a disciple was of great importance, tied to the safety of his own life and his family's, yet strangely, Su Ti felt calm.

Perhaps it was because he had seen great turmoil and killed so many people with his own hands, causing his temperament to mature.

In contrast to that nervousness, Su Ti also felt a faint sense of anticipation.

Even Dragon Gate Martial Hall's entry-level Ancient Martial Arts were already this formidable. Just what kind of expert was the true Dragon Gate master?

Seeing Su Ti's expression, Yao Juan took a deep breath.

At that moment, she did not even know whether she was nervous for Su Ti or for Dragon Gate Martial Hall.

This was a genius who had reached the Tongli Stage in one week. Yao Juan had not only never seen such a person, she had never even heard of one!

If Su Ti could not become her junior brother, she would regret it for the rest of her life. No, as long as Master was a normal person, he would definitely accept him!

Half an hour later, carrying both anticipation and unease, Yao Juan and Su Ti got out of the car and arrived before a villa.

There were many villas on the outskirts of Mingguang City. Many wealthy people lived there for peace and quiet, but most were located in villa compounds. This kind of standalone villa was the first Su Ti had seen since arriving.

The villa covered an enormous area, nearly the size of an estate. From the outside, it appeared to span several thousand square meters.

The courtyard walls were new, and the trees growing above them had been trimmed into neat, uniform shapes. Someone must have maintained the place regularly for a long time.

The gate was a broad wrought-iron fence, and two Coiling Dragons had been carved into the marble gateposts. It looked exceptionally grand.

Not long after Yao Juan pressed the doorbell, the gate opened.

The person who opened it was a fair-skinned man with red lips and white teeth, refined and handsome in appearance.

"Third Junior Brother."

"Eldest Senior Sister, Master is waiting in the courtyard."

The man called Third Junior Brother opened the gate and curiously glanced at Su Ti. Yao Juan took a deep breath and led Su Ti inside.

The villa was enormous. Su Ti and Third Junior Brother followed Yao Juan through a large expanse of greenery. At the end, their view suddenly opened up to a vast courtyard with artificial rockeries, lawns, and a pond.

A man in a white Martial Arts uniform stood with his back to the three of them, feeding fish by the pond.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered. Even while crouching to feed the fish, the broad muscles of his back were clearly visible.

After a while, once he scattered the last handful of feed, the man slowly stood and turned around.

Only then did Su Ti see his true appearance.

He looked to be around fifty, with graying temples and rugged features. He gave the impression that he had been a fierce, powerful man when young, while age had added steadiness to him.

"My name is Long Yuanzheng, master of Dragon Gate Martial Hall. You are Su Ti?"

The man spoke first. His eyes seemed to casually sweep over the three of them, but his gaze was mainly focused on Su Ti.

When Long Yuanzheng's eyes fell upon him, Su Ti felt an invisible aura sweep over him, as if he were being watched by some ferocious creature. There was no hostility in it, yet his body instinctively turned cold.

An expert!

An expert among experts!

That was Su Ti's instinctive thought. The next second, he felt his heart relax, and a surge of joy rose within him. Meeting an expert and seeing a higher realm of martial arts—wasn't that exactly what he wanted?

So he cupped his fists and smiled, completely unafraid.

"I'm Su Ti. Master Long, I've long admired your reputation."

"Oh? You know me?"

Long Yuanzheng asked with interest.

"No. It was just a polite greeting."

The moment those words came out, Yao Juan, Third Junior Brother, and even Long Yuanzheng were all stunned. Then Long Yuanzheng burst into hearty laughter.

"Interesting, interesting. You're the first person to speak to me so casually upon meeting me. Even Yao Juan, who has been my disciple the longest, wouldn't dare speak to me like that."

His words sounded casual, but they carried hidden dissatisfaction and threat. Cold sweat nearly broke out on Yao Juan's forehead, yet she did not dare interrupt. Third Junior Brother's expression also changed slightly. Only Su Ti remained calm.

He had killed seven people just yesterday. He truly did not know what there was to fear.

After laughing twice, Long Yuanzheng stared at Su Ti.

"Bold indeed. I heard from Yao Juan that you mastered the Dragon Shape Five Forms in seven days."

"Six days."

"In that case, show me."

"Fine!"

With that one word, Su Ti immediately assumed a stance and demonstrated the Coiling Dragon Style, Reclining Dragon Style, Flying Dragon Style, Fierce Dragon Style, and Poison Dragon Style in succession.

His movements were sometimes like a python coiling, sometimes like a dragon leaping through the sky, sometimes cunning and vicious, sometimes violent and fierce. Yet every move flowed and retracted at will, displaying the confidence of someone who had reached the pinnacle.

Everyone present had cultivated the Dragon Shape Five Forms before, so they could naturally see that every one of Su Ti's forms had reached mastery. There was no room for further progress, and not the slightest hint of fakery!

Long Yuanzheng watched without blinking, his eyes flickering as though he were considering something.

Third Junior Brother's gaze, however, was somewhat strange.

Yao Juan knew why. Honestly, mastering the Dragon Shape Five Forms in such a short time, going from beginner to mastery and directly reaching the Tongli Stage, felt absurd even to her.

If Su Ti had not truly learned it under her instruction, and if she had not witnessed one of his moments of enlightenment, she would never have believed it.

Therefore, it was normal for Master to be suspicious. It would have been abnormal if he had not suspected that Su Ti had already trained elsewhere and deliberately disguised himself!

After finishing the demonstration, Su Ti did not withdraw his stance. Instead, he formed a rounded frame with both hands and looked toward Long Yuanzheng, battle intent blazing in his eyes.

Having the chance to meet such an expert, he was already too excited to contain himself. He could not wait to see a higher level of martial arts.

"Master Long, your Dragon Shape Five Forms only have training methods. After mastering them, I added some combat applications. Would you like to try them?"

"Oh?"

Hearing that, a sharp gleam flashed in Long Yuanzheng's eyes. Third Junior Brother and Yao Juan's expressions also changed. That was because the Dragon Shape Five Forms had never possessed combat applications.

Either Su Ti was talking nonsense, or he was truly a peerless genius, a monster.

But regardless, since Su Ti had said it himself, Long Yuanzheng would test the true measure of this genius today!

"Come. Don't hold back!"

"Then excuse me!"

As soon as he spoke, Su Ti unleashed a Flying Dragon Style combined with a Superman punch straight at Long Yuanzheng!

When he stomped down, hairline cracks appeared in the hard concrete ground. Su Ti shot toward Long Yuanzheng like a cannonball!

Shock appeared in Third Junior Brother and Yao Juan's eyes. There really were combat applications!

Seeing that punch, Long Yuanzheng's eyes shone brightly, and he laughed wildly.

"Good!"

Facing Su Ti's cannonball-like punch, Long Yuanzheng neither dodged nor avoided it. He directly extended one palm.

Fist and palm collided. Long Yuanzheng did not take a single step back, but his arm suddenly yielded, allowing Su Ti's punch to strike his chest through his palm!

Boom!

A dull sound rang out, like an iron hammer striking a bell.

"Master!"

"Master!"

Yao Juan and Third Junior Brother cried out in alarm, but Long Yuanzheng's expression did not change. He said to Su Ti.

"Your punch carries immense force. It is the strongest punch I have seen from anyone in the Tongli Stage. But because you held nothing back and made it extremely forceful, the openings exposed during the strike are great. And excessive hardness is easily broken—it is easy to injure yourself."

Su Ti nodded slightly. Long Yuanzheng was right. If Long Yuanzheng had not yielded with his palm and had received that punch head-on, Su Ti's arm would have been the one to break. Su Ti understood that perfectly well.

With just one punch, Su Ti had already understood the enormous gap between them.

Although part of the force had been deflected by Long Yuanzheng's palm, half the power of his punch had still landed on Long Yuanzheng's chest. Yet Long Yuanzheng had not moved at all, his breathing steady as he continued commenting on Su Ti's technique.

Long Yuanzheng could generously let him land a punch, and Su Ti was not someone who did not understand courtesy. He immediately withdrew his stance.

"Master Long, I lost."

Yet Long Yuanzheng did not accept the gesture. After patting his clothes, he extended a hand in invitation.

"Enough nonsense. Whatever techniques you have, use them all against me."