Embrace Rub Step! Charge Step! Rub Kick!

By eight or nine in the morning, people from the other martial halls had arrived one after another.

This martial arts tournament was being held at the Divine Spear Martial Hall, with a total of eleven halls participating.

Most of them were just there to join in the excitement; the real contest for supremacy was between the Divine Spear Martial Hall and the Sword Inquiry Martial Hall.

After the members of each hall settled into their guest rooms, the younger generation of disciples began to spar in private, which served as a warm-up before the official tournament and a way to gauge each other's strength.

If the gap in skill was too large, there was no point in embarrassing themselves on the main stage.

Huo Yuanhong had no interest in the private sparring, so he went alone to the back courtyard of the martial hall to find Old Xu, the steward who was always by his master Li Shuxing's side.

Unlike other stewards, this Old Xu did not manage any of the hall's affairs; he merely held the title in name only.

Within the martial hall, his presence was very low.

Had it not been for the middle-aged man from the Fang family telling him, he would never have known that this seemingly ordinary old man was actually a Peak Expert, someone beyond the level of Transformation Strength! His practical combat methods were said to be on par with his master's.

More importantly, as a guardian of the Baji lineage, responsible for protecting the Seed of Fire in times of crisis, he was undoubtedly more trustworthy than the other masters.

"Senior Xu."

Huo Yuanhong walked into the courtyard and bowed.

"What brings Disciple Huo here?"

Old Xu was hunched over, his eyes cloudy, looking like nothing more than an ordinary old man sweeping leaves in the courtyard with a tattered broom.

"I wish to learn practical combat methods. I've heard your techniques are formidable, and I was wondering if you could offer some guidance?"

Huo Yuanhong got straight to the point.

"Practical combat methods?" Old Xu didn't even lift his eyelids, saying slowly, "Disciple Huo has found the wrong person. I am old and have long since sealed my fists."

Sealing one's fists meant retiring and no longer engaging in combat.

In the many years Old Xu had lived in seclusion at the martial hall, he had indeed never fought, nor had he taught anyone martial arts.

Even when the Fang Family Patriarch had brought that prodigy Wu Yuanchu to his door years ago, he hadn't been able to move Old Xu.

"If you want me to teach you, the old rules apply: as long as you can shake my body while I restrict my strength to your level, I will make an exception and spar with you a few times."

Old Xu said calmly.

"Is that a promise?"

Huo Yuanhong smiled slightly.

"It is."

Old Xu's eyes were as still as an ancient well, like a pool of stagnant water that would never ripple; not even the sky collapsing could disturb his state of mind.

He had set this rule twenty years ago, and if one couldn't shake his body, he wouldn't give anyone face, whether it was Li Shuxing or the Fang Family Patriarch.

Over these twenty years, many Peak Experts had come, bringing countless prodigies with them, but not one had been able to convince him to teach.

"Very well, Senior Xu, be careful."

Huo Yuanhong walked up to him, crouched slightly, and then...

Tremor Stomp, erupt!

The moment his soles slammed into the ground, a massive surge of Internal Force rose up, roared into his spine, and combined with the force erupting from his waist, hips, and arms. Finally, with a fierce strike of his elbow, he condensed all his strength into a single point!

"This is?!"

For the first time, ripples appeared in Old Xu's eyes.

"BOOM!!!"

Amidst a dull thud, elbow collided with elbow, and Old Xu's body actually swayed slightly, shaken by this elbow strike that reached the pinnacle of Manifest Strength.

This was an incredible feat, something that had never happened in twenty years!

One had to know, he was a master beyond Transformation Strength; even if he suppressed his power to the level of Manifest Strength, his terrifying realm and techniques were not something a young man should be able to shake!

"Your Manifest Strength... you've actually trained it to this level?"

Old Xu looked up slightly at Huo Yuanhong, a hint of imperceptible emotion flashing in his eyes.

With this level of attainment, he was likely only a hair's breadth away from the absolute limit...

One had to realize that the basic realm of Manifest Strength was actually harder to master to the absolute limit than the subsequent Dark Force or Transformation Strength; even Li Shuxing hadn't achieved it! To be just a hair's breadth away from the limit was already the potential of a Martial Saint!

Old Xu suspected that the young man before him was exactly that kind of Martial Saint-in-the-making!

Such talent could already be considered the supreme level in the world!

The so-called "pinnacle of Manifest Strength" that Wu Yuanchu possessed had actually been achieved through special external means used by the Fang Family Patriarch; it could only be considered a pseudo-pinnacle, and in terms of actual training, it might not even be as strong as this young man!

More importantly...

To reach that level, Wu Yuanchu had suffered for three full years!

But this young man before him...

How long had he been training?

As the one who had brought Huo Yuanhong into the martial hall, Old Xu knew better than anyone!

A monster! This is a monster even more talented than Wu Yuanchu!

"It seems everyone has underestimated you, including your master..."

Old Xu looked deeply at Huo Yuanhong and spoke.

Huo Yuanhong smiled slightly, saying nothing more.

"However... if you want to learn combat methods for the upcoming tournament, there is really no need..."

"Combat is not something you can master quickly in a few sessions; it takes at least a hundred bouts to see results. It would be better to wait; after the tournament, your master will naturally teach you."

Old Xu shook his head.

"If Old Xu has never taught me, how do you know I won't be able to learn it?"

Huo Yuanhong laughed.

"If you want to learn, then learn."

With that, Old Xu set down his broom, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked slowly toward the open space in the middle of the courtyard.

For the first time, and against all precedent, he was actually teaching a young man kung fu twenty years after sealing his fists!

"The key to combat methods is footwork. As the saying goes, 'Teach the fist but not the foot, and the student will beat the master.' Only by mastering footwork can you advance to attack and retreat to defend, transforming from someone who knows how to practice into someone who knows how to fight!"

"Since you learned Elbow Technique from Li Shuxing, I will use that as a foundation to teach you a few footwork techniques!"

"Embrace Rub Step! Charge Step! Rub Kick!"

"Baji Quan emphasizes that 'walking is like wading through mud, feet never rising above the knees.' The Embrace Rub Step is the first half of that!"

"The ball of the front foot touches the ground first, with the back foot following immediately. The front is empty and the back is solid, as if dragging your feet through a mud pit. This footwork is like flowing water winding around a stone, using flexible rotation to control momentum. It ensures a stable base to provide a fulcrum for the Tremor Stomp, while allowing for agile turns and adjustments to your position!"

"As for the Charge Step, it is actually similar to the Embrace Rub Step, but unlike the softness of the latter, the Charge Step is the ultimate yang and hardness used to break through defenses! Like a great spear thrusting forward madly, its goal is to close the distance rapidly and break the defensive line, then coordinate with the Top Elbow Strike and Iron Mountain Lean for fierce close-quarters impact!"

"The Rub Kick is the second half of 'walking is like wading through mud, feet never rising above the knees.' When the foot stays below the knee, the force is swift and the center of gravity remains stable. Unlike high kicks, it is not easily caught or exploited. Through short, explosive bursts, you kick the opponent's ankles and shins, destroying their base and creating opportunities for close-range strikes!"

"This move can also serve as a feint, using the kick to draw the opponent's attention before immediately following up with an elbow strike or a throw to win in one blow!"

"When surrounded by multiple people, you can also use the Rub Kick to quickly resolve the predicament, kicking the opponent's shins, stepping back, and then countering with fists and elbows!"

CRACK!!!

Old Xu executed a Rub Kick, and a brick in the courtyard shattered and flew away. His feet moved in succession, as if wading through a mud pit; his base was solid, yet he could turn with such agility that his movements were impossible to predict.

As his feet moved, the balls of his feet acted as the points of force, his waist and hips driving his back leg to kick and sweep. Every strike was short and powerful, churning up sprays of mud.

Suddenly, his aura shifted, becoming sharp and fierce as his legs moved rapidly to charge forward.

Charge Step!

As if shrinking the earth to inches, he closed the distance to the wooden dummy in the center of the courtyard in a flash, followed by a storm of elbow strikes!

Peak Elbow Strike! Rising Elbow Strike! Smashing Elbow Strike! Pressing Elbow Strike! Horizontal Elbow Strike!...

Coordinating with knee strikes and Rub Kicks, he battered the wooden dummy until it trembled violently, falling to pieces in moments.

"Amazing!"

Huo Yuanhong watched Old Xu's demonstration in shock. It was the first time he had truly seen how fierce and explosive Baji Quan could be; every move was aimed at killing!

"The most important part of combat is the fighting itself. Just watching isn't enough; you have to actually fight!"

"Come! Fight me!"

After demonstrating a few times, Old Xu looked at Huo Yuanhong and beckoned him over.

"Alright!"

Huo Yuanhong arched his back, then—Tremor Stomp! Explosion! His entire body launched forward like a taut bow, heading straight for Old Xu!

As he charged, his elbow thrust forward. By the time he reached Old Xu, his arm was vertical against his chest, and driven by the momentum of the Charge Step, it whistled toward Old Xu's chest.

"Hmph!"

Old Xu unleashed the "Heng" and "Ha" sounds of Baji Quan to generate power. His muscles and bones snapped like a taut bow, and with a turn of his Embrace Rub Step, he dodged the incredibly rigid elbow strike.

At the same time, Old Xu's own elbow thrust out fiercely, sharp and ruthless, carrying a whistling wind as it struck directly at Huo Yuanhong's chest!

"Oh?"

Huo Yuanhong's heart stirred. He mimicked the movement, turning with an Embrace Rub Step, exploding with force, and meeting the elbow strike head-on!

BANG!

Elbow collided with elbow, emitting a dull thud.

"Good! Again!"

A hint of approval appeared in Old Xu's eyes; he was quite satisfied, and even a little surprised, by Huo Yuanhong's astonishing learning speed.

"Hah!"

Seeing his elbow strike blocked, Old Xu's right foot suddenly snapped out, kicking toward Huo Yuanhong's shin like a venomous snake.

"Hmph!"

Huo Yuanhong pivoted his foot, shifting his body with the Embrace Rub Step, intending to dodge Old Xu's Rub Kick.

Just then, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Subconsciously, he engaged his waist to lean backward while simultaneously slamming his arm across his chest.

"Snap!"

A swift elbow strike grazed the tip of his nose, missing his cheek by a hair's breadth.

A feint!

Old Xu's previous Rub Kick had been nothing but a distraction to draw his attention; the true killing blow was this elbow strike!

Had he not just heard Old Xu talk about feints and kept his guard up, combined with the fact that his Manifest Strength had reached its peak—making his body's force feel like a single, unified entity capable of lightning-fast transitions—he would have had almost no chance of dodging that elbow.

As expected of an old veteran, how insidious!

Huo Yuanhong felt this trip was well worth it. Otherwise, if he had encountered such a feint during a life-or-death struggle in the future, he wouldn't even have known how he died.

After the first round ended, Huo Yuanhong rested for a short while. Once he had digested the rich insights—which were equivalent to having fought three or four hundred matches—he sought out Old Xu once more.

"Hah!"

This time, Huo Yuanhong initiated with a Rub Kick, his toes snapping upward in a feint aimed at Old Xu's ankle.

"Copying me?"

A hint of a smile appeared in Old Xu's eyes. He rotated his foot slightly to avoid the vulnerable joint while meeting the attack with an elbow strike, which collided directly with Huo Yuanhong's own.

Unexpectedly, Old Xu's body swayed slightly; he had nearly been forced to stagger back by that elbow.

It turned out that while Huo Yuanhong's earlier Rub Kick was indeed a feint, the hooking motion of his leg during the brief moment their limbs crossed had been a real strike!

At that moment, just as Old Xu and Huo Yuanhong were locked in a hard elbow-to-elbow clash, his lower stance wavered, and his force weakened instantly.

"Good lad!" Old Xu felt a brief moment of daze. In that instant, he felt as if he were looking at a young Li Shuxing.

Both were just as clever, just as much of a genius...

Like a sun forever charging forward, possessing infinite potential and an infinitely bright future!

Unlike him, who was already old and withered, soon to turn into a handful of dust.

How wonderful!

A genuine smile appeared in Old Xu's eyes. He sank his knees and twisted his waist, instantly dissipating the impact force, before immediately launching a Charge Step to continue the head-on collision...

After the second round ended, Huo Yuanhong prepared to take his leave.

But to his surprise, Old Xu took the initiative to call him back.

"Wait."

"Old Xu, what is it?" Huo Yuanhong turned back, puzzled.

"Since I'm idle anyway, I'll accompany you for five more rounds."

There was a smile in Old Xu's eyes.

"Many thanks, Old Xu!"

Huo Yuanhong's eyes lit up instantly.

For the rest of the morning, the two fought, rested, and once Huo Yuanhong had digested what he had gained, they continued to fight again.

Under the blessing of the Martial Path to Divinity talent, which granted One Part Effort Three Hundred Sixty-Five Parts Harvest, Huo Yuanhong's rate of progress was incredibly rapid.

One match felt like three hundred and sixty-five, and it was as if he had an automatic analysis system, allowing him to realize the flaws in his fighting style immediately and improve upon them.

He could even deduce counters and find ways to break Old Xu's patterns.

During the first round, even with Old Xu intentionally holding back and repeating only a few simple patterns, Huo Yuanhong could barely hold his ground.

By the second round, Huo Yuanhong was much more composed and could occasionally launch a counterattack or two.

By the third round, Old Xu no longer dared to hold back much. While maintaining a force level similar to Huo Yuanhong's, he had to continuously switch between the Embrace Rub Step and the Charge Step just to barely suppress him.

Then came the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds...

By the final seventh round, Old Xu went all out, executing his Embrace Rub Step, Charge Step, Rub Kick, and Elbow Technique with such mastery that he nearly failed to suppress Huo Yuanhong, ultimately being forced to use his Entangling Hands to avoid an embarrassing defeat.

After the seven rounds were over, the two stopped and rested on the side.

So strong!

Reflecting on the previous bouts, Huo Yuanhong was quite shocked by Old Xu's terrifying combat level.

One had to realize that after every round, he could use the astonishing insights from One Part Effort Three Hundred Sixty-Five Parts Harvest to devise counters for Old Xu's patterns.

Yet, every time they resumed, even though the patterns used previously had been broken, Old Xu remained calm and composed. Using only the simple Embrace Rub Step, Charge Step, and Rub Kick combined with his Elbow Technique, he would quickly adjust and continue his suppression.

They fought seven rounds, and even though Old Xu's patterns were broken by him dozens of times, he remained invincible.

The Embrace Rub Step, Charge Step, Rub Kick, and Elbow Technique—there were only these few moves in total, yet in Old Xu's hands, they seemed to possess thousands of possibilities, emerging one after another.

Turning basic moves into a Supreme Expert combat method, transforming the mundane into the miraculous—this was exactly that! This return to simplicity, where the Great Path is simple, not seeking complexity but only the most efficient way to strike an opponent, opened Huo Yuanhong's eyes.

But what Huo Yuanhong didn't know was that at this moment, Old Xu was even more shocked than he was.

How could there be such a genius in this world?

At the beginning, Old Xu had only held the mindset of playing around and hadn't been very serious.

After all, as a Peak Expert who had already broken through that heavenly barrier, even if he intentionally suppressed his strength to the level of Manifest Strength, his reaction speed and seasoned experience were far beyond what any young person could compare to.

But starting from the second round, where he had nearly suffered a setback, Old Xu had gradually begun to take things seriously.

Then came the third round, the fourth round, the fifth round...

Old Xu's attitude shifted from casual at the beginning to somewhat approving, then to earnest, and finally to serious...

By the time it reached the later stages, his eyes were filled with nothing but overflowing joy and an undisguised fondness!

This was the joy of seeing an outstanding successor! The delight of seeing one's life's work finally have an heir!

As a guardian of the Baji lineage, he had no descendants and no disciples.

For the better part of his life, he had been locked in combat with rivals, protecting the heritage of the Baji lineage amidst turbulent times, waiting until someone like Li Shuxing could rise up to shoulder the burden.

It was through countless life-and-death battles that he had forged this terrifying, iron-clad Combat Method.

In all these years of living in seclusion at the Martial Arts Hall...

Those peerless geniuses sought after by countless people outside, like Wu Yuanchu or Wang Tianlong... none of them could cause even the slightest ripple in his eyes.

Only at this very moment, upon seeing Huo Yuanhong, did he reveal a heartfelt smile and genuine affection.

The young man before him...

Was even younger than he had been, and even younger than Li Shuxing had been...

He was even more outstanding! Even more of a genius!

"In the future, he will surely reach the very pinnacle..."