People Must Be Trustworthy

"Xiang Benli, you're unilaterally terminated by the martial hall for violating instructor ethics and corrupting the hall's atmosphere."

The Cloud Water City Wind Thunder Martial Hall's master, Li Tianjian, sat calmly in his chair.

A black longsword hung at his waist, his smooth scalp gleaming under the lights, a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He stood up and clapped his hands, the sound neither too loud nor too soft—just right.

Everyone in the hall could hear it.

"Young Master Meng, is there anything you need?"

"Yeah, have that guy apologize to my Brother Xu."

Meng Tian finished speaking and casually hung up the phone.

He watched Xiang Benli with keen interest.

Then he looked at Xu Zhiming, who was still practicing Wind Thunder Fist.

As expected of Brother Xu—he didn't waste a single moment.

Xu Zhiming said nothing.

Since they wanted to suppress him, they should pay the price.

This price was surely enough to leave a deep impression on Xiang Benli.

Always speaking to him from a position of superiority.

Every word was meant to put him down.

All he could say was: handled well.

Xu Zhiming yearned for martial power, but great strength was not an excuse to look down on those weaker than himself.

Nor was it a pedestal to stand above others.

[You diligently practiced Wind Thunder Fist once, triggering a 300x Critical Hit.]

[You diligently refined a bottle of potion, increasing blood energy by 0.04, triggering a 100x Critical Hit rate: blood energy increased by 4.]

[Blood Energy: 23.18]

Xu Zhiming was slightly stunned, clearly feeling a significant boost in blood energy, along with a marked enhancement in all aspects of his body.

Wind Thunder Fist Sixth Level could only raise blood energy to twenty points.

After a brief thought, he understood the key.

His Wind Thunder Fist, amplified by a 2000x Critical Hit, was no longer at the Sixth Level.

The incomplete Seventh Level had truly brought his blood energy up to the standard of a prodigy.

Xu Zhiming felt that he hadn't yet reached the limit of Wind Thunder Fist Seventh Level; as his body and soul were continuously tempered by lightning, they could bear even more blood energy.

A flicker of joy rose in his heart. He wanted to test where his limit lay.

Xiang Benli and Li Tianjian locked eyes.

The other's gaze was cold and merciless, as if looking at a stranger.

Just yesterday, he had been drinking with Li Tianjian, and at the table, Li Tianjian had praised him as an excellent instructor.

He had planned to mold him into the Wind Thunder Martial Hall's gold-medal instructor.

"Hall Master Li, when did I ever corrupt instructor ethics?"

"Ask these students—I've taught them with all my heart, holding nothing back."

Li Tianjian glanced at Xiang Benli.

Still daring to argue?

If Meng Tian hadn't targeted Xiang Benli, he wouldn't have fired him.

The little things he'd done privately before, he would have let slide.

"You took money from students privately and held private classes, violating the terms of the contract signed with the martial hall."

"As a hall instructor, you were at least supposed to give your all in teaching Wind Thunder Fist."

"You're not only unilaterally terminated, but you also need to refund these students' tuition and our wages."

A surge of anger rose in Xiang Benli's heart.

This was a move to crush him completely.

"Li Tianjian, without me, how will your Wind Thunder Martial Hall compete with other halls in the Wind Thunder Fist market?"

Xiang Benli spat out a harsh threat, snorted coldly, and left.

"I'll pay back the money."

Li Tianjian nodded. He wasn't afraid Xiang Benli wouldn't pay.

Unless Xiang Benli wanted to end up in jail.

"Oh, and one more thing—apologize to this student."

"Your words show disrespect toward a young hero who saved lives."

Xiangben Li's face alternated between pale and red.

He never imagined this.

He had only said a few words about Xu Zhiming, yet now he had lost his job and had to apologize publicly.

Seeing Li Tianjian's hand resting on his sword hilt, as if ready to act if he didn't apologize, Xiangben Li swallowed his humiliation.

From what Li Tianjian had just revealed, Meng Tian had deep backing—someone he couldn't afford to provoke.

"Xu Zhiming, my apologies. I shouldn't have put you down."

Xiangben Li finished speaking and turned to leave.

He felt he could no longer stay here.

Xu Zhiming finished one round of Wind Thunder Fist.

[You diligently practiced one round of Wind Thunder Fist, triggering a 50x Critical Hit]

Xu Zhiming exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and stood before Xiangben Li.

He was half a head taller than the other man, looking down at him from above, eyes slanted.

"Based on my experience with Wind Thunder Fist Sixth Level, I'm telling you, you're not suited for Wind Thunder Fist. Someone like you could practice it your whole life and never reach the Fifth Level."

"You can only rely on Wind Thunder Fist to make a living."

Xiangben Li's face grew uglier by the moment.

If this were before, he could have used his rich teaching experience to refute Xu Zhiming.

But someone who had actually taught another to reach Wind Thunder Fist Fifth Level carried far more weight when speaking.

"Holy crap, if Xu Zhiming would give me just two pointers, I'd trade driving a luxury car and sleeping with beauties for it."

"I don't think Xu Zhiming is lying. Xiangben Li has been practicing Wind Thunder Fist for over thirty years, right? And he still hasn't broken through to the Fifth Level."

"Xu Zhiming taught someone to reach the Fifth Level—likely even the Sixth Level. Definitely not the 'close to Sixth Level' that Xiangben Li claimed."

Xiangben Li listened to the students who had once respectfully begged him for guidance.

The drop in his heart hit rock bottom, humiliation overwhelming him.

Nearly fifty years old, he had never suffered anything like this.

If he had real backing, how would Meng Tian dare to mess with him like this?

And this Xu Zhiming.

Just over ten points of health, and he was lecturing him.

Xiangben Li slunk away like a dog, tail between his legs.

Meng Tian's gaze fell on another student.

"You there, your turn."

"I... I..."

"Xu Zhiming, I'm sorry, please..."

Xu Zhiming waved his hand.

"A man must keep his word and uphold integrity."

The male student stood there, speechless.

Li Tianjian beside him kept staring, pressing down on him with immense pressure.

"Woof woof woof..."

After barking, the student fled like he was escaping.

He would go back and tell Brother Zhenghua that someone was bullying their Qiu Family.

"Brother Xu, go continue practicing Wind Thunder Fist. I need to discuss some matters with Manager Li."

Xu Zhiming nodded upon hearing this.

It wasn't dark yet; he could still raise his health.

He wanted to see where the limit of Wind Thunder Fist Seventh Level lay.

Returning to Meng Tian's Training Room.

Xu Zhiming calmed his mind and practiced Wind Thunder Fist, along with Coiling Dragon Surging Waves.

The first level of Coiling Dragon Surging Waves was extremely difficult to train; two days had passed and he still hadn't reached the first level.

[You diligently practiced one round of Wind Thunder Fist, triggering a 60x Critical Hit]

[You diligently practiced one round of Wind Thunder Fist, triggering a 100x Critical Hit]

[...]

[You diligently cultivate Coiling Dragon Surging Waves once, triggering a 10x Critical Hit.]

Wind Thunder Martial Hall, the Hall Master's office.

Meng Tian sat in a chair, exchanging a glance with Li Tianjian.

"Young Master Meng, are you confident you can unlock the bloodline shackles within your body and activate the bloodline?"

At the mention of those two words—bloodline.

Li Tianjian felt an extraordinary envy in his heart.

This was something only descendants of the True King level could possess.

If the Wind Thunder Fist were cultivated to the sixth level, it could slowly temper the qi and blood within the body, gradually causing a mutation.

But compared to the bloodline within Meng Tian's body, it was far, far inferior.

"Of course."

"What's the highest level Rolling Heavenly Thunder can be sold externally? Can a B-rank be bought?"

Li Tianjian's heart tightened.

He could be the Hall Master, so naturally he wasn't an ordinary man; he knew this was being bought for Xu Zhiming.

Given Meng Tian's family background, he wouldn't lack a Martial Dao Visualization Chart of the same rank as Rolling Heavenly Thunder.

"C-rank. If you want a higher one, you must join the Wind Thunder Martial Hall to obtain it."

Meng Tian gently rubbed the scar on his face.

His face had originally been considered handsome, but because the scar was so terrifying—like a cloth doll crudely stitched back together with needle and thread—it appeared especially ferocious.

Meng Tian remembered the first time he went to class at Yunshui Second High School, he scared quite a few girls.

From then on, he wore a mask whenever he went to school.

"Young Master Meng, is a C-rank Martial Dao Visualization Chart worth giving away to Xu Zhiming just like that?"