Zhao Ge was utterly shocked.
Because the scene before him had already surpassed his imagination.
Although Li Yi possessed a naturally robust foundation and a body with Dragon Sinew, Tiger Bone that could be called exceptional, at the end of the day, he was still a complete layman. Not only did he know nothing about martial arts, he did not even know how to fight properly. He understood no techniques whatsoever. In his hands, even a farmer would know a move or two of basic boxing and kicking when fighting for his life.
Even if it was only a superficial imitation, he had at least seen some of it before.
Yet this very disciple had set his Punch Stance in mere moments, without the slightest error, as if he had undergone years of tempering.
"Whether you've really learned it or not, one test will tell us."
Zhao Ge drew a breath, strode over, grabbed Li Yi by the shoulder, and then flung him straight out.
"Damn!"
Caught off guard by the sudden throw, Li Yi hit the ground hard.
His butt hurt terribly.
Before he could ask what was going on, Zhao Ge said again, "Come, Mengde, set your Punch Stance again. Master wants to see what you've achieved."
This move had a purpose.
When a person suddenly lost his balance, was startled, and then felt pain, everything he had just learned would immediately be forgotten. If he was tested right afterward, whatever remained would truly belong to him.
Zhao Ge was filled with anticipation.
After that rude awakening, would Li Yi still be able to hold his Punch Stance?
"All right." Although Li Yi did not understand why, Zhao Ge looked so serious that he decided not to ask. Perhaps this was simply one of the methods of teaching.
He set his Punch Stance again.
This time, it was still exactly the same as before, without the slightest error.
Zhao Ge immediately fell into a deep silence.
At this moment, he was certain that Li Yi had truly mastered it completely.
Such talent was simply inconceivable.
What Zhao Ge did not know was that Li Yi did not possess exceptional talent. His body had undergone cultivation-based evolution, giving him an extremely powerful ability to adapt. He learned everything quickly. Moreover, Li Yi was not the only person on Earth who had begun cultivating as a Spirit Medium. There was an entire multitude of them.
There was no time left for astonishment.
Zhao Ge glanced at the burning Soul-Departing Incense, suppressed the shock in his heart, and continued, "Mengde, you've passed the Punch Stance stage. Next comes practicing the punches. I want to see whether your method of exerting force is correct. Throw a punch and let me see."
"Yes, Master."
Li Yi assumed his Punch Stance and threw a punch.
It looked fierce and powerful, but in Zhao Ge's eyes, it was loose and useless.
Zhao Ge instructed him, "No good. Your posture is correct, but your force is wrong. You haven't mobilized the great dragon of your spine, and you haven't twisted your force into a single rope. It all leaked away."
"I understand." Li Yi continued throwing punches while adjusting his body.
Zhao Ge continued instructing him. "Pay attention to your waist too. Here, and here—the sinews and bones all need to move."
"All right." Li Yi summoned the strength of his waist, swung his spine, and threw a punch that produced a fierce blast of wind.
"That's starting to look like something, but it's still not enough. You're exerting your force too slowly."
Zhao Ge kept pointing out Li Yi's mistakes, but as he taught him, he quickly discovered that Li Yi only needed to correct something once before mastering it completely. He would never make the same mistake twice.
His body also possessed immense potential, and every punch showed improvement.
Teaching punches like this was almost too easy.
Before long.
Zhao Ge stopped giving instructions. He had passed on all the essentials, and now only asked Li Yi to practice more, grasp that feeling, and then integrate it completely. In the end, all he needed was to train his Punch Force.
"He truly is a peerless piece of raw jade for martial arts."
He sat down on a chair nearby and watched Li Yi practice, sighing with emotion. "What a pity he can't return to the Martial Arts School with me and inherit my legacy. Otherwise, he would turn the world upside down all by himself."
"Yi's Divine Might—unmatched in all the ages."
Zhao Ge had entered his fantasy time. He could already foresee that years later, countless Martial Way experts would be subdued by a single punch from Li Yi, then admit wholeheartedly, "Yi's Divine Might—unmatched in all the ages." As Li Yi's master, he too would have his name remembered for ten thousand generations.
Just imagine it. How wonderful would that be?
His fantasy time ended soon enough, however.
"Bang!"
A thunderous explosion pulled Zhao Ge's thoughts back.
"Daddy, his punch made a sound."
Zhao Qian had been watching Li Yi practice the entire time. When the explosive sound rang out, she immediately widened her eyes and stared at Zhao Ge in astonishment.
"I heard it." Zhao Ge's hands were trembling slightly. "A sound like that is worth a thousand pieces of gold. He's trained his Punch Force."
How long had it been from entering the basics to producing a punch sound?
Less than half an hour from start to finish. My heavens, if this were told to others, would anyone believe it?
Even a storyteller could not invent something this outrageous.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Li Yi practiced his punches with complete concentration. At first, he always felt there was a force in his body that he could not release. But after constantly making adjustments and finding the right feeling once, his body immediately remembered it. Then, punch after punch, the frequency of the sounds grew higher and higher.
In the end, every punch he threw produced a sound.
The sounds also grew louder and louder, shaking the air like rolling thunder and making people's chests feel tight.
"After finding the force, Mengde's divine strength is pouring out. He can still improve, and he has a tremendous amount of room to do so." Zhao Ge's heart pounded wildly. This piece of raw jade had begun to shine.
Seeing how rapidly he was improving, Zhao Ge immediately leaped up from his chair and said, "Mengde, stop for now. Don't practice anymore."
"What's wrong, Master? Did I practice incorrectly? I'm still adjusting. I feel I can do even better." Li Yi was puzzled.
"No, you're doing very well—extremely well. It's just that I think you can begin the next step." Zhao Ge spoke at once.
At his words, Li Yi immediately withdrew his Punch Stance. "Master, what do we practice next?"
He was thirstily absorbing this unknown knowledge, constantly growing and improving. Whatever his master taught, he would learn. Having more skills never hurt. Since he had no real abilities, learning more would surely let him improve that much further.
Zhao Ge had gradually begun to accept Li Yi's terrifying learning ability. He said, "Practicing punches is, in the end, still just practice. That's the Training Method. But when you encounter an enemy, practicing punches alone won't do—you'll be beaten terribly. So you must learn the Fighting Style. Next, I'll teach you how to fight with your punches. Besides that, there's also the Nourishing Method, which focuses on nurturing the qi and blood, moistening the five organs, and strengthening the sinews and bones. However, the Nourishing Method is complicated. I can't teach it in a short time."
"Training Method, Fighting Style, Nourishing Method? I understand. I'll learn the Fighting Style right away." Li Yi nodded, understanding what his master meant.
Zhao Ge was just about to instruct him when Zhao Qian came over, grabbed his arm, and said, "Daddy, there's no time. There's only half an hour left of the Soul-Departing Incense. If we don't go to Ghost Street to buy the medicine now, we'll miss this opportunity. We don't know when Ghost Street will open again, and your injuries can't wait."
"Has time passed so quickly?" Zhao Ge glanced once more at the Soul-Departing Incense before the spirit tablet.
Indeed.
Only a small section remained.
"There's still time. Mengde, you learn quickly. I'll teach you the Fighting Style right now. Having come this far, not learning the Fighting Style would be a terrible waste of your talent." Zhao Ge gritted his teeth and shook off his daughter.
"Daddy." Zhao Qian immediately grew anxious.
She knew that her father had abandoned his plan to buy the medicine and intended to spend the remaining half hour teaching Li Yi.
"Don't say anything." Afraid his daughter would say something she should not, Zhao Ge immediately shouted her down.
Zhao Qian's eyes instantly reddened, and tears swirled in them.
Seeing this, Li Yi understood what was happening. He immediately said, "Master, I won't learn it."
"No. We're only missing the Fighting Style." Zhao Ge grew anxious.
"Master, if we're fated to meet, we can see each other again next time. You can teach me the Fighting Style then. For now, I absolutely won't learn it." Li Yi spoke seriously.
"Don't be stubborn. The fact that we, master and disciple, met on Ghost Street was already a rare occurrence. Meeting again would be difficult even in this lifetime. At my age, my qi and blood are already declining, and with my spirit damaged, I'm nearly at the end of the road. Let me teach you this final step. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest even in death." Zhao Ge said.
Li Yi shook his head. How could he let his savior and master miss the time for treatment just to teach him?
Even if they might never see each other again, his conscience would be troubled for the rest of his life.
"Master, don't say another word. Your life matters most. Time is pressing. I'll go find the medicine for you."
Without hesitation, Li Yi immediately put on the Human Skin Mask, then rushed out of the courtyard without looking back.
"Wait, don't go outside! Daughter, help me put on the Paper Clothes. He doesn't know the way. I'll chase after him and bring him back."
Zhao Ge was agitated. Caught off guard, he had failed to stop Li Yi and could only watch helplessly as Li Yi opened the courtyard gate and rushed out.
"Dad, stay in the courtyard. I'll go find Big Brother Yi." Zhao Qian did not dare let her father chase after him again. She undid her clothes, revealing the Paper Clothes beneath, and quickly ran out.
"Don't be absurd! If anyone's going, it should be me." Zhao Ge shouted angrily as he rushed out as well, but he stopped at the courtyard gate.
He did not dare go outside.
He was alive, and he was not wearing Paper Clothes. The aura of a living person would attract ghosts and Yin Soldiers. By then, not only would he be unable to help, he would also bring danger and trouble to the disciple and daughter outside.
If he waited until he put on the Paper Clothes, the two outside would already be long gone.
Besides, there had to be a living person in the courtyard to receive them and open the gate.
Otherwise, the Door Gods at the entrance would block them, and they would not be able to return.
"Alas." Zhao Ge could only let out a heavy sigh and turn back unwillingly.
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