Genius

The next morning, Qi Yu arrived at the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall by car.

Given his special status, the disciples dared not neglect him and respectfully led him towards the Skill Transmission Chamber.

Before even stepping into the courtyard, he could hear Song Qinghong's hearty laughter from afar.

"Excellent, excellent! Chu Xiao! While martial arts cultivation requires avoiding arrogance and impatience, you must calm your mind and settle your spirit.

Starting today, your tuition fees will be waived.

Furthermore, I heard you and your elder sister are dependent on each other. The outer city is a mixed bag; why don't you have her come to my residence? The kitchen is short-handed, and I can offer six hundred wen a month. What do you say?"

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

The young man's voice trembled, his gratitude overflowing.

"If you can reach the Eighth Rank faster, that will be the best reward for me."

As Qi Yu approached the courtyard gate, he saw a young man bowing deeply to Song Qinghong.

The young man was slender yet stood tall and straight like a pine, his face sallow but his resolve as firm as stone.

Song Qinghong looked up and saw Qi Yu, smiling, "Young Master Qi has arrived."

Qi Yu stepped forward, cupped his fist in a salute, and smiled, "Uncle Song always addresses me as 'Young Master,' which feels too distant. You are of the same generation as my father, so you can just call me nephew."

With that, he performed a solemn bow, showing both respect and giving Song Qinghong ample face.

Then, his gaze shifted slightly towards Chu Xiao, and he said kindly, "Uncle Song, this young brother is..."

Song Qinghong stroked his beard and smiled, with a hint of pride in his tone, "This is my newly accepted disciple, Chu Xiao."

Immediately, he added, "Chu Xiao, this is the young master from the Qi Family's Third Master's household in the inner city."

Chu Xiao abruptly looked up, his pupils constricting as his gaze fell upon Qi Yu's brocade robe and golden belt.

A smile quickly bloomed on his face, even carrying a hint of eager flattery. He said repeatedly, "Chu Xiao greets Young Master Qi! I... I've never spoken to a noble from the inner city before!"

His voice tightened slightly, his eyes darting around, full of envy.

Qi Yu smiled, "What noble? If you ever come to the inner city in the future, feel free to look for me."

"Yes! Yes!"

Chu Xiao hastily replied.

Song Qinghong frowned slightly and waved his hand, "Go practice!"

Chu Xiao quickly bowed again. As he retreated, he couldn't resist stealing another glance at Qi Yu, smiling, "Young Master Qi, I'm going now."

Qi Yu laughed heartily, "Brother Chu, there's no need to be so formal. You are Uncle Song's proud disciple, so we are close. You can just call me Brother Qi."

"Yes, Brother Qi." Chu Xiao responded again, then hurried away. As soon as he exited the courtyard gate, he suddenly felt a wave of shame, ashamed of his earlier subservience.

He subconsciously clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and strode forward.

On the other side, Song Qinghong was in good spirits and gestured, "Nephew Qi, please come inside."

A moment later, Qi Yu began practicing the nurturing phase of the Spirit Serpent Posture.

Song Qinghong's gaze sharpened, and he immediately saw that Qi Yu had not only mastered it but had also reached a considerable level.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Despite years of dissipation, Qi Yu had managed to grasp the Spirit Serpent Posture in just six days. His original foundation must have been quite good.

What a pity...

This young man had not awakened to his potential before, indulging in a life of debauchery and wasting much of it. Otherwise, he would truly have been a good prospect for martial arts. While perhaps not comparable to someone as exceptionally talented as Chu Xiao, he might have been able to barely touch the threshold of the Seventh Rank. If he had pushed himself further, he might even have broken through to the Seventh Rank.

However, he then thought again that perhaps this was not a bad thing.

If Qi Yu had truly become a master, he would inevitably be drawn into the storms of the martial world. Now, practicing martial arts for strengthening his body was a more stable path.

Song Qinghong, clad in a dark robe, stood with his hands behind his back, "Nephew, your nurturing method is practiced well. Today, I will teach you the offensive method—Spirit Serpent Fist. Your body should be like a supple snake, your hands like hardened iron. The practice consists of two moves. Watch closely."

With that, he shifted his feet, his body moving like a slithering snake, his fist shadows sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

Even though it was not yet a combat technique, it already exuded a sense of ferocity.

After a short while, Song Qinghong finished his demonstration and explained, "The first move is called Serpent Coiling Body; the second is called Serpent's Tongue Flick. I will go over the key points with you."

After a short period of time...

Qi Yu carefully noted the key points and then imitated Song Qinghong, practicing.

But after practicing both moves, he didn't know what he had actually practiced.

He understood the concepts, for example... the key point of "Serpent Coiling Body" was the sudden shock upon encountering an enemy. This shock needed to be like a knife at the throat or fire on the body, requiring a sudden contraction and gathering of power.

Just like a venomous snake threatened, it would quickly coil its body into a ball, not only reducing the area exposed to attack but also protecting its most vital head as much as possible.

And then... "Serpent's Tongue Flick" was a posture that combined offense and defense, movement and stillness. It mimicked a venomous snake flicking its tongue, observing the enemy, and the next step was either to attack or escape.

This move was both offensive and defensive. When attacking, it was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, its fist gathering power for a fatal blow; when retreating, it was like a spirit snake slithering, its feet generating force for an instant escape.

However, understanding was one thing, and actually practicing it was another.

Qi Yu felt like a startled monkey when practicing "Serpent Coiling Body," and like a clumsy, dull block of wood when practicing "Serpent's Tongue Flick."

He awkwardly retracted his fists and said sheepishly, "Uncle Song, I..."

Song Qinghong encouraged him, "Your comprehension... is within the normal range. Come, I'll teach you more."

Immediately after, Song Qinghong patiently broke down the two Spirit Serpent Fist moves, teaching Qi Yu step-by-step how to circulate his Blood Essence and feel the flow and concentration of his strength. Any slight mistake in his movements was immediately corrected until they were perfect.

This level of meticulousness took several times longer than teaching the stances.

Song Qinghong had never put this much effort into ordinary disciples, even inner disciples. If their comprehension was insufficient, he would have simply sent them back to study the fist manuals on their own and revisited the matter in half a month.

They practiced together for an hour.

After a quick, simple meal, they resumed their arduous training.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Qi Yu could barely grasp the key points of these two moves. Although his movements were slow, he finally stopped making mistakes.

"Practice the stances daily and diligently train these two moves. Once you master them, you will have broken through to the first minor realm of Ninth Rank – Invigorate Blood and Nourish the Body. Your Blood Essence will be twice that of an ordinary young adult.

From tomorrow onward, you will return and cultivate on your own. Don't skimp on the Essence Replenishing Soup. If you achieve something in half a month, come back to me."

"Thank you, Uncle Song."

"You're welcome."

Afterward, Song Qinghong once again escorted Qi Yu to the gate.

Qi Yu got into the carriage to leave.

Song Qinghong watched the carriage depart, then turned his head slightly. He saw Song Xue returning with a spear in her hand and asked, "How was your Warm Serpent Training this time?"

Song Xue's eyes lit up slightly. "I benefited greatly. My killing techniques are also nearing completion."

Song Qinghong said, "After they are complete, temper them further. Perhaps... you too can touch the threshold of Seventh Rank."

He sighed softly as he spoke.

Clearly, breaking through to Seventh Rank was truly not easy.

He didn't dare to hold too much hope for his own daughter.

Song Xue nodded, then looked not far away. "Young Master Qi is here again?"

Song Qinghong recounted his performance.

Song Xue was quite surprised. "With his physique, can he really master the Spirit Serpent Posture in six days?"

Song Qinghong smiled without answering. He then said, "When you have time, help arrange things for your junior disciple Chu. Bring his sister to the martial hall. This way, he can feel closer to you and have a greater sense of belonging to our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall."

"Chu Xiao?"

"He broke through to Ninth Rank in three days. His comprehension and innate talent are significantly stronger than even your Eldest Brother's. He is truly a young prodigy."

Song Qinghong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance, a look of relief in his eyes.

Even if the marriage with the Qi Family doesn't work out, with a disciple like Chu Xiao, why would the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall not prosper?