Senior Brother's Late-Night Talk

Zhang Xiujuan was very gratified after hearing this and readily agreed.

This also allowed a heavy weight to lift from Li He's heart.

When the time reached seven in the evening, his father's call came through right on schedule.

His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, handed the phone to Li He.

They chatted briefly about the current situation, and when his father, Li Jianguo, learned that Li He had actually reached the mid-stage of a First-Order Warrior, he was very pleased.

Just as they were about to hang up, Li He asked, "Dad, how are things on your end? The project is almost finished, right? Are you coming back soon?"

According to the previous plan, his father would be able to return home in about a week.

On the other end of the communicator, Li Jianguo's voice paused for a moment: "Uh, Xiao He, there's a small issue on my end. The project has been delayed, so I'll have to stay a bit longer."

"Delayed? Dad, what happened?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing. There's just a line that won't connect properly. Don't fret, it'll only be a week or two." Li Jianguo spoke hurriedly, seemingly afraid that Li He would ask more questions, and then hung up the communication.

Listening to the busy signal coming from the communicator, the smile on Li He's face froze.

His father made it sound trivial, but an unexplained delay never seemed like a small matter.

He had finally embarked on the path of martial arts and caught a glimpse of hope; how could he tolerate his family taking risks away from home!

After thinking for a moment, Li He made a decision in his heart.

"Mom." Li He turned to look at his mother, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Dad said there's something going on over there and he'll be back a bit later. But it's fine, he's doing well. Don't worry, I'll handle the moving arrangements."

Zhang Xiujuan looked at her son's calm face. Although she was a bit worried about her husband's delay, seeing her son so steady and reliable made her feel much more at ease.

The next day.

Li He did not go to the open space outside today.

Instead, he went to the back of the martial arts hall, to the special area dedicated to training footwork.

Unlike the Ape Demon Steps, the Ape Trace Steps were an orthodox martial art taught by the hall, so he could train inside without fear of Senior Brother Lin Feng's nagging.

On the Plum Blossom Stakes, Li He moved back and forth with ease, light and agile.

Today's goal was very clear: to bring the Ape Trace Steps to proficiency and push toward the late-stage of a First-Order Warrior.

On the wooden stakes of varying heights, he moved freely, light and agile. Although it lacked the terrifying momentum of the Ape Demon Steps, it possessed its own nimble beauty.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Ape Trace Steps: Entry (99%) → Proficiency (0%)]

[Vitality: 16.5 → 17.0]

Cultivation knows no passage of time.

After an unknown amount of time, Li He finished his movements and stood still.

He walked to the side of the field, picked up his water bottle, and tilted his head back to gulp down some water.

"Late-stage First-Order, Ape Trace Steps proficient!" Li He was satisfied in his heart. "During the minor exam, combined with the Ape Demon Three Styles, I can handle any situation!"

Just then.

A burst of admiration came from not far away.

"Good! Senior Brother Sun's Ape Trace Steps are truly becoming more and more exquisite!"

"Indeed, walking on the Plum Blossom Stakes as if on flat ground, turning with such ease—this footwork is not far from reaching minor accomplishment, right?"

"It seems the second place in this minor exam will definitely be Senior Brother Sun's."

Li He followed the sound and looked over.

He saw the door of a silver-white Holographic Combat Pod slowly opening.

Sun Ao stepped out of the pod. Hearing the admiration of the surrounding disciples, there was no look of pride on his face; instead, he looked somewhat cold.

On the holographic screen outside the pod, his performance in the Virtual Battlefield was being replayed.

In the footage, Sun Ao was surrounded by several virtual enemies!

His footwork was light and agile, like a spirit ape climbing, turning and jumping in the narrow alleyway. His trajectory was erratic, and every dodge was perfectly timed.

Furthermore, while dodging, he was also performing the Old Ape Stretches Arms. His movements were seemingly slow but actually fast, his arms like whips, precisely striking the joints and vital points of the surrounding enemies.

The movements were rounded and fluid, combining offense and defense with astonishing power.

The footage finally froze on the graceful posture of Sun Ao, his toes lightly touching a metal beam as he landed steadily on the ground.

"When I threw that punch just now, I hesitated for a split second. This performance is still far from enough; it would be better to have a real opponent." Sun Ao was not satisfied with his performance.

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Li He. Seeing that he was practicing the Ape Trace Steps, his slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

"Hmph." A soft grunt, its meaning ambiguous.

"Finally realized it's time to turn over a new leaf? It seems you took at least some of what I said to heart. Pick up the pace; catch up as soon as you can."

Sun Ao stood up to leave, turning his head to cast a look of encouragement and motivation toward Li He.

But what Sun Ao did not expect was this.

The look he cast was interpreted by the passersby who followed him as mockery.

"Li He is neglecting his proper work and wasting his talent!"—this phrase had long since spread throughout the martial arts hall. Its origin was unknown, but almost everyone agreed with it.

When these disciples first arrived, Li He had been the fastest to comprehend and the fastest to train.

But he would often reach minor success in a martial art and then immediately rush to find a new one to learn, spending his days immersed in the Scripture Pavilion. Neglecting his proper work—this was something everyone saw with their own eyes.

In contrast, Sun Ao, who had enrolled at the same time, was already pushing toward major success in both the Ape Standing Stake and the Old Ape Stretches Arms, and his Ape Trace Steps were nearing minor success as well.

Comparing the two, Sun Ao, who specialized in the White Ape Martial Way, was essentially a step ahead with his foundational training.

The strength of foundational training lies in the fact that during the developmental stage, muscles and bones grow and set in specific directions for force generation; training after reaching adulthood always leaves a gap.

In their eyes, Li He was training in a mess of different arts. While his muscles were large, they were "dead" muscles that wouldn't take him far.

"Li He, that guy, only just started training the Ape Trace Steps now? What was he doing before? He's been hogging the Plum Blossom Stakes—how are we supposed to train?"

"Knowing his own martial arts are crooked, he uses these tactics to keep us from training. I can't believe he actually thought of this."

"Heh, he's only a fifth-grade aptitude after all. He might be stronger than us now, but what about the future? He must be feeling insecure."

For a moment, the sound of buzzing gossip filled the air.

"What are you all gathered here for? Don't you have training to do?"

Senior Brother Lin Feng's face was livid as he strode over.

"Those who should be training on the stakes, get to the stakes. Those who should be training on the steps, get to the steps. If I see anyone gathering to gossip and disrupt the training order again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Lin Feng was usually gentle with others, but his anger now was imposing.

The few disciples who had been gossiping scattered instantly under Lin Feng's gaze, returning to their respective training spots, not daring to say another word.

Only then did Lin Feng turn his gaze toward Li He, who remained unperturbed and unaffected outside the training area.

The anger on his face softened slightly. He walked over to Li He's side and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Li He was tilting his head back to drink water. He paused slightly at these words, set down his canteen, and looked somewhat surprised: "Alright, thank you, Senior Brother."

Time passed in a flash.

Night.

In a slightly noisy alley, an open-air barbecue stall was filled with smoke and the clamor of voices. Lin Feng had specifically chosen a relatively quiet seat in the corner.

"Junior Brother, want a drink?" Lin Feng picked up a bottle of beer and gestured.

"No, thank you, Senior Brother." Li He picked up the plain water on the table and took a sip. He was very focused on his health and avoided tobacco and alcohol entirely; he touched nothing that would affect his cultivation.

Lin Feng didn't insist and poured himself a glass.

"Junior Brother." Lin Feng raised his glass, signaling for a toast with Li He. "I invited you to eat today because I want to have a good talk with you."

"Please go ahead, Senior Brother," Li He said.

"Then I'll be blunt. The things those disciples said in the hall today were harsh, but they weren't entirely without reason."

"In martial arts, quality is better than quantity. I've told you this countless times, so don't think I'm just nagging."

"I brought you out to eat today to ask you: from now on, will you listen to me and focus on cultivating one system of martial arts, or will you continue as you have been—piecing things together and learning a chaotic mess?"

Facing Lin Feng's questioning.

Li He sighed inwardly. He had long expected that his senior brother might use a meal as an excuse to ask him about this. Now that it had come to this, he decided to just be open with him.

"Senior Brother," Li He said, "I appreciate your good intentions."

"But I am different from you all. On the path of martial arts, for me, there has only ever been one way to go: to draw from the strengths of a hundred schools and melt ten thousand techniques into one furnace!"

"Only by constantly absorbing the essence of different martial arts, constantly broadening my martial foundation, and constantly tempering my blood, qi, muscles, and bones, can I—with my fifth-grade aptitude—carve out a future."

When Lin Feng heard this, the color drained from his face instantly.

"Junior Brother, you are deluded! Every martial arts system emphasizes directional tempering. Only by training to the extreme, where muscles, bones, blood, and qi become one, can you unleash supreme power. This is an eternal truth."

"By learning here and there like this, your blood and qi will become impure, and your muscles and bones will have no direction. It's like building a house without a main beam; no matter how many bricks and tiles you have, it's all in vain. This isn't being learned; this is destroying your own foundation!"

Li He lowered his head, remaining silent.

Lin Feng also deflated.

A brief silence fell over the table. Lin Feng suddenly opened a bottle of alcohol and downed it in one gulp.

"Junior Brother! Today, your senior brother will tell you a secret."