Ye Wudao smiled faintly and said nothing.
He didn't know whether Hu Lianfeng meant he was lucky to have taken on such a talented disciple, or lucky to have found such a fine cultivation cauldron.
He opened the system panel, ready to encourage the two new martial arts and get them to start their Self-Strengthening.
"Eight Extremes Fist, Mountain Crushing Fist, can't you two learn something from the Northern Dark Divine Art?"
"You came to me and don't have the slightest initiative?"
"Look at the Northern Dark Divine Art. See how hard it works?"
A thought surfaced in his mind.
[Your martial art Eight Extremes Fist was spurred on by you and began cultivating. Martial art proficiency +10!]
[Your martial art Mountain Crushing Fist was spurred on by you and began cultivating. Martial art proficiency +10!]
[Spurred on by the Northern Dark Divine Art, your martial art Eight Extremes Fist decided to grow stronger through battle, leaving its host to seek out opponents. Martial art proficiency +10/minute.]
[Spurred on by the Northern Dark Divine Art, your martial art Mountain Crushing Fist decided to grow stronger through battle, leaving its host to seek out opponents. Martial art proficiency +10/minute.]
The next second, four notifications appeared on the system panel.
Ye Wudao froze. He hadn't expected martial arts and cultivation arts to train themselves in different ways.
Cultivation arts cultivated on their own, while martial arts went out to find people to fight!
What's more, training in martial arts didn't increase his realm experience.
[Your martial art Eight Extremes Fist encountered a first-tier demon beast. Its fighting spirit surged, and it fought a fierce battle. Martial art proficiency +50!]
Another notification popped up on the system panel.
Ye Wudao was completely stunned. His martial art had left him and was actually fighting demon beasts?
[Your martial art Mountain Crushing Fist encountered a first-tier demon beast. Its fighting spirit surged, and it fought a fierce battle. Martial art proficiency +50!]
Soon, good news came from Mountain Crushing Fist as well.
Ye Wudao watched the notifications keep appearing on the system panel, brimming with excitement.
Martial arts trained much faster than cultivation arts.
Once a cultivation art began its Self-Strengthening, it only cultivated automatically; it didn't leave him to seek out opponents.
But cultivation arts didn't seem capable of fighting, either. Their main purpose was to help him raise his realm.
Once martial arts began their Self-Strengthening, they could not only train automatically but also go out and fight demon beasts.
And while fighting, their proficiency could increase without limit.
What's more, when his martial arts left him to fight demon beasts, it didn't seem to affect his ability to use them.
He could clearly feel the experience his martial arts gained in battle flowing back into his mind.
Before he knew it, all sorts of practical combat techniques had appeared in his mind, as if they'd been etched into it.
"Kid, what are you grinning at?"
"Training martial arts isn't like cultivating. Get moving!"
At that moment, Zhang Hankuang saw Ye Wudao staring into space with a foolish grin and called out to remind him.
Ye Wudao hurriedly closed the system panel and looked at Zhang Hankuang. "You're right, Senior. I was just absorbing the fist techniques you and Master taught me."
Hearing this, Hu Lianfeng turned and snapped irritably at Zhang Hankuang, "Hey, One-Eyed Dragon, is he your disciple or mine?"
"I'm not in a hurry, so what are you getting worked up about?"
"He's only just entered the Martial Path. Doesn't he need time to properly study a new fist technique?"
Zhang Hankuang looked at Hu Lianfeng with disdain and snorted. "Of course you're not in a hurry. You know perfectly well what you're after."
"I can see the kid's got promise. I don't want to watch him get ruined by you."
Hu Lianfeng furrowed his brows and said gravely, "Zhang Hankuang, what are you getting at?"
Zhang Hankuang narrowed his eyes and replied coldly, "Old Ghost Hu, you know what the Northern Dark Divine Art is for, don't you?"
Hu Lianfeng narrowed his eyes and barked, "What? You want to butt in? Don't forget the rules of the martial world."
Zhang Hankuang glanced at Ye Wudao, then at Hu Lianfeng, and shook his head helplessly. "Fine! This is between you and your disciple. It has nothing to do with me. I'll keep quiet!"
Listening to the two of them, Ye Wudao's thoughts raced.
He'd already figured it out: Hu Lianfeng most likely intended to use him as a cultivation cauldron.
Zhang Hankuang had known as soon as Hu Lianfeng taught him the Northern Dark Divine Art.
It was just that Ye Wudao had now shown some talent in the Martial Path, and Zhang Hankuang thought it was a shame. He didn't want him to become Hu Lianfeng's cultivation cauldron.
As for the rules of the martial world Hu Lianfeng had mentioned, Ye Wudao roughly understood those, too.
He was Hu Lianfeng's disciple now, so Zhang Hankuang couldn't interfere in their master-disciple affairs.
He looked over at Elder Qin, sitting on bed one with his eyes closed as he rested, and wondered: What does Elder Qin think of me?
Perhaps only Elder Qin could keep Hu Lianfeng in check.
At that moment, he decided he couldn't just sit back and wait for things to happen. He looked at Hu Lianfeng and asked, "Master, what did you mean by what you just said to Senior Zhang?"
Hu Lianfeng shot Zhang Hankuang a fierce glare, then turned to Ye Wudao. "Nothing. Just a little disagreement between me and One-Eyed Dragon."
Ye Wudao pressed his lips together and didn't ask any further.
It wasn't time to fall out with Hu Lianfeng yet. He didn't have the power to do that.
Hu Lianfeng glanced at Ye Wudao, his brows furrowing. "Focus on your training. Don't worry about anything else."
"When you reach the minor mastery stage of the Houtian Realm, I'll tell you."
Ye Wudao nodded, glanced again at Elder Qin on bed one, then settled into a stance and began practicing his fists.
After running through one set of Eight Extremes Fist, he felt refreshed, with a lightness spreading through his whole body.
Next, he tried practicing Mountain Crushing Fist.
"Whoosh..."
It took some effort, but his punches still stirred the air with a rush of wind.
Zhang Hankuang glanced at Ye Wudao, his eyes lighting up.
But when he saw Hu Lianfeng standing nearby, he could only shake his head helplessly.
Hu Lianfeng watched Ye Wudao practicing his fist techniques, also a little surprised.
This disciple he'd taken on for next to nothing really did seem to have good talent in the Martial Path.
He'd only demonstrated Eight Extremes Fist once, yet Ye Wudao could already run through the whole set. His talent for martial arts was at least decent.
What was especially rare was that Hu Lianfeng could even see a hint of seasoned skill in Ye Wudao's Eight Extremes Fist.
Watching Ye Wudao continue practicing, he pressed his lips together and sank into thought once more.
At that moment, Elder Qin, who had been at bed one, suddenly stood up and glanced at the wall clock. "Time's up. Let's go!"
Hu Lianfeng looked at Elder Qin, then said to Ye Wudao, "Stop practicing. Come with me."
Ye Wudao nodded, lowered his stance, and stood behind Hu Lianfeng.
Zhang Hankuang also got up from the bed and followed Elder Qin.
Elder Qin glanced at the three behind him, paying particular attention to Ye Wudao, and instructed him, "Stay with your master. Don't go wandering off."
Ye Wudao nodded.
A strange look flickered through Hu Lianfeng's eyes, but when Elder Qin turned his gaze toward him, his expression returned to normal.
Elder Qin turned and walked to the cell door, gently resting his hand on the doorknob.
The next second, the door opened by itself.
Ye Wudao curiously glanced outside the cell. There wasn't a single guard in sight.
He looked at Elder Qin, his eyes full of shock.
What kind of trick was that?
Could he pick a lock out of thin air, without a key?
And it was a padlock, hanging on the door!
In other words, Elder Qin had used some special means to open the padlock from inside the cell, then remove it from the latch.
With a trick like that, how could the cell possibly hold Elder Qin?
Then why was Elder Qin staying in this cell?
Did he enjoy being in prison?
Before you continue