Genius

Above the pavilion.

Bai Qiqi sighed helplessly.

"Alas, Senior Brother Liu is always too blunt."

"Now Xiao Dong is Master's precious darling. He's so afraid she'll get scratched or hurt that he has no time to care about anyone else."

"And with all those good-for-nothings Senior Brother Liu brought before, each one more useless than the last, all talk and no action, Master was already unhappy with him for befriending a bunch of wining, dining wastrels everywhere..."

"But the person Senior Brother Liu brought this time is the best-looking of them all..."

Bai Qiqi rested her chin in her hands, blinking as she stared down at Lin Yi.

Su Ji shook his head helplessly. "You... honestly..."

Below, after Liu Lie led Lin Yi away, he felt somewhat ashamed.

Generally speaking, a martial hall would produce a disciple who advanced to Martial Artist and entered the inner courtyard only once every two or three months.

Anyone who could become a Martial Artist and enter the inner courtyard was considered an elite in any martial hall.

The hall master would usually personally teach them martial arts, passing on techniques and skills to show how much they valued them.

Besides, the hall master's mastery of techniques and skills would naturally far surpass that of the other disciples.

The process of teaching martial arts could also help new disciples gain much more.

Yet Master Yuan had now asked Liu Lie to teach Lin Yi. His disregard for Lin Yi was plain as day.

Clearly, he believed that even if Lin Yi became a Martial Artist, he wouldn't get far and wasn't worth the time.

"Lin Yi..." Liu Lie was at a loss for words, unsure what to say.

He had never imagined things would turn out this way today.

"Senior Brother!" Lin Yi said earnestly. "Don't take it to heart."

"My Grade B aptitude is naturally not as precious as someone with a Destiny. It's only right that Master doesn't value me. But if I gave up practicing martial arts because he didn't value me, then I wouldn't be myself anymore. I'm sure you wouldn't think much of me then, either..."

With that, Lin Yi smiled. "So, please teach me, Senior Brother!"

A fierce wind swept past, ruffling the young man's long hair, yet his spirited bearing shone like the rising sun.

Liu Lie's eyes lit up. He nodded firmly.

Liu Lie led Lin Yi to the back hill, his expression unusually solemn.

"Before becoming a Martial Artist, your main focus is cultivating your blood and qi. Your Long Rainbow Technique strengthened your blood and qi to temper your whole body. Once your blood and qi are full, you advance to Martial Artist," Liu Lie explained.

"After becoming a Martial Artist, you have to abandon your previous technique and practice the cultivation method meant specifically for Martial Artists, tempering your True Qi."

"Lin Yi, our Rainbow Martial Hall's cultivation method is called the Elixir Release Scripture. It can take a Post-Heaven Realm Martial Artist all the way to the seventh grade..."

Lin Yi had already learned about the Martial Artist realms.

Ninth-grade Martial Artists were also known as Post-Heaven Realm Martial Artists. They were divided into early, middle, late, and complete stages.

Eighth-grade Martial Artists were in the Innate Realm, divided into Bright Force, Dark Force, and Transforming Force.

After that came seventh grade, Qi Initiation—the same realm as Master Yuan. At that level, one could be counted among the strongest in Jiaqing County.

Sixth-grade Martial Artists were called Core Embracing. Such figures could throw their weight around across the entire prefecture.

Liu Lie continued, "Our martial hall also has four martial skills: leg techniques, saber techniques, boxing techniques, and a hidden weapon technique. You can choose one to learn. But I only know boxing, so I can teach you that if you want."

"If you want to learn something else, you'll have to go to the Martial Scripture Chamber and look through the materials yourself."

"But I should warn you in advance: bite off more than you can chew, and you'll end up chewing nothing. Martial skills are about mastery, not quantity. Focus on learning just one."

Lin Yi nodded. "Then teach me the cultivation method first, Senior Brother. I'll go to the Martial Scripture Chamber and look at the martial skills myself later."

"That works." Liu Lie nodded.

Then Liu Lie handed Lin Yi the manual and explained how the technique worked and the path his True Qi should follow as Lin Yi flipped through it.

His Destiny, [Empathic Corpse Dissection], activated instantly. Hu Ma's cultivation experience became almost instinctive.

[Cultivation Method: Elixir Release Scripture (First Layer)]

[Proficiency: 1/10000]

He had learned it.

As simple as ever.

Seeing Lin Yi staring blankly, Liu Lie spoke up. "Try circulating your True Qi. Let me see."

"Oh." Lin Yi nodded.

Liu Lie placed a hand on Lin Yi's wrist and sent a wisp of True Qi into him, circulating it alongside Lin Yi's own.

The moment Lin Yi activated his True Qi,

it followed a peculiar route through his body, drawing the blood and qi in his limbs and bones along with it, nourishing and strengthening them as it continually tempered his physique.

Only when the True Qi had completed a perfect circuit through Lin Yi's body

did Liu Lie suddenly open his eyes. He stared at Lin Yi in disbelief. "You did it?"

Lin Yi nodded and smiled. "I did."

He'd done it just like that?

How was that possible?!

Liu Lie sprang to his feet. "You... You, how did you do that?!"

Lin Yi scratched his head. "I guess I got lucky."

Lucky again.

Liu Lie's face was a picture of exasperation.

Liu Lie had been Master Yuan's direct disciple for five years.

In that time, he had seen more than a few geniuses.

The most talented among them was his junior sister, Bai Qiqi.

Even with Master Yuan teaching her personally, it had taken her a full five days to master the technique.

But Lin Yi had learned it after Liu Lie had merely taught him once?

Incredible!

Unheard of!

An unbelievable thought even crossed Liu Lie's mind: Could I have an incredible gift for teaching people?

But he immediately dismissed it.

With his half-baked skills, he'd be lucky not to lead someone astray.

Liu Lie was confident, but he still knew his own limitations.

That left only one answer.

Lin Yi really was a damn genius!

A burst of elation surged through Liu Lie.

He'd befriended a few rotten people before and gotten burned more than once. People often criticized him for it.

Who would've thought he'd have a day when he could recognize a true gem?

Liu Lie chuckled and slapped Lin Yi on the shoulder with gusto.

"Now that's something! With comprehension this heaven-defying, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Lin Yi waved a hand helplessly.

Liu Lie laughed heartily, then beckoned Lin Yi toward a nearby restaurant to eat.