[The system has begun extracting. Extraction complete. The private tutor has arrived in the Study Space. Enter the Study Space?]
"System, after I enter the Study Space, will my body enter it too, or just my consciousness?"
Qin Qi had intended to enter the Study Space immediately, but just before speaking, he suddenly thought of a question.
If his body entered too, that meant he would disappear from this space and then suddenly reappear when he came back.
If that was the case, then to avoid being discovered, he would have to find somewhere more secluded.
[Your consciousness will enter the Study Space. Your body will remain in place, and any changes to your body in the Study Space will be synchronized directly to your physical body in reality.]
"Good. System, enter the Study Space."
Qin Qi nodded. That meant he no longer had to worry about anyone finding out when he suddenly appeared and disappeared.
As soon as Qin Qi finished speaking, the space around him changed in an instant. The rural hillside was replaced by a misty space.
At the same time, a detailed introduction to the Study Space began appearing in Qin Qi's mind.
[Beep. The time ratio between the Study Space and the outside world is one day inside the space for every hour outside.]
[You have one free opportunity to enter the Study Space each day, for one hour at a time.]
[Exceeding one hour will cost Study Points. Each additional hour costs ten Study Points.]
Qin Qi quickly read through the introduction to the Study Space, then turned his attention to the person in front of him.
He was a middle-aged man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in an old-fashioned suit, with a kindly smile on his face.
"Young man, your ability's pretty special. I'm already dead, and you can still drag me over here."
Tang Jiaren scratched his head with a chuckle. His tone was honest and unassuming, and he sounded very approachable.
You'd never guess from his appearance that he was a top assassin of the Tang Sect in The Outcast, known as the Laughing Yama!
"Granduncle, you're too kind. Really, you're too kind."
Qin Qi looked at the man before him and smiled. He recognized him: during the Tang Sect's ancestral rites, this man's portrait had been hung up on display.
"Granduncle... You're a Tang Sect kid too?"
Tang Jiaren stared at the boy in front of him, momentarily stunned. The only ones who would recognize him and call him Granduncle were children of the Tang family.
But he didn't recognize this kid.
"Mm."
Qin Qi gave Tang Jiaren a quick introduction to himself, as well as to his great-grandfather, grandfather, and mother.
He had a family in the world of The Outcast. He wasn't an orphan; both his parents were alive. His father was an ordinary businessman, and his mother was a Tang Sect disciple.
"Oh, so you're one of our own."
Tang Jiaren's smile instantly grew brighter. This time, it was genuine, not a ploy to confuse his enemies.
"To meet a Tang Sect kid after I'm dead... I really am lucky. Come on, tell me what the Tang Sect is like these days."
Tang Jiaren led Qin Qi to sit down, then started asking him all sorts of questions, like an old man chatting with his grandson.
Qin Qi answered them one by one. As they talked, they got around to the modern Tang Sect, and then to Yang Lie's death.
"So that kid Yang Lie died, huh? Ah, what a shame. Still, that kid Miaoxing sounds pretty good."
After hearing about the Tang Sect in the modern world, Tang Jiaren sighed, then looked at Qin Qi.
[Beep. Teacher Tang Jiaren's approval of the host has reached twenty percent. The host has obtained Tang Jiaren's Qi cultivation talent.]
Qin Qi felt a change in his body and smiled. According to the information he'd gotten from the system, he would receive rewards when his approval rating reached twenty, fifty, and one hundred percent.
"Whew, all right, enough chatting. Whatever method you're using must take a fair bit out of you."
"I can't keep wasting your time just to indulge this old man's selfishness. Tell me how much of my skills you've learned so far."
When Tang Jiaren had been summoned, he'd received information about the system and signed a contract with Qin Qi.
He had to teach Qin Qi his skills unconditionally. At first, he hadn't been willing.
But once he learned Qin Qi was family, his reluctance disappeared.
"Mm... I haven't learned any of them. I only picked up a few basic exercises from the Sect Leader."
Qin Qi felt a little awkward. Back in the world of The Outcast, he'd wanted to learn, but he didn't have the talent to cultivate Qi and couldn't manage it.
He'd only learned a few ordinary fitness exercises from the sect. They'd turned out to be pretty useful, though.
After coming to Douluo Continent, he'd kept practicing. Now he could take on five or six kids his age by himself without any trouble.
"That's all right. Granduncle will lay the groundwork for you. Let's start with the most basic Five Treasures Body Protection Method."
"This is the foundation of everything."
Tang Jiaren didn't ask any more. The Tang Sect's craft was the art of killing; not every child wanted to learn it.
In the old days, life had been hard, and everyone had to learn it to survive. But from what Qin Qi had told him, times were better now. No one had to worry about going hungry, so learning it was optional.
"Mm, Granduncle, I'm ready. Go ahead and teach me."
Qin Qi nodded and focused all his attention, ready to listen carefully. He hadn't had the talent to cultivate Qi before.
But now he did—and it was Tang Jiaren's Qi cultivation talent. Anyone who could cultivate Dan Shi was bound to be a genius.
Granduncle was a genius, and Qin Qi had inherited Granduncle's talent. That meant he was a genius too. The math checked out!
"The Five Treasures Body Protection Method draws upon the qi of the five organs in your body. To cultivate Qi Poison, you need Lung Metal, Heart Fire, and Kidney Water."
"But when cultivating poison, you need to form a protective membrane with Liver Wood and Spleen Earth to keep your own Qi Poison from harming you."
"Still, the Five Treasures Body Protection Method isn't just for cultivating poison. Poison cultivation and defense are only two of its functions."
"The most important part is Qi cultivation. By mobilizing the five qi within your body and keeping them in a state of growth, you increase your cultivation."
Tang Jiaren explained the Five Treasures Body Protection Method in great detail. It sounded as if the technique existed to support Qi Poison cultivation.
But in truth, it was the foundation of the Tang Sect's cultivation. Qi Poison was merely a byproduct of the method.
It was like Mount Longhu's Golden Light Spell. The important thing was entering that special state and increasing your Qi.
The Golden Light was merely a byproduct of that state.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."
Qin Qi quietly spent one hundred Study Points to activate Epiphany. Study Points were certainly important.
But learning was more important!
After activating it, he entered the Epiphany State, and his mind grew exceptionally clear.
He memorized everything Tang Jiaren said after hearing it just once. When he tried to practice, he instinctively knew what to do.
With Tang Jiaren's Qi cultivation talent and the Epiphany State, his practice went smoothly.
In no time at all, Qin Qi had mastered the Five Treasures Body Protection Method—and only three minutes had passed.
[Beep. Learned the Five Treasures Body Protection Method. Reward: one hundred Study Points!]
"Good lad. You've got talent."
Tang Jiaren nodded. In The Outcast, the faster someone sensed Qi, the better their talent.
It wasn't absolute, though. It was more like a rule of thumb passed down by the older generation.
"No, it's not that I have talent. It's that you have talent, Granduncle. You're amazing!"
Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren and spoke with complete sincerity.
"Hahaha, little fool, don't try that on me. You've got what it takes, and that makes me happy. No need to be polite."
Tang Jiaren laughed heartily. He didn't know Qin Qi had inherited his talent; he thought the boy was just flattering an old man.
"I'm not being polite. I mean it."
Qin Qi said it plainly.