Xiao Yan ignored the chilly gaze stabbing into his back as he cradled the scrolls and briefly registered them with the administrator of the Martial Techniques Hall. After a lighthearted chat with Xuner, he strolled out casually. “Miserable brat! You just wait! Once you’re assigned outside the clan, I will have all the time to settle scores with you! Without the Clan Leader’s protection, you are nothing, absolute nothing!” Staring at Xiao Yan’s fading figure, Xiao Ning scowled in fury. Gritting his teeth, he furiously slammed his palm into the bookshelf at his side, leaving a pale imprint.
After stepping outside the martial hall, Xiao Yan spent the afternoon leisurely showing Xuner around the back hills of the estate before he returned to his tiny personal residence as dusk began to approach.
Entering his room and shutting the door behind him, Xiao Yan let his wearied frame droop. Throwing the scrolls atop the dresser, he grasped his teacup, downing it in one go. He smirked wryly and murmured, “That girl… she really enjoys walking.”
The gruff, aged timber of another suddenly echoed through the quiet room, “That girl seems to have an origin of no small note.”
Wearily lifting his eyes, Xiao Yan glimpsed the figure of the Ghostlike, floating within the shadowed chamber. Twisting his lips in disdain, Xiao Yan half-heartedly muttered his query: “Hey old teacher. You aware of the girl’s history?”
“Heh, I have my clues and connections ….” Elder Yao smirked and narrowed his eyes. He watched the curious interest rising on Xiao Yan’s face, yet simply shook his head and declared, “Never mind, for now it is better kept obscured from you, in your best interest. I shall only say the child’s background is mighty indeed.”
Elder Yao was rewarded with what only could be described as a scornful glare as Xiao Yan threw him a defiant one-finger salute.
Raising an eyebrow, Eldor Yao approached the desk and flipped through the assortment of scrolls carelessly. “Why exactly did ye carry such trash back to your quarters? Got excess energy ye must exhaust?”
“T-t-t-trash!?”, Xiao Yan almost cried, “Right now, other than that ‘Absorb Palm,’ not a single technique fills up my bag of martial arts! All along, I have just focused on honing ‘Dou Qi,’ without ever practicing any techniques. These Yellow-Rank scraps are the only freely accessible ones here in our clan. If not for these, how, may I ask, can I prepare for the adult contest?”
“Tssk. Trying to con me into teaching you more techniques, I see,” Elder Yao gave Xiao Yan a knowing glance and laid his cards right on the table.
Caught on his obvious motive, Xiao Yan made no effort to feel any shame, merely shrugged his shoulders expectantly.
“Techniques? So impressive… But when you eventually learn Alchemist ways, I guarantee, you won’t even need to ask—advanced techniques’ll be served to you, delivered at your doorstep!” Smirking confidently at Xiao yan’s disgruntled expression, his eyes twinkled with mockery.
“But I desperately need those superior techniques now, Teacher!” Xiao Yan moaned in desperation. Observing Xiao Yan’s piqued, downed look, Elder Yao merely snickered before responding in amusement:
“Aww, come on now, I know you’re my poor unfortunate protegé here… Let’s help you avoid getting crippled.”
This perked Xiao Yan up in giddy expectation. Wonder and anticipation flashed in his eyes: Which of his teacher’s treasures would be drawn out now?
“The ‘Absorb Palm,’ indeed a Black Rank-class move, yes… but somewhat below par of the grade. In your current feeble state, I’ll introduce one renowned for striking might, a rather undemanding one too: It starts with the mere strength of five Duan Dou Qi.”
Elder Yao chuckled gently.
“Black Rank-level this time?” Upon hearing of its rank, Xiao Yan’s face brightened. Tongue lolling slightly in glee, he pressed forward enthusiastically “Whichever might it be, master?”
“It is the upper-level among the Black Rank standards—the famous ‘Eight Extremes Collapse’. If I remember rightly, in ancient times, I was once begged with sobbing tears by that desperate man for it as he implored! Well you see, honestly, it wasn’t particularly impressive, but after days of hounding for refining services, I merely ended up obliging out of sheer bother from the hassle,” Elder Yao carelessly described the move—as dispassionately as one describing common trash laying on street.
“Top-tier on the Black Rank? Forced me to accept it?” Lines of sweat traced his hairline. Xiao Yan was struck by the irony—this Black tier martial art Elder Yao so nonchantly wielded was superior even to the highest Black Tier his clan revered as sacred treasure. His family’s most precious art ranked but at Black mid-rank and here his mentor could casually brandish one of advanced Black Tier! The contrast was almost comically disarming.
“Shut your eyes, center your focus—I transmit knowledge now,” Elder Yao commanded indifferently. With a flick of his finger to Xiao Yan’s forhead, a flash of warmth erupted in.
Sudden sharp pains surged inside as massive quantities of martial data flooded straight into Xiao Yan’s head, leaving it throbbing heavily with new information.
“‘Eight Extremes Collapse’ — Advanced Black-class Technique, a renowned close-combat skill famed for raw destructive output. When mastered completely, eight layers of hidden potential are built consecutively with the strikes landing, and upon full charge their force is equaled to lower-level Yellow Rank techniques!” His vision slowly clearing, Xiao Yan began piecing things together through the mental haze lingering moments later, his breath subtly catching: He had just encountered an art comparable even to yellow-class levels of combat force? Within the continent of Dou energy where the chasm betwixt techniques ranked at the Black vs. Yellow strata usually divided heaven-like or earth-like levels. If true indeed this Black Rank advanced ‘Blasting Collapse’ was able to reach Yellow Low’s might, Xiao Yan could barely conceal the jolt such revelation dealt him.
Sitting there, Xiao Yan licked his lips slowly. His mind buzzed: Perhaps just his 4-Duan Dou Qi and mastery would be sufficient to completely annihilate Xiao Ning—who’d dared treat him as trash and had been smug before! But this thought brought nothing but further eagerness into his gaze and mind.
“Don’t overexcited yourself,” came the teacher’s blunt reminder through their mental rapport. “Though the ‘Eight Extremes Collapse’ may be relatively accessible to handle in terms of Dou Qi requirements, it places immense demand particularly on physique’s endurance! It’s fundamentally a raw martial approach depending closely upon one’s physical body… Considering merely that puny arms and frail legs of yours—if forced too early, those will break way before your target opponent ever would.”
Xiao Yan’s heart froze at the reminder.
After absorbing the initial blow on excitement, Xiao Yan’s eyes regained a sense of serious inquiry: “So… how can I enhance my own physical strength more rapidly? Please help suggest, my Teacher!”
With eyes narrowing in their trademark calculating glance, a wicked spark seemed to emerge into Old Doctor Yao’s usually tired eyes. “Your own Dou-Qi indeed remains the fundamental element of body-shaping energies—your own bodily strength shall evolve in tune as one’s Dou Qi matures and improves. That said, indeed there’re shortcuts via external mediums as well… and not the subtle ones mind,” his tone carried an almost sinister lilt.
“Shortcuts via mediums like which?” Xiao Yan’s skin prickled at this knowing and misreading glance his teacher returned. An instinctive warning bell went off at his internal sense.
“Beaten up, hardier and cruellier the better!” Eldor Yao snickered.
Instantaneously freezing into statue-like stillness, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but pale.
“E-eh, beaten up!?”
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