Chapter Twenty-Five: The Pinnacle of Skill (Seeking Continued Reading!)

It is hard to believe that the man sitting before Li Xia is seventy years old, were it not for the knowledge of his true age.

Li Xia watched Qi Guanjun, whose hair remained thick and dark, with only a few traces of silver at the temples. Beneath his T-shirt, the contours of his muscles were faintly visible.

"Young man... have some tea."

Qi Guanjun pushed a cup of tea forward. His gaze was serene; only in this moment did he look like an old man who had weathered seventy years of storms.

"I saw that punch of yours earlier. You’ve never trained in martial arts, have you?"

"That’s right, I haven't."

Li Xia picked up the small teacup and took a sip.

"When I saw that coin outside, I thought some senior was coming to visit me and play a little joke. But once I went inside and saw that punch, I knew I had guessed wrong. Young man... your approach is wrong, you’ve gone down the wrong path. To be able to drive power with breath—you truly are a heaven-sent talent!"

Gone... wrong? A heaven-sent talent?

"Driving power with 'qi' is the essence of fist techniques. But practitioners of martial arts emphasize internal cultivation of a single breath, one that must not be dispersed. While your method is fierce and progresses rapidly, once you reach a profound level, it may consume your foundation and shorten your lifespan. That you have achieved such a level at your young age shows your innate intelligence and extraordinary comprehension."

Li Xia slowly raised his head. Incredible! Is this what a master is?

The breathing method is indeed like that. After activating the Demon Slayer Mark, one dies quickly. The Demon Slayer Corps relies on medical care, hot springs, and grueling training to strengthen the body, yet even then, those who activate the mark rarely live past twenty-five.

But... he is different. The Hall is a miraculous existence, holding infinite possibilities.

"I know what you mean, sir, which is why I came here to—"

"Learn fist techniques?"

Li Xia paused, then nodded. "Yes."

"Good."

Qi Guanjun poured Li Xia another cup of tea, watching the expression on his face, and couldn't help but smile.

"Have you read any martial arts novels?"

"Of course. Which one are you referring to?"

"Lao She’s *The Soul-Severing Spear*."

Li Xia recalled the work. Lao She... he wrote martial arts fiction?

"The last master played the Soul-Severing Spear one more time in the empty courtyard, shouting to the night sky: 'I won't pass it on, I won't pass it on...'"

Qi Guanjun lifted his teacup as if it were a glass of strong liquor.

"But these things, generation after generation, why let them die out? In the past, traditional martial arts were clearly divided into various schools and sects, but now... the hardships of martial arts training are something most people cannot bear."

Master Qi sat up straight, his voice resonant as he declared:

"If someone is willing to learn seriously, I will teach them!"

Li Xia’s eyes lit up. He took a deep breath, demonstrating what it means to push one’s luck and ask for more.

"Master Qi, do you know of other fist styles and sects? I can pay the tuition!"

Qi Guanjun’s smile froze. The old gentleman looked up, suddenly amused by the sheer audacity.

"Fine! I want to see just how many styles a 'heaven-sent talent' like you can learn!"

...

"Watch closely, this is Hung Ga. Pull your hand to guard your chest! Step into the horse stance, exhale the turbid air with a shout! Hook your right fist from outside to inside, press out with your left, and pull them back simultaneously!"

...

"The foundation of Xingyi Quan is the standing meditation! If you cannot stand properly, your training is in vain. Sink your 'qi' into the dantian! You must feel the power rising from the Yongquan point on the soles of your feet, passing through your legs and waist, and conducting to your hands, forming a complete and continuous transmission of power."

...

"The spirit of my Baji Quan is 'loyalty, righteousness, sacrifice, and fearlessness in the face of danger.' To study martial arts, you must first cultivate the spirit! If you lack this spirit, do not learn it!"

...

"Overcoming hardness with softness, waiting for motion with stillness, neutralizing straightness with circularity, winning against the large with the small, defeating the strong with the weak—this is Tai Chi!"

...

[Time limit in the real world reached. Please return to the Transcendence Hall, Agent.]

[Disconnecting...]

[Welcome back, First Agent.]

In the same "bare" room, Li Xia slowly opened his eyes. There was an unconcealable excitement in his gaze.

The harvest of these two months was even greater than he had imagined. First, his Strength, Agility, Spirit, and Physique had each increased by 1 point, bringing his attributes to a staggering 9 points—more than an entire dungeon run!

Then there was the result of the skill integration. Once the fist techniques taught by those old masters were turned into skills, the Hall prompted him that they could be merged. After the merger, it became an entirely new skill.

[End of Technique] LV1 (Novice 30%)

[Skill Type: Passive Technique Ability]

[Effect 1 - End of Technique: Exquisite technique allows your power generation to be more rational and flexible. Increases power output limit by 0-30% and agility by 0-20% during combat. When dealing damage, there is a chance to deal higher damage.]

[Passive skill, no cost.]

[Skill Effect 2 - 'Jin': You have mastered the application of various internal forces. Some can even penetrate armor and muscle to reach internal organs. When 'Jin' is triggered, attack damage tier +1, damage increased by 20%-40% (depending on the area attacked).]

[Trigger probability: approximately 10%.]

[Skill Effect 3 - Endless Flow: Breath regulation allows qi to circulate within the body, flowing endlessly. Spirit +1, minor resistance to abnormal status effects, Physique +1, breathing-related abilities improved by 10%, stamina consumption reduced by 10%.]

[Description: My body is unbound, my path is infinite!]

Li Xia felt a swell of satisfaction just looking at the long skill description. It was powerful! His time had not been wasted, and the key was that this skill was still at the lowest "Novice" level. If the level were higher, Li Xia didn't even dare to imagine how strong he would become.

More importantly, its essence was actually the technique of generating force. As long as his body structure didn't change into something monstrous, these techniques would always be applicable. This was why Li Xia had been pursuing such technical abilities. Only what one trains for oneself is truly one's own!

Not only that, even when holding a weapon, these bonuses remained.

And most importantly, this skill actually provided a bonus to his breathing method. Those practitioners of orthodox fist styles all had a set of vocalization methods to accompany their techniques, using sound to vibrate the internal organs and train them. The Demon Slayer Corps, using breathing methods, only trained the flesh and not the organs, which could lead to a disconnect.

Furthermore, those masters studied how to make a single breath last longer, lowering their respiratory frequency to maintain inner calm. The sense of crisis and twitching power that occurred when oxygen-deprived was also utilized as a form of power generation. This actually reduced oxidative stress, which is why those masters seemed to have frozen in time.

This was the exact opposite of the breathing method—one pursued taking in more air, the other sought to minimize consumption.

They were perfectly complementary!

Li Xia had studied it; after Total Concentration Breathing, he could hold that breath in his chest for a long time, and the power he exerted was a notch higher than before.

Now, it was time to welcome the next challenge!

Set off! To the next dungeon!