Seeing Lie Fengyun approach with a gloomy expression.
Feng Zhichen cheerfully bid farewell to the reluctant apprentices.
Then, together with Sun Lingli, he followed Lie Fengyun to his office.
Lie Fengyun looked at Feng Zhichen with a complex expression, neither respectful nor fearful, but more of bewilderment in his eyes.
"It seems you all have been doing quite well these years."
Feng Zhichen sat on the sofa, accepting the tea handed by Lie Fengyun. Sun Lingli instinctively wanted to intervene, but Feng Zhichen waved a hand and said, "It's okay, he's my disciple, he won't harm me. Besides, I'm just a lonely old man now, who would target me like they used to."
"We've already been expelled by you."
Lie Fengyun sat down and said.
"You expelled yourselves; I never said such a thing."
Feng Zhichen took a sip of tea and sighed deeply, saying.
Lie Fengyun twisted his lips and asked, "So, are you here to hold us accountable for privately teaching the Flame Killing Fist? Indeed, knowing the error, yet repeating it, and this time even worse than before... You surely won't let us off easily, will you?"
Sun Lingli said solemnly, "Show some respect to my master."
"It's alright."
Feng Zhichen waved it off and asked, "Where's your big brother?"
"Drunk."
"He's drinking?"
Feng Zhichen frowned and asked, "What is his cultivation now?"
"What exactly are you here for?"
Lie Fengyun was evidently agitated, and he shouted, "If you're here to give us trouble, you didn't need to come personally, you could have pressured us through the Martial Arts Association. Yes, we leaked your martial skills, and it is taboo. Whatever rules there are, just use them, we'll accept it. Be it killing or slicing, we're not afraid of you."
Sun Lingli sneered but remained silent.
Feng Zhichen sighed softly and said, "Over the past decades, you've opened this martial school, using your martial arts cultivation to bluff and deceive. I just want to know, after so many years, why have you suddenly started teaching True Martial Skills? There must be a reason, right?"
"I'll tell you why."
Outside the room.
A voice like thunder sounded.
Lie Fenglei strode in, his burly figure resembling a wild lion... though missing one arm, it didn't diminish his fierce aura; his eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to still have the scent of alcohol.
He stared intently at Feng Zhichen, saying word by word, "Because I found that there's no need to hide this martial skill anymore. The Flame Killing Fist skill you painstakingly created is nothing, not even worth that..."
Feng Zhichen asked, "Is it because you've created a martial skill more powerful than the Flame Killing Fist?"
"I don't have that ability, but someone does."
Lie Fenglei said, "His name is Xu Lingjun, an underaged boy not yet eighteen. But he bought a fake set of the Flame Killing Fist from me and was able to innovate it, developing moves far superior to the original boxing manual. You are not even comparable to a seventeen-year-old kid; why should we keep such a garbage martial skill hidden?"
Feng Zhichen thought for a moment and asked, "That Old Xu?"
"His classmates all call him Old Xu,"
Lie Fenglei said, "And after witnessing his Flame Killing Fist, I suddenly felt that your so-called Flame Killing Fist skill isn't worthy of its name... I thought I had to let you know about this."
"The firm cannot last long, the gentle cannot be guarded, an overwhelming force that harms the enemy also hurts oneself; thus, firmness and gentleness must be blended, merging yin and yang to truly bring out the Flame Killing Fist's traits. This is what he told me after defeating me, while suppressing his cultivation to the same realm as mine during our sparring."
Lie Fengyun said with a strange expression.
He recalled the fear of being dominated by Xu Lingjun that day.
During the sparring, the opponent had defeated him with overwhelming force; every punch was explosively firm and fierce, disregarding the harm to his own body. Compared to the real Flame Killing Fist, what he displayed was even more explosively fierce, reaching the pinnacle of firmness.
Even though he himself practiced the Flame Killing Fist, he was continually beaten back, every collision of fists causing unbearable bone pain and trembling.
But after defeating him, the opponent insisted on saying that his fist was too firm, that wasn't right, and he needed to use gentle strength as an aid.
Fine... since he won, everything he said was right.
Moreover, Lie Fengyun indeed received much deeper knowledge about the Flame Killing Fist from him, far deeper than what he had learned from the old man before him.
"The firm cannot last long, the gentle cannot be guarded?!"
Feng Zhichen's eyes lit up, praising, "This saying indeed resonates with me. Over these years, I've cultivated myself, pondering the mysteries of the Martial Tao, only to realize that my momentum back then was too strong, leading to inadequate subsequent strength... I didn't comprehend the way of firmness and gentleness until I became old, never expected that this young fellow had such profound insight."
He couldn't help but praise repeatedly.
It's known that in this realm, the Martial Tao has flourished for several centuries.
But throughout these centuries, the shadow of war constantly threatens every citizen on Blue Star.
Everyone attempts to enhance their own strength to contend with more formidable foes; thus, theoretically, the Martial Tao's development remains at a relatively basic stage.
suddenly hearing Xu Lingjun's theories accumulated through years in his previous life... Hmm, after all, the martial artists of his past life didn't have the urgent desire to enhance themselves, each was very skilled in verbal prowess.
He asked, "So you intentionally revealed your martial skill to lure me here, right?"
Lie Fenglei responded coldly, "I didn't expect you to come so quickly. Even at your age, you're still so narrow-minded, so intolerant of others."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Sun Lingli said angrily, "Master is selfless; who doesn't give him a thumbs up when mentioned? You two dare to claim he is narrow-minded... utterly shameless..."
"Alright, Lingli, didn't I tell you? Don't speak, just listen quietly."
Feng Zhichen pondered for a while and said, "A boxing manual stronger than the Flame Killing Fist? That's just fine... Over the years, I've painstakingly upgraded the Flame Killing Fist multiple times—the Flame Killing Fist, Flame Slaying Emperor Fist, Flame Slaying Shocking Fist, Flame Slaying Wind and Thunder Fist. Last year I finally had an epiphany and created the Firmness and Gentleness combined Flame Slaying Fist."
He praised, "If this young man truly has such astonishing talent, being able to deduce a firmness and gentleness combined Flame Killing Fist based on a mostly fake boxing manual, although I've said I'd stop taking disciples, I can't help but wish to accept him as my disciple."
"Is that... just it?"
Lie Fenglei widened his eyes, staring hard at Feng Zhichen, seemingly incredulous at Feng Zhichen's calm reaction.
"What else?"
Lie Fenglei gritted his teeth and said, "I spread your most valued martial skill to many people, and you just give me a 'great'?"
"What else?"
Feng Zhichen chuckled, laughing, "Did you think that, upon learning that you spread my martial skill, I would be furious, causing trouble for you, and you could then tell me that my painstakingly created Flame Killing Fist is nothing...? Right?"
Lie Fengyun glanced at his brother in surprise.
He had never even thought of this layer.
He hadn't expected his brother's sudden intention to spread the martial skill was actually aimed at undermining this old man?
This... is too childish, isn't it?
Just to prove a point?
Lie Fenglei retorted coldly, "Then why did you come here?"
"I came just to see you, to apologize,"
Feng Zhichen sighed softly, stood up, and said, "People change, but Xiaolei, you haven't changed at all... Anyway, even though you might have just done it to mock my earlier closeness, the Flame Slaying Fist is already near perfection. If I can gain some inspiration from this young man, maybe I can make further progress. Thank you, Xiaolei."
"Ap... apologize?"
Lie Fenglei was utterly stupefied.