Chapter 1162: Why Are There So Many Problematic Students?
At first, everyone in Muxue City was overjoyed upon learning that a peerless expert had resolved the beast tide, sparing them from disaster.
Afterward, some enterprising cultivators set their sights on the demon beast carcasses. The lowest cultivation level among these demon beasts was the Foundation Establishment Stage. Selling even one would bring in a tidy sum of spirit stones.
But soon, a practical problem presented itself. The peerless expert had slain the demon beasts, but their sword qi also remained within the corpses.
Vice City Lord Ma served as a cautionary tale for those who dared touch the sword qi. Over a month had passed since the beast tide calamity, yet the sword qi within the demon beasts barely changed.
The cultivators of Muxue City sighed in resignation. It seemed they had no choice but to wait for the sword qi to be eroded on its own.
~~~
Meanwhile, the peerless sword venerable was going about his routine of teaching the children the Tiger Roar Fist.
“Not bad, not bad. As I thought, nothing beats real combat experience. As usual, pair up and begin sparring.”
Lu Yang was pleased with his students’ progress in the Tiger Roar Fist. Ever since they had risked their lives to kill that Level Two Qi Training lone wolf, their fighting spirit had grown considerably.
While technique was certainly important in fist techniques, an indomitable spirit was equally integral.
For example, Meng Jingzhou was young and full of vigor, advancing by leaps and bounds in fist techniques, leaving even Lu Yang in the dust.
In the outside world, these students could be addressed as a “Great Martial Master,” considered elite among mortals. However, the students had no concept of this and were completely unaware of how formidable they had become.
A wave of exclamations interrupted Lu Yang’s thoughts.
“Su Yuan actually won?”
“Doesn’t he have the worst talent among us and lose every single match?”
“This is his first win, right?”
“Although Gao Yifan is a little below average, he still shouldn’t have lost to Su Yuan.”
Listening to the students’ chatter, Lu Yang roughly pieced together what had just happened. Su Yuan, who had always been at rock bottom in terms of talent, had won in this round of paired sparring.
He had taken notice of Su Yuan. The boy worked hard, but his talent was simply too poor. Lu Yang had heard that Su Yuan was an orphan who spent his early years wandering and surviving on the streets. Perhaps those years had taken a toll on him, and without cultivator parents like Gong Che, his innate foundation fell far behind.
“Su Yuan won? Not bad, not bad. It seems your training in private hasn’t been in vain.” Lu Yang led the applause. He had always advocated for positive reinforcement in education.
“Teacher, I don’t know what came over me just now. I somehow won,” Su Yuan said sheepishly.
“Bullshit! It’s clearly because I was careless!” Gao Yifan fumed. I can lose to anyone, but not to Su Yuan, who is dead last. This is too humiliating!
Lu Yang looked at the two students with keen interest. “Is that so? Then why don’t you two spar again?”
“Old Gao, you up for it?”
“Bring it on!”
Tiger roars rang out as Su Yuan and Gao Yifan engaged in their second round of sparring. It was clear to the other students that Su Yuan was at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, Su Yuan transformed his fist into a claw and struck Gao Yifan. Caught off guard by this change in technique, Gao Yifan didn’t know how to respond and could only retreat.
Su Yuan pressed forward, swiftly delivering a punch that broke through Gao Yifan’s defense and knocked him to the ground.
“Su Yuan won again!” The students gasped in amazement. If the first win had been a fluke, the second was proof of genuine ability.
“Not bad, you’ve indeed improved. But how did you come up with that fist-to-claw transition just now?” Lu Yang asked. This was the essence of the Tiger Roar Fist. It couldn’t be taught outright and could only be grasped through one’s insight, yet Su Yuan had comprehended it.
“I just felt that was how it should be struck.”
“Looks like your hard work has paid off. Alright, class is dismissed.” Lu Yang clapped his hands.
~~~
After class, Su Yuan looked flustered as he rushed back to his thatched hut and confronted the other voice that had appeared in his mind.
“Who exactly are you? Why don’t you let me tell Teacher Lu the truth?!” Su Yuan demanded.
During his spar with Gao Yifan, a voice had suddenly emerged in his mind, instructing him on how to strike. He couldn’t defeat Gao Yifan on his own, but by following the voice’s commands, he had won twice in a row.
When Lu Yang had asked why he had struck that way, Su Yuan had wanted to tell him about the other voice in his head, but the voice had stopped him. For some reason, the voice inspired deep trust in him.
“Do you have something to hide? Is that why you won’t let me tell anyone about you?!”
“You are young and inexperienced, unaware of how treacherous people can be. My existence is a monumental secret and also your fortuitous opportunity. I’ve never seen anyone who would go around revealing their fortuitous opportunity to others.
“With me here, even mastering the Tiger Roar Fist with major success wouldn’t be difficult. Defeating the likes of Shi Yi and Gong Che would be effortless.
“However, if you change too quickly, it will draw unwanted attention. It’s best to grow stronger gradually,” the voice said, sounding considerate of Su Yuan’s well-being.
But Su Yuan still didn’t trust the voice. He asked warily, “Who are you? Why are you inside my body?”
“Who am I?” The voice paused, its tone turning melancholic. “I don’t know who I am either. Perhaps one day, you can help me find the answer.”
“Is that so? Your identity sounds rather mysterious.” A sudden voice interjected, and Su Yuan’s face lit up with joy.
“Teacher Lu!” I have no idea when Teacher Lu appeared in my house.
Lu Yang wore the smile of a model teacher. “I’m here for a home visit. I hope I’m not interrupting.”
That voice disappeared.
“Alright, stop hiding. I’ve already heard your conversation.”
That voice still didn’t reappear.
Lu Yang was not in a hurry. He gazed quietly at Su Yuan.
Finally, the voice could no longer keep its composure and spoke in a low tone, its words laced with menace. “Kid, though I can’t recall my origins, I remember that I was a Fusion expert when I was alive. This is not something a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like yourself should be prying into!” Although it was a threat, that voice did not exude any convincing aura.
“Fusion expert? That is indeed quite powerful.” Lu Yang sat down and gestured for Su Yuan to do the same.
He then produced two tree leaves, preparing one cup for each of them.
“Th-This is Wudao Enlightenment Tea?!” The voice was somewhat shocked. This is definitely not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator can possess.
Just who is he?!
Lu Yang shook his head. Can’t this person even tell that the leaves I’ve taken out come from the Wudao Enlightenment Tea Tree King? But it doesn’t matter. An elder who lacks knowledge and experience is still an elder. The proper respect should still be shown.
He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands, and scrutinized Su Yuan.
“Senior, if I’m not mistaken, you have been residing within Su Yuan for about ten years or so, but you’ve been asleep all this time. Were you stirred awake because I took Su Yuan out to hunt demon beasts, or because of the Tiger Roar Fist’s yang energy?”
The voice continued to stay silent for a long while before finally speaking. “The Tiger Roar Fist you teach is not ordinary.”
If an outsider were present, they would notice that Lu Yang was not speaking through his spiritual consciousness in his mental space. He was using normal verbal communication, and when the voice spoke, it did so by borrowing Su Yuan’s body.
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