"Hall Master Wan, Coach Wu is a Level 18 martial artist. A practical training session with him costs 30,000 Blue Star Coins," Li Yuan calculated. "However, you are an Origin Warrior... Based on the prices I found, a session with an Origin Warrior should start at 100,000 Blue Star Coins."
Seeing Li Yuan’s serious expression, Wan Qinghe couldn’t help but want to laugh. He suspected Li Yuan was pretending not to understand, but he didn’t want to call him out on it.
Indeed, the price of practical training with an Origin Warrior was exceedingly high. However, in reality… there was a price but no market. Martial artists or students around the Level 10 mark usually only needed Level 15 to 18 martial artists for practical training.
Origin Warriors?
They were generally only needed when dealing with those above Level 15. But those at this level already had a certain level of self-defense capability, allowing them to venture into some star realms and battle true Star Realm creatures for their lives. This not only sharpened their skills but also allowed them to earn money.
Therefore, unless an Origin Warrior was willing to "lower their price," there simply wasn’t any survival space for them in the practical training market.
"Haha, don’t worry. I’ll give you a discount," Wan Qinghe laughed. "How about 10,000 Blue Star Coins per session?"
Li Yuan smiled.
10,000 Blue Star Coins? That was practically a gift for Hall Master Wan. He instantly understood this was Wan Qinghe's way of wanting to further strengthen their relationship.
"Alright."
Li Yuan didn’t refuse, smiling as he said, "Thank you, Hall Master."
Thanks to his uncle Li Changzhou’s teachings, Li Yuan sometimes didn’t fear owing too many favors. What is friendship? Only by having contact can emotions grow; those who are willing to help you will often keep helping you. For Li Yuan now, forming a deeper bond with a prominent figure like Wan Qinghe was beneficial and not harmful.
"Haha, you’re not being polite at all," Wan Qinghe chuckled.
He confirmed that Li Yuan's calculations were merely for show.
"I am good friends with your teacher Xu Bo, so don’t call me Hall Master in the future," Wan Qinghe said with a smile. "Just call me Uncle Wan."
Li Yuan was taken aback for a moment.
"What? You don’t want to?" Wan Qinghe smiled. "If you don’t want to, then forget it."
"Of course I do," Li Yuan said earnestly, performing a respectful bow. "Li Yuan greets Uncle Wan."
Wan Qinghe nodded, his opinion of Li Yuan rising higher.
Understanding when to advance and retreat, valuing relationships, having high talent, and working hard in cultivation… he was indeed a rare gem.
"Alright."
"Since you’ve called me Uncle Wan, I’ll fulfill my duties as an uncle."
"There’s no need to worry about other matters, but martial arts cultivation must not be taken lightly." Wan Qinghe's expression turned serious. "Put on protective gear; let me see your spear technique."
"Understood." Li Yuan nodded; the man in front of him was an Origin Warrior, his strength was fearsome. Even standing still, an attack from him would likely struggle to break through his defenses.
Before long, they truly began the practical training session.
"Whoosh!" Li Yuan brandished his spear, unleashing a flurry of attacks, creating over twenty spear shadows that surged forward with immense force.
"Boom!"
Wan Qinghe, wielding a long stick, countered with impressive speed, intercepting Li Yuan’s fierce attack effortlessly.
"Buzz~" Waves of terrifying force shook through the spear, sending tremors down Li Yuan's arms, making them numb, and swiftly expanding to his entire body.
This was a peculiar way of exerting force.
In just one encounter, Li Yuan understood that Hall Master Wan's technique level was far beyond his own.
"Oh? You can keep holding on?" Wan Qinghe's eyes flashed with surprise. "Your spear technique?"
Wan Qinghe could feel that Li Yuan’s explosion of power was indeed around Level 10. But his skill with the spear was better than he had anticipated.
"Let’s go again," Wan Qinghe commanded. "Continue attacking me, remember to feel the strength within my stick."
"Yes." Li Yuan nodded and charged again.
"Boom!"
"Poof~" "Clatter~" Li Yuan’s spear technique shifted to an even more unpredictable form—one attack after another, some swift, some strong blows, some slashing from the side, and others stabbing aggressively. When combined, they surged like waves toward Wan Qinghe.
These techniques seemed different, but they all originated from the move known as 'Galactic Waterfall.'
The Five Star Techniques were not merely five individual moves.
Each technique contained a wealth of responses to the enemy's spear techniques. The 'Galactic Waterfall' was the move best suited for unending assaults and rapid succession of attacks.
"Clang!" "Clang!" Wan Qinghe easily deflected Li Yuan’s attacks with one hand using the stick.
Every time Li Yuan began to build up his spear technique to unleash, he would suddenly come under counterattack from Wan Qinghe.
The mysterious force disrupted Li Yuan’s spear moves, causing his strikes to fall apart.
It felt very uncomfortable.
"This kind of force," Li Yuan strived to feel, his consciousness penetrating into the spear as he aimed to understand the force transmitted from Wan Qinghe’s long stick.
It was incredibly complicated!
It was like facing a tangle of knots, impossible to decipher.
"I can’t instantly dissipate all the force; it’s a very sophisticated method of force application," Li Yuan quickly realized. "What I can do is gradually try to dissipate a portion of the force, continuously reducing more, until I can counter it fully."
Li Yuan immediately shifted his strategy, adapting his spear technique as well.
"Hm?"
Wan Qinghe, far above Li Yuan in skill, quickly noticed and was surprised. "So fast, have you already found the right way?"
"Could it be that there’s really such a genius who knows instinctively?"
...
In the Martial Arts Room 7024, the two engaged in battle for an entire hour before Li Yuan was the first one to be unable to hold on.
He surrendered.
He set down the spear. "Uncle Wan, I’ve reached my limit," Li Yuan shook his head, smiling wryly. "It’s too difficult to dissipate the force in your stick techniques."
An hour of practical combat with Wan Qinghe exhausted him more than a day of his usual training.
"Did you feel it?" Wan Qinghe asked with a grin.
Li Yuan nodded.
"Speak about it," Wan Qinghe prompted.
"Regarding strength and speed, your explosion is quite weak; it’s likely even weaker than mine," Li Yuan said solemnly. "But every exchange, the moment's force bursts out, whether it’s entangling force, shaking force, or dissipation force, is far beyond my capability."
As a Gun Master who had reached 25% of the fourth stage, Li Yuan's perspective was quite elevated.
"True," Wan Qinghe chuckled. "That’s precisely what I wanted to teach you today."
Li Yuan immediately listened attentively.
"Considering your physical constitution, you have already reached the threshold of a Ranked Martial Artist," Wan Qinghe said. "Next, the goal is to work towards becoming an Origin Warrior."
"Do you know the three major hurdles of an Origin Warrior?" Wan Qinghe asked.
"I know," Li Yuan replied respectfully. "Spirit, skill, and body."
Spiritual Power at Level 20, technique in the fourth stage unified with body and mind, and physical constitution at 19.9.
These were the three foundational requirements to step into becoming an Origin Warrior.
It wasn’t a secret; Li Yuan was well aware.
"Correct." Wan Qinghe looked at Li Yuan. "For most first-ranked martial artists, spirit and skill are the most difficult, which is why they need to take spirit-enhancing potions and elixirs. The jump from the third stage to the fourth stage is a significant hurdle."
Li Yuan slightly nodded.
Skill was indeed quite difficult; the transition from the perfect third stage to the fourth stage had stumped him for quite some time. As for spiritual power? After practicing the 'Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra' for so long, he still hadn’t reached Level 20.
"On the other hand, body enhancement is relatively easier for normal martial artists," Wan Qinghe continued. "But for you, it’s exactly the opposite."
"The hardest thing for you to enhance is your body."
Li Yuan didn’t disagree with this point; without high-tier cultivation methods, it was indeed a lot more difficult to enhance his physical constitution.
"Using treasures like cleansing spirit marrow, you can have enormous effects in a short amount of time," Wan Qinghe said. "But once your physical constitution reaches Level 15, it will become increasingly difficult."
"Level 15?" Li Yuan pondered.
"After reaching Level 15, martial artists already possess extraordinary strength," Wan Qinghe stated gravely. "Like Level 15 martial artists, a single punch can exceed ten thousand kilograms."
"And a Level 19 martial artist? A single punch can exceed fifty thousand kilograms at full force."
"With every level, the gap in strength is astonishing."
"Historically, the first generation of martial artists ones were the true ones who, at whatever cost, piled up various treasures and combined with a top-tier batch of high talent to gradually create Origin Warriors." Wan Qinghe said, "But you do not possess such external conditions."
Li Yuan listened silently.
Indeed!
Although the Martial Halls and Kunlun Martial University seemed to value him, they would never present him with truly extraordinary treasures at this time.
There was too much uncertainty.
"Of course, if you cultivate step by step, I estimate that around the age of 22, you will be able to become an Origin Warrior," Wan Qinghe noted. "Four years’ time, a 22-year-old Origin Warrior is quick for most people."
"But compared to your technique and spiritual power, that is far too slow," Wan Qinghe shook his head. "You still need to create your own techniques; it's too wasteful of your golden training time."
Li Yuan was speechless.
So in Wan Qinghe’s estimation, he could become an Origin Warrior in at most four years, around his senior year.
"Uncle Wan, what should I do?" Li Yuan asked, having raised the question he believed Wan Qinghe wanted him to ask.
"First, there’s heavenly materials and earthly treasures, but that’s unrealistic, so we will not discuss it."
"Second, it is your technique." Wan Qinghe stated earnestly. "This is what I need to emphasize today; if your technique can swiftly reach the point of 'soul insight'..."
"Then your speed of body evolution will also greatly increase."
"Soul insight?" Li Yuan was momentarily taken aback; the term was foreign to him.
"The fourth stage of technique is divided into two smaller tiers." Wan Qinghe smiled. "The first realm is unity."
"For ordinary martial artists, 'unity' is often just the preliminary ability to mobilize all their strength, achieving a large coordination of muscle and bone power."
"But once you cross into the fourth stage, your soul further perceives your body, allowing you to dig deeper into your body's potential, unleashing greater strength and speed."
Li Yuan nodded slightly; for instance, his practical evaluation had allowed him to stand against a Level 12 Moon Demon Wolf King while being only Level 9. This was the reason.
"In theory, if one could tap into their body's potential to the fullest, a Level 10 martial artist could easily stand against many Level 14 or even Level 15 martial artists."
Li Yuan couldn’t help but feel this was the awe-inspiring aspect of advanced techniques.
"However, when the perception of one’s bodily power reaches a certain level, it becomes very challenging to continue digging deeper."
"Different individuals have different limits, and this is why many Origin Warriors find themselves stuck in the initial stages of the fourth stage." Wan Qinghe added, "To continue breaking through, one must deepen the interaction between the soul and the body, where the strength of the soul touches every sinew, every bone, and even every drop of blood flowing."
"Every part of the body, even the faintest injuries in the smallest capillaries, can be clearly sensed through 'soul'."
"At that time, not only can one unleash their body's maximum potential, but they can also detect various subtle injuries and repair them easily, allowing the body to remain at its peak condition; lifespan will also be extended to over 200 years."
"This is the perfection of the fourth stage technique, where the soul reflects insight!"
"It is also known as the realm of insight!"
"And it’s one of the essential requirements to break through to a 25th-level Origin Warrior." A glimmer of longing crossed Wan Qinghe's eyes.
Li Yuan's eyes widened as he listened.
Perfecting the fourth stage of technique? A lifespan of over 200 years?
This was the world of a 25th-level Origin Warrior!
"Think about it; if your technique can reach 'insight'," Wan Qinghe smiled, "The level of utilization of your body will reach its limits. How fast will your body's evolution speed up? With sufficient resources, you might reach Level 19.9 in one or two years."
Li Yuan's heart immediately found its target: insight! The perfection of the fourth stage!
"Uncle Wan, have you reached insight with your technique?" Li Yuan suddenly asked.
"I..."
Wan Qinghe's voice abruptly stopped, and he awkwardly shifted the topic. "By the way, besides the practical combat today, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you."
"Sure, go ahead, Uncle Wan." Li Yuan sensed everything yet carefully chose not to reveal it to preserve his newly acknowledged 'uncle's' dignity.
He was now a mature nephew and should learn to consider his uncle's feelings.
"Song Yi, the vice hall master of the Starry Sky Guanshan Branch, you remember her, right?" Wan Qinghe asked.
"I do," Li Yuan nodded, recalling her.
She had given him a D-rated contract.
Uncle Wan, however, had directly given him a B-rated contract.
"She offered 1,000,000, hoping you'll do an interview segment on the television station," Wan Qinghe smiled. "To discuss your inspiring growth story, detailing how you connected with the Starfire Martial Hall since childhood, your aspiration for it, and how you finally succeeded in signing with them after all your efforts."
"What do you think? Are you interested?"
(End of this chapter)