"Class, this was just a simple sparring session. The result isn't important!"
Yan Hai's voice seemed to carry a strange, commanding power, drawing everyone's attention.
"In the struggles of the martial path, anything is possible. The one who survives is the victor.
Let me give you all a reminder. Last year, the National Martial Arts Administration Department announced that the number of Martial Artists who sacrificed their lives was 23,761.
Peace is not something to be taken for granted. To become a Martial Artist, you must be prepared to die in battle."
At this point, Yan Hai paused, his tone growing somewhat somber!
"Becoming a Martial Artist isn't just about glory. More importantly, it's about responsibility!
That's why you must fight every battle with all your might, using every means possible to achieve victory!
Now, regarding the sparring session between Yu Fei and Jiang Yifan, let me point out some of the issues.
Jiang Yifan was not calm enough during the fight. He possesses good physical conditioning but doesn't know how to use it. When it came down to it, he fought worse than a common street thug.
A real battle isn't about superiority; it's about life and death!
Alright, let's begin learning the fist techniques!
Also, all of you will begin sparring. The Six Harmonies Killing Fist is not just for practice—it's for fighting!"
The Six Harmonies Killing Fist included various styles of boxing. They started by learning the simplest, the Single-Line Pierce form. Yu Fei and the others first had to familiarize themselves with the fighting patterns.
Later, they would have to find time on their own to practice the Ox Subduing Pile Skill.
After all, one's martial realm was the true measure of strength, but without learning martial techniques, one would be nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter.
After the class ended, Yan Hai had Jiang Yifan and Yu Fei stay behind.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Yu Fei didn't seem to mind and still wore a grin, but Jiang Yifan was clearly unsettled.
Just then, Yan Hai spoke.
"From now on, you two will spar once a month. Jiang Yifan, do you dare?"
Hearing Yan Hai's words, Jiang Yifan's eyes lit up instantly. He felt that his miserable defeat was entirely due to bad luck and underestimating his opponent.
'If we fought again, I'd definitely wipe the floor with Yu Fei.'
"Of course! I can fight again right now!" he said, looking at Yu Fei with a complicated expression.
Jiang Yifan was afraid Yu Fei would refuse, robbing him of the chance to redeem his name.
"Not right now, of course. Wait until you've familiarized yourselves with the fighting patterns and the effects of your skin-tempering have deepened. Then you'll fight again."
Yan Hai said with narrowed eyes, then looked at Yu Fei. Yu Fei was standing perfectly straight, his figure tall and upright, his face handsome. He had the same air Yan Hai himself had in his youth!
"Yu Fei, are you willing?"
"I have no problem with it!"
Yu Fei replied. He couldn't have asked for anything better. The Defiance Pearl's talent-copying mechanism allowed him to repeatedly mark the same target. As long as the target wasn't killed, he could copy their talent once a month.
In the small Tianning County, the highest talent level Yu Fei had found so far was blue. He had looked all over No. 2 High School, and blue was the best he'd seen. Perhaps there were others elsewhere, but Yu Fei was unwilling to wait. His copying ability refreshed once a month; he could just copy others later if he came across them.
Yan Hai was very satisfied with this answer.
Yu Fei had a talent for combat. And though he had won easily this time, Jiang Yifan's comprehension was astonishing. He would soon pull far ahead of Yu Fei in both his martial realm and technique cultivation. At that point, Yan Hai estimated, Yu Fei would be the one getting beaten.
Yan Hai estimated that they would be evenly matched in about two more months, after which Jiang Yifan would gradually gain the upper hand.
The further one progressed on the martial path, the more important willpower became. The journey of a Martial Artist depended on talent in the early stages, financial resources in the middle stages, and ultimately, it was a contest of will.
Therefore, he currently planned to give the two a little help.
Yan Hai took two boxes of medicine from a cabinet and gave one to each of them.
"These two boxes of Vitality Elixir are a reward for you both. When you take it, cut one pill into ten pieces. Take one piece every two days, swallowing it with warm water.
Practice your pile skill immediately after taking the medicine. The effect is a bit better than Blood Storage Powder.
Remember, don't tell anyone!"
Neither Jiang Yifan nor Yu Fei dared to reach out for it, mainly because it was too valuable. Du Mingxuan had said that five portions of Blood Storage Powder cost 100,000. How much would this Vitality Elixir, which was even better, cost?
Seeing their hesitation, Yan Hai smiled faintly. 'They're just innocent kids,' he thought. 'Back in my day, whenever we left our mentor's place, we wished we could've pocketed even the toilet paper on our way out.'
It couldn't be helped. Although Martial Artists earned money quickly, they also spent it just as fast.
Yu Fei wasn't actually embarrassed; he was simply suspicious of Yan Hai's motive. No one is kind to another person for no reason.
His experience from two lifetimes had taught him a simple truth: besides your own parents and closest relatives, if someone is suddenly very good to you, they must want something from you.
Seeing the two still hesitating, Yan Hai said,
"You two are quite talented. Consider this my investment in you. Don't overthink it. You think it's expensive because you don't understand the expenses and earning potential of a Martial Artist. Cultivating diligently will be the best way to repay me."
So, the two accepted the Vitality Elixir and bowed in thanks almost simultaneously.
On the way back, Jiang Yifan had a stone-faced expression and didn't speak. He considered losing to Yu Fei a disgrace and was feeling a bit moody.
Yu Fei was in no mood to babysit a child's feelings. His mind was completely focused on going home that night to load the new talent and on the Vitality Elixir Mr. Yan had invested in him. 'For now, I'll just use it,' he thought. 'If Mr. Yan has some ulterior motive, it will probably reveal itself over time.'
He needed resources.
Jiang Yifan's talent and Mr. Yan's support meant his martial arts progress over the next month should advance by leaps and bounds.
Jiang's wish for a comeback would be difficult to achieve—unless he also had a cheat!
Back in the classroom, the usual boisterous noise had died down. With the two parties involved present, no one discussed it loudly, but everyone was whispering among themselves.
After Jiang returned to the classroom, Zhang Qingyu went up to speak with him. It wasn't clear what they talked about, but the gloomy aura around Jiang dissipated.
Du Mingxuan also ran over to chat with Yu Fei. He felt that Yu Fei had been incredibly lucky today, winning for no apparent reason.
Although this guy was rich, he was gentle and magnanimous, confident but not arrogant.
He didn't have much of a concept of money and liked to brag, so he didn't have many friends in class. Yu Fei was one of them.
Sixteen-year-old boys have strong self-esteem; they're sensitive yet kind.
Du Mingxuan wanted Yu Fei to spar with him next time, but with a joking warning: no hitting below the belt.
Yu Fei laughed and agreed. He actually had an idea in mind—to see if he could get some energy fluid from this rich kid.
The medicine from Mr. Yan could solve his immediate problem, but it wasn't a long-term solution.
The most basic energy fluid on the market cost 99 a bottle. Mr. Yu's daily wage wasn't even enough to buy three.
With three children at home attending school, money was always tight.