Han Zheng's first-place victory was unexpected for everyone, yet it was the result everyone wanted to see most.
Even for Li Jingzhong, this was the best outcome.
Although he ran a martial arts hall, once his disciples left, they had little to do with him.
But Li Jingzhong also wanted to pass on the White Ape Extended Arm Fist to the disciples he truly devoted his heart to teaching.
In the previous years, the first-place students of the hall were always from wealthy and influential families.
When they left the hall, others would only recognize their family background, not how good Li Jingzhong's teaching was.
Only someone like Han Zheng, who had no background and came from an ordinary civilian family, could prove Li Jingzhong's excellent teaching by winning first place and making a name for himself outside.
Moreover, Song Tianqing didn't just use Vajra Fist; his main practice was Spirit Snake Eight Strikes.
Han Zheng used the Iron Elephant Skill and Vajra Fist, both taught by Li Jingzhong, to defeat Song Tianqing.
Although at the end, Han Zheng also used the Blood Slaughter Saber Technique, it was just a minor move that caused no real harm.
In Li Jingzhong's view, Han Zheng was his accomplished disciple, enough to prove his high teaching standards.
After the competition, the other disciples ended their classes early for the day, but Han Zheng was kept behind by Li Jingzhong, who planned to teach him the White Ape Extended Arm Fist.
"What did you feel about that battle just now?"
Han Zheng thought for a moment and said, "It was dangerous. Although I knew that Song Tianqing had learned other cultivation techniques outside, I didn't expect that he learned Innate Martial Skills."
Song Tianqing, despite being ruthless and arrogant, truly possessed extraordinary talent.
Han Zheng managed to increase his martial skill proficiency so quickly only because of the help from the Taotie Furnace.
Song Tianqing, on the other hand, relied solely on his talent to cultivate Vajra Fist and Spirit Snake Eight Strikes, achieving a not insignificant realm.
Especially the last strike—if Han Zheng hadn't grasped the technique to condense Evil Qi yesterday, he might have had to reveal the Vajra Demon Suppression Seal.
Li Jingzhong spoke gravely, "Life and death battles between martial artists are like this. If you conceal one more martial skill than your opponent, you have an additional trump card.
Thus, when you walk in the Martial World in the future, it is necessary to hide your capabilities. Never let others see through you at a glance.
Next, I will teach you the White Ape Extended Arm Fist. Follow me."
Han Zheng followed Li Jingzhong to the inner hall of the martial arts hall.
Stepping out of the inner hall led to the back courtyard of the hall, which turned out to be a small practice field with thick iron pillars standing erect.
Looking at those iron pillars, Li Jingzhong spoke with a somewhat wistful tone, "My Li family ancestors were once renowned in the Martial World as a martial family, even stronger than the Song Family."
Li Jingzhong glanced at Han Zheng and continued, "Not the Song Family of Black Stone County, but the 'Heaven Saber' Song Family of Southern Mountain."
Han Zheng was shocked.
The 'Heaven Saber' Song Family of Southern Mountain was a famous martial family within the entire region.
Li Jingzhong's ancestors were stronger than the Heaven Saber Song Family?
"But what does strength matter? There is no eternal dynasty in this world, nor an everlasting family.
No matter if you are a peerless hero or dominate an era, in the end, you cannot withstand the ravages of time and turn into a handful of yellow soil.
The Li family had completely declined to the point of no recognition hundreds of years ago; by the time of my father's generation, we could only earn our living as escorts, and the past glory of the Li family became legends."
Li Jingzhong shook his head slightly and sighed, "The martial skills I possess, the Iron Elephant Skill was learned from the escort agency by my father, and the Vajra Fist was what I learned from Vajra Bodhi Temple.
Only the White Ape Extended Arm Fist is the true family inheritance skill of the Li family. It is said to have been the foundational fist technique for teaching our disciples and also the basis for a powerful martial art.
Considering Innate Martial Skills were used as a foundation, you can imagine how strong the Li family was back then.
I chose to pass on the White Ape Extended Arm Fist because, when running a martial arts hall, one cannot be too secretive; I needed to offer substantial skills to attract disciples willing to pay high fees to join.
Another reason was that I have no children, and I did not want the White Ape Extended Arm Fist to be lost under my care.
Though the Li family has fallen, the White Ape Extended Arm Fist remains, and so does the Li family's legacy.
Enough talk. Now I will begin to teach you the White Ape Extended Arm Fist."
With those words, Li Jingzhong walked over to the iron posts. His life force boiled and flowed like a giant white ape leaping among the iron posts.
Li Jingzhong's arms seemed to stretch a great deal, slim-waisted and ape-armed, his movements agile.
Yet with each smash of his arms against the surrounding iron posts, which emitted thunderous roars, he appeared unstoppable.
"The most important aspect of the White Ape Extended Arm Fist is power. You must cultivate the form of the white ape and release the power of the white ape.
Although it's called a fist technique, in actuality, each strike is not punched out but rather swung or smashed out.
Pay attention to my movement technique. Utilize the momentum from falling or bursting forward to enhance the power of the punch!"
Li Jingzhong meticulously demonstrated the various intricacies and key points of the White Ape Extended Arm Fist to Han Zheng. He even went so far as to specify which meridian's power should be used in different scenarios.
The White Ape Extended Arm Fist was the only remaining legacy of the Li family, which means every generation of Li disciples had immersed themselves in the skill for a lifetime, achieving a state of perfection.
About two hours later, Li Jingzhong's strength had been exhausted, sweat steamed from his forehead, rising in puffs of white mist.
"How about it, did you understand it clearly? If you have any further questions, you can always ask me in the future."
"I believe I've grasped it. Thank you for the guidance, Teacher."
Han Zheng sincerely bowed to Li Jingzhong.
Now that he had received Li Jingzhong's true teachings, he was qualified to call him "Teacher."
Moreover, Han Zheng had a feeling that the White Ape Extended Arm Fist seemed to be stronger than the Vajra Demon Suppression Seal.
Although cultivation techniques are graded, they cannot be categorized as detailed as the Martial Artist Realm stages: Early Stage, Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Perfect.
But within the same level, there definitely were differences in strength, and Han Zheng felt the White Ape Extended Arm Fist was stronger, as if there was still potential to be unearthed.
After regaining some energy, Li Jingzhong hesitated and then said, "I'll take you to see something else."
He led Han Zheng to a room and pulled out an ancient-looking locked chest.
Upon opening the chest, there was only one yellowed leather scroll inside.
As the scroll was slowly unrolled, it depicted a ferocious Ape Demon with black and golden fur howling skyward, reaching for the sun, moon, and stars above the Nine Heavens.
Every strand of hair on the Ape Demon was lifelike, and the celestial bodies were resplendent, as if they were right before one's eyes.
The skills of the artist who drew this were astonishing; it was as if they had truly witnessed an Ape Demon from ancient times reaching for the celestial bodies, and had engraved the scene into the scroll.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the Taotie Furnace appeared before Han Zheng's eyes; its massive mouth opened wide and swallowed the scroll.
The scroll did not change at all, but the brilliance on it seemed to diminish slightly, and the fur of the Ape Demon lost some of the divine charm it previously held.
Inside the backpack of the Taotie Furnace, however, appeared a copy of the Ape Demon picking stars.
"Obtained special item 'Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map,' can be used to break through corresponding special martial arts."
Han Zheng was slightly stunned.
In the past, the Taotie Furnace would only remind him what could be sacrificed for him to pick up after he had killed an opponent.
But this time, the Taotie Furnace actively appeared and 'swallowed' the "Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map," which was certainly no ordinary item.
Suppressing his curiosity, Han Zheng dismissed the Taotie Furnace.
Li Jingzhong did not notice anything amiss with Han Zheng; he thought that Han Zheng was shocked by the painting.
"Shocking, isn't it? This painting is also a legacy passed down through generations of the Li Family. It's said that our Li Family disciples could comprehend earth-shattering martial skills from it.
Unfortunately, despite having been passed down through countless generations to mine, we have never managed to comprehend anything from it.
There were even times, during our poorest days, when I considered selling this antique to make some money."
Li Jingzhong gave a bitter smile: "Perhaps it is just a legend, intentionally passed down by our ancestors to prevent us disciples from forgetting their glory.
Or perhaps it is we, the latter-day disciples, who are too foolish to understand it."
Rolling up the painting, Li Jingzhong patted Han Zheng on the shoulder: "Han Zheng, among the disciples I've taught over the years, you have grown the fastest.
Even considering those from noble families, it is the same, and you surpass them in actual combat.
The path of martial arts is long, and so is the road in the Martial World; your journey is longer than mine. I believe the White Ape Extended Arm Fist will shine brilliantly in your hands."
"Teacher, rest assured, that day will come."
Li Jingzhong himself was uncertain whether the former glories of the Li Family were real or exaggerated through generations.
But Han Zheng was sure that it must be true.
Otherwise, the "Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map" wouldn't have caused such a reaction from the Taotie Furnace.
After bidding farewell to Li Jingzhong, Han Zheng returned home and immediately activated the Taotie Furnace to check the details of the "Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map" and the "White Ape Extended Arm Fist."
["Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map": Special item, containing the True Spirit Divine Soul of an Ape Demon, can be integrated for a breakthrough after the White Ape Extended Arm Fist reaches Perfect. Each integration requires additional Hunger Level, depending on the current martial arts grade.]
[Innate Realm "White Ape Extended Arm Fist" current Skill Level 1%: Special Martial Arts, seemingly ordinary Innate Martial skill, but in reality contains vast potential. During breakthroughs, one can choose to integrate a portion of the "Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map" charm, requiring nine total integrations for comprehensive merging with the "Nine Heavens Ape Demon Star Picking Map" to reach Perfect.]
After reviewing the item information in the Taotie Furnace, Han Zheng clicked his tongue lightly.
He had stumbled upon a treasure.
The Vajra Fist of the Postnatal Realm only needed to break through once to become the Innate Realm Vajra Demon Suppression Seal.
How much more powerful must the White Ape Extended Arm Fist be after breaking through nine times and reaching perfection?
Li Jingzhong claimed his family's ancestors were even stronger than the Song Family of Heavenly Saber, but now it seemed they far surpassed them.
Putting away the Taotie Furnace, Han Zheng immediately began to practice and cultivate the White Ape Extended Arm Fist in his courtyard, ready to first raise the skill level of this martial technique to Perfect.
Just one breakthrough for the White Ape Extended Arm Fist would undoubtedly bring Han Zheng an unexpected and delightful surprise.