The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 38 - 30 Becoming a Disciple

Chapter 38: Chapter 30 Becoming a Disciple

Li Yi had entered a time of fantasy.

So many strange thoughts bubbled up in his mind, he had encountered too many bizarre incidents recently, and he began to doubt the reality of it all, even wondering if he was possessed by a ghost, and if everything unfolding before him was an illusion?

Seeing Li Yi standing there in a daze, motionless, Zhao Ge immediately coughed softly twice, "Li Mengde, could it be you think I, Zhao Ge, am not qualified to be your master?"

Li Mengde?

Who’s that?

Oh, I remember now.

Mengde is myself.

Li Yi promptly stopped his fanciful thoughts, and hastily replied, "Uncle Zhao, not at all, you saved my life, and I am deeply grateful. What’s more, Uncle Zhao, you are taking me as your disciple, which is for my own good. I cannot thank you enough, how could I possibly think that Uncle Zhao is not qualified to be my master? It’s just that I have some personal reasons which made me hesitate."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ge immediately realized, slapping his forehead, "I almost forgot, you come from Ghost Street, and your clothing is utterly different from ours. Clearly, you are not from Xingzhou. You must be unable to let go of your matters back home, still thinking about how to return, right."

"My parents have been comatose for some reason, bedridden for six years, still waiting for me to take care of them. I cannot stay away from home for too long, otherwise, they will starve to death at home. That is why I must find a way to leave Ghost Street and return home," said Li Yi earnestly.

"I hadn’t realized you also had such a hard fate, it’s rare to see such filial piety in someone. I cannot force you against your will," Zhao Ge was moved.

He had planned, after this trip to Ghost Street, to bring Li Yi back to his martial arts school, pass on his martial skills, and have him carry on the mantle. Although Li Yi’s identity was unclear, it didn’t matter to him; such talent was worth pouring everything into to nurture. That’s why he got excited for a moment and overlooked Li Yi’s concerns.

But with filial piety coming first, if he forced the issue, it would be his own fault.

However, watching such an exceptional jade slip through his fingers, Zhao Ge felt it deeply regrettable. It was possible that in a few days, he would toss and turn at night, unable to sleep, and even on his deathbed, he might still be haunted by this regret, carrying it with him for the rest of his life.

Thinking this, Zhao Ge once again spoke, "To meet in Ghost Street is an immense stroke of fate. Though we part here, perhaps never to meet again in this lifetime, I still cannot bear to see such talent buried. I still want to take you as my disciple, but I will not insist. If you do not wish it, then let it be."

The man who had saved his life had spoken to such lengths, and it would be rather inappropriate for Li Yi to refuse now.

He immediately knelt down, his agile mind instantly coming up with a set of words he had seen online, and said, "Yi, having drifted half my life, regrets not meeting a sage mentor sooner. Today, upon meeting Uncle Zhao who does not abandon me, I am willing to take you as my master. From this day forward, once a master, forever a father. Should I betray these words, may heaven and earth annihilate me."

Having said this, Li Yi promptly kowtowed three times.

Inwardly, he thought, surely my words and rituals are correct, aren’t they?

After all, this is how they take disciples in TV dramas.

Zhao Ge, a martial artist himself, was initially stunned, and then moved to the point of tears. He hurriedly reached out a trembling hand to help Li Yi up, saying anxiously, "Good, good, good disciple, get up quickly. You’re too honest; how can you make such a heavy oath? From now on, we are family, there’s no need for such formality in our speech."

To Zhao Ge, what Li Yi was doing didn’t seem like becoming a disciple; it was akin to acknowledging a father, the ritual was far too solemn.

In Zhao Ge’s world, taking on a disciple did not require kowtowing, merely offering tea. Making oaths was a very serious matter, as those who break their vows would suffer retribution.

Therefore, when a disciple kowtows to his master during the apprenticeship ceremony, it is akin to recognizing him as a foster father, and if vows are also taken, it signifies a lifelong commitment that cannot be forsaken, and the more accomplished a martial artist is, the stricter the vows that bind him.

When the acts of both kowtowing and swearing vows are combined, and the master has accepted this homage, the weight of the disciple’s commitment is even greater than that of a biological son, and upon the master’s death, the disciple could inherit the family business just like a real son.

Moreover, Li Yi’s statement "Once a teacher, a lifetime a father" brought Zhao Ge an unexpected joy as if he had gained a son in his later years.

Li Yi couldn’t fully understand Zhao Ge’s emotions at the moment; he just felt that Zhao Ge had saved his life, which morally obligated him to kowtow to him. After all, he might not have the chance to repay anyone else in the future, and his agreement to become an apprentice was merely to fulfill Zhao Ge’s wish.

Zhao Qian, who was standing by, was also delighted at this scene. She immediately became much warmer when looking at Li Yi, as if he were a long-lost elder brother.

"Father, don’t get too carried away with your happiness. We only have so much time to stay on Ghost Street. There is much we must do in this time, we cannot afford to waste it," Zhao Qian reminded, noticing her father had grabbed Li Yi’s arm in excitement and had been carried away for quite a while.

Zhao Ge then came to his senses, glanced at the Soul Summoning Incense, and saw that it had already burnt down by more than half. In less than two hours, he would have to leave Ghost Street prematurely, and this newly accepted outstanding disciple would have no choice but to be separated from him.

"It’s a pity that time is insufficient. Despite the deep connection between us as master and disciple, it’s short-lived. During this time, I will pass on the essence of martial arts to you as much as possible. Meng De, learn as much as you can."

With the time constraint in mind, Zhao Ge began to pace back and forth, deliberating on what to teach Li Yi.

Should he teach the techniques of muscle and bone strengthening or Qi-Blood refinement?

No, that won’t do.

Time is too short, and incomplete teaching might lead the disciple astray.

How about the secret techniques of manipulating Qi-Blood and channeling Jin Qi into the Soul Entrance?

That still won’t work, as the disciple has not even begun to learn the basics, and it would be pointless to teach him now.

As time continued to slip away, Zhao Ge, who had a firm grip on Qi-Blood, started to sweat with anxiety.

Zhao Qian, a clever girl, noticed her father’s predicament and urgency. She immediately suggested, "Father, teach Brother Yi boxing, let him use boxing to foster his strength. Once he has enough power and a solid foundation, who knows, he might achieve the Soul Entrance someday."

"How could that work? Without the support of Qi-Blood, you can’t properly channel Fist Power, and it’s easy to end up with insufficient energy, weak and useless," Zhao Ge reflexively rebutted.

To practice boxing, one must first cultivate Qi; to cultivate Qi, one must nourish the blood. Qi-Blood, Qi-Blood, that’s the foundation of a martial artist.

Li Yi was a novice who knew nothing. Without refining Qi-Blood, he couldn’t hold a steady boxing stance, and in a life-or-death struggle, he would just be putting on a show, utterly useless.

Zhao Qian spoke, "Father, don’t forget, Brother Yi has Innate Divine Strength and a robust physique. Even without refining Qi-Blood, he can still develop his boxing skills based on his physical strength alone. If by chance we meet again on Ghost Street in the future, it would not be too late to teach him the techniques of Qi-Blood refinement."

Enlightened by these words, Zhao Ge immediately had his eureka moment.

"Right, right, right. Ordinary people start with the basics before practicing boxing, but Meng De has Dragon Veins and Tiger Bones, Innate Divine Strength; his natural foundation is strong enough to support him in developing Fist Power. Good, I’ll teach him boxing."

Zhao Ge collected his thoughts, abruptly halted his steps, and then looked at Li Yi, "Meng De, are you willing to learn boxing?"

"Whatever the master teaches, I will learn," Li Yi replied.

"Good child," Zhao Ge was moved again, truly trusting him this way. It seemed that the oath just now indeed could not be false.

One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.

What child would doubt their parents?

But time was pressing, and Zhao Ge had no time for teaching. He immediately said, "Practice boxing, practice boxing, you must start practicing right away. I’ll show you Fist Power first, then I’ll teach you how to stand and feel the Jin Qi."

Afterward, he glanced around and picked up a stool.

Using his hand as a blade, he cut off the wooden legs of the stool, leaving only a thick plank.

"Watch carefully," Zhao Ge said. He threw the plank and then threw a punch at it.

Bang!

A muffled explosion.

Surprisingly, the plank didn’t fly away or split apart. Instead, it stuck to Zhao Ge’s fist.

This situation defied common sense.

Zhao Ge now removed the plank from his fist and saw a clear Fist Mark on it: "This is Fist Power. When ordinary people punch, this plank would either fly away or split apart because their Jin Qi is scattered. It’s different for martial artists who practice boxing; their Jin Qi is twisted into a thread, gathering without dispersing. When they punch, the Jin Qi is just like this."

"If my fist had gone an inch further, the plank would have been easily penetrated. Such Jin Qi cannot be deflected by the enemy, and a blow can kill."

He demonstrated and explained seriously, conveying the essence in just a few words.

This was the true transmission.

"Impressive." Li Yi’s eyes were wide open, feeling it was incredible.

Although the punch seemed simple, it was profoundly complex.

"Meng De, although you have Innate Divine Strength, your Jin Qi is too loose and useless because your skin and bones are not integrated. But no worries, my boxing training is to engage your whole body’s Jin Qi. Once you master it, whether it’s boxing or kicking, one method opens the way to all."

"Observe my Boxing Stance."

Then, Zhao Ge demonstrated a slightly crouched posture, standing there with raised arms and clenched fists. His form seemed relaxed yet brimming with potential energy, somewhat mystical.

"Power rises from the ground, through the feet, knees, waist, the dragon of the spine, the arms, elbows, and finally to the fist. Feel the Jin Qi transmitting layer by layer and exploding in an instant. Then your Fist Power is formed."

"Now start learning."

Zhao Ge finished, signaling Li Yi to start learning.

Li Yi’s cultivation evolution and the unlocking of Spirit Medium had enhanced his memory, and after meditating for a moment, he immediately began to replicate Zhao Ge’s boxing stance.

"No, your waist is too tilted. When you exert force, your spine will be damaged, and over time, it will surely suffer hidden injuries. If you grow old and your Qi-Blood weakens, you will become paralyzed below the waist."

"Straighten your knees a bit more, or the Jin Qi won’t rise."

"Raise your fist higher, your gaze and fists must be straight. Otherwise, your punch will be off and easily go astray."

Zhao Ge immediately identified various flaws and problems with Li Yi’s form and directly helped him correct his boxing stance.

This kind of verbal instruction and physical correction was worth months of hard training for others.

Li Yi learned quickly and adjusted rapidly.

In less than three minutes, his Boxing Stance was almost identical to Zhao Ge’s.

"Good, the Boxing Stance is correct. Keep this posture, let your body remember it," Zhao Ge said, looking at Li Yi with a complex expression in his eyes.

No matter how talented, one still needed time to refine it. Although Li Yi had correctly assumed the Boxing Stance under his guidance, without it next time, the stance would collapse, and Li Yi wouldn’t even know what was wrong.

If he learned it wrong, practicing boxing would lead to illness.

In the end, he could only rely on his strong physique to endure.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ge felt a pang of guilt. Was he teaching his disciple or harming him?

"Master, how long should I maintain this posture?" After a few more minutes, Li Yi asked curiously.

Zhao Ge came back to his senses and immediately said, "If there wasn’t a hurry for time, you could stand as long as you can. But now, I don’t know how long you should stand. It has to depend on your feeling. You must feel that your body remembers this state."

"But the longest can’t exceed two hours; that’s all the time I have to teach you."

Li Yi scratched his head and said, "I see."

"Meng De, why did you release your Boxing Stance?" Zhao Ge suddenly glared. "In such a short time, your body won’t remember. All our previous efforts were wasted."

"Sorry, Master, I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll continue right now." Li Yi’s body sank, and he assumed the Boxing Stance once more.

But Zhao Ge’s eyes narrowed at this moment.

The Boxing Stance Li Yi assumed was a perfect replica of the previous state, steady and precise to the last detail.

This, had his body already remembered it?

What a joke.

How could a complete novice without hardened sinews and bones maintain the Boxing Stance after just a moment?