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Having someone teach him was certainly good; Zhou You felt that his greatest shortcoming was close-quarters combat. Although he wasn't aggressive by nature and had little past experience fighting people, after what had happened with Lishi, plus encountering the mysterious and unpredictable Lian Yi later on, there was no telling what opponents he might face in the future. Being able to pick up a move or two would definitely be helpful. "Is that appropriate?" Zhou You was worried that, as a disciple of the True Martial Great Hall, teaching techniques to an outsider might violate the rules and get her punished. "These are all my own insights." Duan Yuxian knew her boundaries. She certainly couldn't teach the True Martial heritage to Zhou You. Bold as she was, she would never dare do that; if her master found out, he would whip her like a spinning top. "That's good, then." Duan Yuxian looked Zhou You up and down, conducting a rough assessment. "My greatest specialty is sword techniques. Seeing as you don't appear to be a sword wielder, Fellow Daoist, picking up the sword in a rush won't be of much use." Having mastered the True Martial Sword Technique, Duan Yuxian was a genuine sword cultivator. She could tell at a glance whether someone walked the path of the sword. Sword techniques required diligent, bitter practice and couldn't be mastered overnight. If she merely taught Zhou You a few forms that he hadn't drilled thoroughly, they would only become a hindrance in battle. "How about this? I'll teach you some hand-to-hand moves." What she intended to teach Zhou You was merely some force-exertion mechanics she had figured out during her cultivation—very basic, universal principles that did not touch upon her sect's heritage. "First is the breathing method. Sink your qi into the dantian, breathe rhythmically, and regulate your state..." ... "Watch me show you two a thing or two." Arriving at school early in the morning, Zhou You couldn't wait to find Chu Xiaoyao and Nuomi to show off the fruits of last night's tutoring. Zhou You felt he had been truly diligent. Yesterday, he had only glanced at the forum thread, spending the rest of his time learning force-exertion techniques from Duan Yuxian. With a great role model like Duan Yuxian, he had to cultivate hard. Recalling what he had learned yesterday, he adjusted his breathing, sank his qi into his dantian, and gathered his mental focus. Breaking down his body by its anatomical structure, force started from his calves, channeling step by step through his joints—thighs, waist, torso, arms... fist! *Crack!* Zhou You swung a punch with sudden force—and mimicked the sound of breaking the air with his mouth! Zhou You had only practiced for one night and was far from proficient. In theory, it was supposed to create an audible rush of air; since his skill wasn't there yet, he rehearsed it with his mouth first. Zhao Zhuo, slumped over the back of his chair, couldn't resist mocking him. "Is this a new trick for your acrobatic troupe? Doesn't look like much to me." Zhou You disdained lowering himself to Zhao Zhuo's level. "This is an advanced force-exertion technique. You're just a common mortal; it's only normal you can't appreciate it." "Tch." "What do you think?" Zhou You had mainly performed it for Chu Xiaoyao and Nuomi. Nuomi shook her head proactively. She didn't understand anything about force-exertion techniques; when fighting people, she went entirely on instinct. "So amazing!" Nuomi clapped earnestly. The sect master's move looked much more imposing than hers, so it had to be amazing. Chu Xiaoyao didn't understand either. She didn't need any techniques when using her superpowers. Back on the Hongmeng Continent, she had surely learned all sorts of martial forms, but she hadn't remembered them yet. Chu Xiaoyao felt that having more skills was never a burden; if Zhou You wanted to study force-exertion techniques, he could go right ahead. It wasn't like anything catastrophic could happen anyway. Her question, however, lay elsewhere: "Why don't you combine the force-exertion technique with your soul?" Chu Xiaoyao's words jolted Zhou You awake. Cultivators in the Qi Refining stage couldn't see souls, yet he could leave his body in soul form and make physical contact with others. If he taught his soul these force-exertion mechanics, the power would undoubtedly be greater—and far more convenient than fighting with his physical body. Zhou You gave Chu Xiaoyao a thumbs-up. One could always count on the Empress. Chu Xiaoyao was very pleased with herself. What kind of status did she possess? Any of her identities, pulled out at random, was supreme. Standing in her position, she naturally possessed an extraordinary perspective, far beyond what Zhou You in his mere Qi Refining stage could match. "By the way, where did you learn this?" Chu Xiaoyao suddenly asked. Why had Zhou You picked this up out of the blue? "Uh, found a tutorial online," Zhou You replied, feeling a bit guilty. "Was it free?" "Free." Chu Xiaoyao nodded. That was fine then. As long as Zhou You hadn't been scammed out of money, anything free couldn't be a loss. Zhou You didn't plan on telling Chu Xiaoyao and Nuomi about the duel on the rooftop tomorrow at noon. He was the sect master, after all, and had even learned something new. Calling in backup for a one-on-one duel would make him look like he lacked backbone. Lian Yi, who was pretending to study with her head down nearby while secretly watching, felt puzzled. Although Zhou You's execution was crude, the foundation behind this force-exertion technique was remarkably sophisticated. Clearly, this wasn't something one could pick up from the internet; whoever taught Zhou You had to be a grandmaster who had immersed themselves in martial arts for many years. Chu Xiaoyao turned a blind eye to such an obvious flaw—did that mean she looked down on this sort of technique entirely? And when had Zhou You learned it? During the day, both she and Zhou You were at school. It was only over the past two evenings that she hadn't walked home from school with him, as she had been searching for treasure at Big Stone Lake. Lately, she was even considering whether she should haul back the silt from the bottom of the lake to inspect it. ... When school let out that evening and Zhou You returned home, he once again took the initiative to go up to the rooftop and invite Duan Yuxian down to continue coaching him in force-exertion techniques. "Right, that's the feeling." Duan Yuxian raised Zhou You's wrist an inch, thoroughly astonished by his comprehension. It had only been about a day, and Zhou You had already grasped the general idea. Such comprehension would be rare as phoenix feathers even across the history of the True Martial Great Hall. What a waste for him to stay in this unheard-of Carefree Sect. "Fellow Daoist Zhou, would you like to join our True Martial Great Hall?" If a genius like this could join the True Martial Great Hall, her master would surely be overjoyed. Who knows, maybe he would even reward her with a few gold bars? "I appreciate your kindness, Fellow Daoist Duan, but I cannot betray my sect." Su Tingxue had extended a similar invitation before, and Zhou You had declined for the exact same reason: he was the sect master, so he certainly couldn't leave the Carefree Sect. As he browsed the forum and gained a deeper understanding of the cultivation world, he knew what an exalted status Mount Longhu and the True Martial Great Hall held. Even so, Zhou You still felt that whatever could be learned in top sects could also be learned from Chu Xiaoyao—or perhaps even better. "All right, then." Zhou You's choice caught Duan Yuxian off guard. Someone had actually turned down an invitation to the True Martial Great Hall, and without a second thought at that. It seemed he was deeply attached to the Carefree Sect. Fellow Daoist Zhou truly valued loyalty and affection. With Zhou You so resolute, Duan Yuxian couldn't say much more. She went back to correcting his posture and demonstrating the proper technique. Afterward, she let Zhou You practice on his own while she lay on the bed playing on her phone and casually supervising. As Duan Yuxian scrolled through the Immortal Cultivation Forum on her phone, she suddenly received a QQ message from Su Tingxue. *Have you arrived in Chang'an yet?* *Been here two days,* Duan Yuxian replied offhandedly. Duan Yuxian was puzzled. Su Tingxue had never paid attention to her itinerary before. When things were out of the ordinary, something was definitely up. Did she have something going on? Had the time for their duel changed, or had she gotten cold feet and wanted to call it off? She was about to send a teasing meme along with it, searching her saved stickers to see if there was a fitting one. *Weren't you asking about that fellow Daoist from the Carefree Sect a few days ago? I've been thinking it over. On the day of our fight, I'll bring him along to meet you. He can serve as a witness to our duel, too.* Duan Yuxian's finger paused in its search for a meme, her eyes involuntarily drifting toward Zhou You, who was holding a horse stance and working on his form. Why did this feel... a little off? Zhou You was completely engrossed in delving into the mechanics of exerting force, oblivious to Duan Yuxian's gaze. "Um, Fellow Daoist Zhou..." "What's wrong?" Zhou You turned his head. Had he done something wrong in his practice? "Do you think there's any chance we could be complete strangers who don't know each other?"