From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

Bai Heming closed the tea lid and looked at Lu Yunzhou.

"You've come to ask about cultivation levels, which means you have no one to teach you. But you've already opened seven apertures at such a young age, what will outsiders think?"

Lu Yunzhou put down his teacup.

"Senior, are you saying that someone will investigate my cultivation technique?"

"A superior inheritance is enough to make those martial artists who have been stuck at the pass for many years risk their lives." Bai Heming tapped the table. "Today I'm the one you've encountered, so I won't ask about your background. Someone else might not be willing to follow the rules."

Lu Yunzhou thought of Old Mo in the abandoned brick kiln.

That old bastard has abandoned all sense of shame in his eagerness to seize the "Creation Manual." If I hadn't caught him off guard with my silver needles, I would have been the one buried in the brick kiln.

"I encountered a master of internal energy a while ago," Lu Yunzhou said. "He had his eye on my cultivation method and wanted to kill me to steal my cultivation points."

Bai Heming lowered his brows.

"You're still alive and sitting here, while he's already dead?"

"He's dead."

"Then we should be even more careful. Have you found out if this person has any fellow disciples, and what forces are they involved with?"

Lu Yunzhou shook his head.

Bai Heming picked up the teapot and poured him half a cup.

"Reveal as little as possible, leave as few traces as possible. If someone tests you, retreat if you can. If you can't retreat, don't give them the chance to go back and report."

Although he spoke casually, Lu Yunzhou's back tensed up.

The old man ran a dilapidated martial arts school, but he was remarkably insightful. With just a few words, he deduced that the old man possessed a martial arts lineage, without asking a single question.

Lu Yunzhou picked up his teacup and said solemnly, "Your reminder today saved me from taking more than just a few detours. I'd like to offer you this cup of tea."

Bai Heming raised his cup and clinked it with his.

"Remember this. Whether you can do it or not depends on you."

The sound of cloth shoes swishing on the floor came from under the eaves.

The girl returned with a tray, now containing two clean teacups. She walked to Lu Yunzhou's side but hesitated to put the tea down.

"I was the one who started it in the front yard just now."

She pushed the cup in front of Lu Yunzhou, her ears turning red.

"I mistook you for someone who came to cause trouble. This drink is on me to make up for it, so don't hold a grudge."

Lu Yunzhou took the tea and smiled, "It's easy for people to misunderstand if I immediately ask for your guidance. It's right for you to be vigilant while you're guarding the martial arts school."

"You're quite good with words."

The girl looked up at him, and finally a smile appeared on her face.

Bai Heming leaned against the stone bench and said, "Her name is Bai Ruoxi, and she's my granddaughter. She has a terrible temper, but she's quite good at boxing."

"Grandpa, who introduces people like that?"

Bai Ruoxi placed the tray on the table.

"I'm only twenty-two this year, and I'm already at the late stage of the fourth rank. Give me another year, and I'll definitely reach the fifth rank. When my senior sister comes back, you'll be able to meet her too. She's already at the seventh rank, the same realm as you, but much more powerful than me."

Lu Yunzhou nodded.

"It's truly rare to reach the fourth rank at this age with such a solid foundation. That 'Mountain-Piercing Strike' you just used would have already knocked down an ordinary martial arts instructor."

Bai Ruoxi's eyes curved into a smile.

"You know your stuff. What kind of footwork were you using just now? You were always half a step off; I couldn't even touch your clothes."

"I practiced some of these techniques in the military, and then modified them myself."

"Teach me a couple of tricks next time?"

"Okay. Don't start hitting me right away, I'll definitely teach you."

Bai Ruoxi laughed out loud.

Bai Heming slammed the teacup back onto the table.

"Her problem is that she's anxious, but you have more problems than she does."

Lu Yunzhou stopped smiling.

"Please explain further, senior."

"When we were exchanging blows just now, your first seven steps were fairly smooth. But when you turned and landed, you lost your breath twice in your shoulders and back. All seven acupoints were open, but your muscles and bones didn't keep up."

Bai Heming stared at him and asked, "How long was the interval between the sixth and seventh acupoints?"

"Less than a month."

"Two orifices broken in one go, no wonder."

Bai Heming bent down, picked up a dead branch, and wrote four characters on the muddy ground under the tree.

Accumulate knowledge and experience before unleashing its full potential.

"Your inner energy is rising too fast, and you can't control it. Right now, you can release it, but you can't control it. You won't see the problem when you encounter a weak opponent, but when you meet a master of the same level, a single missed move will expose your weakness."

Lu Yunzhou looked down at the four characters on the ground.

Previously, he had only focused on opening the next acupoint. Each time he circulated the "Creation Technique," his true energy surged wildly through his meridians. While his power increased, his control over the finer details became increasingly poor.

"First, refine your existing true energy until you can stop using every bit of power, then seek to break through to a higher realm."

Lu Yunzhou raised his head.

"Senior, I understand."

The white crane cried out, dropping a withered branch.

"Once you understand, don't rush to the eighth acupoint. Rotate the body thirty-six times a day, and practice the closing posture first. Only when you can push a full cup of tea to the edge of the table without spilling a drop should we talk about the next step."

The door knocker in the front yard was knocked on three times.

The third blow was particularly heavy, causing the door to shake twice.

"Brother Bai, I'm here to visit, you can't just leave me standing outside, can you?"

The smile on Bai Ruoxi's face faded.

"Why is Fang Zhengzhou here again?"

Lu Yunzhou asked, "Who is it?"

"The vice leader of the Sheng'an Martial Arts Alliance. Every time he comes over, he says he wants to exchange ideas, but he always ends up forcing people to fight."

Before the words were even finished, the two of them had already crossed the front yard.

The elderly man walking in front was tall and thin, wearing a gray jacket with two walnuts in his palm. The young man following behind him was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in shorts and with black wristbands wrapped around his wrists.

Bai Heming sat still.

"Vice Alliance Leader Fang, you didn't even send a formal invitation, skipping all the formalities?"

Fang Zhengzhou chuckled twice.

"When fellow martial artists visit each other, there's no need for such formalities. The Martial Arts Alliance is reviewing the seats of each martial arts school next month, so I'm just stopping by to ask if the Bajiquan School is sending anyone this year."

The young man ignored the old people's conversation.

His gaze swept back and forth between Bai Ruoxi and Lu Yunzhou, before settling on the cup of tea in front of Lu Yunzhou.

"Ruoxi, I invited you to watch the martial arts match, but you said you were busy. Now you have time to have tea with some strangers?"

Bai Ruoxi hugged the tray to her arms.

"Fang Zhuo, I don't need to explain to you who I talk to."

Fang Zhuo's jaw tightened.

"who is he?"

"Grandpa's guest."

"Guests are allowed into the backyard, and you're even allowed to personally change their tea?"

Lu Yunzhou raised his cup slightly.

"She misunderstood me just now; this drink is an apology."

"Misunderstand?"

Fang Zhuo took a step forward.

Just as Bai Ruoxi was about to explain, he swept his foot, and the wooden stool next to him flipped several meters away, crashed into the wall, and fell apart on the spot.

Bai Heming's voice deepened.

"Fang Zhuo, this is not your place to act wildly."

Fang Zhengzhou was fiddling with walnuts, not even lifting his eyelids.

"The younger generation is hot-tempered; let them explain themselves. Why should Elder Bai stop them?"

Fang Zhuo stared at Lu Yunzhou.

"You dared to lay a hand on Ruoxi and even made her pay for your tea. You must have a lot of influence."

Lu Yunzhou remained seated in the same spot.

"The matter has been discussed openly, and I have no interest in another fight."

You have no choice.

Fang Zhuo assumed a boxing stance, channeling external force into his arms, causing several fine cracks to appear in the cement beneath his feet.

"Within ten moves, I'll cripple both your legs. Stay away from Ruoxi from now on."