NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Eight Locks Fist
After eating hotpot, it was already 9 PM.
The heads of the major regions departed overnight and did not linger in Deep Blue City.
The only ones left behind were Li Shutong and his newly accepted disciples, Han Zhen and Xia Youwei.
"Teacher, do you have a house in Deep Blue City?" On the way, Han Zhen asked with some surprise.
Deep Blue City wasn't a core metropolis, just an ordinary coastal city. Someone of Li Shutong's level logically wouldn't choose to settle in such a place.
Hearing Han Zhen's question, Li Shutong paused for a moment.
"Deep Blue City is my wife's hometown."
Li Shutong gave an answer that Han Zhen did not expect.
"Then why didn't Teacher's wife come back to visit her hometown with you? Is it because, like the wives of the senior brothers, she's..."
"She died in battle."
Li Shutong took two steps forward on his own, and the moonlight stretched his shadow very long.
Han Zhen and Xia Youwei froze, exchanging looks of astonishment.
"The world only knows Li Shutong as the hero who turned the tide and saved Great Xia, the one who killed three insect emperors. But who remembers her name?"
"If not for her, there would have been no Li Shutong to speak of."
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, and just as Han Zhen and Xia Youwei didn't know what else to say, Li Shutong, walking ahead, suddenly turned back and called out to him.
"Han Zhen."
"Teacher, I'm here."
"Treat Youwei and the future contracted spirits you form bonds well. They're not just contracted spirits or tools for combat. They are real people, with flesh and blood. They are your other half."
Perhaps because he had a soul that had traveled through worlds, Han Zhen never saw Xia Youwei as merely a combat tool.
But Li Shutong didn't know this.
While the creation of the Spirit Contract method had mitigated the insect calamity, it had also subtly influenced generations.
Thinking of this, Han Zhen nodded earnestly and resolutely.
"Teacher, so what was my teacher's wife's name?"
"I want to know her name. As long as someone remembers, she hasn't been forgotten by the world."
Li Shutong was stunned for a moment.
Then, he gave a wry smile.
"You really are different from them. Some of your words resonate deeply with me, as if they were carefully crafted to stir and amplify certain emotions."
'Teacher, the term you're referring to actually has a specific name. It's called "chicken soup."'
Han Zhen silently added this in his heart.
"Her name was Ling Mei."
Li Shutong looked up and said.
"In that historic battle, I killed one insect emperor, while she took down two at the cost of her life."
"If she were still alive, she would be more deserving of the honor of saving Great Xia than I am."
As Li Shutong spoke, he seemed to recall the days of fighting alongside Ling Mei.
"Don't worry, Teacher," Han Zhen suddenly said loudly, breaking his thoughts.
"Hmm?" Li Shutong didn't understand his intent.
"Teacher, I have a great idea. Why don't you pass the title of Great Xia's hero to me? That way, you'll have no regrets."
Han Zhen's quirky logic almost made Xia Youwei burst out laughing.
Li Shutong's face darkened, and the solemn sentiment he had painstakingly built up completely dissipated.
"Brat, you're really asking for it. Today, as your teacher, I'll teach you a few moves."
———
In Deep Blue City, there was a large independent villa.
This was once the residence of Li Shutong and Ling Mei, but after Ling Mei's death, Li Shutong hadn't lived here for a long time to avoid being reminded of the past.
The villa's facilities were still intact and regularly cleaned.
The night was already deep.
Xia Youwei went to her room to rest alone, while Han Zhen and Li Shutong came to the lawn outside the villa.
The cultivation methods of Spirit Contract Masters and their contracted spirits are divided into two types: solo training and dual training.
Perhaps with Han Zhen, there would eventually be a new type—multi-training, but that was a story for another time.
At this moment, Li Shutong had already changed into a set of training clothes and had prepared a set for Han Zhen as well.
"At dinner, they probably mentioned some of this to you."
"A hundred years ago, when Ling Mei was still alive, I was invincible as a Spirit Contract Master. But after that battle, Ling Mei perished. Losing my contracted spirit, my combat power was severely reduced."
"So, from that moment, I gained an understanding."
"A Spirit Contract Master cannot rely solely on their contracted spirit. Cultivating oneself not only enhances personal strength but also allows better protection for one's contracted spirit."
Li Shutong's perspective differed greatly from the mainstream and wasn't widely accepted.
Not everyone could stand at the same height as Li Shutong.
"Most people rely on their contracted spirits in battle, leading to a much higher mortality rate for the spirits compared to the masters. For Spirit Contract Masters who lose their spirits, they just need to form a bond with a new one—that's how most people think."
Hearing this, Han Zhen frowned.
He didn't like this mindset.
He also understood why Li Shutong had earlier emphasized not seeing contracted spirits as tools.
"Today, I'm teaching you a fist technique. It's not my own creation but something I stumbled upon in a relic site when I was young."
"I've spent a hundred years comprehending it and can only execute it with eighty percent effectiveness. Among your senior brothers, the one with the best martial talent, Wei Qing, is at fifty percent now."
"Don't pressure yourself. Just learn as much as you can. Martial arts depend somewhat on talent."
"Your talent as a Spirit Contract Master is already heaven-defying, so in martial arts, you might not excel. The heavens are always fair."
Li Shutong's preface only made Han Zhen more curious.
"Teacher, what is the name of this fist technique?"
"Eight Locks."
With that, he began explaining the technique while clenching his fists and assuming a starting stance.
As Li Shutong positioned himself, faint white energy swirled around his body, curling upward like an ethereal presence.
Han Zhen mimicked him, striking the same pose.
"The Eight Locks Fist technique involves eight locks, corresponding to eight hidden parts of the body. The human body is a small world, and each lock you unlock temporarily grants you stronger power. Once all eight locks are opened, you transcend your limits."
Li Shutong's explanation made Han Zhen's expression turn odd.
Sure enough, he heard Li Shutong continue, "The first lock of the Eight Locks Fist is called Opening the Lock!"
BOOM!
The moment Li Shutong finished speaking, the white energy enveloped him entirely. Originally an elderly figure, Li Shutong now exuded a terrifying aura.
"Mastering the Opening Lock marks your entry into the Eight Locks Fist. Back then, Wei Qing spent half a year training and had an epiphany in a life-and-death trial to unlock it. So, your task is to strengthen your physical training daily and strive to..."
Before Li Shutong could finish his sentence—
Suddenly, behind him, another burst of energy surged.
The same white aura enveloped Han Zhen.
"Teacher, like this?"
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