Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Master and Disciple

“Uncle Shang, have some tea.”

Tie Dalong’s broad, sturdy hand held a small teacup, which he placed before Shang Hongyi with great courtesy and respect. He was not afraid of Shang Hongyi himself, but showed deference for his father’s comrade-in-arms, for a senior martial artist, for a courageous warrior.

“Thank you.” Shang Hongyi accepted the cup, expressing his gratitude. Though he and Tie Dalong’s father had fought side by side, he had little direct connection with Tie Dalong himself, and so treated him with polite reserve.

“Uncle Shang, given our relationship, I’ll be direct. Gao Wu has remarkable martial aptitude—I’d like to accept him as my personal disciple.” Tie Dalong wasted no time stating his intent. “Any resources required for his martial training, I’ll provide without reservation. In my opinion, there’s no doubt he can advance to the rank of warrior.

“My own children lack ambition; perhaps, in the future, the Iron Dragon Martial Hall will be entrusted to him…”

Shang Hongyi smiled. Passing the martial hall to Gao Wu—now that was a grand promise, indeed. He waved his hand lightly and replied, “I’ll be frank as well. Gao Wu’s goal is to enter the Martial Arts Academy at Anjing University.”

Tie Dalong fell silent; he understood perfectly what Shang Hongyi meant. The Martial Arts Academy at Anjing University was the sacred ground of martial arts in the Northern Province. Its professors were at least Martial Masters, some even Martial Grandmasters. If Gao Wu was fortunate, he might even become the disciple of a Grandmaster.

It was one thing to study at the academy under the strong, but quite another to be personally accepted as a disciple. A martial powerhouse represented a vast faction and endless resources; becoming one’s disciple was tantamount to joining their inner circle.

As a mere warrior, Tie Dalong had no right to compare himself to the martial elites of Anjing University. With such lofty ambitions, Gao Wu naturally could not become his disciple.

With no attempt to hide his disappointment, Tie Dalong said, “That’s a real shame.”

Shang Hongyi smiled again. “Gao Wu can still join the Iron Dragon Martial Hall and represent it in competitions.”

The old man continued, “Gao Wu intends to participate in next year’s Xuetao Cup—an excellent opportunity for publicity.”

“Oh?” Tie Dalong turned an appraising gaze on Gao Wu. He wanted him as a disciple precisely because he saw potential.

Whether or not Gao Wu had received enhancement serums, Tie Dalong could sense his vigorous life force—a clear sign of robust health.

However, Gao Wu was still very young, and the gap between him and seasoned martial veterans was considerable.

The Xuetao Cup, founded by Martial King Song Xuetao, boasted a prize of two million. Song Xuetao hailed from Dongjiang, and the tournament was meant to inspire local martial artists. Any martial artist with Dongjiang residency could enter, with no age restrictions.

This meant that high-level martial artists in their thirties or forties held a tremendous advantage. Each year, the champion was generally a top fighter in his thirties. The current Xuetao Cup marked the fiftieth edition; never had anyone under twenty-five won the championship.

Shang Hongyi understood Tie Dalong’s skepticism. He said, “He doesn’t have to win; placing in the top ten would be an excellent result.”

He knew Gao Wu’s physique was exceptional, but even so, he did not believe he could clinch the championship.

The Xuetao Cup drew all of Dongjiang’s elite fighters, and with live broadcasts, it was a grand occasion for the martial world. Achieving a top-ten finish would be enough for Gao Wu to make a name for himself.

Tie Dalong laughed. “Very well. If Gao Wu makes the top ten, I’ll give him a hundred thousand; the top three, two hundred thousand; win the championship, half a million!”

Gao Wu found those terms quite satisfactory—there were no penalties if he failed, and all the benefits were his. Only because of the old man’s reputation would Tie Dalong offer such generous terms.

The old master nodded approvingly. “Bold and forthright! Old Tie, your legacy is secure!”

He then turned to Gao Wu, “The Iron Family’s Soaring Dragon Sword and Palm techniques are renowned throughout Dongjiang. You must study diligently under Hall Master Tie…”

Given such courtesy, Shang Hongyi naturally offered Tie Dalong his compliments as well.

“Uncle Shang flatters me—I’m not worthy,” Tie Dalong replied, though his broad face was all smiles.

The Tie siblings shared nearly identical features; Tie Dalong’s face was larger, his eyes narrower, and his beard thick and full. Such looks might be unattractive for a woman, but on a man as massive and robust as Tie Dalong, they exuded power and masculine charisma.

Though Gao Wu would not formally become a disciple, he poured Tie Dalong a cup of tea himself, addressing him as “teacher.”

“Teacher” was not the same as “master,” but it was more intimate than the usual schoolteacher—an intermediary, yet close relationship.

“From now on, come every evening to study the Soaring Dragon Palm. Two months should be enough for you to learn the essentials…” Tie Dalong instructed.

“Teacher, the coach requires special training in the evenings; I’ll come in the mornings instead.”

Gao Wu had evening sessions with Song Mingyue, which took priority over learning the Soaring Dragon Palm—it was, in fact, his most crucial pursuit at present.

Fortunately, third-year academic courses were already complete; as a martial arts student, he could simply request a long leave from his homeroom teacher.

Tie Dalong had no objections—morning sessions would actually save him from having to set aside extra time in the evenings for Gao Wu.

After a while, as it neared the appointed time, Gao Wu excused himself. Tie Ying personally saw him to the door and handed him an access card for the martial hall.

Gao Wu hurried back to the school’s martial arts center by bicycle and, thankfully, arrived on time.

Huang Hai rarely raised his voice, but his cold, piercing gaze was enough to make one’s skin crawl—better to be scolded outright.

On the other hand, Huang Hai seldom offered instruction on specific techniques, a fact that made Gao Wu somewhat dismissive of his coach.

Recently, Gao Wu had been injecting the Blood Dragon Serum, experiencing a rapid surge in strength. Most of his time in the martial arts center was spent on intensive anaerobic training, stimulating physical growth through high-intensity muscle contractions.

Watching Gao Wu deadlift with a thousand-kilogram barbell, the martial arts team members looked on with envy. His strength was already in a class of its own.

Previously, Huang Long had been the strongest, but now Gao Wu had far surpassed him. This left Huang Long rather disgruntled, unable to view Gao Wu favorably.

Yet, he knew his place and dared not play any tricks.

During a break, Gao Wu made a point of informing Coach Huang Hai that he had passed the advanced martial artist examination.

Huang Hai was unsurprised; he praised Gao Wu and publicly announced the news to the entire team, encouraging everyone to learn from him.

The team members all heard clearly—they were shocked, envious, and jealous in turn.

Their gazes toward Gao Wu became especially fervent. As members of the martial arts team, they understood all too well the prestige of being an eighteen-year-old advanced martial artist.

With this distinction alone, Gao Wu could choose freely among the top martial arts universities in the Northern Province!

Even the perpetually competitive Huang Long was subdued—he could not hope to match an advanced martial artist; the gap was simply too great…

That evening, Gao Wu told Song Mingyue about joining the Iron Dragon Martial Hall.

“Iron Dragon Martial Hall, yes—I know of it. The Iron Family’s Soaring Dragon Sword is quite unique and considered formidable in Dongjiang,” Song Mingyue said. “The Soaring Dragon Sword derives from the ninth form of the Dragon Shape—‘Soaring Dragon Leaps the Abyss.’ The sword technique is as agile and unpredictable as a dragon, its changes swift and fierce. While its essence comes from the military, the Iron Family has added their own complexity and variations, making it well-suited to you.

“It’s time you learned a weapon art. A martial artist with a weapon sees their combat power increase tenfold.”

She spoke with great seriousness. “This world is not safe. We must always be prepared for battle…”

Gao Wu nodded emphatically. The harrowing experience at fourteen had given him a deep appreciation for Song Mingyue’s caution.

Ordinary people, sheltered by years of peace, easily forgot the dangers of other realms.

But for Gao Wu, the other world was like a sword hanging over his head, filling him with a constant sense of crisis. His determination to become the world’s number one was born from a desire to seize control of his own destiny!