Fang Yu had an epiphany and gained a general understanding of demons and the game world.
In simple terms, a demon is like a werewolf; it cannot reveal its identity, for if it does, it will be surrounded and killed by the guards.
However, it could use the human skin it wore to stealthily attack and kill, unnoticed by gods or ghosts.
But...
Fang Yu thought of his own skill. He could see health bars.
In front of his skill, the demon’s long health bar had nowhere to hide.
Fang Yu became even more satisfied with his skill.
The only problem was that he could not beat the demon.
Even if he truly found the demon, without sufficient preparation, he would not dare to expose its identity, or else he would be the first to be killed instantly.
"There’s another issue, Lord Li. I feel that my body is not weak, but my punches are soft. Like when I was killing the demon before, I could clearly sense that I could only cause minor injuries to the demon. But your attacks were very effective, why is that?"
Fang Yu asked knowingly.
He already had a rough idea of the situation.
Li Qianxuan seemed to understand what Fang Yu was thinking, but he did not point it out directly and instead said,
"That is the difference between a Martial Artist and an ordinary person."
"Even if an ordinary person trains, they can only strengthen their body, unable to unleash all the potential and power of their body. Their usage of physical strength is far from sufficient."
"Martial Artists, on the other hand, specialize in Martial Arts. They stimulate the body’s potential, squeezing out every bit of strength from the body, unleashing all the power. Hence, every burst of power, every attack they make, unleashes a strength far beyond that of an ordinary person."
"You should have experienced this. The wounds we inflict with our swords, and the wounds you inflict, result in two entirely different outcomes."
With that said, Fang Yu immediately knelt on one knee and said,
"Please, Lord Li, teach me Martial Arts!"
Based on Fang Yu’s understanding, with the mood set and given the favor owed, Li Qianxuan should take him in, right?
But in reality, Li Qianxuan shook his head slightly.
"Diao Deyi, you have a remarkable courage. To tell the truth, I think highly of you. But unfortunately, I cannot take you in."
"Firstly, your age is a bit too high. The best age to start cultivating the foundation of martial arts is around seven or eight to temper the bones and flesh, to shape the body and nurture the Qi."
"And you, already sixteen, have fully formed bones, missing the best cultivation period. Even with good talent, your future achievements are limited."
"Even so, I still hold you in high regard. But there is another issue."
"That is... the people of the Foolish Underworld cannot freely pass on the Martial Arts of the Foolish Underworld."
"I am also a person of the Foolish Underworld, just a ten-household chief, barely able to muster a hundred people, which shows my low status in the Foolish Underworld, naturally, I cannot go against this rule."
"However..."
Fang Yu, who had already shown a look of disappointment, perked up his ears when he heard Li Qianxuan hint at an alternative.
"However, there are many martial halls in Tianyuan Town."
"Some martial halls will teach martial arts for a fee irresponsibly, just to amass wealth."
"While some martial halls have restrictions like talent and age, emphasizing quality over quantity."
"If you want to learn the Martial Arts of the Foolish Underworld, you must first join the Foolish Underworld."
"And to join the Foolish Underworld, one must first pass its assessments, but without a special skill, it’s impossible to pass."
"So with your current situation, if you want to learn what I know, there is only one path you can take."
"That is to join a martial hall, learn Martial Arts, and after three to five years of hard training, apply to join the Foolish Underworld and be registered under my name."
Li Qianxuan felt like he had outlined a future path for Fang Yu, waiting for Fang Yu’s gratitude.
Fang Yu’s mouth hung open, with an expression as if he might have misheard.
"Lord Li, how many years of hard training did you say?"
Li Qianxuan replied matter-of-factly, "Three to five years."
Three to five years?
Dude, this game operates at a 1:1 real-time flow!
Expecting me to grind in the game for three to five years before joining your rundown office? Are you insane? The game would be shut down by then, what a bad idea.
Seemingly perceiving Fang Yu’s thoughts, Li Qianxuan’s demeanor showed a trace of displeasure, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Diao Deyi, don’t set your sights too high. In the way of martial arts, you advance step by step. Three to five years is already quite ideal. Starting to train at martial arts at your age, compared to those younger peers, the effort is doubled for half the gain. Being able to catch up to their starting point in three to five years is already quite impressive."
Alright, it looks like training in martial arts in this game is truly tough.
But if it’s hard for me, it’s hard for other players too.
Having something to learn is good enough, might as well start training.
Fang Yu calmed his emotions.
"Then may I ask Lord Li, do you have any martial arts school you can recommend?"
Fang Yu then remembered how, on the way here, he asked Yue Guang to teach him bow technique, but he avoided the topic.
It appears it was due to Foolish Underworld’s rules, prohibiting the private transmission of martial arts.
"There are nearly a hundred scattered martial arts schools in Tianyuan Town, but only about thirty of them are of significant size. Generally, all of them have the support of powerful factions."
"The three biggest martial arts schools are Hongyang Martial Arts Hall, Martial Hall of Literature, and Truth Spirit Martial Arts Hall."
"However, I do not recommend you join these top three martial arts schools. Aside from the issues of aptitude and financial investment, just the fact that once you join, it’s not easy to leave, that alone is difficult to handle."
Fang Yu picked up on it.
These three martial arts schools are equivalent to independent powers in Tianyuan Town outside of Foolish Underworld.
Joining these martial arts schools is like branding yourself with their mark. Others won’t dare to provoke you easily, but you can’t easily shed this layer of skin.
Alive you belong to the martial arts school, and dead you’re the ghost of the martial arts school. Prepare yourself mentally for this if you seriously consider joining any of these top martial arts schools.
"The one I recommend for you is a mid-sized martial arts school. It doesn’t have a large influence, nor many people. But the hall master is honest and fair, a trustworthy person."
"The most important thing is, it’s clean enough that you can take off the school’s apparel and join other factions anytime, without leaving behind problems."
"This martial arts school is called Yuan Martial Arts School. The hall master, Yuan Hongxin, is also a skilled martial artist, with strength about at the Grass Realm beginner stage. More than enough to teach you martial arts."
"The only problem is, it might be quite expensive."
Yuan Martial Arts School? Grass Realm beginner stage?
Fang Yu quickly swallowed his pride and asked further.
"Lord Li, how are the strength levels of martial artists classified?"
"You don’t know this? Martial artists are divided into four major realms: Flower, Grass, Tree, and Wood."
"Ordinary people who step onto the path of martial arts enter the Flower Realm."
"After training from the beginner to the advanced stage, and achieving a breakthrough, one reaches the Grass Realm."
"The Tree Realm, I have only heard rumors of, while the Wood Realm powerhouses are something I’ve never heard of."
"Anything beyond that, I don’t know."
Flower, Grass, Tree, Wood? So casual?
What’s with this game?
Seeing Fang Yu’s train of thought, Li Qianxuan said,
"Do you think the names of these realms are a joke? Quite the contrary."
"These realms have been passed down from ancient times when the path of martial arts was still desolate. The predecessors enlightened themselves on the Dao through flowers, grass, trees, and wood, and thus established the foundational benchmarks of martial arts, hence the names of the realms were set."