"Master, were you injured in the past?"

Zhao Rui asked with a frown. "Normally, a True Transformation Realm expert would have already opened their Ren and Du Meridians to produce True Qi. But it’s clear from your condition that yours are blocked. That’s not normal."

But Li Cunxin’s condition clearly showed that his Ren and Du Meridians were blocked, which wasn’t a normal state.

"An old injury from my youth. If there’s no way to fix it, then so be it!"

Li Cunxin smiled, a hint of disappointment in his eyes, but his mood didn’t waver much. At his age, it wasn’t a huge deal whether it could be fixed or not.

It was no longer a major issue.

At least one of the disciples he, Li Da Nao, had taught was now a Grandmaster.

At this thought, Li Cunxin’s eyes lit up. ’A Grandmaster!’

’If I don’t use this for a bit of advertising, wouldn’t it be a huge waste?’

’This brat, why didn’t he say so earlier?’

"You..."

Just as he opened his mouth, he heard Zhao Rui say, "There is a way."

"Hm?"

Li Cunxin froze.

"I can help you unblock them, but you’ll have to suffer a little!"

Zhao Rui said with a smile.

"You brat, teasing your own master. It’s fine. I’m tough as nails; I can take it."

Li Cunxin’s face lit up with joy at his words. What was a little pain compared to clearing his damaged meridians and maybe even reaching the Grandmaster Realm?

"Alright, then let’s begin!"

"Right now?"

"What, does Master need to bathe and change clothes? Burn some incense and pray for blessings?"

"You brat!"

Li Cunxin shot him a glare. Without any more fuss, he found an empty spot and sat down cross-legged.

Zhao Rui chuckled and said, "Master, brace yourself."

After speaking, he walked behind Li Cunxin, also sat down cross-legged, tapped several points on his body, and then struck him on the back with one palm.

A strange stream of Demon Path True Qi, sharp as a needle’s point, instantly pierced into Li Cunxin’s back.

"Ouch!"

The corner of Li Cunxin’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.

"Master, does it hurt?"

Li Cunxin gritted his teeth and said, "Doesn’t hurt. I’m old, my skin is thick!"

"Good. I’m going to increase the intensity now. Hang in there."

"..."

Li Cunxin felt he had spoken too soon.

It turned out that was just the appetizer.

Before he could even process it, the strange True Qi shot straight for the damaged parts of his Ren and Du Meridians. Like maggots clinging to bone, it began to fester and grow in the blockages.

HISS... SSS... HUFF...

Li Cunxin felt as if he were being eaten by insects, or as if someone were drilling into his flesh and bone with an awl. Yet the sensation was as persistent as death by a thousand cuts.

Just hearing the sounds was enough to tell how intense it was!

He wanted to endure it, but the pain came on so suddenly, as if erupting from his very Divine Soul, that he couldn’t help but cry out in agony.

Outside the training room, three disciples had already gathered. In addition to their little junior sister, the eldest and third senior brothers were also there.

The two senior brothers’ eyelids twitched as they listened.

’Is our junior brother torturing Master?’

’What kind of grudge is this? What deep-seated hatred!’

"Should we go in and save him?"

The two exchanged a look, truly uncertain what Li Da Nao and the other were doing.

"Let’s wait a little longer!"

The sounds of pain came quickly, and they faded just as fast.

After all, Li Da Nao was no ordinary person. Once his consciousness took control of his body, he naturally wouldn’t cry out.

He endured it for seven or eight minutes.

Just then, a warm stream of True Qi suddenly flowed into his body, immediately attaching itself to the areas corroded by the strange True Qi.

Then a peculiar sensation—a mixture of comfort, excitement, and stimulation—welled up inside him.

Li Cunxin couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

Although it was faint, the people outside were all Martial Artists. How could they not hear it?

’The master and disciple don’t have some... unique fetish, do they?’

"Ewww..."

’It can’t be!’

The two senior brothers couldn’t help but shudder.

After waiting like this for another seven or eight minutes, Li Cunxin finally made it through the alternating sensations of heart-wrenching pain and soothing comfort.

"It’s done!"

Zhao Rui withdrew his power and his palm. He looked at his master, who was drenched in sweat with his clothes soaked through, and spoke.

Li Cunxin exhaled a long, turbid breath. He meditated for a moment before exclaiming in pleasant surprise:

"There’s no blockage at all! This is wonderful! The heavens are truly watching over me!"

Zhao Rui smiled, walked to the door and opened it. Seeing his senior brothers and junior sister staring at each other in bewilderment, he stepped aside to let them in.

"Master, Junior Brother, what were you two...?"

The group flooded into the Martial Arts Hall and looked at the cross-legged Li Cunxin, asking curiously.

"Your junior brother was helping me treat my old hidden injuries."

After speaking, Li Cunxin paused for a moment before adding, "Also, I have some good news for you all. Zhao Rui has already broken through to the Grandmaster Realm."

"What?!"

Everyone cried out in astonishment, "Zhao Rui is a... a Grandmaster?"

The two senior brothers felt their hearts pounding like war drums.

That was the Grandmaster Realm!

Don’t be fooled by how Zhao Rui hung around Grandmaster Realm experts all day, even roughing them up from time to time. In reality, senior brothers like these two rarely ever saw a Grandmaster.

They only had a chance to see the high-and-mighty Grandmasters during events held by the City Martial Arts Association.

"This... How is this possible!"

"What do you mean, ’not possible’? It’s because you two are too stupid!"

With a WHOOSH, Li Cunxin shot in front of his two disciples and kicked each of them once.

The two didn’t dare to dodge. They winced as they took the hit, then said sheepishly, "We were just too excited."

Li Cunxin kept a stern face, waving his hand as he walked toward the main hall.

In a short while, every disciple in the Martial Arts Hall knew that their hall had produced a Grandmaster disciple.

In an instant, cheers and cries of surprise rose and fell in waves.

Zhao Rui didn’t try to stop the excited clamor. If he had known a senior brother was a Grandmaster when he first joined the Martial Arts Hall, he probably would have been even more excited than they were.

It not only represented the strength of the Martial Arts Hall, but also a future Realm that, while the chances of reaching it were slim, was still full of hope.

"Master, tomorrow I will teach the entry-level disciples a set of Martial Arts in the hall. This set is a form of Taoist Martial Arts. It focuses more on honing the foundations of one’s Inner Power and will help everyone with their training..."