With that, Liu Yi didn't care about Zhang Beixing's reaction and directly hung up the phone.

He tossed his phone onto the bed. Turning his head, he found his sister-in-law had already applied medicine for him.

Looking at the bruises on his body reflected in the glass, Liu Yi touched them and immediately grimaced in pain.

Seeing this, Liu Pan said in annoyance, "Alright, why are you touching it when you're hurt? Your sister-in-law just applied that medicine, and you've wiped it all off. What was Beixing telling you on the phone just now? I heard you making a fuss. What's wrong?"

Liu Yi waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing much. Just that fellow, Zhang Beixing, said that during his martial arts training in Yiling, he fought a tiger, mastered the Gang Wind, and even mastered Vital Energy Emission, becoming a Transforming Force Grandmaster."

"Huh?" Hearing Liu Yi's words, Liu Pan's face showed the same baffled expression Liu Yi had worn not long ago.

However, he quickly collected himself and caught the key point in Liu Yi's words. "You just said Beixing mastered Vital Energy Emission? Really? If that's true, then he knows both internal and external styles now. Wouldn't we have to start calling him Grandmaster Zhang?"

"What kind of question is that, Bro?" Liu Yi had a speechless expression. "Others might not know what it takes to practice Vital Energy Emission, but don't you? It requires life-and-death combat; understanding can only be achieved on the brink of death. In our society today, where would you find life-and-death combat that could help Zhang Beixing master Vital Energy Emission?"

Life-and-death combat is an essential factor for mastering Vital Energy Emission! It's also the biggest hurdle to becoming a Grandmaster. In ancient times, human life was considered insignificant, and warfare was rampant. Martial artists almost always had blood on their hands, having experienced life-and-death battles. Back then, this hurdle wasn't considered a big deal. Even so, the youngest Grandmaster recorded in ancient times was a full forty years old! And the holder of this record was none other than the renowned Taoist of Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng!

This is even truer in today's stable and safe society. Although one could engage in matches in a ring through official channels, someone would intervene once the fighting intensified, let alone allowing for life-and-death tempering. This is also why there are so few Grandmasters nowadays. Without those conditions, no matter how talented you are, it's meaningless if you can't overcome that hurdle.

As for joining the military and battling on the field, that's even more absurd. Not to mention that our Great Xia is now flourishing and no minor powers dare to wage war against us. Just consider modern warfare. Do you really think it's still the era of the Korean War, where if you were outmatched, you could still fix bayonets and charge into close combat? Today's warfare is purely a confrontation of firearms. If a martial artist stepped onto the battlefield, they'd probably be sniped in the head from a distance by a sniper before they could even engage in life-and-death combat, utterly and completely dead. Or they might be obliterated by a missile barrage without ever seeing the enemy. You can't expect a Grandmaster to withstand firearms, can you? Even Zhang Sanfeng didn't have such an ability! If it were possible, the world would have unified long ago, and we'd have begun the journey to the stars and vast oceans. Why would there still be so many countries, so many languages, and so many skin colors? So, don't be superstitious! Believe in science!

Currently, in our Great Xia, the existing batch of Grandmaster Martial Artists only managed to break through because they joined the battlefield during the Korean War and the Counterattack against Vietnam. They gained their tempering through life-and-death battles, which allowed them to achieve their breakthroughs and master Vital Energy Emission. But how many years has it been since the Korean War and the Counterattack against Vietnam? The youngest of them is almost seventy now, and the older ones are nearly a hundred. Therefore, the martial arts circle of our Great Xia is in a dire state, with a severe shortage of successors. When one Grandmaster Martial Artist dies, they become one fewer, and there's simply no one to replace them.

…

"That... does make sense," Liu Pan said. "But if that's the case, why would Beixing tell you he had mastered Vital Energy Emission and become a Grandmaster Martial Artist?"

Liu Pan admitted that Liu Yi made sense, but he still didn't understand Zhang Beixing's motive behind saying that.

To this, Liu Yi answered succinctly, "To show off!"

"Huh?"

Liu Pan was startled.

Showing off? What a ludicrous motive!

Confused, Liu Pan looked at Liu Yi, who lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said,

"Bro, you've only known that brat Zhang Beixing for about ten days, all told. You don't know his true character, so you wouldn't think along these lines."

"But as his master, I've been with him for three months. I might not know the kid inside out, but I'm very clear about his disposition."

"He doesn't call me unless something's up. It's either to show off his recent martial arts training progress or because he's caused trouble. This time, it's rare; he hasn't caused any trouble. So, the only thing left is that he's here to show off."

"But I've already figured it out. That brat's attempt to show off failed, so he chose this way to try and fool me. What he probably didn't expect is that after I used the Northern Sect Eight Pieces of Brocade to mostly heal my chronic ailments, my martial arts understanding also advanced to another level. And after being provoked by those bastards the other day, I'm now on the verge of reaching the Grandmaster threshold!"

Thus, Liu Yi's guess wasn't without basis. He had made this judgment based on Zhang Beixing's usual words, actions, and general conduct.

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