Chapter 9: A Strict Teacher Produces Outstanding Students

In a moment of impulsiveness, Xinghai exclaimed, "I am still recovering from my injuries from yesterday; how can I possibly endure this? I am not a living dead like you!" Suddenly realizing that his words were too harsh, he became deeply concerned about provoking him.

Xinghai Dao: "Forgive my frankness, but your departure is tantamount to seeking death. You are weak and alone, and you have no idea where the ancient tomb of Puxiu is located. How can you survive in this vast sea with no water and no food?"

The figure of great sorrow shouted: "I do not want to practice! I do not want to practice! I would rather read and write, go back to being a bookworm, than practice your life-threatening supreme martial arts!"

With a muffled grunt, he thought to himself: "It sounds nice, but surely they are going to find another way to harm me."

Chenzhe Dao: "If one does not get enough sleep, it harms the foundation. I am determined to take risks; it is my improper handling."

Imagining the appearance of this demon cooking and preparing meals, I couldn't help but chuckle quietly, and my mood improved somewhat. I took a bite, and the taste was quite good, though I wondered if it was due to not having eaten for a long time.

Xinghai hurriedly withdrew the protective aura

Generally speaking, by the fifth day, the excitement of the awakened has subsided, returning to normalcy, requiring sufficient sleep and adequate nourishment. For now, you return to the cabin, and I will take the helm; in the evening, you will take over for me

Xinghai Yangyang said: "I cannot be of any help; compared to your divine skills, I am hardly better than a dead person."

Chen Zhe Dao: "Indeed, this morning you practiced lifting the iron anchor, at noon you practiced lightness skills, and in the evening, you focused on protective vital energy. Each practice session consists of three hundred repetitions"

Chen Zhedao: "Why haven't you changed your habit of cursing others?" Before the words fell, he leaped towards a nearby enemy ship, soaring over twenty zhang, disappearing into the shadows of the crowd

With no mercy, he was yanked up and pushed towards the mast. Chenghai gritted his teeth and thought: "Although this person is annoying, his true skills are undeniable, and he is doing this for my own good. If he can accomplish it, can I not do the same? At worst, I might fall to my death or tire myself out, but that would be a form of liberation"

I was momentarily careless and dozed off for a while, allowing the pirates to approach closely

Formless thoughts: "I have practiced so well, why do you not praise me? Even if you were to say, as before, 'not inferior to me,' it would bring me some joy. Indeed, this person is stubborn and unwilling to acknowledge my intelligence, lest I become too proud. Never mind, never mind, as long as I know it myself.

Chen Zhedao: "My arrows will curve." As soon as the word "curve" left his lips, the round stone had already reached before his form. The form let out a great roar, channeling the protective energy, and felt only a slight pain on his body

This protective energy is different from lightness skill; it is a technique that uses dragon fire to shield the skin, preventing the enemy's weapons from causing harm. Once deployed, it can instantly turn the tide of battle. The enemy's offensive can be disregarded, allowing one to focus solely on attacking, thus gaining a significant advantage. Due to its immense power, it consumes a great deal of dragon fire, making it unsuitable for prolonged use. It must be employed flexibly to achieve a state where it can be summoned at will and dismissed just as easily.

The figure could not utter a word and dove into the cabin, where there were no corpses left, and even the stench had been completely cleared away. The figure pushed open a door and saw that Chen Zhe had cooked rice, still steaming hot, with dishes consisting of an apple, a pear, and two unknown sea fish.

"Concentrate!"

Xinghai shouted, "Senior brother, what on earth is going on?"

Chen Zhe Dao: "If you can escape, then so be it." Before the words were finished, the round stone had already been thrown.

I will throw this stone at you, stopping after one hundred times

He ran up, and by this time it was already late in the day. On the other side of the sea, there were brightly lit large ships surrounding him, one on each side. Amidst the sounds of explosions, flashes of fire appeared, and cannonballs fell from the sky

"You have slept for three days, and I still need to sleep."

These words were extremely loud, and the imposing figure caused one to involuntarily stand up straight. He sternly said: "Walk vertically on the mast for a hundred trips; you are not allowed to rest until then"

Xinghai resentfully thought: "You dragged me onto this pirate ship, leading me to seek death, and now you torment me like this? No matter how detestable Mu Ge is, he cannot compare to your cold-faced ghost by even a fraction." Though he cursed in his heart, he truly could not fall asleep, and could only obediently take the helm. The phantom at the bow of the ship came to bother him again, but Xinghai completely ignored it

Xinghai could not help but say: "Senior brother, you need not be polite to this living dead. If it were not for the fact that I am a monster, I would have long since perished under your hands."

Suddenly, he realized that he was no longer afraid, even though the ship was eerie and terrifying, even though the winds and waves on the sea were tumultuous, even though the road ahead was chaotic and unpredictable. The fear that had clung to him throughout his life was deeply suppressed and no longer manifested. He waved his hand, breathed in and out, his heart ablaze, and an unprecedented courage surged forth.

"Stop! Begin practicing the protective energy!"

He had been asleep for an unknown duration when suddenly a violent tremor shook him out of bed. His head struck the ground, and he awoke in pain, thinking: "Oh no, has Chen Zhe really sunk the ship? This unreliable villain, instead of killing me through training, is going to drown me."

The figure, horrified, asked: "Can I hide?"

Xinghai Dao: "Do not act rashly, for the winds are bleak and the waters of the Yi River are cold; beware that a brave man may leave and never return."

One hundred moves passed in no time, and Chen Zhe spoke with integrity. When the time came, he halted, his movements somewhat sluggish like a dragon's fire. He endured ten strikes in total, feeling both pain and exhaustion, collapsing to the ground, inwardly complaining: "This life-taking King of Hell, he said we are fated to meet; could it be that I killed him in my past life, and now he has come to take revenge?" He thought again: "I am so virtuous; I would not have killed anyone in my past life. Most likely, this person killed me in his past life, and now I am still under the influence of a malevolent star in this life."

Chen Zhe coldly said: "Then let us each practice four hundred times."

Xinghai said: "This is more like it! We no longer need to practice, do we?"

The figure thought: "This person is so petty. He is not pretending to be stern; he is truly devoid of blood and tears!" In a fit of anger, the respect and pity from last night vanished without a trace

With a sudden shout of "Release!", a round stone flew forth, and the body immediately surged with energy, narrowly escaping a perilous fate

Xinghai angrily said: "If it were an arrow, how could it turn?"

Chenzhe said: "Those who are awakened have different physiques and cannot be easily harmed." As he spoke, he threw something over; Xinghai sidestepped, and the round stone struck his chest, causing him to spit out a mouthful of white foam, with pain spreading throughout his body

He was forced to practice diligently for four days. By the morning of the fifth day, Chen Zhe said: "Your progress is faster than I imagined. This Dragon Fire Body Refinement Technique has now been perfected."

A jolt ran through my heart, and I thought: "He is truly doing this for my own good; he is indeed a good teacher and a helpful friend. Yet, I have always been slandering him in my heart, which is utterly ridiculous."

The next day, Chen Zhe walked onto the deck, deciding to treat him with courtesy and win his favor. If the two could become friends, he might suffer less physical pain in the future. Thus, he kindly asked, "Senior Brother, how did you sleep last night?"

The slower and steadier the skill, the more profound the mastery becomes. The body rushes upward with great force, only to fall back down by leveraging that momentum, which is indeed quite dangerous. After several repetitions, a moment of carelessness can result in a loud thud, leading to a bruised face and swollen nose

Although the figure is difficult to ascertain, I feel that this cold-faced ghost is not as hateful or terrifying as one might think; rather, it evokes a sense of pity and respect

Chen Zhedao: "The fundamental skills are nearly complete. In the coming days, I will teach you sword techniques and hidden weapons. The skills of Li Jinguang are quite misleading and can lead students astray; you must start from the beginning to learn the superior techniques."

Steering through the waves, dodging cannonballs, yet still getting hit by a few; fortunately, the damage was to the deck. He said, "You stay here and keep watch, I will be back shortly"

How could one be so careless

The figure secretly groaned, thinking to himself: "I will not obey; what can he do to me? He said he wouldn't kill me." But then he reconsidered: "Even if he doesn't kill me, is it really comfortable to be beaten? I am in the wrong; I can't fight back. Even if I did fight back, I wouldn't be able to defeat him." With no other choice, facing the mast, he used the mental technique passed down by Chen Zhe and sprinted a few steps, running straight up.

The meal was quickly devoured, and after wiping his mouth with a cloth, he walked further in. Upon seeing the straw mat laid out, he felt as if he had transcended two lifetimes, as if entering paradise. He plunged into it and soon fell into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything around him

He thought: "I am no longer a solitary person. The cold-faced ghost is like me; he urges me relentlessly because he does not want me to die. He seems to fear nothing, yet he is also afraid of loneliness! He is so formidable that he could easily throw me overboard; why would he go to such lengths to teach me? Yet he does not. He kills the hidden and the aggressive, he kills the white knife-wielders, he kills those pirates, because they are all villains and scoundrels. In truth, he is a good person, a chivalrous hero." He kills the hidden and the aggressive, he kills the white knife-wielders, he kills those pirates, because they are all villains and scoundrels. In truth, he is a good person, a chivalrous hero.

After that, the sinking and folding no longer reminded, the flying stones varied in speed, sometimes taking a long time to emerge, and at other times falling like a string of pearls. If one were to maintain a steady flow of true energy, the dragon fire would inevitably weaken. Only by adapting to the situation and swiftly gathering the vital energy to resist could one sustain it for a little longer

Xinghai was taken aback and said, "Then why didn't you wake me up?"

He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Senior brother, how is it now?"

Chen Zhe then said: "This is not merely the effect of the Dragon Fire Divine Skill; your injuries heal and then re-injure. Although the injuries are minor, your recovery is indeed faster than mine. Your Wild and Unrestrained Skill is truly remarkable, and your physique is still superior to mine"

This day was once again filled with blood and tears, endured in unspeakable suffering. After the torment subsided, I lay my body down on the ground, feeling my breath faint and weak. I thought: "I have heard that there are people in this world who derive pleasure from tormenting others. I was initially skeptical, but having seen Mugge, I was convinced to some extent. Upon encountering this torment, I am thoroughly convinced. Although I too am plagued by nightmares, at least I do not harm others; he, however, is a completely twisted fiend at heart!"

The figure hurriedly shrank back, and the round stone turned a corner, striking the figure's ribs directly. The figure cried out in pain, tears streaming down, and said: "You have crippled me, leaving me with nothing but an extra burden."

"As long as one is alive, one can practice martial arts; as long as one practices, there will surely be progress. Stand up straight!"

The figure hurriedly grasped the helm, but was unskilled in its manipulation, resulting in great confusion. After a while, near the ship, there were continuous cries of despair, and one after another, people fell into the water with splashes. The mast creaked ominously, collapsing one after another, and the ship came to a complete standstill.

Chen Zhe said: "Tonight ends here. You do not need to sleep, quickly go and take the helm. Just keep moving forward." After saying this, he walked into the cabin and threw all the bodies inside overboard

Chen Zhe coldly said: "If that were an arrow, you would already be dead"

Chen Zhedao: "I have searched through the archives of Cangzhengxian and obtained the books he recorded in the past. Coupled with the figure at the bow of the ship pointing me in the right direction, how could I possibly get lost? Moreover, there must be provisions in the cabin. Besides, you are not dead; I am not alone."

Chen Zhe said: "My reading and writing skills are merely average. How about we continue to practice physical strength, endurance, and agility?"

He reflected on his own movements and imagined the method of sinking his body. After comparing the two, he suddenly had an insight. He concentrated the dragon fire beneath his feet, stepping heavily yet lightly, taking one step at a time. Although his speed was several times slower, he felt no fatigue at all. After walking back and forth thirty times like this, he truly felt that it was not much different from walking on the road