Chapter 22: Thank You for Your Generosity

Lei Yao halted in place, no longer pressing forward. The hand that had torn through layers of defenses was unscathed, not even a hint of redness, simply raised in midair, with one finger slowly extending to point at Qingxi.

“How many martial arts have you mastered?” Lei Yao, having reviewed the register, naturally knew that the techniques Qingxi displayed were all borrowed today—before this, there were no records of him borrowing any. This meant that the youth before him had truly learned multiple martial arts in a single day. Among them were even two especially difficult movement techniques.

“In any case, all the martial arts I borrowed earlier... I’ve learned them all,” Qingxi couldn’t help but admit. Were it not for the fear of others discovering his ability to copy martial arts, he would never have borrowed books from the archive as a pretense. After all, his system space already contained records of thousands of techniques; he had no need to seek books here. Of course, if not for the powerful protective array on the third floor, Qingxi would have climbed up the stone pillar to copy all the martial arts, secret arts, and cultivation methods housed there.

Originally, Qingxi planned to borrow books in moderation during the early phase—hundreds or even thousands—leaving behind a perfect borrowing record. This way, no matter how many techniques he displayed in the future, no one would find it odd, nor would they suspect he possessed the ability to copy martial arts. Unexpectedly, on his very first day, he encountered Lei Yao, a formidable obstacle.

This time, Lei Yao showed neither anger nor doubt at Qingxi’s answer. After their bout, even a fool could guess that Qingxi possessed a terrifying talent for martial arts cultivation.

“You really mastered them all?” Lei Yao repeated, suddenly spotting a clever opportunity and his eyes gleamed.

Qingxi nodded, “Elder, though my spiritual root is not of high quality, I find learning martial arts not difficult. They come easily to me. If you don’t believe—”

“Good!” Lei Yao interrupted with a hearty laugh, “No wonder you’re the genius I’ve taken a liking to!” He abruptly broke off Qingxi’s words, left hand clasped behind his back, and with a gentle sweep of his right hand, a powerful force enveloped Qingxi and pulled him close.

Qingxi found himself utterly powerless. When he regained his senses, he was already standing beside Elder Lei Yao. Lei Yao’s face beamed with kindness and approval as he slapped Qingxi’s shoulder heavily. Turning to the crowd, he declared, “Did you see? This is the hope of our Lingyuan Sect. He learned dozens of martial arts in a single day. All of you should take him as your model!”

The pain in his shoulder made Qingxi grimace and bare his teeth, but he dared not protest further, fearing another beating.

The disciples around were stunned, never expecting such a dramatic turn. In their minds, Elder Lei Yao should have continued his assault, beating Qingxi black and blue before the gathered crowd. That would have been a spectacle worth watching.

But now…

How did things turn out like this? The anticipated fight had transformed into Elder Lei Yao praising Qingxi and using him as an example to teach all present disciples.

Some disciples were so bewildered that they did not even notice their ancient texts falling to the ground. Yet the shrewder ones quickly reacted, calling out, “Elder Lei’s lesson is well taken. We will strive to learn diligently and not fail your expectations!”

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