Just as the old man began to feel a bit awkward, Li Chonglou took the initiative to break the silence.
"Thank you for your mercy, senior." Li Chonglou cupped his fists and bowed slightly to the old man.
"Boy, are you mocking me?" The old man's face showed displeasure, thinking Li Chonglou's words had a hidden meaning.
However, Li Chonglou's bow was from the heart, and he explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand. For someone of your age to still possess such skills, I am very impressed. If you were the same age as me, it would be hard to say who would win or lose."
Hearing Li Chonglou's words, the old man's expression softened, his emotions gradually calmed, and his admiration for Li Chonglou deepened.
"Good, good. Not only is your strength as deep as the sea at such a young age, but you also have such a humble demeanor. You are a good prospect, and my dying wish finally has a chance to be fulfilled."
Li Chonglou's expression froze. Dying wish? Aren't you still alive? Where did a dying wish come from?
However, Li Chonglou did not voice these thoughts and instead asked, "What do you mean, senior?"
At this point, the old man did not rush to speak. Instead, he invited Li Chonglou to sit down again, and then slowly explained, "Actually, this is something my master entrusted to me. I told you earlier that I went to Huaxia when I was three years old. I learned all my skills in Huaxia."
"Of course, as you said, if I were still in my youthful body, I wouldn't be bragging if I said I could take you down in minutes."
As the old man said this, his eyes held only confidence, without any other emotions mixed in.
Li Chonglou nodded and did not refute. Others might not know, but he himself could not guarantee that someone of the old man's age could still possess such skills.
The old man deserved his respect for this alone. Moreover, as he also considered himself from Huaxia, the recognition of strength and sense of identity made Li Chonglou's address of "senior" a heartfelt one.
It was then that the old man truly got to the point.
"Alright, I won't waste any more time with idle talk. Are you willing to become my disciple?"
Li Chonglou was stunned.
The transition was too sudden!
But when Li Chonglou carefully recalled everything that had happened, he suddenly understood. From encountering the old man to now, both his words and actions were a test, which was consistent with him saying this.
However, Li Chonglou frowned slightly and said, "I'm sorry, I already have a master."
The old man's brow furrowed immediately, "You already have a master? Who is your master? Did you learn all your skills from him?"
Three consecutive questions clearly showed how much importance the old man attached to Li Chonglou's words.
Li Chonglou shook his head and briefly explained his situation. The old man's brow immediately relaxed, and he smiled slowly.
"That's not a problem. What I teach you is a tradition from your Huaxia, and strictly speaking, you are not becoming my disciple, but my master's disciple."
Before Li Chonglou could speak, the old man continued, "Don't rush to refuse me. Consider it after I explain things clearly. However, before that, I must remind you that in the traditions of Huaxia, there is no rule stating that one can only have one master in their lifetime, so I hope you won't be hesitant because of this."
Having reached this point, Li Chonglou could only nod. However, he did not immediately agree to the old man's request, preferring to hear what he had to say before making a decision.
Seeing Li Chonglou nod, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and then explained the whole matter completely.
It turned out that when the old man was young, he met a reclusive master in Huaxia and learned a traditional secret technique there: internal energy.
This was an alternative way of using internal energy, and it had always been a tradition of Huaxia, so it could barely be considered a traditional method.
However, in the old man's understanding, this set of cultivation methods, strictly speaking, was an innovation upon Huaxia's traditions, as it was completely different from other internal energy cultivation methods.
As the old man spoke, he uttered a term that Li Chonglou had never heard before.
"Mai Qian. The true core of this cultivation method lies in these two characters."
Mai Qian, literally translated, means "pulsating potential," referring to the development of a person's physical potential.
Anyone who has practiced traditional martial arts knows that human potential is limited. Once your body is developed to a certain extent, it becomes incredibly difficult to improve further. Forcing a breakthrough could even lead to physical injury or life-threatening danger.
However, Mai Qian was the opposite. In its understanding, human potential is infinite, so what people need to do is to find ways to develop this infinite potential.
This was the origin of this cultivation method.
And in a sense, he had succeeded, as the old man had used this cultivation method not only to live to the present day but also to possess such strength.
The old man also roughly described to Li Chonglou the development and application of Mai Qian.
"In the traditional concept of Huaxia, the Dantian is the starting point of the Heavenly Cycle, and all internal energy circulation occurs there. However, this also has a well-known drawback: as the body weakens, the Dantian's vital energy also gradually decreases its upper limit, and it is limited by the human body."
"But the operation of Mai Qian is different. It takes the entire human body as the starting point of the Heavenly Cycle, and the universe outside the body as the progression of the Heavenly Cycle. Therefore, it regards the entire human body as a container, continuously nurturing and improving itself. It will only become stronger with the passage of time."
As the old man spoke, Li Chonglou suddenly interjected, "But the situation isn't like that now, is it? If it were as the senior said, then you should be stronger now than before."
The old man seemed to have anticipated Li Chonglou's question and sighed, explaining, "The reality is indeed like this. What I just described is the concept of Mai Qian, and it is also the goal of our school. Unfortunately, since the creation of this cultivation method, it has only been practiced by two people, and it is far from reaching its mature stage."
"But don't misunderstand me. I want to teach you an incomplete cultivation method with flaws. Mai Qian, up to now, is basically flawless. The only shortcomings are two points."
"First, its threshold is extremely high, higher than anything I've ever seen. To be frank, before coming here, I traveled the world for twenty full years, visiting almost every country. Yet, I couldn't find a suitable successor. Not to mention anything else, I spent a full ten years in Huaxia alone."
"Second, it is indeed not the most perfect, but this only means that its upper limit has not been reached yet."