Xu Jingming's fighting spirit ignited. When he joined the national team, his master was already over sixty and couldn't spar with him at full strength anymore. Even in the first World Martial Arts Tournament, his master was forty-five. How strong he was in his prime was truly a mystery.

"Put on your armor and take your spear," Liu Hai said.

"Armor against plain clothes?" Xu Jingming looked at Liu Hai. "Master is really confident. Then I, as the disciple, won't hold back!" As he spoke, dark red light armor appeared on his body, and he held a spear in his hand.

Wearing armor and wielding a spear! He had an absolute advantage in equipment.

"Master, be careful." Xu Jingming was about to make a move.

"Wait a moment." Liu Hai held up his hand to stop him and asked, "What's your body index?"

"115," Xu Jingming said.

"I'll adjust my body index first; otherwise, I'll be bullying you too much." Liu Hai said as he began to manually adjust it, shortening his practice time of the evolution method, naturally lowering his body index.

Usually, he adjusted to the limit of his body. Xu Jingming, for example, was adjusted to a 'practice time of 735 days,' and his body reached its limit. If he changed it to a 'practice time of 100 days,' his body would be much weaker.

"Well, practice time adjusted to 68 days, body index 115, same as you." Liu Hai nodded in satisfaction.

Xu Jingming's expression changed when he heard that. He was cultivating the *Tianmang* (Sky Serpent) Evolution Method, and reaching the middle stage 20% required 735 days of practice to reach a body index of 115.

His master only needed 68 days to reach a body index of 115?

"Master, has your evolution method reached the advanced stage?" Xu Jingming asked.

"Yes, the *Bao Hu* (Raging Tiger) Evolution Method, advanced stage." Liu Hai nodded slightly. "Don't panic. I guess globally, the number of people who can currently reach the advanced stage of evolution methods can be counted on one hand."

Xu Jingming marveled secretly. His master was indeed powerful. He had exchanged blows with Gao Chong, Wang Qiao, and the others, and the difference in physical strength wasn't that outrageous. Everyone should only be at the middle stage level of evolution methods.

"A short-term lead doesn't mean anything. After all, I've practiced for almost fifty years more than you!" Liu Hai said. "It's normal to have a slight advantage at the beginning."

"Now that our body indexes are the same, I'll use plain clothes and a single saber." Liu Hai looked at his disciple with interest. "If you have the ability, come and defeat me."

"Master, be careful."

Xu Jingming shook the spear in his hand. The spear was like a great dragon, turning into a blurred afterimage, heading straight for Liu Hai's chest.

Liu Hai stood still, not dodging at all, and directly slashed out with his saber.

"Bang!"

Liu Hai's saber light was like silk, striking the spear like a whip. Xu Jingming only felt the spear shake and was deflected to the side. At the same time, Liu Hai was about to advance, closing in on Xu Jingming.

"A single saber splitting open the spear?" Although Xu Jingming was surprised, he immediately turned the spear and swept it towards Liu Hai. The power of this sweep was enough to smash a house to pieces.

"Clang." Liu Hai blocked with his single saber. The saber shadow blurred slightly when blocking, and Xu Jingming felt as if the spear was stuck, unable to exert any force.

After blocking one spear, Liu Hai took another step and swung his saber.

This saber was too fast.

It was said that Old Master Liu Jianfeng's sword was fast, but Liu Hai's saber... was even faster.

Xu Jingming wanted to retreat and dodge. His legs were fine, and his footwork had no problems. But it was too late! He tried to exert force with his spear to block, but it was also too late.

"Pfft." A flash of saber light. Xu Jingming felt the saber light pass over his chest. Looking down, his armor was as fragile as tofu, having been neatly cut through, leaving a saber mark.

Xu Jingming looked at the saber mark on his chest and could only helplessly tap his personal panel to return to his peak state.

"I lost." Xu Jingming said, standing in place, with many questions. "Master, I used a spear against a single saber. Why could you meet it head-on and split open my spear with one saber?"

"Because my one saber has more power than you," Liu Hai said.

"My spear swept, but it couldn't move you," Xu Jingming said. "The force was completely unloaded."

"My defense is also better than yours, so I can naturally unload the force of your spear." Liu Hai smiled. "The reason I killed you with one saber is because my speed is faster than your spear! You can't block it, and you can't escape."

"Is the gap that big?" Xu Jingming was a little dazed. "I know you're very strong, Master. You teach so many disciples, and you understand all kinds of schools and weapons. Your skills are also very high, and you can teach all your disciples. But..."

"But I was old back then and didn't truly fight you with all my strength," Liu Hai said. "If I had the same young body as you, I would have bullied you little guys long ago, hahaha... It's so refreshing, it feels so good to return to my youth."

"Don't be discouraged."

Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming. "After all, I've practiced for nearly fifty years more than you! And during the twenty years as the head coach of the national team, teaching national team disciples with all kinds of unique skills, I've gained a lot. While teaching you, you will also inspire me, and my skills are constantly maturing. Seventy years of growth have led to my current skills."

Xu Jingming nodded.

"Now, looking at the world, my combat skills may still have an advantage." Liu Hai said. "But today is the first day the virtual world is open! Whether it's the training ground function or the life-and-death battles in the combat space... will make people's skills grow very quickly. In the future, each of you will reach my realm of combat skills, and even surpass me."

"The reason I asked you here today is to teach you some of my insights." Liu Hai said. "So that you can take fewer detours and improve faster."

"Master..." Xu Jingming was a little moved.

"I won't just teach you alone. I will teach several disciples that I'm optimistic about," Liu Hai said. "After all, in the future, it will be a competition between teams. A team of five people can't rely on just one person. In the future, in the martial arts competitions between our Xia country and other countries, you will all be important cores."

"Starting now, listen carefully and learn well." Liu Hai looked at his disciple. "What I'm teaching you is my understanding of seventy years of martial arts practice."

Xu Jingming listened.

"In the past, I was unwilling to force your growth, afraid of harming you. Now, with the virtual world, you can learn well." Liu Hai held the saber in one hand. "The first thing I want to teach you is body power generation!"

"Power generation skills?" Xu Jingming listened carefully.

His power generation skills were already quite powerful, so he created unique moves like Phantom Thrust and Mountain Breaker.

"Body power generation is the key to fighting. My power generation skills are more advanced than yours, so with the same body index, my speed is faster and my strength is greater." Liu Hai said. "It's like an adult beating a child, beating them casually."

Xu Jingming nodded.

He wore armor and wielded a spear, but he was still abused by his master. This was the huge difference in power generation skills.

"I practiced Xingyi from a young age, and later, Master personally taught me Tai Chi. Although I later mastered all schools and studied domestic martial arts. After becoming the head coach of the national team, I studied various foreign schools even more. But my core... is still Tai Chi! Using Tai Chi to integrate all schools."

Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming. "You should know that the key to body power generation is the spine! The spine is like a great dragon, connecting the upper and lower body. The transmission of power needs to be connected section by section, so that the power of the whole body can be unified and the power that erupts is strong enough."

Xu Jingming nodded.

"But for power to go further, it's no longer about connecting section by section." Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming. "But... the body is like water!"

"The body is like water?" Xu Jingming was puzzled.

"The body is as natural as water." Liu Hai's body surged back and forth, like a large snake, his joints and muscles were extremely natural. "Surging back and forth, shaking left and right, everything is natural."

"Once the body exerts force, it is transmitted like a stream of water, naturally, without any obstacles." Liu Hai slapped his palm down, *pa*! Causing the air to explode, and the ground was bombarded by the air wave, creating a large pit.

"Exerting force from the feet, footwork is swift." Liu Hai's body moved, his figure blurred, and he darted far away. Even faster than Old Master Liu Jianfeng.

"Exerting force from the hands, as fast as lightning, with incredible power." Liu Hai waved his single saber, a flash of saber light, tearing the air, and the saber wind had already cracked the ground.

"The mind and will are completely integrated into every part of the body, sensing every part, and everything is effortless." Liu Hai said. "With a thought, the move is already in motion, speed, strength, all reaching extremely high realms."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly.

"Remember this sentence: The body is like water, the mind is integrated into every part of the body, sensing every part, everything is effortless." Liu Hai said. "Strive to practice the shield technique in this state. Don't integrate 'Bajiquan' into the shield technique for now, just practice it with Tai Chi methods. This is practicing strength! Practicing your body control."

"When the realm of body control is reached, power generation skills will naturally be elevated to a new world." Liu Hai said.

"Disciple understands," Xu Jingming said.

"Before, I was afraid that you would practice incorrectly, or even injure your body. In the virtual world, I'm not afraid anymore." Liu Hai smiled. "What I taught you just now was the first thing. Now, what I want to teach you is the second thing, actual combat!"