The scene of Ye Wen shattering a table with a single palm strike was replayed countless times on television, instantly cementing the title of Grandmaster of Chinese Martial Arts upon him that very day.

Putting other matters aside, the fact that Ye Wen had defeated Guan Luyan with his spear techniques and Peng Lianshan with his blade skills was more than enough justification for the title of Grandmaster of Chinese Martial Arts; the subsequent feat of smashing a wooden table with one hand merely added a richer layer of brilliance to his already shining aura of mastery.

Having sent off the crowd of dignitaries and influential figures, Ye Wen found no immediate rest, for the day’s visitors were not exclusively comprised of martial arts practitioners. There were also several elderly gentlemen deeply interested in calligraphy and painting who, after viewing videos of Ye Wen’s writing, had grown curious about this young man and had brought their Wénfáng Sìbǎo (Four Treasures of the Study) hoping for an exchange of skills.

These matters need not be recounted in detail; Ye Wen simply produced a painting on the spot, inscribed a passage of calligraphy upon it, and the assembled octogenarians nodded in unanimous praise, declaring that Ye Wen truly lived up to his heritage as a descendant of Yan and Huang, having absorbed the essence of the ancestral arts so thoroughly. His return to the country to establish a school and widely disseminate his knowledge was hailed as a deed of immense righteousness.

“We old folks don’t have much we can offer in assistance, but we still hold some reputation within the country. We will certainly help the young friend promote things once we return,” said an elder who seemed to be the most respected among them, patting Ye Wen’s shoulder with an expression that suggested, “It falls to you to carry the torch of our nation’s exquisite national heritage.” He added, “It’s a good thing to have more people learning!,” and without waiting for Ye Wen to offer further pleasantries, the old men departed, deeply satisfied.

It must be said that these elders sought nothing tangible; they merely wished to verify whether Ye Wen possessed genuine skill or was merely a charlatan. Had he been a fraud, they would certainly not have wasted their breath on him. Having now seen his true talent and having toured the various classrooms and teaching equipment, understanding that Ye Wen genuinely intended to pass down these skills, they all left with contented hearts.

Upon their return, these elders indeed used their connections to promote Ye Wen’s Shushan Culture and Martial Arts School, which inadvertently solved a portion of his problem regarding student acquisition.

Furthermore, there were other proprietors of "Shushan Culture and Martial Arts Schools" who came looking to challenge or discredit him. However, given that renowned martial arts masters had already been defeated by Ye Wen, and Liu Hai had suffered such a profound public humiliation, anyone stepping forward now would effectively be asking for trouble.

Consequently, their attitudes had shifted; they were now full of fawning deference, and some even shamelessly attempted to affiliate their own schools under Ye Wen's banner—essentially asking to turn their respective "Shushan Culture and Martial Arts Schools" into branch campuses of his institution, hoping to leech off the fame Ye Wen had cultivated.

Ye Wen flatly refused all such requests. Whether these individuals nursed resentment was of no concern to him. If any dared to plot against him, he would efficiently ensure their swift disappearance from the face of the earth—for him, achieving this was not difficult. Even without acting personally, a slight manipulation of connections could ruin these people entirely, body and soul. Any shred of intelligence they possessed would keep them from provoking him.

After seeing off his numerous guests, Ye Wen noticed Guan Luyan still meticulously examining the wooden staff, turning it over and over, particularly the end that had been driven into the large tree earlier. Guan Luyan scrutinized the tip repeatedly until he was certain not even a single edge was marred before he finally sighed.

“Principal Ye, might I be permitted to look at your hands?” Ye Wen spread his palms open, revealing a smooth, fair hand resting before Guan Luyan. Upon seeing this, Guan Luyan was greatly astonished. His expression shifted several times before he leaned in and whispered to Ye Wen, “I wish to enroll in Principal Ye’s school. I wonder if Principal Ye would accept me?”

“Ah?” Ye Wen was utterly taken aback by this sudden proposal. This elder, nearly fifty years old, though well-preserved with hardly any grey hair visible, proposing to become a student at his age truly startled Ye Wen.

Moreover, Guan Luyan was no unknown figure; his name carried considerable weight in today’s martial arts world. Never mind his lineage as a descendant of Guan Yu; his mastery of the Wusheng Spear Technique alone made him a living standard-bearer in the current martial arts scene.

The Wusheng Spear Technique was rumored to be the spear art used by Guan Yu during his campaigns. It originally had no grand name, referred to simply as the Guan Family Spear. Only after Guan Erye’s status grew increasingly venerated and he was later deified as the Martial Saint did the Guan Family Spear consequently become known as the Wusheng Spear Technique, earning immense prestige and an esteemed position within the martial arts community.

Guan Luyan had forged a formidable reputation through this technique and his ancestry. Countless people sought to enter his tutelage, yet Guan Luyan was exceedingly strict in selecting disciples. At nearly fifty, he had accepted only one final disciple, passing on his entire knowledge to that person. He had taught his own daughter nothing of it, a fact that reportedly caused a significant falling out between them, a matter widely known among martial artists.

For such a man—for in the intervening time, the teachers Ye Wen had recruited had already provided him with the general background of these individuals—to now request to join Ye Wen’s school as a student was bound to cause surprise.

“Mr. Guan, what is the reason?” Guan Luyan gave a bitter smile and presented his own hands to Ye Wen: “We are men of the martial path; we understand things that ordinary people do not, don’t we?” Ye Wen looked down and saw the thick calluses covering Guan Luyan’s palms and finger joints. It was immediately clear that the thickness of his palms, accumulated from his spear work, meant this man could no longer properly form a fist.

At this moment, Ye Wen understood why Guan Luyan had been scrutinizing his palms earlier. He himself bore no such calluses.

Ye Wen had once had calluses, but as his internal cultivation deepened, those calluses gradually receded. Upon reaching the Xiantian realm, his palms became virtually indistinguishable from those of an ordinary person—someone who practiced no martial arts.

This did not mean his striking power had diminished; on the contrary, it signified that his physical strength had reached a higher echelon. His hands no longer required the protection of calluses to unleash devastating force. Alternatively, frictions of that degree could no longer damage his body; as long as the epidermis did not die, calluses would not form.

In this world, however, martial artists invariably developed calluses because, lacking divine internal energy, their methods were limited to strengthening bones and sinews and attacking with physical power. Those practicing various weapons developed particularly thick calluses, just like Guan Luyan.

This situation accounted for why sword masters in fiction often understood palm techniques but rarely excelled at fist techniques: the training areas differed—swordsmen and palm artists developed calluses on their palms, while boxers developed them on the backs of their fists—making it difficult to master both.

Ye Wen was aware of this phenomenon but hadn't given it much thought until today, when the elder Guan Luyan perceived the anomaly.

“Principal Ye… perhaps you have mastered the legendary technique of Neiqi Xingjin (Internal Energy Flowing Force)?”

Guan Luyan’s gaze was sharp, fixed on Ye Wen with the desperate hunger of a man just released from years of incarceration, immediately spotting an alluring, scantily clad woman beckoning to him—he looked as if he wished to devour her whole.

Ye Wen was unsure how to respond. He indeed understood internal arts, but this was not something he could casually disclose to just anyone. However, this man clearly sensed something unusual and seemed intent on learning internal arts from him.

To deny it would be difficult, as how else could he explain the difference in his body compared to others? He couldn't simply claim exceptional innate talent that prevented calluses—that would invite scrutiny from various specialized institutions, leading to him becoming a research subject.

Seeing Ye Wen stammer without a reply, Guan Luyan understood: “I see, I see. Such a marvelous technique certainly cannot be spread carelessly; I understand all of that. But I must ask, Principal Ye, are you perhaps intending to select those students with exceptional talent among the pupils to inherit these various skills?” Ye Wen saw no need to hide everything; stating the matter plainly was fine, and he nodded: “That is precisely the intention!”

Guan Luyan beamed upon hearing this: “That is good. I must enroll in Principal Ye’s school. I assume Principal Ye has no age restrictions for enrollment?” This time it was Ye Wen’s turn to smile: “There is indeed one: we only accept students between the ages of ten and twenty!” Guan Luyan paused, then understood that this age range represented the peak potential for physical training and development. Too young, and they lack maturity and resilience; too old, and their bones and sinews are set, limiting great achievement. Most schools wouldn't even accept those over twenty, preferring those under sixteen, so Ye Wen’s limits were relatively generous.

Recalling he was nearly fifty, well outside the requirement, he felt a headache coming on: “Then does your school hire teachers?”

“We do!”

“Martial Arts Instructor?” Guan Luyan reasoned that with his reputation, securing a teaching post here should be straightforward, even if he couldn't casually impart the Wusheng Spear Technique; he certainly knew more than just that one spear style.

“Chinese Language Teacher!” Ye Wen saw the old man’s calculation immediately and cut off that line of thought, but he couldn't leave him without any hope. He felt that with Guan Luyan’s prestige, appointing him as Vice Principal, using his reputation to anchor the school’s standing, would be quite beneficial.

Moreover, Ye Wen had a club and needed to return to England occasionally; the school couldn't be left unattended in his absence.

He was about to express this thought when the elder produced a surprising counteroffer, even dragging his daughter into the bargain: “My daughter studied liberal arts. She would be the perfect Chinese Language Teacher here! Furthermore, she understands calligraphy, painting, and music—one person covering three subjects. Principal Ye, look…”

“……” Ye Wen felt strangely as though he were haggling over a transaction. Seeing Guan Luyan so desperate that he was practically offering his daughter up for sale, Ye Wen immediately agreed: “Actually, I intended to invite Mr. Guan to serve as Vice Principal of this school. I sincerely hope Mr. Guan will accept!” This statement finally made Guan Luyan realize that the young man had intended to recruit him all along, merely playing a long game to reel him in.

“Sly fox!” he muttered internally, though he didn’t take offense. He was still eager to learn about Xingqi Yunjin (Energy Circulation and Force Projection) from Ye Wen. If he could step into the realm of internal arts before his life ended, his martial journey would not have been in vain. For so long, he thought he had reached the pinnacle with nothing left to pursue, yet fate brought him Ye Wen, giving him a new goal to strive for.

“Fine, I’ll go back and pack up. I’ll move into the school quarters in a few days!”

The Shushan Culture and Martial Arts School provided accommodation for all staff, even two-story villas with separate courtyards. Although slightly remote, the locations offered tranquility, and many who successfully applied were secretly delighted.

Having secured his teachers and found a heavyweight Vice Principal in the martial arts community, Ye Wen had essentially built the stage for the Shushan Culture and Martial Arts School. The next few days would be dedicated to enrollment, and the official start in October would finally see him become a true Principal.

As for the curriculum, Ye Wen scheduled one calligraphy class per week for himself, an optional painting class (to be skipped if no one wished to study it), and about one martial arts class personally taught per week.

The calligraphy and painting classes were necessary because he had already made public promises to teach them. The martial arts class allowed him to observe the aptitudes of the students up close. To ensure he could monitor everyone, after enrollment and class assignments were finalized, he would need to carefully adjust the schedule. Furthermore, to prevent any oversight, Ning Ruxue would teach at least three martial arts classes per week—partly to keep her junior sister busy, and partly as a backup in case Ye Wen missed something.

Returning to his residence, the moment he opened the door, he felt a potent sword aura rush toward him. Fortunately, Ye Wen immediately assessed that although the aura was powerful and domineering, it was extremely scattered, clearly not aimed at him intentionally; it was likely residual sword energy unintentionally emitted by Ning Ruxue during her cultivation.

Stepping a few paces inside, he saw Ning Ruxue sitting cross-legged on the sofa, enveloped by swirling sword light and drifting sword energy. On her forehead, a bright cyan lotus, the size of a fingernail, appeared vividly real, radiating a light so intense it was hard to look at directly.

That wasn't all. Upon closer inspection, Ye Wen realized Ning Ruxue was not actually sitting on the sofa; she was being gently levitated by the sword light, suspended about a palm’s width above it. He hadn’t noticed in the initial glare but now saw it clearly.

“Oh? Sword light suspending a person in mid-air? Junior Sister, have you comprehended the method of Sword Flight?” Speaking of the name Shushan Sect, Ye Wen associated it first and foremost with Sword Flight, followed by divine swords and various spells and artifacts.

His choice of the name Shushan was partly fueled by such aspirations, although at the time, Sword Flight seemed impossibly distant. Only now was he beginning to see glimmers of possibility.

In his leisure time, he had conducted some preliminary experiments and seemed to have grasped a slight hint of the method. He suspected he would soon comprehend the precise art of Sword Flight. He had intended to fully master it first before sharing the technique with the two women, perhaps modifying it slightly to better suit them so they too could experience the sensation of flying.

He hadn't expected Ning Ruxue to spontaneously derive some marvelous application herself; her current state—floating suspended amidst her enveloping sword energy—was the very genesis of Sword Flight.

Ye Wen watched silently, unwilling to interrupt. Although his junior sister’s progress had been astonishing since acquiring his secret manuals, it lacked the sheer spiritual vigor he remembered from his own early cultivation. Perhaps his over-attentiveness had stifled her spirit, slowing her advancement and preventing her from breaking through bottlenecks in her techniques independently.

Now, without the supply of secret manuals, and with their current circumstances provoking her natural pride, she had rediscovered the inherent spiritual acuity of her early training days. The fact that she could independently intuit the method for Sword Flight demonstrated the sheer strength of her innate talent.

“This might actually be a good thing! Perhaps I don't need to rush to summon a new secret manual for Junior Sister! With her talent, she might just push the innate Xiantian Putishengxiang Jianqi (Innate Unformed Body Sword Qi) to the level seen in Hong Kong comics! After all, the cultivation method is the same set of principles, just at different stages!” “If Junior Sister can cross this threshold, who’s to say her sword qi won't be superior to the Guan Qi in the comics?” But then he considered, perhaps soon Ning Ruxue would be able to harness the Yuanqi (Primal Energy) of heaven and earth through her own power to form formidable sword qi. At that point, nothing could stand in her way; perhaps even he couldn't withstand her.

“I need to work harder too!” After another glance at Ning Ruxue, still in closed-eye cultivation, Ye Wen headed straight upstairs. He couldn't disturb his junior sister now; he would go see what Huayi was doing.

Noticing that Huayi’s door wasn't fully closed, Ye Wen reached out to push it open, but before his hand made contact, he sensed that Huayi also seemed to be practicing.

Peering through the gap, he saw Huayi sitting cross-legged on her bed, weaving threads of true energy into a radiant sash that shimmered with such dazzling, bewildering beauty that it was almost hypnotic. However, lowering one's guard because of this beauty would come with a fatal price. Ye Wen then watched as Huayi swept her hand, and the multi-colored ribbon shot forward, cleanly slicing an already levitated stone—held fast by her Qichang (Energy Field)—into several segments. The ribbon appeared to merely graze the stone, but in reality, as it cut, it erupted with violent energies—some hard, some soft, some scorching hot, some chillingly cold. All manner of forces exploded simultaneously, and after being divided, the stone disintegrated into fine dust.

“That vicious?” Ye Wen was slightly startled by the destructive power of Huayi’s energy sash, realizing he might suffer if he agitated her too much and she retaliated in a fit of pique.

“I need to temper myself in the future…” He backed away quietly from Huayi’s door and suddenly noticed that both women near him seemed rather formidable. But then he considered himself…

“A formidable person must be paired with a formidable girl!”