A hideous, ear-splitting shriek startled countless birds into flight. Fortunately, before striking, the Hermit of Beihe and the others had already erected a concealment barrier, muffling all traces and sounds around Ye Wen's villa. Otherwise, that single cry would surely have led the surrounding resident teachers to believe something dreadful had happened to Ye Wen.

As it was, the situation unfolding was indeed grim enough. Tommy plummeted from the sky, striking a pose mid-descent, his mouth still sputtering sounds of "Hah! Heh!" interspersed with snippets of Black slang. Even with Ye Wen’s superior hearing, he couldn't decipher what on earth Tommy was trying to say.

After hopping around for a moment, Tommy turned his gaze and saw the figure in high-tech gear suddenly spring backward, putting distance between them. Then, the figure casually drew a handgun from his lower back and pointed it right at him.

"A… gun?"

Though Tommy’s power had transformed dramatically over the years, his growth meteoric, having grown up entirely in the modern world, he possessed an innate fear of firearms. So, upon seeing the man pull the gun, his body instinctively tensed. But then, his Dou Qi erupted, causing him to seem engulfed in a pillar of white flame.

"Baifu said my current cultivation level isn't afraid of ordinary firearms… He must be right, right?"

While he knew his master was a celestial being straight out of Eastern legend, Tommy was acutely aware that his master being a deity didn't automatically make him one too. Despite spending years learning from Ye Wen, he hadn't deluded himself into thinking he'd become non-human.

He still needed to eat, still needed to drink, still needed recreation, and still needed to do it!

Everything a man needed to do, he still needed to do; at most, he just ate more, drank more without constantly needing the lavatory, and had more stamina during his leisure time, and as for the doing it… well, that was private, no need to elaborate.

In short, he still considered himself human, and common sense dictated that a human body couldn't withstand gunfire!

While he was lost in these thoughts, his opponent certainly wasn't concerned with his internal monologue. Seeing the Black man frozen in place, the foreigner didn't hesitate, opening fire immediately.

Tommy then saw several bullets streaking towards his vital points, and astonishingly, he could track the trajectory of these projectiles with his eyesight.

"Whoa? I can actually see bullets?"

Amazed and curious, he twisted and ducked, dodging all the shots. He stood still, staring at himself dumbfounded: "I can dodge bullets? Did I just become Neo?"

Unfortunately, before he could fully savor the moment, a sharp pain struck his shoulder, and the sheer momentum threw him off balance, nearly making him crash to the ground.

The agonizing pain radiating from his left arm snapped him back to reality. It was then Tommy realized he was still in the middle of a life-or-death fight. Dithering like that had just handed his opponent an opening!

"You bastard, you dare shoot me with a gun?"

With a burst, Tommy unleashed his full White Dou Qi. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, appearing right in front of the man in high-tech gear, startling him thoroughly.

The opponent had expected his shot to, at the very least, injure this figure emitting white smoke, if not kill him outright. But instead, the man merely staggered, feeling a slight sting. He had clearly seen his bullet seemingly intercepted by something just before impact—the strange white aura surrounding the Black man seemed to be the anomaly.

"Troublesome Black devil!" Seeing Tommy rushing him, the man instantly leaped back. The suit he wore didn't just provide camouflage; it also stimulated his muscles, granting him far greater strength than his normal state. Thus, the speed of his leap was not much slower than Tommy’s charging momentum, allowing him to narrowly evade Tommy’s follow-up "A-Lang-Gen" strike.

Tommy’s Hadouken technique was still underdeveloped; the (bōtō) energy could only be condensed onto his fist to strike the opponent, not projected outwards like Chris's, where it dispersed harmlessly.

However, Tommy’s initial "Hao-You-Gen," immediately followed by an "Ah-Du-Gen," left Wang Zhao and Zheng Ying watching from the side with strangely conflicted expressions. Even the Hermit of Jianhe occasionally glanced towards Ye Wen.

"Sect Leader Ye, rising up..."

Ye Wen waved it off with a casual smile. "When teaching a disciple, one must tailor the instruction to the student's aptitude. You’ve seen my new disciple; telling him about the Bagua or the I Ching will likely mean nothing to him. It’s better to start with things he finds more interesting to guide him in, and then later..."

Hearing this, the Hermit of Beihe’s eyes lit up, instantly shifting to an expression of understanding. "Sect Leader Ye is truly a master of generations. Setting aside your principle of teaching according to aptitude, the very fact that you can spontaneously create genuine, potent power from what was either non-existent or merely a flashy, superficial set of moves speaks volumes of your strength..."

This compliment wasn't entirely flattery; the Hermit of Beihe spoke this with no small degree of sincerity. Though he didn't practice martial arts, which cultivator among the true immortals lacked knowledge of martial disciplines? After all, cultivation involves drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body, which shares fundamental principles with the internal training methods of martial arts, many of which require coordination with internal Jing Qi. Simply devising movements isn't enough; having the corresponding method for circulating energy is what makes a truly complete martial art. When Tommy executed the Shoryuken just now, they saw clearly: the dragon-shaped Qi manifestation was certainly the external phenomenon revealed during the circulation of energy when executing that move. This proved the technique wasn't just empty form but a "genuine article" possessing formidable power.

"Well... except that the style of martial arts our predecessor chose seems rather excessively vulgar..."

Furthermore, the way the Black man, Tommy, used that move was brutally ruthless—aiming fully at that specific spot. When the ninja was struck, his scream of agony was so intense that every person present instinctively clamped their legs shut, as if the injured man were one of them.

Glancing stealthily at the target, they saw the ninja sprawled on the ground, legs tightly clamped, lower legs splayed outward. He was unconscious, and the horrific scream had knocked his mask off, leaving him foaming slightly at the mouth—truly a pitiable sight.

Even Hua Yi and Ning Ruxue, watching the scene unfold from inside the house, flushed slightly, clicking their tongues. "That Tommy, really hitting that spot..." While martial arts contained many similar techniques, they were rarely used casually under normal circumstances. Ye Wen had used such moves back in the day, but given his status and lack of fame then, it was dismissed. Moreover, he was dealing with despicable scoundrels, and no one would have cared if the usage had been known.

Things were vastly different now. Ning Ruxue and Hua Yi murmured, "We must properly lecture this foreign disciple later, making sure he understands which moves are never to be used casually, lest he tarnish the reputation of our Mount Shu Sect!" While everyone was focused on Tommy’s technique, the man in high-tech gear suddenly unleashed formidable power. He swung his left wrist sharply, and a thin beam of red light shot out from his wrist! Had Tommy not reacted quickly enough, this one move might have killed him.

Everyone present recognized this red beam, and Tommy screamed in terror, "Hey, buddy! Don't be such a scoundrel, are you bringing out the laser now?"

Hearing Tommy's fluent American accent, the man couldn't help but retort, "You can use that weird white mist, so why can't I use a laser?"

He had tried many things earlier, finding the white mist bizarre and difficult to deal with, seeming like some kind of strange armor protecting the Black devil. Forced into a corner, he had to resort to the laser weapon. However, this device, like the rest of his gear, required immense energy. The laser was a massive drain, and if the energy reserves depleted, the enhancement capabilities of his suit would vanish, leaving him with no way to fight the Black devil other than taking a beating.

Tommy smacked his lips, seemingly unable to find a counterargument, and finally shouted, "Alright then, prepare to see my ultimate move!"

"Ultimate move?"

The opponent’s eyes narrowed, immediately intending to strike first to prevent the Black man from pulling any more strange tricks. Yet, halfway through his charge, he was forced to halt, because the Black man had somehow produced a personal shoulder-fired rocket launcher from nowhere. He hefted it onto his shoulder, pointing it at the opponent, a flash of white teeth glinting on his dark, oily face as he grinned radiantly.

"How about that? Is my ultimate move impressive or what?"

He had procured this item from Zhang Hengguang. In fact, he had acquired far more than just this single rocket launcher from Zhang Hengguang; he could even produce a six-barreled machine gun. With a storage ring, he could carry anything he wanted.

Bringing out this weapon was purely driven by Tommy’s perverse sense of humor: You boast about high tech? Let’s see if you have anything capable of stopping this thing! Even if that guy manages to detonate my rocket prematurely, the massive explosion and shrapnel would be enough to give him a terrible time—Tommy was protected by his White Dou Qi, after all, so he didn't fear it. The opponent’s suit didn't seem to have strong defensive capabilities, otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so much time dodging Tommy’s attacks.

Tommy was immensely pleased with himself, unaware that Ye Wen and the Hermit of Beihe were both wearing expressions of utter blankness. They never imagined things would culminate in this scenario, with the intruder being neutralized by a mere rocket launcher.

This was a difference in ideology. If Ye Wen had acted, the destructive power would have been far greater than a rocket launcher; his Zixiao Sword was immensely powerful and easily controlled now; killing these two petty thieves would have been a matter of thought. But the opponent, even seeing Ye Wen summon the Zixiao Sword, might not have felt fear, because he wouldn't believe a simple long sword could hold such destructive potential.

But a rocket launcher…

Overall, Ye Wen couldn't say he was satisfied or dissatisfied with his disciple's performance. His disciple had taken care of two petty thieves, which should have made him happy, but this final move left him deeply frustrated. If Tommy had used something like the Hadouken or Shoryuken, Ye Wen could have felt proud. But what was a rocket launcher in this context? Seeing this, Ye Wen resolved that he absolutely had to train this brat rigorously; he couldn't allow him to keep acting so recklessly and embarrass Ye Wen's name.

For the moment, however, he could only shamelessly say to the Hermit of Beihe, "I was willing to teach him martial arts and keep him nearby because of his quick wit, but I didn't expect he'd carry these kinds of things with him!" Wang Zhao and the Hermit of Beihe didn't think much of it, but Zheng Ying's face darkened. As someone responsible for security, he certainly wouldn't be happy seeing someone openly carrying such a dangerous weapon. He overlooked the fact that the few people standing next to him posed a far greater danger than a mere rocket launcher, regardless of what they carried—it was simply a matter of ingrained habit.

Tommy dragged the captured man over and presented him to Ye Wen, then arrogantly shouldered the rocket launcher, grinning widely: "...Master, this guy didn't get away! As for the other one..." He glanced back, "It looks like he's out of breath..."

Having achieved some initial success, Tommy could roughly judge basic conditions even from this distance. However, Ye Wen already knew the unlucky fellow had probably choked to death from the pain; he just hadn't bothered to pay attention earlier.

"If he's dead, he's dead. Why bother with him?" He then turned to the Hermit of Beihe. "Does the Hermit have a method for cleaning up this corpse?" While Ye Wen understood many arts, he lacked much skill in disposing of bodies discreetly. He assumed that many spells from the world of cultivation might yield better results.

The Hermit of Beihe shook his head, but Zheng Ying answered, "Senior, rest assured, leave this matter to me..." With a flick of his wrist, a flame rose from his palm, and he casually tossed it toward the ninja’s corpse.

"Hmm?" Ye Wen observed that Zheng Ying’s flame ability didn't seem to stem from a divine technique but rather resembled an innate talent.

Indeed, Wang Zhao explained, "This colleague of mine has innate supernatural abilities; he can control fire! My master once said Zheng Ying possesses the physique of innate Lihuo (Blazing Fire). Though he has this ability, without a unique cultivation method, he cannot pursue true cultivation!" Ye Wen nodded in understanding.

The innate Lihuo body meant the person’s elemental attribute was singularly focused. In traditional Taoist theory, the human body possesses the Five Elements; having all Five is the normal state. A deficiency implies illness. Furthermore, cultivation and Qi refinement require the Five Elements to be complete; even if a technique favors one element, the other four are never missing.

In Zheng Ying’s case, having only the Fire element meant this situation was absolutely abnormal in Taoist circles. Even martial artists might deem such a person unsuitable for training, expecting limited achievement. Unless he found a peculiar cultivation method, Zheng Ying could not only fail to cultivate Qi or practice martial arts but might even face premature death. Ye Wen knew all this because the old physician Chen Yizhong had discussed these matters when they talked previously. At that time, Ye Wen hadn't expected to encounter such a person, yet here one was. Curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but scrutinize Zheng Ying more closely, thinking, I was just worrying about not having good disciples; isn't Zheng Ying walking right into my lap?

"The innate Lihuo body cannot cultivate Qi or practice martial arts, but that isn't absolute. If one can find unique formulae and incantations, complete cultivation isn't entirely impossible!" What Ye Wen lacked least was cultivation formulae. However, finding a suitable one instantaneously wasn't easy. He recalled the Chiyang Shenhuo Gong (Crimson Sun Divine Fire Art) that seemed quite fitting for Zheng Ying. Given Zheng Ying's unique constitution, he might be able to bring the Chiyang Shenhuo Gong to its absolute peak even without external aids.

Alternatively, the Bingpo Hangu (Ice Soul Cold Art) was another option—using ice, cold, and Yin energy to balance the Lihuo Qi within Zheng Ying’s body, allowing his internal Yin and Yang to slowly normalize. Ye Wen could think of at least two sets of methods suitable for Zheng Ying’s cultivation. Regrettably, he didn't possess the incantations for either technique right now. But if necessary, the Chunyang Zhizun Gong (Pure Yang Supreme Art) and the Chunyang Wuji Gong (Pure Yang Limitless Art) wouldn't be bad choices either.

Such a fine seed, it truly stirs my interest. I just wonder about this young man’s character?

If his character was good, Ye Wen wouldn't mind stepping in to heal this young man, perhaps even accepting him as a disciple. If not…

Once the ninja’s corpse was completely incinerated, Ye Wen suddenly called Zheng Ying over. "Come here for a moment, extend your left hand!" Seeing this, Wang Zhao and the Hermit of Beihe immediately understood that Ye Wen intended to examine Zheng Ying, possibly even treating him. Wang Zhao, who was friendly with Zheng Ying, immediately made subtle gestures, worried his friend might miss this chance.

Zheng Ying was no fool; he stepped forward, presenting his left hand to Ye Wen. When Ye Wen’s fingers pressed against his wrist, a sensation of profound coolness and refreshment spread from the point of contact into his body.

He knew this elderly senior was using his spiritual energy to probe his internal condition. Elders from the Kunlun Sect had examined him before, but their spiritual energies couldn't even penetrate past his vital organs; they struggled haltingly, advancing only as far as his shoulders before stalling, after which they would frown and sigh regretfully. He had long since given up hope, but he never expected Ye Wen’s Zhenqi to proceed without any obstruction—easily moving from his wrist to his elbow, then smoothly turning at the shoulder to surge toward his internal organs.

What surprised Zheng Ying even more was that the Jingqi Ye Wen transmitted into his body split into several streams after passing the shoulder, probing his viscera simultaneously, leaving him utterly comfortable—his body was saturated with Lihuo Qi, which not only made his temper volatile but also left him constantly feeling unbearably hot. Even in conditions twenty degrees below freezing, he would frequently feel discomfort. A feeling of cool satisfaction like this, he had almost never experienced!

Sadly, this sensation soon faded, and Ye Wen looked at him with a frown, uttering words that astonished everyone: "You must stop using that ability, or you will certainly die a gruesome death within three months!"