Chapter 819: Xu Changqing's Shock

"You..."Hearing this, and seeing the other person's full face of disdainful contempt, not only Xu Changqing's beard but his entire face turned green with fury.

Although the Martial Arts Academy ranked sixth among the ten great academies, behind the Physicians Academy, it was still a formidable powerhouse. Xu Changqing himself, as one of the ten great elders, could definitely rank among the top three, if not first, in a one-on-one fight.

It was one thing for such a prominent figure not to be recognized, but to actually be asked for money? And not only that, but to be called a pauper? You're calling *me* a pauper?! Who was this person, coming to the Martial Arts Academy and not even recognizing its dean? Where did they crawl out from?

"I'm just here to observe, not to attend a lecture!" Xu Changqing said, trying hard to suppress the twitch in his face as he waved his hand. As dean, he had to maintain his composure; it was impossible for him to get into a heated argument over a single comment.

"Observe?" The chubby man looked at him suspiciously. Xu Changqing nodded, stroking his beard, naturally exuding the air of an important person. If the other party still couldn't tell who he was now, it would be truly unreasonable.

"Alright!" The chubby man seemed to understand. He placed the basket on the ground and stopped collecting money. "You can go in!""Hmm!" Xu Changqing nodded in satisfaction, seeing that the other party had finally caught on. He lifted his foot, but before he could step through the gate, he heard the man's deliberately hushed mutterings.

"What a joke! If you don't have money, just say so; why put on airs? 'Observe'... How dare he say that? Isn't he just trying to steal knowledge? I've seen shameless people, but never one this shameless! And a renowned master too... Bah!" The chubby man rolled his eyes, his disdain evident.

"You..." Xu Changqing stumbled, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood and fainting on the spot. He was the dean, one of the ten great elders, and he was just called shameless and a poser to his face... A raging inferno of anger flared within him; he was on the verge of madness. He had seen idiots before, but never one this idiotic. Didn't you see my dignified demeanor just now? Couldn't you guess my identity?

"Fine, I'll pay!" Knowing that arguing with such a person would only infuriate him to death, and that making a scene would be beneath his status, Xu Changqing gritted his teeth and threw a spirit stone into the basket.

"A high-grade spirit stone?" Seeing the spirit stone fall, shining brightly, with spiritual energy surging like a dragon's roar and a tiger's growl, the chubby man's eyes lit up. He had thought this guy was truly a pauper, but unexpectedly, he pulled out a high-grade one... So, after all that, he wasn't broke; he was a hidden rich man!

"Can I go in now?" Xu Changqing scoffed.

"Let me get your change. One high-grade spirit stone is worth ten thousand mid-grade ones. The lecture costs 100 mid-grade spirit stones, so I owe you... 9,900 mid-grade spirit stones!" The chubby man muttered to himself, rummaging through the basket as if to find the corresponding spirit stones.

"No need for change!" Xu Changqing waved his hand. As one of the ten great elders and a peak-level expert in the first realm of the Saint Domain, a high-grade spirit stone, while incredibly precious to others, was nothing to him.

"Great! I didn't have change anyway..." The chubby man's eyes gleamed."..." Xu Changqing swayed again, feeling a tightness in his chest. What kind of person was this...? He was absolutely shameless! How could Xue Zhenyang hire such a person for the academy? Wasn't this ruining the Martial Arts Academy's reputation?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Suppressing the urge to slap the man to death, he strode into the courtyard. Just as he entered, he heard the chubby man behind him shout again: "This slightly older student gave a tip of 9,900 spirit stones! Everyone should learn from him!"

His body stiffened, Xu Changqing's eyebrows twitched wildly, and he nearly went insane on the spot. A tip? And everyone should learn from him? He had only intended to quietly come and see what was going on, and perhaps scold Xue Zhenyang. Now, the dignified dean of the Martial Arts Academy had come to attend a lecture, not only paying tuition but also giving a tip... He couldn't wash this away even if he jumped into Hongyuan Lake!

Sure enough, before he could finish that thought, all the students attending the lecture turned to stare at him."It's Dean Xu...""Dean Xu is here too! Not only did he pay tuition, but he also gave such a big tip?""Amazing, it seems he also acknowledges the skill of Teacher Zheng, Teacher Liu, and Teacher Wang!""Yeah..."

Seeing that the dean had not only come in person but also given a tip, everyone burst into an uproar. Two students from the Martial Arts Academy couldn't help but run over to him. "Dean, you're here too! The seats upfront are good; come listen over here!"

Xu Changqing's vision went dark, and his body swayed. Good seats... I'm here to find fault, not to attend a lecture, damn it!

"Yes, Dean, the President is waiting for you over there," another student added. "Let's hurry, or it would be embarrassing to hold up the class with so many people watching..."

"President? Fine, I'd like to see what trick he's playing!" On the verge of spitting blood from anger, Xu Changqing nodded upon hearing that Xue Zhenyang was waiting upfront. Staying there, surrounded by other students, would only be more humiliating. It was better to find his errant disciple and teach him a lesson first.

Following the two students, he squeezed through the crowd and quickly reached the high platform."Teacher, you're here too..." Seeing him, Xue Zhenyang looked over excitedly, full of respect.

"What exactly are you up to?" His face darkened, and no longer able to hold back, Xu Changqing was about to explode.

"Don't be angry yet, Teacher, just listen first..." Without answering his teacher, Xue Zhenyang pointed towards the stage."Listen?" Xu Changqing was momentarily stunned. Despite his anger, seeing the surrounding students, he forced himself to endure and looked up.

The one currently lecturing was a girl, appearing sixteen or seventeen years old, with quite a beautiful face, no less attractive than students like Hu Yaoyao or Dong Xin.

"...Leg techniques involve combining the legs with movement skills. We all know that walking and running use our legs. If we can treat these as part of the cultivation process, our leg techniques will surely advance greatly..."

"When we cultivate leg techniques, we focus most on skill — Whirlwind Kick, Cold Sun Kick, Great Strength Vajra Leg... Numerous leg styles are abundant and overflowing, but in reality, we've been looking in the wrong direction. The primary function of the legs is walking, and maximizing this function is the best approach..."

The girl articulated clearly and spoke eloquently. At first, Xu Changqing paid little attention, but the more he listened, the more alarmed he became, and his face began to twitch. An expert's first move reveals their caliber. He was the dean of the Martial Arts Academy and a six-star peak renowned master, possessing a unique understanding and insight into martial arts. The leg techniques explained by the girl, though seemingly basic, were comprehensive and went straight to the essence. In fact, many aspects of her understanding were even more profound than his own! It could be said that even his own explanations were far inferior to hers!

"This... is basic? Basic leg techniques can have so many variations?" He listened for a while longer, his brows furrowing involuntarily. As the girl explained, martial arts often emphasized unpredictability and surprise, making opponents impossible to guard against. Yet, what she described was a grand, straightforward path, devoid of any unorthodox methods. But for some reason, the more straightforward it was, the more it seemed capable of unleashing the greatest power.

"...Walking engages the whole body. What if the power of walking is transmitted through the soles of the feet? This is the leg technique I'm teaching today; it can instantly gather the body's entire strength, allowing your opponent to feel your full cultivation level..." The girl on stage continued her explanation.

"The legs can drive the entire body. In normal martial arts, one leg supports while the other attacks, clearly dispersing power. But what if all strength could be released..." Xu Changqing's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He listened intently, and a moment later, slapped his thigh. "That's right! If leg techniques are executed this way, all problems can be solved... Not only will the power be stronger, but the speed will also be faster, and the attack's potency even greater!"

"Although the attacking moves are simple, they point directly to the core principles and embody the most fundamental changes of all martial arts..." He mentally replayed the girl's lecture, and the more he listened, the more excited he became, his eyes shining brighter and brighter. The martial arts she taught might not be as high-level as what he knew, but they were solid fundamentals. Cultivating according to her explanations would benefit even him immensely and provide great inspiration for future learning.

"Teacher, what do you think?" Seeing his teacher's expression, Xue Zhenyang smiled and looked over. He had dared to invite Teacher Zheng, Elder Wang, and others to lecture and even pay them lecture fees, guessing that his teacher would be angry. Therefore, he had already prepared for this. Indeed, just as he thought, his teacher listened for a while and became completely engrossed, unable to pull himself away.

To be honest, these individuals he had unexpectedly encountered, though not renowned masters, possessed an incredibly profound understanding of martial arts and cultivation. Cultivating according to their explanations not only led to rapid progress but also solidified one's foundation, making it unassailable! It was foreseeable that with careful listening and diligent practice, future progress would be astounding.

"Incredible!" Xu Changqing couldn't help but nod. "I never imagined anyone could understand basic martial arts so thoroughly... Paying 100 mid-grade spirit stones for such a course is an absolute bargain!" Mid-grade spirit stones were nothing to renowned masters like them; any senior student at the academy would have hundreds, if not thousands. To hear such an excellent lecture for so few spirit stones was truly a great profit. It was imaginable that after this class, many would gain a new understanding of martial arts, significantly boosting their strength.

"Indeed!" Xue Zhenyang nodded. If he hadn't been so astonished by their lectures, how could he, a top student from the Renowned Master Academy, have possibly taken someone so much younger than himself as a teacher?

"Zhenyang, what's the background of this girl?" Xu Changqing asked, unable to help but look over after expressing his admiration.

"I don't know her exact background; I just met her outside the academy yesterday while traveling... Why, Teacher, are you thinking of taking her as a disciple?" Xue Zhenyang looked at him.

"Take her as a disciple?" Xu Changqing shook his head. "With such a profound understanding of martial arts, how could I be qualified to be her teacher? Instead, I'd like to invite her to be a... Visiting Elder for the Martial Arts Academy!"