Chapter 37
Kaboom!
Kaboom!
Swoosh!
The crashing sounds and howling wind continued to echo in the gymnasium.
"It seems like your skills are improving!" exclaimed Hou Yunfei, sporting an excited smile.
"Yeah, if you keep practicing, won't you naturally improve?" Ray responded rhetorically, his face displaying honesty, although he felt a tinge of embarrassment inside. It couldn't be as easy as he made it sound, right? Without any proper training, how could he move smoothly?
The two young fighters exchanged blows effortlessly, not letting their conversation hinder their diligent practice.
"Yes, you're right!" Hou Yunfei agreed, nodding in approval. However, deep down, the girl was a bit surprised because she considered Ray to be a martial arts prodigy.
As they continued exchanging punches, Hou Yunfei couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. In her opinion, Ray's talent was going to waste because his martial arts skills were unrefined and far from smooth.
"Where did this kid learn his martial arts? Such trash!" Hou Yunfei exclaimed, annoyed.
Meanwhile, Ray kept on engaging with his opponent, unaware that the eclectic mix of martial arts he had deduced from various styles on Earth was considered subpar by his sparring partner.
Ray focused his gaze intently, observing his opponent closely. He had already activated the aura vision technique he had been practicing recently. The results were highly satisfying. Subconsciously, Ray could predict the movements of his opponent based on the flow and emanation of aura.
Whenever a body part moved, the aura in that area would fluctuate—deflating, filling, and then moving before an attack was unleashed. In Ray's peripheral vision, he could see specks of various colors dispersing in the air. Although these specks were faint due to the relatively basic martial arts techniques employed, when the aura converged, they became more discernible, forming thick and thin thread-like streams.
Through this training, Ray efficiently dodged his opponent's attacks and skillfully counterattacked, exploiting areas with weak aura flow where his opponent was unprepared, ultimately overpowering them. Ray was extremely satisfied with this martial technique.
The more Ray fought, the more impressed Hou Yunfei became. It felt as if she was battling a peculiar individual who could read her mind.
"How can this weirdo anticipate my every move? Can he read my mind?" Hou Yunfei wondered, furrowing her brow in doubt.
Ray, engaging gracefully with his opponent, couldn't help but smile with joy. Hou Yunfei paid no mind to his smile, assuming that Ray was simply delighted to keep up with her movements in easy mode. Moreover, his smile didn't carry a trace of lewdness in his eyes, so Hou Yunfei felt no cause for concern.
Amid the intense fight, Ray suddenly had a thought. "This technique is highly advanced! With this aura vision, I can surpass my expectations!" Ray's excitement surged, followed by a touch of helplessness. "Unfortunately, these eyes aren't quite like the ones in anime... If only they had the power of true clairvoyance."
Bang!
A tremendously powerful blow struck Ray's head, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Beaten and angered, Ray reflexively held his head and muttered a few words of complaint.
"Arghhh, that hurts! Why do you always aim for my head so mercilessly? What if I become brain-damaged? Will you be my caregiver and look after me in my old age?" Ray blurted out in one breath.
As soon as those words left his mouth, an even fiercer blow came crashing into Ray's head once again.
...
On the sidelines of the field, a young man sat on a chair, holding an ice cube to his head. Beside him was a girl of the same age, exuding beauty.
"What's wrong with you? Do I owe you something?" the young man asked, his voice tinged with discomfort.
"That's a lesson for you!" replied Hou Yunfei firmly.
Earlier, she had noticed Ray's smile fade and a strange expression replaced it, which made Hou Yunfei feel uneasy. As a reflex, she delivered a strong blow to Ray. Once again, Ray uttered nonsensical words that infuriated her even more. Without thinking, she struck him harder until Ray fainted, just as he had in previous weeks.
Upon hearing Ray's complaint, he could only groan, "Why did I think you were purposefully hitting me? It's clear that you enjoy watching me faint!"
Fresh in Ray's memory was the fact that the girl in front of him had caused the death of his predecessor and ultimately taken over his soul.
Hou Yunfei, angered by his words, clenched her fists unknowingly, ready to strike again. Sensing this, Ray, who had become somewhat sensitive to auras, couldn't help but notice her reflexes. Fear gripped him, and he began sprouting apologies.
"No, no, beautiful upperclassman, I didn't mean to blame you at all. I was just talking nonsense. Yes, yes, just talking nonsense!"
Hearing these strange compliments, Hou Yunfei eased up slightly and snorted coldly at Ray. Seeing her hand loosen, Ray breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he didn't want to end up in a vegetative state. If he continued to be struck on the head, wouldn't his future be filled with stupidity?
Hou Yunfei didn't want to let Ray off easily, but considering how much she had wronged him, she couldn't help but swallow her anger.
Observing Ray's irritated and helpless expression, Hou Yunfei suddenly felt compelled to ask, "Where did you learn your martial arts?"
Ray's body stiffened upon hearing the question. His change in expression and rigid face did not go unnoticed by Hou Yunfei.
"What's this? Has she discovered that I'm not from this world? How could I have been found out?"
...
Seeing Ray's consternation, Hou Yunfei took the initiative to speak first.
"I can see that your martial arts are terrible! They can hardly be called martial arts at all!"
Once again, Ray was stunned. The cold sweat that had started to form on his forehead vanished.
"Phew, luckily I thought I had been exposed! ...But why does this person say that the martial art I created is trash? Is she intentionally mocking me?"
Ray's previous worried expression transformed into a pensive one, causing his forehead to crease with furrows.
Since Ray remained silent, Hou Yunfei decided to explain further.
"The martial arts you employ appear haphazard, lacking technique, strength, and depth. They are a mishmash of random moves that you adapt to each battle. Different people have different approaches..."
Hearing this, Ray felt a sense of pride in his heart. After all, what he had created stemmed from his thoughts, albeit drawing inspiration from various martial arts on Earth.
However, Ray couldn't help but feel perplexed and asked, "But..."
"Then..." Ray urged the other party to continue.
"However, the martial moves you demonstrate are merely empty shells!" shouted Hou Yunfei decisively.
"Ugh!" Ray was shocked.
"Martial arts involve engaging every part of the body, including muscles, bones, blood, joints, and the momentum of the Aether, in a comprehensive display that aligns with the intended purpose. Some certain stages and conditions must be met before an empty move can evolve into a proper martial art.
An empty movement refers to body motion produced without any additional elements. Gymnastics, for example, entails specific Aether flow that is often used to enhance the body's spiritual veins or utilized by the elderly to maintain agility.
Pseudo-martial arts involve body movements that incorporate Aether flow and employ Aether explosion techniques to strengthen the motion.
Martial arts with intent encompass body movements that flow with Aether, employ Aether explosion formulas, and possess a discernible intent during execution.
Lastly, true martial arts represent the fusion of Aether flow, Aether explosion formulas, and traces of intent, all configured to form a distinct and mystical union. True martial arts are typically referred to as martial arts because naming them specifically is exceedingly challenging.
Additionally, martial arts are categorized into different levels that determine their strength and weakness."
Hou Yunfei explained this information confidently as if it were ingrained in her DNA.
Ray, upon hearing this, was stunned. He had never expected martial arts to be so intricate. In light of this, he realized that he did not possess a single true martial art. Even the three-clawed dragon's martial arts could hardly be considered true martial arts.
The aura eye martial art seemed to only reach the level of pseudo-martial arts.
Observing Ray's dismayed expression, Hou Yunfei began to sneer.
"What's with that shocked expression of yours? If your empty movements can be labeled as martial arts, then can walking also be deemed martial arts?"
Upon hearing this, Ray couldn't help but gasp.
Yes, why had he been so foolish?
Ray didn't feel anger toward the other party's sneering; instead, he felt grateful. Otherwise, he would have remained trapped in his illusionary dream.
Realizing this, Ray could only shake his head bitterly. He had been excessively naive.
Hou Yunfei became slightly displeased when she witnessed Ray's dejected appearance. The young girl gritted her teeth as she retrieved a martial manual.
"This is the lowest grade of true martial art from my family... you can try learning it!"
Hearing this, Ray became excited!