Duan Nantian looked desolate: "All I have are skills to slay dragons, but no dragons to slay."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiang's excitement vanished, and he said with a sullen face, "Ah, if you can't achieve immortality, what's the point of practicing martial arts?"

Duan Nantian glared at him and said, "After mastering martial arts, you can live for a few hundred more years. Do you want to die early?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qiang couldn't help but nod, "That's true, who doesn't want to live a few more years."

Duan Nantian remained composed as he spoke, but poor Xiao Qiang had no idea that to live a few hundred years longer, one must reach the peak of the Martial Path to have the chance to extend their lifespan. Otherwise, no matter how powerful you become, you'll turn to dust in a hundred years, at most living a few extra decades. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then, Duan Nantian said to Xiao Qiang with satisfaction, "Alright, that's it for today. Come back at 5 AM tomorrow, and I will teach you the martial arts of our sect."

,

Xiao Qiang left the courtyard in a daze. Anyone in his position wouldn't believe they had met a legendary Martial Arts Master, and this Master even told him, "Kid, I see great potential in you. In due time, you will achieve greatness."

At this point, we can't help but introduce Xiao Qiang himself. Xiao Qiang's parents went bankrupt because of a betrayal by his father's own brother, and unable to bear the blow, they committed suicide, leaving behind the then ten-year-old Xiao Qiang.

Fortunately, Xiao Qiang was helped through his darkest hours by his neighbor, Old Wang. But Xiao Qiang, having watched his parents being carried out of his home and seeing them lying motionless, knew, even at a young age, that they were gone forever.

The blow was devastating for young Xiao Qiang. After he turned 14, he survived by doing odd jobs and collecting trash, with the help of Old Wang and the scholarships he earned through his academic performance. Ultimately, he managed to get into Liuhai University, one of the top universities in Huaxia.

At Liuhai University, Xiao Qiang was undeniably a top student. After all, he had to strive hard academically to secure scholarships, which resulted in him wearing glasses with a prescription of over 300 degrees. Scholarships and part-time jobs delivering fast food barely kept him afloat.

People often ask why Xiao Qiang, who suffered such psychological trauma in his childhood, seems perfectly fine now. All I can say is that time and survival have buried his wounds, teaching him to hide and camouflage them.

Xiao Qiang returned to the school around 10 PM, checking the time and realizing he was about to be locked out of the dormitory building.

He ran all the way back and just made it in time. After reaching his dorm room, he took a shower, stripped down to his underwear, and lay on the bed.

The dorm room was currently occupied by only Xiao Qiang, as his three roommates, being locals, seldom stayed in the dormitory. For someone who loved peace and quiet, Xiao Qiang found this arrangement quite satisfactory.

Xiao Qiang reminisced about the day's events, feeling as if he were dreaming. Meeting a legendary Martial Arts Master is exciting for any Huaxia person, especially since the Master took him as an apprentice. It's like a nerd clinging to a golden thigh, transforming into a high-class person, becoming a CEO, marrying a rich and beautiful woman, and reaching the peak of life. With these thoughts, Xiao Qiang found it impossible to fall asleep.

After tossing and turning for a while, Xiao Qiang set the alarm and finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Xiao Qiang woke up, got up quickly to wash, and left feeling refreshed. He jogged all the way to Duan Nantian's residence, arriving at the courtyard just as the clock struck 5 am. Duan Nantian was already standing in the courtyard.

Xiao Qiang saw Duan Nantian with his hands behind his back and eyes closed, an aura of a lonesome master naturally emanating!

Xiao Qiang cleared his throat, "Ahem, Master, I'm here." Only then did Duan Nantian slowly open his eyes and sternly say, "Our sect is the Body Sect, passed down from ancient times. We do not gather Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi but instead focus on uncovering our own potential. Our sect believes that the potential within us is limitless, without boundaries. Therefore, no matter how the external Primordial Qi dissipates or the environment changes, it will not affect us in any way. Unlike other schools that depend on Primordial Qi and can merely struggle to survive when it's gone."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiang couldn't help but ask, "Then, Master, why are you the only one left in the Body Sect?"

Duan Nantian replied, "...Ahem, that's because our Body Sect only passes the art to one generation, so naturally, it's just me."

Duan Nantian, of course, wouldn't mention that back when Primordial Qi was still abundant, although the Body Sect, with its complete system, had been passed down from ancient times, the Human Race's Saints discovered the wonders of Qi and found that cultivating it was more powerful than mere Body Refinement. Although Body Refiners at their peak were no less formidable than Qi Cultivators, they lacked long-range attack methods, which often left them at the mercy of Qi Cultivators.

This eventually led to Body Refiners being ridiculed as brainless brutes. Later, a great talent of the Body Refinement lineage sought to shed this label, striving relentlessly until he discovered that by training the brain, one could increase one's wisdom, and the brain possessed various mysterious abilities. But his great interest in these studies eventually led to his brain exploding.

However, this discovery was groundbreaking, enhancing the wisdom of Body Refiners and enabling them to develop a variety of Divine Techniques. Unfortunately, due to the extreme resilience and endurance required for progress in Body Refinement, fewer individuals pursued it. Today, amidst dramatic changes in the Primordial Qi, only the lineage of Duan Nantian remains.

Xiao Qiang, still bewildered, uttered a simple "Oh." Then, Duan Nantian said, "Alright, come with me now; I'll teach you the basic Body Refinement techniques!"

With that, Duan Nantian turned and walked into the courtyard, leading to a platform about fifty square meters in size. Xiao Qiang followed Duan Nantian and stood on the platform, watching.

It must be said that this courtyard occupies a prime location, as Liuhai City is like a small basin surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea. This courtyard is situated near the city's edge within the embrace of mountains, and from the platform at the back of the courtyard, you can directly view the sea. Just standing here is a kind of enjoyment.

Looking at the surrounding environment, Xiao Qiang was taken aback, "Master, is our sect so wealthy? This courtyard must have cost a fortune, right?"

Duan Nantian's mouth twitched, "Our sect's last remaining asset is just this much; you will inherit the sect in the future, so don't be so narrow-minded. Alright, alright, stop chattering and get over here!"