Chapter 2332 — Testing the Martial Arts

It seemed he ought to let the Heavenly Thunder Pig and the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast have a good **flow**—just to see exactly how the creature managed it. If Wei Zhao could learn the trick, that would be truly extraordinary: meet an opponent, casually drive a bit of true qi into him, and you would be invincible.

But Wei Zhao was only daydreaming. Since ancient times, had all those cultivators who possessed contracted spirit beasts been fools? Had none of them ever thought of this? It seemed there was simply no way to put it into practice.

Shaking his head, Wei Zhao began helping Pi Zhitao refine the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast's true qi from within his body—though it was only the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast's true qi that Wei Zhao could refine so effortlessly, drawing that strand of qi straight out of Pi Zhitao's body. Had it been anyone else's true qi, Wei Zhao could never have managed so easily.

This kind of true qi Wei Zhao could absorb directly and turn to his own use, but with others—fire-poison true qi, for instance—he could not. He could only wrap it in his own true qi and force it out of the body, which was rather more troublesome.

"Done." Wei Zhao's treatment of Pi Zhitao took even less time—a matter of seconds—before he lifted his hand from Pi Zhitao's pulse gate.

"What? Done?" Pi Zhifeng and Old Master Pi stared wide-eyed. That was far too fast, wasn't it? They had already accepted the fact that Wei Zhao could heal them swiftly, but he had been fast enough before—and now he seemed even faster?

After all, the Hidden Pi family had sought physicians far and wide for Pi Zhitao's injury without success; even Zhao the Medicine King of the Hidden Zhao family had been helpless. And Wei Zhao had settled it in seconds?

Wei Zhao nodded. "There was never anything seriously wrong. He had merely had some true qi driven into him by the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast."

"…" Pi Zhifeng and Old Master Pi were left somewhat speechless. If that counted as nothing serious, then what did count as serious? This was a condition that had left countless people utterly powerless!

Yet the very next moment, a groan from Pi Zhitao told them he was truly and completely healed. Looking thoroughly dazed, Pi Zhitao clambered up from the stretcher, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Where am I? Is the competition over? Wei Zhao? What are you doing here?"

Pi Zhitao knew nothing of what had happened after the Hidden Aristocratic Families' Summit. Waking to find Wei Zhao, his "rival and foe," present as well, he was naturally somewhat wary and hostile.

"Zhihai, mind your manners!" Old Master Pi was startled by Pi Zhitao's words and hurriedly said to him, "This Mr. Lin is your savior. Without him, you would be dead. From now on, he is a man whom everyone in our Pi family must respect and obey!"

"That's right, Zhihai. I've already accepted Wei Zhao as our leader. You're my younger brother, so you should call him leader just as I do!" Pi Zhifeng added.

"What?" Pi Zhitao was taken aback, uncertain and alarmed. How was it that after a single sleep, his elder brother and grandfather treated Wei Zhao so completely differently? Wait… they said Wei Zhao was his savior? Pi Zhitao vaguely recalled what had happened before: in the spirit beast combat match, the Wind-Thunder Purple Lightning Beast had driven a strand of true qi into his body, and then he had blacked out…

Could Wei Zhao have been the one to dissolve it? Pi Zhitao might ordinarily lose himself in martial arts and speak little, but that did not make him a fool. From the look of things, that seemed to be the case! Yet he was still rather puzzled—had his grandfather and elder brother truly put aside their old grievances?

Their expressions did not look feigned, however, and Pi Zhitao was not an unreasonable man. He quickly cupped his hands toward Wei Zhao and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lin, for saving my life…"

"You call him leader!" Pi Zhifeng gave Pi Zhitao a slap and said. Pi Zhifeng's martial skill might not match Pi Zhitao's, but the bond between the brothers ran deep; there had never been scheming or contention between them, and such had been their relationship since childhood.

"Ha ha, no rush." Wei Zhao waved a hand, signaling Pi Zhifeng not to force the matter. "He has only just woken up. Let him have some quiet and rest first."

"Very well. Thank you, leader, for being so forgiving," Pi Zhifeng said hastily.

"By the way, Old Master Pi—Wu Chengtian may be an Earth-Rank expert, but he has no suitable martial art." Wei Zhao turned to Old Master Pi. "Wu Chengtian belongs to the Wu family of the mundane world, but the external Iron Hand art he cultivates is much the same in nature as your Hidden Pi family's—both are hand-refining methods. Could you help him find a martial art to cultivate?"

Generally speaking, no Earth-Rank experts emerged from the mundane families, and so no Earth-Rank martial arts appeared among them—even the mightiest of the mundane families, the Yu family, had none. Yu Huoxing had had no martial art and had instead gone to cultivate within the Hidden Yu family; only, when Wei Zhao encountered him, the Hidden Yu family had not yet granted him a martial art to study.

"Oh, that's easy enough. We're all one family from now on, so I needn't hide anything. Our Hidden Pi family's martial art is a hand technique called the Heaven-and-Earth Divine Fist, and this Divine Fist art happens to suit Wu Chengtian perfectly—he can take it up at once!" Old Master Pi said heartily upon hearing Wei Zhao's words. "Of course, Wu Chengtian is an expert who cultivates both inner and outer arts. If he can unleash the Heaven-and-Earth Divine Fist, its power will be far greater than what ordinary external experts like us can bring forth!"

Hearing Old Master Pi's words, Wu Chengtian was instantly stirred. Through his recent dealings with Old Master Pi, he had come to understand something of the Hidden Pi family's ancient-level backing—the renowned external martial sect, the Divine Fist Hall—and the Heaven-and-Earth Divine Fist was precisely that hall's signature art. Though Old Master Pi had mastered only the first fifteen forms of the Divine Fist and did not yet command the rest, for Wu Chengtian that was already more than enough!

And it was with the Divine Fist art that Old Master Pi had defeated that strange kidnapper. Wu Chengtian had envied it beyond measure—never imagining that he himself might learn it.

Of course, Wu Chengtian also understood: it was only after Wei Zhao had smoothly healed Old Master Pi and Pi Zhitao that Old Master Pi had truly taken him for one of his own, a comrade in the same trench. Before, Old Master Pi had offered him some pointers on cultivation, but had said not a word about the Heaven-and-Earth Divine Fist.

"Thank you, Old Master Pi, for your kindness. I will study diligently, and unless you tell me to pass it on, I will never teach it to anyone else!" Wu Chengtian hastily cupped his hands and said.

Pi Zhitao was somewhat shocked. He had not expected his grandfather to be willing to teach even the Heaven-and-Earth Divine Fist to Wu Chengtian. It seemed his grandfather had truly thrown in his lot with Wei Zhao, heart and soul!

Having only just awakened, he knew only of what had happened during this period, but of one thing at least he was certain: his injury had been healed by Wei Zhao. Thinking it over carefully—Wei Zhao seemed terribly formidable, almost miraculous? Not only had he shone brilliantly at the Hidden Aristocratic Families' Summit, but his medical skill was equally extraordinary?