Chapter 107: Master Li

“Activate the technical training for mixed martial arts. I can stop the training at any time, but please remind me every hour in real time,” Tsu Aoki said as he found himself once again in a vast, white training space, still half asleep. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to see what this so-called technical training was all about.

[Technical—Beginner Training Arena activated. Number of instructors—1. A system instructor has been generated based on your current skill level.]

The scene before him shifted. When Tsu Aoki came to his senses, he realized he was inside a martial arts gym.

The gym was modest in size, no more than one or two hundred square meters. In one corner stood a wooden dummy, the kind he’d only seen in Chinese martial arts films. On the opposite side hung a heavy punching bag used for boxing. At the very center of the room stood a boxing ring, seeming oddly out of place.

A slender, tall man with long black hair, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, sat cross-legged in the middle of the ring. Tsu Aoki looked up but could only see the man’s upright back.

“Um...” Tsu Aoki spoke cautiously.

The man in the ring exhaled deeply, then stood and turned his head toward Tsu Aoki, his smile broad and sincere. “Are you here to learn boxing from me?”

“And you are?” Tsu Aoki asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar face.

The man’s long hair was neatly trimmed just above thick eyebrows. His large eyes sparkled with intensity; his nose was modest, and beneath a faint beard, his smiling lips revealed clean teeth. He was not tall, and Tsu Aoki sensed a certain slightness to his frame. “You don’t need to know who I am. You can just call me Li, or Master Li.”

“You’re going to teach me mixed martial arts?” Tsu Aoki asked, surprised.

“I don’t know what mixed martial arts even means,” Master Li chuckled, seeming to sense Tsu Aoki’s confusion. He raised his head slightly, a trace of pride glimmering in his eyes. “But I can teach you how to punch, how to kick.”

“Don’t want to learn?” Master Li’s faint smile revealed a sharp edge, a palpable pressure radiating from him that made Tsu Aoki instinctively tense his muscles.

“No, it’s just a bit unexpected,” Tsu Aoki admitted. He had expected some African or Caucasian martial arts star, never imagining a Chinese man. Not that he doubted Chinese fighters, but his impression was that the stars on the mixed martial arts stage were usually foreigners.

“Well then, how about this: let’s spar a bit, shall we?” Master Li confidently took his stance in the ring. Despite Tsu Aoki’s taller, more imposing frame, the man’s eyes betrayed no hesitation.

Tsu Aoki hesitated—not out of fear, but because this was the instructor teaching him the technique. Judging by his build, Master Li was not particularly strong, certainly slimmer than Tsu Aoki.

“A martial artist should never shrink back like this,” Master Li waved his hand, inviting Tsu Aoki into the ring.

Tsu Aoki stepped forward, furrowing his brows. “Then... forgive me.”

“Please!” Master Li held his hands in front of him, smiling gently. “If you think you can beat me, then try.”

A flicker of fire ignited in Tsu Aoki’s heart. No matter how strong Master Li was, Tsu Aoki truly did not think himself inferior. His current strength allowed him to crush professional-grade Death Spiders with ease; how could he fear a man who looked so much leaner?

In fact, he even thought he might gain the upper hand.

“Here, you won’t get hurt. Let’s have a real fight!” The moment Master Li finished speaking, his agile feet crossed rapidly. He switched his left and right hands in quick succession, making Tsu Aoki unable to discern his intentions. This was no technique from mixed martial arts; it was more like the stylized moves seen in movies about Chinese martial arts.

Lowering his body slightly, Tsu Aoki moved his feet nimbly in small steps. Suddenly, he planted his foot and charged forward with a straight right punch.

“Smack!”

Before he could even react, a powerful strike landed on his left side. A sharp pain and dizziness staggered him backward twice. Regaining his composure, he saw Master Li slowly retracting the right leg he had just used to kick, his smile still radiant. “Again.”

So fast!

Tsu Aoki widened his eyes involuntarily. That kick was unbelievably quick; he hadn’t even reacted before it struck his face. If his guard hadn’t been so solid around his chin and neck, that blow would have knocked him out instantly.

“Ah!” Tsu Aoki shouted angrily and dashed forward once more. This time, he focused intensely on Master Li’s movements.

A straight punch? Seeing Master Li’s right arm shoot quickly toward his face, Tsu Aoki tried to dodge to one side while countering with a left hook. Unexpectedly, Master Li’s punch struck downward along the edge of Tsu Aoki’s left hook mid-air, spoiling its accuracy. At the same time, Master Li’s other hand struck his right side waist like lightning. Then, with lightning speed, Master Li’s right hand slanted upward to strike Tsu Aoki’s chin.

As golden light shimmered, Tsu Aoki stumbled backward until the ropes of the boxing ring stopped him. Only then did he realize he had lost consciousness momentarily.

Had this been a real boxing ring, those few seconds of blankness could have meant total destruction.

Not far away, Master Li assumed a unique posture, hands facing each other as he withdrew his legs and bowed, signaling the end of the practice.

“My purpose isn’t to spar endlessly with you,” Master Li said calmly, observing Tsu Aoki’s still-surprised expression with a faint smile. “In this world, my physical condition has reached the peak of what an ordinary human can achieve. You may be young and strong, but compared to me, you still have a long way to go.”

“And I’m much older than you, with more years of training. Though there’s a height difference, our weights are similar,” Master Li explained. “But unlike me, who has exhausted all my potential, your body and techniques still have vast room for improvement. Free your mind. Don’t be constrained by anything—neither forms nor external information. Only then can you walk farther on the path of martial arts.”

“Mixed martial arts is something I wanted to pursue but never completed. I’m glad to see what true mixed martial arts looks like from the future, but you—are not ready yet.”

Master Li lifted his chin slightly, his gaze sharp and commanding. “Now, are you willing to learn from me—how to punch, how to kick?”

Tsu Aoki’s pride vanished completely. The system automatically cured the dizziness caused by the blows. He stood upright, respectfully clasped his fists, and bowed. “Please, Master Li, teach me.”

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Master Li’s mouth, one that made Tsu Aoki feel a faint unease. “Then let’s begin with learning how to punch.”

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P.S. You can try guessing who Master Li’s prototype might be. By the way, a new week has begun—the time for recommendation votes. Can I harvest your votes like cutting chives?