Hu Qi's gaze flickered.
He looked at Chen Wu in front of him with some surprise. This guy... he looked big and burly, but Hu Qi hadn't expected him to so skillfully use his words in just a few short sentences.
He had managed to significantly dispel the initial awkwardness among the group.
This was the art of conversation.
It was a skill usually seen only in elite salespeople.
"Alright, let's get back to business."
Chen Wu smiled.
"There is a dazzling and complex variety of Fighting Techniques. However, the most widespread and common one on the market today is a Fighting Technique created by combining the strengths of numerous martial arts Schools. It's called Mixed Martial Arts.
While Mixed Martial Arts may not be as specialized as some other Fighting Techniques, its strength lies in its comprehensiveness, and it causes very little damage to the body.
Today, this is what I will be teaching you."
As Chen Wu spoke, he spread his arms, clenched his fists tightly, and then released them.
As he rolled his neck, his bones let out a series of crisp CRACKS.
"Next, I will perform the entire set of Mixed Martial Arts at the slowest possible speed. As I do, I will explain the key points of this Fighting Technique."
With that, his figure blurred into motion. His waist twisted, driving his upper body into a rotation as he threw a straight punch into the air beside him.
WHAP!
A sharp crack echoed through the air.
"This is Cannon Fist. It's a move created from the essence of the Spiritual Ape's Probing Claw from the Fighting Technique, White Ape Fist.
When you throw the punch, your leg, waist, and hip must twist as one. The fist strikes like a dragon, like a cannonball, unstoppable…"
Chen Wu's voice rang out.
Everyone watched with rapt attention, and Hu Qi was no exception.
The moment he saw Chen Wu make his move, Hu Qi knew he hadn't made a mistake in joining the Red Scale Fighting Club.
This man was definitely an expert.
With a thought, a translucent, illusory panel appeared on his retina.
In the Skill section, a line of text representing Mixed Martial Arts was gradually solidifying.
'It really works!'
Hu Qi's mind settled, and he stopped letting himself get distracted, focusing intently on Chen Wu's demonstration.
Mixed Martial Arts was composed of a total of eighteen moves.
It utilized fists, palms, elbows, legs, feet, and so on—nearly every part of the body was brought into play.
And when performed by Chen Wu, the entire set flowed without the slightest hesitation—incredibly fluid, fierce, and powerful.
「A few minutes later.」
"This is the complete Mixed Martial Arts!"
Chen Wu let out a light breath and relaxed his stance.
Although his movements weren't fast, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to remember more than half the moves after watching it just once.
And that was just the movements; the angles and force-generation techniques involved were not things one could learn simply by watching.
Those were things that required personal instruction to master.
Otherwise, if one were to practice it on their own, not only would it be ineffective, but it might even cause injury.
After all, this type of Fighting Technique had been developed and refined over generations, making it the most suitable Dharma Gate for body Cultivation.
Therefore, under Chen Wu's guidance, the group began to assume the stance for the first step of Mixed Martial Arts—the Cannon Fist—so he could correct their form.
In the crowd, Hu Qi's expression remained calm, no different from those around him as he adopted the fist stance.
But his gaze was fixed on the empty space before him.
————
[Mixed Martial Arts (Uninitiated)]
The moment his eyes landed on it, all sorts of information about this Mixed Martial Arts technique flooded his mind.
It was exactly what Chen Wu had just explained.
'I haven't even reached the Entry-Level yet, so I can't upgrade it?'
Hu Qi had already anticipated this possibility.
After all, a similar situation had occurred when he'd tried to modify the Nourishing Essence Breathing Technique.
Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Hu Qi began to practice earnestly.
"Raise your arm higher!"
"Clench your fist! This is a fist technique, not a claw!"
Chen Wu's gaze swept over the students, guiding them one by one.
Since they were just starting, most people's stances were a mess.
However, a few of them were not bad; at the very least, their movements were relatively standard.
Among them was Song Jian, who had spoken up earlier.
Chen Wu even praised him.
...
The trial class wasn't long, only about forty minutes.
It was over quickly, with only enough time to finish teaching the first move, Cannon Fist.
Throughout the class, Chen Wu's eyes were sharp as he constantly corrected the mistakes of the twenty-odd students.
His teaching attitude was serious and responsible, making everyone feel they had benefited greatly.
As a result, as soon as the class ended, some students didn't even wait to finish the remaining two trial classes before going to pay the fee and officially join.
Hu Qi's eyes flickered with thought.
He had also received pointers on the non-standard parts of his movements.
Looking at his panel, Mixed Martial Arts was still listed as Uninitiated.
Apparently, to reach the Entry-Level, he guessed he would need to learn all eighteen moves first.
Only then could he use the Modifier to make changes.
He had originally thought about trying to freeload through the three trial classes.
But now it seemed that was impossible.
Besides, there was a world of difference between having an instructor and self-studying.
Therefore, it was best for him to sign up for lessons.
However, from what he understood, the cheapest package was for one month and cost 1,999 yuan.
'Money…'
Hu Qi sighed.
There was another trial class in the afternoon.
What he had to do was figure out a way to get the money before tomorrow.
It was now close to noon, and the students were all heading out to get lunch.
Following the crowd out the main door, Hu Qi randomly picked a restaurant by the roadside and went inside.
He had just ordered and sat down when a commotion erupted at the entrance.
A group of four or five figures walked in together.
The person in the lead was someone Hu Qi recognized—Song Jian, the one who had spoken up during the trial class.
Three peers of the same age followed behind him like lackeys.
Next to Song Jian was a pretty girl with her hair in two ponytails.
They all seemed to be students from the class earlier.
Furthermore, they had all changed into brand-new black and red Martial Arts Uniforms, clearly having already paid and officially joined the Red Scale Fighting Club.
The group came in and glanced around but didn't recognize Hu Qi.
"Order whatever you want. It's my treat today," Song Jian and his group found a round table and sat down. He waved his hand grandly and said with a smile.
"Brother Song, you're so generous!" the three praised. They didn't hold back, immediately grabbing the menus and starting to order.
"Lin Rong, how are you feeling?" Song Jian asked, turning to the girl beside him with a smile.
"I'm fine, but there's something I don't understand. With your family's resources, Song Jian, you could easily hire a private tutor if you want to learn a Fighting Technique. Why join a place like this with the rest of us?" the girl said, looking at Song Jian with some confusion.
"Haha, Brother Song's intentions lie elsewhere. He's probably just trying to spend more time with a certain someone. Don't you get it yet, Lin Rong…?"
One of the three guys beside them snickered.
The blunt words made the girl named Lin Rong blush beet-red.