14 Shen Guo.

Li Jun looked around the house. Everything that previously seemed ordinary now gave off a powerful aura. Before, he was just beginning to become a martial artist. Now that he had stepped into what the old man had called Body Refining, he could sense the power from certain objects.

However, what he found even stranger was that when he looked at the old man, there wasn't even the slightest aura radiating from his body. It was as if he was a ghost.

"What you're seeing is called spiritual energy. The fact that you can see it means that you are now a martial artist. Now, as for the matter of why you came here. What questions did you want to ask?" The old man smiled.

"Thank you!" Li Jun exclaimed and bowed his head.

There was a slight problem, though. Now that he had become a true martial artist, the problem with the ball of light within his body was gone. He could actively feel that energy was flowing into it from the surrounding air.

"I just wanted to know the basics of martial arts. I found a book that my father left behind and followed the instructions. But I don't really know what I'm doing." Li Jun spoke with a guilty look. He didn't like to lie, but he couldn't tell anyone about the ring he had found.

"That's all? Well, that's quite easy. For starters, the thing you call a ball of light is your energy core. When you cultivate, you gather the spiritual energy from the world around you and store it within your energy core. That's the basics of cultivation. As for the basics of martial arts, I guess this would be helpful." The old man said and waved his hand over the leather pouch on his waist. A moment later, a leather book appeared in his hand, and he pushed it across the table.

"Take this with you." He said. "This will explain most things about martial arts, but of course, there are things it won't contain. But don't come back crying when you learn about the purpose of that spirit stone. This is a fair trade, right?"

Li Jun hesitated for a moment. The white crystal seemed like a precious treasure, but he had over two hundred of them remaining. He doubted that one spirit stone would really make a difference.

"Thank you, sir." He said with his head bowed. He then looked up hesitantly towards the old man. "May I know your name, sir?"

The old man let out a gravelly laugh. This was the first time someone had asked for his name in decades, but he knew that by living a secluded life, there would come a time when the younger generations grew up without learning of his achievement.

"My name is Shen Guo. And what about you, young man? What is your name?" Shen Guo asked with a gentle smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Shen. My name is Li Jun." He bowed his head once more. He didn't want to offend the old man. Although he didn't sense any power coming from him, he knew without a doubt that he was extraordinary.

"Li Jun, you say?" Shen Guo said with a questioning gaze. "Do you know of a man named Li Zhang?"

Li Jun's head snapped up, and he stared hesitantly before giving his response.

"Yes, Mister Shen, my grandfather is named Li Zhang."

Shen Guo seemed to have thought of something upon hearing Li Jun's response. He smiled sinisterly and held out his hand.

Li Jun felt a dark aura fill the room as Shen Guo's hand reached out towards him and then lightly touched his shoulder.

"That's good. How about you become my student? I will make you stronger than that old bastard could ever dream of."

The room felt cold as Shen Guo continued to smile sinisterly. Li Jun felt as though he no longer had a choice. If he dared to say no to this man, then he would surely meet a fate worse than death. Without another thought, Li Jun knelt down and pressed his forehead against the floor.

"It would be an honor to be Master Shen's student." If Li Jun had any pride left, he would have lost it all by kneeling before someone. But he had been kicked around and beaten down so many times that all he had left was cunningness.

He could tell that Shen Guo had a grudge against his grandfather for some reason; there was no other reason why he would smile so sinisterly.

'If he wants to use me to get to my grandfather, then I will quite happily accept his teachings if it will make me strong enough to crush Li Hong and his damn family.' Li Jun thought with a smile.

Shen Guo seemed to hide his schemes as he looked down at Li Jun with a slight frown.

"There's no need for such formalities. I'm not a sect master, nor am I a reclusive expert. I'm just an old man that the world has forgotten." Shen Guo said with a strange look in his eyes as he held out his hand once more.

"Here, this is not only proof that you are my student, but if anyone wants to cause you trouble then show it to them." He said as he held out a golden token.

The token had an emblem engraved into it of three swords and a dragon coiling around them; as Li Jun looked at the emblem, his eyes widened, and he finally understood how a powerful martial artist could live so close to the city without the city lord wanting to chase him away.

"Master Shen!?" Li Jun exclaimed. "You're from the same family as City Lord Shen Tai?"

Shen Guo laughed hysterically as Li Jun stared at him with a shocked expression.

"The same family?" Shen Guo laughed once more. "I guess you could say that."

It took Li Jun a while to come back to his senses. Master Shen was not only an incredible martial artist but also related to the city lord. If Li Jun had known in advance, he wouldn't have climbed the hill to his house in the first place.

If he offended the city lord, he would be hanged as punishment, and his house would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. But it seemed his fortunate encounter with the silver ring had paid off well. He had now received the support of a member of the Shen family.

Shen Guo eventually chased Li Jun away from his house when he was bored with the questions but instructed him to come back in three days. Li Jun learned a lot from their conversation and returned home just before nightfall.