It felt like an older student in school mocking a new one—there was no doubt it was close to bullying. Han had made up his mind to stand against it.

The martial hall he was in was for regular apprentices; the advanced ones trained in other halls.

Bai Ruoyue had mentioned to him that this batch of apprentices was still far from reaching the "Body Transformation" stage, and none of them were on the verge of a breakthrough.

So, why should he be afraid?

Martial arts were about training, and he wasn’t going to train like a turtle hiding in its shell.

Low-profile?

That didn’t exist in this part of Taibai Martial Hall.

"You’re really arrogant, aren’t you?" a young man around twenty said through gritted teeth, feeling insulted.

"My name is Zhao Jiefeng. I’ve been here for three months, and I’ll teach you a lesson as your senior brother."

"No need to tell me your name," Han said casually. "You won’t leave any mark on my life."

"After today, I’ll only remember that someone was defeated by my hands. What they were called won’t matter."

Zhao Jiefeng's face flushed red, and with a shout, he rushed toward Han.

The hall master’s disciples, who had been quietly observing, exchanged looks but didn’t stop him.

Since it wasn’t a group attack but a one-on-one spar, it was allowed.

In fact, even fighting multiple opponents was permitted, as long as one had the ability.

The only thing that mattered was ensuring no serious injuries occurred.

After training for three months, Zhao Jiefeng had completed his body conditioning. While he hadn’t broken through, his physical strength was still decent.

However, Han didn’t avoid or dodge Zhao Jiefeng’s punch. He met it head-on.

There was no fancy martial arts technique—just a direct collision of bodies.

Boom!

Han didn’t even step back, and Zhao Jiefeng was thrown to the ground.

Could this not be compared to the physical strength of someone who had just entered the Body Transformation stage?

A martial artist and a regular person were on entirely different levels.

Han’s overall strength was still far weaker than a true martial artist’s, but dealing with these apprentices who only knew basic moves was a breeze.

A single punch was all it took.

Han didn’t even look at the fallen Zhao Jiefeng. Instead, he addressed the people he had called out earlier.

"You guys, all of you, step up."

"I’m in a hurry."

The large hall fell completely silent, the tension thick enough to hear a pin drop.

Achievement unlocked: Fist of Taibai!

The few apprentices Han had named instinctively stepped back a few paces. As for attacking him?

They didn’t have the courage anymore.

The ones who had openly mocked Han after hearing he wasn’t the hall master’s disciple—what kind of backbone did they have? It was unrealistic to expect much from them.

Seeing this, Han chuckled. Is this it?

In truth, Han found these people quite foolish.

He had gone to the back yard, a place only hall master disciples were allowed, and even though he hadn’t been accepted as a disciple, it was obvious he had some connection to the martial hall.

But these people only saw the surface and still dared to step forward.

Though Han wasn’t surprised.

He knew very well that some people’s stupidity could break your imagination. His past life had taught him that well.

But, fortunately, idiots were few. Most of the others hadn’t said anything bad, and some didn’t even care about Han.

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The hall master’s disciples, however, were clearly amazed. They could directly feel the special nature of Han’s physical strength.

The other apprentices, shocked, were left wondering just how fierce Han truly was.

Could it be that he came to the hall with skills already?

The one most confused was Li Wu, a person Han had barely considered a "senior." Yet, he had just been knocked down with a single punch by a guy he thought was an "old man."

Remembering his own performance earlier, Li Wu felt uneasy.

Especially when he saw Wang Taotao looking at Han with admiration, the pain in his heart deepened.

It should have been me...

"Han, come here!"

Bai Ruoyue suddenly appeared, and Han clapped his hands, walking toward her.

As for the incident earlier...

He defeated someone. What was their name again?

He had already forgotten.

The apprentices in the hall watched Han leave once more, but now, the atmosphere was different from when they first saw him.

Before, they had been curious about the newcomer.

Now, it was respect for a stronger individual.

"Miss Bai, are we going to eat now?" Han asked.

"...Not yet," Bai Ruoyue paused. "We’ll eat later. I’ll take you to meet my father first."

When they reached the back yard, Bai Tian was already waiting.

"Han," Bai Tian said, his gaze intense.

"Did you get attacked by a ghost last night?"

Han's heart skipped a beat. How did he find that out?

"Not just last night. I’ve been haunted by ghosts for the past six days," Han answered truthfully.

"It was only last night that I managed to escape the danger. It was because of that experience that I decided to start practicing martial arts to strengthen myself."

Bai Tian stared at him, and Han felt a chill run down his spine.

"You’re just a regular person. How could you possibly deal with ghosts?" Bai Tian asked directly.

"I don’t know," Han said. "During the most dangerous moment last night, I seemed to have had a dream. In the dream, I ended up in a strange place."

"And when the dream ended, I realized I could harm the ghost."

Han wasn’t making things up. He really did go to a place last night, though he left out some details to keep things vague.

But upon closer inspection, everything he said was true.

He had nothing to feel guilty about, that much was clear.

Bai Tian didn’t say anything, but Han wasn’t lying.

"A living being possessed by a ghost will suffer from spiritual and physical decay. You don’t look like that," Bai Tian remarked.

Han smiled helplessly. "The hall master didn’t see me a few days ago. I really did look like I was about to die then."

"It was like one of those strange stories where a scholar’s life force is drained by a ghost."

Bai Tian’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

When he first learned about Han’s situation, he had remained calm. Even when dealing with Young Master Meng, he was indifferent.

But hearing Han’s words now, Bai Tian couldn’t stay composed.

"Are you saying that your current body... is the state after being possessed by a ghost?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Han nodded; it wasn’t entirely inaccurate to say that.

"My God!" Bai Ruoyue gasped, astonished. "For your body to still be comparable to a martial artist who’s just entered the Body Transformation stage after being possessed by a ghost and severely damaged... if your energy was at its peak six days ago, just how terrifying must your physical strength have been?"

Bai Tian was equally shocked by this realization.

"..."

Han paused, unsure how to answer the question: How terrifying could his body have been before being possessed by the ghost?

How was he supposed to answer that?

After thinking for a moment, Han exaggerated a little: "Probably terrifying enough that your martial hall wouldn’t dare accept me as a disciple for fear of ruining its reputation..."

In truth, his original body had no talent for martial arts, and the six years he spent as an orphan had severely hindered his physical development. His foundation was incredibly poor.

Bai Tian and Bai Ruoyue couldn’t help but feel regret for Han, sensing they had missed out on an extraordinary talent.

When a ghost possesses someone, it damages their core, affecting their foundation. While it was easy to recover parts of the damage afterward, completely restoring it was much more difficult.

Looking at their expressions, Han realized that the three of them were on different wavelengths, leading to a misunderstanding.

Han decided not to explain further.

Let them believe that his current state was one of being severely weakened—he didn’t want to waste time explaining how he’d restored his energy.

Not being able to witness Han’s "peak" energy would become Bai Tian and Bai Ruoyue’s eternal regret.

"Han, would you like to become my disciple?" Bai Tian suddenly asked, his tone turning serious.

He could never let go of such a gifted disciple.

"Thank you, Master!"

Without hesitation, Han immediately bowed, no need to kneel.

"Good. From today on, you are my seventh disciple."

"The Taibai lineage isn’t strict with rules, but there are three absolute prohibitions, ironclad laws that cannot be broken."

"1. No betraying your master or ancestors! 2. No harming fellow disciples! 3. No unnecessary killing of innocents!"

"If you violate any of these rules, I will personally take action and eliminate you."

Bai Tian’s words were firm and authoritative.

"I will strictly follow the rules, Master," Han replied solemnly.

"Little junior brother, I’m your eldest senior sister," Bai Ruoyue said with a smile.

She had been with Bai Tian for so long.

"Senior sister," Han naturally corrected himself.

"Once you join my school, you don’t have to feel restricted," Bai Tian continued. "If one day your achievements surpass mine, you’re free to seek another master for further guidance."

"In this regard, whether you’re a martial artist or cultivator, it’s not rigid."

It was quite normal for a gifted person to have several masters throughout their life.

"To surpass your master is the best praise a disciple can give."

But while having multiple masters was acceptable, betraying your master or ancestors was absolutely forbidden.

"Since you’ve joined my school, I should teach you martial arts," Bai Tian said next.

"Your talent is extraordinary, and you have a great chance of mastering a secret martial art I possess."

Han asked, "Do I not practice the Elephant, Ox, or Crane techniques?"

"The secret martial art I hold is far more advanced than those three techniques. If you can master it, your achievements will far exceed those of the three techniques."

"Among my six previous disciples, only Ruoyue succeeded in mastering it."

Bai Ruoyue puffed out her chest a little to draw attention to her success.

"Though even Ruoyue had to take some shortcuts."

Bai Ruoyue immediately shrank her chest back down.

"But there’s one thing you must remember," Bai Tian suddenly became much more serious.

"If you manage to master the secret martial art, you must never reveal it to anyone when you venture into the outside world."

"You also must not tell anyone that you are my disciple."

"…"

Why did that sound so familiar?

Has he become a monkey now?