At this point, Paul Thompson sat down again and smiled gently, saying, “This is the difference between martial artists and ordinary people. We use techniques to train our bodies. In modern, fashionable terms, we use the most scientific postures and methods to exercise, making our training efficiency hundreds or even thousands of times greater than that of ordinary people. Then, when we fight, because of thousands and tens of thousands of repetitions, martial arts techniques have already been ingrained into our bodies and souls. We hardly need to think; we can instinctively make the most biomechanically efficient attacks, defenses, and evasions. So, at the level of a martial artist, it’s no longer about who is stronger, but about who is more skilled in their techniques, whose moves are more refined, and whose body is better trained. That’s what it means to be a martial artist. This is the way of life and death that we humans have invented with our wisdom—a thing that allows a weaker body to overcome a stronger one: kung fu!”

Upon hearing this, Henry Harper began to ponder carefully. In fact, over these nine years, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to practicing Luohan Fist, repeating it thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of times. By now, he had thrown millions of punches, and this Luohan Fist truly seemed to have become a part of his body. He could now use all the techniques in Luohan Fist instinctively, so there was no longer any distinction between practice and application. But now, after listening closely to Paul Thompson, he suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. Indeed, when he fought, he never fully executed any technique in its entirety. On the contrary, he would use certain small elements from a technique depending on the situation—like a punch, an arm, a leg, or a movement technique. This was perhaps a bit like in “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer,” when Feng Qingyang first taught Linghu Chong and said those words to him.

“I humbly accept your teaching.” Henry Harper immediately stood up and cupped his fists respectfully.

But the always-polite Paul Thompson now sat there casually, accepting Henry Harper’s salute, and then smiled, “Sit down, sit down, let’s continue.”

Beside them, Natalie Sawyer also chimed in repeatedly, “Yes, get to the point, the main point is important!”

Paul Thompson ignored her and continued, “Mr. Harper, my wife and I’s purpose is to persuade you to switch to a different martial art. That’s what I’m about to say. Just now, we talked about techniques, which represent the degree and extent of physical training during practice, as well as the power that can be unleashed in combat. Why are there first-rate, second-rate, third-rate, even lower nine grades and unranked martial arts? The reason lies here. Mr. Harper’s set of martial arts can only train three parts of the body, and the number of techniques that can be used in combat is very limited. Even though Mr. Harper has already mastered it to perfection, ask yourself: just now, could you withstand three moves when my wife used the Spirit Snake Fist?”

Henry Harper said nothing. Recalling when Natalie Sawyer used the Spirit Snake Fist at the end, her body twisted at will, making it almost impossible to perceive her movements and attack direction, and her speed was astonishingly fast. Presumably, her attack power was also frighteningly high. He finally shook his head and said, “I couldn’t block it. Let alone three moves, I’d probably lose in just one.”

Paul Thompson nodded, his impression of Henry Harper improving even more. Not only was he a true martial artist, but he was also calm and unpretentious. Over the years, he had heard many stories from Natalie Sawyer about her time in the orphanage, and this Henry Harper was a person of deep feeling and loyalty. Now, he had to add another virtue: knowing when to hold on and when to let go.

Paul Thompson immediately said, “Exactly. This Spirit Snake Fist is the top martial art of my Li family, the preliminary training for the transcendent Spirit Snake Wandering Palm. It is itself a top-tier first-rate martial art. You must train your spine and eighty percent of your bones to complete transparency before you can use it against an opponent. Otherwise, it’s only good for practicing forms. To be honest, when my wife used the Spirit Snake Fist just now, she could only unleash twenty or thirty percent of its power at most. If I were to use it, I could at least withstand one move from an expert with inner strength. Moreover, this martial art trains eighty-one parts of the body. Except for the baihui acupoint at the top of the head, even places like **** can be trained. In the history of my Li family, at least three people have erupted with inner strength relying solely on the Spirit Snake Fist, without ever practicing the Spirit Snake Wandering Palm. That’s the power of a top-tier first-rate fist technique.”

“And as for the grade of martial arts, besides the above advantages and disadvantages, there’s another key function: training the body. Actually, what we’re doing now is just child’s play. The real powerhouses, the ones who decide the fate of this world, are always those at the inner strength level. And a good martial art that can train more parts of the body gives a person a greater chance of erupting with inner strength. Even if you never reach the inner strength level, it’s still thirty percent diligence, thirty percent martial art, thirty percent talent, and ten percent fate. Even so, a good martial art can help a person reach the quasi-inner strength level, which is the peak of an ordinary person. So…”

“Mr. Harper, let me say this: only if you change your martial art and go with my wife and me to the army, and if you can settle down and spend five years cultivating the martial art we give you, then I will teach you this Spirit Snake Fist in five years. What do you think?”