Ethan Brooks said loudly, “Getting a proper horse stance is not an easy thing. Hmph, I’ll teach you a set of key points—listen carefully. How much you can comprehend will depend on yourself.”

With that, as he spoke, he used his finger to tap on William Carter’s body.

Each time his finger tapped down, William Carter could clearly sense a stream of energy moving within his body, following the motion. This stream was warm and comfortable, making him feel extremely relaxed and at ease.

Only now did he realize that there was so much to the horse stance—not just the outward posture, but also a lot of knowledge involving breathing and mental imagery.

He slowly closed his eyes, and following Ethan Brooks’s instructions, imagined the flow of energy within his body. Gradually, that energy grew larger and stronger, until it finally stabilized completely.

In front of William Carter, Ethan Brooks’s eyes were already wide open, filled with an expression of disbelief.

Those eyes stared fixedly at William Carter, the gaze rather complex, as if he was meeting this kid for the first time. After a long while, Ethan Brooks let out a long breath and muttered with a wry smile, “To think I’d discover a martial arts genius in this little place. Heh, what luck…”

The reason he agreed to teach William Carter martial arts was not just because he appreciated talent, but mainly for the sake of the old master craftsman.

After all, the weapon he wanted to forge could only be made here by the old master craftsman—no one else.

But William Carter’s performance had far exceeded his expectations. To be able to sense qi on his very first attempt at the horse stance… Looking at the faint fluctuations of energy on William Carter’s body, it seemed this was more than just sensing qi.

This kid might really bring him a huge surprise.

Chapter 10: The Art of Forging

With a long exhale, William Carter naturally woke from that subtle state. He opened his eyes and realized he was still holding the horse stance.

“Kid, you can get up now.” A rough voice sounded from behind. Ethan Brooks said, “Do you plan to squat there forever?”

William Carter jumped up in fright, immediately standing firm. “Yes, General.”

Ethan Brooks looked at him with satisfaction. “Your name is William Carter, right?”

“Yes, General.” William Carter was puzzled—hadn’t the old master craftsman introduced him yesterday?

But he didn’t know that making a big shot remember your name was never easy. If his performance today hadn’t impressed Ethan Brooks, then this name would never have stuck in Ethan Brooks’s memory.

“Hmm, Xiao Ming, you have good aptitude. If you train diligently in martial arts, you’ll surely have a bright future.” Ethan Brooks softened his tone. “However, the most important thing in martial arts is perseverance. For the next month, practice according to the method I taught you today.” He glanced meaningfully at William Carter. “Come see me again in ten days.”

William Carter hesitated, still confused, but seeing Ethan Brooks’s serious face, he dared not ask. He could only nod meekly and take his leave.

Watching William Carter walk away, Ethan Brooks shook his head slightly.

William Carter’s aptitude was indeed good, but the problem was that he was a bit older. Whether he would succeed in the future depended on whether he truly put in the hard work.

If William Carter was willing to put in the effort, Ethan Brooks wouldn’t mind giving him a hand. But if the kid himself lacked ambition, why should he bother?

When William Carter left the West Camp and returned to the Armory Camp, he saw that everyone had already started lunch.

He was secretly surprised—he hadn’t expected that holding a horse stance would take up the whole morning. Moreover, after finishing, he didn’t feel any soreness in his back or waist. On the contrary, he felt energetic, his whole body brimming with strength.

Clenching his fists, he vaguely felt that his strength had increased a little. This method of martial arts training was truly addictive.

However, he didn’t know that the reason today’s training had such miraculous effects was not because his talent was extraordinary, but because the qi and blood in his body were already full to bursting, and his mental strength was much higher than ordinary people’s. That was why he achieved results that even moved Ethan Brooks.

The foundation of martial arts is actually the cultivation of qi and blood.

When most people first start martial arts, they try to increase their qi and blood. Only with strong qi and blood can one train in better martial arts techniques.

William Carter’s qi and blood had not been special before, but after the warehouse battle, they had become abundant and vigorous.

If this qi and blood were not properly guided, most of it would naturally dissipate after lingering in his body for a while. But at this moment, he happened to meet Ethan Brooks and began his path of martial arts cultivation.

Thus, that abundant qi and blood slowly transformed into martial power within his body, no longer wasted.