However, at this moment, Yuno felt as if his arms were like springs pressed down by a sledgehammer, no longer having the strength to bounce back.
At this point, he really wanted to give up, but Arlan was right in front of him. He could even clearly see that Arlan's thumb had gradually turned bruised due to the blood accumulation; surely it must be very painful!
"Even at this moment, Asta hasn't given up! So what reason do I have to give up?"
"The 10th one!"
Yuno straightened his body again like a sprout emerging from the frozen earth in spring. By now, his clothes were completely soaked with sweat, and he felt he had never exerted so much effort in his life!
"Very good. Next is 50 sit-ups, 50 squats, and later you'll follow me on foot for five laps around the Village. That's your training volume for today!"
Arlan spoke immediately, causing Yuno, who had wanted to relax, to catch his breath again. He chose to do the squats first because his arms felt useless, like scrap metal—sore, numb, and unable to exert any strength. He hoped his legs would still have strength after finishing the squats.
Meanwhile, Arlan was like a precision machine part; every movement was meticulous. Like an old horse chewing night grass, he ensured every inch of muscle from his fingers to his arms was fully exercised.
At the same time, the Chakra accumulated over the past two days began to circulate weakly within his body, greatly clearing the blood accumulated in his arms.
After a day of training, both were exhausted, but Arlan clearly had no intention of letting Yuno rest.
"Yuno, come, do a handstand. Let your big brother show you the unique and grand scenery of Hage Village!"
Arlan showed a smile that looked exactly like Kai Emperor's—a smile full of sunshine, but it made Yuno tremble all over.
"Are you a demon? There's more?!"
Yuno's mouth hung open. This definitely wasn't abuse, was it? Waaaaah!
"This is what youth should look like!"
Arlan gave a thumbs up, showing his bright white teeth, and then led by example, running on his hands. Yuno had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow!
When the two returned to the church exhausted, they found it packed with adults and children.
"Asta! My little ancestor, you're finally back!"
The Father was usually the best at socializing, but today the villagers' enthusiasm was truly more than he could handle. The key was that these people weren't here for him!
"What's wrong?"
Arlan asked curiously. If these people wanted to show gratitude, they could just send more wheat and flour. That way, everyone could eat proper staple foods instead of relying on sweet potatoes to get by.
"Asta, it's like this: these children all want to train by your side. Their parents also feel that it's a good thing for the children to exercise with you—it's better than them running wild all over the world."
Lily explained, looking flustered.
"I see."
Arlan raised an eyebrow. So, they were all here to apprentice under him. No wonder those brats were looking at him with such respect.
"So, Asta, do you agree?"
A villager asked happily. In his view, Taijutsu was ultimately inferior, and with the whole Village showing him such face, Asta had no reason to refuse.
"Yes, yes! We've prepared quite a few apprenticeship gifts for the children. There's plenty of food like grain!"
Another villager added, boasting a little.
"I refuse."
Arlan said decisively. Don't think he couldn't see the contempt these villagers held for Taijutsu!
Even the children who wanted to learn Taijutsu mostly had arrogant expressions on their faces.
A group of people who didn't respect Taijutsu at all—how could they be worthy of practicing it?
"Huh?"
The villagers, who had assumed there would be no problem, were all shocked. In their eyes, this was a mutually beneficial situation; there was no reason to refuse!
"We're all from the same Village, you don't have to be so stingy, right?"
"Are you worried that once the apprentice has mastered the skills, the master will starve?"
"Asta, don't be so short-sighted. Who knows, one of these children might enter the Magic Knight Squad in the future. When that happens, as long as they remember your teaching today and help you out a little, it would be enough for you to live quite comfortably!"
"Alright, everyone, stop talking. After all, Asta is someone who can't use magic. In the future, he'll definitely have to rely on this bit of strength to make a living. If our children learn it, wouldn't that be taking away his livelihood? So, let's not force him."
The villagers chattered away, making the originally peaceful atmosphere turn sour.
A young man tugged at his chubby son's hand and said angrily, "Exactly. What's the use of Taijutsu? This world values magic above all else. Come on, kid, let's go!"
"No, I want to learn Taijutsu!"
The fat boy dragged his father's hand with all his might. He had originally thought magic was the coolest thing ever, but seeing Asta today, glowing with a pale green light and leaping from the ground like a god—this blood-pumping moment had shaken his soul for a long time!
Perhaps, a man's charm lies in these hot-blooded punches and kicks?