Shizuka Hiratsuka's words instantly caused the students below to put on miserable expressions. Wasn't this way too difficult? Why did they have to write a post-battle summary?
"Sensei, is our summary supposed to be about how we got brutally beaten up by Ren... Can we just not?" Sora scrunched up her face, looking utterly miserable. She genuinely had no idea what to write.
"Exactly, exactly! We can't write a single thing!" Sora's words resonated with everyone. They really didn't want to write it. If they did, it would just be a reflection on getting pummeled by Ren.
"I suppose that's true. You really wouldn't have any profound thoughts today. In that case, forget it. You don't have to write it!" Shizuka Hiratsuka thought about it and realized it made perfect sense.
What kind of reflections could these kids possibly have? Wasn't it just getting beaten up by Ren? She might as well drop the assignment. The only one who could probably write anything meaningful was Ren. But asking Ren to write an essay on how to beat up his own classmates? If he actually wrote that, it would be laughably absurd.
Shizuka didn't dwell on the matter. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a few words on the blackboard: *The Application of True Qi*. After writing it, she said, "Next, I'm going to teach you all a few little tricks regarding the application of True Qi."
She had watched the entire battle today. Many students had an incredibly shallow understanding of how to use True Qi, so she decided to dedicate today's lesson to this specific knowledge.
Hearing Shizuka's words, the class immediately perked up. Everyone's eyes focused on the blackboard as they listened attentively to her lecture.
While Ren and the others were in class, many people across the school were engaged in heated discussions about their intense battle. Was that really the kind of strength high school students could possess?
It was simply too outrageous. Their strength was no less than that of university students. Even in a university setting, power like that would rank near the top.
The students were discussing it, and so were some of the teachers. Everyone had finally witnessed the results of the special class the Director had put together.
If a student like Ren were placed in a regular class, the teachers probably wouldn't even know how to instruct him. In fact, many ordinary teachers might not even be able to defeat him in a fight.
At this moment, Director Ken was agonizing over another matter. He was naturally aware of Ren's strength, having watched the recent battle himself. He had to admit, the boy's performance was astonishingly unexpected.
If this continued, the school's teaching staff would no longer be able to provide much help to Ren. Therefore, he had to start considering alternative arrangements.
Special talents required special cultivation. He needed to put some upcoming arrangements on the agenda. It would be incredibly awkward if Ren ran out of things to learn.
Having figured all this out, he immediately picked up the phone and began making arrangements. He already had a comprehensive plan for cultivating Ren and his peers.
It was just that some things needed to be moved up the schedule. He truly hadn't expected Ren to grow so quickly, so accelerating his training was their next priority!
The morning classes for Ren's class were entirely taken up by Shizuka's True Qi application lessons. She only stopped when the dismissal bell rang, but this time, she didn't leave.
Instead, she followed the students to the cafeteria. After getting her food, Shizuka sat right down with Ren and his group. Watching her series of actions, Ren and the others looked at her, their hearts full of confusion. *What is this woman trying to do?*
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but ask, "Why are you following us?"
Hearing Yukino's question, Shizuka picked up her chopsticks and said while eating, "Because I have something to ask this kid, of course. Don't you think the moves he used while fighting me were incredibly effective?"
Her words stunned the group for a moment. Then, they recalled the True Qi bullets Ren had used during his fight with Shizuka... That must be it, right?
"Are you talking about those rapid-fire True Qi bullets? Or that... giant True Qi slash?" Yukino organized her thoughts and voiced the two move names she had come up with.
"What True Qi bullets? Those are [Shigan・Finger Pistol] and [Rankyaku・Tempest Kick]! Don't just randomly make up names for other people's techniques!" Ren rolled his eyes. Now that he knew Shizuka's intentions, he also started eating.
So she came for this. That was fine. In reality, Ren had other moves in mind as well. Using the Six Powers was actually quite simple for him.
[Geppo・Moonwalk] for flying by stepping on True Qi, [Kami-e・Paper Art] for sensing air currents through True Qi, as well as [Seimei Kikan・Life Return] and [Tekkai・Iron Mass]—all of these were achievable.
In a way, the True Qi healing technique Shizuka had taught them earlier was already a prototype of [Kami-e・Paper Art]. As for [Tekkai・Iron Mass], it was essentially the instant convergence of True Qi into a shield that Ren had used to block Shizuka's attacks.
"[Shigan・Finger Pistol] and [Rankyaku・Tempest Kick]? Not bad names. Your concepts are genuinely impressive. Can I use them? I think they're fantastic and could add a lot more variety to my attack methods!" Shizuka nodded approvingly at the names.
Not bad, not bad at all. She then asked Ren if she could use the two moves, since he was the one who had come up with them.
"Do things like this even have copyrights? For someone of your strength, wouldn't you learn it just by looking at it? It's just a simple application of True Qi." Ren looked at Shizuka with a puzzled expression as he shoveled food into his mouth.
"There's no such thing as a copyright for this. And while it's true that I can learn it just by looking, I still have to let you, the original creator, know, don't I?" Shizuka chuckled. She was super respectful of intellectual property, though her tone carried a subtle hint of amusement.
"Whatever. It's something you can learn at a glance anyway. It was just a random idea. Use it if you want!" Ren said nonchalantly.
As long as someone knew how to compress True Qi, they could basically use it once they understood the concept. This stuff was genuinely quite simple in this world.
"No, no, no. What you call 'simple' is only simple in your eyes. For an ordinary Tier 4, learning True Qi compression is extremely difficult." Speaking of this, Shizuka looked at Ren with utter exasperation.
Back in the day, it had taken her several months to master True Qi compression. But this guy, Ren, had learned it just by listening to her explain it once. Comparing people really was enough to drive someone mad with jealousy.
And he had used it perfectly on his first try. One had to know that a single mistake during True Qi compression could lead to severe self-injury. But Ren? He heard her explanation, had an epiphany, and directly used it against her the very next moment.
"Is it that hard?" Ren was a bit confused. Was there some hidden trick to it? He didn't think so. Wasn't compressing True Qi something you could do as long as you had hands?
Megumi Kato and the others fell silent upon hearing Ren's words. They completely understood what Shizuka meant. It might be easy for Ren, but in reality, it wasn't simple at all.
"Of course it's hard. You'll understand once the rest of the class reaches Tier 4. How many of them do you think will be able to quickly master True Qi compression, let alone use those techniques like you did?" She paused for a moment.
Then, looking at Ren with a strange expression, she continued, "Speaking of which, your True Qi reserves are incredibly thick. You spammed that [Shigan・Finger Pistol] so many times and still looked completely fine."
"True... Ren's True Qi reserves are terrifyingly vast... But most importantly, he has a lot of Magic Power too!" Yukino nodded seriously, agreeing with Shizuka.
Their True Qi would eventually run dry, but when Ren unleashed those moves, he bombarded the area like it was nothing. Was it really just his Magic Power that was vast?
"Maybe I'm just talented? When I broke through, the Magic Power and True Qi in my body increased significantly, and they're still growing." Ren explained calmly, continuing to eat his food.
This wasn't something easy to explain. The powers within Ren's body had long since merged into one, but when he released them, others simply couldn't tell the difference.
The group didn't suspect anything. After all, no one had ever heard of two different powers merging. In everyone's understanding, Magic Power was Magic Power, and True Qi was True Qi. Or perhaps, this was simply a realm they couldn't yet comprehend?
After all, the spiritual energy revival in this world had only happened a few decades ago. Many things were still in the exploratory phase. Even some cultivation systems, like magic, originated from other worlds.
"Anyway, if Shizuka-sensei wants to use it, go ahead. I don't mind," Ren said after swallowing a mouthful of food, bringing the topic back on track.
Shizuka nodded. After a moment of thought, she added, "Alright then. Although there are no copyright fees for this kind of thing, I can still apply for some rewards for you."
Hearing this, Ren's interest was instantly piqued. *If you're talking about rewards, I'm wide awake.* He immediately asked, "Elaborate? Let's see what this is all about!"
There were actually rewards? Was it money? Or items? This was an unexpected windfall! Ren was highly interested!
"The spiritual energy revival has only been around for a few decades. Over the years, the government has been in an exploratory phase. If someone develops highly useful techniques that can be widely popularized, they can receive rewards," Shizuka explained.
"What do the rewards include?" Ren roughly understood. It was essentially an exploration bounty, primarily for things that could be popularized. The moves he had come up with today clearly met the criteria.
"Various resources, weapons, potions, and the like. No direct cash, but you can sell them for money!" Shizuka listed the rewards, which were mainly resources.
Although it wasn't cash, it was just as good since it could be exchanged for things. Hearing this, Ren nodded and said without hesitation, "Then get me a Spatial Ring."
At those words, Shizuka nearly spat out her food. She looked at Ren in exasperation and retorted, "In your dreams! I want one of those too! Just these two moves aren't enough for that!"
Shizuka's face darkened with imaginary lines. This guy really dared to ask. Did he think Spatial Rings were as common as cabbage on the street? Opening his mouth and demanding a Spatial Ring just like that.
Beside them, Asuna and the others also had incredibly strange expressions. Asuna, in particular, knew that Ren already had a Spatial Ring. Why did he want another one?
What was Ren planning to store? Was he trying to become a mobile warehouse? Or did he feel his current Spatial Ring was too small and wanted a bigger one?
"Then I'll give you another one. This one can increase your mobility, and even... let you fly?" As he spoke, an idea suddenly flashed through Ren's mind.
[Geppo・Moonwalk], combined with [Lightness Technique], and assisted by a wind-element spell—Ren could totally fuse them into a [Levitation Spell], right? The moment this thought crossed his mind, a new spell took shape in his head.
"Fly? Really? Is it magic or martial arts?" Shizuka was instantly energized. She hurriedly asked, knowing that if this were true, its utility would be immense.
Currently, aside from reaching a certain level of strength to achieve true flight, only the [Lightness Technique] allowed for brief moments of hovering. If Ren really had a technique that allowed flight...
Then its value went without saying. Asking for a Spatial Ring wouldn't be impossible; the higher-ups would surely be thrilled. Thinking of this, Shizuka couldn't sit still.
"The martial arts version only allows you to walk on air. The magic version can actually let you fly, but it should be close to Advanced Magic, right?" Ren explained after pondering the difficulty of the spell.
Hearing this, Shizuka's eyes lit up. Intermediate Magic... forget it, she couldn't learn it. But if it was martial arts, she had no problem. To be honest, the older generation was quite specialized.
Back in their day, they didn't have the excellent conditions Ren and his generation had to dual-cultivate magic and martial arts. They all specialized in one path based on their talents. So, she wasn't good at magic, at most only able to use Basic Magic.
But when it came to martial arts, she was an expert. Now Ren was saying there were versions for both? That was a pleasant surprise. Without hesitation, she quickly wolfed down her food.
"Wait a minute, show me a demonstration. Let me see it. If there's no problem, I'll take you to the Director!" At this moment, Shizuka's eating speed was exactly like Ren's, leaving Asuna and the others speechless.
However, they also hurriedly sped up their eating. After all, they were curious about what Ren had come up with, especially since it involved flying.
Humanity had always been obsessed with flight. Plus, they could learn it in the future, so they might as well take this opportunity to understand it better.
The group quickly finished their meal. Under Shizuka's lead, they arrived at the sports field in front of the teaching building. The traces of the morning's battle were still there, unrepaired. Someone would probably come to fix it after school.
"Come on, show me!" Shizuka impatiently urged Ren to demonstrate. She wanted to see exactly how this martial arts mid-air hovering worked.
Hearing her words, Ren nodded. The next moment, he directly cast the [Lightness Technique] and leaped high into the air. Then, everyone saw Ren moving rapidly through the sky.
Seeing Ren's operation, Shizuka frowned. Stepping on True Qi? And it didn't explode? No, there was True Qi on Ren's feet as well, and it was precisely the explosion of True Qi that allowed for high-speed movement in the air.
The True Qi beneath Ren's feet was compressed, but the True Qi released from his feet was not. Uncompressed air couldn't damage the already compressed True Qi.
Because of this, when the two streams of True Qi made contact, the uncompressed True Qi acted as propulsion. Thinking of this, Shizuka became incredibly excited.
She quickly figured out the principle. After a moment of thought, she jumped straight up and tried to imitate Ren. Multitasking was something she could easily do.
Moreover, her talent was inherently explosive. So, Ren soon saw Shizuka darting wildly through the air, looking exactly like a rocket launcher. Every movement she made produced a massive boom.
"Good heavens!" Seeing Shizuka's operation, Ren was completely numb. What kind of human pulsejet engine was this? He could only say that this woman really knew how to play around. Ren just floated quietly in the air, watching Shizuka dart chaotically across the sky above the sports field.