Chapter 62: Forged in Fire

Chapter 62: Forged in Fire While Uriel was letting out all her "pent-up" frustrations alone in her room, and Henrietta was busy consolidating her Qi, Xu Tao went off to handle another postponed task. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" "Your voices are too low! Shout from the pits of your stomach! Let the Qi flow from the soles of your feet, through your body, and out your fists!" "HA! HA!" He was fulfilling a previous promise—training the guards of Henrietta’s mansion. Of course, he wasn’t doing any individualized instruction, but a generalized session that everyone could tackle at once. Right now, they were performing simple repetitions of a "Normal Punch." A set of techniques that revolved around that concept. Yes, a punch was a basic attack that everyone could do. However, none of Henrietta’s guards could execute a punch that met Xu Tao’s standards. Most of them were using only their upper bodies, worse, some relied solely on arm strength. Never mind perfection—none of them even reached a satisfactory level! As such, Xu Tao decided that proper punching form would be their focus for day one—alongside learning correct cultivation breathing and activating their third Dantian. Though... "This is hopeless." He sighed, seeing how slow their progress was. The three dozen guards present made up three-fourths of the entire security force, and yet not one of them was improving. It was as if they embodied the phrase "Old dogs can’t learn new tricks." Their thinking was too rigid, their bodies too stiff, and their Qi too unrefined. In Xu Tao’s eyes, even Little Wenwen back when she was a cute toddler punched better than this! "I kept my expectations low, but aren’t they dragging the bar way too low?" he muttered, massaging his temples from the oncoming headache. Still, giving up wasn’t an option. Xu Tao had promised to make them stronger, and he intended to keep that promise. Not just his own name, but the reputation of his entire Sect was on the line. "Guess we’ll have to go with drastic measures," he shrugged. CLAP! CLAP! "Enough with the form practice—let’s get a bit more hands-on!" he said, clapping to get their attention. "All of you, come at me using the Ten-Forms Fist King Technique, all at once. If you remain standing after ten minutes—or if even one of you manages to land a hit on my clothes—you’re excused. Fail, and you’ll try again after a one-minute break!" "...Huh?" His words sparked confusion among the group. "Why do we have to remain standing if we’re the ones attacking?" they thought. But their doubts were erased a moment later. "...!" Xu Tao stood tall—suddenly seeming as imposing as a mountain. A wave of Qi erupted from him, making everyone instinctively take a step back. He didn’t move, didn’t pose, didn’t even shout. He simply stood still, his eyes sweeping across the 36 trainees. Yet they felt as if the heavens themselves had collapsed onto their backs. They couldn’t breathe—much less circulate their Qi. A few with weaker hearts started foaming at the mouth and fainted outright. "Pathetic! Just this much? Aren’t you supposed to be the guards protecting my disciple? This is the best you can do?!" Xu Tao growled, fanning the flames of their anger and pride. "Kugh!" And... weakly, it started to work. A few guards took trembling steps forward, trying to endure the pressure from his Qi. Although this was a remarkable show of will, Xu Tao could only shake his head. ’Right now, even walking a few steps forward is their limit.’ In the guards’ perspective, it was as if they’re trying to walk forward against the flow of a raging river. It not only required great concentration, but their endurance was being tested! "What did I teach you? What did I say?" he asked, voice laced with disappointment. "Use the Ten-Forms Fist King Technique! I didn’t teach you that for decoration!" His words sparked realization among everyone. The guards who were struggling just moments ago began to repeat the forms. They circulated their Qi as instructed and moved through the first to tenth forms, step by step, as they approached Xu Tao. To everyone’s surprise, that alone allowed them to get close enough to strike, as easily as wading through a wave-less ocean! And even though he was Henrietta’s Master, the guards didn’t hesitate to attack. After all, they were fairly sure that no matter how hard they tried, their blows wouldn’t land. "WEAK! What a failure of a mindset!" But of course, Xu Tao saw right through their thoughts. With a cold snort, he released a more powerful pulse of Qi, sending those few who had reached him flying—slamming them into the walls of the training room. Each and every one was embedded a full inch into the reinforced cement. The impact alone showed just how violently they were repelled. "Even if your enemy’s stronger than you, you must always attack with the intent to win!" Xu Tao roared, drilling the proper mindset into their skulls. "Punch, kick, bite, throw dirt if you must—but never attack while expecting to lose! Not even in a spar!" "..." The room fell silent for a moment, his words sinking in. The air shifted—much sharper, much stronger than before. Xu Tao’s eyes opened a bit wider in approval. "That’s the spirit!" he grinned. "AGAIN!" "RAAAAGH!" The next moment, all 36 guards launched forward, using the Ten-Forms Fist King Technique with renewed intent. They adjusted their footwork, moved faster, sharper—focused. Five fists came at once, aimed at Xu Tao’s face, chest, chin, and both flanks. It was a coordinated strike, packed with killing intent. A perfect execution— "But still too green!" —the very next second, all five were launched backward. They had no idea what hit them. Xu Tao’s hands never moved, still clasped leisurely behind his back. One batch after another charged in, only to be flung back like rag dolls. Xu Tao never lifted a finger, but the pain they felt was all too real. Still, he didn’t stop giving them pointers as they flew: correcting their form, their breathing, their flow of Qi. Within two minutes, the entire squad was down. Xu Tao surveyed the room. Groaning guards squirmed and twitched where they lay, trying hard to stand once again... He nodded. "Good. One minute break, then we continue!" he declared mercilessly. "I’ll beat every last one of you black and blue until you master these techniques properly!" Everyone shuddered at his words. Just getting hit once was enough to down them for more than two minutes—and he expected them to resume after just one? He’s a devil in human skin! "We don’t have much time. So if you think you’re ready, come at me again!" He added mercilessly, a grin crossing his lips. Thus began their hellish training—soaked in blood, sweat, and tears!