It took the ghostly man a few minutes to cope with his situation.
"I'll have to take the hard way," the man muttered to himself.
'To think I'd be starting all over again—that too from a Mortal World,' he thought as his heart ached in a way it hadn't in centuries. A proud cultivator like him reduced to this? If he still had Spirit Qi, it would have boiled in frustration.
Han Yu, of course, remained blissfully unaware of the man's internal existential crisis and was instead staring at him with eager eyes, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Do you have anything else you want to know?" Han Yu asked, more out of impatience than courtesy. He didn't want any delays between him and his new, overpowered technique.
The ghostly man rubbed his temples, as if nursing an invisible headache. "Hmm... who's the strongest cultivator in this world?"
"I don't know," Han Yu admitted, but quickly perked up as he remembered something. "But I think the King should be one of the strongest! People say he's above the Nascent Soul realm."
The ghostly man remained unimpressed. "Is that supposed to be impressive?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Han Yu frowned. "Uh... I guess? Oh! There's also the Frozen Skies Sword Sect!"
"What about them?" the man asked, leaning slightly forward.
"They're apparently the strongest sect around, and even the King is respectful towards them. I don't know exactly how strong they are, but since the King acts all cautious around them, they must be really powerful," Han Yu reasoned.
Hearing that, the ghostly man pondered over it. 'Perhaps I'll have to start from there if I want to find a way out of this world.' His hope flickered like a dying candle.
Then he looked at Han Yu, who was staring at him blankly, drool threatening to drip from his mouth.
'What am I even thinking? This kid can't help me in any way.' He shook off his lofty plans and refocused on his immediate goal: survival.
"Where can you get alchemical pills here?" the man asked abruptly.
Han Yu blinked in confusion. "How would you even afford them?"
"I can hunt beasts and sell them," the man said, rolling his eyes.
"Ah, right. But, uh, they won't even let you in looking like that." Han Yu glanced at the man's ragged clothes, then looked away as if he wasn't supposed to acknowledge it.
The ghostly man scowled. "Just tell me where."
"Fine. In town, there's only one place: the Lily Pavilion. All the cultivators go there. Oh, and just so you know, it's run by the Copper Cauldron Sect. Might wanna be careful," Han Yu warned, puffing out his chest, feeling quite smart for remembering such crucial information.
"Noted," the man said, standing up abruptly.
"Wait! Are you going to teach me now?" Han Yu asked excitedly, practically bouncing on his feet.
"Watch carefully." The man assumed a stance, his feet slightly apart. One foot forward, one at the back. His ragged robes billowed slightly, even though there was no wind.
Han Yu swallowed, feeling the weight of an ancient technique about to be revealed.
"Make sure your footing is stable before you start," the man instructed. "Then, clench your fist and bring it back while folding your elbow. Once you've done that, you want to focus on your vital energy." He gave Han Yu a look. "You do know how to do that, right?"
"Of course! I can already amplify my strength with it," Han Yu declared proudly.
"Good." The ghostly man nodded. "Now, gather your energy at the top of your shoulder and in your forearm. The amount will depend on how much you can handle."
As he said this, his aura surged. Han Yu could feel the pressure in the air. His gut told him that if the man still wished, the ground would probably be cracking beneath his feet.
"Once the energy is gathered," the man continued, "you want to release both streams simultaneously. Let them collide, but just before they do, twist your arm to make the energy crash into itself."
He demonstrated, punching forward.
The sound of a thunderclap split the air, sending birds scattering from trees in the distance.
Han Yu's jaw dropped. He knew the technique was called the Bolt God Fist, but to witness actual thunder claps from a punch? He was sold.
"This technique follows the same principle even when using Spirit Qi," the ghostly man added.
Han Yu took a deep breath. "Alright! My turn!"
He mimicked the stance and prepared to execute the technique.
"Wider," the man corrected. "Your feet should be at least a foot's length apart."
Han Yu adjusted. "Okay."
"Good. Now, gather your energy."
Han Yu closed his eyes to focus.
"What the hell was that for?!" Han Yu yelped, rubbing the back of his head.
"Are you planning on closing your eyes in the middle of a fight?" the ghostly man scoffed. "Might as well write 'punch me' on your forehead."
"O-okay, okay!" Han Yu groaned, keeping his eyes open this time.
He tried to focus his energy in both his shoulder and forearm. It proved to be more difficult than he thought. Every time he succeeded with one, the other fizzled out. Minutes turned into half an hour, and finally, after much gritting of teeth and silent swearing, he managed it.
"I... I did it!" Han Yu said, beads of sweat on his forehead. Two tiny clusters of energy sat in his shoulder and forearm.
"Execute the punch!" the ghostly man commanded.
"HAAH!" Han Yu shouted, throwing his fist forward with everything he had.
The energy from his shoulder shot into his forearm. Just as they were about to collide, he twisted his wrist as instructed—
Instead of a thunderous explosion, the only sound that echoed through the forest was a damp, unimpressive...
Han Yu stood frozen, his face turning red as the ghostly man stared at him in dead silence. Then, the man sighed deeply and rubbed his temples.
"I should have just stayed dead," he muttered.