12 The Type of Training that was Passed Down from Hell

"Xun-Er! Watch out!" Yan warned loudly as he saw the incoming attack from Xiao Ning. Despite Yan's warnings, Xun-Er noticed the oncoming attack from Xiao Ning and dodged the attack almost too casually.

Xiao Ning widened his eyes in surprise as his attack missed. Xun-Er held her hands close and charged up a Dou-Qi strike in other hand, and filled it up with her other hand.

She used this chance and striked Xiao Ning's chest as to counter-attack. Xiao Ning flew from the force of the attack and spun himself to gain his momentum and skid his legs on the stone floor.

He breathed heavily in exhaustion and fatigue as he fell down to one knee. He sweated in fatigue as he struggled to stand.

"I give up... Xun-Er is still too powerful for me..." He yielded, but Xun-Er didn't heard him and suddenly jumped down the stage without a word.

"Eh? Xun-Er?" He asked, confused on why Xun-Er suddenly left the stage.

Xun-Er landed with a smile next to Xiao Yan, who carried his Dou-Qi skills in his arms. "Xiao Yan Ge-Ge, so you are finally out of your room for air!" She spoke cheerfully.

"Ah... I..." Yan didn't want to share his secret training, afterall. She smiled.

"I haven't seen you for a month, Xiao Yan Ge-Ge... You already raised your Dou-Qi to Fourth Rank!" Xun-Er said, amazed. Yan blinked as he was surprised as to why Xun-Er known his own Dou-Qi.

"You even sensed that? Xun-Er is extraordinary..." Yan complimented as Xun-Er smiled at that praise.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is! If it isn't the great genius Xiao Yan?... Long time no see!" Xiao Ning jumped and landed next to Xun-Er and Xiao Yan.

"My little cousin is holding many Dou-Qi Skill scrolls, are they for practice? Though, what do you say, up for a friendly match?" He suggested to Yan. Xun-Er's eyes narrowed.

"If you're up for a fight, I'll give you one." Xun-Er suddenly stated protectively. The Yandere was strong within her...

Xiao Ning cross his arms. "My little cousin... Always hiding behind girls, you sure don't look like a man." He replied smugly.

"Heh, look like a man? You never said those words until three years ago." Yan replied back. Xiao Ning flinched as he surprised of his cousin's confidence.

"Looks like in these years, your Dou-Qi hasn't progressed but your tougue sure has become sharp..." He commented on his cousin's sudden smartass comments.

"You flatter me, Cousin Xiao Ning." Yan said back with no offense as he smiled. Xiao Ning chuckled darkly as Xun-Er sensed malicious intent in Xiao Ning's eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Xun-Er narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Xun-Er relax, for now I won't do anything to Xiao Yan..." He replied as he went pass Xun-Er. He grabbed Xiao Yan's shoulders and motioned him close to whisper.

"Word of advise, you're not worth Xun-Er at all. You would be wise to just give up..." He darkly whispered back to Yan and smirked. Yan smirked back.

"What if I don't?" Yan asked back almost challengingly. Xiao Ning's smirk grew into an arrogant grin.

"Then during the Age Cermony, I'll make you die from embarrassment, little cousin." He warned and left Xiao Yan's side and left the arena.

"Then I'll be looking forward to that day..." Yan replied back with a smirk.

...

I meditated and waited for Yan to come back. I told him that we'll meet behind the mountains of the Xiao Family Area... Did he get lost?

Then I sensed Xiao Yan and Yao Lao's Dou-Qi coming to my direction. He waved his arm at me, although my eyes were closed.

"Sorry we're late! I almost got lost in here!" He yelled back. I sighed and stood in the ground, arms crossed. In his arms were multiple Dou-Qi skill scrolls from the Library.

"Alright, let's get this over with..." I muttered as I prepared myself for another training with the MC again...

"I got the best Dou Skill scrolls I could find." He brought one of the Dou-Qi scrolls to me. I inspected it. It was just a normal scroll infused with Dou-Qi... Though, the skill inside wouldn't help Yan for his training...

I theorised the basics of how Dou Skills are taught to another. One of them were training on what it said on the scroll, or the scroll shares Dou-Qi inside and teaches to an indivdual. However, sharing Dou-Qi from the scroll seems a bit mysterious, as everything has a limit to be taught.

It's like reading a book that can make you use fireball. Said book has a limit that can teach 10 people. But what happens to the scroll if reaches that limit? Does it disappear? Does it really lose its ability to teach fireball anymore?

The fact that Yan got these from the Xiao Family Sect Library clearly meant that the scrolls were at least important enough that it could be taught. They were still useless, but can be taught.

Why were these in the Library anyway in the first place? These guys in the Dou-Qi Continent were arrogant, but they weren't stupid (well, maybe they are). They had to have these for a reason, as these useless Dou Skills scrolls are possibly limited to teach a certain amount of people, that alone doesn't make them stay existent in the Library.

They were smart enough to think that these Dou Skills were useless, thinking that "I'm so mighty and powerful! This useless thing that just teaches 10 people is not what I need as this shames my ego and reputation or something!" in the lines of those words...

They would've immediately threw them out because of their uselessness and their small limit to teach people. But they were still there, shown to the public in the Library before. I knew this as I went to the Library a couple of times for research. This gave me another theory on how Dou Skills were taught.

The scroll would allow the person who wants to learn it willingly, and causes the person's Dou-Qi and their body would replicate the Dou Skill they want to learn.

For example, a firebender would've created a Dou-Qi skill that would make indivduals firebend too. This is because the Dou Skill can change a person's body and Dou-Qi to allow them to firebend if willingly. So far, it is almost believable than the other theory...

Dou Skills can make the learner to allow themselves to have the ability of the Dou Skill by replicating the Dou Skill body...

Or the Dou Skill shares the creator's Dou-Qi of the Dou Skill to allow themselves to have the ability of the said Dou Skill.

That meant that the people from the Library left it there because it had potential to teach a unlimited amount of people, or they didn't know and were just stupid enough to just leave them there...

Both of my theories had no answers, of much a Dou Skill can teach people. Either it had limits and didn't reach that limit yet, or it was just almost unlimited...

"Xiao Yan, why are you bringing these garbage Dou Skills here?" Lao raised an eyebrow. Yan looked to Lao while he was reading the scroll in shock and panicked.

"Garbage? Right now, I don't know any Dou Skills except for Vacuum Punch, and if I don't learn these... How would I compete with other people in the cermony?..." Yan asked he panicked. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why was he in such a hurry today?...

"You messed around with Ning, didn't you?..." I realised this and deadpanned, knowing his somewhat rivalry with his cousin. He nodded as he was guilty as charged.

Though, I couldn't blame him. Either he would be shamed from the insults that his own cousin gave him, and everyone would even more down at him. If he didn't, he would keep his honor or pride whatever that would slightly change his reputation by a bit.

Both choices didn't matter as the MC would be stronger again (I think), but choosing to uphold his reputation would be better than being looked down and lowering his reputation. Afterall, with a good reputation, people can be easily persuaded or trusted from your reputation. What's there to say that increasing your reputation is a bad thing? It's useful, somewhat.

"You just want learn a few Dou Skills from me, don't you?..." Lao guessed as he assumed that Yan brought useless Dou Skills to persuade him to learn more Dou-Qi Skills. But that was not the reason.

"Master, don't tell me you're going to watch your own student get beaten up at the age cermony?..." Yan asked as he was oblivious to the unintended persuasion method and more focused on his Skills, not persuasion. Lao widened his eyes in concern.

"All right, I was going to teach you a Dou Skill anyway, it'll speed up your Dou-Qi training." Lao explained as he was going to teach a Dou Skill without a scroll. That changed some things to my theory...

"The skill that Master is going to teach me must be really strong, right?" Yan asked in enthusiasm. Lao sighed.

"It's only a Xuan (Black) Class Higher Level. I wouldn't even have taken it if it wasn't for someone crying and begging for my help..." Lao said, as he unconscioully channeled his inner arrogance.

Yan huffed in disbelief as he learnt that Receptariers were somewhat arrogant and people would maybe beg for their lives to learn from them.

Lao pointed close to Yan's forehead. "Here. Close your eyes and meditate. I'm going to pass the skill to you..." He said and Yan closed his eyes.

I saw the Dou-Qi inside Lao's finger sharing and sending knowledge to Yan's mind with my Dou-Qi eyes (I still haven't chosen a name yet).

"Agh! My h-head!" He cried out in pain as the knowledge was sent to his mind. I only saw a glimpse of what he learnt, but that was enough for me.

Octadic Smash:

Higher Level Xuan Class, Close combat Dou Skill, famed for its mighty attack power, trained until great success, It's attacks imply 8 layer strength, 8 layer placed over each other, it's power is comparable to Di (Earth) Class Lower Level Dou Skills.

"Good! It's done!" Lao said as Yan heavily breathed for air and sweated furiouslly. He almost fell to his knees as he held them with his arms as to use them to rest.

"So powerful... It's attack power is comparable to Di (Earth) Class Lower Level Dou Skills!" He repeated once more. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I already know that. Get on with it..." I motioned them to continue and crossed my arms. Yan turned to Lao.

"But how does this Dou Skill speed up my training?..." He asked as he still sweated.

"Although Octadic Smash doesn't require too much Dou-Qi, it still requires a very sturdy physical body!" Lao explained. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. How would that speed up the process?... But I didn't ask.

"The sturdiness of the body?" Yan asked in confusion as he lifted himself up.

"This is a mighty and amazing hand-to-hand close combat Dou Skill! If you're asking why, forcing yourself to use it will break down your muscles!" Lao explained as Yan went very confused.

"Then what am I supposed to do? You don't mean that I can't train until I have developed a stronger body?..." He motioned his hands in confusion.

"Of course not! Dou-Qi is the best training for your body! The stronger your Dou-Qi becomes, the stronger your body..." Lao explained as I realised his point.

"And vice-versa, as the body becomes stronger, the Dou-Qi inside would also become stronger as well." I added in my notes to the conversation.

"Exactly. You exactly knew that, didn't you Mark?" Lao asked. While I did once formed a theory about how Dou-Qi strengthens the body, I knew that strengthening the body itself can strengthen the Dou-Qi too, but I didn't exactly know this until I had reliable information.

That's why I brought my training swords to test this out. Seems that Lao was going to use the same ideas after all...

"I understand! By training Octadic Smash, my physical body will become stronger, and my Dou-Qi training would also speed up! Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?" Yan realised the fact, that training one's body will also increase the Dou-Qi.

"Yep! But if you want to speed it up even more further, then you'll need some external simulation!" Lao explained. Yan raised an eyebrow in curiousity. Then to regret.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Yan replied as he guessed that he would have to train harder in order to do this. I deadpanned and revealed my training swords.

"You think? Or do you know?... Then, know that you'll have a very bad time... Cuz' you'll experience the first stages of my passed down Hell Training..." I menacingly said, causing Yan to sweat bullets. Before I could begin his hellish training, I turned to Lao.

"What were you going to do?" I asked to Lao. Yan hoped that his master's training would be effective. Lao shrugged.

"I was going to strengthen Xiao Yan Zi's body by blasting him with Dou-Qi strengthening bolts. The bolts will strengthen for his body, and he would learn to tolerate pain, as each bolts will be painful..." Lao explained. It was a pretty solid method of training. Though, I brought this just in case...

"My idea is like an improvement to your methods... I train him how to use hand-to-hand combat and basic lightsaber fighting styles, and you use this-" I gave Lao my other Dou-Qi Revolver. "-and shoot painful strengthening bullets to Yan while I'm doing it." I explained and Yan immediately whimpered in regret and fear. Lao looked at the Revolver in fascination and inspected it.

"I do doubt some factors that your training methods would work, but I'm with your idea. Though, how do I use this?" He held up the Revolver and looked at it difficultly. I shrugged.

"Just aim and pull the trigger. Keep filling your Dou-Qi while you're at it." I advised and Lao did what he asked and pointed to a nearby tree and shot at it.

BANG!

The wood barks flew everywhere from the force, as the bullet contacted the wood. The wood had one small and lethal smoking hole, that if a person would get hit by this, they would die from blood loss.

Yan's jaw dropped from fear. Lao stared at the Revolver in awe. I raised an eyebrow when the bullet was a bit lethal.

"Give it here, Lao." I motioned him to gave the Revolver to me. Lao hesitated for a moment, then later sighed and gave the Revolver to me while grumbling that he 'didn't shot more' or 'enjoying a new experience' that I heard.

I removed the cylinder part of the revolver and checked it. I set it to non-lethal while melting the cylinders in a more stun-type mold...

I reattached the cylinder to the Revolver and immediately fired at Yan.

BANG!

Lao's eyes grew into surprise, shock, and disbelief as I just suddenly and most casually, fired a non-lethal shot to Yan. Yan flew back from force as the bullet contacted to his chest.

"ARRRGHHHH!!!!!!!" A cry of pain howled out from Yan. There was one massive bruise on his chest, as his clothes were ripped from the bullet.

"Well... It works, alright." That was my only casual response. Yan tried to respond whatever insults he could speak, but didn't, as the pain from his chest was too unbearable.

"Let me help you with that. This is the Handband of Determination. Although the name doesn't fit to its intended effect, it'll help you survive the training." I wrapped a turquoise headband around his forehead and tied it tightly. He grit his teeth from the pain.

"So, got any things to say about this training? Any last words?...." I replied to the shaking Yan. He grit his teeth, clenched his fists, and struggled to stand up as his own body shook from the pain he'd just felt.

He flipped the bird with his shaking hand of pain and suffering. "F-fuck...! Y-you...!" He managed to speak those hesitent words as he willed his body to move.

I grinned sadistically. The kid had some balls in him.

"Let's hope you'll keep saying those words... I wonder what will break first... Your spirit, or your body?...." I continued to grin widely as I remembered training/torturing people from my training, was the only enjoyable moment.

I relished that fact that I saw the MC struggled and squirmed for his hardest. I turned to Lao, who was sooooo terrified at my sadistic nature within me. I casually handed him the Revolver and pat his shoulders.

"I teach him the basics, and we'll train. By then, you'll try to shoot him for target practice while he moves around, and I chase him down. Agreed?" I asked to Lao, who immediately and furiouslly nodded his head in complete agreement. I smiled.

"After I taught you basics of hand-to-hand and basic lightsaber fighting style combat, you will take these-" I put a gun belt and a holster made from reinforced leather around his hips, and gave the training sword in his hand. "-and run as fast as you fucking can. Or you will die." I warned with heavy killing intent. Yan gulped as his anger and hatred was replaced with terror and regret.

...

After I taught him the basics, I chased him down in the woods like a predator, stalking down their own prey in the night as the woods shone moonlight from the Crescent Moon.

I used my Dou-Qi sights to find him. He was very far away from me, and tried blocking bullets with his training sword from Lao.

I could imagine him whimper in fear, as he would not expect me from the start.

And I would enjoy scaring the hell out of that boy...

[AN: Due to his experience of the multiverse, Mark is very almost undetectable since he learnt from the Masters of the Shadows such as: Shinobi, League of Shadows, Sherlock Holmes (Movie), Spartans (Halo), Kingsman Agents, The Creed (Assassin's Creed), John Wick, and the Dark Knight (Batman).]

[AN: So it's safe to say that Xiao Yan is VERY screwed. Rip.]

...

Yan was very cautious even when his training started. His body hurt, it was so fucking cold, and it was so fucking BULLSHIT!

His master even accepted to this kind of hellish training! He did with obvious enjoyment! He tried to block the painful bolts from his Master as he ran away, resisting the urge to just shoot his master in the face.

'No, I would just miss. I only have four shots... I have to make them count.' His logical side of his brain warned him. He grit his teeth and ran fast as he could as his Master cackled like a maniac and hunted him for sport.

Soon, the laughter faded into silence as he outran his own master... He realised his ring necklace was missing from his neck. That was not all.

His upper clothes were tattered and beaten from the bullets, as they showed his bare chest damaged from bruises, cuts, and injuries came from his Master, Mark, and the tree branches and rocks he slipped and painfully fell into. Only his pants and shoes remained dirty and unclean from the mud.

He still had the gun belt and holster that Mark forced him to hang on to them, as it was painful as he admitted it, the stuff that Mark gave were VERY useful in this type of situation.

The training sword that he held was still strong and reinforced, but dirty from all the mud and denting from the bolts that he luckily managed to block.

The revolver stood strong, as there was smoke coming out from the barrel. It hadn't been malfunctioning (thank God), but it showed that Mark crafted the Revolver pretty well as it was durable.

As for the so-called "Headband of Determination"... It was just a piece of cloth. A magical piece of cloth. It gave him sudden determination! An ordinary person like him couldn't last a second in this training. But the power of the Head of Determination, he could have a chance to even survive this hellish torture called training!

He was snapped from his thoughts as he tripped on a rock and felt something cold and unusually soothing. It was the river bank near the Forest. The cold water allowed him to bear his wounds as the cold soothing water almost rejuvenated him.

He pulled his head out of the water and breathed heavily as his own body was wet from the cold water, and his clothes and tools were soaked.

He saw the reflection of the Crescent Moon in the night. He stared back to the river's reflection and saw himself.

His handsome- no. His face was littered with wounds, bruises, cuts, and injures that made his original face look unbearable. He wept in silence as he suffered from the hellish torture. Why did he deserve this?...

As if his three years of suffering weren't enough, Fate decided to kick his balls by sending him in a worser fate!

AND FUCK MARK!

His own face shouldn't be seen by Xun-Er. It was so ugly and bruised, he feared that she would look away from him...

His blood froze as he heard these four words.

"Weeping is for pussies." The devil known as Mark said back to him.

And everything went black.

...

"I. HATE. YOU." Yan growled as he spat back in much venom that could even rival Em's poison. I ignored him and kept working on my future projects.

After the hellish training was over, I carried his ass and brought him back to his own room without anyone knowing. Xun-Er would've killed me if she'd known this.

With my past experiences, I was almost undetectable although I carried someone with me this time...

As for Yan, he was perfectly fine, as all of his wounds were healed by the green tubby that I helped him earlier, by healing his wounds by using the Force to quickly absorb Dou-Qi inside and manually fastened the healing process inside his body. He later glared at Lao and me in hatred.

"I had no choice..." Lao confessed and tried to make his excuse. Yan's fury raged inside him. The Headband of Determination waved around from the furious aura that Yan emitted.

"NO. FUCKING. CHOICE?! BULLSHIT! I ALMOST DIED! YOU DID IT WHILE YOU WERE LAUGHING!" Yan exploded in rage as he ranted and shouted his pent up fury and frustration to both of us.

I ignored most of it, but later told him to 'deal with it' as the training that he was going to have for the next two months, was going to be far worse than he had before.

That made him shut up.

...

After two months passed, Yan finally learned the basics of hand-to-hand combat and the lightsaber fighting style I had hammered to his brain. He almost mastered the arts successfully and had a decent shot with his revolver in his hellish training.

Though one time he successfully caught me off guard and shot me square in the face. He smiled as he couldn't even smile before.

Though that smile faded immediately when I caught the bullet with my teeth.

Anyways, he could handle his own on the hellish training course decently. In past, I would always drag his carcass to his room without anyone noticing, although Xun-Er was almost close to finding out what happend to Yan...

Now, he would move and survive the training from hell with minor wounds and injuries. He would rarely complain about the training from hell. Though the only thing that was keeping him going was his own willpower, survival instinct, rage, and determination.

Though, we eventually moved on from real lethal bullets, as I taught him how to use his own Dou-Qi to harden like a protective barrier that could stop bullets. Although very rarely, he hunted at me for a moment. I was usually the one who hunted him, not be hunted... It meant that Yan was starting to learn the basics.

Afterwards, Yan and I were cool as both of us moved on from the hellish training as it was only just necessary. Not complaining or raging like idiots and assholes...

"Yo." I greeted as I saw Yan absorbing Dou-Qi from the green tubby. He didn't respond to my greeting. I stared in silence for a moment and shot him with my Deagle in boredom.

He snapped his eyes open and dodged the lethal bullet that would've hit him. He glared at me and flipped the bird as he couldn't honestly do anything. What was he going to do? Throw water at my face?

He continued to absorb Dou-Qi from the water as he breathed heavily. He shone from Dou-Qi and went through a breakthrough of his Fifth Rank as water flew everywhere from the burst of energy.

Yan smiled as he inspected his own body. "I felt this sensation in ages! Fifth Rank Dou-Qi!" He said. I gave a thumbs up from his breakthrough.

"You finally went through yours, huh? Although you were a month late on my own breakthrough of my Fifth Rank..." I commented as I remembered my own breakthrough to the Fifth Rank with Lao's help.

Turns out that I wasn't exactly in the Second Rank. I was in my Fourth Rank already, and I didn't know this because I was constantly using my own Dou-Qi to my body, and seemed as if my Dou-Qi was as if the Second Rank...

I found this by accident and trained my ass off without any powers and the help of Lao, I went through my own breakthrough of the Fifth Rank.

"Though, with such an outstanding talent as yours, in all these years, I haven't seen someone this talented as you." Lao complimented. He turned to me in apology.

"Excluding Mark, no offense..." He whispered.

"None taken." I shrugged.

"You flatter me, Master." Yan smiled genuinely. Lao sighed.

"But don't get carried away, you've used up the Elixir of Foundation Spirits. We have to buy the medicine ingredients again!" Lao stated as Yan was caught off guard by this and slipped his feet inside the tubby.

"What?! It got used that fast?..." He asked in disbelief. Lao deadpanned the obvious question.

"Of course. Only one bottle of elixir can only used for two months." Lao replied in a monotone. Yan muttered to himself about money and borrowing again from Xun-Er.

Though, I had an idea to solve this.

"Can't we just make elixirs with low quality ingredients? Can't we just sell those?" I suggested as a lightbulb appeared on Yan's head.

"Mark, you're a genius! Master, can't we..." Yan asked but was interrupted by Lao.

"It is possible, but however the effect will also be of lower quality..." Lao answered, unsure that a lot of money would come from low grade elixirs.

"I have an idea!" Yan snapped his fingers in planning. Both Lao and I deadpanned.

"But put on some pants first..." I gave him another pair of my reinforced pants. He aplogised and accepted them.

[AN: Please review.]