A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 113 - 103: Beat the Young, Here Comes the Old—What Now?

[Skill: Dragon Palm (Mastered)]

[Progress: 29/800]

[Effect: Silently moving legs without shadow, resembling a dragon returning to the sea, ten years of effort in ten years of fist practice, refining essence to transform Qi with boundless power]

...

[Skill: Arhat Hand Technique (Mastered)]

[Progress: 16/800]

[Effect: Concealing the image in horse stance, child-like skill, essence not leaking, completely penetrating flow]

...

[Skill: Golden Core Great Strength Skill (Great Success)]

[Progress: 1/800]

[Effect: Outer strength is divine courage, inner strength is divine power, Qi is solid and dense, persisting seemingly forever]

Bai Qi halted his fighting stance, looking at Yang Meng who had fallen backward, raising a cloud of dust, feeling a kind of unfulfilled lost sense.

If it weren't for this high-intensity battle of strength and will, his understanding and insight into various martial arts wouldn't have advanced so rapidly.

In one breath, he once again advanced three martial skills, gaining three additional effects on his person!

"Practitioners focus on nurturing and training. To become a true expert, one must look at fights and kills.

No wonder the martial arts world fears those who follow the path of war-cultivated battle. If they aren't successful, once successful, they become towering trees, standing out in the forest!"

Bai Qi contemplated his gained insights, realizing why the martial arts world segmented skills into nurturing, training, fighting, and killing, summarizing that nurturing comes first, then training, followed by fighting, and finally killing, an absolute experiential saying.

If one's physique isn't well-nurtured, training becomes inefficient, easily suffering in combat.

Practitioners who don't learn combat or killing techniques don't experience blood on the arena, and won't achieve greatness.

After acquiring Mercury Blood, refining Silver Marrow, differentiating Water and Fire to don the Immortal Robe, comes the reputed grandmaster's Circulation of Qi.

Without repeated life-and-death battles, how can one's fist intention and spirit coalesce, causing qi and blood to surge fiercely like smoke, shattering ghostly traps and dispersing Daoist techniques?

This proves Tongwen Hall's three rules are indeed impressively ambitious.

Directly targeting the root of Martial Dao—cutting off fate, transcending life and death!

"I just beat Yang Meng because my foundation is more solid, my martial skills more refined. He has the Tiger Crane dual form, I have the Dragon Horse fusion, his Ten Extremes Hand can't break Tongwen Hall's two-part Grand Capture.

Plus, I'm still young, with vigorous qi and blood, and through the effect of the Golden Core Great Strength Skill, there is no reason not to win!"

Bai Qi recalled his footwork, like horses galloping with lifted hooves, wildly unrestrained, his chest, back, waist, and abdomen suddenly tightening, like wrapping around the spine dragon soaring upward, the wind of his punches not only faster than usual but more ferocious.

Dragon Palm and Arhat Hand breaking through mastery finally allowed him to achieve Dragon Horse unity, greatly advancing his strength.

In martial skills, stance is most important, wanting the stance to be stable, must achieve integrity in form and spirit.

Yang Meng's Tiger Crane dual form has indeed a deep proficiency, arching his back, releasing finger claws, akin to a giant insect descending from a mountain, menacingly fierce.

Evading the Cold Arrow Leg, that move Crane Claw Sandprint, deeply embodies the essence of the crane form's nimbleness and lightness.

"Unfortunately, besides a dozen silver notes and some silver ingots, Old Deng did not carry the fist manual of the Tiger Crane Ten Extremes Hand.

In novels, killing and looting to find martial arts secrets is indeed false."

Bai Qi consistently maintained the good habit of searching bodies, but the harvest wasn't significant, his thoughts followed his qi and blood, gradually calming down:

"Can only wait for later redistribution, this time the Red Eyebrow Bandits attacked the city, Fishery and Chai Market suffered greatly, especially Fishery, the owner He Wenbing lost his son, the main culprit still one of the He Family's servants... most likely, Bai's Fish Stall has the opportunity to upgrade again."

Bai Qi pondered the aftermath of this incident, as a member of Tongwen Hall, a disciple of the Instructor, and the one who killed the prime enemy Yang Meng.

If handled properly, if Fishery is trodden down, allowing Black River County's three families, He, Song, Lai to become four, adding a "Bai", is not impossible.

"No rush, as long as martial skills are practiced well, like Master, enormous wealth is easily at hand."

Bai Qi remained calm, wealth serves to nourish oneself and opens pathways, valuing it too much may not be beneficial.

He scanned the horizon, the surface of Black Water River with several sampans gliding in, like fish swimming and patrolling.

"Brother Qi..."

Deng Yong wielded the oars, cutting through the waves, quickly reached the shore, seeing Yang Meng dead and Bai Qi unharmed, his eyelids twitched severely:

"Young Master Qi! You've cleared a great menace for our Black River County! If not for this despicable thief colluding with Red Eyebrow, how could the chaos be so vast, we don't even know how many have died!"

Deng Yong immediately drew his steel knife, handing it with both hands to Bai Qi, letting him chop off Yang Meng's head, later to declare his achievements.

"Is that Steward Lei?"

Bai Qi squinted his eyes, suddenly catching sight of several large black canopy boats, following one after another, filled with many people.

"What? The Red Eyebrow Bandits have been defeated? The Demon King has been slain? Yang Meng has been executed?"

Upon hearing the report from several disciples of the Broken Blade Sect, Lei Xiong's eyes suddenly lit up. The Fishery Steward's face turned solemn as he took a deep breath and shouted angrily:

"I, Lei Mou, as a Tributary of the fishery, will never stand by and watch the owner face difficulties! Master, I am coming to save you!"

As his clothes fluttered wildly, he seized a small boat selling salted fish from the Deng Family, shouting as he ran towards the Inner City of Black River County.

"Steward Lei is truly sincere, charging only what is appropriate for his services."

Bai Qi's eye twitched as he looked at the Black Water River, where the wind and waves gradually calmed, thinking to himself:

"Finally, we can peacefully fish again."

...

...

In front of the gate of Tongwen Hall.

Ninghai Zen, dressed in a sky-blue robe, looked carefree and at ease, as if he had just returned from a casual stroll outside the city.

"Lao Dao, your martial arts have broken through again, not bad, not bad. Let's have a feast tonight and see what skills you've honed."

This instructor punched the Demon King to death as if it took no effort.

Standing nearby were Mu Chun of the Broken Blade Sect, Zhu Wan of the Divine Hand Sect, and Han Yang from the Celestial Eagle Martial Arts Hall, all gazing at Ninghai Zen with eyes full of utmost respect and admiration.

Were it not for the many disciples and apprentices around, they would have knelt to show their obeisance.

In the past, it was only known that this instructor practiced the fourth level of Circulation of Qi, though they had never truly witnessed it.

Just like the difference in Copper Skin and Golden Body in the third level of Water and Fire Immortal Robe, the disparities are vast.

The fourth level is the same, with several steps including Refining Acupoints, Gathering Evil, and Condensing Protective Qi.

According to Ninghai Zen's earth-shaking Essence Smoke, at least he has achieved... Acupoint Refining Great Success, right?

Once he gathers Earth Evil and integrates it into his body, combining with his own Qi Blood, he can break free from the constraints of Earth Core Magnetism and, like those Daoist Officials, fly freely in the heavens and earth.

This level of a Grandmaster would not only walk freely in Black River County but also in Yihai Prefecture, where no one would dare to provoke!

"Young Master Qi isn't back yet, but I guess by now, he should have completed your trial, defeating the first obstacle on the martial path."

Lao Dao put on a loose coat and a mink hat, covering the red lotus and scar marks on his head, making him appear much more amiable.

"How could my disciple not be a match for Yang Meng?"

Ninghai Zen said assuredly, then raising an eyebrow as if suddenly recalling something:

"Before that giant python was killed by me, it seemed to have mentioned something about the Nu Yun River Dragon Monarch? It used to dominate Fulong Mountain, cultivating a millennium of climate, it might be of some significance."

Lao Dao's heart trembled; he guessed Ninghai Zen's intentions and said helplessly:

"The New Year is almost here, Young Master... why not stay at Tongwen Hall for a while."

Ninghai Zen waved his hands repeatedly, as if something crawling all over was making him exceedingly uncomfortable:

"Take Ah Qi and the others with you. I was indeed too impulsive, neither did I ask clearly where that giant python resided, nor if it had any fathers, mothers, or ancestors.

Forget it, take a trip to Fulong Mountain, inquiry each mountain top in order, settle this potential threat early.

Otherwise, having defeated the younger, if the elder or even older ones come, how am I supposed to live?"

Ninghai Zen muttered to himself for a moment, and with a few flickers of his blue garment, he vanished swiftly from the eyes of the martial arts masters watching in shock.

"The instructor truly is..."

Han Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead:

"A person of true nature!"

Mu Chun and Zhu Wan exchanged glances and awkwardly agreed:

"Yes, yes! A person of true nature!"

Isn't killing one enough; must the whole lineage be exterminated?

Why are those from Tongwen Hall so ruthless!

Seeing the martial arts masters barely daring to breathe, Lao Dao explained:

"My young master isn't usually like this, actually very genteel and amiable, kind to others..."