Chapter 9: The Will of Martial Arts
Jiangnan's palm struck the severed tree, causing it to explode with a loud bang, sending wood shavings flying in all directions. Among the splinters, a dark, furry bear paw suddenly came crashing down towards Jiangnan's forehead
Sister Jiang Xue is indeed correct; after I freed myself from servitude, I no longer have to worry about food and clothing, and my cultivation has become much more effortless. However, having eaten poorly in the past, my body still requires some time to recuperate.
Similarly, his vital energy has found unprecedented application in battle, becoming more refined and pure, with an accelerated flow rate and reduced reaction time
In Jiangnan, true energy surged throughout the body, and the heart reflected: "Sister Jiang Xue is right. Although that bear demon just now possessed demonic energy, it cannot be considered a true demon beast, as it is unable to transform into a human. Moreover, despite having weapons, it is not proficient in martial arts and relies solely on brute strength to fight. It should be lacking in spiritual intelligence, and there is a significant gap compared to true martial arts masters"
If it were not for Jiangnan's cultivation of the Demon Abyss Profound Fetal Scripture today, and having practiced the Dragon and Tiger Elephant Force Technique to the fifth level, he would likely not stand a chance against this black bear
The duration of this battle was not long, but it completely exhausted his physical strength. Had it not been for the remarkable magic clock within him, Jiangnan would undoubtedly have been defeated in this fight
Jiang Nan's second step landed, this step was taken with greater force, directly leaping off the bridge and crossing in front of the bear demon in one stride, striking out with another palm. The bear demon, engulfed in rage, spread its bear paw to embrace the broken tree, and with a roar, charged towards Jiang Nan!
Jiangnan pondered the variations in the techniques from the recent battle, reflecting on his own shortcomings. Before long, he identified many flaws in the Dragon and Tiger Elephant Strength Technique and began to rectify them
His physical condition is quite poor. Although he has already reached the Bone Refinement stage, as detailed on www.hetushu.com, his diet has not kept pace. After a bout of sparring, he found himself somewhat lacking in stamina
Jiang Xue transformed once again into a white fox, leaping onto his shoulder and softly saying: "In the mountains of Luoxia, there are numerous demonic beasts, especially at night when they roam freely. With your current strength, you can still defeat a single demonic beast, but against a horde of them, it would only lead to your demise... By the way, bear meat has an excellent flavor, replenishes vitality, and strengthens bones; it should not be wasted"
"A desperate battle can surpass a century of diligent practice. Although this statement is exaggerated, it is not without reason"
Jiangnan's face flushed slightly as he accepted the silver and walked towards the Qi Wangfu. The steward of the Wangfu, seeing that he could produce such a large sum of money to redeem himself, inquired about the source of the funds. Jiangnan merely stated that his long-lost sister had come to find him, and the steward did not express any suspicion.
Jiangnan nodded silently; he worked at the Qi Wangfu and had long heard that the dietary habits of these noble offspring were astonishingly lavish. In the morning, they would first drink a cup of human milk to replenish their strength. The Wangfu even specially procured high-quality medicinal ingredients such as ginseng, bird's nest, deer antler, and ganoderma lucidum to brew nourishing soups for these aristocratic youths to consume
Tie Zhu heard that Jiang Nan had freed himself from slavery and had purchased property. He brought a jar of wine to congratulate him. Jiang Nan instructed his maid to prepare dishes with bear paws and bear meat. The two brothers feasted heartily, drank to the point of inebriation, and parted ways in high spirits
The Divine Elephant Treading the Mountain consists of thirteen steps and thirteen strikes, which is currently the most ferocious and domineering technique learned in Jiangnan. It features a continuous sequence of thirteen steps and thirteen strikes, without the slightest pause or breath.
The Jiangnan was struck into the ground by the bear demon's palm, sinking halfway into the mud. After the bear demon was sent flying with a single blow, it ignored its own deep entrapment in the soil, simply lifted its leg, and with a loud bang, kicked the dirt in front of it apart as if there were no obstacles. With a single step, it advanced once more to stand before the bear demon
His gains are remarkable; through combat, he has propelled various lethal techniques, allowing him to gain a deeper and more proficient understanding of these moves, while also recognizing his own shortcomings
"Rest assured, sister would never eat your little heart." Jiang Xue seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled.
"Sister, how did I perform?" Jiangnan crossed the stone bridge, threw down the bear carcass, gasped for breath, and felt every muscle in his body aching. He endured the pain and asked with a smile.
In recent days, Jiang Nan traveled with Jiang Xue to Luoxia Mountain in search of solitary demon beasts. After a series of battles, Jiang Nan deeply realized that his physical fitness had become the key limitation to his cultivation improvement. However, he gained a lot from each battle, and consuming the flesh and blood of the demon beasts gradually enhanced his physical quality, making him increasingly stronger
With his thirteen steps and thirteen strikes, he relentlessly drove the bear demon over seventy zhang into the forest, toppling more than ten trees along the way, ultimately killing the bear demon outright
By the stone bridge, a woman in a mink coat and white attire stood by the Yangchuan River, her figure faintly discernible. A gentle voice floated over: "Zichuan, you can barely be considered a practitioner of martial arts now; you have matured significantly since your encounter with Wusi Jiang. However, in the presence of true martial arts masters, you are still a novice."
He cultivates the Demon Abyss Profound Fetus Scripture, and his true energy is exceedingly domineering, even allowing him to recover from bodily injuries faster than others by a margin of one or two points. However, to achieve complete restoration without leaving any hidden troubles, he will need to rest for at least ten days.
However, he was not having an easy time either. Although the bear demon was still merely a demon beast and had not fully transformed into a demon, it possessed immense strength and was an extremely formidable opponent. It struck Jiangnan six or seven times, and wherever the bear's paw landed, it nearly turned his small frame into a pulp
In the forest, the sound of thudding footsteps suddenly echoed, accompanied by the crack of strikes and the roars of elephants and bears
Bang
Jiang Xue smiled slightly and said, "I am a fox spirit; how could I not be well-versed in some methods of the Five Ghosts Transporting Wealth? This wealth, of course, has been taken from the vaults of wealthy families"
Jiangnan, puzzled and confused, asked: "Sister, where did you get this silver from?"
In Jiangnan's eyes, a brilliant light flickered; the recent battle had brought him gains that transcended merely elevating his will from that of an ordinary person to that of a martial artist. It also served as a profound baptism for his combat awareness, reaction speed, fighting skills, adaptability, and the honing of his mindset.
If this bear demon were also proficient in martial arts, the first strike would take his life
Sister, rest assured, I understand this principle
Jiangnan claimed to have approached and cut off the two front paws of a black bear, and then sliced off over ten pounds of prime meat before departing
Jiang Xue stepped onto the bridge, her delicate face turned towards him, shaking her head and saying: "The young masters of the Qi Wang Mansion consume high-quality ginseng and deer antler as ingredients, with the flesh and blood of demon beasts as their staple food. They even have spirit pills to replenish their energy and solidify their cultivation. Your previous diet was too poor, and your body is far weaker than theirs. Given how little time you have spent cultivating, how could you possibly surpass them? Do not be disheartened; in the future, as you hunt demon beasts and consume their flesh and blood, your energy will naturally become exceptionally vigorous, and your physical body will grow stronger and stronger, easily surpassing them."
After returning to her residence, Jiang Xue took out several large silver ingots and handed them to Jiang Nan, saying: "Since you are already my brother, how can you serve others as a slave? If this gets out, it would unjustly tarnish my sister's reputation. Here is some money; go to the Qi Wang Mansion to redeem your contract of servitude, and from now on, you shall be a free man"
Meanwhile, another hand from Jiangnan struck fiercely against the bear demon, sending this over one thousand jin heavy black bear flying once again with a single blow
Jiang Xue saw him redeem his contract of servitude and said, "The poor study literature while the rich study martial arts, spending their days struggling for a living, which inevitably delays their martial arts training. Your progress in martial arts is slow, and my recovery will also be significantly hindered. I still have some wealth here; you should purchase a property to ensure that your basic needs are met, allowing you to focus on your cultivation."
Zichuan, the sky is getting dark, let's go back
Even more terrifying is that the kitchen of the royal residence consumes ten enormous demon beasts each day, using the blood and flesh of these beasts as ingredients
One by one, the towering trees crashed down with a loud crack. After a moment, the intense noise suddenly ceased. Jiangnan emerged from the forest, holding high the corpse of a giant bear, bloodied and stepping forward slowly.
The four major realms of martial arts cultivation are skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. Once one achieves these realms, it becomes possible to self-repair bodily injuries, which is not merely a privilege of Jiangnan.
The great tree fell, raising clouds of dust; the bear demon roared, leaping up in surprise and anger
The bear demon struck the young man's forehead with a palm, instantly causing blood to spatter everywhere, nearly driving him into the mud by the riverbank like a nail!
Jiangnan suddenly realized that he had heard Tie Zhu mention similar matters. It is said that fox spirits enchant scholars, and besides beauty, they tempt them with wealth, offering a great deal of silver to entice the students. If the recipient accepts, it means they have sold their life to the fox spirit, and that very night, they will be devoured by the fox spirit.
His arm was like an elephant's trunk, swinging out with a slap that sent the over one thousand-pound black bear flying into the air, landing four to five zhang away on the opposite bank of the stone bridge and the library, where it crashed into a large tree, breaking it on the spot
Behind him lay a scene of utter devastation, with felled trees, broken branches, and scattered leaves all around.
Within Jiangnan, the true energy surged and roared, ceaselessly flowing. His true energy resembled an invisible pair of hands, massaging the injured areas of his body, promoting circulation and invigorating the blood, expelling impurities through the skin's pores. Even the shattered fragments of bones within could be expelled from the body by this true energy.
Sister, how does my current strength compare to those young masters from the Qi royal residence?" Jiang Nan asked, feeling a stir in his heart.
Jiangnan stared blankly at his new home, shaking his head in disbelief. Everything had happened too quickly; just before, he was a lowly servant at the Qi Wangfu, a poor boy with hardly a penny to his name, and now he had transformed into a master with a home and servants, having his clothes brought to him and food served at his table
At this point, he finally understood why Jiang Xue said that a battle with the demon beasts was suitable for a novice like him. Bear demons and other demon beasts possess innate combat skills, but they are not as proficient in martial arts as humans. If demon beasts were to master martial arts as well, it would be ten times more dangerous
Although my physical condition is improving, it is still far from sufficient. With my current strength, if I were to engage in a duel with a disciple from the Qi Wang Mansion who is also at the Bone Refinement stage, if I cannot defeat my opponent within the first twenty moves, I would certainly be the one to lose. My physical capabilities simply cannot compare to those of the aristocratic youths from the Qi Wang Mansion. Jiang Nan sighed and thought to himself
She took out some silver coins for Jiangnan to purchase a siheyuan in the city, to furnish it, and also bought two maidservants to attend to their daily needs, moving in together with Jiangnan.
As soon as this foot landed in Jiangnan, it unleashed the immense power of the Dragon-Tiger Elephant Strength Technique. Within that small frame lay an unimaginable strength, allowing it to rush forward to the bear demon in a single step. The palm was raised and struck forward with great force