Swordplay and Minor Capturing Hand

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the village rooster began to crow. Duan Yi rolled over on his couch and mumbled something before slowly opening his sleepy eyes.

Once his consciousness returned, he stretched with a refreshed and energetic look, as if he had slept very well and his body's organs and tissues had fully rested. He was now full of vigor.

Touching the Longevity Lock at his neck, Duan Yi felt at ease. He put on his clothes, pushed open the door, and went out to heat some water for washing up. He saw Yuè Jiāo Nú, who seemed to have woken up even earlier and was practicing her swordplay.

She was still in the same black attire, her appearance as beautiful as ever. However, her demeanor was completely different from the vulnerable way she acted around him, reminding Duan Yi of the phrase "heroic and spirited."

Her eyes followed her hands, her body moved with the sword, and her footwork shifted. Within a small space, she gave Xiàng Yāng the illusion of strolling through the Moon Palace. Her posture was elegant and exuded flexibility.

The long sword almost blinded Duan Yi. It moved back and forth, and he could only see silver flowers blooming, yet it gave him a chilling sensation, clearly hiding killing intent.

Clap, clap, clap. "A fine sword technique. May I ask the name of this swordplay you are practicing, Sister Yue? Could you teach it to me?"

This wasn't a special effect from a TV show or a description in a book; this was the real world, a genuine martial art he was witnessing firsthand. Duan Yi was instantly excited. While clapping and praising, he shamelessly asked to be taught.

Although Duan Yi pleaded, he was confident that the other party would be willing to teach him. After all, since Yuè Jiāo Nú regarded him as the Young Master, she wouldn't hold back.

Yuè Jiāo Nú, who was practicing her swordplay, stopped when she heard him. She gracefully sheathed her sword, causing the bead flowers in her hair to sway. Despite her recent exertion, she wasn't even out of breath and her complexion was normal.

Then, she walked a few steps towards Duan Yi and bowed slightly, a strange expression on her face.

"It's not that Jiaonu is being secretive. This Branch-Breaking Swordplay is passed down from the Moon Worship Palace. Along with the New Moon Heart Method and Moon Palace Steps that I also learned, it is considered direct lineage and is meant for women."

Duan Yi's smile froze on his face. It turned grim, and he quickly asked what was going on.

Yuè Jiāo Nú smiled and told Duan Yi to wash up and eat first, and then she would explain in detail. It was then that Duan Yi realized Yuè Jiāo Nú had already heated the water and cooked the food, preparing everything for him.

This made Duan Yi feel a touch of warmth. What a good person.

And so, as the sky brightened and the sun rose, Duan Yi finally learned from Yuè Jiāo Nú the difference between the Moon Worship Palace martial arts and normal martial arts.

Simply put, the Moon Worship Palace had only ever accepted female disciples since ancient times. Their internal energy, lightness skills, and techniques were all passed down in a single lineage, specifically designed for women, suiting their bodies and physiological characteristics.

Take Yuè Jiāo Nú's New Moon Heart Method, for example. It was an internal energy martial art derived from the Bright Jade Skill. Practicing it could nourish a woman's Yin energy, moisturize the skin, delay aging, and even treat menstrual pain, truly a boon for women.

If a man were to learn it, there might not be any immediate issues, but over time, it would inevitably lead to an imbalance of Yin and Yang.

Although Yuè Jiāo Nú didn't state it explicitly, her pursed lips and sly smile confirmed Duan Yi's guess: the ultimate result would be becoming a monstrous, neither male nor female creature.

For men, it was a useless martial art that could achieve the same effect as the Sunflower Manual without any need for castration.

As for the Branch-Breaking Swordplay, its eighteen stances focused on lightness and agility. The techniques were complex and prioritized change, fitting the natural weakness of women. Combined with the Moon Palace Steps and the New Moon Heart Method, it was a perfect set.

Even if Duan Yi managed to learn the swordplay, without the corresponding internal energy to coordinate his movements, it would be merely an empty shell. Furthermore, the sword path was inherently feminine. When wielded by a woman, it was as graceful as a fairy dancing among flowers. For a man, the image alone was enough to make one dizzy.

Thinking of himself wielding a sword with a delicate, feminine hand gesture, Duan Yi shivered and snapped out of it, abandoning the idea of learning the swordplay. However, he couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment and anxiety.

It wasn't that he was set on learning the swordplay; he was simply eager to test the functionality of the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, which made him seem a bit impatient.

Yuè Jiāo Nú was unaware of Duan Yi's thoughts. Seeing her Young Master looking distressed, she quickly tried to comfort him.

"Besides the Moon Worship Palace martial arts, Jiaonu also has a family heirloom, the Minor Capturing Hand, which is worth seeing. If Young Master doesn't mind, I am willing to teach it to you."

Upon hearing that he could learn the Minor Capturing Hand, Duan Yi's spirits lifted, and he looked at Yuè Jiāo Nú with anticipation.

He wasn't trying to become a peerless martial artist with it; he just wanted to verify his idea. He didn't care if it was swordplay or capturing hand, it made no difference to him.

Yuè Jiāo Nú was straightforward. Right there in the courtyard, she meticulously explained her Minor Capturing Hand to Duan Yi. As she spoke, she would occasionally demonstrate, showing great patience.

One had to admit that the path of martial arts was indeed profound and vast. A mere Minor Capturing Hand, without the coordination of internal energy, was surprisingly complex.

Setting aside the incantations, basic stances, and combinations, it required methods for channeling force and emitting power, as well as the ability to identify human joints and acupoints. If not for Duan Yi's fused souls and excellent memory, he might not have been able to remember it all.

During this time, Yuè Jiāo Nú also gave Duan Yi a basic education on martial arts.

For instance, internal cultivation was divided into three levels: True Qi, True Essence, and True Core. True Qi was further subdivided into four stages: Qi Sensing, Qi Nourishing, Meridian Unblocking, and Essence Condensing. True Essence had two layers: Inner Gang and Outer Gang. As for the subsequent realms, Yuè Jiāo Nú's knowledge was limited by her own experience.

Take the traitor Yuè Bì Nǔ, for example. She was a disciple of the same generation as Duan Yi's mother. Although her martial arts were profound, her talent was average. Her internal energy had only reached the Meridian Unblocking Great Accomplishment stage. She was considered an expert but couldn't be called first-rate.

However, Qū Dōng Liú of the Golden Cauldron Sect was different. He had reached Essence Condensing Great Accomplishment and possessed formidable martial arts. According to Yuè Jiāo Nú, he was worthy of being the sect leader.

Of course, this was merely a difference in internal energy cultivation realms and did not directly represent combat prowess.

The level of martial arts learned also influenced a martial artist's combat effectiveness.

On this aspect, Yuè Jiāo Nú also shared the experiences of her predecessors with Duan Yi.

Any martial art, depending on the level of mastery, could be divided into three major realms and nine minor realms.

The three major realms were Minor Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment, and Extreme Realm.

The Minor Accomplishment realm was further divided into Beginner's Practice, Familiarity, and Sudden Enlightenment.

The Great Accomplishment realm was divided into Entering the Hall, Understanding, and Perfected Skill.

The final Extreme Realm consisted of Peak of Perfection, Return to Simplicity, and Transcendent Saint.

An ordinary Shaolin Arhat Fist, if cultivated to the Extreme Realm, would have its power directly enhanced, potentially even surpassing the Seventy-Two Peerless Skills at the Great Accomplishment stage.

However, this was extremely difficult. Even martial artists who had studied martial arts for decades and managed to cultivate a martial art to Perfected Skill were already considered masters.

Duan Yi was very puzzled by this. According to his understanding, these martial art levels were equivalent to a practitioner's proficiency in their learned martial arts. The higher the proficiency, the stronger the power. But without dataization, how could one know which level they were at?

For example, the realms of Understanding and Perfected Skill had extremely blurry boundaries.

Moreover, Return to Simplicity and Transcendent Saint were near synonyms. It was hard to say which realm was higher.

Regarding Duan Yi's questions, Yuè Jiāo Nú appeared very calm.

"Young Master is indeed remarkably intelligent, to have thought of this so quickly.

In reality, this division is merely to help martial artists better comprehend the martial arts they've learned and progress gradually. Applying it to everyone is impossible, and some seniors have even raised objections to this classification.

The Young Master only needs to know that the depth of a martial art's cultivation affects its power."

Duàn Yì stroked his chin, pondering. In truth, this classification wasn't entirely baseless. The stages of "Beginner's Practice" and "Familiarity" clearly showed significant changes. Not only could he feel it himself, but outsiders could also see it. The rest were harder to say.

Thus, one taught and one learned, and time gradually passed until Duàn Yì's stomach rumbled. Only then did they realize it was already past noon.

According to the calculations of his previous life, it was two or three in the afternoon. The calculation in this world was between the second and third quarter of the Weishi period.

Duàn Yì, having just begun learning Minor Capturing Hand, felt an itch to practice. He once again sent Yuè Jiāo Nú to get food. After Yuè Jiāo Nú left, he returned to his room, closed the door tightly, immersed his consciousness into the Longevity Lock, and entered the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts.

Inside the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, on a bookshelf on the first floor, the space was no longer empty. In a small slot, a book had appeared.

Duàn Yì entered the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts without searching. After exploring it all night, he simply swept his consciousness and found the book on the shelf.

He walked up to the bookshelf and picked up the manual. It was about forty pages thick, with a blue cover. The cover was inscribed with the four characters "Minor Capturing Hand," written in the same style as the plaque outside the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts. The ink was fragrant, suggesting it was newly created.

Duàn Yì couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling immense relief as he touched the manual. His guess was correct. He wondered what benefits it would bring him.

He opened the book and read it carefully, line by line, page by page, accompanied by diagrams of stances on some pages. He seemed to gain some insight.

Firstly, compared to Yuè Jiāo Nú's teaching, this manual was more detailed and systematic. It even specifically listed the identification and characteristics of joints and acupoints for Duàn Yì to study, likely having been optimized.

Furthermore, Duàn Yì's mind was clear, his thoughts lightning-fast, and he learned things incredibly quickly.

Many obscure and unclear points that Yuè Jiāo Nú had explained were now fully resolved. He even developed his own insights, which he hadn't considered before.

"Amazing, this is an comprehension buff. In this state, my comprehension will be several times, even dozens of times, that of an ordinary person. I'll learn anything quickly. This is truly the golden finger arriving."

Duàn Yì was smug, feeling that with the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts in his possession, the world was his.

He put down the Minor Capturing Hand manual and walked out to the bluestone path outside the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts. Duàn Yì began to practice the stances from memory.

Consort Folding Branches, Grand Duke Waving Banner, Taking Sheep Along the Way, Wind Sweeping Fallen Leaves, Golden Silk Binding Wrist, Reverse Grasping Plow Harrow – six stances, three moves per stance, performed in rotation.

The first pass was a bit clumsy, the second showed some form, and after the third, the stances and moves became surprisingly fluid and beautiful, as if he had been practicing for months or even longer, far beyond just a few repetitions.

According to Duàn Yì's estimation, his current understanding of Minor Capturing Hand had surpassed the "Beginner's Practice" stage, reaching at least the "Familiarity" level.

However, as he practiced, he could also feel that this martial art required more time and contemplation for deep mastery, and it wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.

To put it plainly, the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts couldn't grant instant success, but it allowed him to enjoy a shortcut and the boost of supreme comprehension.

Any martial art could be entered quickly and cultivated rapidly.

Estimating that Yuè Jiāo Nú would return soon, Duàn Yì withdrew from the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts and returned to reality. He began to ponder how to use the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts most quickly and efficiently to become stronger.

At the same time, he also walked out of the room and began to familiarize his physical body in the real world with the stances of Minor Capturing Hand. Knowing is easier than doing; this was an undeniable truth, and he couldn't be arrogant and underestimate things.

Since he had already achieved a certain depth of mastery of this martial art in the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, his progress in practicing it again was equally rapid.

Although it wasn't as astonishing as reaching the "Familiarity" level in three repetitions due to the lack of the supreme comprehension buff, practicing more would make up for it.

At this moment, he was no longer an ordinary person with mere brute strength but a beginner who had stepped through the door of martial arts. His future was promising.