Sound Wave Skill

After a long period of secluded cultivation lasting half a year, Wang Ming finally reached the eighth level of the Innate Skill, but then his progress stalled. He understood that breaking through to the ninth level wouldn't happen overnight, so he put aside his efforts to advance the Innate Skill further. Even with just the eighth level of the Innate Skill, his current strength was enough to defeat Hong Qigong when they first met. However, since Hong Qigong had obtained the Nine Yin Manual, his martial arts had undoubtedly improved, making the outcome of another fight uncertain.

The remaining half-year of his secluded cultivation was dedicated to learning offensive techniques. Wang Ming had always been fond of sonic wave techniques, but their effectiveness was rather awkward. They were excellent for overwhelming weaker opponents, allowing for effortless victories, but against opponents of equal strength, they were akin to mere scratches. Therefore, he hadn't focused on researching them until now. Taking advantage of his free time, he decided to study his sonic wave techniques.

The Seven String Formless Sword was acquired from Huang Zhonggong in the world of "Smiling, Proud Wanderer." When facing an enemy, it involved infusing superior internal energy into the zither's melody to disrupt the opponent's mind. When the opponent's internal energy resonated with the zither's music, they would unknowingly fall under its control. If the music was slow, the opponent's movements would also slow down; if the music was rapid, the opponent's movements would become equally rapid. However, the techniques associated with the zither were the exact opposite of the music. If he attacked quickly, the music would be doubly leisurely, making it impossible for the opponent to defend.

The Seven String Formless Sword was merely the music itself; the sound alone could not harm the enemy. Its effectiveness lay entirely in stimulating the enemy's internal energy and disrupting their attacks. The stronger the opponent's internal energy, the more potent their reaction to the zither's music. At its mildest, it could cause internal energy to become chaotic, leading to breathlessness and interrupted attacks. At its most severe, it could cause qi deviation, shatter the dantian, and render the person crippled. However, its weakness was also obvious: it was ineffective against those without internal energy. What if he encountered a master of body cultivation? Wouldn't he be utterly defeated? The weakness was too fatal.

The Blue Sea Tide Song was exchanged with Old Huang. It could be considered the only martial art in this world that could be used openly. On the surface, it sounded like an imitation of the ocean's tides, but it actually contained extremely lethal martial arts. Its melody was unpredictable and lingering, and if heard without preparation, it was difficult to resist. One would uncontrollably dance and scratch their head and face, or even become restless and filled with longing. However, it still had its weaknesses: as long as one's internal energy and willpower were strong, they could be immune to this sonic wave technique. The core of this sonic wave technique was illusion, stirring up desires. The most critical issue was that the sound itself dealt no damage; it attacked people through their illusions. If he encountered devout monks or Taoist priests with extremely firm beliefs, this martial art would only be a mere scratch. If one's internal energy was higher than the performer's, they could also be immune and treat the performer as a street entertainer.

Combining the Seven String Formless Sword and the Blue Sea Tide Song complemented their weaknesses, allowing them to target both those with and without internal energy. Even strong willpower was useless. Could you withstand a husky tearing apart your dantian? Or a group of beautiful women dancing in your mind? Even with this combination, there was still a huge problem. That is, the sound itself dealt no damage. As long as someone's internal energy was stronger than yours, you couldn't even break a single strand of their hair.

Wang Ming recalled the martial art he had discarded earlier, the Nine Yin Manual. Without the foundational principles, he couldn't practice the internal energy cultivation, but it contained various offensive techniques. Among them was a martial art called the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Roar. This technique belonged to the sonic wave category, injuring people with sound, seizing souls with sound, and also using sound to form a protective aura. Its power was immense, its sound like the roars of hellish ghosts and the chilling winds of the underworld, causing enemies to retreat in fear and shudder.

This aura was different from ordinary internal energy. This aura was not simple. Aura is a Taoist term, also referring to strong, unyielding energy, the inherent generative and transformative energy present between heaven and earth. It was said to ward off all evil and promote longevity. Ordinary true qi, primal qi, is formed from the congenital qi received from parents, the essence of water and grain from food and drink, and the acquired qi absorbed from nature. To put it plainly, this aura was the qi of heaven and earth, natural energy.

After carefully recalling this martial art, he no longer hesitated and began to practice. Unfortunately, Wang Ming did not possess "Innate True Qi," so he could not master it. This "Innate True Qi" was not the true qi from the Innate Skill, but the true qi obtained after breaking through to the Innate realm. Helplessly, he had to temporarily set aside the cultivation of this martial art, as he was currently only in the late stage of the Acquired realm, and breaking through was still some time away.

However, this led Wang Ming to develop a combined skill from the Seven String Formless Sword, the Blue Sea Tide Song, and the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Roar. This was not difficult, as these three martial arts had many similarities. The methods of attaching internal energy to the sonic waves were basically the same, only their application differed. One stimulated the body's true qi, one produced illusions, and the other acted directly on objects like ultrasound. Therefore, Wang Ming didn't necessarily need a zither to unleash the Seven String Formless Sword, nor did he need a flute or roaring to use the other two martial arts. Of course, the effect would be diminished. Disrupting internal energy required constant changes in rhythm and tempo; illusions had to be performed according to the score of the Blue Sea Tide Song; and without the ghostly cries from his mouth, there would be no deterrent effect. But fortunately, it was comprehensive.

Ultimately, Wang Ming chose to use the guqin as his weapon. In reality, a flute would be better, as it was more portable and could even be used as a sword. Unfortunately, the flute had been ruined by modern people. When using it, his thoughts tended to wander, which bothered him. Wang Ming quite liked sonic wave techniques. However, unlike in movies and TV shows, these martial arts couldn't distinguish between allies and enemies. The damage was indiscriminate, so he had to be careful, lest he become a terrible teammate and incur the wrath of everyone.

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