Blade Technique Fusion, Second-Rate Blade Technique!

Silence!

The Hundred Battles Sect was utterly silent, as though a falling needle could be heard.

So no one answered Ji Qing's question.

However, Lie Yingniang finally came back to her senses, and joy surged through her heart. "Enough—of course you're qualified! Such a fast blade technique is something I've never seen in my life! Hero Li, please come with me to the Library Pavilion. It contains all the martial arts of our Hundred Battles Sect, and you may browse through them as you please."

This time, no one tried to stop him.

Ji Qing's single strike just now had left the Hundred Battles Sect speechless.

Ji Qing followed Lie Yingniang to the Hundred Battles Sect's Library Pavilion.

It was not particularly large, but its shelves were crammed with martial arts manuals.

After hesitating for a moment, Lie Yingniang finally said, "There are only a handful in the Jianghu capable of wielding a blade that fast. Hero Li, could it be that your surname is not Li, but Ji?"

Swish.

Ji Qing turned his gaze toward Lie Yingniang, but said nothing.

The atmosphere in the Library Pavilion instantly froze solid.

"You're very clever, but there is a saying in the Jianghu: it is a blessing to play the fool."

Ji Qing spoke calmly.

Gritting her teeth, Lie Yingniang said in a low voice, "Whether your surname is Ji or Li, I have only one request: when you challenge Li Tianyang, you must kill him! As long as you agree, the previous terms will remain unchanged!"

Ji Qing glanced at Lie Yingniang in some surprise. "You aren't afraid of being dragged down by my reputation?"

"Reputation? Only after Father died did I understand one truth: in the Jianghu, all that matters is the size of one's fist! Besides, when you challenge Li Tianyang, you'll be the great hero 'Li Mu,' won't you?"

Ji Qing said evenly, "Appearance can be changed with disguise techniques. Voices can be changed too. Even one's height, build, fatness, or thinness can be altered. But martial arts cannot be changed. The moment I make a move, my opponent will know who I am."

"It's simple. You only need to master the Hundred Battles Blade. When you challenge Li Tianyang, use nothing but the Hundred Battles Blade from start to finish, and no one will recognize you. Moreover, before Father died, what he resented most was hearing others say that the Hundred Battles Blade was inferior to Li Tianyang's swordsmanship. If you can defeat Li Tianyang with the Hundred Battles Blade, no one will be able to find fault with it!"

"You seem quite confident in me. How could I possibly master the Hundred Battles Blade in such a short time?"

"No. Others couldn't, but you can!"

Ji Qing's eyes narrowed slightly.

This Lie Yingniang truly knew quite a lot about him.

Rumors throughout the Jianghu claimed that Ji Qing had cultivated an evil art, that his blade techniques were earth-shattering—that he could learn any blade technique with a single glance and master it after a little practice.

Lie Yingniang clearly believed those rumors without a doubt.

For the sake of revenge, she was even willing to cooperate with him, a great Demon Lord.

"Wasn't Lie Zhenyue a second-rate expert? Why doesn't the Hundred Battles Sect have any second-rate martial arts?"

Ji Qing asked.

"The Hundred Battles Sect was established only recently. Many of its martial arts were collected by Father, and they are basically third-rate or unranked arts. As for second-rate martial arts, how could they be so easy to find? If Father had truly possessed second-rate martial arts, perhaps he would not have died at Li Tianyang's hands..."

Lie Yingniang's expression dimmed slightly.

"Bring me the Hundred Battles Blade and the strongest internal cultivation method of your Hundred Battles Sect."

"Yes, Hero Li."

Joy rose within Lie Yingniang's heart.

This was tantamount to Ji Qing agreeing.

Thinking of the rumors about Ji Qing in the Jianghu, Lie Yingniang could not help feeling a burst of delight.

Perhaps this time, there truly was hope for revenge!

After all, Ji Qing was the notorious great Demon Lord ranked fifth on the Villain Ranking!

No matter how famous Li Tianyang was, he was still far inferior to Ji Qing.

Lie Yingniang delivered the martial arts manuals before Ji Qing.

"Leave. Other than bringing meals, do not disturb me."

"Yes, Hero Li."

Lie Yingniang respectfully withdrew from the Library Pavilion.

Ji Qing smiled faintly.

"I never expected my vile reputation to be so useful..."

Clearly, Lie Yingniang knew just how great Ji Qing's reputation was. Even though it was an evil reputation, it filled her with confidence in him.

Ji Qing picked up the internal cultivation manual first.

It was a third-rate internal cultivation art called the Hundred Battles Heart Method.

Ji Qing read through it once. It could barely be considered a superior third-rate internal cultivation art.

But that was all.

Not to mention Ji Qing's Pure Origin Technique—it could not even compare to Supreme Yang Inner Force.

Moreover, Ji Qing was already a Second-Rate Martial Artist. Cultivating this third-rate internal art now held no meaning whatsoever, nor could it help him open his Extraordinary Meridians any faster.

Ji Qing set the internal art aside.

He began examining the Hundred Battles Blade.

This Hundred Battles Blade was actually a saber technique passed down from the battlefield, later refined and improved.

Whether in group combat or in duels between Jianghu martial artists, it was highly effective.

The Hundred Battles Blade's defining traits were speed and ferocity.

Once cultivated to great mastery, it would be both swift and fierce.

That suited Ji Qing's requirements for a blade technique perfectly.

Ji Qing's Thirteen Fast Blades were certainly fast, but their power was somewhat lacking. Against certain thick-skinned demons, they had little effect.

If he learned the Hundred Battles Blade, the power of Ji Qing's blade techniques would surely rise.

"Let's try it."

Ji Qing immediately began practicing the Hundred Battles Blade.

Though it was an entirely new blade technique, ever since his Thirteen Fast Blades reached perfection, Ji Qing's attainments in blade techniques had become profound.

He could grasp ordinary blade techniques as soon as he picked them up.

Though he had not reached the level rumored in the Jianghu—understanding it at a glance and mastering it with a single practice session—as long as it was a blade technique, Ji Qing truly could get the hang of it very quickly.

Thus, in merely half an hour, Ji Qing had gotten started with the Hundred Battles Blade.

However, Ji Qing did not immediately use Origin Points to improve it.

Over these past days, Ji Qing had vaguely worked out some methods for using Origin Points.

Adding points as soon as a martial art was learned was fast, certainly, but it consumed too many Origin Points.

If he could first practice a martial art to minor mastery before adding points, would that not save him an Origin Point?

Given Ji Qing's current attainments in blade techniques, he estimated that it would take only a few days to practice the Hundred Battles Blade to minor mastery.

Of course, that was only his estimate.

The exact amount of time needed would still depend on his actual progress in practice.

But he could give it a try.

After all, all blade techniques shared common ground. In particular, the Hundred Battles Blade was clearly a type of fast blade technique, and thus had even more in common with the Thirteen Blade Techniques.

One day, two days, three days...

Over the next few days, Ji Qing immersed himself in the Hundred Battles Blade, practicing it with such devotion that he forgot food and sleep.

Master one method, and ten thousand methods open before you.

Blade techniques were no exception.

Ji Qing used his profound attainments in blade techniques to practice and study the Hundred Battles Blade.

In just a few short days, Ji Qing's experience with the Hundred Battles Blade soared.

Boom.

Ji Qing slashed out with his blade, and a violent aura burst forth from the blade light.

The blade light struck the ground.

In an instant, the ground cracked apart, and even a small pit was cleaved into it.

"The Hundred Battles Blade has reached minor mastery?"

Ji Qing was both shocked and delighted.

Strictly speaking, this was the first martial art he had cultivated to minor mastery on his own without using Origin Points.

The facts proved that he was powerful even without adding points!

But after adding points, he could become even stronger!

The Hundred Battles Blade had already reached minor mastery. Ji Qing had achieved his goal, so he no longer wasted time.

"Improve the Hundred Battles Blade to perfection!"

Ji Qing once again added points without restraint.

Buzz.

Ji Qing's mind trembled.

Scenes surfaced in his mind: year after year, he practiced the Hundred Battles Blade day after day.

This time, it took only six years for his blade technique to reach great mastery.

Then he spent another ten years trying to comprehend an "ultimate move" from the Hundred Battles Blade.

"Hundred Battles Blade has reached perfection. You have comprehended 'Shocking Force.'"

"You fused Shocking Force with Thread of Sky and comprehended a new blade technique: Thirteen Shocking Blades!"

Ji Qing immediately checked the information in the Demon Record.

Ji Qing: Second-Rate Martial Artist

Supreme Yang Pure Origin Skill: Mastery (Supreme Yang Inner Force, Inner Force Burst increased by 30%, inner force purification)

Thirteen Shocking Blades: Mastery (ultimate move: Thread of Sky, Shocking Force)

Grass on Wings: Mastery (ultimate move: Void Borrowing Strength)

Origin Point: 2 points

Clang!

Ji Qing drew his blade and slashed through the air.

The blade light was still dazzling, beautiful beyond compare.

But the instant it struck the ground, a burst of high-frequency Shocking Force spread from the blade into the hard earth.

Boom!

A massive pit was carved straight into the ground, showing that the power of that strike far surpassed any blade technique Ji Qing had used before!

"It worked!"

Ji Qing smiled.

Whether in speed or power, this strike far surpassed the previous Thirteen Fast Blades.

This was the "qualitative transformation" brought about by merging blade techniques.

The Thirteen Shocking Blades was now a second-rate blade technique!

It was an unexpected delight.

Ji Qing had not expected that merely merging two blade techniques could transform them into a second-rate blade technique.

But on second thought, it made perfect sense.

After all, both third-rate blade techniques had reached Mastery, far surpassing ordinary third-rate blade techniques.

Ji Qing rose to his feet and pushed open the door.

"Hero Li, you've come out of seclusion?"

Outside the door, Lie Yingniang asked in delighted surprise.

"Yingniang, it's time to deliver the challenge letter to the Heavenly Sun Gang!"

Ji Qing said calmly.

"Yes, Hero Li!"

Lie Yingniang was overjoyed at his words. She had finally waited for this day!