New Martial Art Acquired!

Another half month passed in the blink of an eye, and Ji Boying's days remained მშვიდ.

Every day, he practiced swordsmanship, fists, and internal cultivation, occasionally teasing his Junior Disciple Sister.

As for that talk of him being the top martial artist among Mount Hua's disciples, Ji Boying no longer allowed Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan to bring it up.

Only the three people present knew the result of that sparring match.

Name: Ji Boying

Skills: Mount Hua Breathing Technique: Proficient (187/600), Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist: Proficient (325/600), Mount Hua Swordplay: Perfected

Talent: Skill Simplification. Spend Simplification Energy Points to simplify skills.

Energy Points: 1. The system automatically restores 1 Energy Point every month. It resets automatically at midnight on the first day of each month.

"My Fist Technique and internal strength have improved further. It's time to ask Master for another martial art."

Ji Boying looked at the newly acquired Energy Point and thought to himself.

"Oh, right. I still haven't returned the Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist manual."

Ji Boying dug out the fist manual again. He had only flipped through it once on the first day; after becoming absorbed in training, he had forgotten to return it.

Stuffing the manual into his robes, Ji Boying headed for Sky Lute Gorge.

The hottest part of July had passed, and Mount Hua itself carried a hint of coolness.

Ji Boying admired the scenery as he traveled, soon arriving at Sky Lute Gorge.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea.

"Master, Mistress."

"Boying is here."

Ning Zhongze happily rose to her feet.

Before Ji Boying could speak, Ning Zhongze pulled him over and looked him over from head to toe.

"Have you been training too hard? Look at you, you've gotten thinner again."

Hearing those familiar words, Ji Boying smiled and explained, "Mistress, how could I have gotten thinner? It's clearly because my fist training has gone well. My body is sturdier now."

Ning Zhongze gave Ji Boying another reproachful look.

"And you still say that? You've gotten obsessed with martial arts again. You haven't left your courtyard much this past month, have you?"

Ning Zhongze went on nagging for quite a while—things like, "Don't become too obsessed with martial arts," and, "You should go out and have fun with your senior brothers more often"...

Fortunately, Yue Buqun spoke up in time to rescue Ji Boying.

"You don't visit without a reason. What brings you here today? Did you encounter some obstacle with the Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist?"

As Old Yue spoke, he was not disappointed—in fact, he even felt relieved. It seemed his youngest disciple was only talented in swordsmanship and internal cultivation. Good, he was not too monstrous.

Yet Ji Boying merely shook his head calmly. "Master, I've already learned the Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist. I came to ask for a new manual."

"What?" Yue Buqun stared in surprise at his youngest disciple's tall frame again.

Then he said, "Since you've learned it, you should put more effort into practicing it until you're thoroughly proficient. You mustn't be greedy for too much."

"Master, I've already mastered the Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist, which is why I want to learn something new."

Yue Buqun could not believe it. "Then why did you only come now? Didn't you say you'd return the fist manual once you learned it? You mustn't lie."

Ji Boying explained, "Master, I wasn't lying. The manual... the manual... hehe... I forgot to return it because I was training."

Ji Boying lowered his head with an embarrassed grin.

Ning Zhongze already believed him seven or eight parts out of ten. Her youngest disciple had only been on the mountain for two months, but she had already seen his habits clearly. Once he began training, he would not leave his courtyard for an entire month.

She had heard that Lingshan had been delivering his meals lately. In the past, only people punished to face the wall in reflection received such treatment.

But Yue Buqun still wanted to test him.

"Come. Throw a punch at me."

With one hand behind his back, Yue Buqun extended his right palm and held it upright for Ji Boying to strike.

"All right, Master. Please be careful."

Yue Buqun's robes fluttered around him, and he carried himself with extraordinary poise. How could he possibly take Ji Boying's punch seriously?

Ji Boying circulated his internal strength and struck with Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist. His internal strength was drawn inward, and the punch appeared utterly ordinary.

Yue Buqun took it even less seriously.

That ordinary-looking punch landed squarely in Yue Buqun's palm.

Yue Buqun only felt a fierce, condensed force drilling into his palm. He circulated his internal strength to block it, but in his haste, he could not stop it at all.

He wanted to step back and dissipate the force, but he refused to lose face. Though he still looked calm and composed, he seemed to hear his own bones cracking.

His left hand behind his back clenched tightly. His chest expanded slightly as he secretly circulated the Purple Mist Technique. A flash of violet Qi passed over his face—so brief that even someone watching closely might have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

"Good!"

Yue Buqun loudly praised him, placing his right hand behind his back as his left casually reached for the teacup.

"It seems Boying has indeed mastered this Fist Technique. Very good. But you mustn't grow arrogant or complacent. You still need to continue practicing diligently."

Yue Buqun appeared calm and unconcerned, but how could he hide it from the woman who shared his bed?

Ning Zhongze stood to the side, holding back her laughter as she watched Yue Buqun pretend nothing had happened after suffering a loss. She wanted to laugh but could not; her lovely, radiant face strained so hard to suppress her smile that crow's-feet formed at the corners of her beautiful eyes.

Ji Boying did not notice the strange atmosphere and simply asked eagerly, "Master, what about my new martial art?"

Yue Buqun nodded. "What do you want to learn?"

Ji Boying said, "This disciple still needs to keep cultivating his internal strength. Let me learn a sword technique first."

"What sword technique would you like to learn? How about the Rising Sun Vitality Sword?"

Just listen to Old Yue's tone. If the other disciples heard this, would they not be green with envy?

But that was simply how Old Yue was—he allowed Ji Boying to choose whatever he wanted!

Naturally, Ji Boying was not picky. He could train any sword technique to perfection, and the Rising Sun Vitality Sword was already very good.

"Master, this one will do."

"Good. Then I shall teach you the Rising Sun Sword!"

Unlike last time with the Fist Technique, Yue Buqun did not stay silent.

He rose eagerly to his feet, drew his right hand from behind his back again, and stood with his sword unsheathed.

Right there in the courtyard, he began demonstrating the Rising Sun Vitality Sword.

As his Qi moved, the sword technique unfolded in exquisite fashion. Sword light became a rainbow, and Sword Qi flew in all directions.

It truly resembled the rising sun at dawn—brimming with vitality, righteous and magnificent!

Ji Boying watched with delight.

Sword technique "Rising Sun Vitality Sword" detected. Simplify?

Simplify!

Simplifying "Rising Sun Vitality Sword"... No sword technique currently requires training. Previous simplification method retained... Simplification successful... "Rising Sun Vitality Sword" → Swing sword.

When the sword technique came to an end, Yue Buqun finished the full set with complete satisfaction and stopped. His long, flowing beard drifted lightly in the air, making him look quite dashing.

"Boying, let me explain. For the first move of this sword technique, you must first—"

"Thank you, Master. This disciple has learned it!"

Ji Boying was overjoyed. He had not expected that once a simplified martial art had been trained to perfection, another martial art of the same type could inherit its simplification method.

As long as he swung his sword, his swordsmanship proficiency would increase. Naturally, that was the best possible simplification method for sword techniques.

"What? You've already learned it?"

Yue Buqun did not understand, but he was utterly stunned!