Soaring Dragon Palm

In the small courtyard, Lu Ming and Old Man Zhao ate and chatted.

"Looks like you gained a great deal from this trip into the mountains. Not only has your saber technique become sharper and more concise, but you've also realized where your shortcomings lie."

Old Man Zhao took a bite of fresh venison and happily drank a mouthful of wine.

Then he patted his robes and rose to his feet.

"Since I've eaten your meat, this old man can't give you nothing in return. I'll teach you a palm technique to make up for your lack of hand-to-hand skills."

"Old man, there's no need..."

Although Lu Ming knew Old Man Zhao was no ordinary man and surely knew many cultivation methods and martial techniques, he had never asked to learn from him.

The other man had already helped him too much, teaching him how to read and letting him browse his collection of books.

Lu Ming feared he might not be able to repay him in the future.

Yet Old Man Zhao said, "It's only a mid-tier human-grade palm technique. Watch carefully."

Without giving Lu Ming another chance to speak, Old Man Zhao leaped into the center of the courtyard and began demonstrating the palm technique.

Perhaps to test Lu Ming's eyesight, Old Man Zhao performed it at tremendous speed. His footwork and palms moved as one, graceful as a swimming dragon.

In an instant, the entire small courtyard was filled with palm shadows.

Lu Ming could tell that this palm technique was both nimble and ever-changing, yet also fierce and domineering.

It was an exceptionally profound palm technique.

After finishing the set, Old Man Zhao withdrew his moves and stood still. "This palm technique is called Soaring Dragon Palm. It has three killing moves and thirty-six variations. How much did you remember?"

The moment Old Man Zhao finished, the Jade Pendant within Lu Ming's body finished recording it as well. After practicing the set once, it transmitted everything into his mind.

So when Old Man Zhao asked, Lu Ming rose to his feet and said, "I remembered all of it."

"Mm, then perform it once."

Old Man Zhao was not particularly surprised.

Thus, Lu Ming performed the set once. Though he was not as fast as Old Man Zhao, his movements were smooth, proving that he had indeed remembered it.

"Not bad, not bad. You've remembered the moves. Next, I'll teach you the qi circulation route."

Old Man Zhao stroked his beard in satisfaction, then taught him the qi circulation route of Soaring Dragon Palm piece by piece. Lu Ming quickly memorized it all.

The Jade Pendant transmitted information once more.

This time, there was much more content, but Lu Ming did not yet have time to examine it.

"Though this Soaring Dragon Palm is merely a mid-tier human-grade palm technique, it is far from simple."

As he spoke, he walked up to a massive boulder in the courtyard and instantly struck it three times with his palm.

Lu Ming recognized those three strikes. They were precisely the three killing moves of Soaring Dragon Palm: Heartbreak Strike, Crown Strike, and Dragon Emerges from Sea.

He simply did not know what mystery Old Man Zhao intended to demonstrate by delivering those three palm strikes.

But he soon found out. Not long after the boulder had received the three strikes, three explosive booms erupted from within it, and it shattered with a crash.

Hidden Strength!

Those two words suddenly surfaced in Lu Ming's mind.

"Correct. It is Hidden Strength."

"You also know that those in the Inner Qi Realm cannot release inner qi beyond their bodies or strike with Palm Force from afar. Yet Soaring Dragon Palm is extraordinary. Although it likewise cannot unleash Palm Force through the air, it can send out three forces of power upon contact."

"Thank you, Old Man Zhao, for teaching me."

Only then did Lu Ming understand how exceptional this palm technique was, and he hurriedly expressed his thanks.

"Why be so formal between us?"

Old Man Zhao waved his hand, looking unconcerned. "This old man taught you this palm technique because I find you pleasing to the eye. I don't expect you to do anything for me."

"And from now on, it's still more intimate if you call me old man."

Hearing this, Lu Ming could say nothing more. He merely remembered this kindness in silence, intending to repay it when the opportunity arose.

Afterward, the two returned to the dining table and continued eating and chatting. They ate for more than half an hour before finally finishing.

In the days that followed, Lu Ming returned to his regular life. Apart from cultivating, he went to the Shuofeng Mountain Range to gain experience.

By then, more than two months had passed since his first return from the Shuofeng Mountain Range.

During that time, his cultivation speed had slowed. He had only broken through two levels, reaching the eighth level of the Inner Qi Realm.

As for martial techniques, his saber technique, palm technique, and lightness skill had all improved greatly. The newly learned Soaring Dragon Palm had long since been fully mastered.

As for speed, he could now leap as far as forty meters in a single step.

Besides that, something else was worth mentioning. Just over half a month after Lu Ming first returned from the Shuofeng Mountain Range, Dugu Mingri, whom he had met by chance, came looking for him again.

By then, Dugu Mingri had successfully broken through and become a martial artist of the True Qi Realm.

In his own words, "Thank heaven and earth, I finally broke through before turning sixteen."

That time, he had come not only to share the joy of his breakthrough, but also to bid farewell. Having successfully entered the True Qi Realm, he was going to join the Jade Luo Sect. The Dugu Family had a great-uncle serving there as an Outer Sect elder.

Within the Zhao Kingdom, there were quite a few ranked forces, but only three had reached the seventh rank.

The Jade Luo Sect was one of them.

With Dugu Mingri's talent, coupled with an Outer Sect elder as his great-uncle, joining it should not have been difficult.

Lu Ming naturally congratulated him warmly. Thinking of the Qi Recovery Pill Dugu Mingri had given him, he pulled him to a restaurant to celebrate his breakthrough and send him off at the same time.

The next day, Dugu Mingri left Shuofeng City for the Jade Luo Sect.

Once again returning from the Shuofeng Mountain Range with a full load, Lu Ming found that the gazes of passersby now held an extra trace of respect.

During this period, Lu Ming had become somewhat well-known. After all, not everyone could return with harvests as plentiful as his every time.

Lu Ming wanted to keep a low profile, but there was no helping it. Without a storage ring, he could only carry his things on his back and swagger through the streets.

He knew trouble would come sooner or later. Sure enough, not long after entering the city this time, someone blocked his path.

"Young brother, your strength is quite good. Are you interested in joining our Black Tiger Gang?"

The one blocking Lu Ming was a skinny old man wearing a melon cap and waving a folding fan. He was quite old, though his cultivation was not high—only at the ninth level of the Inner Qi Realm.

Behind him followed a group of men, each powerfully built. Even the weakest among them was at the fourth level of the Inner Qi Realm.

Had Lu Ming gone near Old Man Heavenly Saber's tomb on his previous trip, he would have encountered this group ahead of time. But now, he did not recognize them.

The surrounding people, however, knew this group's background very well. Seeing the scene, they began whispering among themselves.

"That's Master Liu of the Black Tiger Gang. I didn't expect him to set his sights on this young brother."

"It was probably an order from the Black Tiger Gang's leader. This is trouble. The Black Tiger Gang is not easy to deal with."

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

Lu Ming had keen ears and sharp eyes, so he naturally heard the surrounding discussion. Still, he was not afraid and directly refused.

With that, he lifted a foot, preparing to go around the group and leave.

But the old man extended his folding fan again to block him. "Wait. Young brother, our gang leader thinks highly of you, and we have learned that you live in rather poor conditions."

"So, to show our sincerity, we have specially arranged a luxurious small courtyard for you in the west of the city."

"As long as you agree to join the Black Tiger Gang and work for our gang leader, you can move in immediately."

Lu Ming could naturally hear the threat beneath the words about learning where he lived. His voice turned cold. "Sorry, I'm still not interested."

Master Liu frowned at those words. A burly man at the eighth level of the Inner Qi Realm immediately stepped forward from behind him, a tiger-headed iron staff in hand. "You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Take my staff!"