Six Marvelous Skills

Third Master Qi's residence, secret study.

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A ring of flickering candle flames illuminated the solemn, grotesque figure of the youth at the center.

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Like a statue of a god or devil atop a shrine...

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Qi Yu completed the sequence in one breath, assuming the eighteen stance forms of Hunyuan Contending Force. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, every posture flawless.

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Half a day passed. Not only did he show no sign of fatigue, but he looked radiant, his gaze clear and bright.

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After gathering his stance and standing firm, he gave a respectful bow, his tone carrying a hint of astonishment. "The method Uncle Yan taught me is indeed profound."

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Lu Yan stood rooted to the spot.

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Four words echoed repeatedly through his mind...

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He really learned it?

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He really learned it?

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He really... learned it?!

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"Uncle Yan?"

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Qi Yu called out again.

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Only then did Lu Yan return to his senses. He drew a deep breath and lowered his head slightly, hiding the shock on his face. Though his features had been ruined and no expression could be seen, he still instinctively avoided the youth's gaze, afraid Qi Yu would notice his guilty conscience.

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He could learn this too?

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And once he learned it, he mastered all eighteen stance forms in a single breath?

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Could Hunyuan Contending Force really be practiced this way?

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When his wounds healed, he would have to try it himself.

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The next moment, he steadied himself and turned solemn. "Since you've entered the basics, you must have experienced the formidable aspects of my sect's foundational technique, right?"

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Qi Yu nodded gravely. "Yes."

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Lu Yan said in a deep voice, "Then do you still remember... what I once warned you about?"

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Qi Yu replied, "I remember. Uncle Yan said that whether or not I learned this stance technique, I must never mention it to outsiders. When fighting someone, unless I can silence them permanently, I must never use this technique at full strength, lest anyone notice."

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He paused, somewhat puzzled. "But Hunyuan Contending Force circulates within the body and leaves no outward sign. How could anyone else tell?"

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Lu Yan's gaze sharpened. "Show me a set of punches."

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Qi Yu did as instructed. His punches were steady, his moves clean.

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When the set was finished,

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Lu Yan focused and observed him carefully, yet noticed nothing unusual.

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"Again."

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Qi Yu threw another series of punches, his momentum just as steady.

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When the set ended once more,

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Lu Yan still could not see anything amiss. The two sets seemed more or less identical to him.

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Hunyuan Contending Force was, by nature, a subtle manipulation of the power within the body. With no outward traces, it was naturally difficult to distinguish.

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Just as Lu Yan was still carefully pondering the traces of Hunyuan Contending Force in the two sets of punches, Qi Yu suddenly spoke frankly. "Uncle Yan, to be honest, I didn't use Hunyuan Contending Force the first time. I only used it the second time."

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Lu Yan was a little baffled. He had never practiced Hunyuan Contending Force himself, and the people he had seen master it back then had all been monstrous geniuses.

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Thus, he had always assumed that once this technique was used, its momentum would be astonishing. He had never expected it to be so inconspicuous and leave no trace.

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Seeing Lu Yan fall silent, Qi Yu could not help growing tense.

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The logic was simple...

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Uncle Yan had once warned him that if he used Hunyuan Contending Force, he had to kill anyone who witnessed it. That meant the technique must produce some unusual phenomenon—it was absolutely impossible for it to leave no trace at all. Yet when he used it now, nothing happened...

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Could what I practiced be fundamentally different from what the disciples of Uncle Yan's sect practice?

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Qi Yu's voice carried a hint of nervousness. "Uncle Yan, I didn't practice it incorrectly, did I?"

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Lu Yan bitterly mocked himself inwardly. Incorrect my ass. I was the one who got it wrong.

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After pondering briefly, however, an idea suddenly struck him. In a slow, weighty tone, he said, "It's not exactly wrong, but... it falls short. Once the true Hunyuan Contending Force circulates, your flesh writhes and your body swells. Here..."

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He raised a hand high and gestured vaguely. "Your height can reach nearly one zhang. That's what it means to truly master it."

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Qi Yu glanced at the panel displaying "[Hunyuan Contending Force (18/36)]" and said, "This... is that really true?"

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Lu Yan forcefully suppressed his guilty conscience. Pretending to ponder, he suddenly slapped his palm and looked enlightened. "Oh~~~ I remember now."

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"In my sect, Hunyuan Contending Force has always been practiced alongside another secret technique. Only then can it display its ultimate power. As for you... you're still far from it."

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His tone shifted, carrying a trace of regret. He sighed, "In that case, I can't teach you the techniques that follow. You should return to Spirit Serpent Martial Hall for now and build a solid foundation first."

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Lu Yan had stolen this Hunyuan Contending Force at great risk amid the chaos. How could he have any follow-up techniques? He had merely wanted to suppress the youth's arrogance and keep him from growing complacent and causing trouble outside, so he had concocted this explanation.

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Qi Yu respectfully pressed him. "Please enlighten me, Uncle Yan. What technique is it?"

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Lu Yan spat out four words. "Hunei Contradictory Body."

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"Hunei Contradictory Body?"

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Qi Yu repeated the words softly.

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Lu Yan said, "Once this art is mastered, there will no longer be any weak point anywhere on your body. Every inch will be filled with contradictory force—even a single strand of hair will surpass a weapon. Long ago, there was a powerful expert called Three Thousand Feet of White Hair. Relying on nothing but his hair, he slew until blood ran like a river, walking... walking... Cough, cough. In any case, he was quite formidable."

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Before Qi Yu could think it through, Lu Yan continued, "There's also All Nations Come to Court."

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Lu Yan went on, "Although it lacks the foundational power of Hunyuan Contending Force, it can evolve the explosive release of strength to its extreme. If the two could be combined, their might would be unimaginable. Even... a single finger could suppress a... a... a whole city!"

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Afraid Qi Yu would ask further questions, he spoke faster and faster, rattling off treasures from his collection. "Besides that, there's Great Atmosphere Breathing, Air Swimming, Four-Eyed Nuo Dance... There are too many to count."

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Lu Yan suddenly stopped and cast the youth a sidelong glance. His expression solemn, he said, "So don't think you're something special just because you've learned a bit of Hunyuan Contending Force. You're still far from it."

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"Uncle Yan, I never thought it was anything remarkable."

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"Good that you know!"

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Qi Yu was thoroughly bewildered. Only after a long while did he manage to ask, "Uncle Yan, your sect..."

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Shaken by this string of techniques that sounded profound beyond comprehension, Qi Yu finally asked softly, "Uncle Yan, your sect..."

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Lu Yan bared his teeth in a sly grin. "Kid, I'm a deserter from that sect. I'm now a fugitive outside, secretly taken in by your father. If you let even the slightest hint slip, it won't just be you—even the entire Qi Family will suffer a calamity and face the disaster of annihilation."

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His gaze suddenly turned sharp. "That's precisely why I told you never to reveal Hunyuan Contending Force."

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Qi Yu nodded solemnly. "Uncle Yan, I understand."

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A moment later, Qi Yu's figure disappeared at the end of the staircase.

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Yet footsteps sounded from the stairwell again, and a slender figure slowly descended.

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The newcomer was Third Master Qi, Qi Changshun. He wore a somewhat worn blue-gray brocade jacket. His face was slightly pale, carrying both a scholarly air and the pallor of illness.

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His voice was gentle. "Brother Yan, you told him everything?"

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Lu Yan turned around. Only then did astonishment appear in his eyes. "Your son is truly extraordinary. He actually mastered Hunyuan Contending Force. That's Hunyuan Contending Force..." His tone gradually grew agitated. "One of the Six Marvelous Skills of the lower three grades!"

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He counted them off on his fingers. "Hunyuan Contending Force, All Nations Come to Court, Hunei Contradictory Body, Great Atmosphere Breathing, Air Swimming, Four-Eyed Nuo Dance... The Six Marvelous Skills—he actually mastered one of them."

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At that, uncontrollable delight rose in Qi Changshun's eyes. He turned toward the direction his son had left, his gaze seeming to pierce through the walls and behold the continuation of his own life, the hope of his family's future.

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A relieved smile touched his lips. After remaining silent for a moment, he slowly clenched his fists.

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Since his son was so promising,

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he would pour out everything he had to pave a bright road for him.

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Once the thought passed, he smiled and said warmly, "Brother Yan, don't keep calling him my son. He's your disciple now, too... After the martial examination, I'll have him formally kowtow and accept you as his master."

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Lu Yan remained silent for a long while before saying, "You're truly willing to let him take an almost-dead fugitive like me as his master?"

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Qi Changshun nodded. "Being able to take Brother Yan as his master is his good fortune."

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Lu Yan raised his head and drew a deep breath. At last, he nodded and spoke. "It's my good fortune, too."

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Qi Yu returned to the courtyard and found Madam Liu.

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"Mother, I intend to go to Spirit Serpent Martial Hall to practice for a while."

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Green Bamboo had just returned from Clear Wind Sword Hall. Dressed in green, she stood waiting beneath the corridor.

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Qi Yu turned his gaze toward the cool, aloof maid.

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He remembered the wager.

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This time, he had to display some of his strength and dispel his mother's idea of sending A Bi away again in the name of "doing what was best for him."

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As the saying went, no one understood a son better than his mother...

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Madam Liu immediately understood his thoughts and instructed, "Green Bamboo, the young master hasn't practiced killing techniques. Set aside your sword and have a match with him."

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With that, she gave a slight nod to the side.

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Granny Wang understood and hurriedly closed the courtyard gate.

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Green Bamboo removed the long sword from her waist and placed it on a stone stool, the blade ringing softly. Once she had put aside her weapon, the sharpness around her body diminished slightly, and her combat power changed from "32~52" to "22~42."

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Qi Yu's, meanwhile, was "27~42."

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The two stood facing each other in silence, their gazes meeting. For a moment, not a sound stirred in the courtyard.

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Green Bamboo did not waste words. She merely gave a bow, raised her delicate hand slightly, and said coolly, "Young master, please."

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Qi Yu's gaze lifted slightly as he slowly clenched his fists.

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Layer upon layer of power gathered like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, surging through every limb and bone.

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For a time... his blood and qi soared, and his fighting spirit knew no bounds.

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"Please."