Hunyuan Spirit Serpent

"With spear techniques, when facing sabers and swords, use weight to break finesse: strike first, then stab."

Whenever spear techniques came up, Song Xue's bashful tenderness before her lover vanished completely, replaced by icy solemnity.

With that, she slightly parted her feet and gave her wrists a light tremor. The long spear rose with the motion.

Her figure moved briskly like the wind, her white robes whiter than snow; the spear shot out like a dragon across the sky, its scarlet tassel blazing like fire.

The moves were not complicated. Just a shake and a stab—simple to the extreme, yet sharp to the extreme.

"First, strike sabers and swords with the spear. A spear is long and heavy. When opponents of equal rank clash, anyone who dares to meet it head-on will suffer in silence... After one strike, their momentum will inevitably slow. Seize that opening and follow through with a thrust!"

Whoosh!

The scarlet tassel tore through the air, and the spear shot out like a dragon.

Qi Yu nodded. "Azure Serpent Entwining Kill can increase the spear's force, while White Serpent Throat Seal can increase the speed of its thrusts."

Song Xue said, "That's right. The essence of my Spirit Serpent Martial Hall all lies within this spear. Killing techniques flow from the arm into the spear; in the end, they are merely transmitted joint by joint, pouring the body's heat into the shaft...

"Before attaining insight, a spear is a spear, and an arm is an arm. Only by diligently practicing with the spear and striving to reach the state of unity between man and spear, making the spear an extension of one's own limbs, can the great spear's power be brought to its utmost."

Her expression solemn, she said, "Even if the world's demon beasts rage fiercely, with fangs and sharp claws, we carry a spear in our hands. This spear... is our fangs and our claws!"

As she spoke, she once more drew the spear into position and called out, "Young Master Qi, watch closely."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!!

The spear swept left and right in succession, sometimes moving, sometimes stabbing. It was a sight to behold.

"Left and right, threading flowers—break sabers and shields!"

After a brief pause, she explained, "Though a shield is large, it will always have gaps. Repeatedly stab left and right, forcing the wielder to tire of blocking. Once an opening appears, drive the spear through and kill!"

Having finished, she suddenly leaped backward. Her delicate body moved with agility, the spear twisting like an earth dragon turning over before snapping upward from below, then plunging down again with the force of thunder.

Whoosh~~

"Lowered spear, reversed grip—break clubs and staves. To build force, clubs and staves must be swung and whipped around. When facing an opponent, simply block their momentum, follow through with a lift, circle around, then stab..."

Clang!!

Immediately afterward, the spear followed her body, bursting into another crisp sound in midair.

"White Ox Turns the Corner—use finesse to break weight, specifically countering heavy maces, iron hammers, and other short weapons.

"These weapons possess overwhelming force and heavy momentum. Once sent out, they cannot return; even when they can be pulled back, they are sluggish.

"We can use the spear's weight to suppress the lightness of sabers and swords; likewise, we can use the spear's finesse to break the heaviness of maces and hammers."

Her gaze suddenly sharpened. She sprang forward like the wind, her skirt fluttering, the spearhead quivering lightly like a serpent's tongue. Its scarlet tassel spun like a great red wheel, seeming false and true, true and false, drawn back but not released...

"Long sabers are top-heavy and difficult to turn. They should be broken with feints. Use false moves to lure the enemy, trick them into making the first move, then block and stab..."

Rip!!

Once again, the thrust split the air with a sound like tearing silk.

Young Lady Song patiently taught him. When she had finished, she withdrew the spear and stood straight, her dark hair lifting gently in the breeze. In a soft voice, she said, "Others may teach you how to practice the spear, but in the end, you still have to ponder it yourself. Young Master Qi, practice for a while first. I... I need to step out."

Qi Yu nodded.

Young Lady Song hurried outside.

It was nearly noon. She had to go to the dining hall to see what was being cooked today. If there was time, she would have the head chef bring out some fine ingredients and prepare several small dishes especially for Qi Yu.

Oh, right. She remembered that her father still had half a jar of "Deep Sea Brew."

Even in the blazing summer, "Deep Sea Brew" gave off drifting cold air, wisps of icy breath rising from its surface. It was extraordinary.

It was a treasured liquor her father usually could not bear to open. Only during festivals, or when something joyous happened, would he ladle out a pot, sit beneath the bright moon overhead, and slowly savor it while reminiscing about the past.

This "Deep Sea Brew" had not been purchased. It seemed to have been sent by one of her father's close junior fellow disciples.

Around twenty years ago, her father had left the sect and come to Weishan County. Yet several years ago, he had reestablished contact with several close friends from the sect. That martial uncle was one of them.

Whenever her father mentioned that martial uncle, his tone was always especially affectionate and full of nostalgia.

Young Master Qi seemed to drink as well...

Young Lady Song was preparing to "bring down the old man." No matter what, she had to ladle out a pot from that half-jar today and let her beloved have a taste.

In the courtyard...

Qi Yu stood leaning on his spear, his eyes closed as he savored Song Xue's guidance from earlier.

He understood it all in his head, but his hands did not.

He decided to solve the problem from another angle.

With a slight stir of his thoughts, the panel appeared.

[Qi Yu]

[Realm: Eighth Rank, Blood Explosion]

[Combat Power: 48.8~73.5]

[Skill Point: 32]

[Hunyuan Contending Force (32/36)]

[Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (5/16)]

Without much hesitation, he tapped the "+" after "[Hunyuan Contending Force (32/36)]" four times.

In an instant, the flesh and blood deep within his body that he had never trained before trembled simultaneously, bringing a feeling of ease after enduring a thousand hammerings. The final four bizarre Gods and Devils postures also became thoroughly familiar in his mind, perfectly merging into every limb and bone.

His combat power suddenly changed, from "48.8~73.5" to "50~80."

That was not all...

What was wondrous was that the moment [Hunyuan Contending Force] reached perfection, Qi Yu felt a faint itch in his spiritual platform. When he grasped the spear again... the movements and techniques before his eyes suddenly seemed riddled with flaws, full of gaps everywhere.

A powerful desire to perfect them rose from the depths of his heart.

He seemed to see a path leading toward even more advanced spear techniques.

But this perfection required a target.

He gathered his mind and looked once more at "[Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (5/16)]," then added points one by one.

Each point invested felt like months of bitter cultivation. The heat within his body grew increasingly nimble, and his feeling for the spear gradually seeped into his flesh...

As he continued adding points, he suddenly got stuck...

The "+" sign disappeared.

Qi Yu pulled an old booklet wrapped in brocade cloth from his robes.

It had been given to him by Uncle Song.

Naturally, he kept it close to his body.

Inside were the original Fundamental Killing Technique Diagram and the method for comprehending penetrating force.

After he flipped through it, the "+" sign appeared again.

"Adding points" had to be based on something that was "theoretically achievable." Without a complete inheritance, it was impossible to deduce it from thin air, which was why the "+" sign had disappeared.

Song Xue was incomparably proficient in the [Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique].

Though he knew how deep her feelings for him were, this panel was Qi Yu's greatest secret. He had no intention of letting anyone discover it—not even those close to him...

Thus, after raising "[Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (5/16)]" to "[Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (10/16)]," he temporarily stopped and planned to add more later.

His combat power changed again, from "50~80" to "50~89"...

This increase came not only from his precise control over heat, but also from his profound understanding of the essence of spear cultivation, as well as his familiarity with both himself and the long spear.

After finishing his additions, he began practicing the spear again.

As he practiced...

He felt that the original paths of his spear techniques were being corrected by some strange force. On the surface, nothing much changed, but at the core, it was as if he had been reborn. The circulation of force became increasingly unfathomable, and the momentum grew more nimble and treacherous...

This was not reflected in combat power, but rather in a change of fighting style.

Fighting style was not reflected in combat power, because it existed in the mind—a method of using techniques and force.

Subtlety honed to perfection was powerful, and so was supreme skill concealed beneath an unadorned exterior...

Following this feeling, he practiced to his heart's content.

As his practice deepened, the many mysteries of [Hunyuan Contending Force] silently merged into his spear techniques. The former had already reached perfection, while every path within the [Spirit Serpent Killing Technique] had an echo within [Hunyuan Contending Force]. Thus... the fusion proceeded as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Before long...

The information on his panel changed once more.

It changed from "[Two Forms of Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (10/16)]" to "[Two Forms of Hunyuan Spirit Serpent Killing Technique (10/16)]."

His combat power remained unchanged, and the techniques were still the same. When the youth raised his spear, there was nothing particularly different about him. Yet... within the great spear in his hand, it seemed that a terrifying, sinister serpent had truly been hidden.

Its ferocity completely restrained, it devoured people without form. Once it tasted blood... it sealed the throat.