Gentle Within the Strong, Startled Sparrow Steps!

Under the crescent moon, the figure emerging from the desolate woods casually tossed the blood-stained white fox mask to the ground. The young man glanced up at the stars, identified his direction, and then headed towards the village.

On the way back, Su Mu pondered a question, replaying the recent battle in the desolate woods in his mind countless times.

"The scoundrel's Force felt somewhat different from mine?"

Su Mu murmured, a hint of confusion on his face. When he clashed head-on with the leader, the Black Bear Scoundrel, the opponent's Force was fierce, but also contained a part that was...

Soft?

The word suddenly popped into Su Mu's mind.

That's right, it was soft. The scoundrel's Force was strong yet gentle, and that gentle Force was more troublesome. When Su Mu directly confronted the opponent, a portion of that gentle Force surged into his body.

This portion of gentle Force not only caused a stinging pain in Su Mu's arms but also disrupted the flow of Force within him. In the life-or-death struggle, Su Mu didn't have time to think, but he had already sensed it and realized he couldn't drag the fight out with the scoundrel, which is why he chose to break through with brute force.

"Strong yet gentle?"

Su Mu's eyes lit up, a sudden realization dawning on him. Although he and the Black Bear Scoundrel were both Ninth Rank martial artists, it was clear that the opponent had progressed further than him in refining Force.

The accomplished are teachers.

Even though the opponent had died by his hand, Su Mu believed that even an enemy could have something worth learning from.

"This might be a method for further cultivation of Force."

Under the night sky, Su Mu returned home safely. Although the trip to the Black Market had its twists and turns, it was all worth it. Su Mu not only obtained two secret manuals but also over three hundred taels of silver from the scoundrels, which directly solved Su Mu's urgent need.

"With this money, I won't have to live so frugally from now on... I can buy more meat, milk, and eggs to supplement my blood and energy."

Su Mu didn't rush to comprehend the two secret manuals he had obtained. Upon returning home, he first washed up. A hot bath after the intense battle soothed Su Mu's tense muscles, eliciting a satisfied sigh.

"Let's look at the movement technique first."

After this battle, Su Mu increasingly realized the importance of movement techniques. The Deer Play and Bird Play from the Five Animal Frolics could be used as movement methods with the enhancement of Force, but against Ranked Martial Artists of the same level or stronger enemies, they wouldn't be enough.

Su Mu immediately started a fire and began brewing a pot of Three-Complete Body Strengthening Soup. The medicinal herbs had already been prepared, and Su Mu was now skilled at brewing medicine. While the medicine was simmering, Su Mu flipped through the Startled Sparrow Steps.

Startled Sparrow Steps, a Ninth Rank movement technique, was conceived by a Ranked Martial Artist after observing mountain sparrows evading the predation of goshawks for half a year. Its characteristics lie in short-distance instantaneous bursts and evasion, with the drawback of being difficult for long-distance travel.

Su Mu first carefully read through the movement technique once, then quickly skimmed through it several more times. By the time he had a grasp of it in his mind, the soup was just ready.

Gulp, gulp.

Su Mu frowned slightly, tilted his head back, and downed a large bowl of Three-Complete Body Strengthening Soup. He pushed open the door and entered the courtyard to try practicing the Startled Sparrow Steps.

Taking a deep breath.

Su Mu channeled Force into his feet, concentrating it at his toes. Following the accompanying breathing method of the movement technique, Su Mu's toes touched the ground, his knees slightly bent, sinking down like a sparrow gathering its strength.

The next moment.

Su Mu leaped up like a startled bird, stumbling and landing a dozen feet away.

After performing it once, Su Mu's eyes brightened. His excellent comprehension came into play at this moment, and the doubts that arose from reading the manual earlier lessened, with clarity gradually emerging in his heart.

"Continue."

The Startled Sparrow Steps movement technique does not have many forms, only three: Sparrow Leap Style, Branch Bend Change, and Startled Feather Fall.

Su Mu was currently practicing the first form, Sparrow Leap Style. Once mastered, it allows for three or more consecutive leaps in any direction in an instant. Such continuous burst movement can not only evade attacks but also interfere with the opponent's ability to track one's movements.

In the courtyard, Su Mu imagined himself as a mountain sparrow, constantly adjusting his posture and the way he circulated his Force, with understanding continuously emerging.

"The Great Dao has three thousand paths, all leading to the same destination... This Startled Sparrow Steps has a similar effect to the Bird Play in the Five Animal Frolics."

Su Mu's lips curved slightly upwards. This was actually one of the reasons Su Mu chose this movement technique, and he hadn't expected it to be true.

The crow of a rooster heralds the dawn.

When the sounds of roosters crowing echoed throughout the village, a sliver of white appeared on the horizon.

Startled Sparrow Steps (Beginner 1%)

Su Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead, a slight smile on his lips. Startled Sparrow Steps appeared on his status panel.

With the foundation of the nearly perfect Five Animal Frolics, coupled with his "somewhat talented" 9 points of comprehension and the boost from the Three-Complete Body Strengthening Soup, Su Mu successfully entered the beginner stage after just one night of practice.

"Not bad, not bad!"

Su Mu was quite satisfied. He was now a Ranked Martial Artist, with energy levels far exceeding ordinary people. After a night of practice, Su Mu not only felt no fatigue but was instead invigorated by his successful entry into the technique.

"So hungry... I should eat something first."

Hunger is the body's signal for needing energy. Timely replenishment aids in the growth of blood, energy, and Force. Su Mu returned to his room, cut a pound of meat, stir-fried it with chili peppers into a bowl of minced meat sauce, and then cooked the remaining two pounds of noodles at home.

After devouring a pound of meat and two pounds of noodles in one go, Su Mu let out a long sigh. Afterward, he continued to practice the Five Animal Frolics and Tiger Subduing Fist in the courtyard, rain or shine, before leaving.

"Time to go to the blacksmith shop."

At the blacksmith shop, Su Mu greeted Zhou Shan, Li Xiaohu, and the other blacksmiths, "Good morning."

Many of the blacksmiths, including Zhou Shan, vaguely felt that Su Mu, who had returned after a day off, seemed a little different, but no one could pinpoint exactly what had changed.

Great fortune lies within the brink of death.

After the life-or-death struggle of the previous night, Su Mu returned to the forging platform. After swinging the forging hammer a few times, he paused slightly, lost in thought. The previous day's contemplation about the "strong yet gentle" aspect of Force surfaced in his mind.

"Should I try it?"

Su Mu poured Force into the forging hammer in his hand, trying to grasp that yin-yang, soft-yet-strong Force.

Clang!

Beside him, Zhou Shan couldn't help but furrow his brow. Su Mu's hammering sounded chaotic, no better than the apprentices not far away. He'd only been away from the shop for a day; even if he was rusty, it shouldn't be this bad, right?

Soon, it wasn't just Zhou Shan frowning. Many other blacksmith masters in the forging room also cast confused glances his way.

"Let's just wait and see, I guess."

Zhou Shan thought to himself. As the morning was about to end, Zhou Shan finally couldn't hold back and was about to speak when another clang of metal on metal rang out from the forging station beside him.

Then, Zhou Shan's footsteps halted.

Clang, clang, clang!

The heavy forging hammer felt as light as nothing in Su Mu's hand. It danced and flew over the forging table, but each strike made the entire table tremble, sending sparks flying.

"The furnace temperature is too low. You two, pump the bellows. Put some effort into it."

Zhou Shan immediately called two forging apprentices to work the bellows for Su Mu. The roaring furnace fire illuminated the young man's resolute face. The iron hammer in his hand swung continuously, emitting a series of metallic clangs that sounded incredibly pleasant to the ears of the assembled blacksmiths.

"Incredible. So the kid was trying out a new forging technique just now... I misjudged him," Zhou Shan murmured.

"Su Mu's blacksmithing is truly a pleasure to behold. Watching him forge is simply an enjoyment."

"Yeah... Why do you think the gap between people can be so vast?"

The blacksmith masters all exclaimed with emotion. Even the younger ones among them had spent over a decade immersed in the path of forging, and there were even veteran masters who had been hammering iron for over twenty years. Yet, they were witnessing firsthand someone who had caught up to them within a year and was now surpassing them.

By the end of the morning, the brilliance in Su Mu's eyes shone even brighter.

He had vaguely grasped some clues regarding the subsequent cultivation path for that Force which was both strong and soft.