Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique

Gu Shentong?

Jiang Feng's spirits lifted. He had not expected that merely killing one of Sasori's Sand Clones would yield a template—and one that could genuinely boost his strength, a powerful and stylish template at that.

So far, the vast majority of templates Jiang Feng had drawn came from low- and mid-level martial arts worlds. Aside from raising his attributes, their martial arts and realms could not fundamentally offer Jiang Feng much help.

But the Gu Shentong template was different. It came from Canghai, the second installment of Feng Ge's martial arts novel trilogy: Kunlun, Canghai, and Lingfei Sutra.

The overall power level of this trilogy's world was roughly on par with Legend of the Condor Heroes and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, placing it in the mid-level martial arts category.

Yet its strongest experts surpassed the setting itself, carrying a heavy fantasy flavor and reaching a level comparable to high-level martial arts worlds such as Wind and Cloud, Twin Dragons of the Great Tang Dynasty, and Reign of Assassins.

At this point, Jiang Feng had drawn only one template of this level: Nangong Wentian from Shenbing Xiaojiang 2.

Unlike Nangong Wentian, whose strength lay entirely in the Sky Crystal Sword and who was not truly a master in his own right, Gu Shentong's power was wholly his own.

In the novel Canghai, Gu Shentong was known as the Lord of East Island and the second strongest man under heaven. His power was vast enough to reach the heavens and earth, surpassed only by Wan Guicang, the strongest man under heaven.

Not only was he proficient in many profound martial arts of East Island, but after surviving Wan Guicang's three pursuits, he also created the [Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique], a martial art steeped in fantasy and immortal cultivation elements.

This martial art possessed no great offensive power, nor could it enhance the practitioner's internal energy. Yet it allowed Gu Shentong to see through the qi mechanisms of heaven, earth, and man; discern flaws in an enemy's character and True Qi circulation; and was an unfathomably mysterious supportive martial art.

By using the Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique to observe all things beneath heaven—mountains, rivers, and landscapes—one could perceive heaven's secrets, see through the "qi" and "momentum" of the environment, and glimpse the operating laws behind all phenomena.

Then, one could treat the environment's "qi" and "momentum" as a natural "formation," either using them to directly suppress an opponent's presence or merging them with one's own presence to form the "Heavenly Son's Dharma Aspect," subduing the enemy without fighting.

By using the Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique to observe an enemy, one could see through their True Qi circulation, the trajectories of their moves, their emotional state... understand their weaknesses and openings, and even use the gathered observations to predict their next action in advance, thereby defeating them before they could act.

Thus, one could achieve Heavenly Son's Qi Observation and kill with a smile: You thought I was merely chatting and laughing with you?

No. While chatting and laughing, I had already seen through your temperament, thoughts, reasoning, True Qi circulation, and your entire qi and momentum. I had found your weakest point. The moment I struck, you would surely die.

Did that not sound much like the Nine Swords of Dugu and Tai Zong Fu Ru He from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer?

In truth, they were completely different.

The Nine Swords of Dugu and Tai Zong Fu Ru He claimed to anticipate the enemy and defeat moves with no moves, but fundamentally, they were still "moves" born of an arts student's way of thinking. You had to first see, calculate, and analyze before you could act.

The Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique was an observation and enemy-assessment art designed around the science student mindset of "Laplace's Demon." It was not a move. Put simply, it was the martial arts version of Observation Haki.

It helped you observe first, calculate next, and analyze last.

To say nothing of creating the Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique—even mastering it required peerless talent, astonishing wisdom, and heaven-defying luck.

Fortunately, Gu Shentong was its creator.

Jiang Feng absorbed Gu Shentong's template. His [Bright Jade Technique] internal energy increased by forty years, his physique improved by nearly the equivalent of two ordinary people from the Ninja World, and he received all of Gu Shentong's martial arts attainments...

A moonlit night, beneath a waning crescent moon.

Jiang Feng and Pakura walked side by side along the road back to the Konoha compound.

Jiang Feng walked very slowly. He truly did not want to return to the Konoha compound, nor did he want to see those two women who had barged into his room and taken over his bed.

Both Kurenai Yuhi and Konan were beauties one in ten thousand. Jiang Feng had always loved beautiful women and loved looking at them. Looking at beautiful women put him in a good mood.

If either woman stood before him, he could stare at her for an entire day without blinking and never grow tired of the sight.

But when both women appeared before him at once, he did not want to look at either of them again.

No woman would sincerely allow the man she liked to look at another beautiful woman. If she genuinely permitted it without any reservations, it could only mean she did not like him.

Clearly, both Kurenai Yuhi and Konan liked Jiang Feng.

If he looked at one of them one extra time, it was a grave offense in the eyes of the other.

Pakura also walked very slowly, which did not suit her personality. As a decisive Ninja, Pakura had always disliked people who dawdled.

Yet she still walked slowly. If one had to ask why, it was probably because she wanted to spend a little more time with the young man beside her.

Why did she want to spend more time with him?

Probably because he was "cool."

When Sasori of the Red Sands listed, one by one, the four unjust men Jiang Feng had killed last year; when Jiang Feng said that because Sasori of the Red Sands had killed the Kazekage, he would definitely kill Sasori of the Red Sands and avenge the Kazekage—Pakura had begun to feel this way.

It was not simply the handsomeness of his features or physique, nor even merely the handsomeness of his "temperament." It was the coolness in the way he acted, an indescribable coolness.

So cool that Pakura was utterly convinced by him; so cool that she was willing to set aside sectarian disputes, violate some of her usual principles, and adapt herself to the young man beside her.

The two arrived at the entrance to the Konoha compound.

Pakura stopped. Without looking at the man beside her, she raised a hand to smooth her hair and said softly, "Although you and Sasori agreed to settle things to the death in the Chunin Exam finals twenty days from now, there's no guarantee he won't secretly resort to some underhanded tricks.

"Be more careful, and tell Konoha's people to be careful too. Sunagakure is chaotic enough already."

Jiang Feng suddenly turned to look at Pakura, as though he had seen something that astonished him beyond measure.

And he truly had seen something astonishing: Pakura was smoothing her hair, an extremely feminine gesture.

If a woman smoothed her hair in front of you, her heart was surely in turmoil.

The Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique began to operate. In an instant, Jiang Feng saw through Pakura's qi mechanisms and momentum, saw through her temperament and thoughts, and perceived all her openings.

She really was becoming more like a woman, rather than a Ninja.

"Why are you looking at me!?" Pakura asked loudly, somewhat flustered.

Jiang Feng smiled. "That opening you exposed just now was enough for me to kill you seventeen times."

Such a fatal opening would never have appeared in the Pakura of before.

"You're sick!"

Previously, Pakura would certainly have challenged Jiang Feng to a duel, deciding victory and defeat to prove her strength.

But upon hearing Jiang Feng say this now, Pakura felt only embarrassment and irritation. With a cold snort, she turned away and strode off.