"Secretly treating" the Mute Martial Monk had become one of Xu Qian's daily tasks. Although each treatment used only a negligible amount of qi, the effects accumulated over time, making it quite a substantial "investment." Xu Qian was happy to keep at it. After all, watching the strands of gray-black malevolent qi fade beneath his Qi Gazing Technique was like seeing a future body-tempering divine art beckoning to him.
At the same time, he had not neglected to practice his other "skills." In particular, there was that faint fragment of Vajra Intent he had "imprinted" from the clump of mud.
Although this fragment of intent was small, its quality was exceptionally high. It contained the unique flavor of Buddhist techniques: fierce, unyielding, and capable of suppressing all things. Every night, Xu Qian set aside time to guide the Longevity Dao Fruit in thoroughly analyzing and integrating it.
The Dao Fruit's clear light was like the finest furnace, repeatedly hammering and refining that wisp of Vajra Intent, attempting to incorporate it into Xu Qian's existing system of power.
At first, Xu Qian tried to merge it with the Sword Intent Seed. When the pale-blue Sword Intent Seed touched the pale-gold Vajra Intent, a curious reaction took place. The Sword Intent's Sharpness seemed to become even more unstoppable, carrying an unyielding resolve to cut through every obstacle. Meanwhile, the Vajra Intent's fierce strength lent that Sharpness greater weight and stability, making it less light and elusive.
However, the two ultimately differed in nature. Forcing them together only made them feel out of place, like fitting a cumbersome scabbard onto a sharp sword. It was sturdy, but it slowed the sword's draw and dulled its spirit.
Xu Qian immediately changed tack. The sword favored lightness and agility, while the palm delivered fierce power. Perhaps the Vajra Intent was better suited to a palm technique?
He stopped trying to force a fusion and instead guided the Dao Fruit to use the fragment of Vajra Intent as a starting point, deriving a fierce palm technique suited to him!
The Dao Fruit did not disappoint. Though it had no specific palm-technique forms to draw on, it used the core essence of the Vajra Intent and the unique properties of Xu Qian's Longevity True Qi to derive an extremely rudimentary method of exerting force and using intent that went straight to the heart of the matter.
Xu Qian named it the Vajra Palm—the name was plain, but it had to sound imposing.
At present, this "palm technique" had only one move—or rather, only one core principle: compress Longevity True Qi to a high density at a specific frequency, gather it in the palm, and draw upon the Vajra Intent to unleash it in an instant, pursuing the utmost in force and destructive power!
Put simply, it was just throwing all his strength into a strike, without any fancy flourishes!
That night, Xu Qian returned to the abandoned passageway to test his newly developed Vajra Palm.
He chose a stone wall that looked fairly sturdy, took a deep breath, and assumed his stance.
He slowly raised his right hand. Following the method he had derived, the Longevity True Qi in his body swiftly flowed toward his palm and compressed! At the same time, he drew upon the pale-gold Vajra Intent and merged it with his qi!
In an instant, his entire right hand seemed to be enveloped in an exceedingly faint, almost invisible golden glow. The bones beneath his palm gave a faint hum, and a heavy, fierce aura spread through the air.
Now!
A flash of light gleamed in Xu Qian's eyes. He powered the strike from his waist and abdomen, then thrust his right palm forward as if pushing an invisible mountain!
There was none of the Sword Qi's light, keen Sharpness—only a plain, unadorned force, yet one that felt impossibly heavy!
Thump!
A dull sound, like a blow against beaten leather, reverberated through the passageway!
The stone wall trembled faintly, and a little dust sifted down.
Xu Qian withdrew his hand and looked closely.
A palm print had been left on the hard stone wall, half an inch deep and sharply defined! The stone around its edges had cracked slightly, as though it had been forcibly crushed and shattered by an immense force!
It was still nowhere near enough to split a stele or crack a boulder, but this was a real stone wall! Leaving such a clear palm print was no small feat. If he struck a person with it, he could probably snap their bones outright!
It worked! Xu Qian gazed at the palm print, a surge of exhilaration rising in his heart.
Although this Vajra Palm was crude, with only a single strike to its name and a somewhat lengthy preparation time, its power certainly lived up to its name! More importantly, it made up for the lack of variety in Xu Qian's offensive techniques.
The Sword Intent Seed, paired with a trace of Sword Qi, excelled at piercing and slicing a single point. Its attacks were strange and unpredictable, making it suitable for ambushes and breaking through defenses.
The Vajra Palm, on the other hand, was a fierce, crushing attack with a wide area of effect. It was powerful and heavy, suited to head-on clashes and explosive strikes.
One was subtle, the other blunt; together, they complemented each other.
Not bad, not bad. I've got another trump card now. Xu Qian nodded in satisfaction. "It's still only in its early stages, and the palm print is shallow, but as the Vajra Intent grows stronger and I master the technique, its power will definitely improve."
He compared how it had felt to cut a brick with Sword Qi and how it felt to strike the wall with his palm.
Cutting the brick had felt smooth and effortless, like a hot knife through butter. It was all about maximum efficiency and precision.
Striking the wall had felt heavy and domineering, like a giant hammer smashing into iron. It was all about overwhelming force and destruction.
Before you continue