Differences Between Martial Arts, Combat Technique Reaches Minor Accomplishment!

"Martial arts are divided into foundational methods and Combat Techniques, also known as martial arts and martial skills."

"The former are cultivated to raise one's realm, while the latter are techniques for combat and killing."

"Practice martial arts without cultivating inner arts, and you'll come to nothing by old age."

"Likewise, cultivate inner arts without practicing martial arts, and you may still be killed by someone of a lower realm..."

Yang Wenhuai spoke slowly, his tiger-like eyes carrying an imposing dignity.

"Someone of a higher realm can still lose to someone lower? How useless would that have to be..."

Xu Haoran could not help muttering.

Yang Wenhuai snorted. "Ordinarily, those of higher realms naturally suppress those of lower realms. For example, a Tendon Refining Realm martial artist can fight a Skin Refining Realm martial artist with relative ease and will usually win."

Then his tone shifted, his gaze turning deep. "But if one's Combat Technique is cultivated to a sufficient level, even a Skin Refining Realm martial artist may still be able to kill a Tendon Refining Realm martial artist across realms."

"The difference in realms cannot determine victory or defeat with absolute certainty."

He looked at Xu Haoran, his tone growing sterner. "Otherwise, martial artists would only ever fight those in the same realm. When a higher-realm martial artist faced a lower-realm one, why would they need to fight? They would only need to reveal their cultivation, and the other party could slit their own throat and ascend to heaven."

Liu Chu nodded deeply in agreement.

A higher realm could indeed exert immense suppression over a lower realm, but it could never guarantee victory.

Because... in a life-and-death battle, no one could be certain of victory!

Otherwise, just as the master had said, martial artists of differing realms would never be able to fight at all.

Since revealing one's cultivation would be enough to win, and defeat was certain anyway, one might as well slit one's own throat and ascend to heaven.

Different positions bred different beliefs.

Martial artists with higher cultivation were usually more arrogant. They believed that after cultivating for so many years and breaking through to a higher realm, if they still could not defeat someone of a lower realm, then all their cultivation had been for nothing!

Those with lower cultivation, however, believed that in battle, they too might rely on exquisite martial skills to defeat martial artists with higher cultivation. Realm was not everything!

It was precisely because of this that martial artists of different realms would still engage in fierce battles!

It was somewhat like the popular notion from his previous life: "Three generations of accumulation—why should I lose to your years of study by lamplight?"

And beneath those words usually lurked a group with Huang Chao mindsets, silently chanting in their hearts: "When autumn comes on the ninth day of the ninth month, when my flowers bloom, a hundred flowers shall die!"

They were waiting for an opportunity, hoping to use ten years of bitter study to overturn the foundations others had built across three generations!

Everyone calculated their accounts in entirely different ways!

"I'm telling you all this because..."

The master's voice paused.

For some reason, Liu Chu seemed to catch a trace of embarrassment in the master's eyes?

"Ahem."

The master coughed, then continued, "Because I do not want disciples and apprentices of this martial hall to be defeated outside by someone of a lower realm. That would be far too humiliating."

Liu Chu's heart stirred. He always felt the master's words carried another meaning.

"In short, Combat Techniques are important—extremely important, second only to foundational methods!!"

The master emphasized again, "So you must cultivate diligently and never be lazy. Otherwise, if someone challenges you across realms in the future, you will not only disgrace yourselves, but also disgrace my martial hall!"

"Alright, next I will teach you the accompanying Combat Technique of the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice—the Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique."

The master's gaze swept over Liu Chu and Xu Haoran.

"Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique?"

Both Liu Chu and Xu Haoran were eager to give it a try.

Next, the master personally demonstrated the Combat Technique for them once. Then he had Chen He continue teaching them while he himself stood to the side, offering pointers and corrections.

Chen He remained conscientious and responsible, teaching the two of them with all his heart.

Three days later, after diligent practice, Liu Chu successfully entered the Entry Realm.

"Combat Techniques really are not difficult to enter. It seems my increased comprehension helps more with skill-based martial arts."

Liu Chu looked at [Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Entry Realm 1%)] on the panel and thought to himself.

He guessed that skill-based martial arts relied more heavily on comprehension. Stake Training such as the Yanglian Technique, where technique made up less of the whole, depended more on one's innate physique and talent.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Liu. You entered the Combat Technique so quickly. It seems you are exceptionally suited to the Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique!"

Chen He noticed Liu Chu's breakthrough at once and congratulated him with surprise on his face.

He had originally thought Liu Chu would be like with the Yanglian Technique, taking several days longer than Xu Haoran to enter the Entry Realm.

Yet unexpectedly, this time Liu Chu had taken the lead over Xu Haoran.

"How is that possible..."

Xu Haoran's expression changed as disbelief welled up within him.

He had entered the Yanglian Technique two days earlier than Liu Chu, and he had been quite proud of himself. He had inevitably developed a measure of contempt for Liu Chu, subconsciously believing that he would also enter the Combat Technique faster than Liu Chu.

But the result was that the other party had actually cultivated the Combat Technique to the Entry Realm before him.

I must enter the Entry Realm today!

Unwilling to accept this, Xu Haoran doubled down on his training in the Combat Technique.

Liu Chu, meanwhile, did not become overly absorbed in the Combat Technique. After entering the Entry Realm, he returned to cultivating the Yanglian Technique.

"The cultivation speed of the Yanglian Technique is not particularly fast. It has now reached 5% progress. At this pace, I should have hope of reaching the Minor Accomplishment Realm within three months..."

Liu Chu opened the Attribute Panel:

Host: Liu Chu
Comprehension Enhancement Multiplier: 1x (Sacrifices available: three Treasure Fish / thirty taels of silver, two years of lifespan)
Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Entry Realm 5%)
Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Entry Realm 1%)

"Once the Yanglian Technique reaches the Minor Accomplishment Realm, I will cultivate two streams of Blood Vitality to scour through the skin membrane barrier!"

Liu Chu's eyes flickered as he continued cultivating.

Reaching Minor Accomplishment in Stake Training within three months should not be considered slow.

But whether he could break through the barrier and enter the Grade-Entry Realm was still difficult to say.

"The medicinal meal is here! Come eat, junior brothers!"

At this moment, Chen He and a burly-faced cook entered the courtyard carrying a bucket of medicinal broth, calling out brightly.

"It's time for the medicinal meal!"

Everyone stopped cultivating and quickly stepped forward to line up for their medicinal meals.

Liu Chu also stopped training and received a bowl of medicinal meal.

"This medicinal meal tastes bitter and astringent, but its effects are quite good."

Liu Chu frowned as he swallowed the medicinal meal. At once, he felt the Blood Vitality within his body stirring restlessly, becoming even more violent and ferocious.

Daring not waste the medicinal effects, he hurriedly began cultivating alongside the other apprentices.

Ever since entering the Entry Realm in Stake Training, he had been assigned to train with the apprentices in the courtyard. Of course, Xu Haoran was still beside him.

"Hey-ha! Hey-ha! Hah..."

Everyone diligently trained in Stake Training and Combat Techniques, sweating like rain and seemingly tireless.

"Poor scholars, wealthy warriors." For Liu Chu, this might very well have been his only chance to defy fate and change his life.

For the others, though it was not quite so dramatic, they also attached exceptional importance to this chance to practice martial arts.

Twenty taels of silver bought only three months of martial training. Half a year required forty taels, while a year required eighty taels!

Though most of the apprentices present came from wealthier families than Liu Chu, they still could not support them cultivating indefinitely.

Being able to provide a hundred or so taels of silver for them to train at the martial hall for a year or half was already considered a very respectable family background.

Liu Chu needed to seize these three months. How could they not likewise need to make the most of their year or half of training?

"Nourishing Stake Practice consumes quite a lot. Without medicinal meals, practicing four or five times a day is already the limit."

"Even with the martial hall's medicinal meals, one must stop after seven or eight sessions a day. Otherwise, the body will be damaged."

After completing today's Nourishing Stake Practice, Liu Chu began practicing the Combat Technique again.

The martial hall's medicinal meals were Yang Wenhuai's exclusive secret formula, and they were quite effective for Stake Training.

This was also one of the foundations upon which he had established the martial hall.

Many martial arts were cultivated alongside medicinal meals. Without them, cultivation yielded twice the effort for half the result, making it difficult to enter the Grade-Entry Realm.

Medicinal meal formulas were usually held by the master of a martial hall and were not easily leaked.

After that, Liu Chu cultivated diligently every day without pause.

Although the master had emphasized the importance of Combat Techniques, Liu Chu still practiced the Yanglian Technique to the fullest every day. Only when continued training might damage his body did he turn to practicing the Combat Technique.

By comparison, Combat Techniques would not damage the body unless one trained truly excessively.

At its core, it was a skill-based art. Beyond diligent practice, what mattered most was comprehension rather than one's innate physique.

Thus, even though Liu Chu focused primarily on the Yanglian Technique, after only a little over twenty days, he had still cultivated the Combat Technique to the Minor Accomplishment Realm!

Host: Liu Chu
Comprehension Enhancement Multiplier: 1x (Sacrifices available: three Treasure Fish / thirty taels of silver, two years of lifespan)
Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Entry Realm 35%)
Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Minor Accomplishment Realm 1%)

"Sure enough, after my comprehension increased by onefold, my grasp of skill-based martial arts has become astonishingly fast!"

Liu Chu's face revealed delight.

The Combat Technique reaching Minor Accomplishment meant that his combat skills had already improved considerably.

If he fought an ordinary person, his advantage would multiply!