Secret Martial Artist [4]

"Oh, so that is how it is!"

Hu Zhenkui's eyes flickered.

At this moment.

Someone stepped forward; it was a square-faced member of the Hu Clan.

"Patriarch, what he says is indeed true. The symptoms at the time certainly looked like he had been afflicted by a curse."

The clansman spoke.

This person was none other than the clansman Hu Chengwen had previously consulted.

He proceeded to recount every detail of what had happened back then.

After listening.

Hu Zhenkui's gaze turned somber.

"According to your account, such a possibility does indeed exist.

However, you are currently in high spirits and look healthy; you do not appear to be under any curse.

Even if something was done to you, it was likely some sort of obscure, wicked art.

The techniques of the Pure Fire Sect are not only difficult to cast but also quite dangerous to the practitioner themselves; a moment of carelessness could lead to a backlash.

Therefore, you need not worry too much."

He paused for a moment after saying this.

Then he continued.

"As for your question regarding whether practicing Secret Martial Arts can prevent the harm of such curses, I can tell you clearly: it is possible, but it is not simple.

Only by breaking through the Skin Refining Realm does one gain the basic ability to be immune to such things, but this can only protect oneself; it cannot help others."

Hu Long's eyes flashed.

Hearing the first half of Hu Zhenkui's words, Hu Long understood that the other party had not discovered the problem within him either.

As for the second half, it stirred something in his heart.

If reaching the Skin Refining Realm is enough to be immune, that gave him a glimmer of hope.

To some extent, the other party was explaining why the original body had been judged as cursed but received no help back then.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they couldn't. Although the Skin Refining Realm can resist and immunize against most curses, it cannot be used to help others.

Saying this was likely to prevent him from harboring resentment toward the main family.

Thinking of this.

Hu Long asked again.

"Then do Secret Martial Artists have no means to eliminate these wicked arts?"

Hu Zhenkui glanced at him.

"Naturally, they do. However, this requires breaking through to the Organ Strengthening Realm and reaching the Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound stage, which can break through some wicked arts.

It is rumored that if one reaches Blood Exchange, one can directly destroy and suppress these wicked arts, or even become impervious to all methods.

However, reaching that stage is too difficult.

Those who reach such a realm are rare even within the entire Yu State.

Not to mention the even stronger Origin Pellet realm above that."

At this point, Hu Zhenkui seemed to feel he had strayed too far and shifted the topic.

"These things are too far off for you. What you need to do now is practice diligently and strive to enter the path as soon as possible.

If you are truly worried about the dangers of Old Arts and Strange Specters, find a way to strive for a breakthrough to the Skin Refining Realm as quickly as you can."

"The Skin Refining Realm, is it?!"

He remained noncommittal regarding the difficulty of practicing Secret Martial Arts as described by Hu Zhenkui.

As the Patriarch of the Hu Clan, even if he wasn't the strongest existence in the Hu Family, he was certainly among those with the highest cultivation.

The fact that even someone like him was only at the Bone Tempering stage was enough to prove the extreme difficulty of practicing Secret Martial Arts.

But that was for ordinary people.

With his peerless talent, coupled with the assistance of the Tai Su download panel, wanting to advance was merely a matter of Source Value.

"Thank you for the clarification, Patriarch. I wonder, what are Old Arts and Strange Specters..."

He had noted the two terms mentioned by the other party.

Old Arts, Strange Specters.

Now that he had the opportunity, he naturally wanted to ask for more information.

However, Hu Zhenkui clearly had no intention of explaining further.

"All this information is basic common knowledge. There are dedicated websites for it; if you want to learn more, go back and look it up online yourself."

"Yes!"

Hu Long's expression flickered as he nodded.

Subsequently, the other four also asked a few questions, all regarding matters related to Secret Martial Artists.

For instance, whether practicing as a Secret Martial Artist could grant immortality, or how long it generally took to reach the level of being able to pierce through an iron incense burner with one's bare hands.

Regarding these basic questions, Hu Zhenkui did not answer, simply telling them to go back and look them up online.

Afterward, he dismissed everyone.

The five of them walked out toward the ancestral hall.

Just as they arrived at the plaza outside the hall:

"Hey, Hu Long, you bastard! You dared to play me for a fool earlier today, take this!"

Suddenly, Hu Zetong, who had been walking behind, let out a strange cry. Without any warning, he twisted his body, dropped his shoulder, bent his elbow, and slammed into Hu Long in front of him with all his might.

Because he had been strong since he was a child, his strength had been growing continuously since he turned ten.

He often ended up injuring people, so whenever he couldn't hold back, he would choose this method of ramming to knock them down.

With his strength, back at school, there was truly no one who could withstand this move of his, not even the burly physical education teachers.

It could be said that he had almost never missed.

However, the next moment, his body came to a dead stop.

No matter how red his face turned from the effort, it was to no avail.

Looking up, he saw Hu Long standing in place without moving, having simply extended his right hand with fingers splayed to easily block the impact.

"Don't go around calling yourself 'Young Master.' According to our seniority, you should be calling me Little Uncle."

As he spoke, Hu Long shifted his body to the side, pulled with his arm, and extended his leg.

Thwack!

Due to his own momentum, Hu Zetong lost his balance and fell face-first onto the ground, eating dirt.

Everything happened so fast that the smile froze on Hu Zetong's face.

His eyes were dazed.

He only just remembered now that this guy's strength seemed to be even greater than his own.

Although strength is very important at times, when the difference in power is negligible or even surpassed, technique becomes the most critical factor.

Facing Hu Long, whose strength was superior and who possessed the mastery of Comprehensive Combat Arts, he naturally could not be Hu Long's match.

"Bullshit, you're just trying to take advantage of me..."

Hu Zetong was about to say something more, but was interrupted by Hu Long.

"If you don't believe me, go home and ask. If you keep using foul language, see if I don't pull your pants down and give you a beating."

On this point, Hu Long wasn't lying.

According to the seniority within the Hu Clan, the current generations, from highest to lowest, were divided into: Zhen, Ren, De, Cheng, Shi, Ze, Zhong, Xiao, Zhen...

As times progressed, some people included the generation name in their given names, while others felt it didn't sound good and chose not to.

However, the concept of seniority always existed, especially in such a large family.

Hu Long's original self was of the 'Shi' generation; according to the hierarchy, he was indeed one generation higher than the 'Ze' generation of the other party.

However, this made Hu Long think of something.

If one went by seniority, wouldn't Hu Zhenkui be of the 'Zhen' generation, making him his grandfather's grandfather?

The man looked to be only about sixty years old, which didn't fit at all.

Was it that practicing as a Secret Martial Artist slowed the aging process, or was it the result of that particular lineage having children late in life?

"Fine, fine, you just wait!"

Hu Zetong clutched his backside, spat out a harsh threat, and bolted toward the ancestral hall gate.

Faced with this situation, the three people nearby exchanged glances, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

Although all three had passed the assessment, they were no fools; they had heard what Hu Zhenkui said.

When it came to aptitude, the three of them weren't even fit to carry the shoes of those two, so naturally, they dared not offend them.

This guy doesn't seem to have much going on upstairs, does he?

Watching this scene, Hu Long recalled the descriptions in ancient texts regarding those with Innate Divine Strength, which mostly characterized them as simple-minded with well-developed limbs.

The Hu Zetong before him clearly fit that description perfectly.

Thinking of this, Hu Long twitched the corner of his mouth.

He muttered to himself.

This... could it be that having Innate Divine Strength makes one stupid? Perhaps this is just an isolated case, and since mine isn't "innate," it shouldn't...