Let's All Learn Some Hardening Techniques

Ever since he began sparring with Xuandu, Li Su naturally started entering the fray as well.

Xuannan, Xuanku, Xuanji, and Xuanbei.

One round per day, sparring without pause.

The technique Li Su employed was, naturally, still the Cotton Palm.

However, facing Xuannan and the others was undoubtedly a different matter entirely compared to Xuandu.

After several days, he was covered in blue and purple bruises, aching all over and grimacing in pain.

Yet, the Arhat Divine Art possessed an inherent protective effect; pain was pain and bruising was bruising, but by the time he woke up the next day, his injuries were essentially seven or eight parts healed.

Faced with this result, Li Su felt more and more that he had made the right choice in putting down the Nine Yang Manual.

He estimated that once the Arhat Divine Art reached Great Completion, it should be roughly on par with the Nine Yang Divine Skill at Small Completion.

If he were to specialize in the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic or the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art afterward, once those reached Great Completion, they should all be on equal footing, each with their own distinct characteristics. After all, even the Nine Yang Divine Skill at Great Completion was merely on par with the top-tier arts of Shaolin Temple.

Of course, it would save quite a bit of time.

That was fine, too. This way, in his next life, he should be able to quickly become a master, and having had the experience of practicing a supreme art once, he would remain calm even if he managed to master the Nine Yang Divine Skill in his next life, without the thought of "I am the greatest under heaven" driving him to run out and act recklessly.

"Xuankong, shall we have a match? Just one match!"

Xuanci had come again.

Li Su shot a sideways glance at this bastard. This scoundrel truly didn't do a single thing that a decent person would do!

Look at Xuancheng; once he understood the level of Li Su's martial arts, he had calmed down and hadn't opened his mouth to challenge him even once.

After all, the current Li Su was far too lacking in combat experience. Facing the varied moves of Xuannan and the others, he couldn't help but become flustered. If he wanted a formal fight, that would have to wait three or five months.

Xuanci was different. From the second day on, he came looking for him every single day.

This son of a bitch, did he really think he couldn't see through his little schemes?

Ever since this bastard Xuanci had lost to Xuancheng twice in a row, he hadn't sought out Xuancheng for a fight again; even if Xuancheng initiated it, he would immediately concede.

Over the past few months, he had been sparring with Xuanbei and the others every day, most frequently with Xuandu.

Recently, finding that fighting Xuanbei had become troublesome and quite exhausting, this bastard had immediately set a schedule, changing it from once a day to once a week.

Furthermore, the most excessive thing about this guy was that when he hit people, he basically aimed for the face.

Nine out of ten moves were directed at your face, and he would retract his strength the moment he landed a hit, leaving you howling in pain, your face bruised and swollen, yet not so incapacitated that you couldn't continue fighting. Then, he would give you a sound thrashing, stopping only when even your master wouldn't recognize you.

Try to be a decent human being, will you...

Having seen through the other's intentions, how could Li Su let him get his way?

Although, according to the effects of the Arhat Divine Art, even if he really did fight Xuanci, he would be mostly recovered by the next morning's lesson, he still had zero desire to fight this bastard.

If he were to fight, it would be only after he could win, and that day was not far off.

Through these bouts, Li Su was absolutely certain of his own talent; whether in martial arts or internal energy, it was truly astonishing.

In terms of martial arts, the main issue was that his experience was too shallow, and his ability to adapt during combat was insufficient.

How should he put it?

When the opponent threw a punch, several methods of counter-attack would instantly appear in his mind—some moves were so imaginative they were unexpected—but by the time the thought formed, the opponent's fist had basically arrived, and his physical response became hurried instead.

Facing this situation, there was really no good solution; the only way was to keep sparring, keep familiarizing himself, and increase his experience.

After several days, he could already handle Xuannan and Xuanku with ease.

Xuanji and Xuanbei still left him a bit passive, but it wasn't a major issue. After refining his approach for a while longer, he should be about ready.

As for Xuanci.

Xuanji also studied the Vajra Hand, the Great Strength Vajra Palm, and the Dragon-Capturing Skill.

Although the Vajra Finger wasn't involved, that was a finger technique, not a striking style.

As long as he grew accustomed to these few styles of martial arts, Xuanci's desire to beat him up would truly be nothing more than wishful thinking.

Another five or six days passed.

That afternoon, Li Su was delayed for a while; he had gone to the Scripture Library first to return the Lanka Sutra and the Cotton Palm before coming over.

Then, he froze.

He saw the restless Xuanci squatting alone in a corner, muttering something to himself.

Meanwhile, Xuanji and the others had surrounded Xuandu, talking about something with great excitement. When they saw Xuankong, their eyes burned as they looked at him.

"Xuankong, I won!!!"

Xuandu was overjoyed, incredibly excited, and called out directly.

Eh?

Li Su was stunned. He won? Looking at the bruised and swollen face of the other, had this kid been beaten silly?

He took out a charcoal pencil and wrote: "What's the situation?"

Xuancheng spoke up, his face full of smiles: "Just now, Xuandu beat up Xuanci!"

Ha?

Xuanci had actually been beaten up by Xuandu?

"Didn't you tell Xuandu to ask the Master for some hard-body martial arts earlier? The Master taught him the Iron Cloth Shirt, an external training technique. He has progressed very quickly, and after sparring with Xuanbei and the others every day these past few days, his Iron Cloth Shirt has just reached the minor success stage."

As Xuancheng spoke, Li Su couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He glanced at Xuanci in the corner, a look of pity in his eyes.

This was truly a case of the hunter becoming the hunted.

Although he knew Xuandu was a bit of a blockhead, he hadn't expected him to be that dense.

He had remembered every word Li Su said to him.

Once he got up there, he didn't bother comparing moves with Xuanci at all. He simply tanked the other's attacks, and while being beaten black and blue, he grabbed hold of Xuanci, hoisted him up, and delivered a Iron Head Skill strike that left Xuanci dazed and confused, knocking him out on the spot.

When Xuanci woke up, his entire face was a sickly shade of green.

Li Su wasn't surprised by this; to their group, a minor success in the Iron Cloth Shirt was nothing special.

Under normal circumstances, Xuanci's Vajra Finger or Great Strength Vajra Palm—even his well-honed Vajra Palm—would be difficult to withstand.

Yet, Xuanci had started by using moves from the Dragon-Capturing Skill to face his opponent. He never imagined Xuandu would ignore defense and close the distance directly. Before ninety percent of his skills could even be unleashed, he had been knocked unconscious by Xuandu.

After waking up, Xuanci had simply shut himself off from the world.

Everyone knew that Xuandu had only won due to luck and Xuanci's own carelessness.

However, a win was a win. It hadn't even been ten days; previously, no matter how lucky he was, Xuandu could never have defeated Xuanci.

All of this was undoubtedly thanks to Xuankong. For a moment, the others all looked at Xuankong, hoping he might offer some guidance.

As for Xuanci, familiar as they were, and despite the camaraderie, even Xuancheng wanted to beat him up.

That bastard was too despicable, and his strikes were vicious.

Even Xuancheng had once been careless and taken a punch to the eye socket, leaving it swollen for three days.

During those few days, every time he went to morning lessons, even a martial arts fanatic like Xuancheng felt his teeth itch with hatred.

Li Su's mouth twitched, and he rolled his eyes without saying a word. He had recommended the "high-HP" path to Xuandu primarily because of his robust physique and his unsuitability for complex techniques.

The situation for Xuannan and the others was clearly different.

However, after a moment of thought, Li Su wrote: "You can all learn some hard-body techniques, but do not make them your primary focus like Xuandu. You should do the opposite."

The group was stunned.

Li Su wrote: "Look at Xuanci. He has the strength, but once Xuandu grabbed him, he was knocked out instantly. There is no danger in our sparring matches, but if we go out into the martial arts world in the future, those villains will not let such an opportunity pass. Learning hard-body techniques is a great way to preserve your life."

Of the seven people before him, he knew that by the time they reached the Heavenly Dragon Rank, only Xuandu, Xuanji, and the one who had dissipated his cultivation would survive.

Giving them a bit more ability to save their own lives was for the best.