Li Xiuwen looked at the strange statue of the "Nine Dragons Patriarch" inside the shrine.
A wide, gaping mouth, a pointed skull, and a broad, hunched back.
He had found it strange before, but assumed later generations had taken artistic liberties.
After all, the immortals and arhats in temples and Daoist shrines often had exaggerated, ferocious features too.
Now, it seemed there was more to it.
A thought struck Li Xiuwen, and he asked, "Did the patriarch end up looking like this from eating fish balls?"
Huang Sihai nodded. "Fish balls are the Sea Sand Sect's ancestral secret medicine. Other schools have similar fish balls, but regardless of the school, all fish balls and secret medicines are toxic."
"Master, forgive me for asking, but what are these fish balls made of? I'm not trying to study the recipe. I just want a general idea," Li Xiuwen asked.
Huang Sihai waved him off. "Go on out. In any case, you can take the fish balls. We all went through the same thing. Just use them in moderation."
In his study, Huang Sihai lit three sticks of incense and bowed three times before the statue of the Nine Dragons Patriarch.
His thoughts returned to his childhood, when he had studied martial arts in the Prosperous State and his master had told him stories of the past.
Five hundred years ago, along the coast of Wu Prefecture in the Great Ying Dynasty,
an ancient school legacy with over a thousand years of history had resurfaced.
Experts from all corners had gathered, fighting over the legacy until the world seemed plunged into darkness.
Amid the chaos, one man had single-handedly turned the Eastern Sea upside down, killing so many experts from orthodox and renowned schools that their traditions died out.
Historical records scarcely mentioned this man. Only scattered traces of his reputation survived.
Fishermen had witnessed him beat a Crimson Giant Whale larger than an imperial government ship to death with his bare fists amid raging waves.
Thus, they called him the "Whale-Slaying Daoist."
"Patriarch above, forgive your unworthy descendant. I have concealed my identity and clung to life on an island in the Southern Sea, not daring to enter the Prosperous State."
"I ask only that one day I may find an inheritor of extraordinary talent, who can journey to the Prosperous State and recover your legacy, bringing glory to our Whale-Slaying Tradition."
"Huang Sihai of the Sea Sand Style bows before you!"
That night,
Li Xiuwen finished reading Miscellany from the Martial Tomb and returned it to its place.
He looked at the [Incense Burner].
[Li Xiuwen] [Martial Arts] [Beginner Martial Arts Knowledge: Entry (81%)] [Sea-Sand Stance: Entry (90%)] [Sand-Turning Palm: Entry (80%)] [Stage: Azure Membrane (90%)]
Li Xiuwen found that improving his martial arts knowledge was much harder than improving his combat methods and training methods.
The difficulty lay in having to constantly absorb and understand new knowledge, unlike combat methods and training methods, which could be improved through mechanical, repetitive practice.
Closing the Incense Burner, Li Xiuwen looked at Old Chen, who had gone to bed early, and asked, "Brother Chen, you know all the various schools of the Martial Way. Have you ever heard of the Moving-Mountain Style?"
Old Chen put down his book and asked in puzzlement, "Where did you hear about that?"
Li Xiuwen smiled. "I happened to see it in an old book. I don't know whether it's real."
Old Chen thought for a moment, poured himself a cup of tea, and beckoned Li Xiuwen over before saying leisurely,
"The Moving-Mountain Style... that school is very obscure in the Fragrant Sea. Hardly anyone knows of it. Even in the Prosperous State, where experts are everywhere, few have heard of it."
"Why?"
"Because it's rather ancient and loosely organized. It's an unorthodox tradition... it first arose among those 'Earth Immortals' and 'earth masters'-grave robbers, in other words."
"No wonder it's called Mountain Moving."
"There are plenty of grave robbers in this world who call themselves Mountain Moving Style Inheritors, but most are frauds chasing fame... very few have genuine skills."
After some thought, Li Xiuwen asked, "Have you heard of the Binding Armor Branch? Is it part of the Moving-Mountain Style?"
Old Chen nodded. "Yes. The Binding Armor Branch is one of its major offshoots, specializing in body tempering. Its practitioners have real ability. They were once quite famous."
Hearing this, Li Xiuwen inwardly sighed with relief. I never imagined the Binding Armor Skill had such an impressive background. It's worth trying.
In his very first lesson, Huang Sihai had told his students:
If they happened upon a martial arts manual while traveling the world, they must never blindly practice it unless their understanding of martial arts was deep enough to judge its authenticity and recognize its advantages and dangers.
If it turned out to be a demonic technique involving mutilating living victims, even someone who managed to learn it without a teacher and reach entry level would only harm himself and set foot on a road of no return.
Chen's Rice Noodle Factory.
Li Xiuwen returned home.
"Gusis, has Brother Ji come by?"
"No."
"That's good, then."
After eating, Li Xiuwen hurried back to his quarters, hid beneath his covers, and opened the thin golden booklet in the dim light.
Brother Ji definitely never practiced this Binding Armor Skill. Otherwise, with a hard qigong technique protecting him, he wouldn't have died in my ambush.
Li Xiuwen immediately began studying the manual word by word.
The Binding Armor Skill was a foundational hard qigong technique of the Moving-Mountain Style.
The core of the Moving-Mountain Style lay in two words: "moving and carrying."
An eight-word guiding maxim served as proof: Bear mountains upon the body; lock rivers with qi!
The "armor" in Binding Armor did not refer to wearing a real suit of armor.
Instead, one used one's own blood and qi as threads, and sinews and bones as the frame.
Like a silkworm spinning its cocoon, one wove layer upon layer around the pores, skin membranes, and muscles, ultimately forming an airtight suit of "hard qi armor."
When the technique was activated, mystic patterns would appear on the skin.
At the Azure Membrane stage, these would be bronze mystic patterns.
At the Purple Membrane stage, they would be purple-gold mystic patterns, and at the Black Membrane stage, black obsidian mystic patterns...
The Binding Armor Skill had four levels, each requiring a specific cultivation level before it could be practiced.
Otherwise, one would damage one's foundation and achieve the opposite of the intended result.
Entry could be practiced at the Skin Membrane Gate, producing a full covering of protective mystic patterns.
Minor Mastery could only be practiced at the Flood Dragon Muscle Gate, weaving the loose mystic patterns into more complex structures until they formed fabric-like strands, protecting the body like an iron shirt.
Great Mastery could only be practiced at the Tiger Elephant Gate, forging the mystic patterns into hard qi armor impervious to blades and spears.
"Once the Binding Armor Skill reaches perfection, it is like wearing seamless, flawless mystic armor. A thousand soldiers will give way before you, and within the Three Gates, you will have no equal!"
Li Xiuwen's gaze gradually grew solemn.
A profound technique leading straight to the Tiger Elephant Gate, one I can practice through all Three Gates?
If the manual's creator wasn't simply boasting, then I've picked up a priceless treasure. This could easily serve as the core secret technique of an orthodox school.
After reading the training method, realization dawned on Li Xiuwen's face. He understood why Brother Ji had not practiced it.
Practicing the Binding Armor Skill requires striking the body with iron hammers-the "striking conditioning method" used in body-tempering arts.
"For entry, use a four-ounce small hammer. Perform striking conditioning during the day, and at night apply 'Blood-Transforming Paste,' brewed from aged ginger, brown sugar, tiger bone powder, and more than ten
other medicinal ingredients..."
"For Minor Mastery, use a two-pound sledgehammer. In addition to striking conditioning, medicinal baths using higher-grade ingredients are required."
"For Great Mastery, use a ten-pound heavy hammer for striking conditioning. The ingredients for the accompanying secret medicine are even rarer-all are centennial herbs from remote mountains and forests, difficult for ordinary people to find."
No wonder Brother Ji didn't practice it. Without enough money to support the Binding Armor Skill, you'd only hammer yourself to death.
After finishing the martial arts manual, Li Xiuwen sank into thought.
I can barely afford to keep practicing the Sea-Sand Stance and Sand-Turning Palm as it is. There's no way I can sustain long-term training in the Binding Armor Skill.
Still, apart from the tiger bone powder, the ingredients for the entry-level secret medicine aren't expensive. Tomorrow I'll get some from the pharmacy and test the results.
If my progress is reasonably fast, I can keep practicing.
If it's too difficult, I'll leave it until I have money...
Li Xiuwen hid the thin golden booklet close to his body and fell into a deep sleep.
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