Whale-Slaying Daoist (Please Keep Reading)

Li Xiuwen looked toward the strange statue of the "Nine Dragons Patriarch" in the shrine.

Its mouth was split wide open, its skull pointed, and its broad back hunched high.

He had found it strange before and assumed it was an artistic embellishment by later generations.

After all, the immortals and arhats in temples and Daoist halls often had exaggerated, fierce appearances.

But now, it seemed there was another hidden reason.

Thinking of something, Li Xiuwen asked, "Did the Patriarch end up looking like this from eating Fish Balls?"

Huang Sihai nodded. "Fish Balls are the Sea Sand Style's ancestral secret medicine. Other schools have similar Fish Balls too, but no matter the school, their Fish Balls and secret medicines are toxic."

"Master, pardon my presumption, but what are these Fish Balls made of? I'm not trying to study the formula. I just want a general idea," Li Xiuwen asked.

Huang Sihai waved a hand. "Go on out. In any case, Fish Balls can be taken. Everyone got through it this way. Just don't overdo it."

In the 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 learned boxing in Prosperous State and his master had told him old tales:

Five hundred years ago, in the Great Ying Dynasty, along the coast of Wu Prefecture,

the inheritances of ancient schools with histories spanning over a thousand years resurfaced.

Experts from every direction gathered, slaughtering one another until heaven and earth darkened over those inheritances.

Amid the chaos, someone single-handedly turned the East Sea upside down, killing so many experts from orthodox and renowned schools that they withered away and vanished forever.

There were few records of this person in history, with only scraps of his reputation passed down.

Because fishermen had witnessed him beat a crimson whale larger than an imperial official ship to death with his bare fists amid raging waves,

he became known as the "Whale-Slaying Daoist."

"Patriarch above, forgive this incapable descendant for concealing his name and living in obscurity on a small island in the South Sea, barely preserving his life and not daring to enter Prosperous State."

"I only pray that one day, I may find an exceptionally gifted inheritor to journey to Prosperous State, recover the Patriarch's legacy, and strengthen our Whale-Slaying lineage."

"Sea Sand Style's Huang Sihai bows!"

That night,

Li Xiuwen finished reading Miscellany from the Martial Tomb and returned it to its place.

He looked toward the [Incense Burner].

[Li Xiuwen]

[Martial Arts]

[Beginner Martial Arts Knowledge: Beginner (81%)]

[Sea-Sand Stance: Beginner (90%)]

[Sand-Turning Palm: Beginner (80%)]

[Stage: Azure Membrane (90%)]

Li Xiuwen discovered that improving Martial Arts Knowledge was far more difficult than improving combat techniques and training methods.

The difficulty of Martial Arts Knowledge lay in constantly absorbing and comprehending new knowledge. Unlike combat techniques and training methods, it could not be improved through mechanical, repetitive practice alone.

He put away the Incense Burner, then looked at Old Chen, who had gone to bed early, and asked, "Brother Chen, you know the various schools of martial arts well. Have you heard of the Moving-Mountain Style?"

Old Chen put down his book and asked in confusion, "Where did you hear about it?"

Li Xiuwen smiled. "I happened to see it in an ancient book. I don't know whether it was true or not."

Old Chen pondered for a moment, poured himself a cup of tea, waved Li Xiuwen over, and said leisurely:

"The Moving-Mountain Style... it's an extremely obscure school in the Fragrant Sea. Few know of it. Even in Prosperous State, where experts abound, hardly anyone has heard of it."

"Why?"

"Because this school is rather ancient and loosely organized. It belongs to the unorthodox paths... It first arose among those 'earth immortals' and tomb raiders—that is, grave robbers."

"No wonder it's called Moving-Mountain."

"There are quite a few tomb raiders in this world who claim to be inheritors of the Moving-Mountain Style, but most are frauds seeking fame... Very few know any real martial arts."

After thinking for a moment, 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 a major branch of the Moving-Mountain Style. They specialize in external training. The people of that branch have real skill, and they were once quite famous."

Hearing this, Li Xiuwen relaxed inwardly. I never expected the Binding Armor Skill to have such an impressive origin. It's worth trying.

In the first lesson after enrollment, Huang Sihai had told his students:

When traveling the martial world, if one happened upon a martial arts manual, one must never blindly cultivate it unless one possessed profound martial knowledge, could distinguish truth from falsehood, and understood its advantages and dangers.

If it happened to be a demonic technique involving the harvesting and mutilation of living people, then even if one mastered it without instruction and entered its gates, one would only harm oneself and embark upon a road of no return.

Chen's Rice Noodle Factory,

Li Xiuwen returned home.

"Auntie, has Brother Ji come?"

"No."

"That's good."

After taking a bite of food, Li Xiuwen hurried back to his room. Hiding beneath the covers, he used the dim light to open the thin golden booklet.

"Brother Ji definitely never practiced this Binding Armor Skill. Otherwise, with hard qigong protecting his body, he wouldn't have been killed by my sneak attack."

Li Xiuwen immediately began studying the manual word by word.

The Binding Armor Skill was a foundational hard qigong method of the Moving-Mountain Style.

The core of the Moving-Mountain Style lay in two words: "transporting and moving."

Its eight-character guiding principle was proof enough: Bear mountains upon the body, lock rivers with qi!

The "armor" in Binding Armor did not mean wearing real armor.

Instead, it used one's qi and blood as threads, and sinews and bones as a framework,

weaving together the pores, membranes, and muscles throughout the body layer by layer, like a silkworm spinning a cocoon, until it ultimately formed an airtight "hard qi armor."

When circulating the technique, mysterious patterns would appear across the skin.

For Azure Membrane, they would be bronze mysterious patterns.

For Purple Membrane, they would be violet-gold mysterious patterns; for Black Membrane, obsidian mysterious patterns...

The Binding Armor Skill had four levels, and each required a particular level of cultivation.

Otherwise, one would damage one's foundation and achieve the opposite of the intended result.

At the beginner level, it could be practiced once one reached the Membrane Gate, forming a body of mysterious patterns to protect oneself.

At minor mastery, it could only be practiced after reaching the Flood-Dragon Muscle Gate. The loose mysterious patterns would be woven into complex structures, forming strands like an iron garment protecting the body.

At major mastery, it could only be practiced at the Tiger-Elephant Gate. The mysterious patterns would be forged into hard qi armor, impervious to blades and spears.

"If the Binding Armor Skill was cultivated to perfection, it would be like wearing a seamless, flawless suit of mysterious armor. A thousand troops would flee at its sight; within the Three Gates, none could stand against you!"

Li Xiuwen's gaze gradually turned solemn.

"A profound method that points directly to the Tiger-Elephant Gate, capable of cultivating through all Three Gates?"

"This could completely serve as the core secret art of an orthodox school. If the creator of this manual wasn't merely boasting, then I've picked up a priceless treasure."

After reading the cultivation method, Li Xiuwen finally understood why Brother Ji had not practiced it.

"To practice the Binding Armor Skill, one needs to strike the body with an iron hammer. This is the 'striking method' of external training."

"At the beginner level, one uses a four-tael hammer for strikes during the day, then applies Blood-Transforming Paste at night, made by boiling old ginger, brown sugar, tiger bone powder, and over a dozen other medicinal ingredients..."

"At minor mastery, one uses a two-catty hammer. Besides striking practice, one must soak in medicinal baths using higher-grade ingredients."

"At major mastery, one uses a ten-catty heavy hammer for striking practice. The accompanying secret medicine requires even rarer materials, all century-old herbs found in deep mountains and wild forests, difficult for ordinary people to obtain."

"No wonder Brother Ji didn't practice it. Without enough money to support it, this Binding Armor Skill would only hammer you to death."

After reading the manual, Li Xiuwen fell into deep thought.

"I'm already struggling to maintain my Sea-Sand Stance and Sand-Turning Palm practice. I simply can't support the Binding Armor Skill's long-term cultivation."

"Still, aside from tiger bone powder, the secret medicine for the beginner level isn't expensive. Tomorrow, I'll visit an apothecary and get some to test its effects."

"If I cultivate it fairly quickly, I can keep practicing it."

"If it's too difficult, I'll wait until I have money in the future..."

Li Xiuwen tucked the thin golden booklet close to his body and fell into a deep sleep.