Like Glue and Lacquer, Competing in the Winter Hunt

Li Xian sat upright in the courtyard, contemplating the martial arts of the various schools. His foundational martial arts and Lower Vehicle martial arts had all reached Peak Mastery. Only the first layer of the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword had more than reached Perfection, while the second layer still fell short of Peak Mastery.

"Madam has delayed teaching me lightness skill for so long. Could it be she is afraid I'll run away?"

"I can keep practicing the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword as usual. With my current energy, I can learn another martial art."

He went straight to the Idle Martial Pavilion, crossed the narrow bridge of mechanisms, and entered the pavilion to select a martial art.

The martial arts there included foundational and Lower Vehicle techniques. Li Xian examined more than a dozen books. The foundational martial arts were exquisitely crafted, while the Lower Vehicle martial arts instead contained flaws and shortcomings.

"It seems... most of the Lower Vehicle martial arts here were casually created by Madam on a sudden whim. That is why they are so incomplete. Strictly speaking, they are all incomplete martial arts."

"And because they are incomplete martial arts, they are harder to practice. Thinking back, when I practiced the Jade Luo Palm, I spent far more energy and time on it than on the Heavenly Thunder Finger."

"Of course, that was partly because my martial realm has steadily risen, my understanding has deepened, and I can draw inferences from one instance to another, making my progress faster. But the Jade Luo Palm's flaws were also a factor."

Holding a lamp, Li Xian walked slowly onward. Then he suddenly spotted a Lower Vehicle martial art, [Vastmist Leg]. He flipped through it and read carefully, delight filling his heart.

"This Vastmist Leg bears some resemblance to