Transplanting the Red Sun Saber Technique

Xie An returned to the West Courtyard with Osmanthus, carrying A Shan by the hand.

Qiu Lan, Chen Mo, and Li Dao were all in the sitting room.

Xie An tossed A Shan into the courtyard and instructed Li Dao, "Li Dao, take this wicked woman to the rear courtyard and lock her up under guard. Qiu Lan, make a trip to the Peaceful Medicine Furnace tonight and ask a reliable physician to dress her wounds."

The Peaceful Medicine Furnace was a Xie Household property, and its most renowned resident physician was Li Yuqiao.

After Li Dao and Qiu Lan left, Chen Mo was the only outsider remaining in the sitting room.

Xie An took the main seat and replayed the battle in his mind.

Tonight had been Xie An's first time fighting someone head-on since crossing over.

Although he had won, the process had still been perilous.

A Shan had clearly possessed only the strength of Four Barriers Organ Tempering, yet with her flexible swordsmanship, bone-setting technique, and loach-like evasive movements, she had left him with strength he could not use. In the end, she had even pulled off a venomous fingernail and stabbed him with it.

If not for Withered Abyss, he would have been the one to suffer tonight.

Xie An had not intended to reveal Withered Abyss before others, but the situation had been too urgent at the time, leaving him no room to worry about it.

Looking back on the details of the battle, Xie An could not help feeling a lingering dread.

A battle of life and death was truly fraught with danger.

The slightest mistake could cost one's life.

Of course, as the legitimate eldest son, he had Daoist Master Yusu at his side to protect him and serve as a safety net.

Though the Daoist nun had watched the whole affair like a play, she would have stepped in if he had been unable to defeat A Shan.

On that point, Xie An trusted Uncle Shui and his father.

The Daoist nun had likely stood by because she wanted to temper him through experience.

Her methods had been a little ruthless, but Xie An liked this sort of free-range teaching.

Only this way could he grow stronger faster.

Xie An understood clearly that a safety net was only temporary. If he wanted to gain a foothold in this ghost-haunted chaotic world, the most important thing was his own strength.

In the end, Xie An reached a conclusion: tonight had been so dangerous because he had suffered from not knowing how to use weapons.

He still needed to begin training with weapons as soon as possible.

Although Daoist Master Yusu would come to the residence tomorrow to teach him martial arts,

with the Martial Arts Grand Model, it would not be difficult for Xie An to practice some weapon techniques in private.

After all, skills never weighed a person down.

What was more, the person behind the Yin Cloth Doll had yet to be found, and no one knew where that Monster Strain youth had fled!

It left Xie An feeling terribly insecure.

With that thought, Xie An looked up at Chen Mo. "Instructor Chen, what renowned weapon techniques does Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall possess?"

Chen Mo glanced at the three claw marks on Xie An's chest and seemed to realize something. "May I ask what weapon Young Master Mingxi wishes to cultivate?"

Each weapon had corresponding training methods, so one naturally had to decide what weapon to use before beginning cultivation.

Xie An asked directly, "I am strong. What weapon would suit me?"

Chen Mo replied, "Those with great strength are suited to heavy weapons. The most common are sabers, spears, axes, and hammers."

Only then did Xie An notice that Chen Mo had been standing all this time. He pointed to the grand chair on the left. "Instructor Chen, sit and tell me slowly. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the various weapons?"

Chen Mo cupped her hands and took a seat. "May I ask how many major tendons Young Master Mingxi has opened?"

Xie An did not hide it. "Four hundred and eighty-five."

Chen Mo's pupils suddenly contracted.

She had never seen Xie An make a move, but she could already sense the weighty depth of his aura and his immense strength. She had thought he had opened a little over three hundred tendons... never did she expect that he had opened every major tendon.

Only after a long while did Chen Mo recover. "I have spent years on Drill Ground Street and seen many martial arts prodigies, but this is the first time I have seen someone open all four hundred and eighty-five major tendons. Young Master Mingxi is truly a once-in-a-generation martial arts genius."

When Young Master Mingxi broke through to Bone Tempering, he would likely have the chance to temper every bone in his body as well. At that time, his strength would multiply once more, and he would be a humanoid vajra.

"What does Young Master think of axes and hammers?"

An axe?

The image of Cheng Yaojin from television immediately surfaced in Xie An's mind. It was far too crude, and not nimble enough either.

A hammer?

What appeared in his mind was Li Yuanba wielding the Drum-Beating Golden Urn Hammer. That was not the image Xie An wanted either.

Seeing Xie An's hesitation, Chen Mo added, "Young Master Mingxi is tall and straight, with long limbs. A great spear, crescent-bladed saber, or heavy saber would also suit you well."

A crescent-bladed saber was a polearm... wasn't that Lord Guan's weapon?

Besides the crescent-bladed saber, polearms also included the three-pointed, double-edged spear used by the True Lord Erlang.

They were imposing enough, and heavy enough, but they needed mounted charges to unleash their full power. They were also inconvenient to carry.

Chen Mo spoke again. "If Young Master Mingxi does not like those, a heavy straight saber would also be suitable. It could be custom-made from fine refined iron, with a blade four chi long and weighing forty jin."

A straight saber had a straight blade with a sharp angled point at the tip.

Xie An finally nodded. "Please tell me about the saber techniques for a straight saber, Instructor Chen."

Chen Mo explained at length, "Weapons are great vicious instruments of killing, never a child's plaything. There has always been an old saying in the martial world: first correct the body methods, then refine the fists and kicks. Only after the inner and outer three harmonies unite may one advance to weapons."

Xie An asked, "What are the inner and outer three harmonies?"

Chen Mo replied, "Shoulders harmonize with hips, elbows harmonize with knees, and hands harmonize with feet. These are the outer three harmonies. Seizing is dead, grappling is alive; only after mastering seizing and grappling may one advance to weapons. Weapons are extensions of the hands and feet. The heart must harmonize with intent, intent with qi, and qi with strength. These are the inner three harmonies. Inner yin and outer yang, inner and outer running through as one breath. If one form is not aligned, it is difficult to train another form!"

Xie An nodded repeatedly. "Instructor Chen is indeed a professional. Please explain further."

Chen Mo said, "The finest saber technique at Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall is the Red Sun Saber Technique. Its movements are simple, its force powerful and heavy, making it most suitable for Young Master Mingxi. But it is exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Without five or six years of tempering, it is hard even to enter the gate..."

Xie An interrupted, "Did you bring the saber manual?"

"I did not." Chen Mo shook her head, then added, "However, I have taught at the martial arts hall for many years and am extremely familiar with this saber technique. I can write it out from memory for Young Master Mingxi."

Xie An rose and cupped his hands. "Then I must trouble Instructor Chen."

"My father and I have received the proprietor's care for many years. This is what I ought to do." Chen Mo rose, walked behind a long table to one side, ground ink, and picked up her brush.

In less than half an hour, she had written over a thousand characters of the Red Sun Saber Technique in a sweeping flow.

After drying the ink, Chen Mo presented the rice paper with both hands. "This is the Red Sun Saber Technique, without a single word missing. If Young Master Mingxi finds anything unclear, I can answer at any time."

"I'll look through it myself first." Xie An took the paper and returned to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

After a brief skim, he found that the Red Sun Saber Technique contained thirteen movements in total, divided into four forms: Tiger-Subduing Stance, Sinking Pressure Stance, Pushing Mountain Form, and Red Sun Form.

The method was to repeat these four moves endlessly, swinging the saber ten thousand times until its power revealed itself.

Simple and brutal, it emphasized the utmost exertion of force.

It was also paired with a unique movement technique that allowed the body to coordinate and apply force with precision.

"Ten Thousand Questions, estimate the qi-blood required to transplant the Tiger-Subduing Stance."

[Estimation successful: transplanting the Tiger-Subduing Stance requires 1.8 units of qi-blood]

[Transplant the Tiger-Subduing Stance for me!]