Seven Treasures Wonder Art

"Splash, splash!" Little Leopard stood naked in the stream, fiercely splashing water onto his face. Every inch of him stank beyond belief, as though he had just climbed out of a cesspit after rolling around in it.

Fortunately, the little creature had been annoyed enough to fart at him twice. Otherwise, after the first fart knocked him unconscious, he might not have woken up in time. The little creature's second fart had actually stunk him awake.

This might be the most tragic day of my life! Little Leopard mocked himself inwardly as he climbed out of the stream, bare-bottomed. Looking at the clothes drying beside the water, which probably would not dry anytime soon, he pulled a miserable face.

"Damn it, do I have to dry these clothes with my internal power? I still have to find blood food for that bastard Blood Wuy a. Ah, forget it. I'll accept my fate. I can't go running around naked. Even if there's nobody here, I'm still a civilized person, aren't I? I'm not like that little creature, hopping through space bare-bottomed all day long!"

Without realizing it, he had actually put himself on the same level as that little creature.

Perhaps that, too, was a kind of tragedy.

After drying his clothes with his internal power, Little Leopard dragged his heavy feet about for over four hours before finally gathering fifteen animals for blood food. By the time he had prepared everything and dragged it into the Secluded Valley, he had not a scrap of strength left.

Blood Wuy a could not help finding it strange when he saw Little Leopard's dejected expression and ashen face, looking as though someone had thoroughly beaten and abused him.

"What happened to you? Did you run into trouble?"

"A little trouble!" Little Leopard said. Involuntarily recalling what had happened, he felt his stomach churn again and promptly vomited up a bellyful of sour fluid.

"Looks like you haven't had a very good day!" In a rare moment, Blood Wuy a teased him. "What, is there anything around here that can give you trouble?"

"No. I ran into a weasel while hunting blood food. I wasn't paying attention and breathed some in!"

"Hahahahaha!" At those words, Blood Wuy a burst into uproarious laughter. "You certainly have good luck!"

"Yes, very good!" Little Leopard said bitterly through gritted teeth.

"All right. You look utterly worn out today. Go back. Come early tomorrow. I have something for you to do!"

"What is it?" Little Leopard blurted out.

"We'll discuss it tomorrow!" Blood Wuy a glanced at Little Leopard, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes, as if to say, Didn't I just tell you to come tomorrow?

Little Leopard shuddered violently. Without another word, he obediently withdrew from the Secluded Valley, inwardly sighing with relief. He had been afraid Blood Wuy a would come over to test his martial arts as he had yesterday. He really did not have the energy for that now!

The night passed without incident. The next day, fully rested, Little Leopard finished hunting the blood food early and entered the Secluded Valley.

He stood quietly to one side, waiting while Blood Wuy a consumed the blood food and then regulated his breathing for a while.

Blood Wuy a was very pleased with Little Leopard's respectful attitude.

"There is something I need you to do!"

"Please give your instructions, Master!" Little Leopard answered with a deferential smile. When it came to observing proper etiquette, he gave Blood Wuy a absolutely nothing to fault. Little Leopard even believed that if he were to take a Kunai and cut off Blood Wuy a's head right now, he would still keep that deferential expression on his face. It made him feel as though he had returned to his previous life. Although this falsely respectful expression was not what he truly felt, he could not deny that it was extremely useful to him now.

"I need Rootless Grass, Drifting Glass Flower, and Bitter-Gall Orchid!" Blood Wuy a said.

Little Leopard raised his head, a bewildered look appearing on his face. He had heard the names of these medicinal herbs before. In fact, on that pill recipe, Rootless Grass was among the ingredients required for the Bone Tempering Pill, while among those required for the Sinew Changing Pill,

the names Drifting Glass Flower and Bitter-Gall Orchid also appeared. But he had only seen their names. He had never seen the herbs themselves and had no idea what they looked like.

What did Blood Wuy a want these things for?

And why was he telling me about the herbs he wanted?

I don't even recognize them!

Blood Wuy a paid no attention to Little Leopard's thoughts. He merely pointed at the rock wall behind him. "I've drawn all three herbs on the rock wall and recorded their growing habits. These medicinal herbs are rare, but all of them grow in the Vast Cang Mountains. They shouldn't be difficult to find. I'll give you five days. Bring the herbs to me five days from now!"

"Five days?" Little Leopard froze, then gave a bitter smile. "Master, it's not that I don't want to work for you, but this task really is rather difficult!"

"Difficult?" Blood Wuy a raised an eyebrow, looking at Little Leopard's deferential face in surprise. "You can't do it?"

"I wouldn't dare deceive you, Master!" Little Leopard said. "Even if it costs me my life, I must carry out your instructions. But these are the Vast Cang Mountains! These past few days, I've only been able to roam nearby. Yesterday, I went a little deeper into that forest and nearly got eaten by a White-Scaled Python. My strength is truly limited, and I don't dare go far. Besides, this place is a dead end. Behind the valley is a cliff ten thousand fathoms high, and I have no ability to climb it. More than five li into the dense forest, there are vicious monsters, and I have no ability to get past them either. As for the stream outside, I've looked out from the cave on the cliff. A little over ten li downstream, there's a strange fog even in daylight. I've never seen a bird or beast enter it, so I imagine it's poisonous mist. I can't go there either. After roaming around hunting these past two days, I'm fairly familiar with this little patch of land, but I haven't seen a single specimen of the herbs you've drawn. If I venture beyond this stretch of a few dozen li, my life is a small matter, but delaying your important business would be a grave offense!"

"You... are very interesting!" After hearing Little Leopard's words, Blood Wuy a stood stunned for quite some time before finally squeezing out that sentence.

Little Leopard's expression did not change, but inwardly he was blooming with laughter.

This was precisely the tactic he had habitually used in his previous life. When a superior assigned a task, fine, no problem. Any task assigned by a superior would be carried out to the letter. Whatever the superior said was right, and whatever the superior wanted done was only proper.

Moreover, before doing anything, one had to plan it out, think through its causes and consequences, analyze all the problems and difficulties one would encounter, and then draw up a detailed plan. Without doing that, how could one demonstrate the importance one attached to the superior's assignment? How could one display one's competence as a subordinate?

The difficulties had been laid out, and the obstacles placed on the table. True, one had to press ahead when conditions permitted, and create the conditions to press ahead when they did not. But superiors were all understanding! Their great wisdom hid beneath an appearance of simplicity! They could all appreciate their subordinates' difficulties! Therefore, the superior would surely provide every possible convenience for completing the task, whether in funding or manpower. Either would do!

As for superiors who were not understanding and could not appreciate their subordinates' difficulties, that was no problem either. If something went wrong with the task, he would bear part of the responsibility, but the superior would have to bear some too. After all, he had clearly explained the difficulties beforehand. When the year-end democratic evaluation came around, he would simply mark them "poor." It was anonymous anyway. How would they know who had marked it?

Although an entire lifetime had passed, these tactics remained deeply rooted in Little Leopard's mind. Whenever he needed them, he naturally brought them into play without the slightest trace of affectation.

As for Blood Wuy a, his expression looked rather gloomy, almost constipated.

Although he badly wanted to slap this slippery little brat to death, he had to admit that Little Leopard was right. The boy had attained some proficiency in his lightness skill and movement techniques, but deep in the Vast Cang Mountains, that was still far from enough!

"What you say makes sense. But since I've asked you to do it, naturally I've already considered that!" Blood Wuy a said. As for whether he really had considered it, only Heaven knew. "The Wild Goose Floating Heart Method I taught you is already a first-rate lightness skill. Even across the entire martial world, it ranks among the very best. You simply haven't cultivated it long enough, and your internal power is mediocre, so you can't bring this movement technique to its full potential. Still, it's enough to deal with ordinary wild beasts in these mountains!"

"I understand!" Little Leopard said. Of course he understood perfectly well. The Wild Goose Floating Heart Method was indeed extraordinarily profound, but he did not believe lightness skill alone would enable him to gather medicinal herbs for Blood Wuy a. Perhaps with another year or two of practice, he could do it. But now? Heh, he was powerless.

"Among the four principles of lightness skill, this movement technique uniquely grasps the mysteries of lightness itself. Normally, that would suffice. Unfortunately, your age and strength prevent you from fully bringing out its effects. The sword move I taught you is extremely powerful, but you likewise cannot comprehend it in a short time!"

Little Leopard said nothing. He merely looked at him expectantly, raising his eyebrows slightly. Indeed, the abilities Blood Wuy a had taught him were powerful, but apart from the Wild Goose Floating Heart Method, they were not particularly practical. Nor were they things he could handle in his present state.

"I'll now teach you a secret technique. It lets you concentrate the internal energy of your entire body into your fist with maximum efficiency and deliver an extraordinarily destructive punch. It doesn't require much internal energy, only a certain degree of control over it and sufficient bodily strength. At your current level, you should just barely be able to use it, greatly increasing your offensive power. Then again, with my Black Gold Short Sword, you already lack nothing in that regard. This move can only serve as a final, life-saving resort. I hope you'll still have strength left when that moment comes!"

Blood Wuy a gave Little Leopard a brief glance and spoke flatly.

Little Leopard's heart tightened as he listened. Knowing Blood Wuy a was in a very bad mood, he decided it was best not to provoke him further. He immediately plastered a grateful smile onto his face. "Thank you, Master!"

Blood Wuy a held nothing back and taught the move to Little Leopard then and there. One taught earnestly, the other learned earnestly, and in just two hours, they were finished.

"This secret technique chiefly concerns the internal method. As for the move itself, just throw your fist out. I'll give you one day to familiarize yourself with it properly. Bring the herbs back to me six days from now!"

"I understand!" Little Leopard nodded. "Then should I prepare your blood food for these next few days in advance, Master?"

"No need. Missing a few meals of blood food won't starve your master to death!"

Little Leopard did not dare say any more and withdrew from the valley.

"Hmph. This boy is young, but his mind is more meticulous than an old man's. If I hadn't already given you the manual for the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art, I might really have spared your life and taken you as my disciple. What a pity... Once I gather the herbs, refine the Elixir Perfume, and lure that Demon Beast out to tame it as a spiritually attuned beast, your time will be up!" Watching Little Leopard's departing back, Blood Wuy a's lips curved into an icy smile. Had he not decided from the outset to kill Little Leopard, why would he have taught him the complete Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art and the Wild Goose Floating Heart Method? That sword move and the secret technique he had taught Little Leopard today only strengthened his resolve to kill the boy and silence him.

Whether the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art, that sword move, the Wild Goose Floating Heart Method, or the secret technique, he had gone to tremendous trouble to obtain them all. They were also his hidden trump cards for preserving his life. Even his personal disciples would not receive them until the very last moment. The only reason he had passed them to Little Leopard so early was that he had already resolved to kill him and had no fear of the boy leaking them.

But would Little Leopard let him have his way?

"A secret technique?"

Simulating the internal energy route of the secret technique Blood Wuy a had just taught him, Little Leopard frowned slightly. This technique was quite similar to Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist. Both concentrated the energy within the body at a single point and released it in an instantaneous burst, producing immense destructive force. The difference was that Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist could concentrate chakra in both her hands and feet, whereas this secret technique was restricted to the fists.

Moreover, it could only be unleashed with a clenched fist. After all, this was not a comic book. It involved the routes internal energy followed through the meridians, an extremely complicated system. Although this world had many cultivation arts and internal methods, each had been forged through countless trials and refinements by earlier generations. Every route internal energy took through the meridians had strict requirements. One could not simply send it wherever one pleased. Even taking a single wrong branch could have grave consequences: at best, cultivation deviation and damaged meridians; at worst, death.

Secret techniques could be called the pinnacle of what internal energy methods could achieve. Even the simplest secret technique, such as the one Little Leopard was learning now, followed a far more complicated path through the meridians than an ordinary internal method. Of course, this posed no difficulty for Little Leopard. By his estimate, the impact and destructive force released in that instantaneous explosion could exceed his normal full-strength blow by more than tenfold. That was also the greatest strain his meridians could currently withstand. Greater power was possible, but unleashing it would certainly damage his meridians.

The problem now was exactly as Blood Wuy a had said: with the Black Gold Short Sword in hand, his offensive power basically needed no improvement. Even the strongest fist feared a kitchen knife, let alone the treasured blade he held, which sliced through iron like mud.

Then again, all he had wanted in the first place was to get something out of Blood Wuy a. Everything else was merely an excuse.

"This secret technique seems very simple to use!"

Indeed, its method of use was very simple. Broadly speaking, it required only two steps: first, gather internal energy; second, release it in an explosive burst.

"And I don't necessarily have to release it all at once!" Little Leopard narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint red glow flashing within them. He raised both hands, clenched them into fists, and activated the internal method. Within a single breath, both fists had turned crimson, faintly emitting a reddish-gold radiance.

Suddenly, Little Leopard swung his fist into a tree beside him. A red light flashed, followed by an explosion. His single punch toppled the trunk, thick enough for one person to encircle with their arms. At the same time, he turned and threw his other fist straight into the air.

With a bang that tore through the air, the space around his fist seemed to explode. A brilliant burst of reddish-gold light flashed across Little Leopard's fist, then vanished as it returned to normal. At the same time, a scorching current of air rushed into his face.

"Interesting!" Little Leopard did not stop. He stepped forward and punched again with the fist that had just broken the tree, which still shone with golden light. As that punch went out, its red glow died, and his other fist followed. Repeating this, Little Leopard threw nine punches before the radiance on both fists completely faded.

He panted lightly, and the fiery red in Little Leopard's eyes gradually disappeared as well.

"This secret technique really requires very little internal energy. Even with my current foundation, I can throw nine punches and still have something left. In other words, each use consumes only a tenth of my total internal energy, yet produces three to four times the force of my original full-strength punch. If I released all my internal energy at once, my offensive power would multiply further, but my hand would be ruined. My current meridians can probably only withstand a little over ten times the force!" At that thought, Little Leopard smiled. "But the prerequisite is absolute control over my own internal energy!"

His control over internal energy was perhaps the greatest difference between him and others. With the aid of his eyes, his control could be described as downright monstrous. As he grew older and stronger, he believed that control would only continue to improve.

Perhaps I can find more secret techniques to cultivate. I've heard that what secret techniques emphasize most is control over the internal energy within the body, just like this fist-force method. That's precisely what I'm best at! Little Leopard indulged in this fantasy, then smiled self-mockingly. How could things be that convenient? Whoever obtains a secret technique keeps it closely guarded. How could I learn one so easily? Although my luck seems excellent now, with both secret techniques and unusual arts coming my way, I know perfectly well that such luck comes with tremendous risks. And those risks clearly aren't something I'm willing to bear right now!

Inside the Secluded Valley, Blood Wuy a sat beside the Underground Cavern, gazing up at the starry sky with a trace of madness flickering in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "The Seven Treasures Wonder Art. Heh heh, I've even taught him the Seven Treasures Wonder Art now. Not kill him? How could I possibly not kill him? Hehehehe, hehehehe!"

Five thousand words for this update first. Seems like, possibly, probably, there's another chapter coming! Click, recommend, and bookmark!