Chapter 76: Chapter 73 Knife Technique Competition_1
Lu Yan continued to browse and subsequently found a body refining martial art named "Man Xiang Body."
The Vajra Body, a hard move, is actually a type of body-refining martial arts.
After cultivating the Man Xiang Body, numerous opened channels spread throughout the entire body. The focus is on refining the body, which continuously strengthens it, generating the power of an elephant. The explosive power is enormous, and the skin and muscles would become as hard as an elephant, greatly enhancing defense.
Lu Yan was very enticed. He could imagine that if the Man Xiang Body overlaid the Vajra Body, his defense would rise to a new level.
Next, Lu Yan chose a special martial art, the "Sky Eagle Eye."
The hawk, soaring thousands of meters high, can see prey ten miles away, with unparalleled vision.
After cultivating the Sky Eagle Eye, channels around both eyes are opened up, gradually strengthening the eyes and enhancing vision, until they become eagle-eyed.
This martial art seemingly does not directly increase martial power, but in reality, it is more important than enhancing martial power.
This is a lifelong enhancement of a certain organ.
"Do you need any more?"
Seeing Lu Yan close the book, Li Shuo asked.
"Do you have any archery martial arts?"
Lu Yan asked.
He had always had a soft spot for archery martial arts.
"I’m sorry, we don’t."
"During the peak of the Da Chu Dynasty, there was a ban, the bow and crossbow were prohibited, and civilians were not allowed to use them. Even hunting bows needed to be registered. Now Da Chu is no longer what it used to be. The feudal princes and feudal lords are at war, and the ban has long been invalidated, but archery martial arts are still regarded as forbidden techniques by all the great feudal lords. They are only promoted in the army, and once discovered in the market, they will be collected and circulation prohibited by the feudal lords."
"After all, archery martial arts are too dangerous."
Lu Yan understood this rationale.
If you train in boxing, swords, and other weapons, no matter how strong you are, you have to get close to kill someone.
However, those divine archers who practice archery martial arts are terrifying. They can kill from far, take lives from thousands of meters away. How can those big shots from the noble families be at ease?
Of course, they would do their best to prevent circulation.
As a commerce association of the noble Li Family, Baicao Commerce Association would certainly never sell archery martial arts.
It’s not that they don’t have them; they just don’t sell them.
Lu Yan sighed and temporarily gave up this obsession.
"Calculate it. How much silver in total?"
Lu Yan said, his hands continuing to wander across the four beautiful legs.
"Wind Chasing Step is four thousand taels, Vajra Fist is three thousand taels, Man Xiang Body is four thousand taels, Sky Eagle Eye is five thousand taels, for a total of sixteen thousand taels. Since the gentleman is buying four second-rate martial arts at once, you are entitled to a 20% discount, totaling twelve thousand eight hundred taels," replied Li Shuo.
"I’m not going to haggle with you anymore. Round it off, please. Twelve thousand taels."
Lu Yan said.
"As you see, the 20% discount is already the lowest price. If it’s lower... Err! I’ll make the call myself. Twelve thousand taels it is! That eight hundred taels, I’ll make up for it myself. I must have you as my friend,"
Li Shuo said reluctantly, finally biting the bullet and deciding.
"Do you have weapons here? Show me around."
Lu Yan got up.
Soon, they arrived at the weapons room.
However, after looking around, Lu Yan didn’t find any satisfactory ones.
"Do you have a weapon that can withstand the bone strength of a Martial Marquis?"
Lu Yan asked.
"A weapon capable of withstanding the bone strength of a Martial Marquis would be considered a divine weapon. Excuse me for asking, but may I inquire about your cultivation level?"
Li Shuo asked.
Lu Yan frowned.
Asking about someone’s cultivation level was considered a taboo.
Li Shuo also realized his mistake and hurriedly said, "Please forgive me, sir, I apologize. But with all due respect, you are probably not a Martial Marquis. If you’re not a Martial Marquis, even if you have divine weapons, what use is a weapon that can resist bone strength if you can’t resist it yourself?"
"Therefore, for those below the Martial Marquis, refined steel is enough."
"Don’t have any?"
Lu Yan asked again.
"Indeed we don’t. Li Family certainly has divine weapons, but they are all held by those Martial Marquises and won’t be taken out for sale easily."
After Li Shuo finished speaking, his eyes suddenly lit up. It seemed that he wanted to recover his image. He continued, "If you really want one, I have a recommendation. You may win a divine sword capable of withstanding the bone strength of a Martial Marquis."
A divine weapon, and a sword at that.
Lu Yan immediately became interested. "What’s the recommendation?"
"There’s a swordsman in Bei City named Wang Dao. He’s a martial arts prodigy. He started training with a sword when he was ten, and at the age of forty, he cultivated the second-rate martial art, Reflecting Moon Blade, to a transcendent level. However, since then, his knife technique has hit a plateau. In the past twenty years, he has been unable to improve further, unable to reach the Unity of Man and Martial Arts."
"So, he set up a challenge platform at his home to meet swordsmen from all over the world. He proclaimed that whosoever could beat him with just sword technique, without using Qi-blood, would receive his ancestral divine weapon, the Red Blood Blade."
"But in the three years since he set up the challenge platform, no one has been able to beat him. Few even last ten moves against him."
Li Shuo explained.
"Interesting,"
Lu Yan was interested.
He had cultivated second-rate martial arts to the point of transcendence over thirty years, deserving the title of ’martial arts genius’.
Ordinary martial artists often took thirty years to master a third-rate martial art reaching the peak of perfection.
Mastering second-rate martial arts was even harder. Those who could cultivate a second-rate martial art to the peak of perfection in their lifetime were considered extraordinarily talented. As for reaching the state of transcendence, it was naturally even more difficult.
Without the Dao Book, he probably couldn’t have achieved this.
Only by reaching the unity of man and martial arts with a second-rate knife technique could one defeat him. No wonder no one had defeated him in three years.
But what others could not do, he could.
"Could you lead the way?"
Lu Yan said.
"Of course."
Li Shuo nodded.
Lu Yan paid out twelve thousand silver and subsequently obtained four martial arts manuals.
After keeping it close to his body, he followed Li Shuo towards Bei City.
Baicao City was extremely large, covering a vast area. The area of Bei City alone was larger than Changfeng City by a substantial margin.
Wang Dao’s residence was not large, a dilapidated small courtyard. In the courtyard was a simple arena.
It was cold and deserted, and no one was around.
"Wang Dao, someone has come to challenge your knife technique, get out and fight."
Li Shuo yelled loudly.
After a while, a shabbily dressed old man with gray hair and a burly figure walked out listlessly from the inner house. His eyes were vacant, filled only with confusion and puzzle.
"This guy, I guess he’s been studying his knife technique again, it’s almost become his obsession."
Li Shuo whispered.
"Who has come to challenge me?"
Wang Dao swept a glance at Lu Yan and Li Shuo.
"Junior seeks advice."
Lu Yan stepped forward and said with a bowed fist.
"You?" Wang Dao stared at Lu Yan from top to bottom, frowning: "Are you a swordsman? You don’t even have a knife, how can you be called a swordsman?"
"My sword was destroyed in a fight with the enemy. I heard that you set up this arena and promised to give away your ancestral treasure sword if anyone can win against your knife technique?"
Lu Yan said.
"Absolutely true." Wang Dao nodded.
"Does it withstand bone strength?"
"Of course."
Wang Dao nodded, and to strengthen his credibility, added: "The Red Blood Blade is made of Red Blood Iron and several rare metals. It cuts iron like mud and is unbreakable."
"Good, let’s do it. May I borrow your sword?"
Lu Yan said.
"Okay, I will play a few moves with you."
Wang Dao returned to the house and brought out two iron swords, tossing one to Lu Yan.
Lu Yan held the long sword, and his aura changed instantly. His eyes became sharp, and he seemed to merge with the sword, radiating a sharp presence.
An expert reveals his skill with the first move.
Wang Dao’s face immediately turned serious and his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.
"You make the first move. If I make the first move, you won’t have a chance to draw your sword."
Lu Yan said.
If Lu Yan had said this just now, Wang Dao would certainly think that Lu Yan was bragging, but he didn’t think so now.
Excitement flashed in his eyes, he yelled lowly, and charged at Lu Yan with his sword.
A crescent-shaped blade of light emerged.
Then, the crescent split into two, two into four, and four into eight...
A total of sixteen crescent-shaped blades of light slashed towards Lu Yan, true and false were hard to distinguish.
Ordinary people would be flustered and retreat when facing such attacks.
This sword technique could be considered as reaching a state of transcendence.
But Lu Yan wasn’t moved and remained calm, as if he didn’t see these blades of light.
It wasn’t until the blade light approached him that Lu Yan finally drew his sword.
There was a flash of white light in the air, and the sixteen crescent-shaped blades of light shattered. Lu Yan’s blade was already pressed against Wang Dao’s throat, less than an inch away.
Li Shuo was stunned, as was Wang Dao.
But then Wang Dao began to tremble with excitement, muttering: "Such a sword technique, such a sword technique, this is the ultimate realm of sword technique I have always pursued..."
The confusion in his eyes dissipated, and it seemed that Lu Yan’s sword had cleared the fog in front of his eyes and given him hope.
