"You actually needed to use two skills against a child?"
"I understand my mistake."
The master of Purple Bamboo Forest could not help but lament. "It is fine. This child is not ordinary. That bearing and those mannerisms… If I did not have an understanding toward the disciples of the Murong Clan, I would have thought a successor disciple from the Murong Clan had come over to learn our martial arts. When he goes back, the Murong Clan Lady will definitely not let this matter slide. Continue fighting against him and grant him instruction…"
"But master, why..."
"You do not need to ask." The master of Purple Bamboo Forest seemed to know what the sword servant wanted to ask, so she chuckled softly. "You will not be able to defend against the people from the Murong Clan learning your craft. Since that is the case, it doesn't matter if we let them learn a few tricks. But the child is quite interesting as well. He actually came forth and told us his intentions honestly… He is very interesting."
Naturally, Happy knew nothing about this.
When he returned to Murong Mansion, the white-clad Murong Clan Lady was waiting for him in the backyard.
"My lady, I did not manage to get the purple bamboos. Please punish me."
"You fought against the sword servant of Purple Bamboo Forest?" The Murong Clan Lady cast a glance at Happy's dusty clothes and frowned slightly. "Did you mention the name of our clan?"
"Yes."
Happy narrated his encounter in Purple Bamboo Forest, and the woman nodded repeatedly.
"You did well. You had the bearing the Murong Clan should have. By the way, you said that the sword servant delivered two strikes? Show them to me," said the Murong Clan Lady with a tone that allowed no refusal.
"Yes."
Happy had already understood the general gist of the quest.
The Murong Clan Lady intended to investigate the foundations and skills of the Purple Bamboo Forest master through him when he fought against her sword servant. As long as he could remember the skills, he had an idea of what would happen next. The Murong Clan Lady should slowly teach him some skills that would specifically counter the sword servant's skills.
At that moment, Happy suppressed the excitement in his heart and demonstrated the two skills the sword servant had used to attack him. He also showed her how he moved to avoid the attacks while fl.u.s.tered.
After all, Happy already had three years' worth of experience in World of Martial Arts. Not only could he remember some skills after looking at them once, he could also bring out their form when he demonstrated them. When he executed the skills, he even perfectly emulated the sword servant's charm, and the Murong Clan Lady was quite surprised when she saw this.
She could not help but say, "The first skill is rather normal. He used the third style from Turbid Principles Hand, Iron Palm Shakes Heavens. He did not need to use qi against you, and there was no power behind his attack. But surprisingly, you managed to avoid the tremors, and so, he should have thought that you were pretending to be weak and revealed his skills.
"He used Beggar Sect's Mad Demon Staff Technique, so they are from Beggar's Sect…? But that's not right. It's impossible for Beggar's Sect to have such an elegant woman." The Murong Clan Lady fell into deep thought. She did not ponder about the reason why Happy could avoid Iron Hand Shakes Heavens.
"Mad Demon Staff Technique places an emphasis on speed and hopes to achieve victory by oppressing slow attacks with fast attacks… Hmm, he still found it beneath himself to use qi against a child like you. Looks like I will have to teach you martial arts that protect your lower body and joints. The martial art that relies the most on the lower body is Shaolin's Long Fist. It is energetic, sturdy, and relies on strength to subjugate the nimble."
The Murong Clan Lady brought out a book tied together with a string as if she conjured it out of thin air. She handed it to Happy with a reminder.
"I will give you three days to break his Mad Demon Staff Technique! Don't forget to continue practicing Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique. During this period, if you have any questions, come and find me here."
Once she finished speaking, she walked away, leaving Happy alone while he looked like he did not know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He held the martial arts book that all Shaolin secular disciples in the world could receive—Shaolin's Long Fist.
And it was even a beginner's martial art.
'I will endure this for the sake of Shifting Stars!'
Resolution shone in Happy's eyes. He then began training in the backyard. He could do nothing else about it; after all, his greatest regret in his previous life was that he had never received a matchless martial art. And right then, he had ran into a rare and valuable chance to get one, so there was no way he would not pursue it to the end.
When Happy began to train, his moves were actually quite on point.
Shaolin's Long Fist was the most basic of all martial arts Shaolin monks would learn when they joined Shaolin Temple, which was a respectful sect in the world of martial artists. Thus, there was no way that Happy would have never learned it before.
However, he could not directly transfer his gaming experience from his previous playthrough into this game. He could only practice the skills again to slowly bring out the feeling he once had when he executed them.
Even though he had to start anew, he could get the same results with half the effort this time, and he could execute the skills with ease. Soon, the noise in the backyard gained a rhythm, and the sounds became linked together. Every single time Happy executed a punch, the roaring of the wind could be heard.
When he grew tired, he would meditate and use Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique to restore his stamina and spirit. Then, he would throw himself back into understanding Shaolin's Long Fist. In just a day, he pushed his Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique to Level 2, and his speed when he circulated his qi gradually increased too.
As his meridian system was opened up and his body became stronger, the might of Shaolin's Long Fist also increased slowly. When he dealt a swift, explosive punch with all his strength, he could even make the air roar. He improved so quickly that perhaps no one in the Murong Clan could compare to him.
But with just normal training, he would never be able to gain true improvement in the path of martial arts. This was something Happy knew very well.
When his Shaolin's Long Fist reached Level 10, it would stop progressing. The progress bar would simply refuse to budge. If Happy were not busy with continuously studying and fusing his understanding of Shaolin's Long Fist from his previous playthrough into his current one, he would have left Murong Mansion a long time ago in search of real fights outside the city.
Even though Shaolin's Long Fist could handle Mad Demon Staff Technique once he was familiar with it, Happy was a person who strove to do his best in whatever he did. Since the Murong Clan Lady gave him three days to study and understand the technique, he was not in a hurry to try it out. He intended to continue polishing his skills until he could meet the sword servant head on at the peak of his condition.
He was going to suppress Mad Demon Staff Technique. The sword servant should not be a disciple from Beggar's Sect, but Shaolin's Long Fist was the basic skill of all the strong and fierce techniques in Shaolin, so it could be used against various practitioners of low-tier martial arts without its user being at a disadvantage at the first three strikes.
Happy did not wish to be sent face-down the second time by the sword servant!
Chapter 6 - Boy vs Wild Wolves
On the second day, Happy still did not head to Purple Bamboo Forest. Instead, once he circulated his qi thrice using Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique, he left Gusu City and went to Cold Mountain Temple, which was located at the outskirts to the west.
The areas beyond the city were unsafe, but as long as people did not wander too far away from the city, they would not run into bandits or robbers. Bandits had intelligence and different levels. If Happy ran
into a bandit who knew some martial arts, he would get killed in one strike, losing more than he gained from his venture outside.
Happy arrived at the temple and went into the forest in a manner of someone who knew his way around the area.
"What is he doing?"
"Don't ask so many questions. Just follow him, and we'll know when we see him."
All the people who came out of the Murong Clan were very eye-catching. On his way to the temple, Happy caught the attention of some observant and ambitious people. They trailed him from behind, and when Happy went into the forest, they went in as well.
However, they were soon driven out…
There would never be a lack of wild beasts in the forest under Cold Mountain Temple. If anyone went inside recklessly, it was very normal for them to attract the attention of one or two wild wolves. Before they reached Gate Realm, unless the newbies had ample experience in handling wild beasts or had a great number of people in their party, it would be very difficult for them to escape the clutches of the beasts.
Happy did not know that his unwitting act would cause a few people from Gusu City to die. He just threw stones around to know which path was safe and carefully went into the forest. Then, he fixed his sights on a wild wolf who was separated from its pack.
A.d.u.l.t wild wolves were masters of the area around Cold Mountain Temple. They usually wandered about the forest in search of prey, and their fighting power was that of a martial artist who had just entered Gate Realm.
Happy's target was one of them.
In World of Martial Arts, the level of realism of wild beasts was even greater than that of the NPCs; after all, it was easier to analyze and understand wild animals. Their instincts were rather basic and simple, and in terms of intelligence, they were much simpler than humans. The wild wolves in the game were similar to the fierce wolves in the real world. They were violent and brutal carnivores.
Happy came to the forest because he wanted to pick a wild wolf as his opponent in a real fight to the death so that he could get familiar with Shaolin's Long Fist and increase the level of this technique. He could only understand the fundamentals of it through practice. If he wanted to truly understand the essence of the skill, he had to use it in a real fight.
The wild wolf immediately noticed a human entering its territory, and it was even a young boy. A cruel glare shone in the wolf's light green eyes, and its limbs shuddered. Then, like an arrow fired from a bow, it flew towards Happy. It was even faster than an a.d.u.l.t man.
When Happy entered the stance for Shaolin's Long Fist, the a.d.u.l.t wild wolf leaped into the air like a black specter. With its sharp claws, fangs, and the unpleasant smell unique to wild beasts' mouths and nose, it pounced on Happy!
If any other new player faced a wild wolf for the first time, they would find it hard to remain calm and stationary in the face of such a fierce and swift pounce.
Happy remembered that when he first went out to experience a real fight, a wild wolf had approached them, and one of the three people in his party at that time had died moments later because they had been thrown into confusion. They did not even manage to hit the wild wolf with their skills, and in the end were forced to return to the city in dejection.
Of course, this time would not be the same.
Happy was confident in handling the wild wolf.
His eyes never left the wild wolf while each of Long Fist's moves were clearly reflected in his mind. The starting stance, turn, and grapple were three easy moves. They would not only let him avoid the wild wolf's claws, but the moment it passed by his side, he would go straight for its neck and seize it.
"Ha!"
With minimal power, Happy won against great power!
He turned around dexterously with his tiny body, and the a.d.u.l.t wild wolf, which was much larger than him, was tossed away when he used the momentum to aid him. It crashed violently into a tree nearby and howled.
Happy shot a quick glance at his progress bar before his lips curled up. The level of his Long Fist had started increasing again. He had indeed come to the right place.
But the threat posed by the a.d.u.l.t wild wolf still remained. If it gained the upper hand, it would be difficult to predict who would emerge as the victor of the fight.
The wolf roared!
Once it sensed Happy's provocation, it violently clawed at the ground, and a few marks were left behind. The next moment, it disappeared from where it stood and was already high up in the air once more.
A.d.u.l.t wild wolves were cunning, but Happy was even quicker when it came to adapting to a situation. The moment the a.d.u.l.t wild wolf moved, he took a quick step to take the initiative. Before the wild wolf's speed reached its peak, he executed the seizing motion of Golden Dragon Stretches Claws and blocked off the a.d.u.l.t wolf while it was in the air. Then, he punched it!
His Arm Strength might not be great, but if he hit the animal heavily in the face, it would not matter how powerful the beast was, since it would not be able to handle the blow.
The angry roar at the tip of its tongue turned into pained howls, and blood poured down nonstop from the corner of its lips.
While it was weakened, Happy would take its life!
Sea Swallows Drink Water!
Consecutive Kicks!
But despite his attacks, he only had a child's strength. While the a.d.u.l.t wolf howled in pain continuously, it did not receive any fatal damage, but Happy was not bothered by it. He was completely immersed in his plan to suppress the wolf.
Child Hugs Tree! Pummel Tiger Style!
He executed all the techniques within Shaolin's Long Fist to his heart's content. He was like a nimble forest walker that toyed with the a.d.u.l.t wolf.
Every time the a.d.u.l.t wolf tried to escape, Happy saw through its intentions because of foresight and would drag it back before dealing a few weak punches. When the a.d.u.l.t wolf tried to bite him in retaliation, he immediately moved away or hit its face with a fierce blow.
The ferocity of the a.d.u.l.t wolf slowly disappeared.
But Happy still did not let it go. He crushed the wild wolf's leg and continued attacking it madly. Only when he used up all his strength did he finally kill the wolf.
"Ha…"
Once he received a Complete Wolf Pelt and a Big Chunk of Wolf Meat, Happy sat down cross-legged and executed Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique to restore his strength.
While he did not manage to use his skills to his heart's content, the a.d.u.l.t wolf had still been enough to increase the level of his Long Fist to the point where he could be considered to have gained a superficial understanding of the technique. The skill was at Level 15.7. This was the reward he received from fighting against a high level beast. If Happy had fought against a new player who was about the same level as him, the increase in level would have been much slower.
The level of one's martial arts skills determined the level of their realm, offensive power, speed, and defense.
For example, Shaolin's Long Fist was a technique that emphasized defense. The higher its level, the more power each of its styles would have.
In a more objective sense, if two saber wielders attacked each other, the victor would be decided by who was capable of blocking the other's saber. This would mean that their defense had worked. The victor could also be decided by who managed to send the other's weapon flying and drew blood.
But naturally, the victor in a martial arts match was never decided just by strength.
Body movements and the execution of skills were the main deciding factors!
It was well displayed in how Happy had fought against the a.d.u.l.t wolf.
With its offensive power and speed, the wolf could kill many newbies, but once it ran into Happy, who had an extraordinary understanding toward martial arts, it was unable to fight back, let alone kill him.
His understanding of his own strength and his opponent's strength as well as his understanding of his skills and how to execute them h
ad maximized his lethality along with his ability to target the wolf's weaknesses. With all this, he had managed to subjugate the a.d.u.l.t wolf who had attacked him based on its instincts.
This was also why martial artists always tried to provoke their opponents before a battle.
Once Happy finished circulating his qi thrice, he quietly put away the wolf pelt and chunk of meat in his rucksack, placed it over his shoulder, and went deeper into the forest in search of more a.d.u.l.t wolves that were walking by themselves!
Chapter 7 - Three Moves
A coat of average quality could be made from a Complete Wolf Pelt. When Happy returned to Gusu City with the rewards he reaped, he managed to get forty taels of silver crumbs from the clothing shop.
As a newbie, he could buy a set of equipment of average quality with forty taels of silver crumbs. In fact, he could even buy two simple martial art manuals in the market or a long saber or shortsword. With such items, he could make himself look more like a wanderer!
However, Happy did not have such intentions. With the money in hand, he hurried out of the city and headed to Purple Bamboo Forest, which was to the east of the city.
He had spent the entire day dealing with dozens of a.d.u.l.t wolves, and they had contributed quite a lot to his growth. Aside from the forty taels of silver crumbs, they had also raised his Long Fist from the first realm to the sixth realm. The martial art had reached Level 53.8.
However, as the lethality of the technique increased, it became increasingly more difficult to ensure that the wolf pelt remained in perfect condition. During the second half of the day, Happy did not even have the mood to pick up the wolf pelts anymore. He just left them there to dry in the wind before they vanished.
The way to increase the levels of all martial arts was the same. The stronger the opponent one faced and the more in sync the mind and body were, the faster the martial art would improve.
Once the martial art reached the sixth realm, however, it would be difficult for a.d.u.l.t wolves to help with improving the martial art any further. That was why the moment it happened, Happy left the forest and returned to fulfill his promise.
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