"They are the strong ones among the four great clans, and they can look down on the world in scorn! Murong Clan is just a family created by the remnants of a country in dire straits, so how dare they call themselves Murong Clan? What a joke."
The two men spoke one after another, and their voices became louder with each moment. They criticized Murong Clan until it was worth nothing, and not only did their words reach Happy, Eastern Green Gate, and Whirlwind Young Li's ears, and spoiled their originally quite decent mood, they also offended the other customers in Jade Gate Restaurant.
The Murong Clan was the strongest family in Gusu City, and it was the goal of countless players that could only dream about getting into it. No matter how bad it was, it was not the place for someone not in Gusu City to criticize it.
"Damn him!"
Whirlwind Young Li had always been a hot-tempered person. When he heard the two men humiliate the0 Murong Clan, which he was very proud of, he stood up with a slap on the table! But Happy pushed him back into his seat right away.
"We came here to celebrate. Don't let the barking of those crazy dogs destroy our mood."
Once he finished speaking, he spoke in hushed tones to the beautiful waitress beside him, and she rose gently. She tugged gently at her pearl armband, and an elegant pearl curtain fell down. Strangely, the voices outside were also completely blocked off.
The customers at the other tables quickly saw the subtlety of this action, and they imitated Happy by asking the beautiful waitresses beside them to lower the pearl curtains.
Of course, their actions angered the two young men who had been speaking loudly.
"... Coward."
They had just been humiliated in front of the person they liked, but they did not dare to not care about their image and start cursing up a storm. Filled with grievances in their hearts, they drained cup after cup of wine.
"Bastard! If you've got no guts, then stay in the city forever and don't come out, or else… Hmph!"
The two people did not notice that the beautiful girl behind the veil had her eyes fixed on Happy's table. Even though the pearl curtain separated them, she never moved her charming gaze away. Her alluring red lips curled up into a faint, lovely smile that showed interest.
The others might not know just how great the Blue-robed Noble Sword User was, but there was no way it would apply to her.
She had come from Hangzhou because the sect master of Dragon Tiger Sect had sent her an urgent letter through a messenger pigeon, proclaiming that the Blue-robed Noble Sword User had killed an NPC in Blessed Realm by himself and his methods had been extraordinary.
He seemed to be preparing to deal with Dragon Tiger Sect next, which was why she had brought two of her pursuers from her sect onto a boat to Gusu City to help the sect master. If she could, it would be the best if she could invite the youth to Dragon Tiger Sect, but if not, she could always make him one of her admirers.
Chapter 50 - Secret Technique, Black Dragon Murder
"Senior brother, your Flowering Knights Blade Technique has reached Grandmaster Realm now, so what do you intend to practice next? Your Shaolin's Long Fist, or Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Sword? Give us some spoilers and tips please! Should we aim to reach Gate Realm, or should we focus our attention on just one martial art for now?"
Once he drank a few cups of wine, Whirlwind Young Li forgot all about his previous disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. He then focused his attention on his eldest senior brother again while being in high spirits. Presumably, it was because he wanted to gain some advice from his eldest senior brother.
Happy smiled.
"Both are fine."
In truth, his skills all came from the experience he had acc.u.mulated in his previous life, so he could only give some pointers to the two. As for the rest, it would be up to them to experiment and gather experience on their own.
"What? That's basically the same as not saying anything!" Whirlwind Young Li grimaced. He grumbled gloomily, and everyone else snickered.
Happy smiled and explained, "Actually, if you enter Gate Realm first, you'll have an advantage over those who have not reached the first qi realm. It is a realm advantage. But you can also focus on practicing one martial art. As long as you have one martial art that's in Grandmaster Realm, it'll be easier for you to gain a footing in the world of martial artists."
"You're right." The two men pondered over this before they nodded. "But what about right now? Which path is better for us?"
"Get into Gate Realm," Happy said without hesitation. "I made some calculations. If you have around ten low-end martial arts, you'll be able to get into Gate Realm if you made all of them reach tenth realm. You're almost there, and you can get into Gate Realm within three days at most. Then, you can focus and aim for Grandmaster Realm. I believe that'll be better."
After all, people like him, who challenged powerful martial artists to gain breakthroughs and epiphanies were not common.
"Alright!"
Happy's words made Eastern Green Gate and Whirlwind Young Li become very energetic. They had already decided that they would linger around Black Wind Mountain for the next few days…
"More than twenty members of Dragon Tiger Sect died in our hands. It won't be peaceful around Black Wind Mountain for the next few days. You must be careful. If you encounter them, run. You won't be able to win against them, but it shouldn't be a problem for you to run away." Happy gave them a word of warning.
Whirlwind Young Li and Eastern Green Gate nodded solemnly.
"Senior brother, you have to be careful as well. Most of their members died by your hands."
"I'm not worried. No matter how many of them come at me, I won't be afraid."
Happy smiled mysteriously before he brought out a manual with a black cover from his Universal Bag. It swiftly drew everyone's attention to it.
"Black Dragon Murder?"
"Yes, do you remember the sword strike that the bandit chief used to pin me to the tree before he died?"
"Yes, yes! Of course I remember! That skill is very powerful!"
When Whirlwind Young Li remembered the scene of Happy being pinned on the tree thirty-two feet away and nearly dying, fear still rose in his heart.
"Senior brother, that skill seems to be different from ordinary martial arts." Eastern Green Gate stared at Happy, and his words seemed to have an underlying meaning to them.
"That's right." Happy nodded. "It's not a normal martial art. It's a secret technique."
"A secret technique?"
The two had puzzled looks on their faces.
"Secret techniques are unique martial arts that are very rare. Just like their names imply, they are incredibly lethal! Those who are struck by them will either die or be crippled! I once met someone who used it. He only used it once, but the technique drained all of his qi, and he lost most of his fighting power after that…"
"It's that awesome?"
"You can only use it once?" Eastern Green Gate remembered how the bandit chief had been drained of his strength after he used the technique and just waited for his death. He frowned. "Doesn't that mean this is a technique that will mortally wound both sides?"
"Correct."
"Is it difficult to train?"
"It's about one hundred times harder than practicing normal martial arts!" Happy smiled wanly. "It also has levels, but every time I use it, I need to have sufficient qi, or else I won't be able to use it at all."
"Ah…" When they heard this, the duo were incredibly disappointed.
A long time was required to restore their qi. Even if they meditated using their qi cultivation technique, they would need around ten minutes to recover. If they kept on replenishing their qi and using it up, they might only end up increasing a few levels of such a technique in a day. Furthermore, it would be more difficult to train this skill the higher its level became.
"Even though the effects are minimal, we can increase the levels of our qi cultivation techniques through this, and if the realm of our
qi gets high, we would be able to execute the secret technique multiple times. It should be pretty good."
As he spoke, Happy made a confirmation that he wanted to learn Black Dragon Murder.
It was then added to his martial arts tab.
Its initial damage was six hundred, and it was one point five times higher than the damage dealt by Shaolin's Long Fist at Grandmaster Realm.
Once he was done, Happy brought out another manual—Flashing Sword Breaker.
It was the other manual the bandit chief had left behind. It was of equal status to Flowering Knights Blade Technique, or even more valuable during certain times. Without another word, Happy learned it, and the manual turned into dust in his hands.
Player: Happy.
A.S.S: 28, AFF: 20, POC: 30, BMM: 25.
Qi: 45.16 (Gate Realm)
Complete Reality Qi Cultivation Technique: Level 62.01
Shaolin's Long Fist: Level 96.37
Lancet Knife Throwing Technique: Level 99.99
Five Continuous Axe Strikes: Level 84.10
Flowering Knights Blade Technique: Level 99.99
Black Clouds Sword Technique: Level 90.17
Black Wind Blade Technique: Level 90.08
Black Tiger Fist: Level 90.12
Black Snake Staff Technique: Level 90.11
Black Dragon Murder: Level 1.00
Flashing Sword Breaker: Level 1.00
He had gained two points of Comprehension when his martial arts reached Grandmaster Realm. The other three points were an extra reward for getting the highest ranked Class S battle assessment for killing the bandit chief of Black Wind Mountain.
Even though this path was definitely filled with extraordinary trials and difficulties, Happy, who had three years of experience in the game, still had a certain degree of chance to make it work.
Besides, right after a person reached Gate Realm, the sect or clan they joined would give them a quest to learn and compare notes regarding their martial arts through sparring.
As long as they did not lose during the sparring against the seniors in the sect or clan, they could get some extra surprises as a reward. One of them was additional points to their innate statuses, including points for their Comprehension!
...
Happy bade farewell to Eastern Green Gate and Whirlwind Young Li and promptly left Jade Gate Restaurant to return to Murong Clan.
"Happy."
Right after he entered the mansion, he saw the Murong Clan Lady and the butler come toward him one after another. Happy quickly went up to them to greet them.
"My Lady, Uncle Rong."
"Your qi has shown signs of improvement. Yes, not bad."
"It has not been long since you joined Murong Clan, but your talents surpass those of the others. I've already talked about this with the butler. We will now officially teach you the martial arts unique to Murong Clan."
"Thank you for teaching me, My Lady! Thank you, Uncle Rong."
"But the martial arts of Murong Clan are slightly strange. Before we can officially teach you those skills, I will have Uncle Rong test your abilities."
When the Murong Clan Lady finished speaking, Uncle Rong took a step forward with a smile.
"Do not worry. It is just a normal sparring session, and we will not use qi. As long as you can last fifty attacks, you will be able to officially learn our martial arts. If you can't, it'll mean that you will need to train a little longer."
"I understand." Happy s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath and took his stance. "Please teach me."
When he saw Happy take his stance, Uncle Rong nodded in admiration. Then, he put away his smile and took a slow step forward with his right foot. Before he even bent his knee, his presence spread out!
It was as solemn as a mountain.
The sparring sessions had the goal of motivating the other disciples. Hence, they were held in the empty spot in the front yard of the mansion. When the butler took his stance, astonishment appeared on the faces of a number of disciples who had looked down upon him.
Happy, however, looked very calm.
It did not seem like he could sense the oppressive presence spreading out from the butler's body. Instead of using any weapons, he took up the authentic fighting stance of Shaolin's Long Fist, and with his dashing looks, he gave off a heroic air while staring Uncle Rong in the eyes.
Chapter 51 - Up Against Uncle Rong
"I can see the essence of Shaolin's Long Fist in your form. Not bad."
Uncle Rong praised Happy in a calm tone before he suddenly shuffled forward. He went at Happy like a mountain and pushed his fingers tightly together before he went to strike Happy's side with a seemingly slow attack that was actually very fast. Happy's eyes lit up. He immediately deduced that this was Wudang Cotton Palm and moved his feet to execute a Warrior Monk's Hand Flip.
Boom!
Their palms clashed firmly against each other in the air.
Golden Dragon Stretches Claw!
Happy instinctively used his chain attack. He was prepared to use the momentum to destroy Uncle Rong's balance, but the latter just smiled faintly, brought his arm up, and tapped Happy's arm while completely unbothered by Happy's attack.
His arm trembled. The strength in his right hand as he stretched it to the butler instantly vanished, and Happy's heart froze. He lowered his body without hesitation and delivered a front sweep kick that was quickly followed by a Combination Kick!
He had no idea what sort of realm Uncle Rong had reached, but he was definitely very powerful. Regardless of how great it was, his smile never vanished. When he was faced with Happy's swift attack that was born from his quick wit, he remained relaxed. As if he had predicted this beforehand, he moved back, and Happy's attack instantly landed on thin air.
'He's good.'
When his Combination Kick missed, Happy felt gloomy. Once he noticed that Uncle Rong used the chance to draw close to him again, Happy used a Python Flip in a moment of desperation and retreated several feet away. He put on a defensive stance.
In his previous life, Happy had sparred with his teachers before he finished his apprenticeship, but he was in Shaolin Temple at that time, and his sparring partner had been a normal young monk in charge of sweeping floors. This meant that Happy had never run into someone as difficult to handle as Uncle Rong.
With just three strikes, he was forced into a defensive stance. And earlier, he had arrogantly imagined what would happen if he won in a few exchanges.
Once his mindset changed, Happy instantly became solemn.
"You use your Shaolin's Long Fist pretty well," Uncle Rong praised him.
Then, he clenched his fists, and a fierce and strong presence exploded from him. His gaze focused, and he moved close in again. When Happy saw Uncle Rong's skill, a great chill crept up his heart. Uncle Rong… used Shaolin's Long Fist this time!
It was Shaolin's Long Fist against Shaolin's Long Fist.
"Perfect timing!" he cried out, and Happy raised his fists to receive his attack with his spirits roused!
There were no flamboyant moves whatsoever.
His body trembled, and a power that did not lose to his own surged into his body from Uncle Rong's body. He quickly changed his technique halfway through and executed a Sea Swallow Drinks Water to neutralize the attack. However, he did not expect that Uncle Rong would unclench his fist and strike him with abnormal nimbleness.
Uncle Rong changed to Wudang Cotton Palm, and the strength in his arm was once again struck away, scattering its power. Before Happy could react, Uncle Rong seized his right forearm in a tight grip.
It was the Golden Dragon Stretches Claw he had executed just moments ago!
Happy could not say anything about this. When he saw Uncle Rong's profound smile close to his face before he suddenly disappeared, Happy suddenly had an idea and jumped into the air. He made it in time to avoid Uncle Rong's front sweep kick, which he had copied from Happy, because immediately after that, he saw the shadows of his legs coming at
him. It was the Combination Kick!
The chain attacks he had used before had been completely copied by Uncle Rong to deal with him.
However, Happy's understanding toward Shaolin's Long Fist was very great. In the face of the fierce shadows of the kicks coming at him, he did not move too quickly, but neither did he move slowly. He tapped one of the shadows and executed a Fish Backflips, followed by a Birds Enter Forest to land several feet away. He was relaxed and calm, and even Uncle Rong put on a faint surprised look when he saw this.
Together with Wudang Cotton Palm, they had exchanged more than ten moves, but no clear-cut result could be seen just yet.
Uncle Rong finally put away his smile.
"Again!"
He used Wudang Cotton Palm and Shaolin's Long Fist while mixing in the occasional Emei Sect's Thousand Leaves Palm. Uncle Rong's offense became even fiercer, but Happy had already come to an understanding during their two encounters that they could change their techniques as they liked and form new combinations as they pleased. Hence, he no longer restricted himself to just Shaolin's Long Fist.
"Ha!" Happy let out a cry that sounded like a dragon's roar.
He moved using Eight Trigram Steps and executed Black Tiger Fist to get close to Uncle Rong. Once they exchanged a blow, Happy's Warrior Monk's Hand Flip was up against Uncle Rong's gentle but strong Cotton Palm. Happy's power was neutralized, but he went to seize Uncle Rong with his left hand…
The people watching by the sides discovered that Uncle Rong, who had always had the upper hand, had his arm seized by Happy.
The Murong Clan Lady's eyes lit up.
However, Happy's luck did not last long. Uncle Rong's hand was like a snake whip. He easily removed himself from Happy's grip, and with a gentle palm strike, he pushed Happy several steps away.
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