Chapter 9: Meteor Blade
These books, no, these martial arts secrets, apart from the Bear Hug Technique and the Bear King Fist being family-inherited cultivation techniques, the other techniques were all collected by Zheng Gongxuan over many years.
The Bear King Fist, a lower Rank 10 martial arts skill, when cultivated to its peak realm, a single punch strikes with the force of three bears!
The Gale Leg, a lower Rank 10 martial arts skill, with legs like a gale sweeping through fallen leaves, can surpass the speed of wind at its peak state!
The Meteor Blade, a mid-level Ninth Grade martial arts skill, with slashes swift as meteors and each capable of taking a life; unfortunately, it lacks the earlier cultivation spells...
Unlike the Thirteen Ranks of martial path cultivation, martial art secrets in this world are divided into ten ranks. Zheng Ming's father, Zheng Gongxuan, occasionally mentioned to Zheng Ming that in ancient times martial artists were also only divided into ten ranks, but later due to the significant difference beneath the tenth rank, it eventually evolved into the current Thirteen Ranks system.
In fact, below the tenth rank, in some Great Sects, it is still not recognized as an entry rank.
After scanning all the names of the secrets, Zheng Ming first took the Bear King Fist out. This Bear King Fist, created from studying the ways of bear pouncing, is rightly inherited from the same lineage as the Bear Hug Technique.
Zheng Ming's Cang Bear Body has made rapid progress in cultivating the Bear Hug Technique, so naturally, his first choice was the Bear King Fist!
After flipping through the thirty-six styles of the Bear King Fist, Zheng Ming felt as if this set of fist methods had already been imprinted in his heart.
He carefully performed the Bear King Fist once in the not-so-spacious secret chamber and found that he had already reached the Minor Completion Realm of this Bear King Fist.
What a powerful Cang Bear Body, which has such a wonderful use when cultivating suitable techniques!
The Gale Leg could serve both as footwork and attack, not a small use for Zheng Ming now, but after carefully examining the Gale Leg technique, he set the book aside.
The path of the Gale Leg technique is agility, something that clashes with Zheng Family's Bear Hug Technique. Although Zheng Ming memorized a general outline of the Gale Leg technique, after kicking out twice, he felt extremely awkward!
However, by this time, Zheng Ming had already settled on his choice for Li Zhong's card.
With his familiarity with the Bear King Fist, the Beginner Fist Technique Mastery was, in fact, merely redundant, so Zheng Ming decided to opt for the medicinal herbs from the martial community.
Among the dozen or so secrets, besides the Bear King Fist, only two remained before Zheng Ming!
The Meteor Blade, the Soul-breaking Spear!
The lower Rank 10 martial arts skill, Soul-breaking Spear, requires wide sweeping strikes with each thrust claiming a life. When cultivated to the Great Realm, one spear can produce five shadows, each pursuing the soul.
Zheng Gongxuan had chosen the Soul-breaking Spear, and Zheng Ming's brother, Zheng Heng, practiced it as well, but Zheng Gongxuan, despite thirty years of practice, had only achieved the Minor Completion Realm.
Yet, Zheng Ming was confident in cultivating the Soul-breaking Spear.
Because he still had one card in mind that he hadn't chosen yet!
Xiang Chong, the Beginner Spear Technique and the Beginner Throwing Knife Technique, he could still choose one of these two skills.
Although he was unsure of the specific usefulness of the Beginner Spear Technique, according to his knowledge of the Cang Bear Body, Zheng Ming believed that with this technique, he could quickly cultivate the Soul-breaking Spear to an intricate or even Comprehension Stage.
The five realms of Martial Arts Skills, with each advancement, the power could double.
However, the level of the Soul-breaking Spear was a bit low. This "low" is naturally compared with the Meteor Blade Technique.
A lower Rank 10 compared to a mid-level Ninth Grade is three levels lower, meaning that at the same realm, the Meteor Blade Technique is over twice as powerful as the Soul-breaking Spear Technique.
If the Meteor Blade Technique weren't missing the cultivation spells, Zheng Ming would've chosen it without any hesitation.
That being said, the Meteor Blade Technique probably wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the Zheng Family if the spell had been complete.
Meteor Chase, Three Stars Accompanying the Moon, Seven Stars Chasing the Moon, Stars Holding the Moon.
On the damaged Meteor Blade Technique secret, the space for the initial spells had been torn off by someone, leaving behind only four moves.
Without the spells, the chance of successfully cultivating a technique is very slim.
Could he successfully cultivate the Meteor Blade Technique based on Xiang Chong's Beginner Throwing Knife Technique?
Zheng Ming hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and chose the Beginner Throwing Knife Technique on the only remaining Xiang Chong card in his mind.
Although the Soul-breaking Spear is decent, it would just be an embellishment to the Bear King Fist. But, mastering the Meteor Blade Technique would greatly enhance his strength.
After the card from Xiang Chong turned into a golden light and merged into his body, Zheng Ming's gaze once again fell on the Meteor Blade Technique secret.
He felt that the once unfamiliar images suddenly became very familiar, his fingers casually picked up a small paperweight from the desk, and then he casually threw it out.
Meteor Chase!
Although it was different from the description of Meteor Chase in the Meteor Blade secret, this was indeed Meteor Chase!
The familiar level of Meteor Chase!
Although paperweights are not flying knives, Zheng Ming, filled with the urge to cultivate, recalled that there were ten flying knives stored in his family's storeroom.
These flying knives must have been specially made by his ancestor after acquiring the Meteor Blade Technique, with the intention to cultivate it.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Zheng Ming ran swiftly towards the storeroom; he wanted to use these flying knives to test how far he could cultivate the Meteor Blade Technique, which he had gained from Xiang Chong at the Minor Completion of the Flying Knife Technique!
...
"Clang, clang, clang"
Three soft clinks sounded as three blades, each a half-foot long, flew into the trunk of a large tree in a '品' shape.
Three Stars Accompanying the Moon, the micro-level Three Stars Accompanying the Moon.
Zheng Ming stood on a stump ten paces away, his gaze carrying a touch of dissatisfaction. He leapt to the base of the tree and struck the trunk heavily with his palm, sending the three flying knives tumbling back out.
Gathering the three knives into a specially made holster, Zheng Ming gently shook his head.
He was somewhat dissatisfied with his current achievements. This was his third day practicing the Meteor Blade Technique, but compared to the previous two days, there had been no significant improvement.
If on the first day, his progress with the Meteor Blade Technique could be described as rapid, then today, it could only be described with four words: not a bit advanced.
He had now reached the Comprehension Stage of the entire Meteor Blade Technique. It had taken just three days—no, after absorbing Xiang Chong's Beginner Throwing Knife Technique, it had only taken one day to reach this stage.
This level was actually not low, and for many, achieving this stage in a lifetime of practicing a martial arts skill would be unlikely.
However, the rapid progress on the first day made Zheng Ming eager to advance his Meteor Blade Technique to the micro-level, but reality dealt a merciless blow to this plan.
A slight improvement on the second day, and then no advancement on the third. If things continued at this rate, it would likely take him ten years to cultivate the Meteor Blade Technique to the micro-level.
It seemed Xiang Chong's Beginner Throwing Knife Technique could only support him to advance the Meteor Blade Technique to the micro-level.
Xiang Chong, this guy, really isn't that helpful!
During these three days, Zheng Ming had been cultivating feverishly; both his Bear Hug Technique and Bear King Fist were progressing at a visibly fast rate.
The Bear King Fist, in particular, had reached the micro-level just yesterday. As for his Bear Hug Technique, he was beginning to faintly sense the possibility of breaking through the fourth floor and advancing to the fifth.
Now, Zheng Ming figured that if he were to have a match with his brother Zheng Heng, he would definitely be able to crush Zheng Heng using the Meteor Blade Technique, and without it, he could at least fight to a draw.
Although Zheng Heng's cultivation level was one class higher than Zheng Ming's, his prowess in the Bear King Fist was far inferior to Zheng Ming's.
Perhaps it was time to schedule a match with his brother.
Compared to the progress with the Meteor Flying Dagger, what was even more concerning for Zheng Ming were his Prestige Points. Currently, he had one hundred thirty-five Prestige Points.
In the past three days, his Prestige Points had been increasing at a tortoise's pace: seventy-one on the first day, fifty on the second day, and only four today.
Having already tasted the benefits of drawing random cards, Zheng Ming was eager to reach one thousand Prestige Points and draw again.
This rate of increase made Zheng Ming realize a harsh truth: the Prestige Points provided by each person, once used, were gone forever.
After activating the cards on him and two random draws, the Prestige Points he had gained through upholding justice for Li Xiaoduo had nearly depleted.
Wondering when that bastard will come over—my fists are already itching to strike!
Swinging his fist, a thought flashed through Zheng Ming's mind, wondering if he should find a few people in Luming Town to beat up and increase his Prestige Points a bit.
Luming Town was still bustling. After completing his training in the grove, Zheng Ming walked with a smile, nodding to the townspeople who greeted him.
At this moment, he could see a trace of respect in the eyes of most of the townspeople.
"Hmm, Quiet Fragrance Shop!" As he arrived at the spot where Wu Banxian had been taught a lesson, Zheng Ming looked up and found that the store which used to sell miscellaneous goods had changed its sign.
Zheng Ming knew every storefront in the small town like the back of his hand and what they sold.
However, the person busily working outside the shop made him pause in surprise.
Li Xiaoduo, there she was, the charming girl in plain clothes, loudly hawking, "Steamed buns, porridge, hot and juicy meat buns!"
Her crisp voice echoed through the street, giving off an unusual feeling.
But what Zheng Ming found even harder to accept was Fu Yuqing standing next to Li Xiaoduo, dressed in a common floral dress of Luming Town, with delicate hands awkwardly holding a comically oversized ladle.
This ordinary-dressed village girl persona of Fu Yuqing looked less ethereal but seemed more like a fairy from the deep mountains.
What kind of act is this?
The small shop was bustling. Although Fu Yuqing's movements were rigid, her beauty itself was a massive draw. The shop, with only a few tables, was bursting at the seams with people.
Zheng Ming's expression shifted, and he strolled over, taking a seat on a bench and loudly said, "Hey, boss! Bring me two buns and a bowl of porridge."
When Li Xiaoduo spotted Zheng Ming, her eyes lit up. She hesitated for only a moment before hurrying over and asking, "Second Young Master, what brings you here?"
"I've come to eat," replied Zheng Ming with a smile, then whispered, "Why did you open a shop?"
Li Xiaoduo hung her head, whispering back in a voice only a mosquito could hear, "The Young Mistress asked what I usually do at home, and I told her I help my mother with sewing to earn money for the family."
"The Young Mistress then… decided to join me in sewing to support the family. But… but her sewing skills aren't that good. She said she learned how to make porridge before, so… so she opened this food shop."
Sewing, recalling the first time he met Fu Yuqing and her regal and majestic demeanor, Zheng Ming couldn't help but slap his forehead.
Feeling a bit mischievous, Zheng Ming slapped the table vigorously and declared, "Hey, Madam Boss! Why is my food not served yet?"
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