Choosing Martial Arts (Part 1)

The Xuanwu Pavilion was the heart of the clan's martial arts legacy, housing centuries' worth of the Yun family's martial arts manuscripts, passed down through generations. These texts were preserved for the younger disciples to study and comprehend, ensuring the prosperity and continuity of the family.The quantity and quality of martial arts manuscripts often served as a reflection of a clan's strength and heritage.Yun Che remembered how, in his former home of Qingye Town, the Yun family had no such establishment.The Xuanwu Pavilion consisted of three floors.The first floor was vast and varied, mostly containing low-level martial arts with a few intermediate ones scattered about.The second floor was said to house the essence of the clan's martial arts manuscripts—mostly advanced, with a rare few top-tier techniques.However, access to the second floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion required one to be a genuine martial artist at the fourth stage or higher.As for the third floor, it remained shrouded in legend, never once having been opened to the public…To Yun Che, the mere prospect of accessing the first floor's martial arts texts was once a distant dream, let alone the second or third floors.In the Yun family, he had no influential background or extraordinary talent. His previous practice of the Yan Gang Fist was merely a basic technique, vastly inferior to even low-level martial arts.Now, having ascended to the second stage of martial arts, he had earned the right to enter the first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion and select a technique for himself."The Yun family truly lives up to its reputation as one of the three great families of Yuyang City, surpassing hundreds of other clans," Yun Che thought as he stepped into the first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion, feeling slightly tense.On the first floor, a few of the clan's younger disciples could be seen, all hurriedly selecting martial arts suited to them.According to the rules, those who entered the Xuanwu Pavilion were given only half an hour.Thus, every disciple was racing against time."In half an hour, I must choose either one intermediate technique or two low-level ones," Yun Che thought, taking a deep breath as his eyes scanned the rows of shelves.The first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion contained thousands of martial arts texts, each half an inch thick. It was no small feat to sift through such an overwhelming volume to select just one or two that suited him."'Shattered Stone Palm,' 'Angry Dragon Fist,' 'Willow Leaf Star Sword,' 'Heavenly Wind Step'..."A dazzling array of martial arts manuscripts overwhelmed Yun Che's senses.Swish! Swish!...Yun Che quickly flipped through the first pages of these texts.The first page often contained an overview of the technique."Furious Wind Saber": A blade technique akin to wind, as swift as thunder, relying on speed to overwhelm. Requires the first stage of martial arts, with average difficulty. Martial Arts Rank: Low-level."Angry Dragon Fist": Boosts the practitioner's internal strength, allowing them to condense their energy instantaneously, overwhelming foes with explosive power. Requires the second stage of martial arts, with higher difficulty. Martial Arts Rank: Peak Intermediate."Heavenly Wind Step": A close combat step technique that uses slowness to counter swiftness. Mastery of this technique allows a practitioner to dance unscathed with several martial artists of the same rank. Requires the first stage of martial arts, but a certain level of comprehension is necessary. Martial Arts Rank: Intermediate."Iron Gauntlet Sand": A body-strengthening defensive technique that, when fully exerted, can withstand attacks from opponents of the same rank. Those who reach mastery can endure even sword strikes with their flesh. Requires the second stage of martial arts, with great difficulty, requiring immense perseverance. Martial Arts Rank: Intermediate...."The martial arts texts in the Xuanwu Pavilion are truly a cut above basic techniques…" Yun Che thought with growing excitement, his focus primarily on the intermediate techniques.Having quickly glanced through a dozen manuscripts, Yun Che found himself tempted by several of them.However, the Xuanwu Pavilion had its restrictions: now that he had reached the second stage of martial arts, he could take only one intermediate-level technique with him.If only he could take more…Yun Che felt a pang of frustration and injustice: "Branch family disciples can only choose one intermediate technique, whereas main family disciples can choose two."To speed up his selection, Yun Che quietly activated his left eye.Even without deliberately invoking its powers, his reading speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person.Now, with the power of his left eye, his speed increased severalfold...Swish! Swish!...Yun Che's left eye flickered as he rapidly flipped through the martial arts manuscripts at an astonishing pace.He only needed a brief glance to clearly comprehend the contents of each page.After flipping through dozens of books, Yun Che found that he could perfectly recall and compare the details of what he had just read.When he had perused fifty books, a sudden realization struck him...Wait!Yun Che's hand froze, his motions stiffening.He then recalled the detailed descriptions he had just read on the first pages of all the books.Suddenly, everything clicked, and he felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.It turned out that, with the fusion of his left eye, Yun Che's memory had vastly improved, to the point where he could remember everything he had seen at a glance—his memory was now impeccable.Especially when deliberately activating his left eye, the content he had glanced at became engraved in his mind, never to be forgotten.Yun Che had never imagined that the legendary "photographic memory" would manifest in him.In the Qinghua Continent, there were many stories of geniuses, and a photographic memory was often one of the traits attributed to them.But while most people's photographic memory allowed them to recall roughly 80 to 90 percent of what they had seen after a single glance, Yun Che's version was far more powerful. When he activated his left eye, the content was deeply imprinted in his mind, impossible to forget for as long as he lived.With this ability, in the Xuanwu Pavilion, Yun Che could "take" several martial arts manuscripts with him."Quick, quick, quick!" Yun Che's face twisted with a mixture of madness and joy as he rapidly grabbed the martial arts manuscripts that had caught his eye earlier.Swish! Swish!...His mind was laser-focused as he rapidly flipped through the pages of the manuscript in his hands.As soon as his left eye "scanned" a page, whether it was text or illustrations, he instantly memorized it.A manuscript containing dozens of pages was completely ingrained in his mind in just twenty breaths."Hahaha... Perfect memory! This is amazing!" Yun Che felt an intense wave of exhilaration, his speed and frenzy increasing as he scanned through several other martial arts texts.His actions naturally drew the attention of several disciples of the clan on the first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion."This guy must be out of his mind.""Perhaps he's just so excited since it's his first time in the second floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion."A few disciples, noticing Yun Che's frantic motions, exchanged bewildered glances and shook their heads.Time passed rapidly...Half an hour had already passed three-quarters of the way.Whew!Yun Che exhaled deeply, his spirit weary, yet his heart could not conceal the overwhelming excitement that surged within him.At this very moment, he had "stolen" over a hundred martial arts manuals from the Xuanwu Pavilion.These manuals, mostly of intermediate rank, encompassed a wide array of techniques, from fist and palm forms to swordplay, breath control, light-footed steps, and defensive body-forging methods.The repeated use of his left eye's ability had drained him significantly, and he could feel the weight of exhaustion creeping in.He meandered slowly through the first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion, his powerful left eye scanning every corner with keen precision.Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a musty, moldy martial arts manual resting on a shelf.What caught his attention was not its appearance, but the distinct material that differed from the usual books.Picking up the faded manual, Yun Che saw the title inscribed in worn characters: "Featherlight Crossing."Flipping open the first page, he read the summary:"Featherlight Crossing": A superior lightness skill that grants the practitioner the ability to move as lightly as a swallow, leaving no trace upon snow, and to cross rivers with ease. When mastered, one can momentarily defy gravity, hovering in mid-air. Requires martial rank two, with difficulty immense; when coupled with internal martial energy, its power is greatly amplified. At its pinnacle, below martial rank seven, few can match its speed!At first, Yun Che had assumed it was just a typical lightness skill, but upon reading phrases like "defy gravity" and "coupled with martial internal energy," his eyes gleamed with a sudden realization."Defying gravity repeatedly," this surpassed every intermediate technique, and even most advanced ones could not achieve such feats."Coupled with internal martial energy," indicated that this lightness skill was designed for those who had reached martial rank four or above.The most terrifying part was the final description: at its highest level, few could rival its speed below martial rank seven!"Such bold claims! Even the most elite lightness techniques do not dare to make such extravagant promises," Yun Che thought, his eyes flashing with excitement. Without hesitation, he began committing the contents of "Featherlight Crossing" to memory.He was puzzled, though—why had such a remarkable technique been placed at the bottom, seemingly abandoned by all?Soon, Yun Che discovered the reason.As he flipped through the pages, he noticed that after the first quarter of the book, the writing became increasingly illegible, smeared and faded due to the passage of time and the mold.In other words, this manual could only be studied for the first quarter of its content."What a pity..." Yun Che sighed in disappointment.However, he did not give up. Activating his left eye, he focused on the blurred writing.With all his might, Yun Che could just about make out the faint characters beneath the grime—a feat beyond the reach of normal human vision by several times.After examining one or two pages, Yun Che felt his mind grow fatigued, his left eye weary from the strain, and his energy drained."As long as I take this manual back, I can slowly decipher the remaining content," he thought, holding "Featherlight Crossing" in his hands as he left the first floor of the Xuanwu Pavilion."Featherlight Crossing"? You chose this manual?" The elder in white robes furrowed his brows."Indeed," Yun Che replied respectfully."This manual has circulated for a thousand years, and its profound mysteries surpass even some advanced techniques," the elder continued, before pausing and changing tone. "However, this manual only reveals a quarter of its content clearly. More importantly, the difficulty of its cultivation is immense. Many of the clan's once-promising talents failed to succeed. Even if one were to succeed… it is only suited for martial ranks below four, with limited potential."Finally, the elder gave his counsel: "I advise you to choose a different technique. Do not waste too much time on it, for if you do, you may never surpass martial rank four and truly become a martial artist.""Thank you for your advice, Elder, but my decision is made," Yun Che said calmly.Watching him depart, the elder shook his head. "The youth today are all so ambitious."He didn't believe Yun Che could ever master "Featherlight Crossing." And even if he did, what of it? A fragmented technique would hardly lead to success.After leaving the Xuanwu Pavilion, Yun Che returned home.Sitting on his bed, he closed his eyes, and soon, the contents of over a hundred martial arts manuals flooded his mind...