Chapter 234

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Chapter 234: Is There Hope in Martial Arts?

"Hai Wuya, what do you think? If the Xumi Mountain King Sutra and the Long Life Fist Sutra are practiced together, can they complement each other?"

Realizing the complementary potential of these two martial arts techniques, Qiao Mu, whose injuries had slightly improved, visited Hai Wuya at the first opportunity.

Hai Wuya is the ancestor of the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra".

This cultivation method focuses on cultivating one’s qi and blood, and it has two characteristics.

The first is that it has very low requirements for one’s aptitude, even those who are less intelligent can still practice it, they would just need more time to cultivate.

The second is as long as one’s proficiency in the cultivation method keeps up, there is hope for a martial artist to maintain an increase in qi and blood even in their later years, thereby achieving a certain effect of prolonging their life, leading to a unique state of aging gracefully.

As for how long the effects last…Qiao Mu really didn’t know, he didn’t feel anything.

If we categorize using the four paths of power from martial artists, "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" undoubtedly belongs to the path of strength, focusing on training the body’s energy rather than spiritual development.

Strengthening the body’s energy and blood makes one stronger and faster, improving physical strength and speed.

However, human bodies are too weak, only as strong as steel, unable to withstand magical techniques, and their lifespan seems short compared to cultivators.

Although Qiao Mu practiced the Xumi Mountain King Sutra, while his energy and blood greatly increased, they also decreased due to aging.

With gains and losses balancing each other out, maintaining a slow upward trend, it could also be seen as a way to stay "ageless".

But by adding the "Long Life Fist Sutra," this delicate balance of slowly increasing energy and blood might be disrupted.

Hai Wuya looked at the "Long Life Fist Sutra" in his hands, carefully flipping through the pages, lost in thought.

He didn’t give a clear conclusion, but instead asked:

"Among all martial artists in the world, forty years ago Earth Sword Immortal was the leader, and forty years later Martial Saint became the leader."

"As the top martial artists of the last two generations, even when they were still alive their age had already exceeded eighty years, well into old age… I wonder how these two individuals have dealt with the decline of their strength in their old age?"

It’s common sense that aging brings weakness, but for Hai Wuya, the question raised by Qiao Mu was too difficult, so he couldn’t answer right away and could only say he would first look at the senior’s answer.

And indeed Qiao Mu could answer, as he had dealings with these two individuals.

Earth Sword Immortal had no way to deal with the decline of strength in old age…. he simply had no solution.

When Qiao Mu met Earth Sword Immortal in the desolate town, he was no longer as strong as he used to be.

Due to aging, his energy and blood had severely declined, as for internal strength…. he practiced the Pure Yang Wuji Skill which weakened his internal strength, and after years of idleness in the desolate town, he had long neglected martial arts, thus he always fell short of his former self.

Qiao Mu felt that if he didn’t make a big mistake, thirty years later, he might not need to turn into a sword to make a breakthrough with the Earth Sword Immortal, and he could also possibly compete with Elder Qingzhuo.

And being a Martial Saint is a different matter altogether.

"Heyang City’s Qiao Family was wiped out, and the Martial Saint took away the Long Life Fist Sutra… this might be the Martial Saint’s way."

Remembering the first encounter with the Martial Saint in Nan Province, the Martial Saint looked like a strong martial artist with gray hair but no signs of aging on his face, which indeed matched the achievement of the Long Life Fist, showing "aging gracefully" outwardly.

"Martial Saint, perhaps relies on the Long Life Fist," Qiao Mu pondered.

But the Martial Saint didn’t practice the Xumi Mountain King Sutra.

Because the emergence of the Xumi Mountain King Sutra is a recent event.

Hai Wuya practiced until the fourth level, while Qiao Mu reached the sixth level. The others had less experience and lower skill levels.

Even though they knew the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" was extraordinary, without practicing it themselves, it was difficult to fully understand this martial art.

In this world, only Qiao Mu has been able to master both of these martial arts to such a high level.

Hai Wuya started to ponder again and after a long time, he slowly said:

"Perhaps these two martial arts can complement each other… but it’s just a possibility, not necessarily as perfect as Elder Lao imagines."

"The ‘Xumi Mountain King Sutra’ is already an imperfect martial art. Combining it with another martial art may not complement each other, but instead, they could clash and lead to danger… there is a high possibility of that."

Hai Wuya spoke with caution, not wanting to make any promises.

Now, he and Qiao Mu were at the forefront of martial arts in the Jiu Province. Although the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" seemed to pave the way for a new martial art, whether it led to success or failure was still unknown.

To find out if this path led to success, there was only one option – to explore it firsthand.

Hai Wuya said. Exploring new martial arts is not easy. It requires many practitioners to dedicate years of training and exploration to gradually find a perfected path.

Qiao Mu listened thoughtfully.

Many practitioners, a lot of time?

I wonder if there are enough members in the Qiao family. Are their lifespans long enough?

"But aren’t these two martial arts techniques both inherited skills of the Qiao family? Why does Elder Lao ask me?" Hai Wuya wondered.

The Long Life Fist is indeed a martial art passed down in the Qiao family, but not in Qiao Mu’s branch of the family.

Previously, as "Qiao Shuanglin," Qiao Mu had shared martial arts techniques with Hai Wuya under the guise of family traditions and taught him the perfected "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" that he had refined in his dreams.

Qiao Mu nodded in agreement, "Yes, these two Qiao family martial arts techniques, one yin and one yang, are the two methods our family has to address ‘aging and declining strength.’"

"I just had a wild idea, wanting to merge the two…"

"If this can happen… I wonder how far away the ‘Human Path Sutra’ that we have been thinking about is."

Just the mention of the Human Path Sutra made Hai Wuya feel excited.

He actually saw a possibility of the ‘Xumi Mountain King Sutra’ evolving into the ‘Human Path Sutra’ in his lifetime?

Time!

After reading the ‘Long Life Fist Sutra’, Hai Wuya felt that the most important thing now was time.

If he were given another ten or twenty years to complete the entire ‘Long Life Fist Sutra’, perhaps he really had hope of deducing the long-awaited ‘Human Path Sutra’…

No, twenty years wouldn’t be enough, maybe it would take fifty years, a hundred years, or even several hundred years to deduce and perfect it!

"There is a faint hope in the martial arts world now. I really wish I could live another five hundred years…" Hai Wuya coughed lightly, but his face was glowing with a healthy blush.

Eldest son Hai Siyuan returning from the battlefield after forty years was already a pleasant surprise, and now being able to see such hope only made him feel that his life was fulfilled.

Next, Qiao Mu copied a version of the "Long Life Fist Sutra" to give to Hai Wuya as a way of returning the favor.

After leaving the Hai family’s mansion, he immediately prepared to do something… that didn’t involve practicing martial arts.

Why bother practicing martial arts in life, when you can do it comfortably in the afterlife.

Although the "Long Life Fist Sutra" was good, his body was injured from the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, his meridians were damaged, and it would take several days for him to recover. Practicing new martial arts with a damaged body was like asking for trouble.

Several days for recovery was already exaggerated… After all, in Wang Songhe’s eyes, it would take ten years or even several decades to recover from the meridian injury caused by the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.

……………………………

"Dad, is your hand healed? When are we going to the Great Qin Prefecture? To expose the true face of the inhuman Great Dao Sect?"

In a small house in the Imperial Capital, Hu Wan was practicing martial arts in the courtyard, while also reminding Hu Han beside her.

Hu Wan seemed very energetic, ever since the day she encountered the Copper Body Arhat on the street and faced a life-threatening situation for the first time, she had changed almost completely.

These past few days, knowing that he was not strong enough, he practiced diligently every day while also reminding Hu Han to do the same.

This left Hu Han feeling puzzled and amused.

His daughter had a lot in common with him when he was young, being straightforward, quick-tempered, and causing some trouble with her sharp tongue and impatience.

A few days ago, she tried to stop Copper Body Arhat from chasing Qiao Mu in the street, but was scared silly on the spot by a stone thrown by Luohan.

At first, Hu Han was worried that his daughter might be traumatized by the incident, but he was surprised to see her bounce back so quickly, maybe even a little too quickly.

"Dad, I’ve learned my lesson, I’m not the same as before… I won’t make the same mistake again. So, when are we going to Great Qin Prefecture?" Hu Wan urged once again.

She clenched her fists, the embarrassment from a few days ago fresh in her memory. She silently vowed never to back down again.

Hu Han could only smile wryly.

"Child, too much of anything is not good," he said with a wry smile.

"You used to be a good child, you used to do heroic and kind deeds."

"The good deeds you did before won’t lose their shine just because you feel more aware now."

"Once you have a realization, feeling that you were too naive and silly before is a good thing, but you don’t have to be so extreme about it, or completely separate yourself from the past."

At that moment, an old voice could be heard from outside the door.

"Well said."

"Only a little devil would keep saying ‘I’ve grown up’, ‘I’m more aware now’, ‘I’m different from before’."

Going to a new and unfamiliar place, starting a new chapter in life, feeling like you’ve grown, wanting to draw a line between your old self and the present… these are all things young people like to do.

"So, Hu Han, when are you planning to go to Great Qin Prefecture?" the old voice asked slowly.

Hu Han looked surprised, then Qiao Mu entered by pushing the door.

And behind Qiao Mu, there were also several older soldiers including Hai Siyuan.

"Elder Lao?" Hu Han asked in surprise.

It didn’t surprise him that Qiao Mu could find his residence in the Imperial Capital… he was just curious about the reason for Qiao Mu’s visit.

"I heard you mention before, that behind Great Qin Prefecture, it seems like there are cultivators up to mischief?" Qiao Mu asked.

When he went to Great Qin Prefecture this time, it wasn’t just to deal with a simple King Qin.

Qin Shiqing was a Taoist soldier trained by the Immortal Gate, so if there are Taoist soldiers, there must be cultivators as well.

Great Qin Prefecture is a newly established city, so it is quite vast. Instead of rushing in like headless flies, it’s better to make some preparations first.

"Exactly," Hu Han said solemnly.

"Before the mountain torrent broke out in Cangshe County of Great Qin Prefecture, I once encountered what seemed like inhuman beings from the Great Dao Sect…"

"One female cultivator, known to others as… Immortal Master Dao Xu."

Dao Xu?

Qiao Mu was shocked. He had once saved this nun at the market in Imperial Capital, which was a life-saving favor between them.

Qiao Mu values loyalty a lot, so he felt obligated to repay the favor.

But soon, Qiao Mu realized something was wrong.

"After the Inhuman Disaster at the market in Imperial Capital, I remember that the Immortal Gate Great Dao Sect had punished Dao Xu by making her reflect on her actions facing a wall for ten years. Is that correct?" Qiao Mu asked.

Hu Han smirked awkwardly and chuckled twice, without saying a word.

Seeing Hu Han’s reaction, Qiao Mu fell silent.

Perhaps the ten-year reflection punishment by the sect was just a show for the public? Or to give some respect to the Great Yan Imperial Court?

"Elder Lao, that day in Cangshe County, not only the strange Dao Xu appeared, but also a martial artist called ‘Iron Wolf’ who is at the 2nd level of Spiritual Refining Period," explained Hu Han.

"’Iron Wolf’ is a notorious thief wanted by the government, skilled in lightness skills and claw techniques. He used to be my rival before he reached the 2nd level of Spiritual Refining Period. We fought several times," Hu Han shared.

"To get rid of Iron Wolf, I made some preparations… Elder Lao, please look," Hu Han said.

Hu Han took out a small bottle from the cabinet in the room, which had a small hole for air to pass through. Inside the bottle was a tiny insect the size of a fingernail.

"This is called a ‘Fragrant Insect.’ The place where this strange insect stays for a long time will have a scent that no one can smell, not even sensitive martial artists, only the Fragrant Insect can detect it," Hu Han explained.

"Iron Wolf’s body was sabotaged with powder made from Fragrant Insect. This scent won’t go away for a month or two, so once in the Great Qin Prefecture, it would be easy to track Iron Wolf using this Fragrant Insect," Hu Han elaborated.

"If we find Iron Wolf, we might also find Dao Xu," Hu Han added.

Qiao Mu pondered. Iron Wolf? Dao Xu always looks down on martial artists. How can this 2nd level Spiritual Refining Period Iron Wolf qualify to be with Dao Xu, who is a senior disciple?

Most likely, Iron Wolf is like the Copper Body Arhat, also a Taoist soldier of the Martial Arts League, probably at the 2nd level of the tough Taoist soldiers.

The Copper Skin Soldier is made from Cloud Patterns Mountain Copper, a type of material used for making 2nd rank Taoist soldiers. Perhaps it is made from another kind of immortal material.

Qiao Mu also wanted to stop and focus on practicing the Spiritual Refining Chapter of the "Long Life Fist Sutra", but he doesn’t have the time right now. The Long Life Fist Sutra is a top-notch technique that requires years to master.

It’s better to practice after death than to die in vain.

………………..

Great Qin Prefecture, Cangshe County.

A pale-faced Taoist man chuckled strangely. With a hand gesture, he conjured a ball of Etching Bones Li Fire, causing destruction everywhere it went. The sound of cries filled the air.

The cries didn’t last long before abruptly stopping. Mortals usually cannot survive under the influence of Etching Bones Li Fire for more than a few breaths.

Amidst the cries, a strong voice suddenly rang out like thunder:

"How dare you cause trouble within Great Qin Prefecture!" exclaimed Iron Wolf.

A strong middle-aged martial artist leaped up and fiercely fought the white-faced Taoist for dozens of rounds. In the end, with a pair of iron fists, he broke through the flames and pierced the old man’s body.

"It’s one of King Qin’s four great generals, the Iron Wolf general!" Some people recognized the newcomer and cheered in excitement.

"Martial artists can really defeat those evil inhumans, there is hope for martial arts…" Some people who had practiced martial arts were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes.

"After so many years, I actually witnessed ‘Using Martial Arts to Defeat Immortals’…"

"We martial artists will also have a day to confront the immortals."

Iron Wolf appeared quite graceful, after comforting the people of Cangshe County, he quickly used his light skills to leave.

"Having finished the task, he left without seeking fame or credit, truly a great hero…"

"After all, as one of King Qin’s generals, in a vast place like Great Qin Prefecture, relying on these few martial artists who integrate martial arts with Taoism to deal with inhuman disasters and natural calamities, it is still quite challenging."

"The Iron Wolf general left in haste, perhaps he is entangled in other important matters?"

Amidst the discussions, Iron Wolf disappeared without a trace.

………..

After a moment, he appeared in the deserted mountains and respectfully greeted the female cultivator Dao Xu who was waiting there.

"Using Martial Arts to Defeat Immortals… such a boring act, mortals never seem to get tired of it," Dao Xu scoffed.

"It’s just wishful thinking of mortals. Martial arts simply cannot compare to the immortals, that’s why they have such fantasies," Iron Wolf chuckled.

It’s a joke. If martial arts could keep up with immortality, why would he abandon his physical body to practice the Golden Body Technique?

The pale-faced Taoist from earlier was just a puppet controlled by Dao Xu.

For months, Dao Xu had performed many similar plays in Great Qin Prefecture, and she was tired of it, feeling a bit annoyed.

"It’s rare to leave the Introspection Cliff sect, only to be sent to such a boring place like Great Qin City… it’s not fun."

"Even though I left Introspection Cliff, my master forbade me from entering Great Yan Imperial Capital for ten years, from looking for Dao Zhen, and advised me to hide my identity using disguises, and not using the name ‘Dao Xu’… Then what am I supposed to do outside?"

Dao Xu shook her head and chuckled quietly.

Elder Qingzhuo is a senior member of the Great Dao Sect responsible for mundane affairs, and played a significant role in establishing the Martial Arts League and the enfeoffment of King Qin.

There is much work to be done in Great Qin City to establish the Earthly Immortal Kingdom that the sect desires, and it will not happen overnight.

After putting in so much effort to cultivate a "King Qin," even enlisting the help of senior disciples like Dao Xu, it is clear that the Great Dao Sect has big plans in motion.

Boosting King Qin’s reputation and that of those on the path from martial arts to enlightenment are crucial steps in building the Earthly Immortal Kingdom.

"My master insists on sending me to Great Qin Prefecture for these menial tasks. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have left Introspection Cliff…"

While Dao Xu was feeling irritated, she suddenly had an idea and furrowed her brow as she retrieved a jade token from her storage bag.

The Taoist soldier who has mastered the "Golden Body Technique," while having what appears to be free will, is not a puppet like a bean soldier or a paper man, but fundamentally, is still under the control of the Immortal Gate.

Holding this jade talisman in her hand, Dao Xu suddenly realized something.

"The former protector of King Qin, Copper Body Arhat, has already passed away?" Dao Xu frowned.

"Who was behind this? Did the other Eight Immortal Gates turn a blind eye and secretly plot?"

She didn’t even consider the possibility that an ordinary martial artist had killed Luohan, as cultivators always fought against other cultivators, not martial artists.