Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Martial Arts Secret Manual
At that moment, Jinpung let out a shout. A tremendous surge of true qi erupted. Son Heun screamed as he was sent flying backward. While flying through the air, his face turned bright red and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. Soon after, with a thud, he crashed to the ground. Elder Son shouted in disbelief.
“Son Heun!”
The surroundings fell silent as if water had been poured over everything. The onlookers all stared wide-eyed, feeling only their faces burn hot. It was as if they had just been slapped hard across the face.
The Jinpung they had once looked down upon and mocked without restraint was nowhere to be seen. Now, they looked at Jinpung with shock and fear.
“How did he become so strong? How could he defeat Son Heun, a third-level Houtian realm expert who had trained in Green Wood Hand?”
They had seen it clearly. Jinpung had not used any martial technique. If that was the case, then he must possess strength exceeding a thousand jin. Could it be that he had already reached the fourth level of the Houtian realm?
It was an unbelievable and mysterious event, leaving everyone present in utter shock.
Elder Son checked Son Heun’s condition, supporting his son’s body and probing his injuries with his true qi.
His expression quickly turned grim. Several extremely important meridians inside Son Heun’s body had been severed by Jinpung’s overwhelming true qi.
With his meridians severed, even if all kinds of rare medicinal materials were used, recovery would take at least three months. Even after recovery, his future cultivation would no longer progress as before. And setting aside the difficulty of obtaining such rare medicines, it would be an immense challenge in itself.
Jinpung sneered.
“You’ve called me trash at every turn. Yet as someone who practices martial arts, you were reduced to that state with a single punch of mine. Now who is the real trash?”
“You beast!”
Elder Son shouted furiously.
“I never expected you to be this cruel.”
Jinpung did not shrink back in the slightest and retorted.
“Your son was trying to take my life. I merely struck back. How can you say I went too far? Does that mean your son’s life is a life, but mine is not?”
“You beast! Since you dared to harm a fellow sect member so brutally, I will never forgive you!”
Elder Son attempted to twist the situation and shift the blame onto Jinpung. His shamelessness was beyond measure. Jinpung found it so absurd that he actually laughed.
“If your son tries to kill me, am I supposed to just stand there with my neck exposed? But if I kill your son, that’s absolutely not allowed? Tch.”
“Shut your mouth! I will definitely kill you today!”
Enraged, Elder Son charged forward, intending to trample Jinpung. At that moment, Han Jong stepped in like a bolt of lightning and blocked Jinpung’s path.
“Brother Son! There’s a difference in level here. Do you want to lose face? If you really want to fight, let the two of us have a match.”
At those words, Elder Son knew he was no match for Han Jong and could not advance further. He snorted instead. After giving Jinpung a fierce glare, he picked up Son Heun and disappeared in an instant.
Jinpung looked around. The people around him could not meet his gaze and lowered their heads. Most of them had cultivation far inferior to Jinpung, and moreover, they had guilty consciences.
In the past, they had bullied Jinpung, and some had even entered his residence and stolen items, so they feared he might take revenge now.
Jinpung snorted and swept his cold gaze across the crowd. His mere gaze made others shudder. However, contrary to their expectations, Jinpung said nothing and left the place together with Han Jong.
“Jinpung, you’ve been hiding your strength all this time!”
Walking up the mountain path toward the outer sect, Han Jong laughed after putting distance between themselves and the others. His expression was one of genuine joy rather than reproach.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Master. It wasn’t intentional hiding…”
“I know, I know. You were just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble. You don’t need to explain it to me. I’m simply proud of you. However…”
His expression grew serious.
“Your master had many enemies during his lifetime. They originally considered you useless and left you alone. But today’s incident will likely change their perception. From now on, many dangers may arise, so you must be careful.”
Jinpung felt warmth in his heart.
“Uncle Master, don’t worry! I’ll be careful.”
“Then what do you plan to do now? Are you going to the Resource Hall to receive spirit stones?”
Jinpung shook his head.
“Not for now. If I go now, you’ll end up clashing with Elder Son again. You’ve accumulated a lot of spirit stones over the years, so I don’t need to take them this time. I’ll strengthen myself further and deal with Elder Son later.”
Han Jong nodded with satisfaction. He felt relieved that Jinpung knew when to step back.
A true strong person knows when to advance and when to retreat instead of recklessly rushing forward. How many of the top experts who once dominated the world had a smooth and uninterrupted path?
“Uncle Master Han, I’d like to go to the Martial Arts Pavilion to choose a technique. My master only taught me a cultivation method and did not teach me any martial arts.”
Han Jong smiled and said,
“Good. I’ll go with you. The one in charge of the Martial Arts Pavilion was my senior uncle when I first joined, and now he is the Supreme Elder of the outer sect. He should be able to make things convenient for us.”
The two left the main road and followed a small path toward the Martial Arts Pavilion. Behind the pavilion was a sheer cliff, and the surrounding garden was filled with blooming flowers and lush greenery. The area was extremely quiet.
On the way up, they encountered several outer sect disciples carrying martial arts manuals as if they were precious treasures, clearly rushing back after selecting cultivation methods from the pavilion.
Some of them seemed about to mock Jinpung upon seeing him, but noticing Han Jong beside him, they said nothing and passed by quietly.
At the entrance of the Martial Arts Pavilion, an old man sat on the steps, drinking alcohol. His hair and beard were disheveled, and his clothes were shabby. Holding a gourd upside down, wine poured out in a steady stream. The old man opened his mouth wide and gulped it down. Wine spilled around his mouth. Even from a distance, the strong smell of alcohol could be detected.
Han Jong approached the old man and said in a low voice,
“Supreme Uncle Master, I have brought someone. He is a disciple of Senior Brother Yeon Cheong-woo. Everyone thought he was useless, but he is now able to cultivate. He has already reached the third level of the Houtian realm. According to sect rules, once he reaches the third level, he should be allowed to choose a martial art, correct?”
The old man made an indistinct response. Jinpung could not make sense of his words. Han Jong turned to Jinpung.
“Go in. Don’t stay too long. Come out quickly.”
“Thank you, Uncle Master.”
Jinpung did not ask further, approached the entrance, and bowed to the old man.
“Thank you, Supreme Uncle Master.”
After greeting him, he entered the Martial Arts Pavilion.
Inside, the Martial Arts Pavilion was extremely spacious. It stretched hundreds of steps in all directions, with rows upon rows of bookshelves. On those shelves were manuals containing various cultivation methods and martial arts techniques, numbering at least ten thousand volumes.
The outer sect’s Martial Arts Pavilion was used exclusively by outer sect disciples, who were generally at the Houtian realm. Among the martial arts housed there, the highest rank was only Yellow-grade third tier.
Martial arts techniques were selected according to cultivation stages. From the first to third level of the Houtian realm, one could only choose from the first floor. Upon reaching the fourth level, one could access the second floor, and only upon reaching the seventh level could one access the third floor.
Jinpung immediately headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. The martial arts on the first floor did not meet his expectations. Although he had not yet reached the fourth level, his strength was already close to eight hundred jin. The fourth level of the Houtian realm required a thousand jin of strength, but Jinpung wanted to attempt it.
However, as soon as he stepped onto the first stair leading to the second floor, he felt something blocking his body. It seemed a transparent barrier of qi had been set up to prevent anyone from going up casually.
Jinpung did not panic. He circulated the true qi throughout his body and pushed it outward, pressing against the barrier. With each step forward, the barrier bent backward, but it would not break. Sweat poured down Jinpung’s forehead like rain. Excessive use of true qi caused his meridians to ache. Still, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward with all his strength.
At some point, with a soft popping sound like a bubble bursting, the barrier disappeared without a trace. Jinpung quickly withdrew his force, nearly losing his balance and crashing his head into the stairs.
To think such a restriction had been set up—Jinpung was surprised by the existence of such a formation, but there was no time to hesitate. He immediately ascended to the second floor.
“You have clear intent and strong determination. A good seedling. Since he is a good seedling, he should be given some convenience.”
The Supreme Elder, who had been drinking outside the Martial Arts Pavilion, muttered casually. His eyes were completely clear, without the slightest trace of drunkenness, gleaming brightly. Han Jong bowed respectfully.
“Thank you, Supreme Uncle Master.”
“That boy’s master… what a pity.”
The Supreme Elder let out a sigh.
On the second floor, Jinpung browsed through the martial arts manuals. Since he possessed the cultivation method Paddara Leaf Golden Scripture given by his master, he did not need another cultivation method.
“Eighteen Sword Strikes of Binding Roots? A Yellow-grade first-tier sword technique at the pinnacle. It unleashes eighteen sword strikes in an instant, attacking all vital points without giving the opponent any chance to evade… But I don’t have a good sword. Moreover, this technique excels in burst power but lacks endurance, so it doesn’t suit me. Hmm, this is the Nine Dragon Whip Technique? It uses a whip like a serpent to coil around the opponent’s neck and crush it… But it demands too much from the weapon. Next is… Eighty-One Lotus Palm. Its true qi flows like water, gentle and flexible, and the palm techniques form a net, trapping the opponent so that escape becomes impossible… But it’s too soft…”
Jinpung examined one manual after another, then returned them to their places.
The criteria he sought in a martial art were:
First, it must be simple, easy to follow, and easy to train.
Second, it must have strong power, few forms, and a forceful momentum.
Third, it must suit his own cultivation.
Jinpung did not know the origin of the Paddara Leaf Golden Scripture he had cultivated, but the true qi it produced was both calm and vast, like seawater flowing into the galaxy, unstoppable by anything. He wanted to choose a martial art of similar nature.
He continued scanning the second-floor shelves carefully, until he finally stopped in front of a bookshelf located deep in the corner. It was tucked away in the most inconspicuous part of the second floor. Covered in dust, it seemed that most people did not choose martial arts from there.
After carefully examining the shelf, Jinpung shook his head. All the martial arts manuals there appeared to be incomplete copies. No wonder they were covered in dust. Their names were unfamiliar, and they seemed difficult to cultivate.
Just as he was about to leave, something caught Jinpung’s eye. He couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, “Ah!”