Su Mu took out the letter, the traces of ink were strong and vigorous.
"Hero Li has exacted bloody vengeance, a kindness to my brothers akin to remaking us; for this, I, Li Yan, am ready to serve like a loyal hound or horse... Having long heard of your fad 'Unparalleled Boxing and Stick Skills', and knowing how rare Seventh-Grade Staff Techniques are, but as the saying goes, spear and staff have much in common... I, Li, am dull-witted; the Li Family's ancestral spear technique, kept in my hands, is but a pearl covered in dust. Only by gifting it to my benefactor do I honor my ancestors' creation. May your martial destiny shine like a rainbow, and may I salute you again one day in Jianghu... Handwritten by Li Yan."
Glancing over it, Su Mu's eyes flashed—he suddenly understood why, in martial arts novels of his previous life, great heroes so cherished chivalry and justice. To be admired and respected was a trendous spiritual fulfillnt.
After reading, Su Mu's gaze burned with a sharp glint.
Ancestral spear technique?!
Su Mu was ablaze inside, though his expression turned odd; this so-called 'Unparalleled Boxing and Stick Skills' was nothing but rumor. He had always trained in the Great Spear, never in the staff. Now, by a twist of fate, he received a spear technique!
The letter showed that Li Yan originally intended to find a Seventh-Grade Staff Technique for him, but failing that, had gifted the ancestral spear technique instead.
So, the package contained a Seventh-Grade Spear Technique.
Su Mu's heart pounded beneath his chest. He imdiately lifted the old, yellowed, curling ancient book with no title on its cover.
Rustle.
Opening the first page, the brushwork galloped like a dragon and snake, a latent air of dominance erging. It read: "Seven Dominating Spear Forms."
"Seven Dominating Spear Forms!"
Su Mu's eyes glead as he held up and read page after page. While the youth lost himself in the manual, outside on Qingyun's main street, the elite Cyan Cloud Army in silver armor surged out of the city, heading toward Shuangbai Town.
By the ti the youth at the Yanque Street courtyard turned the last page of the secret manual, the evening glow outside the window had already beco a sky full of stars; night was deep.
Whoosh!
Su Mu exhaled softly, heart blazing with excitent; he understood now why Li Yan said this spear technique would be a pearl covered in dust in his hands—without innate divine power or extraordinary strength, this Dominating Spear could not reveal its true might.
Moreover, within the technique was an accompanying unique power refinent thod called "Overlord Spear Force"; its force was tyrannical, hurting both foe and self!
An ordinary person, if trained in it, would injure himself before harming others.
The so-called Tyrant Spear: fierce and unmatched, spear moves like a dragon, blending the seven powers of 'thrust, collapse, lift, shake, press, grasp, block'; moving like thunder, it was an incomparably fierce Seventh-Grade Spear Technique. The origins were lost to history; Li Family ancestors did not ntion it in the manual.
Every move in this technique exuded dominance—unlike the Torrential Rain Spear Technique, which entangled foes in endless spear strikes, this sought to overpower with strength: break the enemy with one spear, all seven forms were killing blows.
"What a domineering spear technique! What a tyrant spear!"
Su Mu's eyes flashed, his mind inevitably recalling Overlord Xiang Yu from the histories of his previous life—Yu's divine courage, unmatched across the ages, was the highest praise for individual martial might in the annals of Huaxia history.
At the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu captured Wang Li, forced Zhang Han to surrender, and with 50,000 Chu troops routed 400,000 Qin army—singlehandedly turning the tide and laying the foundation for the overthrow of Qin Dynasty rule.
Moreover, speaking of innate divine power, Xiang Yu was first in Su Mu's mind: said to have "the strength to uproot mountains, his spirit overwheld the world." Legend had it that Xiang Yu once lifted one of the Nine Tripods left by Yu the Great for stopping rivers, establishing the saying "strength enough to lift a tripod."
Su Mu closed the spear manual and also his eyes, running the text through his mind several tis. Only when he rembered every word did he begin a careful study.
With a solid foundation in the completed Torrential Rain Spear Technique, and his terrifying Hidden-Dragon-level comprehension, Su Mu progressed rapidly in his understanding of the Tyrant Spear.
Second reading—enlightennt gushed forth like a spring.
Third reading—war drums thundered in his mind, the clash of armies soared to the skies; in his transford state, Su Mu felt as though placed amid two armies battling, glimpsed the first form.
Before the fourth reading began, Su Mu felt a blaze burning beneath his chest. His arms were hot and itchy; unable to resist, he rushed to the courtyard and fitted the cold iron spearhead onto a white wax wood rod.
Seven Dominating Spear Forms, First Form: Sweeping Thousand Soldiers!
"A thousand swept aside, one against a thousand."
Su Mu silently recited the first form's formula. Cool energy surged from his brow; his qi blood and power ran in accord with the Dominating Spear's unique operation thod, "Overlord Spear Force": strength rising from the ground, waist and abdon guiding the arms.
Sharp light flickered in Su Mu's eyes; at this mont, he truly felt himself transford into the vanguard in the midst of two armies clashing, and before him surged an enemy force like a tide of black armor.
First to climb, kill the general, and capture the banner!
The sounds of battle made Su Mu's blood burn hot; heroism welled up. He gripped the long spear and fiercely thrust at the enemy pressing down like a black cloud.
Crack!
But a sudden sharp crack pulled Su Mu out of this mysterious realm; the battlefield and wave-like enemy faded from his mind.
All he saw was the twisted, exploded stub of wood in his hands; a spray of white wax wood fragnts flew like shrapnel—dozens, even hundreds of splinters bursting forth. The fine white wax wood rod had shattered under the force, splintered to bits.
The cold iron spearhead shot out with a hiss, sparks flying in the night, embedding itself with a bang in the courtyard wall.
Su Mu looked down at the stump in his hands, a bit resigned. He strode over, pulled out the cold iron spearhead; a glint from beyond the courtyard shone in—his spear had blasted a hole through the wall.
"The white wax wood rod cannot withstand the force of the Dominating Spear... I need to forge an iron spear as soon as possible."
Muttering, Su Mu put away the spearhead and, with no choice, returned to his room to resu studying the scroll.
He read until it was dusk the next day; in the study, Su Mu's obsession faded away as he slowly closed the scroll.
Seven Dominating Spear Forms (entry-level 1%)
With the completed foundation of Torrential Rain Spear Technique, after a full day and night of contemplation, Su Mu had reached entry-level. At that mont, warmth flowed within his body, and the exhaustion of a full day's pondering subsided like the tide.
"Just entry-level and my comprehension increased—truly, Seventh-Grade Martial Arts are extraordinary!"
Su Mu was very pleased. Seeing it was late, he seized the mont to bring out the Demon Subduing Fist exchanged from the Demon Slayer Bureau for further study.
After the first reading, Su Mu's eyes brightened faintly.
Second reading—enlightennt streaked through his mind like a shooting star.
Third reading—confidence in his heart.
Demon Suppressing Fist Technique (entry-level 1%)
After just three readings, Su Mu had entered the gate of this Eighth-Grade Fist Technique. If word got out to Li Zhihe, he would surely be shocked beyond asure.
Though just an Eighth-Grade Fist Technique, Demon Subduing Fist was the hardest among the three Eighth-Grade Martial Arts available for exchange; its cultivation difficulty rivalled even lower-grade Seventh-Grade Martial Arts.
"Even without counting Five Animals Qigong, I now master four fist techniques, three completed, one self-created... Three readings to entry-level is nothing worth bragging about."
Su Mu did not grow complacent at his progress. Outsiders all called him unparalleled in boxing and stick; after creating Thunder Shock Fist, Su Mu believed he truly deserved the boxing title in Qingyun County, his confidence born of real strength.
The full moon hung high, stars like an ocean overhead.
No words for his cultivation; the youth imrsed himself completely in training.
...
At dawn, a mounted scout raced into the city from Shuangbai Town, his horse shattered the morning mist, voice shaking the main street: "Victory report! County Captain Li led his n at Shuangniu Mountain outside Shuangbai Town to annihilate the Black Mountain Rebel Army's Sharp Gold Banner."
"Over thirty craftsn rescued from the rebels, three hundred enemy heads taken!"
At noon, scholars and ladies returning from the Shuangbai Poetry Gathering brought back a plum blossom poem, while Jianghu figures told stories of chivalry for the people.
"It is rumored that the knight in blue slew the Ghost-Hand Scholar Zhou Qing on Baiqing Street, leaving a poem before departing."
Stories of knights striking down evil and leaving immortal verses spread throughout Qingyun City, and even the common folk, indifferent to poetry, delighted in the tales.
Within days, Qingyun City's paper shops bood, Qingyun Paper Price soaring.
While the youth carried osmanthus cakes through the teahouse, the sharp sound of a judge's gavel caught his interest. He looked over, seeing crowds gathered three-deep around an old storyteller who proclaid aloud:
"There, the sword light glittered like snow, a single slash to the throat, thus the infamous Ghost-Hand Scholar was slain..."
All the tea-house guests held their breath as the old man recited four lines of plum blossom poetry in a drawn-out tone.
"Though from afar it is not snow, for there is secret fragrance coming!"
With the last line, the crowd burst into applause, coins rained into the copper basin held by the child collecting the rewards, and the child bead with joy—Su Mu tossed out a few coins as well.
After delivering the cakes to the clinic, Su Mu went to the Forging Workshop, entered the Cyan Blade Forging Room as usual and began copying manuscripts; soon, Master Zhao Ju arrived, watching Su Mu copy with a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Kid, how long are you going to keep watching?"
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