Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 404 Sea of ​​Clouds, Jade Bow, Fate

The cave entrance is narrow, but the interior is spacious.

He crawled through the crack into a dark cave. Li Zhaoting took out a tinderbox, looked around, and saw a flash of light. He knew he had found the treasure.

Upon closer inspection, a stalagmite grows horizontally from the rock wall, from which hangs a large bow, gleaming all over, seemingly carved from fine jade, with three arrows beside it.

Wow, what a beautiful bow and arrow!

Lan Fenghuang reached out to grab the jade bow, but to her surprise, the bow was extremely heavy. Lan Fenghuang tried repeatedly, panting heavily, but could not lift the bow.

Nocking a bow and arrow is pure fantasy.

Li Pangui laughed and said, "Little girl, don't waste your energy. This thing is made of cold jade."

My father accidentally touched two of these things. They were heavier than steel and extremely tough. It took my father a whole month to polish them into two amulets.

I am one, and my mother is one.

"Put it down, put it down, let me do it!"

Li Pangui possessed superhuman strength, with boundless power. He waved his hand and took the jade bow, laughing, "What a heavy bow! With this divine weapon in hand, who in the world can stop me?"

As he spoke, Li Pangui pulled the bowstring with all his might, pushing his strength to the limit. His energy shot out in all directions, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Finally, he drew the bowstring taut.

"It seems there are still people who can stop me. My internal strength foundation allows me to draw the bow twice at most. Nephew-in-law, you give it a try. Bows and arrows are much more useful than swords!"

Li Pangui handed the jade bow to Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting knew that this jade bow was Qiao Beiming's "three killing moves" against Zhang Danfeng's successor.

If you can't beat your opponent head-on, you can hide in the shadows and snipe with a bow and arrow, or compete with your opponent in concealed weapons. The Tianshan Divine Light of the Tianshan Sect is obviously no match for the Jade Bow.

In the original storyline, Li Shengnan and Tang Xiaolan had a best-of-three duel, and Li Shengnan won one round using the jade bow.

Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, winning in this way always feels like bullying an honest person.

If bows and arrows are considered concealed weapons, then would bringing in ten powerful cannons be considered concealed weapons? If I have the musketeers fire in three volleys, would that be considered a "concealed weapon array"?
Of course, the jade bow was not entirely a clever trick.

The jade bow is extremely heavy, making it quite difficult to lift, and drawing it requires a high level of internal strength.

Drawing the bow fully requires the power of the eighth level of the Asura Yin Sha Technique. With Li Pan Gui's foundation, he can only draw the bow twice, and each time he must concentrate and gather strength.

With a forceful pull, the energy surges forth; even the blind and deaf can sense the traces. Don't expect to launch a sneak attack.

If they could use the jade bow to unleash a rapid-fire barrage of arrows, Old Madam Tang and Yuan Shisanxian would willingly relinquish their titles, and even Little Li's Flying Dagger would be helpless against a sniper rifle firing in rapid succession.

Li Zhaoting weighed the jade bow in his hand. The bow was made of tough and heavy deep-sea cold jade, and the bowstring was made of the sinew of a strange sea dragon. The arrows were soul-searching and unstoppable.

If it fell into the hands of master archers like Guo Jing, Jebe, Temujin, or Jian Yin, it would be absolutely terrifying—a deadly weapon on the battlefield, capable of snipe enemy generals by name.

Drawing a bow requires effort, which is very much in line with scientific theory.

The law of conservation of energy.

Internal energy is transformed into elastic potential energy, which in turn is transformed into kinetic energy. The more profound one's skill, the stronger the accumulated power, and the more explosive the power of the bow and arrow.

It's absolutely explosive!
Other bows and arrows cause piercing damage, but the jade bow causes crushing damage; one arrow can shatter half of a person's body.

Li Zhaoting shook his head to calm himself down, his true energy filling his arms. He held the bow in one hand and pulled the string with the other, drawing the bowstring steadily to its full extent before slowly releasing it.

Playing the bowstring without a string can damage it.

Divine weapons have a "durability".

Li Pangui praised, "Impressive! No wonder he's my niece's husband; he's a perfect match for my niece!"

If Wang Shenglan were here, she might be happily playing with the jade bow. Lan Fenghuang and Jiang Yuyan could only barely hold the jade bow upright. Li Shengnan had no interest in heavy weapons and was about to leave when she saw a faint green light in the corner of the wall, which seemed to be a sword stuck in it.

As the sword was drawn, a beam of blue light appeared in the dark cave, radiating countless rays of light and auspicious colors. The light could be clearly heard within a radius of three zhang, making it obvious that it was a divine weapon.

This sword is about three feet two inches long and as thin as a cicada's wing. When it is swung to cleave a stone pillar, stone chips fly everywhere in an instant. The sharpness of this sword is even greater than that of the Youlong Sword of the Tianshan Sect.

This is another deadly move left behind by Qiao Beiming.

He clashed head-on with the disciples of the Tianshan Sect, engaging in continuous sword fights. He used his divine weapon to cut the opponent's sword, thus gaining an advantage. This sword was forged by Qiao Beiming over several years, a fact unknown to outsiders.

In other words, you can use the "first encounter kill" tactic.

Back when she fought Wanyan Jue in the Liao Kingdom, Li Shengnan's Vajra Indestructible Great Searching God Hand was destroyed by the force of his fist. She could only piece together the scattered parts and put together her left hand.

Now that she has this precious sword, Li Shengnan has returned to her dual-wielding form. Having experienced battles, she has developed a great fondness for sharp and powerful weapons.

The cave wasn't very big, and besides the jade bow and sword, there was nothing else. Li Pangui was somewhat disappointed: "What is Master Qiao up to? Isn't this making things difficult for me?"

Li Zhaoting said, "To become a master, one needs extraordinary talent, unwavering will, good fortune to turn misfortune into good fortune, and resourceful wisdom."

Qiao Beiming passed away a century ago, unable to test the aptitude of those who came after him, but he can test other aspects of life.

Going out to sea by boat is a test of wealth!

Calm seas, reaching the island, defeating ferocious beasts, discovering the cave entrance – all these tests of luck!

Drawing a bow and nocking an arrow tests one's fundamental skills!

The next test will be on wisdom and character.

According to the illustrations, the giant shot an arrow at the volcano, indicating that the true treasure was hidden inside. This island was full of ferocious beasts. How could someone like Qiao Beiming allow such beasts to tear apart his corpse? His body must have been hidden in a place inaccessible to wild animals. The most natural enemy of wild animals is fire, and the mausoleum must be located in a volcano!

I have examined the earth's veins.

This volcano is extinct.

A tomb can be built if the method is correct.

Qiao Beiming's ability to polish jade bows and swords demonstrates his expertise in forging and construction. Coupled with his unparalleled martial arts skills, he had more than a decade of leisure time, enough to build the volcanic tomb before he grew old and frail.

We should go see the volcano.

Li Zhaoting handed the jade bow to Li Pangui.

Li Pangui said, "No need! I have an ancestral one-legged bronze figure. Nephew-in-law, you have profound skills and can draw the bow and shoot arrows many times. I will give you this jade bow!"

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "Uncle, I have to carry three beauties down the mountain, I can't carry this jade bow."

"Getting a wife is such a hassle! My mother has always wanted me to get a wife to continue the family line, but now it seems better not to get married. Once a woman gets married, she can't walk anymore, and I have to carry her everywhere!"

Li Pangui's logic is very clear.

His mother is his father's wife and can't walk. Li Shengnan is Li Zhaoting's wife and needs Li Zhaoting to carry her when climbing mountains. The other two women are the same!
The concepts of serious injury and paralysis, flirting and bantering, were too profound for Li Pangui to understand at all!

Li Shengnan blushed deeply.

Young men and women who experience love for the first time are often quite infatuated, and Li Shengnan was no exception.

Because Li Shengnan's combat strength was too weak, even weaker than Lan Fenghuang's, she originally intended to show off her fierceness and display the shrewish roar of a witch, but she was disarmed in just a few moves and was at Li Zhaoting's mercy, with no power to fight back.

Lacking the necessary skills, she couldn't be forceful, so she could only take advantage of being a new wife and use her charm to get Li Zhaoting to comply with her, so as not to lose face completely.

Li Zhaoting gave Li Shengnan a wink.

Li Shengnan glared angrily at Li Zhaoting.

Lan Fenghuang's eyes darted around, and from Li Shengnan's gaze, which was a mixture of anger, shame, and infatuation, Lan Fenghuang sensed a sense of shared suffering and quickly found an ally.

Jiang Yuyan crossed her arms, her face full of smugness!

—Two weaklings, not worth mentioning! In the future, when the master gets angry, won't he still have to rely on me?

Li Pangui found drawing the bow rather strenuous, but carrying the jade bow was no problem. The three left Giant Mountain and searched the volcano according to the direction the giant pointed. Li Pangui explored every corner of the area and became extremely familiar with the volcano's surroundings. He quickly found a mark on the mountain wall that resembled an arrow.

The jade bow comes with three arrows. The shafts are made of specially crafted wood with intricate internal patterns, resembling the meridians of the human body, allowing for excellent transmission of vital energy. The arrowheads are made of cold jade, with the tips branching into two forks.

Li Pangui had seen this symbol before, but he had never seen the jade bow and arrows before, and thought it was just a crack in the mountain rock.

They still don't know what the markers are for. The island is only inhabited by a mother and child. The "lock" and "key" are completely beyond Li Pangui's comprehension.

A bolt can protect you from wild animals.

What is the purpose of a door lock?

Beware of a paralyzed mother? Beware of a father coming back to life?

How to prevent the golden retriever from using its claws to pry open the door latch?

Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "Shengnan, this is the entrance to the mausoleum. The jade bow and arrows are the keys to the door. The way to open it is to draw the bow and shoot an arrow. This is a test."

Li Shengnan nodded: "If I had come here alone, even if I had been lucky enough to find the entrance, I would not have been able to find the key hidden in the giant's mouth. Master Qiao is too obsessed with Zhang Danfeng and wants to compete with him in everything."

"The loss was too devastating; I can't get over it!"

If Qiao Beiming were to fight valiantly against the heroes of the Central Plains and be defeated by Zhang Danfeng when he was physically and mentally exhausted, Qiao Beiming would accept the defeat with a smile and mock the other party for taking advantage of his vulnerability.

If Qiao Beiming were to be surrounded and killed, his final, desperate strike before death would be enough to take down his strongest enemy.

If Qiao Beiming narrowly loses by half a move, but has the advantage in some aspects, and is evenly matched with Zhang Danfeng, but loses because his strengths are not strong enough, Qiao Beiming will not have inner demons.

How did Qiao Beiming lose?

You're tired, you need to rest!

Your vital energy is depleted; you need to take medicine to recover.

You say my sword is sharp? Let's fight bare-handed.

You say you are skilled in palm techniques and internal energy cultivation, and have improved the Indian Mahayana Prajna Palm, increasing its destructive power several times over. Its yin and cold energy is piercing and bone-chilling; even a slight graze can cause someone to fall seriously ill for three months. That's your advantage, right?
Ok!

I understand!

Zhang Danfeng, the world's number one swordsman with unparalleled swordsmanship, put down his divine weapon that could cut through iron like mud and challenged Qiao Beiming to a palm strike contest, engaging in a head-on confrontation!
In your most prized, strongest, and proudest areas, we will defeat you decisively and cleanly in the simplest and most direct way, shattering your dignity completely!
In addition, Zhang Danfeng was only in his forties at that time, and his internal and external skills were far from their peak. When he clashed head-on with Qiao Beiming, he almost lost his lifespan.

After the fierce battle, Zhang Danfeng suffered internal injuries. If he did not break through, he might die at the age of sixty.

Who is Zhang Danfeng?
Destruction leads to construction, surpassing the past.

Not only did he live to be ninety years old, but in the final years of his life he also comprehended the nameless sword technique, which was unparalleled, all-encompassing, and groundbreaking, and could rival the Dugu Nine Swords.

After his beloved wife Yun Lei passed away, Zhang Danfeng had no more worries and went into seclusion in Guilin to teach his disciples. After his disciples became disciples, Zhang Danfeng attained the Vajra of Shattering.

The only pity is that Zhang Danfeng's disciple, whom he took in in his later years, had not yet made a name for himself with his sword, and at most had only a little fame, and died mysteriously from poisoning.

Qiao Beiming didn't know what happened next; otherwise, he might have let go of his obsession. The gap was as vast as an insurmountable chasm, so there was no need to chase after it, not even to think of any underhanded tricks.

Of course, we shouldn't underestimate Qiao Beiming just because he lost to Zhang Danfeng. Zhang Danfeng and Jin Shiyi are the "big and small kings" of Liang's martial arts world, equivalent to top figures like Zhang Sanfeng, Ling Donglai, and Guan Qi. If "Bloody Hand" Li Gong couldn't beat Ling Donglai, does that mean Li Gong is weak?

Li Zhaoting retreated to a distance, composed himself, nocked an arrow, his right hand held like a mountain, his left hand like a baby, his eyes fixed on the keyhole, the three points aligned in a straight line, the bow opened like a full moon, the arrow flew like a shooting star, with a whoosh, the arrow shot into the keyhole, followed by a creaking sound.

The portal designed by Qiao Beiming was no ordinary one.

Outside are two indestructible Dragon-Slaying Stones. Even with the Purple and Green Twin Swords, it would take four or five days to dig through them. Arrows must be used to shoot through them, using immense force to impact the stone door, allowing the force to penetrate the Dragon-Slaying Stones, vibrate the internal mechanisms, create a chain reaction, and open the stone door.

Li Pangui praised, "Amazing! If it weren't for my nephew-in-law, I wouldn't be able to find my way even in my next life!"

Li Pangui's father had been searching for decades, and so had he. Counting the generations of the Li family, their century-old obsession had finally come true, and they danced with excitement.

Without delay, the crowd filed in.

Li Zhaoting led the way, while Li Pangui carried the jade bow at the very back. After passing through a passageway, they encountered another stone gate ahead. Li Pangui gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Master Qiao is playing me! I've exhausted so much energy on this journey, who has the strength to draw a bow!"

"Uncle has misunderstood Qiao Beiming. Qiao Beiming wants to find a successor, not to play tricks on his juniors. Being able to draw the bow once is enough to complete the test. Look here, the Great Circulation Breathing Method can quickly restore true energy and blood."

Qiao Beiming wanted to find a gifted successor to defeat Zhang Danfeng's successor. The traps were set to test the successor's foundation, wisdom, and perseverance, not to deliberately make things difficult for him. Every dead end has a chance of survival.

Li Zhaoting didn't need to recover. As he walked, the Longevity Technique operated on its own, and his true essence had long since returned to normal. He took a dozen steps back and used the jade bow to open the stone door.

There was still a long passageway ahead.

At the end of the passageway is the last stone gate, on which is engraved the second half of the Great Circulation Breathing Method. The combination of the two is the Qi Returning Method that Qiao Beiming comprehended on the island, which can restore him to his best condition in a very short time.

The group memorized the incantation and drew their bows again.

The stone door creaked open.

The light from the tinderbox shone in the darkness, reflecting a dazzling array of jewels. Behind the stone door was a huge stone chamber, more than two zhang wide, filled with gold and silver jewels.

At the very center was a high platform, upon which sat a skeleton, its flesh sunken and its body incorruptible, dressed in a shroud woven with gold and silver threads, holding a treasure box in its hands, and with a plaque beside it.

"Throughout my life, I have roamed the world, invincible in all directions. Wherever I went, heroes bowed their heads and demons knelt down. Yet, I was defeated by Zhang Danfeng and am now trapped on a remote island overseas."

I have three great regrets in my life.

One regret is that he cannot have another duel with Zhang Danfeng;
My second regret is that there is no one to inherit my mantle;
My three regrets are that I cannot return to my homeland;

Whoever can resolve these three concerns for me will be my successor across generations, and will be able to retrieve the treasures and secret manuals hidden in the room.

If one's greed is insatiable, and one covets jewels and secret manuals, and destroys my body, then one shall suffer the punishment of having one's heart devoured by ten thousand poisons.

—A letter left by Qiao Beiming!

Just as Li Pangui was about to take the manual, Li Zhaoting hurriedly said, "Uncle, respect for the dead is paramount. If you want to take Qiao Beiming's manual, you should kowtow to him a few times first!"

Li Pangui nodded, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times. Just as he stood up, a sound came from the high platform, and Qiao Beiming's corpse turned around.

There is still a wooden sign behind it.

“You sincerely kowtow to me, showing respect for your teacher and the Way, which greatly pleases me. This jade box contains the true secret manual. You may use your sword to cut open the jade box and take the manual inside.”

Li Shengnan couldn't help but shiver.

Qiao Beiming truly lived up to his reputation as the most ruthless of all villains; he was indeed cunning and scheming. If the thieves arrived and saw the gold, silver, jewels, and martial arts manuals, they would surely fight to the death. The jewels and fake manuals were covered in poison, and anyone who touched them would undoubtedly die.

Unless one kowtows to Qiao Beiming's corpse and respectfully performs the apprenticeship ceremony, the mechanism can be triggered to reveal the true secret manual. This is Qiao Beiming's final test.

What is most important for a successor?
Of course, I want to become "Qiao Beiming's successor"!
To put it bluntly, it's a test of... character!
The most wicked of all, the most evil of all, after a century, the selection of a successor from a different generation is a minor matter, a preliminary test. The real core test is the character and integrity of the person!
Even a demon wants to be surrounded by good people!
Such scheming brought great suffering to the descendants of the Li family.

The Li family regards Qiao Beiming as their patriarch, so how could they dare to perform the apprenticeship ceremony before their patriarch? Without performing the apprenticeship ceremony, they cannot activate the mechanism and can only obtain a fake manual. The manual is coated with a deadly poison, which will kill the skin upon contact with blood.

In the original story, the group went to the island to search for treasure. Li Pangui, the island's number one expert, died in this scheme, causing the protagonist's group to completely collapse. Meng Shentong stole most of the martial arts manuals and used them to break through to the ninth level of the Asura Realm.

This is not Qiao Beiming's fault.

Qiao Beiming never expected that the descendants of the Li family would come looking for treasure.

The Liang faction of martial arts is the most amiable. Even a great demon like Qiao Beiming is very reasonable. When teaching martial arts, he holds almost no secrets. He completely passed on the entire manual of the Shura Yin Sha Gong to Li Kangtian.

Who could have imagined that Li Kangtian, leading a group of people, would provoke the elderly Zhang Danfeng, only to be killed by Zhang Danfeng's shout? From then on, the Li family suffered from a lack of successors and gradually declined, eventually being wiped out by foreign enemies, leaving them no choice but to go to sea to find their inheritance.

It's difficult to determine right from wrong.

No one could have predicted everything a hundred years ago.

Having the secret manual is enough.

There's no need to analyze whether Qiao Beiming was "right" or "wrong".

The three deadly moves left behind by Qiao Beiming are: first, the jade bow with immense force; second, the sword that can cut through iron like mud; and third, the jade box, which can be cut into small pieces and woven with gold thread into jade armor to block a fatal blow from the enemy.

The Tianshan Sect excels in swordsmanship. Their fatal sword strike is a piercing attack, not a blunt weapon strike. Jade armor can effectively defend against sword thrusts, allowing them to exchange wounds with their enemies.

All three tactics rely on equipment.

Use a precious sword to cut through the enemy's weapon.

Use jade armor to exchange wounds with the enemy.

Use the jade bow to counter the enemy's Heavenly Mountain Divine Light.

If you still can't win, use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique to fight the enemy to the death, and perish together with them.

Qiao Beiming truly lived up to his reputation as a grandmaster of martial arts; his thinking was so simple, unpretentious, and unpretentious. The Tianshan Sect had devised a plan to defend against the extraordinary moves left behind by Qiao Beiming, but they never expected that he would achieve a surprising victory by relying on divine weapons.

Qiao Beiming: If I can defeat Zhang Danfeng fairly and squarely, even by just half a move, why should I be stuck on this isolated island? Gear-focused gameplay is the way to go!

After putting away the secret manual, the group bowed three times to Qiao Beiming's corpse and then sealed the mausoleum again.

(End of this chapter)