Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 430 The setting sun, Anita Mui in full bloom

"Stop right there! Stop right there!"

"I mean you no harm! Not only will I not hurt you, I will also give you a martial arts opportunity!"

"Young brother, your ability to subdue the white crane shows your great fortune. I know of a cave that is the tomb of Patriarch Hesha, containing extraordinary treasures!"

"I am too unlucky to obtain the treasure, but you are blessed with good fortune, young brother, and you will surely get the secret manual!"

"I am over a hundred years old and my lifespan is nearing its end. I only hope to see the Secret Manual of Sand Harmony before I pass away!"

"If you agree to my request, all my life's knowledge, including that of the golden eagle, will be yours!"

"I've offered you kind words and sincerely offered you this treasure, why are you turning me away like this? Stop!"

Master Damu's words were sincere and heartfelt; every word was true and absolutely without any falsehood.

However, the world is a dangerous place, and people's hearts are unpredictable. Bai Yunfei had experienced a miserable childhood, grew up in the Demonic Sect, and became one of the four princesses of the Demonic Sect after treading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How could she believe that a pie would fall from the sky? She just thought that Master Da Mu was talking nonsense.

In the whole world, there are probably only one and a half people who believe this kind of talk: one is Brother Dog, and the other is Li Pangui, the savage on the deserted island. No one else could possibly believe it.

If we had to find someone incredibly lucky who might believe these words, besides pure-hearted people like Brother Gou and Li Pangui, the only other one would be... Linghu Chong!

Linghu Chong's luck is undeniable; he has the protagonist's halo, and he can turn bad luck into good wherever he goes. The key is his impulsive personality; he is easily hot-blooded and prone to acting rashly.

If a centenarian with white hair were to plead with him in a gentle and kind manner, given Linghu Chong's personality, he would most likely take up his sword and explore to find the He Sha Secret Manual.

Is it possible to succeed without the protagonist's halo?
The answer is: No!

The tomb of Patriarch Hesha is riddled with traps and arrays arranged using Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Plum Blossom Divination. With Linghu Chong's illiterate level of knowledge and lack of protagonist's halo, he was shot into a pincushion the moment he stepped into the tomb.

Startled by the loud noise, Li Zhaoting used his Void Step to follow the two. He overheard their conversation and thought to himself, "It would be a miracle if we could find anyone after hearing what Master Damu is saying. At most, three people I know would believe him."

Two blank sheets of paper, and a reckless man.

The advantage is that they believe what Master Daiki says.

The downside is that he lacks knowledge and doesn't understand the intricacies of systems.

Just as the golden eagle was about to seize the white crane, Li Zhaoting flicked his finger and shot out a sword beam. The sword energy rushed towards him with a whoosh. Master Damu gathered his true energy and unleashed a palm strike that cleaved through the air.

The Great Master Da Mu raised his hands, his body enveloped in a purple aura several meters long, like the glow of the rising sun. This was the authentic Daoist innate qi cultivation technique, the Misty Purple Qi.

This method requires painstaking practice and is extremely difficult to master!

Every morning at sunrise, as the sun rises, a wisp of purple energy from the rising sun is gathered using a secret method and refined into the dantian.

The energy originates from the dantian and surges towards the coccyx, where the Ren, Du, and Chong meridians converge, advancing along the lumbar spine.

Passing through the back, shoulders, and neck to the Yuzhen acupoint, this is what the Taoist scriptures call "reverse circulation of true qi to break through the three gates"!
Yang Qi breaks through the three barriers, severing the corpse and eliminating the Yin demon.

One's mind should not wander, and one's emotions should not be driven by material things.

This is only the first step. Next, we need to push this energy upwards, into the Baihui acupoint, then divide it into five paths downwards, passing through the Tanzhong acupoint in the chest, and then re-merging into the Dantian, returning to its origin and circulating continuously.

The body feels as if it has drunk sweet dew, and the true energy is like the mist and clouds of Mount Lu. It circulates throughout the body, which is called "the misty purple energy".

The Zixia Divine Skill of the Huashan Sect is also based on this method.

Yue Buqun cultivated diligently for over ten years, yet his aura of purple mist was only a little over two feet long. In contrast, the aura of purple mist emanating from the Great Wood Immortal stretched for several feet with every gesture, more radiant than the sunset.

Such cultivation is truly astonishing.

Master Damu spreads his arms like wings, his wide robes fluttering in the wind. He has lived in seclusion for decades raising birds. In his spare time, Master Damu observes golden eagles and creates several unique fist and foot techniques. Although he has no combat experience, they are all derived from the limb movements of birds and beasts. Each move is naturally in line with the routines of martial arts, hunting, and killing!

With the support of a century of accumulated skill, these simple, direct, sharp, and powerful moves have increased in power several times over; with a single gesture or swing of the arm, they can shatter stone tablets and break rocks.

A strong wind howled, and sand and stones flew. Knowing that he had encountered a powerful enemy, the Great Wood Master attacked with his ultimate move, his arms slashing down like wings, followed by a Pure Yang Iron Palm.

Li Zhaoting raised his palm to form a knife and swung it horizontally.

Eagle Wing Technique!
Gather your inner energy at the outer edge of your arm, condensing it into a serrated shape, specifically to break through the protective inner energy of internal martial arts.

Even with innate inner strength and the Golden Bell Shield, one cannot withstand the continuous slashing of the arms. Even a grandmaster like Master Da Mu, who has accumulated years of experience, is perfectly countered by the Eagle Wing Technique.

With a loud "crack," the thick protective aura of the Great Wood Master was torn apart. Li Zhaoting formed a sword with his fingers and changed from slashing to thrusting. The sharp sword light flashed by, and the Great Wood Master's sleeves were blasted into shreds by the sword light, leaving his two bare, bony arms exposed.

"May I ask your esteemed name? To possess such martial arts skills at such a young age, you must be a prodigy, blessed with extraordinary talent and fortune. I have a fortunate opportunity..."

Master Damu lived in seclusion in the deep mountains for more than sixty years and knew nothing about the stories of the martial arts world. In terms of seniority, Master Damu was in the same era as Zhang Sanfeng and Yi Jifeng, but unfortunately, he was too poor in talent and was just a nobody during that period.

Master Damu's profound cultivation was honed through years of seclusion outside the tomb of Patriarch Hesha. His hobbies included raising birds and refining elixirs. Even if Zhang Sanfeng were here, he wouldn't recognize him.

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "Senior Da Mu, I have heard your stories. You have lived in seclusion for sixty years, cultivating a profound and unfathomable aura of purple qi. Your understanding of Xuanmen qigong is no less than that of Ling Duxu, and even surpasses that of Wudang Sanjiu Zhenren and Daoist Shiyan. Why would you deliberately ruin your cultivation?"

"These names you mentioned... I only remember hearing rumors when I was young that the number one genius of our time founded a sect on Wudang Mountain. Could it be the Wudang Sect?"

"Why pretend to be ignorant, senior? Over the years, you've been spreading treasure maps to attract young martial artists to explore the tomb of Patriarch Hesha. Haven't they heard of Shaolin and Wudang from them? You've distanced yourself from worldly affairs, so your acting skills are really too poor to play the role of a schemer!"

What role am I suited to play?

"Just be yourself!"

Your aura of purple mist is unparalleled throughout history. Compared to you, the head of the Huashan Sect is nothing but a greenhorn!

You have lived in seclusion in the deep mountains and forests for sixty years, demonstrating unwavering willpower and determination. Now that you are over a hundred years old, you should be enjoying a fulfilling life, a transcendent state of mind, and a life free from constraints.

Is it really worth it to waste a century of cultivation just for the He Sha Secret Manual and to participate in the martial arts tournament? Your current martial arts skills are by no means inferior to those of Patriarch He Sha.

If you are driven by a deep-seated desire to see the Hesha Secret Manual before your passing, that is also easy.

I have a good friend who is very fortunate and is most skilled at solving puzzles and secret chambers. He is known as the "Master Thief".

Of all the thieves in the world, this man ranks first.

I can ask the Master Thief for help in finding the tomb.

"What do you think, Oki-senpai?"

Li Zhaoting spoke politely, but in reality, he filled his body with the true energy of longevity from all the acupoints. The purest and most refined primordial true energy of the Xuanmen sect, though not as profound as the century-long accumulation of Master Damu, was continuous and had the vigorous vitality of a young man. When the energy clashed, Master Damu, whose power was more profound, was so shocked that he took five steps back.

Master Damu laughed and said, "You are the swordsman Cao Xiong mentioned as the number one genius of the Central Plains, the top of the Central Plains Heavenly Gang Ranking, and known as the Jiazi Tai Sui!"

"Senior, what do you think of my suggestion?"

“I think you are more suited to exploration. With your unparalleled martial arts skills, you wouldn’t covet the Sand-Mixing Manual.”

"I do not want to go!"

You absolutely must go!

"Senior, would you like to test my skills?"

"I have been cultivating in seclusion for sixty years and am over a hundred years old. I am even a few years older than your great-grandfather. Is it not a bit inappropriate for you to ask me to retire with just a few words?"

"It seems the senior was angered."

"So what?"

"As the Taoist scriptures say, 'Abandon delusions, concentrate the mind of Tao, and you will reach the state of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and the Five Qi Returning to the Origin.' Senior, you are about to break through. You should calm your mind and body and let the clear waters cleanse the shore. Such restlessness will likely lead to your heart being consumed by fire."

"I am right here. I want to see if you, a mere twenties, have the ability to make my inner demons flare up, my inner fire burn, and my cultivation completely dissipate."

"Senior, I've said all the nice things. If I say anything unpleasant, I might just kill you. Since you're so eager to get beaten up, how about we make a bet?"

"What jackpot do you want?"

"Has the golden eagle laid eggs or produced any chicks? I believe the most valuable thing you possess is the golden eagle, worth hundreds of times more than any martial arts manuals!"

"You're really lucky, kid. The golden eagle is about the same age as me, very old and nearing the end of its life. I tried to breed it with many birds and beasts, but all of them failed. Until half a year ago, a red demon bird finally laid eggs, and two chicks hatched three months ago. Perhaps they meet your needs!"

"Thank you so much for the treasure, senior!"

"Li Zhaoting, you haven't won yet!"

"Winning? It doesn't seem too difficult!"

Li Zhaoting flicked his finger at Master Damu, who reached out and grabbed at Li Zhaoting's shoulders with his hands like the claws of a golden eagle. Li Zhaoting's figure flashed, transforming into six figures, and at the same time, he flicked his finger and shot out sword energy.

Six Meridian Divine Sword Formation!

Master Da Mu possessed profound skill, but his explosive power, lethality, combat experience, and fighting will were worlds apart from Li Zhaoting's. In less than three moves, he was repeatedly struck by the sword energy, causing him to jump up and down. His protective true energy was easily torn apart by the Eagle Wing Technique, and his claw techniques were completely destroyed.

"Wow!"

Master Damu realized that the golden eagle's lifespan was nearing its end, so he found many rare and exotic animals to breed with. Based on the postures of these rare birds, he created a set of exquisite palm techniques.

His palms flew, unpredictable and ever-changing, his two arms seemingly multiplying into seven or eight, as he clashed head-on with Li Zhaoting. The two exchanged blows at lightning speed, exchanging dozens of attacks and parries. Bai Yunfei watched the fight, completely dumbfounded.

—Am I the main character?
Can you two show me a little respect?
Bai Yunfei originally wanted to run away, but Li Zhaoting had stopped a powerful enemy for her sake and was also the future husband chosen by the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. As one of the Four Princesses, Bai Yunfei definitely had to observe and scrutinize this leader of the Heavenly Gang.

Other aspects are not yet apparent, but his appearance is truly handsome. No matter how bizarre or extraordinary his moves are, he can use them with poetic grace, captivating and enchanting the audience. His steps are ethereal and hazy, and his demeanor surpasses even Gongsun Jianwu.

Father, like son.

The Great Wood Master, caught in the middle of the battlefield, felt surrounded by sword energy from all directions. His life was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind, and the slightest lapse in concentration would result in a bloody hole in his head.

Bai Yunfei clearly saw that Li Zhaoting not only put away his famous Purple and Green Twin Swords and attacked Master Damu with only his sword fingers, but also showed mercy in his attacks, letting go of several sure-kill opportunities.

Li Zhaoting's arms were like saw teeth or gears, and his body rotated like a millstone or a lathe, constantly eroding the purple aura emanating from the Great Wood Master. With each rotation, the Great Wood Master's internal strength was weakened by two parts by the sword light.

Respecting the elderly and caring for the young are traditional virtues.

Li Zhaoting is by no means a "war god who bullies the elderly"!
Master Damu is neither good nor bad, neither righteous nor evil. He is just a nobody who has been practicing in seclusion for over sixty years. Now he is over a hundred years old. Why be so cruel to him?
"Snapped!"

The sound of a bubble bursting came from my fingertips.

The protective aura of the Great Master was shattered. Li Zhaoting formed a sword with his fingers and thrust it straight into the center of the body. The sword finger was aimed at the Great Master's Tanzhong acupoint. With just a little force, the sword finger could pierce through his body and pull out his spine.

"Senior, please return to the mountain!"

How much force did you use just now?

"do not know!"

What does "don't know" mean?

"There are different states when facing the enemy in battle. Some are about martial arts competitions, some are about punishing evil and eliminating wickedness, and some are about persuading people to do good. Each has its own different state of combat."

If we use martial arts sparring as the standard, I used seventy or eighty percent of my strength; if we use killing as the standard, I probably used less than twenty percent. The two are not comparable.

Please don't take it to heart, senior.

Li Zhaoting gave a humble and polite smile.

Master Damu only regretted that he didn't know the Heavenly Demon Disintegration and mutual destruction technique of the Western Regions Demonic Sect, otherwise he would have directly dragged Li Zhaoting to self-destruct and destroyed this shameless scoundrel.

Li Zhaoting, are you even speaking human language?
You mean, if you wanted to kill me, you could take my life with just a fraction of your strength?

This old man has lived in seclusion for sixty years, cultivating diligently for a hundred years, only to be brutally beaten by a young man in his twenties. He even had to show mercy and give way to the young man multiple times. What a waste of my life!
Bai Yunfei nodded secretly.

Li Zhaoting gave Da Mu some face.

To be honest, if Li Zhaoting launched an attack in a killing frenzy, unleashing both verbal attacks and sword strikes simultaneously, Da Mu would only last ten moves at most before being driven to his death by anger.

All the powerful moves, such as the Purple and Green Twin Swords, the Tathagata's Divine Light, and the Eight Swords Flying Together, were kept hidden. From beginning to end, he only used his sword fingers to wear down the opponent. Is that considered 20%? Half a percent is just politeness, not to mention the verbal attacks.

"Master Damu, you have lived a hundred years in vain, achieving nothing but empty talk. You only know how to wag your tongue and talk nonsense. You were lucky enough to find a treasure, so you should have kept a low profile and eked out a living. How dare you talk about fate and destiny in front of me? You spineless dog, how dare you bark and howl in front of me! You white-haired scoundrel, you old thief with a gray beard, you are about to die. I have never seen such a shameless person!"
Upon hearing these angry words, Master Damu immediately suffered a qi deviation, his true energy reversed, and he coughed up blood.

Hit people without slapping their faces, and expose people without revealing shortcomings.

Master Da Mu was neither a genius, nor an ordinary person, nor a good person, nor a bad person. He was just a passerby in the martial arts world who lived to be a hundred years old. The difference was that he had the ambition and perseverance that passersby and extras did not possess. He became a grandmaster through hard work and perseverance, which shows his strong character.

His shortcomings were obvious: he was not very talented, but he was a firm believer in fate and did not try to solve the puzzles by brute force. Instead, he patiently waited for the right person to take his place. If his lifespan had not been running out and he was not many years away from passing away, he probably could have continued to hold on.

Da Mu may not be the luckiest passerby, but he is certainly the most persistent. For this kind of person, a lesson is enough; there is no need to kill him outright.

"Will you bring the Master Thief to find me?"

"I always keep my word."

"Thank you."

"See you in ten days, senior!"

"Little fellow, you don't know the value of your life. Cao Xiong has prepared countless ambushes for you. If you die, who will I ask to decipher the tomb of Patriarch Hesha? This is for you!"

Master Damu took out two bottles of pills.

One bottle contains "Fiery Pills," which have remarkable effects on Yang-attribute internal energy cultivation. When practicing the Xuanmen Pure Yang Qi, using Fiery Pills as an aid can make the effort twice as effective, allowing one to progress rapidly.

One bottle contains "Purple Gold Pill," whose main effects are to refresh the mind, suppress pain, alleviate inner demons, and have a very good effect on condensing the misty purple energy.

"What a pity. I wanted to capture the crane to refine pills, not kill it. The crane is an auspicious beast and cannot be killed, as killing it will surely diminish my fortune. I only wanted to take a little blood."

Master Damu looked at Bai Yunfei with regret.

"Knowing the white but guarding the black, one cannot even die."

Know the black and keep the white, and all evil will be eliminated;
A superior person does not contend, so how can he give rise to delusional thoughts?
If your heart is filled with the beauty of nature, why fear desolation?
The path to immortality is inherently lonely; those who marry young lament the impending longevity!

Senior, your cultivation is superb, why be attached to external things?

The claim of longevity elixirs is mostly false!
Especially the alchemy made from blood.

Ninety-nine percent of them are evil and unorthodox practices!

Li Zhaoting was quite knowledgeable about internal and external alchemy. Internal alchemy was for self-cultivation, while external alchemy was for healing and saving lives. He killed all those who refined longevity pills, and there was no injustice in their deaths!

"Ninety-nine percent is not all!"

"The remaining part is the demonic path, and all the cases recorded in martial arts history have been blasted into dust."

"..."

Da Muxin said, "I'm so old, can't you say something nice to make this old man happy?"
"Congratulations on your success in your cultivation, senior..."

"Yes, Not Bad."

"...Live a long and healthy life!"

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep..."

The centenarian rode away on his eagle, cursing and swearing.

Li Zhaoting straightened his hair, then floated lightly up the cliff and sat down next to Bai Yunfei.

"Hello, my name is Li Zhaoting!"

"Hello, my name is Bai Yunfei!"

Why don't you call yourself 'Han E'?

"Young Master Li, you have countless beauties around you, why bother trying to seduce me? Don't you think that just because the sect leader randomly arranges marriages, I have to obey his orders?"

"Miss, you misunderstand. I have only heard that the four princesses of the Demonic Sect each have their own strengths. Since you are called Han E, you must be good at singing. Could you sing me a song?"

"I've heard that when Young Master Li marries his wives and concubines, he composes a poem in seven steps. Perhaps he could turn those poems into music!"

"Those are just doggerel! They seem eloquent, but they're just pedantry."

"What would you like to hear, Young Master Li?"

"This is a song from my hometown."

Li Zhaoting reached out and gently grabbed a two-foot square bluestone slab. He then shaped his fingers into a sword and began to write and draw on it, quickly completing a musical score.

It has both a melody and lyrics.

For Bai Yunfei, who had been exposed to music since childhood and used music as a weapon, he could understand it very quickly.

Bai Yunfei frowned.

The songs of this era were either poems, lyrics, or Han Dynasty folk songs. The poems and lyrics in later textbooks were all songs in this era.

Liu Yong was the absolute king in this regard.

Someone asked, "Can 'The Song of Everlasting Regret' be sung?"

you can!

After Bai Juyi wrote "Song of Everlasting Regret", a courtesan claimed, "I can recite Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Regret", and her value skyrocketed. Of course, the content of "Song of Everlasting Regret" is too long, and only certain sections were selected.

The musical score written by Li Zhaoting was quite different from the folk songs and music that Bai Yunfei had seen and heard. It was neither a poem nor a lyric, but looked more like a rhyme.

Bai Yunfei became interested and hummed a few lines of the melody, finding the lyrics surprisingly catchy.

The two sat on the edge of the cliff, admiring the sunset and contemplating the meaning of the lyrics, finding them deeply evocative.

"The setting sun shines endlessly~"
Unfortunately, its brilliance lasted only a fleeting moment.
As the clouds and rosy hues gradually disperse~
The glory that has faded will never return.

(End of this chapter)