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Chapter 428 The Eighteen Bronze Men of Kamar-Taj

Strange has been in Kamar-Taj for some time now.

But he hasn't even seen a glimpse of the magic he most wanted to learn. Instead, he spends all his time honing his physique and practicing close combat.

The training content was also very simple and brutal: get beaten up, beaten to death.

According to Modu, to learn how to hit someone, you must first learn how to take a hit and feel the pain with your body; only then can you improve quickly.

Strange suspected that the other party simply wanted to beat him up, but he had no proof.

Over the past few days, Strange's magical abilities have not improved at all, but his resilience has increased dramatically.

Strange had assumed that since Du Mu had brought him into this secret realm, he would at least teach him some proper magic, even if it was just basic theoretical knowledge.

Who knew that Du Mu would actually make him learn so-called kung fu?

He finally couldn't take it anymore and retorted on the spot.

Du Mu shook his head: "Strange, look at you, you've fallen into your old habits again. You're arrogant and narrow-minded. Who says mages can't practice martial arts? Combining magic and martial arts, East and West, that's the right path."

Strange panicked and blurted out, "But I only want to learn magic! Who wants to learn kung fu!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Oops.

In my haste, I forgot that the Venerable Master is no pushover; his mind is smaller than a pinhead.

To openly contradict someone like that is practically courting death.

As expected, Du Mu's eyes turned cold, and he said expressionlessly, "This is not up to you to decide. You have to learn this skill whether you want to or not."

After saying that, he waved his hand, turned around, and walked away quickly.

Strange panicked and was about to chase after him to explain when eighteen figures suddenly appeared in the courtyard and surrounded him.

These men were all burly and fierce-looking, covered in gold powder, each striking a different pose, forming a menacing formation.

"The Eighteen Bronze Men of Kamar-Taj!"

The eighteen monks shouted in unison, their voices so loud they made people's eardrums buzz.

Strange:

'

'

I'm well-read, so don't try to fool me.

Aren't the Eighteen Bronze Men from the Shaolin Temple of the East?

The leading mage shouted sternly, "You think you can just leave after offending the Supreme Mage? Not so easy!"

"etc..

,

Seeing this, Strange swallowed hard and quickly opened his mouth to explain.

Before he could finish speaking, he was punched in the mouth, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words.

The next instant, more than a dozen figures rushed forward, raining blows and punches down on him from all directions.

A piercing scream suddenly erupted from the center of the crowd.

Space was extremely limited, and several mages couldn't squeeze in at all, so they just stood around the outer circle, practicing their signature moves and acting as the atmosphere-setter.

Outside the courtyard, Modu's eyelids twitched a few times as he listened to the screams coming from inside.

"Supreme Sorcerer, isn't this a bit too harsh?"

"Ruthless? I'm doing this all for his own good."

Du Mu looked heartbroken and said, "Look at how the Ancient One died. The dignified Supreme Mage actually fell to his death from a height. That's why I'm forcing him to practice his kung fu so that he won't repeat the same mistake. I believe he will understand my good intentions in the future."

Since the Ancient One herself has no shame and forcibly exited the scene in such an outrageous way, then don't blame him for using her as a negative example to repeatedly criticize her.

Modu remained silent after hearing this.

He knew very well that Du Mu was simply unable to deal with the Ancient One, so he blamed Strange for it all.

But what can you do when Strange is a disciple whom the Ancient One values?

However, Mordo had no intention of pleading for Strange's life.

After all, he was also the Ancient One's disciple. If this fire were to spread to him, it would be troublesome.

So we'll just have to make do with Strange for now; we can always go easy on him when we beat him up later.

Du Mu patted Modu on the shoulder and said seriously, "You also need to practice hard. A mage has no future if he only relies on magic."

He wasn't wrong about that.

The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj are indeed physically strong, but they are still limited to the level of ordinary humans, and even a minor bump or knock could result in serious injury.

It's ridiculous that someone who can unleash powerful magic would die from a single stab.

That's why Du Mu had them learn Kunlun's cultivation methods to strengthen their bodies, so they wouldn't have to leave the world in such a hurry like the Ancient One.

Modu nodded: "Understood."

In the past, he would never have accepted so easily.

Mordo was originally influenced by his teacher, the Ancient One, and was a rather traditional sorcerer who always followed the laws of nature and precepts, and always kept his distance from powers outside of magic.

However, ever since Du Mu arrived in Kamar-Taj, his views have gradually been swayed by the other party.

As the saying goes, it takes three years to learn well, but only three days to learn badly.

Mordo went from initial resistance to gradual acceptance, and eventually became completely immersed in it.

There's no way around it, this feeling is just too good, once you get hooked, you can't quit.

Because the Qi in Kunlun was abundant, the efficiency of cultivation doubled, so the mages of Kamar-Taj all stayed here to cultivate.

Lei Gong was a generous man; that very day, he cleared out hundreds of empty rooms for the group of monks to settle down and cultivate in peace.

Du Mu didn't take the favor for nothing; he immediately reciprocated with several bottles of life potions, plus a dozen enchanted guns.

Lei Gong looked at the weapons scattered all over the ground, his expression indescribable.

"Supreme Master, we are martial artists, we do not use such... weapons."

Despite the immense power of firearms, Kunlun warriors have always kept their distance from them.

Practicing martial arts is a long and seemingly endless journey, and some people may never master it in their entire lives.

If they eventually discover that decades of hard work are less effective than a single bullet, their resolve will likely crumble on the spot.

Du Mu said with a smile, "This is no ordinary firearm. I'll demonstrate it for you and you'll see."

As he spoke, he picked up an AKM automatic rifle, aimed it at a thick old tree in the distance, and pulled the trigger.

Da da da da da da—!

A burst of gunfire erupted instantly, countless bullets spewing from the muzzles, each bullet coated in scorching flames, trailing orange-red streaks as it slammed into the tree trunk.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and the tree trunk was riddled with holes in the blink of an eye. Flames flickered in the heart of the tree, and soon the whole tree was charred black.

(0.)

Lei Gong stood there stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

Have weapons from the outside world developed to this extent?

With his skill level, he was certainly not afraid of most ordinary firearms, but given the power displayed by the firearm in front of him, even he was not very confident that he could escape unscathed.

Not to mention the other Kunlun disciples, even Lei Gong's Dao heart is now somewhat unstable.

Seeing the look of utter disbelief on his face, Du Mu explained, "This gun itself is ordinary, but I added magic to it, so its power is several times greater than before."

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong breathed a sigh of relief: "No wonder, it turns out it was enchanted."

After saying that, he felt something was off.

Magic plus firearms, what a strange combination!

However, it cannot be denied that these enchanted equipment are indeed powerful. If a burst of bullets were fired, even a martial artist who has practiced hard qigong might not be able to withstand it.

Lei Gong pondered to himself.

If magic combined with firearms can have this effect, then wouldn't kung fu combined with firearms also be a viable option?

"Ahem, since the Supreme Master is so sincere, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Lei Gong decisively accepted the batch of magical firearms.

Only a fool would turn away something this good is offered to him.

As for those who practice martial arts not using guns?

What a joke! How can you become a grandmaster if you have a gun and don't use it?

After seeing that Lei Gong had accepted the item, Du Mu said with a smile, "If Elder Lei Gong likes it, besides firearms, I also have other enchanted equipment here."

As he spoke, he kept pulling things out: necklaces, bracers, boots, inner armor...

One by one, enchanted equipment was laid out, and Du Mu explained their functions, leaving Lei Gong dazzled.

Compared to enchanted firearms, these enchanted equipment pieces, which are more focused on support and defense, seem to be more suitable for martial artists.

Lei Gong, being a seasoned veteran, understood the situation immediately upon seeing it.

The enchanted guns mentioned earlier were just a prelude; these are the real focus.

He narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. "Supreme Master, what do you wish to exchange these things for from Kunlun?"

Du Mu smiled and, without beating around the bush, said directly, "I've heard that after Elder Shou died, he left behind some dragon bones, which have the effect of prolonging life. I'm quite interested in these dragon bones and am willing to exchange these enchanted equipment for them."

Lei Gong frowned and pondered, "The dragon bone is the most precious treasure of Kunlun, and one of the most valuable treasures in the entire Kunlun. If it is handed over to outsiders casually, it would violate the rules of Kunlun."

Du Mu asked, "Then how can we exchange them?"

"Well... that will cost extra."

"make a deal!"

The two exchanged a smile and quickly reached an agreement.

Du Mu delivered a certain number of enchanted equipment in exchange for a large number of dragon bone fragments, and both parties were quite satisfied with the result.

The exchange between Kamar-Taj and Kunlun continues.

Although the mages of Kamar-Taj did not practice Qi cultivation, their physical abilities were inferior to those of the Kunlun disciples, and they did not know any martial arts, their proficiency in controlling cold weapons was in no way inferior to that of the Kunlun disciples.

Moreover, they have an advantage over Kunlun disciples: they have rich practical experience, their moves are highly efficient, without unnecessary movements, and the great way is simple.

However, when it comes to close combat skills, the Kunlun disciples are clearly superior.

Their kung fu skills are incredibly diverse, including Five Elements Fist, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Iron Crotch Kung Fu, and Lightning Five-Strike Whip...

It gathers almost half of the kung fu styles in the East, so calling it a kung fu library wouldn't be an exaggeration.

It's a pity they don't know anything like the Sunflower Manual or the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, otherwise Du Mu would really consider cultivating a group of rootless legions.

Of course, if they were to actually fight, the Kamar-Taj mage would definitely have a higher chance of winning.

Not to mention that they were equipped with a full set of enchanted gear, their ability to cast spells alone was enough to easily defeat the Kunlun disciples.

After all, one relies on hard work, and the other relies on risking one's life.

The two are not even in the same league.

Besides their daily practice, during this time, the Kamar-Taj master and the Kunlun disciples sparred and exchanged ideas, and both sides gained a lot.

However, Strange was not so comfortable.

He was confined to the courtyard he had been in before, and was forbidden from leaving until he had achieved a high level of mastery in his cultivation.

Strange had also witnessed Kunlun's kung fu, but in his opinion, it was nothing compared to the magic that Du Mu had demonstrated.

He was single-mindedly focused on uncovering the mysteries of magic and tried several times to renegotiate with Du Mu, but the mage guarding the outside wouldn't give him a chance to step out of the courtyard.

A few days later, Strange finally couldn't take it anymore.

Under the cover of night, he sneaked out of the house, intending to climb over the wall to find Du Mu.

Deng!

Before he could even get close to the wall, a large light suddenly shone on him.

Strange froze on the spot.

Through the glaring light, a dozen figures gradually enlarged and were clearly reflected on the wall in front.

He turned his head stiffly and saw that the eighteen figures had already formed a battle formation behind him.

"The Eighteen Bronze Men of Kamar-Taj!"

"It's you again... Wait, don't come any closer!"

Before Strange could react, he was tackled to the ground by more than a dozen burly men.

In an instant, a strongman locked up a man, a man on top of another man, a man on either side, and two men advancing and retreating...

Strange: 0 (:3) ~ (:3」∠)

In the days that followed, Strange did not give up and made several more attempts to escape from prison, but all of them ended in failure.

Every time he tried to escape, he was inexplicably discovered by the Eighteen Bronze Men of Kamar-Taj, and then subjected to all sorts of inhumane torture, beaten half to death and thrown back into the house.

However, through such trials, Strange's physique became stronger and stronger, and he even felt a special energy growing within his body.

It is qi.

Upon hearing this news, Du Mu was not particularly surprised.

Strange's talent was one in a million, whether in magic or physique.

In the comics, Strange uses magic almost without restraint, treating his ultimate spells like basic attacks. If any other mage played like that, they would have died long ago from the consequences.

He withstood all kinds of backlash, even with a ruptured stomach and missing some organs, he still lived well, truly an immortal warrior.

Therefore, Du Mu was not surprised at all that Strange was able to cultivate Qi so quickly.

Lei Gong was shocked and exclaimed with wide eyes, "How is this possible? It usually takes martial arts practitioners several months to sense the existence of Qi. How many days has it been? He can actually absorb Qi into his body."

Du Mu said calmly, "This talent is just average. In our Kamar-Taj, it's barely considered mid-level. I only nurtured it a little and it achieved this result, so I haven't embarrassed myself."

Modu: "

""

You didn't say that before.

If you lose face in matters of the heart, then you're Gu Yi; if you gain face, then you're Du Mu, right?

Lei Gong was filled with envy.

I just regret that it was Daniel who fell into Kunlun instead of Strange.

Otherwise, Kunlun might have produced another powerful Iron Fist, who could have at least maintained Kunlun's glory for another two seasons.

Little did he know that his apprentice Daniel was also filled with regret at that moment.

Daniel watched the dazzling magic displayed by the Kamar-Taj sorcerers, and compared it to his own fists that could only glow—it was like comparing heaven and earth.

He only regretted not falling into Kamar-Taj back then, otherwise he would be the Archmage Daniel now.