The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Similarly, whether it's Lingbo Weibu or Kunyou Xukong, in actual combat, not every step has to be taken in a certain position; otherwise, what kind of agility would there be?

What needs to be equipped into the "technique" is the internal energy circulation part. As for the moves and stances... Chu Luren can use them at will. However, if Chu Luren uses any sword move, because he lacks the means to coordinate with the internal energy circulation, it is equivalent to only having the passive attribute bonus of internal energy, and the power will be rather pitiful.

The same applies to the Supreme Sword Manual that Chu Luren fused with not long after his transmigration...

Chu Luren actually remembered the sword moves, but he could no longer use the matching supreme sword energy. The power was only one-tenth of what it used to be. It was roughly the same as the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique without internal energy cultivation, just a third-rate technique!

However, when Chu Luren was equipped with "Emperor Taizu's Vitality" before, "Kicking Exercise" was a special move that could unleash the effect of internal force burst. Although it looked silly, it was quite powerful.

This is why Chu Luren only has three slots for "techniques" besides lightness skills and movement techniques. These kinds of moves require circulating internal energy through the meridians to cultivate them. When changing moves, there will be a feeling of internal energy disorder. However, since they are just "techniques", they are not serious. As long as they are not changed in the middle of a battle, they will not have much impact.

At this moment, Shui Sheng noticed that Chu Luren was also watching from the side, nodding from time to time, and she immediately felt a little awkward.

In reality, Chu Luren was only thinking about himself, but to Shui Sheng, who had preconceived notions, it seemed to carry a hint of "praising a junior"...

As a rebellious young girl, Shui Sheng rolled her eyes and took the initiative to say, "Oh? Brother Chu is here too, why don't you show us a few moves?"

Wang Xiaofeng then looked at Chu Luren and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I heard that Brother Chu and Blood Blade Ancestor fought for dozens of moves. May I ask if I may learn a thing or two from you?"

The surrounding disciples of the Iron Mansion also joined in the commotion—it wasn't a big deal to begin with, and it was normal for young people to spar. Moreover, they were more inclined to support the familiar Bell and Sword Duo than Chu Luren, who had come to cause trouble for their master!

"When I faced the Blood Blade Ancestor, I only used a trick... This fiend is extremely skilled in battle, not only ruthless but also lecherous. If you encounter him alone, you must not fight him head-on!" Chu Luren kindly reminded him.

However, when he said this, it sounded like a clumsy attempt at self-praise.

Wang Xiaofeng couldn't help but twitch his lips. But when he saw Chu Luren take a few steps and come to the opposite side, he knew that the other party had agreed to spar, so he didn't continue to provoke him with words—actions are always more powerful than words!

Although Chu Luren could exchange dozens of blows with Blood Sabre Ancestor, Wang Xiaofeng clearly lacked understanding of Blood Sabre Ancestor's strength at this moment...

Chu Luren knew that Wang Xiaofeng's highlight in "The Legend of Liancheng" was when he and many other martial artists surrounded and attacked the Blood Saber Ancestor who had kidnapped Shui Sheng. He managed to block the Blood Saber Ancestor's thirty-six strikes, which amazed the other martial artists.

Of course, there's actually another line at the end of the original text...

If Blood Saber Ancestor slowed down and seriously exchanged blows with Wang Xiaofeng, a dozen or so moves would have been enough to take his life.

It was only because he was surrounded at the time that Blood Saber Ancestor relied on the speed of his sword strikes when he activated the Blood Saber Sutra with the "happy Zen of random practice" and just slashed around mindlessly.

Wang Xiaofeng mastered the nine forms of the "Peacock Sword Technique" that Shui Dai had passed down to him, especially the "Peacock Spreads Its Tail" form...

Although it was very rigid, the Peacock Spreading its Tail was good at defense, so all thirty-six of Blood Blade Ancestor's strikes, each faster than the last, were blocked by Wang Xiaofeng!

"Brother Chu, do you need any suitable weapons?" Wang Xiaofeng asked, seeing that Chu Luren was unarmed.

"No need, I am skilled in finger techniques." Chu Luren didn't keep anyone in suspense.

"Then I must offend you, please!" After saying that, Wang Xiaofeng drew his sword and thrust it at Chu Luren.

To deal with Wang Xiaofeng, Chu Luren didn't need to wait for the opponent to get close and then use the agility of Kunyou Void to entangle him in a near-close fight, as he did when dealing with Blood Blade Ancestor. Instead, he pointed a finger at Wang Xiaofeng before he even got close...

As Chu Luren pointed his finger, a surge of finger power erupted from the point where the finger touched him. Although Wang Xiaofeng was three or four zhang away, the finger power remained concentrated and did not dissipate, striking straight at him!

Wang Xiaofeng instinctively swung his longsword horizontally, using the Splendid Wings technique from the Peacock Swordplay to block Chu Luren's finger strike. However, he couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation in his palm, and his heart trembled with fear.

In fact, this is because the effective range of the pulsating finger force has been greatly increased after the Six Meridians Divine Sword was integrated, which makes it easy for people to misunderstand Chu Luren's internal strength.

Moreover, Pulse Summoning is only bad at direct attacks, not that it has no direct attack power!

The fact that Blood Blade Ancestor can ignore the effects of a direct attack doesn't mean Wang Xiaofeng can...

After forcing Wang Xiaofeng into a corner with one move, Chu Luren didn't stop. He moved his hands in quick succession, using his finger strength to attack Wang Xiaofeng's weak points repeatedly.

Because "Pulse Summoning" lacks the sharpness of the Six Meridian Divine Sword and is completely different from the condensed Six Meridian Sword Qi, it cannot execute continuous sword moves...

However, Wang Xiaofeng has not yet mastered the Peacock Sword Technique. After more than twenty moves, he was struck on a major acupoint in his chest by Chu Luren's finger strike, causing his internal energy to become disordered and almost losing his grip on the sword... In the end, he couldn't even get close to Chu Luren within three zhang of him!

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Nine Forms of the Peacock

"it is good!"

When Chu Luren secured the victory, cheers erupted from the sidelines.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they were surprised to see Shui Dai walking over.

Shui Sheng and Wang Xiaofeng, who were in a daze and feeling down, felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this—after all, losing to someone of similar age in front of their master was somewhat disgraceful to their sect.

"Master, it's because Xiaofeng's skills are not good enough that I've disgraced you," Wang Xiaofeng said dejectedly.

I originally thought that being ranked eleventh on the list of experts meant I was practically invincible among my peers, but now it seems... I underestimated all the masters in the world.

"What's so shameful about this? Everyone loses. Even if it were shameful, you don't need to be the one to make the mistake; I've already made all the mistakes myself." Shui Dai was quite magnanimous, or rather... had a good perspective!

After all, Shui Dai came from a prestigious lineage—he was a lay disciple of the Wudang School.

Like Shaolin, Wudang also has many lay disciples. Shui Dai and Zhang Zhaozhong are among the more successful ones, especially the former, who is even a disciple of Zhang Sanfeng.

His mastery of "Tai Chi Sword" was praised by the immortal Zhang Sanfeng as having "captured three-tenths of its essence"...

Don't underestimate the "three points" rating; among the many true disciples of the Wudang School, this is already considered a very high compliment. In fact, Shui Dai's martial arts skills are indeed no weaker than those of the Seven Masters of Wudang, except for Song Yuanqiao.

In terms of vision, it is not limited to the small area around us.

"It was just a clever trick; I hope Senior Shui won't laugh at me," Chu Luren said modestly.

There was indeed an element of trickery involved. After all, Wang Xiaofeng's swordsmanship was not yet "perfect" at this time, and Chu Luren attacked from a distance with his finger strength, so it was easy to spot the flaw.

"Young Master Chu is indeed a hero among young men, no need to be modest... I think that the finger techniques you just used seem to contain hidden sword techniques, and your internal strength has also reached a certain level. Given time, you will surely become a great hero." Shui Dai looked very admiring.

"Senior Shui, you flatter me. My knowledge is just diverse, so I have no method and just use it randomly." Chu Luren wanted to first establish a "gentleman" persona that was most popular with the public, and if that didn't work, he would change it!

“No, the best technique is one that doesn’t adhere to fixed moves… What does Young Hero Chu think of Xiaofeng’s swordsmanship?” Shui Dai’s question was neither a test nor an attempt to instruct.

However, Chu Luren answered this question with ease: "You already have the demeanor of a master!"

Shui Dai shook his head, unimpressed by the compliment: "Xiao Feng is still far from proficient, not even close to being skilled..." He then looked at Wang Xiao Feng with a reprimand.

It's normal to lose; the blame now is on his lack of practice.

"This disciple knows his mistake," Wang Xiaofeng quickly said.

Shui Dai then looked at Chu Luren and said, “This ‘Peacock Sword Technique’ is just a combination of the essence of the ‘Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail’ move in Tai Chi Chuan that I have comprehended, and a few side moves of Tai Chi sword. It is far from being exquisite. It is just a matter of practice makes perfect. It should even be said that it is just ‘Nine Forms of the Peacock’, and it is not even a sword technique.”

That's true. Normally, there are restrictions on lay disciples teaching martial arts to outsiders.

For example, the Tai Chi sword that Shui Dai learned, normally, to pass it on to others, one must obtain the consent of the master and register as a disciple in Wudang.

However, the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" are not subject to restrictions. Shui Dai's original idea was to wait until Wang Xiaofeng had mastered the Peacock Sword Technique and, ideally, grasped some of its martial arts principles before taking him to Wudang to meet Master Zhang, hoping to pass on more profound martial arts skills.

Wang Xiaofeng did not disappoint Shui Dai's expectations. Although he was sometimes a bit arrogant, overall, Wang Xiaofeng was quite talented and stood out among his peers.

Compared to Chu Luren's stubborn talent and comprehension, it's like comparing heaven and earth. However... Chu Luren also often has moments of enlightenment, which is incomparable.

"To be able to extract the essence of swordsmanship from the profound principles of Tai Chi is already a testament to your skill. Master Shui is too modest." Chu Luren did not underestimate this swordsmanship.

Shui Dai did not refute this, but pondered for a moment before saying, "In that case... I might as well pass on this sword technique to Young Hero Chu. If Young Hero Chu can truly master its essence in the future, he can go to Wudang to seek this opportunity."

Many disciples of the Iron Mansion looked at Chu Luren with envy and jealousy upon hearing Shui Dai's words.

Wang Xiaofeng and Shui Sheng didn't seem surprised at all—the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" wasn't a secret technique to begin with; it was more like an introductory guide that Shui Dai had compiled to help them get started with Tai Chi...

Nowadays, although various martial arts sects regard the transmission of their skills as an important matter, this level of skill is not considered so important.

Chu Luren was pleasantly surprised, after all, the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" were not exactly commonplace in terms of their effects. He quickly thanked Shui Dai and then asked him for his guidance.

The Iron Mansion disciples around also dispersed at this time. Even if it was "not a big deal", it was not something that could be done in public!

Shui Dai had two reasons for passing on the idea to Chu Luren: firstly, he admired Chu Luren's strength and talent, which he saw as a way to forge a connection for Wudang; and secondly, and most importantly... judging from Chu Luren's previous performance, Shui Dai greatly appreciated his character!

According to Chu Luren, he "heard from the disciples of Songshan" that Liu Zhengfeng might be related to the Sun Moon Cult, but Liu Zhengfeng indeed had no connection with Chu Luren.

In other words, Chu Luren may not be a self-righteous person, but he is a righteous person!

In the minds of martial arts masters like Tie Wushuang and Shui Dai, who are "individual practitioners," the concept of "righteous path" is different from that of those prestigious sects.

When it comes to making friends, people who are loyal and righteous are more popular...

However, contrary to Chu Luren's expectations, Shui Dai taught him the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" very quickly, and taught him the "Nine Forms" in less than half an hour. After that... there was no more!

There was no accompanying internal energy cultivation method...

Judging from Shui Dai's instructions, it wasn't that he didn't teach her; rather, the essence of the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" lies in understanding the martial arts philosophy contained within these nine forms.

In a daze, Chu Luren also thought of some things!

Previously, Chu Luren had always thought that pure techniques without the support of internal cultivation methods were just fancy moves and acrobatic tricks...

However, it now seems that this understanding is not entirely wrong, but it is not entirely correct either!

Perhaps... some of the pure techniques that should be taught to practitioners are not about the flow of internal energy?

For a moment, Chu Luren thought of the "sword qi dispute" of the Huashan Sect. If the moves were really just about posing, wouldn't the Sword Sect be a bit stupid?

What's the point of posing if you don't have inner strength?

Is the Qi Sect also missing a screw?

Having internal strength but no matching techniques would be a waste of effort, right?

However, this seemingly simple "Nine Forms of the Peacock" has given the Chu Lu people a new idea...

After teaching Chu Luren the basic sword moves, Shui Dai didn't teach him anything more, only instructing him to practice diligently—this was the only "shortcut" to understanding martial arts principles.

For this reason, Wang Xiaofeng did not think that Chu Luren could achieve anything. The Peacock Nine Forms may seem simple, but its real purpose is to explain the martial arts concept of a side branch of Tai Chi. What is the use of just learning the form and posture?

This type of martial art is extremely difficult to master on one's own; only martial arts prodigies might be able to achieve it...

Despite having a master to consult with at any time, I am still only practicing the form in vain!

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Peacock Spreads Its Tail

"Father, that young hero Chu seems... to have only average talent. Without your guidance, can he master the Peacock Sword?" Shui Sheng asked Shui Dai curiously.

What she really wanted to say was, "Young Master Chu's" aptitude... seems rather dull!

"Nonsense! What talent does memorizing a few moves prove? Since Young Hero Chu can integrate swordsmanship into his finger strength, it shows that he is intelligent. Besides, there's the saying 'great wisdom appears as foolishness.'" Shui Daiyi righteously corrected his daughter.

However... Shui Dai wasn't sure either.

The process of just being taught is quite normal, as the Peacock Nine Forms have not yet formed an emblem in the minds of the Chu Lu people.

Even though Chu Luren has now been exposed to some martial arts and has a basic foundation, he still looks quite timid when learning...

"It's really hard to master anything with just the Peacock Nine Forms. Even though I've been teaching you by your side, you still haven't mastered anything, have you? Hahaha... Alright, alright, I won't say anymore."

As Shui Dai spoke, he began to "mock" his own daughter again, which made Shui Sheng scold him.