The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

The suona played for a while longer, and after finishing a chapter, the Western Xia warriors guarding outside the temple gate saw a burly man with a high nose, a wide mouth, and a square face, a handsome young man holding a paper fan, and another young man holding... um? a suona... cough cough, equally young and handsome, walking over openly.

"Who goes there?" The guards clearly knew that the three were not to be trifled with, but they still dared not let them pass directly.

"Qiao Feng, who has an appointment with your general, and Duan Yu, the heir of the Dali Duan family, have come to visit, along with me, a mere passerby. Go and inform them immediately." Chu Luren adopted a posture of politeness before resorting to force.

Although teaming up with Qiao Feng has greatly improved their combat strength, making them more durable and capable of dealing damage, there are still over two hundred people from Xixia. It's best to assess their strength first...

However, Chu Luren was not too worried. After all, in the original work, it was acceptable for a fake Qiao Feng to come. It was unlikely that he would bring the real Qiao Feng and cause a mishap.

"Northern Qiao Feng? You are Qiao Feng?" The Western Xia warrior guarding the gate was startled.

Clearly, compared to the Duan family heirs or passersby, "Qiao Feng" is much more intimidating.

One of the guards at the gate hurriedly stumbled inside to report, while the others watched Chu Luren and his companions with even greater vigilance...

Qiao Feng didn't force his way in right away. Soon, an inviting voice came from inside: "Hahaha, since the famous Qiao Feng of the North has arrived, how can you be so rude? Hurry up and invite him in!"

However, as the Western Xia guards led the three to the main hall, it was clear that the Western Xia guards were heavily on guard and did not act so openly.

As soon as the three entered the hall, Qiao Feng looked at the large pot of beef simmering in the broth and frowned slightly. He did enjoy eating meat and drinking wine, but he had some affection for temples and couldn't stand the Western Xia people's behavior.

Chu Luren then looked at the "zombie man" whose face had turned pale, and the "strong man" who was scooping meat out of boiling water with his bare hands...

After Duan Yanqing resolved most of his inner conflicts and was no longer with Yipintang, these two should be the highest-ranking experts that Yipintang had recruited.

The "Zombie Man" had a brief encounter with Chu Luren before. Wang Yuyan recognized him from his fighting style as being from the Xiangxi Zombie Clan and deduced that he was likely the famous martial arts master Xiao Xiangzi from Xiangxi!

In Chu Luren's opinion, this makes sense—after all, in the original work, although Xiao Xiangzi was skilled in martial arts, he was also a greedy person who went all the way to the north to seek refuge with Kublai Khan.

Along with the Persian merchant Yin Kexi and the Indian yoga master Nimo Xing, they were the three top masters under Kublai Khan. In the early and middle stages, their martial arts skills were second only to Jinlun Fawang, and all of them were above Qiu Chuji. When Jinlun saw the three, he also felt pressure and threat.

In this vast world, the Western Xia still exists. Perhaps they offer high prices, or perhaps they'd rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a dog. It wouldn't be surprising if Xiao Xiangzi were at Yipintang.

As for the burly man scooping up the meat, Chu Luren didn't recognize him and he didn't have any impressive aura. However, judging from the seating arrangement, this man and Xiao Xiangzi were on the left and right sides of Helian Tieshu, respectively.

Duan Yu then looked at Yue Laosan, who was trying to hide behind him...

“South Sea Crocodile God, why didn’t you even greet your master, uncle, and senior brother? Is this the rule of the South Sea Sect?” Duan Yu directly challenged.

Seeing that he couldn't escape, Yue Laosan's face turned pale and then purple with anger. He glared at the three of them, his throat gurgling. But he still knelt down with a thud, smashing two floor tiles to pieces. Then, without raising his head, he shouted, "Yue Lao Er greets Master! Humph... I'm so angry, so angry, so angry!"

After saying that, he used his lightness skill to try to break through the wooden window on the side of the main hall and leave.

However, Chu Luren had seen him many times, and when he heard him say "I'm so angry!", he knew he was leaving. So, from a few feet away, he casually grabbed...

Chapter Ninety-Two: Qiao Feng's Past

The Dragon-Crane Grand Capture is a grappling technique developed by Chu Luren not long ago by combining the newly acquired "Dragon Capture Skill" and "Crane Control Skill." It leans towards "technique" but also has a certain "qi" effect.

Among them, "Capturing Dragon Skill" is a martial art that focuses on internal energy cultivation, or "qi". Its characteristic is that the internal energy cultivated is easy to accumulate. After reaching a certain level, it can be accumulated to the point of being almost tangible, thereby achieving detailed manipulation that is solid and does not disperse.

The reason why the released true energy has an appearance similar to "dragon scales" is precisely because the folds are caused by the accumulation of true energy...

The "Qi" part is the cultivation of easily accumulated internal energy, while the "Technique" part is the method of accumulating internal energy. When combined, they create the various wonders of the Dragon-Capturing Skill.

However, it has one major drawback—slow cultivation speed!

This is why Qiao Feng called it "stupid kung fu," because it requires repeated practice and internal energy compression, and the repetitive circulation of meridians during practice is the most complex among all the martial arts Qiao Feng has ever seen or heard of.

The reason why Qiao Feng was able to cultivate to such a high level was not only due to his own talent, but also because of a fortuitous encounter. Therefore, Qiao Feng also advised Chu Luren not to actually change his cultivation method.

As for how Qiao Feng mastered it, when Chu Luren couldn't resist asking him about it on the way, Qiao Feng didn't hide anything.

When Wang Jiantong first learned that Qiao Feng was practicing the "Dragon-Capturing Skill," he strongly supported him in continuing his efforts and encouraged him when he wanted to give up and switch to other internal skills several times.

At that time, Qiao Feng thought that Wang Jiantong wanted him to not be a person who gave up halfway and was trying to temper him. Now... the dead are gone, and Qiao Feng simply did not want to think about it anymore.

At that time, Qiao Feng's progress in internal strength was indeed very slow. However, with Wang Jiantong's encouragement, he persevered and practiced diligently day and night. More importantly, the "Dragon Claw Skill" that Qiao Feng learned at Shaolin Temple, as well as the "Demon Subduing Palm" that Xuan Ku specially requested and passed down, played an important role at this time!

Qiao Feng's training was initially not going smoothly. His internal energy cultivation was too "clumsy" and progress was slow. His "Dragon Claw Skill" and "Demon Subduing Palm" were also leading him further into a dead end because one was hard and the other was soft...

Qiao Feng may not have thought much of it, and Duan Yu didn't pay attention when Qiao Feng mentioned it briefly. However, Chu Luren, whose understanding of martial arts principles was deepening, began to suspect the Shaolin monks' intentions.

Normally, Shaolin Temple's outer disciples would only be taught one of the Seventy-Two Arts, but Qiao Feng was taught one more.

Looking back now, Qiao Feng's initial choice of Dragon Claw Kung Fu was indeed in line with his own personality. As a powerful move that combines internal and external cultivation, it can be considered a prime example of the fierce and powerful Shaolin Kung Fu.

Although Qiao Feng didn't boast, Chu Luren estimated that Qiao Feng's progress in his training was quite rapid at first—after all, Qiao Feng was only thirty years old at the time, and during that time he had made seven great contributions to the Beggars' Sect and completed Wang Jiantong's three tests...

He must have been in his early twenties by then, and had already "graduated" from Shaolin Temple, right?

The Shaolin Temple's assessment of lay disciples upon graduation, while not as rigorous as that for its own disciples leaving the mountain to practice, is by no means easy.

It was when Qiao Feng was about to leave Shaoshi Mountain that Xuan Ku taught him the "Demon Subduing Palm," which was a privilege compared to other lay disciples, as he received one of the Seventy-Two Arts.

Chu Luren then understood why Qiao Feng learned Xuan Ku's Demon-Subduing Palm in the original work, but it was also stated that he knew the Dragon Claw Skill—which is inconsistent with the setting that Shaolin lay disciples only learn one special skill!

It seems there are indeed exceptions...

However, it should be noted that such "exceptions" must be reported to the head of the Bodhidharma Academy, and may even alarm the abbot.

Xuan Ku was Qiao Feng's mentor, and perhaps he truly meant well for Qiao Feng. Chu Luren didn't understand him and wouldn't speculate, but...

Abbot Xuanci was the one who distrusted Qiao Feng the most!

Even before Qiao Feng was to take over as the leader of the gang, he wrote a letter to Wang Jiantong, which became the direct trigger for the Xingzilin incident. Why would such a person allow Qiao Feng to learn one more of the Seventy-Two Arts?

Then consider how Qiao Feng later encountered a bottleneck in his martial arts due to these two different styles of martial arts, one forceful and the other gentle...

Chu Luren had to be a little cynical!

According to Qiao Feng, fortune and misfortune are indeed intertwined. Just when Qiao Feng's internal and external skills were not going well, he was taught the first six of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms because of his merits. Usually, the first six palms were taught in three or two palms at a time, but he was taught the first six palms together after he had made several merits.

As for the reason, it's now entirely possible to guess that it's most likely Wang Jiantong's intention to suppress it!

However, the Beggars' Sect is, after all, a gang, and compared to sects where the master-disciple relationship is maintained, it is more clear about rewards and punishments.

It's understandable if a master doesn't reward his apprentice, but it's hard to convince others if a leader doesn't reward his meritorious subordinates...

Wang Jiantong only held back for a moment. After Qiao Feng had made many merits, he could only pass on the skills in one go. Otherwise, even the elder who passed on the skills would have something to say.

After comprehending the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, Qiao Feng finally understood the transformation of "combining strength and gentleness" from this "extremely yang and extremely strong" palm technique. Thus, Qiao Feng used the Dragon Claw Skill and the Demon Subduing Palm as a guide to retain the "extremely yang" aspect of the Six Subduing Dragon Palms, while also combining strength and gentleness. From then on, Qiao Feng made rapid progress in the three external martial arts.

During this period, he went "mad" again, but then turned misfortune into blessing, which allowed his strength and gentleness to truly reach the level of "mutual support". As a result, when practicing the "Dragon Capturing Skill" which requires accumulating internal energy, he achieved twice the result with half the effort!

Therefore, Qiao Feng speculated that although the Dragon-Capturing Skill seemed to pursue purity and stability, there might be other mysteries within it. The method of combining hardness and softness, and the practice of internal energy embracing each other, could greatly improve efficiency.

In Qiao Feng's words, before it was like kneading little by little, but after the combination of strength and gentleness, it was like twisting a rope, and "compression" became simple.

However, putting aside the fact that techniques like Dragon Claw Kung Fu, Demon Subduing Palm, and the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms are not easily passed on to outsiders, Qiao Feng's ability to master them was largely due to luck. Therefore, Chu Luren was only reminded, and there was no way to teach him to replicate his extraordinary experience.

As for the "Crane Control Technique"...

Qiao Feng only learned it briefly. After all, he had already mastered the "Dragon-Capturing Skill," so using this move would be twice as effective with half the effort. However, the effect on Qiao Feng was so-so.

In fact, this move is more like an external application of "Dragon-Capturing True Qi". However, Qiao Feng's Dragon-Capturing True Qi is different from the original version. Moreover, most of his skills are in the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" which combines hardness and softness, so he naturally doesn't need to use any Crane-Controlling Skill.

After learning it, Chu Luren pondered it over and discovered that the two martial arts did indeed have many similarities and complementarities.

The Crane Control Technique is more like an external application of the Dragon Capture True Qi, transforming it from "yang" to "yin"...

So the Chu Lu people simply combined the two on the way.

Duan Yu was already used to Chu Luren's habit of suddenly sitting down for a moment of enlightenment, and even helped explain to Qiao Feng—it wouldn't take long anyway!

Although Qiao Feng felt that this was not scientific... no, not martial arts, he didn't care about losing a little bit of time.

As a result, Chu Luren fused the "Dragon Crane Great Capture," which focuses more on "technique," that is, a move that can further condense the already advantageous Dragon Capture True Qi.

And this result was just right for Chu Luren—because he already had a deep understanding of the "Dragon-Capturing Skill," Chu Luren could completely use the "Minor Chaos Skill" to simulate the Dragon-Capturing True Qi...

Chapter Ninety-Three: Rear Troops

Now, Yue Laosan unleashed his pitifully agile movements, about to crash through the window and escape, while Chu Luren casually grabbed at something a few feet away...

What seemed like a "casual move" was actually Chu Luren's "flowers in full bloom ready to be picked," which targeted the weakness in Yue Laosan's movements. In the gap between the old and new strength, he used "small chaotic true qi" to simulate "dragon-capturing true qi" and used "dragon-crane great capture" to make the released true qi condense and not disperse, directly binding Yue Laosan's ankle with his skillful force!

With a gentle touch...

thump!

Yue Laosan appeared to have not exerted much force, yet he landed with a thud, staggered a step, and then regained his balance.

"Don't rush, good disciple, where is your boss?" Chu Luren ignored the aggrieved look in Yue Laosan's eyes when he turned his head, and at the same time glanced at Xiao Xiangzi—this guy had just moved the mourning stick in his hand when Yue Laosan was about to jump out, as if he intended to stop him.

Logically speaking, Chu Luren's perception was only average, after all, his internal strength was relatively weak, and he didn't have any special martial arts skills in this area.

However, this fellow's mourning staff has a "banner" on it. While it can serve as a distraction and entanglement for enemies, the swaying of the banner makes it easy to give away when he wants to strike stealthily...

If he were to stop her, he certainly wouldn't be so gentle!

Old Yue San, unaware that Chu Luren had just saved him, said with a hint of resentment, "I didn't know! Boss Duan is always elusive, and after Dali, we don't know where he went!"

Chu Luren was now certain that Duan Yanqing no longer cared about Yipintang.

Helian Tieshu, sitting in the main seat, was furious—that scoundrel Yue Laosan had exposed the fact that his side was lacking a major fighting force with just one sentence!

Xiao Xiangzi, on the other hand, was taken aback by Chu Luren's move and didn't say anything for the time being.

Chu Luren's move just now seemed far less imposing than Qiao Feng's, and even compared to Chu Luren's own "Dancing the Universe" technique where he unleashed his finger power in all directions, it appeared rather ordinary. However, Xiao Xiangzi and the others all saw through the trick.

If Qiao Feng had made the move just now, the effect would certainly have been even more astonishing. With a roar like a tiger and a cry like a dragon, the dragon-shaped true energy would have directly swept Yue Laosan back, and Ye Erniang, Yun Zhonghe, and others along the way would have been bounced away by the internal force.

However, compared to this, Chu Luren's effortless execution was equally astonishing. If it weren't for the subtle aura of true energy, one might even suspect that Yue Laosan was a plant...

To put it simply, Xiao Xiangzi had achieved minor success in the "Longevity Skill of Longevity Wood," and his internal strength far surpassed that of Chu Luren. Furthermore, his "Zombie Fist" included a move called "Three Grabs to Awaken the Corpse," which was a grappling technique. However, if he were in Chu Luren's position, he could at most strike Yue Laosan with one palm, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt, but he would never be able to "pull" Yue Laosan back so effortlessly.

Qiao Feng was also somewhat surprised, thinking to himself: "My third brother is indeed very quick to understand, he has already grasped the essence of it so quickly."

He could naturally see that Chu Luren's move had the shadow of "Dragon Capture Skill" and "Crane Control Skill"!

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't believe that Chu Luren had really just mastered these two skills. He simply assumed that Chu Luren had similar skills before and was now applying them to other skills.

Indeed, the current Chu Luren's "Dragon Crane Great Capture + Small Chaos Skill Simulated Dragon Capture True Qi" is somewhat different from the real "Dragon Capture Skill + Crane Control Skill".

As for Duan Yu... he didn't know anything else Chu Luren knew, and he only had a superficial understanding of martial arts.

Among those present who didn't notice anything amiss, only Duan Yu and the burly man scooping up the meat were likely aware of it. Even Helian Tieshu, being in charge of Yipintang, possessed this level of insight.

"Impressive skills! Although I didn't get to see the Beggars' Sect's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and Dog-Beating Staff this time, I did get to see a young talent like Young Hero Chu. This trip was definitely worthwhile." Helian Tieshu spoke with the sarcastic tone of an old fox, trying to incite Chu Luren, the Beggars' Sect, and even Qiao Feng.

"Not at all, not at all. If General Helian hadn't used poison, I imagine he would have witnessed it." Chu Luren also made a sarcastic remark to Helian Tieshu.

Of course, it was actually a lie—Qiao Feng wasn't there at the time, and although those Beggar Clan elders knew a few moves of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, their internal strength was insufficient, so how much power could they possibly have?