Chapter 420
The stones fell away from it like flying ashes, as if the golden light had broken free from its restraints, flowing onto the long staff and illuminating the inscriptions upon it.
It resonated with a hum reminiscent of weapons, stirring the winds and clouds of the small world.
**Ruyi Jingu Bang** (如意金箍棒 - "The Ruyi Jingu Bang," a magical staff wielded by the Monkey King in Chinese mythology)
**Chapter 465: The Withdrawn Li Tongxue, "Baduanjin"**
A fierce wind arose from nowhere.
The burning fire boiled the clouds above.
This small world, which was entirely his, seemed to tremble at this moment, slipping beyond the control of its master. At the end of the swirling winds and clouds lay the eroded stubborn stones, waiting for the arrival of a new figure.
As he grasped the weapon known as the Ruyi Jingu Bang, an inexplicable divine intent surged within him.
Li Mo could no longer open his eyes; even with them closed, the outline of that divine intent gradually became clearer.
He stood at the same height as it.
He had already ranked among the top of the Qianlong List, having defeated countless former heroes. If he could just observe the divine through the Nine Orifices, perhaps he could be considered the best in the mortal realm. Yet, at this moment, he discovered just how small he truly was.
Its determination was called invincibility.
An enemy that could not be defeated, crushing the heart that aspired to soar.
This was why the divine intent of the Great Sage could only be honed through the spirit of the Qi Tian Da Sheng, facing adversaries time and again, triumphing over one formidable foe after another.
Observing the divine was merely imitation, a learning process, nurturing a deity within one’s heart to borrow its divine power.
But the Great Sage’s divine intent demanded that you shatter it, break the god within your heart, and dismantle those things that could not be overstepped.
Now, it beckoned to you, as if saying:
"Future challenger, let me see your heart. Do you possess this determination?"
Li Mo's throat felt parched; for the first time in his small world, he felt utterly powerless.
He had already reached the realm of observing the divine, and now his opponent was the Qi Tian Da Sheng?
Struggling, he took out a bottle of Xianren Zui (仙人醉 - "Immortal's Drunkenness"), planning to drink it to bolster his courage.
Ding—
Suddenly, the air around him felt as hard as divine iron, and he was pinned in place by a faint golden light, unable to move, even to blink.
It advanced slowly, the long staff making a crisp sound as it scraped against the ground, each step seemingly traversing an infinite distance.
The porcelain bottle reached its hand, shaken twice, and brought to its ear, as if listening to the sound of fine wine.
After finishing the last sip, it tossed the bottle back.
The golden light burst forth.
"What the hell?"
Li Mo steeled himself and gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang tightly.
But before he could muster any strength, he felt that divine intent of the Great Sage crashing down like an avalanche, instantly overwhelming him, the twisted figure filling his vision.
The next morning.
At the entrance of Biyun Tower.
"Hey? He looks like a dog."
A passing girl giggled.
"Shh, darling, don’t say that. This guy is Xie Xuan, second on the Qianlong List."
The man beside her’s expression changed slightly.
"Ah?"
The young couple quickened their pace to leave.
Xie Xuan still sat there, hugging his knees, looking lost and dejected.
Yesterday, the Divine Hammer Little Overlord had held Han Xianzi's hand, and the words "She doesn’t love you at all" still echoed in his ears.
He hadn’t recovered from it and had sat there all night.
"How could I lose so completely?"
Just then, someone sat down beside him.
"Hmm?"
Xie Xuan, who had been expressionless, was taken aback.
Because the newcomer was none other than Li Mo.
Li Mo, with the same vacant eyes and unsteady steps, looked as if he hadn’t slept all night. He rested his chin on one hand, staring blankly into the distance.
He murmured to himself:
"How could I possibly lose so completely?"
Last night, Li Mo had challenged for three hours.
Guess what?
He had given it his all, and then there was nothing left. Not once had he managed to last through the second strike; by the end, he was numb.
"Give me back my sunglasses."
Li Mo reached out and took the sunglasses off Xie Xuan's face, putting them on himself.
Xie Xuan: "?"
So, the sunglasses changed hands, and at the entrance of Biyun Tower, it transformed from a dog into a loser and a fool.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"Oh, I sparred all night and didn’t win a single match."
Xie Xuan’s frown eased slightly, as if he understood something.
The Divine Hammer Little Overlord must have sparred with Han Xianzi yesterday!
She was even more terrifying than his own master, so it wasn’t hard to understand why Li Mo would be beaten to the point of questioning his life.
"I could tell yesterday that you wouldn’t win against her."
"?"
Li Mo’s expression turned strange. Did you misunderstand something?
Xie Xuan couldn’t possibly know that he had been beaten by a monkey.
But it was hard to explain.
Seeing that Li Mo wasn’t engaging, still looking withdrawn, Xie Xuan felt a bit better:
"Want to know why you couldn’t beat her?"
"Not interested."
""
Xie Xuan was momentarily speechless.
This ironclad second on the Qianlong List was also going through a rebellious phase. The more Li Mo said he wasn’t interested, the more Xie Xuan wanted to say:
"I could see it in your swordsmanship yesterday; it had her shadow in it."
"You haven’t even fully learned her techniques. Winning would be a miracle, but I reckon you’ll struggle to beat her in this lifetime."
"!"
At his words, Li Mo froze, a flash of lightning crossing his mind.
That’s right.
Everything he relied on came from the Great Sage’s Treading the Heavens.
And his mastery of it was far from sufficient.
From the very foundation, he had no chance of victory.
"Then where should I start over?"
Li Mo murmured.
"No way. Her martial arts skills are such that even your master wouldn’t stand a chance."
Looking at Li Mo’s confused expression, Xie Xuan felt a bit better, though he didn’t know why.
Was it because he realized that Li Mo had no chance against Ying Bing in terms of martial arts?
"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself."
Li Mo’s eyes behind the sunglasses lit up again.
What he needed to do now was to first strike the Great Sage’s projection once, shaking off that innate fear and sense of oppression.
To achieve this, he first needed the ability to deliver that blow.
Otherwise, the Great Sage’s projection was indestructible, radiating golden light, while he was but a firefly.
The Great Sage’s projection moved like a celestial being, while he resembled a crippled qilin.
Without a foundation for victory, where would the determination and confidence come from?
Strength!
"Thank you, you’re actually quite nice."
Li Mo clapped his hands, thanked Xie Xuan, and quickly got up to head upstairs.
"??"
Xie Xuan was left with more questions than he had ever had in his life.
At this moment.
Li Mo had returned to his room and pulled out several books from the system space.
These were all martial arts techniques he had received as investment feedback.
"The Extreme Martial Body is already perfected; I need to find another body tempering technique."
As he looked at those books, his eyes suddenly flickered.
**"Baduanjin"** (八段锦 - "Eight Pieces of Brocade," a traditional Chinese exercise known for its health benefits)
This was something he had created based on the morning exercises he learned in his past life, combined with his insights on body tempering in this life, designed for the people of Nanjing.
It seemed to have quite a good effect.
"At least, this is my own path."
Curious, Li Mo took out a stone tablet seal and slowly pressed it onto the book.
The characters flowed in, writhing rapidly.
The name also changed:
**"Baduanjin"**
*P.S.: Sorry for the slow update. I’m trying my best not to make the Great Sage sound too much like a fool, so I’m being as precise as possible with my wording.*
**Chapter 466: "Yijinjing," A Conspiracy in Plain Sight**
In the room of the fourth-ranked Qianlong at Biyun Tower.
"Supreme martial art, Baduanjin?"
Li Mo had been curious about one thing: if he used the stone tablet seal to deduce something from his past life, what direction would it take?
Would it align more closely with the Qianlong List, or would it develop in the direction of his previous life?
Now it seemed to be the latter!
He picked up the martial arts manual for "Baduanjin" and found that while it resembled what the old men in the park practiced in his past life, it lacked the spirit, with many more intricate details.
The main focus was on the methods of circulating and tempering the meridians, along with some movements that ordinary people couldn’t achieve.
"What if I continue to deduce it further?"
As he took out the bronze stone tablet seal, he couldn’t help but feel curious.
The stone tablet seal was pressed down onto the manual once more.
The ancient bronze stone tablet seal’s cryptic script was even more profound and obscure. As it moved, the illustrations in the manual seemed to come alive, vivid and lifelike.
The cover of the manual changed again, the martial arts name transforming:
**"Yijinjing"** (易筋经 - "Muscle Changing Classic," a legendary martial arts text said to enhance physical abilities)
"??"
Li Mo held this master-level martial arts manual, his expression turning contemplative.
This legendary skill, found in countless novels, seemed to have a basis in reality, not entirely fabricated.
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