Chapter 233

Besides, if one truly encounters a master too powerful to fight, staying alive is what matters most; if life force burns away, so be it.

He also looked at several other Mi Shu together, including the method of transmitting sound into secrecy that Lin Cheng had not passed on to him, which required only ten contribution points.

There was also the Breath-Hiding Art to conceal one's aura, the Face-Changing Art to alter one's appearance, and the Turtle-Breathing Art to feign death; all belonged to essentials for traveling the Jianghu, making Xu Yang feel an intense itch of desire.

He wanted all these things; normally they seemed dispensable, but at certain moments they might be the means to save one's life.

But he did not have many contribution points, so he could only leave here first and continue to look at other categories.

He saw the Fu Yue Xiong Wang Palm that Elder Liu had mentioned, and also saw several blade techniques and sword techniques with contribution points exceeding five hundred, plus a finger technique also exceeding five hundred points, named the Break-Gang Intercept-Pulse Finger.

Unfortunately, these were all things he could not afford to exchange for either.

"These are all the motivations that drive outer sect disciples to work like oxen and horses."

With ample time, Xu Yang was not in a hurry; even if he could not exchange for them, it was good to understand them, and perhaps one day he would meet someone cultivating these cultivation methods.

After one shi, he selected the Phantom Star Gang Fist costing eighty contribution points, and the lightness skill Step-Gang Chase-Wind costing seventy-five contribution points.

Lightness skills are used for escaping death, which is indispensable.

Fist techniques are methods for close-range hand-to-hand combat, equally indispensable; as for others, their priority is lower than these two, so he can only come back to exchange for them when he has contribution points.

"The Ziyang Sect does have some merits."

After Qi Refining and forming Gang Qi, as long as one diligently completes missions, one can exchange for a decent Wu Gong in three or four months.

In the outside world, obtaining a Gang Qi Gong Fa could be said to be ten thousand times difficult.

At the Wanbaoge auction, a Gang Qi Wu Gong sold for five thousand taels, yet here one only needs dozens of contribution points to exchange for a Men Wu Gong.

Going downstairs, he registered with Elder Liu and quickly obtained the secret manuals for Phantom Star Gang Fist and Step-Gang Chase-Wind.

"Thank you, my lord Elder."

After clasping his fists, Xu Yang left in an impatient rush; previously he had no Wu Gong to practice, but now he suddenly had two Men Wu Gong, so he would be busy.

Yet just after leaving Canggongdian for some distance, he unexpectedly ran straight into the inner sect disciple Sun Li Jian.

Beside him followed a man with a tiger's back and bear's waist, emitting a sharp aura, with eyes as sharp as knives.

Like Sun Li Jian, he also had a large purple sun embroidered on his chest, clearly also an inner sect disciple.

"Eh, aren't you that Xu Yang who bid on Ye Ye Qiuling's Blood-Coagulating Elixir? Has your Blood-Coagulating Elixir been successfully refined?"

Sun Li Jian asked curiously, actually remembering Xu Yang.

Xu Yang clasped his hands and said, "Replying to senior brother, I am still researching it."

Sun Li Jian showed a look of disdain and said, "Do you really intend to refine an elixir relying solely on a single prescription? If you can succeed, I, Sun Li Jian, will write my name backwards."

"Writing it backwards isn't just 'Li Jian Sun'? 'Li Jian Sun'—that name is nice; junior brother, I have high hopes for you."

The man accompanying Sun Li Jian laughed, "Should senior brother introduce you to a Dan Shi to be your Master?"

"Jiang Yan, stop causing trouble," Sun Li Jian shouted.

After speaking, he pulled his companion named Jiang Yan away quickly, because he knew this fellow would truly go so far as to find a Dan Shi to guide Xu Yang in refining elixirs just to make his name written backwards.

Returning quickly to the courtyard, Xu Yang entered his room, locked the door from inside, then took out a Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Elixir and swallowed it.

"Jin Lei!"

He muttered Jin Lei's name.

Because Jin Lei had disrupted his plan, the Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Elixirs on his person were nearly exhausted, and he could not descend the mountain temporarily to avoid Jin Lei's retaliation.

In this way, his cultivation base progress would slow down again.

Settling his emotions, Xu Yang first picked up the Phantom Star Gang Fist to study.

【Phantom Star Gang Fist · Entry-Level Realm (0/100)】

He ignored the panel that popped out and continued studying for the second time, immersing his whole mind and body in comprehending the fist technique.

With the Shaking Mountain Xiong Quan and the Surging Waves Fist as foundations, by the time the third study session ended, he had comprehended the Phantom Star Gang Fist to the entry-level realm.

【Phantom Star Gang Fist · Entry-Level Realm (1/1000)】

"Gang Qi Wu Gong is indeed powerful."

Xu Yang put down the secret manual, having gained many insights and understanding of the Phantom Star Gang Fist.

The Phantom Star Gang Fist is not a martial skill like the Surging Waves Fist or the Shaking Mountain Xiong Quan that pursues explosive power, utmost rigidity and ferocity.

The Phantom Star Gang Fist emphasizes being indistinguishable between void and reality, unfathomable as gods and ghosts, focusing on changes in techniques so the enemy cannot distinguish feints from real strikes.

Even so, in terms of power, the fist technique's power surpassed his Surging Waves Fist with twelve layers of added force, truly bringing out the domineering power of Gang Qi.

Not rushing to cultivate, he picked up Step-Gang Chase-Wind and looked at it.

After comprehending it several times, Step-Gang Chase-Wind also reached the entry-level realm.

【Step-Gang Chase-Wind · Entry-Level Realm (1/1000)】

Compared to Fei Yan Gong, Step-Gang Chase-Wind is more direct, emphasizing extreme speed bursts; it cares nothing for lightness, elegance, or silence, being simply swift as wind and fast as lightning.

Having comprehended both Wu Gong to the entry-level realm, Xu Yang began to cultivate; since the room was narrow, he went to the peach forest he often visited before.

In the following days, he immersed himself in cultivation; during the day he alternated practicing Blazing Sun Gang Blade, Step-Gang Chase-Wind, and Phantom Star Gang Fist, while at night he practiced Fu Yue Xiong Jing and Jin Gang Gong; only after the Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Elixirs were exhausted did his cultivation base progress slow considerably.

Fortunately, there was still beast meat; although its effect was not as direct as elixirs, if all food became beast meat, the cultivation base improvement effect was still good.

However, in this way, the cost of money increased accordingly.

Unknowingly, it reached the New Year; although the Ziyang Sect was also decorated with lights everywhere, there was no atmosphere of being at home.

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, he and Sun Tao, Zhang Yong, and a few others ate a meal together and drank quite a lot of wine.

After drinking, Zhang Yong and Jiang Ping cursed Lu Ren and Gu Hao, and the two also paid respects to the deceased Zhao Zhao Zhifei.

"The little girl has grown a year older; after this New Year, she should be able to practice Wu Gong."

Gazing at the fireworks lighting up the night sky over Qingyang City in the distance, Xu Yang carried a touch of nostalgia; unfortunately, he had not yet established himself in the Ziyang Sect and could not bring the little girl over.

【Blazing Sun Gang Blade · Small Success (1/2000)】

【Step-Gang Chase-Wind · Entry-Level Realm (531/1000)】

【Phantom Star Fist · Entry Level (744/1000)】

The Blazing Yang Blade Skill has finally reached the Minor Success stage; the blade light's power is astonishing, truly reaching a realm where it can shave iron like mud, and even his flesh, possessing the Adamantine Indestructible trait, seems unable to withstand it.

Of course, this is the blade light he himself unleashed; after all, this blade light is condensed from the Yang energy cultivated through the Jin Gang Gong, so his flesh's defense against the blade light is somewhat lower.

If anyone else used the Blazing Yang Blade Skill to unleash blade light, it would surely pose no threat to his body, unless the opponent's Yang energy was more domineering than his own.

The Stepping on Yang Chasing the Wind and the Phantom Star Fist have also made considerable progress; now they can be used against enemies without any problem.

If he did not cultivate three martial techniques simultaneously, but instead focused his energy on one, his progress would be even greater.

【Martial Dao Longevity Points: 182】

The points are also nearing two hundred; by then, he can learn to refine the Blood-Coagulating Elixir all at once.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year ended, and the one-month deadline arrived again; after eating, Xu Yang went to queue up with Sun Tao and the others.

"In a moment, we will go accept a mission," Xu Yang said, standing in line absentmindedly.

He still had four or five hundred taels of silver, but silver does not work well in the Ziyang Sect; to improve his cultivation base, he must still use contribution points to exchange for the Return to Origin Elixir, the Profound Origin Qi-Transforming Elixir, and other elixirs.

"Jiang Fan, can you please stop pestering me?"

A familiar voice came; Xu Yang looked and saw Jiang Fan following that woman named A Ya again like a simp, while A Ya wore an expression of utter disgust.

"Brother Jiang is truly unyielding," Sun Tao sighed.

In the Ziyang Sect's Outer Sect, many people knew of Jiang Fan's frequent pestering of A Ya, yet A Ya did not look up to him.

Zhang Yong said, "Brother Jiang is good at everything, except for this one point which invites criticism; everyone knows A Ya likes a brilliant genius like Lu Ren, yet he vainly attempts to move her with his sincerity."

Jiang Ping said, "If you ask me, he is blind; this A Ya is merely a small-town beauty, with an average temperament and appearance."

It was not him belittling others, but the truth.

Whether in temperament or appearance, A Ya was inferior to Lin Wei; among the female disciples of the Inner Sect, A Ya's appearance was only above average.

"Different strokes for different folks!" Xu Yang said.

Sun Tao's eyes lit up; he said, "Junior Brother Xu's summary is profound."

At this moment, A Ya began to trot, suddenly darting in front of Lu Ren, revealing a flattering expression, and said, "Senior Brother Lu, may I stand in front of you?"

Jiang Fan's face immediately turned ashen, and many disciples laughed.

"Wanting to compete with Lu Ren for a woman, how can one win?" someone laughed.

Compared to the obscure Jiang Fan, anyone knew Lu Ren was the suitable match.

Lu Ren nodded, then looked at Jiang Fan and said, "Do you still intend to pester her? Do you think you are worthy of A Ya?"

"Get lost; if you pester again, I will break your legs," Gu Hao shouted.

Xu Yang was watching with great interest when he suddenly felt a commotion spread through the crowd; many people turned to look behind them in unison.

He also turned to look and saw a man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his face like polished jade, striding forward, with two Outer Sect disciples following behind him, their auras sharp and fierce, like guards.

This person wore the tight-fitting uniform of an Outer Sect disciple, but judging by his temperament, he was as unattainable as an Inner Sect disciple.