Chapter 34: Nine Monkey Staff Technique

Not knowing whether it was because she blurted out her own embarrassment in a fit of panic, or because she felt wronged after being scolded by Lu Zhiyuan, Lu Qingluo glared fiercely at Fang Xu, threw her spear to the side, and stormed off angrily.

"Qing……"

Lu Zhiyuan wanted to call out to his daughter, but he didn't know what to say.

Watching Lu Qingluo's silhouette disappear into the inner courtyard, he let out a slight sigh, turned around, and looked at Fang Xu, saying: "Have you broken through to Martial Disciple?"

Fang Xu quickly clasped his hands: "Lucky breakthrough."

Lu Zhiyuan calmly said: "On the path of cultivation, every bit and drop is earned through daily diligent practice; there is no such thing as luck."

"You just broke through, and you managed to let Qingluo suffer a secret loss; as your teacher, I'm very pleased."

Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan didn't seem to dwell on the fact that he had taken advantage of Lu Qingluo, Fang Xu's hanging heart finally prepared to settle back down.

But Lu Zhiyuan's next sudden remark made him bitterly complain.

"Qingluo's skills are not refined enough; she couldn't gauge your true strength, so let me, your teacher, test you."

As soon as Lu Zhiyuan's words fell, his figure flashed and he thrust a palm at Fang Xu, saying: "Don't say I'm bullying you; let you use a weapon—if you can even nick me, you pass."

Seeing the rapidly approaching palm, Fang Xu had no chance to beg for mercy; he could only grudgingly lift the saber in his hand and chop at the incoming palm.

But Lu Zhiyuan seemed not to put the sharp blade of the saber in his eyes, and his palm kept coming!

Boom!

The saber and palm collided instantly!

A terrifying force transmitted along the blade, shaking Fang Xu's hand numb and loosening his grip; the saber flew right out of his hand!

"You can't even hold the saber—how can you talk about facing an enemy!"

One palm sent Fang Xu's saber flying; Lu Zhiyuan continued to close in, his rapid palm strikes leaving Fang Xu unable to fight back.

Bang!

After hard‑enduring at least a dozen or twenty palms from Lu Zhiyuan, Fang Xu was blasted away by one palm and slammed hard into the nearby blue‑stone ground, feeling as if every bone in his body were about to fall apart.

Yet Lu Zhiyuan's control of force was extremely precise; each move and stance only hurt him without injuring his body.

Lying on the ground, Fang Xu endured the pain all over his body, struggled to sit up, and said: "Master… your hand is too heavy."

Lu Zhiyuan pursed his lips and lightly said: "Too heavy?"

"Since you can still stand, let's continue."

Seeing him raise his hand, Fang Xu repeatedly begged for mercy, knowing that Lu Zhiyuan's punishment of him was partly to vent anger for his own daughter.

He really had it coming.

Seeing Fang Xu take a beating, Lu Zhiyuan felt no displeasure and secretly approved; such temperament is rare.

"Follow me."

Saying that, he headed straight for the inner courtyard without caring whether Fang Xu could still walk.

Master and disciple sat down in the inner courtyard; Fang Xu rubbed his shoulders, glanced at Lu Zhiyuan, his expression shifting slightly, and he bowed with a grin, saying: "Master, have you calmed down?"

Lu Zhiyuan glared at him fiercely, then said: "Even though you've broken through to Martial Disciple, don't be arrogant; know that stepping into the Martial Disciple stage is merely the entrance to martial cultivation, and the trials ahead will only get harder."

Fang Xu repeatedly bowed, his expression solemn, and said: "Master's teachings, I will keep them in mind!"

"Master, disciple has some doubts: after opening the aperture secret trove, how should one cultivate?"

The cultivator's process is constantly opening one's own aperture secret troves, but how to cultivate between opening the first and second aperture secret trove is still unclear to Fang Xu.

Lu Zhiyuan slowly said: "As I've said before, due to differing potential, everyone's secret trove is not exactly the same; after you first opened your secret trove, your consciousness should have entered the aperture space, right?"

Fang Xu froze, then recalled that last night his consciousness had been sucked into the Inner Gate Aperture; he immediately nodded and said: "It is a strange space, inside filled with misty vapor."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and said: "When the aperture space is first opened, a size of seven chi qualifies; cultivate well, and you will have a chance in life to step into the Martial Master rank."

"Those exceeding three zhang are of superior talent; such geniuses can easily break through to Martial Master and reach higher realms."

"Those with ten zhang are talents rare in a century; like General Zhao Wuji of the Yu State who once fought the Muyun State, in the future being ennobled and appointed as a general is assured."

"After a martial practitioner successfully enters the Martial Disciple stage, their cultivation consists of gradually refining the power within their aperture secret trove; this kind of cultivation becomes harder the further one goes."

"After all, as one's strength rises, the toughness of the remaining aperture walls also slowly increases; many cultivators spend years fully refining the power in one aperture, only to find that the walls of the next aperture secret trove are as hard as rock and cannot be broken at all."

Regarding Lu Zhiyuan's explanation, Fang Xu didn't fully grasp it, but he roughly understood the cultivator's path ahead.

Is an aperture space of ten zhang considered a genius rare in a hundred years?

His consciousness sank into the Inner Gate Aperture Space; looking at his aperture space the size of a football field, and the massive stone gate hidden behind the misty vapor, Fang Xu fell silent.

Inside his aperture space there is even a whole world—what kind of genius does that make him?

"Fang Xu, as your teacher I'm curious—what is the size of your aperture space?" Looking at Fang Xu, Lu Zhiyuan suddenly asked.

Being able to let his own daughter suffer a loss with just‑broken‑through Martial Disciple strength, Lu Zhiyuan felt Fang Xu's aperture space should not be small.

"It should be…." Fang Xu estimated the external size of his aperture space, speaking somewhat uncertainly.

A standard football field is about six thousand square meters, while an area with a radius of ten zhang is only over three thousand square meters; Fang Xu dared not tell Lu Zhiyuan the true figure.

"Six or seven zhang is already not bad." Lu Zhiyuan felt a bit disappointed, yet still fairly satisfied.

An aperture space of six or seven zhang could still possibly achieve the accomplishments of Zhao Wuji in the future.

"Right." Lu Zhiyuan suddenly produced an ancient‑looking book from his bosom and handed it to Fang Xu, saying: "This is something I just begged from a friend; you should study it well."

Fang Xu blinked slightly, took the book, and glanced at it.

"Nine Monkey Staff"?

"Master, this is……"

"Eighth‑Grade Staff Technique Secret Manual—you may cultivate it yourself, but under no circumstances must it be leaked." Lu Zhiyuan solemnly said: "A single eighth‑grade technique secret manual is worth nearly a hundred gold; martial artists of the Martial Master rank will covet it, so you must understand the principle that an innocent man who hides a jewel invites disaster."

Fang Xu nodded solemnly and slipped the secret manual into his bosom.

"Master, disciple, when I came I saw the Wu Family's Blood Food Shop already under construction; as for you……"

Lu Zhiyuan smiled and waved his hand, saying: "At this point I, as your teacher, already have arrangements made; it's no problem."

Go back, cultivate diligently; you need not worry about other matters.

He only thought of letting Fang Xu quickly raise his cultivation; Lu Zhiyuan didn't want to discuss these worldly matters further with him.

Fang Xu was also willing but unable; he didn't say much and immediately clasped his hands, preparing to leave.

"There's still one matter." Lu Zhiyuan suddenly said: "Go to the Blood Food Shop; there, my master has prepared some high-grade blood food; let Yunshan get some for you."

Fang Xu nodded.

Low-grade blood food isn't much use to me anymore; I should get some high-grade blood food to aid my cultivation.

Leaving the Hall of Far-reaching, he went straight to the nearby Blood Food Shop.

At the shop entrance, Wang Shi was enthusiastically receiving a young man; seeing Fang Xu, she smiled, nodded, and greeted: "Little Brother Fang."

Fang Xu smiled, nodded, and returned the greeting: "Is Elder Brother Li in?"

Wang Shi replied: "He's inside."

Fang Xu walked into the shop and saw Li Yunshan counting accounts; he immediately greeted him and relayed Lu Zhiyuan's instructions.

Li Yunshan looked at him, somewhat surprised: "Little Brother Fang, have you broken through to Martial Apprentice?"

This exclamation made Wang Shi, who was beside him attending to a customer, tremble involuntarily; her gaze couldn't help but wander over Fang Xu's strong body.

Seeking reads, seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendation tickets, continuing to add more chapters—thanks to everyone for the support!

(End of chapter)