Chapter 799

"Uncle Liu, it's me…"

It was Wu Yuanying's first time seeing a fist technique that didn't look all that impressive, yet when truly faced with it, it was terrifying.

At this moment, beneath the fist's wind, she felt as if a fierce tiger were pouncing on her.

Whether in momentum or in might, it was utterly awe-inspiring.

Could this fist technique actually seize a person's mind and spirit?

"Yuanying?"

Only when Liu Jingyi drew near did he make out Wu Yuanying's face, as well as Fu Qingzhu beside her.

Though he did not know who Fu Qingzhu was, Liu Jingyi nonetheless trusted Wu Yuanying considerably.

He merely withdrew his fist stance and stood not far from Wu Yuanying and the other,

"And this gentleman is?"

"Manor Lord, this is the Central Plains' great hero, Wuji Sword Fu Qingzhu."

With Liu Jingyi's fist-momentum suppression gone, Wu Yuanying finally recovered and hurriedly began making introductions between the two,

"Hero Fu, this is the lord of our Wu Manor, Master Liu."

"So it is Wuji Sword Fu Qingzhu, Hero Fu! Your renowned name has long been admired!

I have long heard that the Wuji Sect's sword art dominates the seven central-southern provinces.

Hero Fu has further, on this foundation, blended in the essence of the Confucian and Medical schools.

When it comes to sword arts, Wuji Sword can truly be called unrivaled beneath the heavens."

Hearing this, Liu Jingyi realized the man before him was none other than the famed Fu Qingzhu of the Great Qing Wu Lin, and immediately cupped his fists in salute.

In his words, he was extremely deferential toward Fu Qingzhu.

Only now did Fu Qingzhu recover from the shock of Liu Jingyi's fist technique, and he too cupped his fists in return,

"The two words 'great hero' — I dare not accept them! What's more, before Manor Lord Liu, my meager cultivation is probably not worth a laugh."

At any other time, with any other person, Fu Qingzhu would have been quite proud of such praise for his Wuji Sword.

After all, to be able to discard the old and bring forth the new was exceedingly rare in the jianghu.

Let alone blending in other schools as well.

But having seen Liu Jingyi's fist technique, Fu Qingzhu instead felt that his own Wuji Sword, compared with Liu Jingyi's, was truly somewhat inferior.

That fist technique was truly the supreme divine Wu Gong Fu Qingzhu had ever seen in his life!.

603 As expected, the Qinglong Society is the Qinglong Society!

"Hero Fu is too modest!"

Liu Jingyi was first stunned, then immediately reacted, delight rising to his brows.

When he first practiced this Seven Star Subduing Tiger Fist, he had not actually sensed the profundity of this fist technique.

He only knew that with the Qinglong Society's great name, the art bestowed by their altar lord surely could not be poor.

These past days, he had been training bitterly.

Because the location was in the northwest, with very few disputes, he had never once employed this fist technique.

So he had also never known how this fist technique actually performed.

Only now, hearing the praise of a top sword-art master renowned across the land like Fu Qingzhu, did he finally understand.

As expected, the Qinglong Society is the Qinglong Society!

Even a fist technique casually bestowed was not to be taken lightly.

Quite pleased at heart, he then suddenly thought of the Qinglong Society's abrupt disappearance, not knowing where they had gone.

Now that the world was overturned, how was he himself to take his stand?

In that brief instant, these many thoughts turned over in his mind, yet his mouth said to Fu Qingzhu,

"Hero Fu is truly too courteous! And has also misunderstood!

Your Wu Gong was something you created yourself, based on what predecessors left behind, then blended with other schools.

On this point alone, let alone this land beyond the pale, even casting your eyes across the Nine Provinces, there are probably not many who could match you!"

This was not pure flattery, but fact!

In the Nine Provinces' Wu Lin, once one obtained a Wu Gong, through diligent study and hard training, if one's talent was not especially poor,

one could always step into the Grandmaster realm, even the Great Grandmaster level!

But the Absolute realm above Great Grandmaster, and the Earthly Immortal Realm and so on, could not be reached by mere diligent study and hard training.

Because once one reached the Absolute realm, one must walk out a martial Dao of one's own.

But merely following convention without striving for flexibility and change — one absolutely could not reach the Absolute realm!

In other words, without this fist technique, Liu Jingyi, no matter how hard he trained his whole life, could not reach the Absolute realm.

But Fu Qingzhu, so long as his cultivation deepened, judging by his comprehension and his experiences, the Absolute realm was assured, and the Earthly Immortal Realm was also worth striving for!

After praising Fu Qingzhu for a while, Liu Jingyi once again raised his pair of fists and said,

"As for my fist technique, heh! I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me.

This was not something I created myself, but a gift from a master; otherwise, with my aptitude, how could I possibly possess such a fist technique?

A master?

Recalling the rumors, the Qinglong Society's entry into the land beyond the pale first made contact with the Heaven and Earth Society's Northwest Branch.

And Liu Jingyi was precisely the helmsman of the Heaven and Earth Society's Northwest Branch.

A sudden inspiration struck Fu Qingzhu; he vaguely guessed and, pointing toward the west, asked,

"Was it them?"

"Mm?"

Liu Jingyi was stunned at first, then immediately came to his senses. Without avoiding the question, he nodded.

"Exactly! What a pity! My talent is dull and clumsy. Even though this fist technique has been mine for so long, I still haven't broken through to Grandmaster."

Indeed, if this fist technique had been given to Fu Qingzhu, let alone breaking through to the Peerless level—

—after this long, Fu Qingzhu would probably already be touching the threshold of the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Fu Qingzhu merely smiled and shook his head.

"The good fortune of Manor Lord Liu is something ordinary people could never imagine."

Saying this, Fu Qingzhu was genuinely a little envious.

Just from making contact with the Qinglong Society, Liu Jingyi had obtained a fist technique enough to drive the entire Great Qing Wu Lin mad.

This Qinglong Society truly lives up to its name as the greatest power in the Nine Provinces.

If only the Qinglong Society had noticed the anomaly in Great Qing and come to deal with it sooner—how wonderful that would have been.

After exchanging more pleasantries, Liu Jingyi led Fu Qingzhu and Wu Yuanying to a stone table and stone chairs.

He fetched a water kettle and bowls, and poured them each a bowl of water.

"This is a remote mountain wilderness, there's nothing proper to entertain Hero Fu with. I can only offer you the clear springs of these mountains."

Fu Qingzhu also knew that this Manor Wu, nominally the site of the Northwest Branch of the Heaven and Earth Society, was in fact just a farmstead.

Though Liu Jingyi was called the helmsman, in reality he was far poorer than the leaders of many sects.

After all, the great cause of resisting the Qing was a matter that cost one one's head—not the sort of thing one could enjoy.

A bowl of spring water was truly the best hospitality Liu Jingyi could offer.

"Ha! Being able to drink the clear springs of Manor Wu is something I, Fu, have long dreamed of."

Fu Qingzhu laughed heartily, lifted the water bowl, and drained it in one gulp.

"By the way, Hero Fu, you and Yuanying visiting late at night—what important matter brings you here?"

Liu Jingyi waited for him to finish his bowl of spring water before cutting to the main point.

"As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined!"

Fu Qingzhu sighed and pointed at Liu Jingyi's fist.

"Manor Lord Liu, you've gained this supreme divine skill because of it, but you've also invited disaster because of it!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Liu Jingyi's expression changed.

Actually, over these past days, scattered bits of news had been coming in from within the Pass from time to time.

They said the Qing court had been restored, issued an edict banning martial arts, and was slaughtering martial artists everywhere.

In the past ten-odd days, Liu Jingyi had actually lost contact with the Heaven and Earth Society on the other side of the Pass.