The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 178 Losing One Game, Winning One Game

If it were just a martial arts contest, even if his opponents were Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong, Li Jingxiao would still be very confident in himself.

Last night, the Golden Bell Shield was upgraded to Mythical level again, so even if you get hit, the damage will definitely not be significant.

Not to mention, neither Hu Xian'er nor Liu Cuitong dared to really hurt him.

The two female demons perked up immediately upon hearing this.

Besides staying by Li Jingxiao's side and receiving monkey spirit wine every month, they also hoped to learn some Taoist magic and supernatural powers from him.

However, it was impossible for Li Jingxiao to teach them powerful Taoist techniques right away, let alone supernatural abilities.

However, as for martial arts, one or two skills could be passed on.

This morning, Li Jingxiao had just taught Sister You the basic moves of the White Python Whip Technique. His gaze fell upon Liu Cuitong, who also wielded a long whip.

Seeing this, Hu Xian'er couldn't help but pout in dissatisfaction.

He thought to himself that all men are the same; they really do like women who are brainless.

Liu Cuitong happily clasped her hands in greeting to Li Jingxiao, and the two went to the open space in the front yard.

Li Jingxiao took out a gold and silver silk-wrapped whip from his inventory, which surprised Liu Cuitong and Hu Xian'er.

The two female demons were truly surprised that Li Jingxiao would also be able to use a weapon like a soft whip.

As soon as the two exchanged blows, Liu Cuitong quickly realized that Li Jingxiao's whip technique was fierce, flexible, and unpredictable, unlike that of a beginner.

If Liu Cuitong hadn't been using a long whip for hundreds of years, she might have been caught off guard by Li Jingxiao.

Even so, the two fought back and forth, their whips clashing and cracking loudly, yet surprisingly they didn't get entangled.

The guards, including Lu Erfu and Zhao Junheng, were dazzled by what they saw, secretly thinking that their master was indeed a genius, learning everything quickly and mastering it in no time.

Otherwise, how could someone so young have learned and mastered so many martial arts and magical techniques?
After several dozen moves, Li Jingxiao became increasingly proficient in using the White Python Whip Technique.

But the long whip was Liu Cuitong's livelihood; if she had lost to Li Jingxiao so easily, she wouldn't be alive now.

After roughly understanding Li Jingxiao's whip technique, Liu Cuitong's attack immediately became three times more fierce.

Li Jingxiao immediately felt the pressure, but since it was a martial arts competition, he couldn't rely on skill and supernatural abilities to win.

Otherwise, the fight could easily escalate into a heated argument.

Moreover, Liu Cuitong has lived for at least so many years, so in terms of skill, she is probably no less capable than Li Jingxiao.

The real area where they fall short is that they don't have as many cultivation techniques, supernatural abilities, and magical treasures as Li Jingxiao.

Sword control, lightning bolt fist, and immobilization spell are all effective against demons, but they are not suitable for use against Liu Cuitong.

However, the longer they fought, the better Li Jingxiao mastered the White Python Whip Technique.

After another hundred or so moves, Li Jingxiao realized that although the White Python Whip Technique was powerful, in terms of pure whip technique, he was indeed no match for Liu Cuitong, who had studied it for hundreds of years.

Continuing to fight would not only waste time, but also greatly increase the probability of losing.

It's better to just admit defeat to avoid being whipped and losing even more face.

Moreover, the reason he took the initiative to bring up the martial arts competition with Liu Cuitong and Hu Xian'er was simply to gain more experience.

If every fight takes half an hour, then there's absolutely no point in having a competition.

It's too time-consuming; it's better to focus on cultivation.

Having forced Liu Cuitong back with a single move, Li Jingxiao put away his whip and said with a smile, "Fairy Liu's martial arts are extraordinary; this humble Taoist concedes defeat."

Liu Cuitong's face lit up with joy; this was the first time Li Jingxiao had ever called her 'Fairy Maiden'.

The change in address also shows that this guy has acknowledged his own strength.

Moreover, he has lost to Lee Kyung-hyo countless times in chess.

Winning a fight instantly dissipates most of the pent-up frustration and anger, leaving me feeling incredibly satisfied.

She said with a smile, "My lord, your whip technique is already very powerful. If I hadn't practiced for so long, I really wouldn't have been able to beat you."

Moreover, I know that you, sir, are skilled with a sword, and I have the advantage of the weapon.

Li Jingxiao smiled and waved his hand, saying that Liu Cuitong was skilled in using poison, and if he really went up against her, he would be the one with a headache.

Looking at Hu Xian'er, the fox spirit's eyes darted around, and she thought to herself that the master was indeed as the snake spirit had said.

In terms of swordsmanship, it is definitely much more powerful than a long whip.

If I were to fight him with a sword, I wouldn't gain any advantage.

So Hu Xian'er hesitated for a few seconds, then suddenly her face lit up and she said, "My lord, we are both skilled with longswords, and an accident is inevitable if we fight. Why don't we compare our agility?"

These words surprised Li Jingxiao. When he went to find Jin Yangjun, he had secretly competed with this fox spirit and Liu Cuitong in their agility while traveling.

Hu Xian'er continued with a smile, "My lord, why don't we use this courtyard as our arena? We can play a chase game, neither of us is allowed to leave the courtyard, and whoever catches the other wins?"

Li Jingxiao then realized that the fox spirit thought his lightness technique was good for traveling, so his agility and movement within a small area were definitely not as good as hers.

Smiling and nodding, "Then I'll give chase, and the fairy will escape?"

Hu Xian'er was more than happy to do so. She lit an incense stick and said, "Using this incense stick as the timer, if you lose, you must give me 10 jars of spirit wine."

Without much hesitation, Li Jingxiao nodded and said, "If the fairy loses, what will she give me in return?"

Hu Xian'er pursed her lips, thinking to herself how could she possibly lose?
But since we're making a bet, it has to be fair.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a small box from his sleeve, revealing a brown pill the size of a longan inside.

"This is a youth-preserving pill that my great-grandmother made herself. Although it cannot preserve one's appearance forever, it also cannot grant longevity."

However, it can also greatly slow down the aging process of the face.

If you, sir, offer this to your wives, twenty or thirty years from now, both wives should look as young as twenty.

Li Jingxiao readily agreed, and as for whether it was genuine or not, he put the pill in the game's pharmacy trading section.

If it can be sold, the game will automatically display how much it can be sold for, as well as the grade of the medicine and a brief description of its effects.

Although the description is simple, it's easy to tell whether it's true or false and whether it's toxic.

Li Jingxiao chuckled and said, "Then let's begin." He suddenly lunged forward, appearing before Hu Xian'er like a phantom in an instant, and struck her with a palm.

But since Hu Xian'er dared to test her skills, she must have had full confidence in her abilities.

Hu Xian'er suddenly lowered her body, performed a smooth roll, and giggled as she dodged Li Jingxiao's hand.

Li Jingxiao frowned slightly. Hu Xian'er's movements just now were very similar to the Snake Walking and Fox Flipping Technique from the Nine Yin Manual.

He immediately adopted the Lingbo Weibu footwork, turned around, and chased after her.

Hu Xian'er knew that she couldn't match Li Jingxiao's speed over a straight distance, so she limited the range to prevent Li Jingxiao from accelerating at full speed.

Then, by using their racial talent, they can move left and right and roll around, demonstrating their exceptional ability to dodge.

However, the light-body skills that Li Jingxiao learned were not limited to chasing stars and the moon.

He has practiced the Divine Speed ​​Technique, the Lingbo Steps, and the Spiral Nine Shadows, Horizontal Shift, and Snake-like Leap from the Nine Yin Manual.

However, since I learned to fly on a sword using the sword control technique, I haven't really practiced my lightness skill much.

However, Hu Xian'er relied solely on her ability to dodge within a small area. Li Jingxiao chased her several times, but Hu Xian'er easily evaded him each time, just as he was feeling smug.

Li Jingxiao suddenly shifted sideways in mid-air, then his body moved like a serpent, zigzagging, directly blocking Hu Xian'er's path after she had dodged. Hu Xian'er didn't even have time to dodge before she crashed into his arms.

Li Jingxiao smiled, put his arm around the vixen's slender waist, landed on the ground, released her, and took a few steps back.

He said with a smile, "Fairy Maiden, it seems I have won."

Hu Xian'er glared angrily at Liu Cuitong, whose serpentine movement technique was clearly taught to her by Liu Cuitong.

But Liu Cuitong herself was stunned, and hurriedly waved her hand at Hu Xian'er, "I didn't teach it, and the serpentine movements you just made clearly had many flaws."

If I were to teach you, my technique would be far superior to the movement you just demonstrated.

Hu Xian'er thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the same as what Liu Cuitong had said.

It's more accurate to say that it imitates the movement of a snake and creates a movement technique based on human habits than to describe it as a snake's movement.

Li Jingxiao immediately understood. Huang Shang was not a snake demon; he had simply observed the movements of snakes and raccoons and imitated them to evade his opponent's attacks.

Moreover, due to the structure of the human body, it is impossible for humans to completely imitate the movements of snakes and raccoons.

In the eyes of Liu Cuitong and Hu Xian'er, there were naturally flaws.

Li Jingxiao chuckled. Not only had he just gained 100 experience points, but he had also won a pill that his two wives would definitely love.

He held out his hand, smiling, and said, "Give it to me."

Hu Xian'er angrily handed the box to Li Jingxiao and said defiantly, "Let's have another competition. This time I'll catch up."

“No problem,” Li Jingxiao chuckled, thinking that one pill wouldn’t be enough for his two wives.

Before it even started, she retreated more than ten steps, making Hu Xian'er so angry that her teeth were grinding.

He leaped forward and gave chase, but Li Jingxiao smiled and easily dodged the attack with his Lingbo Weibu footwork.

Moreover, the Lingbo Weibu technique allows one to evade enemy attacks, moving unpredictably and seemingly in danger or safety.

It's hard to know when to go or stay; it's like going forward and then turning back.

They can also use their lightness skill to shift their internal energy from the outside in, automatically accumulating and increasing their internal energy.

To put it bluntly, this lightness skill is not only excellent at dodging.

As one's footsteps traverse the sixty-four hexagrams in a complete cycle, one's inner energy naturally completes a complete cycle as well.

There's no need to worry about depleting your internal energy; on the contrary, the further you go, the more internal energy you accumulate.

Despite her best efforts, Hu Xian'er could only discern that Li Jingxiao's footwork was related to the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching.

With only a few hundred or a few thousand combinations, it's impossible for a human to see through the flaws in this footwork in a short time.

In the eyes of Liu Cuitong and the guards, their master's footwork was divine, his body swift as a flying duck, and his movements were as elusive as a god.

He always managed to avoid Hu Xian'er's hand at the last moment.

Li Jingxiao also entered a state of cultivation as he walked, and the Longevity Technique within his body began to cultivate automatically.

Each time you complete one cycle of the sixty-four hexagrams, your proficiency in the Longevity Technique increases by 1 point.

After one incense stick's time, the Longevity and Immortality Technique had already reached the Grandmaster level (1940/4).

Hu Xian'er was panting heavily, but Li Jingxiao's face was rosy and he showed no signs of fatigue.

Once Hu Xian'er stopped in her anger and no one was chasing her anymore, Li Jingxiao also woke up from his active cultivation state.

I glanced at Lingbo Weibu - Mastery (1540/2000).

He stretched out his hand and said to Hu Xian'er with a smile, "Here, one for each of you ladies."

"But if you're still not satisfied, I have plenty of wives and concubines anyway, ten or eight wouldn't be too many."

Hu Xian'er was furious, but she didn't dare to really make trouble for Li Jingxiao.

He could only take a few deep breaths, take out another small box, and toss it to Li Jingxiao.

Li Jingxiao put the box away in his inventory and then directed his game character into the pharmacy in the level 40 map.

I put the two pills in the trade window, and sure enough, the description of the pills appeared.

The Youth-Preserving Pill greatly slows down the aging process, but if you don't take a second pill after 10 years, your appearance will age to your true age in a short period of time.

It is worth 2 game coins.

Seeing that the medicine was fine, Li Jingxiao's smile became even brighter.

As for needing to take a second pill after ten years, or even one pill every ten years, it was no big deal to Li Jingxiao.

Not to mention getting more from Hu Xian'er, a few years later, I might be able to get even better anti-aging pills from the game.

Moreover, in Li Jingxiao's view, a woman's most beautiful age is actually around twenty-five or twenty-six.

Qin Keqing and Jia Yuanchun, who were sixteen or seventeen years old, looked beautiful and youthful, but lacked a touch of mature charm.

But even if someone in their fifties or sixties wants to look young, the appearance and style of a teenage girl are a bit excessive.

Seeing that Hu Xian'er was so angry that her hair stood on end, Li Jingxiao casually took out two jars of Monkey Spirit Wine.

He tossed one to her and the other to Liu Cuitong, saying, "Alright, from now on you'll play chess and practice martial arts with me, and you'll get a jar of spirit wine every day."

If you beat me, I'll give you an extra jar.

Hu Xian'er took the wine jar, snorted, but her tone was clearly no longer angry.

He popped the cork, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go. Then he chuckled contentedly and sat cross-legged on the ground to refine his spiritual energy.

Liu Cuitong didn't stand on ceremony. She opened the wine jar, took a sip, and the wine inside turned into a stream that went directly into her mouth.

Li Jingxiao also took out his purple-gold gourd, gulped down several mouthfuls of wine, and entered the Zhenwu Hall.

He sat cross-legged in front of the statue of the True Martial Lord, meditating and practicing the sword control technique.

He had only been cultivating for less than half an hour when his ears suddenly twitched.

Not long after, footsteps could be heard outside Zhenwu Temple.

Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong, who had already finished refining the spirit wine, appeared outside the main hall to report, "My lord, Eunuch Xia from the palace has arrived."

Li Jingxiao nodded, finished his practice, and stood up. He didn't seem to mind that Hu Xian'er and the other person directly referred to Xia Shouzhong as a eunuch.

Some things don't need to be said; wait until the two girls see how polite and close you are to Xia Shouzhong.

One can easily understand that one's employer and this old eunuch must have an excellent relationship.

Naturally, they would be more polite to Xia Shouzhong.

The title was no longer "Eunuch Xia," but "Grandpa Xia."

Xia Shouzhong had long known from the Imperial Guards that these two women, around thirty years old, were not only guards hired by Li Jingxiao, but also two powerful demons who had lived for hundreds of years.

The emperor worried about this for many days, but in the end, the retired emperor said, "Since we can't kill him, we can't kill him anyway."

Rather than driving him away, it's better to openly stay by Li Jingxiao's side.

After thinking about it, the emperor reluctantly accepted.

And if we really drive them away, who knows if they'll transform into someone else's appearance and swagger into the city.

(End of this chapter)