Headless Immortal

Chapter 104 Skill Approaching Art

Late at night.

Only Lu Xun remained in the room.

The lamps were not lit, and it was pitch black.

Lu Xun stood in the stillness, stretching out his arms and assuming the stance of the Ape Fist. He released his power and achieved the cold and crisp essence. His silver-gray hair moved along his muscles. With a whoosh, his fist exploded with power, producing a thunderous sound. His feet moved in a circular motion. When he exerted his power, his internal organs resounded with the roars of tigers and leopards.

not enough.

Lu Xun leaped out of the window and stepped into the courtyard.

The moon is high in the sky.

Demons stood tall.

Lu Xun frowned deeply as he carefully examined his arms under the moonlight. His Ape-Style Fist was no longer as powerful as the magical Monkey Fist, probably because the Monkey Fist had been refined to a high level. He wanted to combine the two, but it always felt awkward, and many movements couldn't be integrated into a unified martial art.

"The Ape Style Fist and Monkey Style Fist are clearly complementary, and could form a new martial art, so why can't I master them together?"

'Could it be that I lack experience?'

Lu Xun was quite disappointed. He hadn't practiced martial arts for long enough. He relied on the powerful physical talent of the Five Tong Mountain Lord, his solid foundation, and the Ape Fist style that suited him. His rapid progress was just the realization of his accumulated skills, and there was really nothing to praise about it.

For some reason, even though he knew the Ape Form Fist, his power was not directly reflected in his 'skull'.

All five spells are possessed by the Lord of Wutong Mountain.

It's probably because I haven't practiced enough; I haven't even scratched the surface.

Lu Xun thought so.

Therefore, he had to change his strategy, focusing on the advanced Monkey Fist style and supplementing it with Ape-like movements.

The stronger martial art should be used to complement the weaker one, rather than forcing the strength to match the weakness.

Although he was not weak, he was at a disadvantage in strength compared to the Living Buddha of Taoyuan, whose fists were over nine feet long and resembled eight-petaled copper hammers. It was best not to confront him head-on.

His boxing style emphasizes movement and maneuvering, while his magic allows for more expansive and powerful attacks. Both of his core magic techniques have reached a level of 'divine mastery'.

He leaped upwards, landing steadily on the railing. With his arms outstretched, he climbed to the roof of the post station. Mist enveloped his body as Wutong Lu Xun ran freely on the eaves. In no time, he arrived at the eastern outskirts of the city, where the river shimmered under the starlight and moonlight.

Playing in the water.

Lu Xun awakened a water dragon. Compared to the water python that had entered the hall, the water dragon, which was superb, had more charm. Especially after receiving the water vein supernatural power and the blessing of the five elements of water, Lu Xun felt that his control over 'water' was completely as good as his own arm. He could make the river water into whatever shape he wanted.

Big means strong.

The water dragon is indeed powerful, but it consumes a lot of magical energy and requires mental control. Being too large a target makes it easy to be struck by the Living Buddha's golden light.

It should be as small as possible, like a bullet.

suck.

The water vapor was inhaled by Lu Xun and stored in his lungs.

Collapse of mountains.

With unparalleled power to crush mountains, he compressed water vapor into a white light water arrow, which shot out with a whoosh and pierced through a tree that an ordinary person could barely hug with a bang.

Looking at the gratifying results, Lu Xun shook his head. The power was still insufficient to penetrate the Living Buddha's tortoise shell magic. The power of the 'water arrow' must be increased.

Firearms utilize gunpowder explosions, so Lu Xun planned to use the power of a mountain collapse to explode a pressurized water arrow.

If you use too little force, the gun will explode. If you treat yourself like a gun and it explodes, that would be a real problem.

Collapse of mountains.

The water arrow was launched with a roar, severing the red maple tree in one strike.

The water arrows were indeed more powerful, but before Lu Xun could rejoice, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. To injure the enemy a thousand, you also lose eight hundred of your own. The power to shatter mountains would indeed damage the internal organs, and this was even with him holding back his magic power.

I reckon a few more hits and his chest will explode. If he were to unleash the full power of his mountain-crushing attack, he'd probably be knocked down with a single blow.

If it can't be blown up, how can its power be increased?
If gunpowder flow is not feasible, then we must simulate a high-pressure water gun.

Build a 'pump' and use the water pump to release water jets.

Lu Xun is now very grateful that he opened a small shop. Although it can only barely make ends meet and he still has to save some money, at least he has time to study the things he likes. If he had been doing manual labor all the time, his body and mind would have become numb and he would have lost the ability to think.

Later, he came into contact with extraordinary powers and by chance obtained a Poletta firearm.

This makes him more interested in machinery; otherwise, it would be impossible to use magic to replicate firearms and water pumps now.

Then it can't be like a toad pressing in the lungs, which would damage the five internal organs. It has to be like a mountain collapsing in the mouth to form a water pump and compress the water jet to the extreme.

Collapse of mountains.

goo.

Wu Tong Lu Xun's cheeks swelled up like a toad's, and his neck bulged out as well, making him look like a large, fluffy doll.

Playing in the water.

A stream of water was sucked into Lu Xun's mouth.

Compress it further until there are no gaps left in the water rocket.

As the Mountain-Crushing Magic was activated, excess energy escaped through Lu Xun's nostrils, forming a light mist.

Bang.

A beam of azure light burst forth.

On the riverbank, a red maple tree as thick as a person suddenly shattered, exploding in mid-air before falling to the ground. It crashed several meters away before slowly coming to a stop, plowing away all the soil and rocks to form a bare mark on the ground.

Lu Xun took a deep breath and quickly went forward to check. The tree trunk was completely broken, not cut off, but charred black as if it had been burned.

Lu Xun ran his fingers over the charred remains, feeling the intense heat within, and exclaimed, "What amazing magic!"

Water jet.

A cold light gathered in his hand.

bass.

The tree stump snapped in two.

Lu Xun sat cross-legged and cast the spell "Ape Dance". The moonlight was bright, and spiritual energy gathered into a thin mist that was hazy in the light. Many pairs of eyes lit up in the bushes, and fish and shrimp swimming in the river poked their heads out and opened their mouths to breathe.

There was no wind, but you could hear the rustling of leaves coming from the ends of the tree branches.

A few moments.

Lu Xun stood up after finishing his ape dance, all the frustration in his chest gone.

Thanks to the abundant spiritual energy of the strange world, much of his wasted magical power was restored.

Lu Xun discovered that the Ape Dance could not only restore magical power but also heal injuries, proving to be a profound method for regulating breathing and cultivating qi.

Using four ounces of bone money to enhance the Monkey Dance character is not a bad deal.

After practicing two rounds of monkey fist and one round of ape-style fist, Lu Xun, having gathered his strength, enjoyed the evening breeze before the battle.

...Early morning.

Cheng Yan knocked on the door.

“Uncle, my grandfather said that you shouldn’t walk in cat form right now, so he had someone make a cloak and mask for you.” Cheng Yan put down the black cloak, which was covered with floral patterns on the back and finished with gold thread stitching. The fine stitches showed great care. The mask looked like a Nuo mask used at temple fairs, with a hint of divinity amidst its ferocity, which was perfect for concealing the monster’s face.

"Have a heart."

Lu Xun was dressed in a dark blue skirt armor, and then put on a cloak and a mask, looking mysterious and full of martial arts spirit, so no one would suspect that he was a monster.

Cheng Yan said, "My grandfather asked if we should make a weapon for my uncle."

"weapon……"

Lu Xun murmured something and shook his head in refusal.

He doesn't use weapons, unless they are particularly sturdy and practical; otherwise, his hidden water knife is better.

Just then, the swordsman Zeng Tie arrived. Hearing Cheng Yan mention weapons, he glanced at the long sword hanging at Cheng Yan's waist and asked, "You use a sword too?"

Cheng Yan was stunned for a moment, and he first looked at his third uncle.

The swordsman was a staunch supporter of his third uncle; at least on the matter of killing the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring, they were natural allies. Therefore, he also extended a portion of his respect for his third uncle to the swordsman. The swordsman was usually very quiet, so Cheng Yan was somewhat surprised by his question before answering, "Yes."

"How is your swordsmanship?"

Cheng Yan didn't understand what "swordsman" meant, so he simply took off the sword from his waist, picked it up and said, "I started practicing martial arts at the age of five, learned swordsmanship at the age of seven, practiced swordsmanship for ten years, broke through the three barriers of martial arts and achieved true qi, observed the murderous aura of great demons and comprehended the sword intent, so I can say that I have achieved minor success."

The swordsman's eyes were flat, devoid of any emotion. He was not surprised at all by Cheng Yan's self-satisfied talent, and simply said, "What do you mean by 'small achievement'?"

"Xiao Cheng takes the head."

The swordsman shook his head and said, "Wrong. Xiao Cheng used too much force."

"Draw your sword!"

Cheng Yan drew his longsword with a clang.

The swordsman casually picked up a chopstick and said, "Go all out."

Cheng Yan had no doubts. He stepped forward and drew his sword, aiming straight for the swordsman's throat. This was his understanding: his footwork combined with his swordsmanship could decapitate him. At such close range, he was confident that even if the swordsman could block the sword, he would be in a very sorry state. He released his true energy again and slashed his sword horizontally to expand the range.

Unexpectedly, Zeng Tie's chopsticks, like a small snake coiled around his side, struck one section of the longsword with a clang, breaking the chopsticks in the process. However, Cheng Yan's steps became disordered, and he staggered a few steps before regaining his balance. He looked at his trembling wrist in surprise, and then looked at the swordsman.

Zeng Tie had half a chopstick left in his hand. He placed the chopstick on the table and said, "Weapons are extensions of the hands and feet, but people and weapons are not one. Therefore, strength will be depleted and intermittent when used, and will not be continuous. As long as you can find out where the opponent's strength is blocked or not smooth, you can decide the outcome with one sword."

"This is, using force."

Lu Xun, standing to the side, was amazed; these were valuable experiences, the insights of a swordsman.

The swordsman continued, "What you're using isn't a sword, it's a weapon."

Cheng Yan was perfectly aware that his ten years of sword practice had only laid the foundation, and he had not yet achieved any significant progress. He immediately bowed deeply and said, "Please, senior, teach me your swordsmanship."

The swordsman, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, fell silent.

Should we send it?

The swordsman remained silent.

Cheng Yan did not get up. He bowed deeply, but did not kneel on the ground to beg. A man's knees are worth gold. If he were to inherit the mantle, he should perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows as a disciple. Kneeling now would not only be humiliating to himself, but it would also be putting the swordsman on the spot and demanding an explanation from the other party. He was unwilling to do that.

The swordsman said, “When I was young, I passed by the Yuyang River and saw an old man fishing alone in the cold river snow. Fearing he would freeze, I offered him some wine to warm him up. Seeing my sincerity, he asked if I practiced swordsmanship. I said yes. He then asked what I would use swordsmanship for. I thought it was just casual conversation and didn't want to say much, but then I thought that this place was far from Jiujiang, and the anger in my chest rose to my throat, and I blurted out: Kill!”

The old man stared at me, his expression a mixture of a smile and sorrow, then burst into laughter: "I have a murderous sword technique I can teach you. This skill has been lost to the world for a long time. Once you obtain it, be careful not to pass it on to others!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yan was greatly disappointed. It seemed that he had no chance to learn swordsmanship. However, he was not discouraged. He stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, and said, "It was this lad who was being too presumptuous and tried to spy on your swordsmanship, senior."

The swordsman praised, "You are not impetuous or arrogant, very good. Few young people are as calm and composed as you."

Cheng Yan bowed again before standing up. He hadn't achieved this overnight; without Uncle Cat's guidance and help, he wouldn't have been able to cultivate such a state of mind.

He was very grateful to Uncle Cat. Instead of lecturing him like an elder, Uncle Cat silently observed him and allowed him to understand things for himself. He couldn't explain the feeling, but he felt very lucky.

The swordsman sighed, "If I go, I fear my life will be in danger. I cannot bear to see this skill die out. Very well, I have a solution. With the help of this piece of sheepskin, your swordsmanship will definitely reach a minor level of mastery."

As he spoke, the swordsman took out a dark sheepskin from his pocket and spread it out for Lu Xun to see.

Lu Xun was taken aback and didn't take the sheepskin. The swordsman passed it to Cheng Yan, asking why he should show it to him first.
"uncle."

Cheng Yan called out softly, and Lu Xun took the sheepskin, preparing to hand it to him.

How could Cheng Yan not see that the swordsman really didn't want to pass on the sword technique, but why did he pass it on to him? It was only because of Uncle Cat's face that he wanted to show the sword technique to Uncle Cat first, and he was just an afterthought.

The swordsman sang: "The true essence of swordsmanship is not easily passed down; its profound mystery lies in its straightforward application. If one merely uses slashing techniques like a knife, one will laugh at the old swordsman of Yuyang."

"This is the ultimate method of using thorns."

Lu Xun cupped his hands and said, "Thank you."

The swordsman looked at the red-faced ape and said, "I should be thanking you."

If it weren't for Lu Xun, he truly didn't know what would have happened to him at the banquet. He still had a great grudge to avenge and couldn't die. Let alone the sword technique, what did it matter if Lu Xun took his life? Why should he even offer a word of thanks?

"These two days you should ponder this carefully. Two days later, I will assassinate the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring. How much you can understand depends entirely on yourself."

Cheng Yan held the sheepskin sword manual, knelt respectfully on the ground, and kowtowed three times.

The swordsman accepted it calmly.

……

noon.

Cheng Yan went to the market and bought the tools and materials for making rubbings. He made rubbings of the parchment, kept the rubbings for himself, and gave the parchment to Lu Xun.

Lu Xun was in the room and immediately refused, saying, "Give me the rubbing."

Dusk.

Master Chen Jing knocked on the door.

Lu Xun opened the door to welcome the other person in.

The seated Daoist Chen Jing carried a pot of something unknown, but a faint smell of blood could be detected. He placed the bamboo tube on the table and looked at Lu Xun, saying, "Fellow Daoist, your white hair and golden eyes indicate that you are of the metal element. You ride the mist and are accompanied by water, which means you are cultivating the water element internally. The balance of metal and water is the key to your stable cultivation."

"This tube contains crow's blood that I have prepared, combined with the secret method of my Lushan Sect. After taking it, one's spiritual practice will greatly increase within three incense sticks' time."

"It can only increase your chances of winning by half a percent."

Lu Xun cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Daoist Master."

He asked doubtfully, "Since crow blood is acceptable, what about black dog blood?"

Chen Jing looked at him like he was illiterate and explained, “Black dogs are yang animals, corresponding to the eleventh of the twelve earthly branches, ‘Xu’. They belong to the earth element, which controls water and generates metal, and will disrupt your cultivation. You don’t have the ability of the Living Buddha of Peach Blossom Spring to balance water and fire. Drinking black dog blood and rooster blood is no different from taking poison. At best, your cultivation will dissipate; at worst, you will revert to your original form.”

He now deeply doubts whether the White Deer Cave Academy teaches the Five Elements theory, or whether the white-haired ape demon simply didn't understand it.

Can this guy really defeat the Living Buddha of Taoyuan?
It seems there's no other way but to believe him.

After seeing Master Chen off, Lu Xun picked up the tube. It was sealed tightly and seemed unlikely to spoil. He then hung the tube on the buckle of his armor at his waist.

(End of this chapter)