Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Since Su Yan obtained the Chongyang Inscription, four years have passed since spring turned to autumn. Four years is neither long nor short. For those of them who are hiding in the Taoist temple deep in the mountains, it is just a blink of an eye. But for those people in the midst of war, it is like a year in a day.

The changes in Su Yan over these four years are evident to everyone in the Quanzhen Sect.

During his first year back in the sect, he was a complete "martial arts fanatic." Every day before dawn, he would take his sword and head out, from the residences of the menial disciples to the training grounds of the third-generation core disciples, and even outside the residences of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, greeting everyone he met with a cupped-fist salute: "Senior brother/uncle, may I spar with you and receive some guidance on my swordsmanship?"

At first, the disciples not only did not resist, but were happy to accept the challenge.

Firstly, Su Yan is calm and composed, never resorting to ruthless moves during sparring, always stopping short of defeat; secondly, he has a keen eye, always able to accurately point out the flaws in his opponent's sword techniques after each exchange.

"When the three swords of the 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon' move are connected, the breath becomes stagnant, and one needs to use breathing techniques to stabilize the momentum."

"The 'White Rainbow Piercing the Sun' is too forceful and lacks flexibility, making it easy for its power to be neutralized."

Every sentence hits the nail on the head, even more straightforward and effective than the master's teachings.

The handymen disciples could master the basic sword moves after sparring with him only a few times; the fourth-generation disciples could often break through the bottlenecks that had been stuck for a long time after his guidance; even the third-generation disciples, such as Zhao Zhijing and Yin Zhiping, could gain insights after sparring with him and their swordsmanship became more and more refined.

During that period, the training grounds were packed with people every day. The disciples all hoped to be "called out" by Su Yan. Even if they lost, they could still make real progress. For a time, being "challenged by Su Yan" became a "lucky thing" within the sect.

But before long, this enthusiasm gradually cooled down.

Su Yan's progress was truly astonishing. He combined the fierceness of the Su family swordsmanship, the unpredictability of the Nine Yin Manual, and the sharpness of military battles. With the support of the internal energy of the Quanzhen Inner Strength Method, his sword moves were constantly evolving. His moves were smooth yet sharp, and his attacks were precise and ruthless. Moreover, he could always quickly optimize his techniques in actual combat.

The disciples clearly learned a lot of skills from him, but the gap between them and him not only did not narrow, but widened.

Last month he could hold out for twenty moves, but this month he couldn't even last ten. Despite his rapid progress, he was still easily suppressed by Su Yan. This visible gap and sense of powerlessness were more disheartening than a simple defeat.

"Sigh, another loss. Senior Brother Su's swordplay has changed again!"

"I clearly corrected my weaknesses as he instructed, so why can't I even last five moves?"

"The gap is too big; I'm losing confidence while practicing."

Gradually, fewer and fewer disciples were willing to accept the challenge. The once bustling martial arts arena would instantly quiet down whenever Su Yan appeared. The disciples would either find excuses to avoid him or grit their teeth and go on stage. After losing, they would be dejected, and even their enthusiasm for training would weaken.

Even Qiu Chuji himself came and, after exchanging more than a hundred blows with him, couldn't help but praise him, saying, "The student has surpassed the teacher," before his face showed worry.

If this continues, the disciples within the sect may be so discouraged that they lose their confidence in cultivation.

Finally, Qiu Chuji found Su Yan and advised him with a smile.

"Your comprehension and perseverance are both excellent, but you are too obsessed with sparring. Your disciples have lost their motivation because of your competition, which is actually detrimental to their cultivation. You should calm down and hone your own skills, and also give others room to grow."

Upon hearing this, Su Yan immediately understood. His original intention was to hone his swordsmanship through sparring and help his fellow disciples improve, but he did not expect it to dampen everyone's confidence.

So he nodded, stopped challenging others to battles, and returned to the library.

This contraction lasted for three years.

Su Yan of today has long lost the sharp edge he once had when he sought out people to hone his skills.

Every morning, he would instruct Su Ye in sword practice, and then he would move a reclining chair to the window of the library, holding a yellowed book in his hand, and slowly read until sunset.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, falling on him and making his features appear even more gentle and serene. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, giving the impression of a carefree, hermit-like Taoist. Yet, anyone who approached him could feel an invisible pressure.

That was the refined aura of a top martial artist, seemingly restrained, yet commanding respect without the slightest disrespect.

His interface has been updated, and four years of intensive training have allowed him to reach the pinnacle of all his skills. He has even achieved considerable proficiency in the unexpected fields of medicine, divination, and fortune-telling.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 20

Internal strength:

Rank A - Hunyuan Gong (Mastery, 152/1200) [Efficiency +20%, Condensation +15%, Hunyuan +10%]

Martial arts:

Rank C - Quanzhen Swordplay (Perfect, 1200/1200) [Consumer Cost -30%, Perfection +40%, Seamlessness +35%]

Rank A - One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Sword Technique (Mastery, 520/1500) [Consumer Cost -25%, Differentiation +30%, Illusion +30%]

Rank A - Seven Star Sword Technique (Mastery, 530/1500) [Consumable -25%, Lock-on +35%, Pursuit +30%]

Rank B - Mutual Destruction Sword Technique (Mastery, 310/800) [Consumer Cost -25%]

Rank B - Three Flowers Gathering at the Top Palm Technique (Mastery, 210/1200) [Consumer Cost -25%, Palm Strength +30%, Aftereffects +30%]

Rank B - Frost-Treading Ice-Breaking Fist Technique (Mastery, 220/1200) [Consumer Cost -25%, Cold Force +30%, Meridian Invasion +30%]

Rank B - Golden Goose Skill (Perfect, 256/1500) [Consumption -30%, Leap +40%, Agility +35%]

Rank A - Heart-Shattering Palm (Mastery, 940/1500) [Consumable -25%, Penetration +35%, Shock Damage +30%]

Rank A - Great Demon-Subduing Fist (Mastery, 950/1500) [Consumable -25%, Evil-Dispelling +35%, Fierceness +30%]

Grade A - White Python Whip Technique (Mastery, 20/1000) [Flexibility +20%]

Rank A - Crushing Claw (Perfect, 10/2000) [Consumable -30%, Armor Penetration +35%, Tear +40%]

Rank A - Soul Transfer Technique (Mastery, 260/1500) [Consumer Cost -25%, Interference +30%, Confusion +30%]

Rank A - Serpentine Leap (Perfect, 2000/2000) [Consumable -30%, Evasion +40%, Stealth +35%]

Support:

Grade A - Yi Jin Duan Gu Chapter (Mastery, 930/1200) [Root Bone Tempering +25%]

Rank A - Healing Badge (Mastery, 940/1000) [Self-Healing Speed ​​+20%]

Grade B - Acupoint Unlocking Secrets (Mastery, 720/800) [Accurate Acupoint Unlocking +20%]

Grade B - Tendon-Stretching and Bone-Contraction Technique (Mastery, 730/800) [Body Shape Fine-tuning +25%]

Grade B - Flying Floss Force (Mastery, 740/800) [Relief +20%]

The Five Arts:

No grade - Mountain Arts (Mastery, 200/1500)

No Rank - Medical Skill (Proficient, 10/1500)

No Rank - Fate Technique (Proficient, 105/1500)

No Rank - Physiognomy (Proficient, 110/1500)

No Rank - Divination (Proficient, 115/1500)

Realm: Top-tier martial artist (28%)

This panel is quite luxurious. As for the skills of these "Five Arts", they were all automatically collected by the panel when he went through the miscellaneous notes in the library.

At first, he just found it interesting, but later it actually came in handy. When disciples were injured during training, he could relieve their pain with a few acupuncture needles; if someone got lost in the back mountain, he could point them in the right direction with a few calculations; even when Chongyang Palace was renovating its halls, the steward would come to him for advice on the feng shui layout. Su Yan himself also found it amazing; the panel's incredible capabilities were not limited to martial arts.

In the courtyard of the library, a figure in sky blue was practicing swordsmanship; it was Su Ye.

Four years have passed, and she is no longer that timid little girl; she has blossomed into a graceful young woman.

She wore an elegant sky-blue Taoist robe, her long hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing a smooth forehead and a refined jawline. Her skin was as white as snow, yet her eyes held a coldness that kept people at a distance, her narrow phoenix eyes sharp as swords, and a faint killing intent emanated from her.

That was the foundation for his skills honed by the chaos of war and the culmination of rigorous sword practice; it was a sharpness unmatched by his peers.

Her swordplay inherited Su Yan's pragmatism and ruthlessness, while also possessing the agility and speed of a woman. Every strike was aimed directly at vital points, and the whistling wind of her sword exuded a chilling killing intent, making her even more formidable than Su Yan.

Over the course of four years, she diligently practiced, and Su Yan successively taught her many martial arts, including Quanzhen Swordplay, Golden Goose Skill, One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Swordplay, Heart-Shattering Palm, Destructive Divine Claw, Soul-Shifting Technique, Tendon-Changing and Bone-Forging Chapter, Healing Chapter, Acupoint-Unlocking Secrets, Flying Willow Force, Snake Walking and Fox Turning.

She had mastered them all to perfection, and her progress was so rapid that even Su Yan was secretly amazed. Judging from her progress, she was at least at the proficiency level, and her Quanzhen Swordplay, Heart-Shattering Palm, and Snake-Walking Fox-Turning Technique were already at the minor mastery level, almost at the major mastery level.