Martial Arts Crossover: Zhao Min, your sidekick is really something else.

4

The others present inquired about Su Mengzhen's background, and upon hearing "The First Blade of Red Sleeves," they were all intrigued.

They understood everything about his name.

Their gazes shifted to Bai Xiaosheng, their eyes carrying a different meaning.

"No wonder."

Xiao Yaoqing chuckled lightly, letting the all-knowing scholar off the hook, "It's normal that you don't know about Master Su, who lives a secluded life."

These words sound like they're offering a way out, but anyone could hear the disdain in them.

Bai Xiaosheng's face turned ashen.

Xiao Yaoqing didn't stop, "You didn't know about the last one, so it was barely acceptable."

The next one is hard to say.

"Bai Xiaosheng, have you ever heard of the name 'Peacock Feather'?"

"I...I..."

Bai Xiaosheng was completely stunned.

Peacock Manor was hidden away in the mountains a hundred years ago, and almost no one outside knew about Peacock Feather.

Where did Xiao Yaoqing hear this from?

What shocked Bai Xiaosheng even more was what followed—Xiao Yaoqing even knew the name of the young master of Peacock Manor.

"Qiu Fengwu, the young master of Peacock Manor, is now making his mark in the martial arts world."

Xiao Yaoqing looked at Bai Xiaosheng, his words like a knife stabbing into his heart, "Tell me, where would the Peacock Feather rank?"

Bai Xiaosheng opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

The way he looked at Xiao Yaoqing was as if he had seen a ghost.

Xiao Yaoqing noticed that as soon as Hongxiu Dao and Kongque Ling appeared, everyone present was stunned, and no one paid any attention to Bai Xiaosheng anymore.

They probably never imagined that there were so many hidden masters in this martial arts world.

"I almost forgot to ask,"

Xiao Yaoqing turned to Bai Xiaosheng and asked, "Which is more powerful, the Heavenly Staff or the Heavenly Secret Staff?"

Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback: "A blow to the sky...?"

He seemed to have a vague idea in his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it, so he involuntarily asked a question.

The words had barely left his mouth when his face turned pale and his head drooped.

Those present immediately understood the situation upon seeing it.

That self-proclaimed all-knowing scholar didn't even know about the Heavenly Staff!

"Oh dear, he didn't know?"

"Wait a minute, I feel like I've heard the name 'Skyward Strike' somewhere before?"

"Is that the head of the Execution Hall, Zhang Hou of Huaiyin? Is that guy still alive?"

"Zhang Hou of Huaiyin? Who is that?"

"I heard he fought with the master of the Six-Five Divine Marquis, and later died!"

Upon hearing that the Heavenly Staff was related to her master, the Six-Five Divine Marquis, Huang Rong couldn't sit still any longer.

She quickly turned to Huang Yaoshi and asked, "Father, have you ever heard of the Heaven-Pointing Staff?"

Huang Yaoshi was also stunned for a moment.

He did have some recollection of the blow that struck the sky.

It is said that after Zhang Hou of Huaiyin lost to Wei Qingqing, he simplified the 1001 moves of Wind Blade and Frost Sword and created this move.

But Zhang Hou is long dead, so who can do it now? Thinking of this, Huang Yaoshi looked up at Xiao Yaoqing.

This kid is even more insightful than he initially thought.

Xiao Yaoqing gently shook his head.

"There was a eunuch in the Song Dynasty palace who was a descendant of Zhang Hou of Huaiyin."

His upward-pointing staff strike has been honed to a level that is both masterful and unparalleled.

"The Heavenly Mystery Elder has indeed mastered the Heavenly Mystery Staff to perfection, and has even thrown the staff away."

But if a real fight broke out, I'm afraid I wouldn't be a match for that eunuch.

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire inn fell silent, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

The Heavenly Mystery Elder, ranked first on the Weapon Ranking, couldn't even defeat a eunuch?

Bai Xiaosheng suddenly looked up, his face flushed red, and roared, "Nonsense! What 'a blow to the sky' and what 'old eunuch'? You made it all up! You're just talking nonsense!"

Xiao Yaoqing sneered: "What's the rush? There's a lot you don't know."

Bai Xiaosheng stood at the door, his face changing several times as if it were twitching – first turning white, then bluish, and finally so red it could drip blood.

I swayed twice and almost lost my balance.

Those around him looked on and thought it was quite funny that the old man, who had been so arrogant just moments before, was now acting so cowardly.

But no one had time to laugh at him; all eyes were glued to Xiao Yaoqing, waiting for him to continue revealing the truth.

Xiao Yaoqing wanted to stop talking, but the gazes around him were hot and anxious, like wolves that hadn't eaten for days.

He clicked his tongue and changed the subject: "Leaving aside those old monsters who have hidden themselves, there are quite a few in the martial arts world today who can rank among the top weapons."

In the snowy plains to the north, there is a family named Nie. Their ancestral treasured sword is called the Snow Drinking Mad Sword, which was forged from the ancient wonder of White Dew and is cold to the bone.

Combined with the family's inherited sword technique, the Six Secrets of Frostbite, a single strike can freeze even the air.

There is also a sword called the Fire Kirin Sword, which was made from the scales of the ancient ferocious beast Fire Kirin. The sword was imbued with evil energy as soon as it was formed.

If the person wielding the sword lacks willpower, sooner or later they will be consumed by the sword and become...

Xiao Yaoqing casually rattled off the names of several divine weapons, each one more frightening than the last.

Coincidentally, there happened to be a man from the northern snowfield in the venue. He listened and nodded in agreement, and even revealed his identity on the spot, saying that everything Xiao Yaoqing said was true.

Bai Xiaosheng was completely speechless. His lips trembled for a long time, and he didn't dare to respond.

He was afraid that if Xiao Yaoqing pulled out a few more reclusive masters he didn't know about, he would lose face completely.

After Xiao Yaoqing finished fiddling with the names of the weapons, he saw that Bai Xiaosheng was shrinking back and not saying a word, so he felt bored and changed the subject: "However, no matter how good the weapons are, they are still external things and cannot compare to the kung fu you have practiced yourself."

Last time I talked about the ten most unique skills from the Song and Ming dynasties. Shall we talk about some others today?

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

The weapons I just heard about, no matter how powerful, belong to someone else. But what if I happen to stumble upon the ultimate skill I'm about to hear about? Maybe I can glean some clues from their words and make something of myself in the future.

Everyone immediately nodded in agreement, fearing that Xiao Yaoqing might change his mind.

The people crowding outside the inn, who had initially been skeptical, had long since given up their doubts. Upon hearing that Xiao Yaoqing was going to talk about other unique skills, they all rushed to the door, straining their ears to hear every single word.

Someone grabbed Bai Xiaosheng, who was standing blankly at the door, and pulled him aside, complaining that he was blocking the view.

Murong Fu had just expressed his support, but now his eyes were fixed on Xiao Yaoqing with burning passion, completely ignoring Bai Xiaosheng.

Even Bai Xiaosheng himself wasn't in a hurry to leave. After being pulled down, he simply huddled in the corner, sitting cross-legged, barely daring to breathe, but his ears were perked up.

He's lost all his previous arrogance.

Xiao Yaoqing cleared his throat and continued:

"Last time I talked about the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms and the Nine Yin Manual, both of which are top-tier martial arts."

"This eighth technique is a sword technique."

"A hundred years ago, there was an extraordinary man named Dugu Qiubai. Several lines of words were engraved on his tomb."

He paused, then read it out slowly and deliberately:

"Having roamed the martial world for over thirty years, I have killed all my enemies and defeated all heroes. There is no one in the world who can stand against me."

Left with no other choice, he secluded himself in a deep valley, taking eagles as his companions.

"Alas, in my entire life I have sought a worthy opponent but have found none; truly, this loneliness and desolation are unbearable!"

These two lines perfectly capture the unparalleled master's invincible power and his loneliness at having no equal.

Tongfu Inn fell silent instantly.

Huang Yaoshi's gaze drifted to the rooftop, as if he saw the shadow of a swordsman who had been invincible throughout the world, but could only retreat to the mountains in the end.

He sighed softly.

After a while, someone in the inn sighed softly, full of admiration.

After everyone came to their senses, Xiao Yaoqing continued:

"This sword technique was left behind by Dugu Qiubai."

"The Nine Swords of Dugu: There is no retreat, only advance."

Every move was aimed at offense, forcing the opponent to defend.

It is a supreme skill that transcends the limitations of any particular technique.

"There are nine moves in total. Apart from the first move, which is the general formula, each move is specifically designed to counter a type of martial art."

"If one can master the Dugu Nine Swords, one can defeat all martial arts techniques in the world with just one sword."

"..."

"Unfortunately, this sword technique relies heavily on comprehension; an ordinary person would be lucky to learn even one move."

After he finished speaking, the room remained silent.

It seems that no one has recovered from the shock of Dugu Qiubai and the Dugu Nine Swords.

After a long while, someone finally let out a soft "Ah."

A sound broke the silence.

Then everyone seemed to come alive, chattering away.

"Can't even find a defeat that you're looking for? Are there really people like that in the world?"

"Every move is offensive, forcing the opponent to defend. I really want to see this kind of swordsmanship in person."

"No moves are the best moves, capable of defeating all martial arts under heaven—does such a sword technique truly exist?"

"Sir, please teach me!"

"The name 'Dugu Qiubai' sounds so similar to that of Dongfang Bubai from the Sun Moon Cult!"

"That's right. I heard that person practices some really evil methods and has a strange temper. He kills anyone in the sect who doesn't obey him."

"Sir, what kind of martial arts does Dongfang Bubai practice? Is it related to Dugu Qiubai?"

Xiao Yaoqing wondered to himself – why do people always put these two people together?

Oh, that's how it's portrayed in period dramas too.

Forget it.

He shook his head and smiled, then changed the subject and explained: "Those two are not on the same wavelength at all."

Dongfang Bubai relied on the seventh secret manual, which I'm about to discuss.

What?

The Seventh Gate?

Everyone immediately perked up, their eyes all fixed on him, waiting to hear what he would say next.

As everyone here knows, Dongfang Bubai is the pinnacle of the martial arts world; no one dares to provoke the leader's power.

But this person is always elusive, and you can never even see him.

Xiao Yaoqing is going to reveal some information today, which is an unexpected bonus.

The news immediately caused a stir.

"I heard that guy was just an ordinary person ten years ago, and in the blink of an eye he became a top expert."

"That's right. If the eighth Dugu Nine Swords is this ruthless, the seventh one must be crazy. No wonder people shout 'The sun rises in the east, and I am invincible.'"

"I wonder if this Mr. Wang really knows the secrets of Dongfang Bubai?"

"Judging from the way he comments, he probably knows all ten of these unique skills by heart."

"Then why does he look like just another passerby?"

"Are you stupid? Someone who can guide Guo Songyang to break through to the next level, could they be an ordinary person?"

"Stop arguing, listen carefully, maybe we'll be the next ones to reach the summit."

Xiao Yaoqing looked around and saw that everyone was waiting expectantly.

A slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He then cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "The technique that Dongfang Bubai practices is called the 'Sunflower Manual,' the one ranked seventh."

"This thing came from the palace. The exact date of its composition is uncertain, but if we go back in time, it was probably written by someone more than three hundred years ago."

"The book is divided into two parts: the first part discusses internal energy cultivation, and the second part discusses swordsmanship."

Since that manual was published, apart from the eccentric genius who created the Sunflower Manual, no one has been able to master it completely.

What Dongfang Bubai practiced was only an excerpt.

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the hall stared wide-eyed – the fierce Dongfang Bubai had only learned the basics?