The Immortal Ruins - Chapter 92 The Illusory Light Sword
After the banquet, Jiang Shaoliu arranged rooms for everyone and walked out of the shelter side by side with Zhao Yang.
The red setting sun in the west illuminated the sky; the golden barrier in the sky glowed faintly beneath the hazy floating mountain with its mysterious and shadowy pavilions.
“Shaoliu, it’s great to see you here,” Zhao Yang said, an edge to his voice. “My parents and I just followed the crowd when the Great Changes took place. A lot of people died or got wounded before we were finally rescued by the Gangxing Group.”
Jiang Shaoliu patted him on the shoulder. “Bring your parents here. We might not have it as good as in the city center here in the Yungang League, but they’ll be safe enough. Things are improving quite rapidly.”
“Not now,” Zhao Yang shook his head, and smiled wryly, “Some of our old neighbors are with them at the temporary housing lot. They can chat and drink tea together, and we still have some savings. They’ll get by fine where they are.”
Jiang Shaoliu nodded. “Let me know if you ever change your mind.”
“Thank you.” Zhao Yang looked up at the sky and sighed, “We were always afraid that the monsters might attack the city at any moment and we would become homeless ghosts again. Knowing that you’re protecting us makes everyone feel safer.”
Jiang Shaoliu laughed and replied: “Ghosts? That’s nothing more than another type of monster! You’re still filling your head with fantasy martial arts novels, aren’t you?”
“Of course! It’s my second-favorite genre, and it’s my greatest dream to become a flying gymnosophist one day.”
Jiang Shaoliu gave him a sidelong glance and snickered, “But there’re so many human masters, just like that Taoist from the Tai Shan Group video who can leap a hundred meters with a single step and jump over a skysc.r.a.per like stepping over a stone. He’s just like a flying gymnosophist.”
“That’s all heavenly martial arts,” Zhao Yang sighed. “I wasn’t lucky enough. I was tired after reading and fell asleep when the golden rain came, so I got nothing. Otherwise, I might be the one leading the Yungang League now!”
Jiang Shaoliu grinned.
It was hard to talk about luck. Jiang Shaoliu himself, might never have had the opportunity if he weren’t with the Monkey King at the right time. Zhao Yang was so obsessed with his favorite Wuxia web novels, he really would have probably trained himself to the cream of the crop of Yungang City’s martial masters if he had been blessed with a heavenly martial art too.
“Follow me, Zhao Yang,” he said to him, “I have something good for you.”
They returned to the shelter and went into Jiang Shaoliu’s room, closing the door and sitting face-to-face with their legs crossed.
“Let me show you my breathing technique. It’s a secret only I and the Monkey King know,” Jiang Shaoliu said seriously. “Many people have seen my fist forms before, and they are quite unmistakable. Others might pick them up if I show them to you, so I will teach you my other style.”
This made Zhao Yang nervous.
According to the information on the internet, Jiang Shaoliu had a unique and mysterious breathing technique, perhaps the powerful one in Yungang City. He knew this was a great opportunity but he also felt a lot of pressure since Jiang Shaoliu was going to teach it to him.
Zhao Yang nodded, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “Um, Shaoliu, what’s the energy of Heaven and Earth you mentioned? I can’t feel anything.”
Jiang Shaoliu furrowed his brow and thought for a while. “When I practiced for the first time, I just felt the air become hotter and my breath changed into a kind of soothing, warm flow inside my body. Perhaps you can’t feel anything because you’re not familiar with the acupoints and don’t know where to focus.”
“No,” Zhao Yang shook his head, “I know the acupoints you talked about, I’m pretty sure I’m doing it right.”
Jiang Shaoliu’s features scrunched up in deep thought.
Jiang Xiaoyun also felt nothing when he tried to teach her the Great Sage’s Formula, but the Cold Ice Formula was effective for her and she could feel the flow of energy very quickly. He supposed each breathing technique had different requirements from pract.i.tioners.
As for Zhao Yang, the Great Sage’s Formula might not be the right one for him.
“Seems you cannot learn my martial arts,” Jiang Shaoliu admitted. “But don’t lose hope. Jiang Xiaoyun couldn’t pick it up either, but she did learn Yin Manshu’s breathing technique. Would like to try that?”
Zhao Yang’s eyes opened wide. “Yin Manshu? How come you know her martial art? What’s the relationship between you and her?”
“Let’s focus here, okay?” said Jiang Shaoliu.
But Zhao Yang wasn’t about to give up: “Tell me – are you two an item? Yin Manshu is the G.o.ddess of both the young and old, they’ll be so disappointed to find out you got her first, haha!”
“We had a some problems and she taught it to me by way of apology,” Jiang Shaoliu sighed. “Now forget it. Her breathing technique is pretty powerful too, do you want to try it or not?”
Zhao Yang followed the formula Jiang Shaoliu explained. A while later, he opened the eyes and shook his head hopelessly: “I still can’t feel anything.”
“Hmm, indeed.” Jiang Shaoliu nodded thoughtfully.
This formula tended towards Yin and was more suitable for females. That was the reason why Zhao Yang failed.
“Shaoliu, are you going to say I’m just not suitable for martial arts?” Zhao Yang cried. “Don’t give up on me so soon, man!”
Jiang Shaoliu smiled and said, “Don’t worry, there’s still something else we can try.”
Then he lifted his arm and pressed a few b.u.t.tons on his smart watch.
The best martial arts on the Gangxin Group’s exchange lists could only condense bronze life rings, so he would not even consider them, but he had already bundled the Yungang League’s martial arts data on his smart watch and could select a high-level one, which would allow Zhao Yang to enjoy the experience of flying (not to mention that cool silver light under his feet).
Jiang Shaoliu browsed until he found something that caught his eye.
The Illusory Light Sword Formula: intermediate grade, a simple and lightning-fast style, bundled together with a matching breathing technique.
“That’s the one.” Jiang Shaoliu tapped the link.
Then he explained the breathing technique of the Light Sword Formula to Zhao Yang. Zhao Yang closed his eyes and focused until his face took on a slightly greenish aura and he entered a meditative state, breathing deeply.
Jiang Shaoliu nodded approvingly and quietly went outside.
Ruo Feng was waiting outside. He glanced through the doorway and whispered, “Practice time?”
“Yes,” Jiang Shaoliu replied. “I’ve picked the best intermediate-level martial art in the Yugang League’s database for him.”
Ruo Feng nodded. “I’ve found out something about your friends. w.a.n.g Jiadong has a low grade martial art and one bronze life ring, the rest don’t have the ability to fight. Do you think it’s necessary to teach them all martial arts?”
“Yes,” Jiang Shaoliu muttered to himself, “It’s not a bad thing for them all to have the ability to defend themselves. Give me some time and I’ll pick out a few suitable techniques for them.”
Ruo Feng shrugged and nodded.
During the following days, Liu Guang helped train them all in martial arts that suited them.
w.a.n.g Jiadong practiced the Cloaked Knife, replacing his former low-grade heavenly weapon martial art. He could metalize to silver after several days’ intense practice and walked about with a proud grin on his face all day. His girlfriend learned the Sunset Whip, which was a high-grade heavenly weapon. She was not progressing as fast, but she felt quite satisfied with it.
Liu Ding had chosen an axe style called the Green-Gold Mountain Axe, which focused on extremely powerful strikes. His new-found power even strengthened his meek character. However, his wife, Huang Li, went through many martial arts unsuccessfully before finally settling on the Silk Needle, which was suitable for sewing.
Yao Xiaoqian was learning the Clear Wind Staff, and Jiang Shaoliu had picked out a two-meter-long, extremely heavy alloy metal staff for her, which she could only manage to hold up after over a week of training.
Ting Ting was too young, with still un-fixed meridians, so she couldn’t learn a martial art yet. Her parents were too old and showed no interest in fighting, so they chose simple martial arts just for fitness.
As for Li Qianqian, Jiang Xiaoyun’s best girlfriend, she took a long time and selected the Black Tenuous Sword, which required an alloy dagger that made the style rather strange, like a sinister venomous snake.
As the chief executive of Wan Yao Restaurant, Han Lishan took up the Obsidian Knife, which improved his bronze life rings to silver level and help him condense his third life ring.
After a month of renovations, Wan Yao Restaurant was finally opened and people from all walks of life came and praised the food to no end. People signed up for members’ cards and came to dine at the restaurant again and again, so the League now had a steady stream of income.
The Monkey King and Xiao Bai were busy hunting monsters every day and helping building new warehouses every night. Mr. Li was juggling between cooking and teaching his recipes to the chefs of the franchise locations.
Jiang Shaoliu continued practicing the Ape Fist and Demon Fist with the Great Sage’s Formula, his true qi now flowing through his body like a flood of burning lava.
More pores on the surface of his Lung Channel appeared, and some true qi could cover the surface of his arms and fists. One could say he had three and a half rings.
Beep beep beep
A new message appeared on his smart.w.a.tch. It was Lin Yuetao, inviting him to dinner.
