Silence! At this moment, the Hundred Battles Sect was incredibly quiet; you could hear a pin drop. So much so that no one answered Ji Qing's question.
However, Lie Yingniang finally snapped back to reality. Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "Qualified! Of course you're qualified! I've never seen such a swift Saber Technique in my life! Hero Li, please follow me to the Library Pavilion. It contains all the Martial Arts of our Hundred Battles Sect. You may browse them as you please."
This time, no one stopped him. The strike Ji Qing just executed left everyone in the Hundred Battles Sect speechless.
Ji Qing followed Lie Yingniang to the Hundred Battles Sect's Library Pavilion. Inside, it was not large, but the bookshelves were piled high with Secret Martial Arts Manuals.
Lie Yingniang hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "In the Martial World, those with such a fast saber can be counted on one hand. Could it be that Hero Li's surname is not Li, but Ji?"
SWISH. Ji Qing shifted his gaze to Lie Yingniang, but he did not speak. The atmosphere inside the Library Pavilion instantly froze.
"You are very smart, but there's a saying in the Martial World: sometimes it's best to play the fool!" Ji Qing said indifferently.
Lie Yingniang gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, "Whether your surname is Ji or Li, I have only one request. When you challenge Li Tianyang, you must kill him! As long as you agree, the previous conditions remain unchanged!"
Ji Qing gave Lie Yingniang a somewhat surprised look. "Aren't you afraid of being implicated by my reputation?"
"Reputation? Since my father died, I finally understood one truth. In the Martial World, only the size of one's fist matters! Besides, when you challenge Li Tianyang, you will be Hero 'Li Mu', right?"
Ji Qing said indifferently, "Appearance can be altered with the Disguise Technique, voice can be changed, and even height and weight can be modified. However, Martial Arts cannot be changed. The moment I strike, the opponent will know who I am."
"It's very simple. You just need to learn the Hundred Battle Saber. When you challenge Li Tianyang, if you exclusively use the Hundred Battle Saber from start to finish, no one will recognize you. Furthermore, before my father died, his greatest regret was hearing people say that the Hundred Battle Saber was inferior to Li Tianyang's Swordsmanship. If you can defeat Li Tianyang with the Hundred Battle Saber, no one will be able to find any faults!"
"It seems you have quite a lot of confidence in me. But how can anyone master the Hundred Battle Saber in such a short amount of time?"
"No, others can't, but you can!"
Ji Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. It appeared that this Lie Yingniang actually knew quite a bit about him. Currently, rumors in the Martial World claimed that "Ji Qing" had practiced an Evil Skill, possessing world-shaking Saber Techniques. It was said he could learn any Saber Technique with a single glance and master it with a single practice session. Lie Yingniang clearly believed this without a doubt. In order to get revenge, she didn't even hesitate to cooperate with him, a Great Demon.
"Wasn't Lie Zhenyue a Second-class Expert? Why doesn't the Hundred Battles Sect have any Second-class Martial Arts?" Ji Qing asked.
"The Hundred Battles Sect has only been established for a short time. Many of the Martial Arts in our sect were collected by my father, and they are basically Third-class or unranked Martial Arts. As for Second-class Martial Arts? How could they be so easy to find? If he really had a Second-class Martial Arts manual, perhaps my father wouldn't have died at Li Tianyang's hands..." Lie Yingniang's expression dimmed slightly.
"Bring me the Hundred Battle Saber and your Hundred Battles Sect's strongest Inner Power Heart Method."
"Yes, Hero Li."
Lie Yingniang rejoiced inwardly. This was equivalent to Ji Qing agreeing. Thinking of the rumors about Ji Qing in the Martial World, Lie Yingniang couldn't help but feel a surge of delight. This time, there might truly be hope for revenge! After all, Ji Qing was a renowned figure in the Martial World, the Great Demon ranked fifth on the Evil People List! No matter how prominent Li Tianyang's reputation was, it couldn't even remotely compare to Ji Qing's.
Lie Yingniang brought the Secret Martial Arts Manuals before Ji Qing.
"Leave. Other than delivering meals, do not disturb me."
"Yes, Hero Li."
Lie Yingniang respectfully retreated from the Library Pavilion.
Ji Qing smiled faintly. "I didn't expect my Evil Name to be so useful..." Evidently, Lie Yingniang knew his reputation was immense. Even though it was an Evil Name, it filled her with confidence in him.
Ji Qing first picked up the Inner Strength manual. This was a Third-class Inner Strength called the "Hundred Battles Heart Method." Ji Qing read through it once. This Inner Strength could barely be considered an Upper Third-class Inner Strength. But that was it. Let alone Ji Qing's Pure Essence Skill, it couldn't even compare to his Supreme Yang Inner Power. Furthermore, Ji Qing was already a Second-class Martial Artist now. Cultivating this kind of Third-class Inner Strength was completely meaningless and wouldn't help him open up his Eight Extraordinary Meridians any faster.
Ji Qing tossed the Inner Strength manual aside. He began to examine the Hundred Battle Saber. To his surprise, this Hundred Battle Saber was a Saber Technique passed down from the battlefield and subsequently improved. Whether in mass battles or duels between people of the Martial World, it was quite effective. The primary characteristics of the Hundred Battle Saber were its speed and ferocity. Once Cultivation reached Great Success, it would be exceptionally fast and fierce. This perfectly aligned with Ji Qing's requirements for a Saber Technique.
Ji Qing's Thirteen Paths of Swift Saber was indeed fast, but its power was somewhat lacking. When facing thick-skinned Demon Monsters, it didn't offer many solutions. If he practiced the Hundred Battle Saber, the power of his Saber Techniques would definitely be enhanced.
"Let's give it a try." Ji Qing immediately began practicing the Hundred Battle Saber.
Although it was an entirely new Saber Technique, Ji Qing's attainments in Saber Techniques had been extremely high ever since he reached Perfection with the Thirteen Paths of Swift Saber. He could grasp ordinary Saber Techniques the moment he tried them. Although he hadn't reached the level described in the rumors of the Martial World—learning it at a glance and mastering it with one practice—as long as it was a Saber Technique, he could indeed pick it up very quickly. Therefore, in just half a Two-hour period, Ji Qing had grasped the basics of the Hundred Battle Saber.
However, Ji Qing didn't immediately use a Source Point to upgrade it. Over these past few days, Ji Qing had faintly figured out some methods for using Source Points. Adding points directly after grasping the basics of a Martial Arts technique was fast, but the consumption of Source Points was too great. If he could first practice the Martial Arts to Small Success before adding points, wouldn't he save a Source Point? With his current attainments in Saber Techniques, Ji Qing estimated that it would only take a few days to practice the Hundred Battle Saber to Small Success.
Of course, this was just his estimation. Exactly how long it would take still depended on the actual progress of his practice. But he could give it a try. After all, all Saber Techniques shared commonalities. In particular, the Hundred Battle Saber was clearly a type of Swift Saber, meaning it shared even more similarities with the Thirteen Paths of Saber Techniques.
One day, two days, three days... Over the next few days, Ji Qing immersed himself entirely in the Hundred Battle Saber, practicing it so intensely that he forgot to eat and sleep. Master one method, and you master ten thousand. Saber Techniques were the same. Ji Qing used his profound attainments in Saber Techniques to practice and study the Hundred Battle Saber. In just a few short days, his experience with the Hundred Battle Saber skyrocketed.
BOOM. Ji Qing unleashed a strike, and a violent Momentum radiated from the Blade Light. The Blade Light slashed into the ground. Immediately, the earth cracked, and a small crater was even carved out by the strike.
"Has the Hundred Battle Saber reached Small Success?" Ji Qing was both surprised and delighted. Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had trained a Martial Arts technique to Small Success by himself without using a Source Point. Facts proved that even without adding points, he was still very strong! However, with added points, he could be even stronger! Now that the Hundred Battle Saber had reached Small Success, his goal was achieved, so he wasted no more time.
"Upgrade the Hundred Battle Saber to Perfection!" Ji Qing ruthlessly added a point once again.
BUZZ. Ji Qing's mind trembled. Images surfaced in his mind: for years on end, he cultivated the Hundred Battle Saber day in and day out. This time, it took only six years for his Saber Technique to reach Great Success. He then spent another ten years attempting to comprehend an Ultimate Technique from the Hundred Battle Saber.
"Hundred Battle Saber has reached Perfection. You have comprehended 'Shock Force'."
"You fused Shock Force with Heavenly Line. You have comprehended a new Saber Technique: Thirteen Paths of Shocking Saber Techniques!"
Ji Qing immediately checked the information in the Demon Monster Record.
Ji Qing: Second-class Martial Artist
Supreme Yang Pure Essence Skill: Perfection (Supreme Yang Inner Power, Inner Power burst amplification by 30%, Inner Power Purification)
Thirteen Paths of Shocking Saber Techniques: Perfection (Ultimate Techniques: Heavenly Line, Shock Force)
Cao Shangfei: Perfection (Ultimate Technique: Void Leverage)
Source Points: 2
CLANG. Ji Qing drew his saber and slashed into the void. The Blade Light was as dazzling and magnificent as ever. However, the instant it slashed into the ground, a high-frequency Shock Force spread from the blade into the hard earth.
BANG. A massive crater was cleaved directly into the ground, a testament to the might of that strike, which far surpassed any Saber Technique Ji Qing previously possessed!
"Success!" Ji Qing smiled. This strike, whether in terms of speed or power, far exceeded the previous Thirteen Paths of Swift Saber. This was the qualitative change brought about by the fusion of Saber Techniques.
"The Thirteen Paths of Shocking Saber Techniques is already a Second-class Saber Technique!" This was an unexpected surprise. Ji Qing hadn't expected that simply fusing two Saber Techniques could allow them to transform into a Second-class Saber Technique. However, thinking carefully, it made perfect sense. After all, both of these Third-class Saber Techniques were at the Perfection Realm, far surpassing ordinary Third-class Saber Techniques.
Ji Qing stood up and pushed the door open.
"Hero Li, you've come out of seclusion?" Outside the door, Lie Yingniang asked in pleasant surprise.
"Yingniang, you can go deliver the challenge letter to the Celestial Yang Gang!" Ji Qing said indifferently.
"Yes, Hero Li!" Hearing this, Lie Yingniang was overjoyed. She had finally waited until this day!