"What? You dare demand our martial arts manuals?"
The air chilled as hostility thickened toward Liam Ardent.
Liam's tone was calm, almost bored.
"I'm not asking to keep your manuals. I only need to read them once. That's my price—show me your best, and I'll treat you. No manual? Then I can't help you."
Xander Farrow's jaw tightened.
"Each sect guards its manuals like life itself. If an outsider dares to learn them, our orders would hunt you to the ends of the earth. Even if we gave them to you, should you train in them, our masters would surely kill you."
"That's for me to worry about," Liam said evenly.
To him, the more manuals he saw, the faster he could grow. By the time their sects came seeking revenge, he would have the strength to meet them head-on.
Several groaned in frustration.
"Our manuals are in our sect halls—we don't carry them with us."
"Then write them from memory," Liam replied coldly. "No manual, no cure."
"Aah! I can't stand this itching!"
Galen—the bald elder of the Kongtong Sect known as the 'Saint-Hand Garan'—shook under the torment of Isolde Serpentis's poison. His iron shackles rattled as he fumbled inside his robe, producing a small, weathered book.
"This is my sect's Flying Dragon Palm manual—take it! Just cure me before I claw my own head off!"
Liam caught the book.
The system's voice rang in his mind:
[Item Acquired]
"Flying Dragon Palm" – Silver Manual (Trainable)
Without hesitation, he chose to learn it. Power surged through him.
[Manual Learned]
"Flying Dragon Palm" – Mastered
Experience +300
Internal Energy +300
Though this was the first martial skill he had formally learned, its impact was immediate. Until now, his vast internal strength—already at the peak of second-rate experts—was like a mountain of gold left unspent. His combat ability had barely matched a second-rate mid-stage fighter.
Now, with the Flying Dragon Palm, his true power aligned with his energy—he was a genuine second-rate peak expert.
"The manual's yours, now heal me!" Galen pleaded, his voice breaking.
"Kneel."
The command rolled from Liam like a physical weight, forcing Galen down.
Golden needles flashed from his hands, embedding in the elder's scalp and neck in rapid succession.
Each needle thrummed with its own vibration, and within moments their steel sheen dulled to a venomous green, a rancid stench filling the air.
The others stared in disbelief—so many needles in such dangerous points! Even seasoned physicians would never dare such a thing. Yet Liam's precision was flawless.
Galen gritted his teeth, terrified to move lest a single slip ruin him.
After a few breaths, Liam withdrew the needles, channeled his internal force to purge the trapped poison, and drove them in again.
Three cycles passed before the needles came out clean.
"The worst of the poison is gone," Liam said. "The deeper traces will need three to five more days of treatment. Your hair roots, however, are destroyed—your head will remain bare."
"Glorious relief!" Galen exhaled, his expression melting into gratitude. "Hair or no hair, I'll take life without agony. My thanks, Master Liam!" He dared not so much as mention reclaiming the manual.
Liam leafed through the Flying Dragon Palm in plain sight, feigning casual study despite already mastering it. After a few breaths, he shut it and tossed it back.
"I'm done. Who's next?"
"You finished that fast?" Galen
muttered in disbelief.
Around the circle, tension eased. No one believed such a brief look could possibly retain the manual's secrets.
"This is the Eagle-Serpent Death Grapple, the private skill of Huashan Sect Master Soren Blackridge," Xander Farrow said quickly, producing another scroll. "Read it, then treat me."
The moment Liam's fingers touched the manual, the system purred:
[Item Acquired]
"Eagle-Serpent Death Grapple" – Gold Manual (Huashan Sect Secret, Trainable)
Liam's eyes gleamed—this was a windfall beyond expectation.
Glossary – Chapter 8
Xander Farrow – Huashan Sect; disciple of Master Soren Blackridge; mid-stage second-rate expert.
Garreth Hallowway – Huashan Sect elite; early-stage second-rate expert.
Tobias Kane – Huashan Sect elite; early-stage second-rate expert.
Galen Ashford('Saint-Hand Garan') – Kongtong Sect elder; poisoned by Isolde Serpentis; offers Flying Dragon Palm manual in exchange for healing.
Flying Dragon Palm – Silver-tier martial art; focuses on swift, coiling strikes resembling a dragon's flight.
Eagle-Serpent Death Grapple – Gold-tier Huashan Sect secret art; lethal grappling style mimicking an eagle's talons and serpent's constrictions.
Golden Needle Technique – Acupuncture method to purge poison and unblock meridians; highly risky when used on head and neck points.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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T/N :
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