Chapter 105: Practicing Martial Arts! Comprehending the Martial Arts Heart
Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Practicing Martial Arts! Comprehending the Martial Arts Heart
In the forests surrounding the valley, all sorts of wild animals and Demon Beasts suffered.
The most numerous intelligent beings in this land were of the Demon Race, followed by the Human Race.
As for Ghosts, Spirit Monsters, gods, and the like, they were few and far between.
Of course, Zhu Ge didn’t exclusively practice on Demon Beasts.
To master a certain level of control, he could practice on a mouse or a wild rabbit.
So, Zhu Ge sometimes used his staff and sometimes his bare hands, wholeheartedly comprehending the Great Python Strangulation Technique.
Fortunately, with the Five Animals Qigong as his foundation, Zhu Ge was beginning to figure things out.
Imitation!
Emulation!
Zhu Ge, understanding this method of emulation, began to learn how to act like a python.
Under the influence of his Blood Qi, his hands could gradually become soft and pliable.
That which is too rigid is easily broken.
What Zhu Ge was exploring now was his own understanding of combining hardness and softness.
The more techniques he had, the harder he would be to counter!
"Tiger Form!"
"Thirty-Six Paths of the Giant Pendulum!"
"Tea Swordsmanship!"
...
Zhu Ge and Liu Jianjian traveled around the valley, killing any Demon Beast they encountered.
Along the way, they slaughtered seven or eight Spirit Realm Demon Beasts—a bountiful harvest indeed.
Moreover, the situation with the ever-increasing number of Demon Beasts worsened over the next few days.
Demon Beasts were everywhere!
Perhaps because so many humans and Demon Beasts had died, Hua Liusha even managed to devour a Spirit Realm Pig Ghost and a Transformation Realm Cat Ghost.
Things had changed!
When Zhu Ge confronted the Fungus God, the area around Jianshan Village had been largely peaceful; only the village itself had been invaded.
Back then, Zhu Ge had considered killing the Tiger God, but in a sense, the Tiger God and Mr. Chong were stabilizing factors for the region around Jianshan Village.
But now?
The location of Zhuge Valley was actually very remote, rarely visited by people, and had few resources.
Yet now, there was an endless supply of Demon Beasts to kill.
BOOM!!!
After killing the eighth Demon Beast, Zhu Ge glanced at the moon in the sky and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Master, should we take a break?" Liu Jianjian was exhausted, panting like a dog. "I can’t fight anymore."
Zhu Ge hadn’t taught her anything else, only the Five Animals Qigong.
If humans could learn the Five Animals Qigong, so could a hedgehog.
Besides, Liu Jianjian had taken human form, so learning it wasn’t too difficult for her.
However, Liu Jianjian really disliked grand, sweeping martial arts techniques, preferring styles like "Lighting the Incense" and Tea Swordsmanship.
She also favored the deer and crane forms from the Five Animals Qigong.
Zhu Ge didn’t force her, instead letting her choose what she liked and what suited her.
Though after this journey, Liu Jianjian was still a long way from becoming a Martial Artist and producing Blood Qi, she at least possessed some fighting ability now.
Unfortunately, a being suitable for practicing a Cultivation Technique like the Great Sun Glaze Body was a truly rare find.
Liu Jianjian couldn’t even achieve astral projection yet, and the Great Sun Glaze Body had to be cultivated when one’s body was completely devoid of any "qi."
Therefore, Liu Jianjian could naturally only walk the path of refining Blood Qi; she couldn’t practice Body Refinement.
Fortunately, as a member of the Demon Race, Liu Jianjian already had a strong physical constitution to begin with.
She just hadn’t yet reached the step of successfully refining Blood Qi through her martial arts training.
’This kind of thing can’t be rushed.’
’It’s important to have a balance of tension and rest.’
"Let’s rest." Thinking of this, Zhu Ge sat down as well. "We’ll take a break. If we get hungry, we can go back and start a fire to roast some meat."
Roasting meat outside the valley was rather dangerous; it was safer inside.
"Okay!" Liu Jianjian plopped down on her bottom. "I’m dead tired, so tired."
"Haha, someone like you wouldn’t even be able to find a husband in our Jianshan Village." Zhu Ge chuckled. "Back in the day, Hua Liusha was incredibly capable."
"Oh?" At his words, Liu Jianjian’s ears perked up. She scooted closer to Zhu Ge, her face full of curiosity. "Master, are you saying Sister Liusha used to be *especially* capable?"
"You and your gossipy nature..." Zhu Ge shook his head with a smile. "Hua Liusha could plant rice seedlings for an entire day! She could also plow, weed, and clear pests from more than ten mu of fields!"
"She could plant for that long?"
Liu Jianjian’s eyes were filled with admiration. "Sister Liusha is amazing! Her stamina is outstanding!"
"Although what you’re saying sounds a little off, that’s basically the gist of it," Zhu Ge said with a laugh.
Farm children didn’t have time for such complexities.
It didn’t matter if you were a man or a woman, if you were able-bodied, you worked in the fields!
Work!
Farmers!
This was the cornerstone of human agricultural civilization!
’Right, farmers...’
Zhu Ge mulled over the word and suddenly thought of another method to hone his martial arts.
Farm work!
There were so many other chores he could do, too!
’No rush. First, I’ll delve into the Path of Ten Thousand Beasts, then I’ll go back to studying the Path of Humanity.’
Thinking of this, Zhu Ge also recalled the faint wisp of Literary Energy within his body.
Perhaps his Literary Energy would also improve as he explored the Path of Humanity.
"Weak little insect, submit to me! Become my human pet!"
Just as they were resting, a loud laugh suddenly echoed from nearby.
Zhu Ge looked over and saw a huge, bamboo-like creature gliding rapidly toward them.
A Bamboo Stick Insect!
And it was a Second Realm Transformed Demon Beast!
This Bamboo Stick Insect should have been inconspicuous, but it seemed to have transformed in a way that made it much more eye-catching.
The creature’s body was covered in multicolored spots, which looked as if they might be poisonous.
’A Bamboo Stick Insect? Perfect!’
Zhu Ge stood up and looked at Liu Jianjian beside him. "Stay on guard. I’ll deal with this Bamboo Stick Insect!"
With that, Zhu Ge leaped into the air, silver staff in hand.
"Thirty-Six Paths of the Giant Pendulum!"
The silver staff in his hands whistled through the air, spinning like a giant top as it smashed viciously toward the Bamboo Stick Insect.
CLANG!!!!
The silver staff collided with one of the Bamboo Stick Insect’s legs, producing a muffled clang.
Zhu Ge was thrown into the sky, while the Bamboo Stick Insect was knocked backward, breaking several large trees before it came to a stop.
"Such immense strength?!" Green blood trickled from the Bamboo Stick Insect’s narrow mouthparts. "Are you some kind of Human Race genius?!"
BANG...
Before he even hit the ground, Zhu Ge kicked off a large tree, using the momentum to launch himself back toward the Bamboo Stick Insect.
"Take this!"
He didn’t reply, simply continuing his assault with the staff.
He had just noticed that the Bamboo Stick Insect’s six legs and body all had a metallic sheen.
Those strangely colored spots weren’t dyes from plant juices; it seemed this Bamboo Stick Insect had absorbed various metals during its transformation!
’An excellent training partner!’
Zhu Ge needed to familiarize himself with his silver staff, as well as his Martial Arts.
Most of the opponents he encountered were Demon Beasts with overly simplistic attack patterns.
For example, the previous Transformed Python only knew that one skill of coiling and strangling.
Most Demon Beasts didn’t know how to use weapons!
But now, this Bamboo Stick Insect was a Demon Beast that possessed six "long staffs."
And these six "long staffs" were its very own limbs.
In other words, the Bamboo Stick Insect wielded these six "long staffs" with the same ease as a person moving their own arms and fingers!
"Rain Swift Fist!"
"Vajra Palm!"
"Crane Form!"
Zhu Ge swung his staff in an impenetrable flurry.
At times, it was like a swift darting through the rain; at others, like a celestial crane raising its head and spreading its wings; and at others still, like a waiter pouring tea for a customer...
He unleashed all sorts of Martial Arts one after another.
He even tried to rotate the end of his silver staff in a small circle, causing the tip to spin as well, creating a strange vibration to replicate the Great Python Strangulation Technique he had witnessed before.
"You... you human... Great Hero, spare me!"