Chapter 60 - 56: Testing Skills

Words : 1557 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 60: Chapter 56: Testing SkillsAfter dealing with Yihe Hall and Recovery Society matters, Xu Qing intertwined his study and spiritual nourishment time with interacting with the Recovery Society. In fact, after his Divine Soul’s nocturnal wandering, even if he studied and nourished his spirit every day, the progress of his Divine Soul was minimal. Fortunately, every night at the time of the Crane Call, the moonlight from the old Wutong Tree would perfectly fuse with the Yin Yang essence of the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm through a harmonious intermingling. This allowed Xu Qing’s Divine Soul to receive some nourishment. However, no matter what, the growth of the Divine Soul was still extremely slow. "It seems that after the Divine Soul begins its nocturnal wanderings, it needs a systematic cultivation method similar to Martial Arts Methods," Xu Qing sighed to himself. This was the downside of not having a legacy. Many things had to be figured out on one’s own. Fortunately, he had the bronze mirror to monitor his state at all times; otherwise, he would never know when he might fall into demonic possession. Even as a transmigrator without any cheats, it’s very hard indeed. Although the progress of the Divine Soul was slow, with the help of the Silver Ring Firming Pill, the advancement of the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm was visibly rapid. Additionally, Xu Qing’s spine was like a small snake, exhibiting a tendency to transform into a dragon. The side effect was that Xu Qing’s physical development accelerated. Not yet fifteen, his stature was already close to that of an adult. Not just outwardly, but inwardly as well. This was also the combined effect of the Crane Form Skill and the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm. Now, Xu Qing did not lack nutrition from meat, and he energetically supplemented what was needed for bodily development. Moreover, the game before winter was most succulent, and Xu Qing even had a grill set up in the yard, using spices from Historian Li’s salary, which tasted very delicious. Furthermore, the Guo family of Guo Village, being mountain people, hunted a lot in the autumn, so many of Xu Qing’s game were acquired from Guo Zhuang. Otherwise, buying them himself would be expensive and the quality unsatisfactory. You see, without autumn fat, the quality of the wild game is generally poor. Seasoned hunters often bring back succulent and delicious game. Of course, for most families, having meat to eat is good enough, not to the point of being choosy. With the rapid progress of the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm, Xu Qing’s movement technique became more and more agile, and his steps firm, sturdy, and fast. Finally, one day when Xu Qing "observed" the bronze mirror, the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm’s assessment finally reached "Great Success." However, his Martial Arts Level was still at Bone Training, with no sign of a breakthrough. Xu Qing examined his own state and privately assessed: seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "With my current agility, even if I encounter Niu Peng, his fists couldn’t possibly hit me," Xu Qing concluded after recalling the scenes of Niu Peng fighting with Guards Wang and Ma. "Let’s find them to test my current skills." Xu Qing now had a very good relationship with Guards Wang and Ma. He went straight to the Government. People at the Government now regarded Xu Qing like a young master, and even the gatekeeper took the initiative to pay respects when they saw him. However, the current lady of the Government had changed to a reformed courtesan from Yingtian Prefecture. Xu Qing had not met her. But he heard that Magistrate He now doted on her. Officials in the country weren’t able to bring their legal wives when serving locally, so before taking local office, officials would take concubines themselves. The current dynasty was somewhat better than the previous one, where officials could give away their pregnant concubines at will. For instance, a Scholar from the previous dynasty, after giving away his pregnant concubine, saw that child, decades later, also reach the position of Scholar and even take good care of his half-brother from a different mother. Of course, such stories were rare; more often, mother and child were like duckweed, not knowing when they would perish. "Brother Wang, Brother Ma," Xu Qing still couldn’t shake off his bad habit of liking to call others ’brother.’ Who would blame him for being young? Directly calling someone by their name was also not polite. After all, humility never hurt anyone when away from home. Both sides exchanged greetings. Xu Qing made no pretenses and directly stated his purpose. Guard Wang laughed and said, "Mr. Xu, our martial skills have improved since last time. Are you sure you want us to spar with you together?" They knew that Xu Qing was skilled in martial arts, so they weren’t surprised by his visit. Moreover, among the scholars of the dynasty, there were not a few who were especially good at combat. Xu Qing: "Have you two brothers achieved results with the Bull Demon Strong Fist?" This Bull Demon Strong Fist required one’s body to be fully grown to be suitable for cultivating it, otherwise, it might hinder one’s own development. Therefore, Xu Qing initially focused on the Eight Diagram Wandering Palm, and only after achieving Great Success, did he plan to try cultivating the Bull Demon Strong Fist. Besides, he could also take this opportunity to observe the progress of Guard Wang and Guard Ma. There was another motive for Xu Qing’s visit. Additionally, the cultivation of the Bull Demon Strong Fist required corresponding medicinal prescriptions. Xu Qing wasn’t sure how effective the supplemental medicine he provided would be for their practice of the Bull Demon Strong Fist. Guard Ma clasped his hands and said, "My senior brother excels in Vajra Leg, so the results of the Bull Demon Strong Fist aren’t as good on him as they are on me." He was proficient in Iron Sand Palm, and the Bull Demon Strong Fist was well suited for him. Of course, that didn’t mean that the Bull Demon Strong Fist was useless for Guard Wang. After all, this was a martial arts method that primarily focused on strength training and muscle conditioning. The results Guard Ma referred to were mainly concentrated on their combat skill. The fist and palm are not separate families. If one’s boxing techniques are impressive, their palm techniques won’t be poor. Xu Qing knew that Guard Ma was intentionally reminding him that it might be better not to take on both of them at once and to first spar individually to gauge the level of skill. Xu Qing took the hint with good grace: "I was brash just now. Guard Ma, let’s have a practice duel." He was a young man; making a slip of the tongue wasn’t a big deal. Moreover, sometimes when interacting with close people, being too afraid of misspeaking isn’t good either; it indicates that the relationship isn’t strong enough, which can actually distance the relationship even more. In fact, not every great figure is deeply scheming. On the contrary, the higher the position, the less concern they typically have, and they tend to be more genuine in their disposition. For example, in Xu Qing’s previous life, during the Yong Zheng Dynasty, Jiao Huang’s portrayal of Kangxi was calculated and held great wisdom, which everyone admired. In reality, however, Kangxi was more like Chen Daoming’s interpretation: quick-tempered and prone to anger, sometimes even physically striking people during court assemblies... In essence, once someone starts to harbor the thought of restraining themselves, it reveals that, inherently, they tend to be temperamental. Someone without temper doesn’t need to restrain themselves at all. In the realm of nothingness, how can dust be stirred? Xu Qing and Guard Ma adopted their stances and began practicing together. Guard Wang observed from the side. Despite the Bull Demon Strong Fist not enhancing Guard Wang’s combat skill by much, in a real battle to the death, Guard Wang would still have a higher chance of winning. The reason being, at the same level, leg techniques simply have stronger power than fist and palm techniques. Just like with sword and sabre practice, they are not as effective as spear practice. If you practice the sword or sabre, slashing or stabbing may not kill your opponent in one strike. Yet, for those who practice the spear, a direct thrust can often take a life. The same principle applies to leg techniques. An inch longer, an inch stronger. Besides, the strength in one’s legs exceeds that of the hands. The two of them began sparring in the Government’s Martial Arts Arena. There were even some sandbags hanging around. Guard Ma slid forward and swung a palm strike, not aiming at Xu Qing but at a sandbag not far from him. A loud blast was heard. The sandbag actually burst open. Although just a single layer of coarse cloth, the sandbag rupture clearly demonstrated the power of Guard Ma’s punch. He was demonstrating his punching power first to ensure Xu Qing would not underestimate his strength. "Good," Xu Qing praised, then said, "Guard Ma, I’m aware of the stakes, let’s begin."

Chapter 60 - 56: Testing Skills

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