Chapter Fifty-Eight: Strength-Pay-to-Win Martial Saint(Sun Shuai speaks in verse with every word he utters.)

The diagram sought by Tang Mingwu and his companions must surely be hidden within that iron box! At this moment, Qin Yi could hardly restrain his desire to open the box and take a look, but remembering Elder Zhang Daoxuan’s warning against opening it lightly, he forced himself to hold back.

“It seems that when I first encountered Elder Zhang Daoxuan, he didn’t strike me down because he saw me using the Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist, the Yaoguang Movement, and the Tianxuan Step.”

The Taixuan Dao Palace, like the Qingwei Dao Palace, shares the same roots. He was certain that this elder had recognized his martial arts techniques, which was why there was no murderous intent towards him.

“If I hadn’t used those martial arts at the time, the outcome might have been entirely different.” The thought sent cold sweat streaming down Qin Yi’s back every time it crossed his mind.

These days, he considered his own strength not insignificant, yet before these ninth-rank masters, he was still far from being their equal!

“Elder Zhang Daoxuan must also be a prodigy, possessing the power of the ninth rank.” In this, Qin Yi saw a resemblance to himself.

His master, Wang Qingxuan, had once said that none of the nine Dao branches possessed top-tier martial arts, so for that elder to have reached the ninth rank, he must have achieved it by mastering and combining many different martial arts, each adding to his overall strength!

And most of those must have been sixth-rank martial arts, for although Qin Yi himself had mastered five fifth-rank techniques, he did not possess such terrifying power.

The search for the diagram continued the following day. For now, the task fell to the constables and a portion of the city guards; the county garrison had dispatched four thousand troops to the front lines that morning to suppress the rebels.

By afternoon, though Qin Yi’s injuries had not yet healed, they no longer prevented him from training. Elder Zhang Daoxuan’s palm, though fierce in appearance, had merely sent him flying with force, not inflicting serious harm.

Three days passed quietly.

That afternoon, in his room—

“System panel.”

Qin Yi:

Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist: Mastered (Fivefold Force)
Tianshu Palm: Mastered
Yaoguang Movement: Mastered (Leap and Shift)
Qingxu Skill: Embryonic Breath
Tianxuan Step: Mastered (Instant Step)
Tianquan Claw: Mastered (Penetrating Depth)
Heart Purification Skill: Transformation
Golden Snake Thrust: Beginner+
Meteor Chasing the Moon Step: Beginner+
Energy Points: 35

“At last, I’ve entered the beginner's stage.”

“Upgrade Golden Snake Thrust to mastery!”

A surge of warmth rose in Qin Yi’s limbs and bones, coursing through his body, strengthening him in some subtle way.

A figure appeared in his mind, demonstrating Golden Snake Thrust.

In the sunlight, the golden dagger split light and shadow, feinting with a flick of its tail, striking true with a venomous thrust. Every move exuded deadly intent, each one uncanny and cunning.

Three years of hard training.
Ten years of painstaking effort.
Thirty years of relentless practice.

As the figure elevated Golden Snake Thrust to its pinnacle, he suddenly entered a mysterious state.

A golden flash stabbed forth—like a snake swallowing a whale!

“Indeed, another secret technique revealed!”

When the enhancement ended, Qin Yi realized his strength had increased by a tenth. Although still within the bounds of seventh-rank power, every tenth added made him that much stronger!

No, with his current speed paired with Golden Snake Thrust, his strength was surely boosted by more than just a tenth!

“Next, upgrade Meteor Chasing the Moon Step to mastery!”

“Hm? Unable to upgrade?” Qin Yi discovered he lacked enough energy points to elevate it to mastery.

After upgrading Golden Snake Thrust, he had twenty points remaining.

“This sixth-rank movement technique requires two points per step to begin? No wonder it’s not enough!” Qin Yi frowned.

“Time to buy some medicine and recharge.” At present, he had over a hundred taels of silver, all acquired during the recent citywide sweep.

A quarter hour later.

Inside a venerable pharmacy, Qin Yi purchased ten taels’ worth of restorative medicines, returned home, and used them to recharge, instantly gaining twelve energy points.

“Upgrade Meteor Chasing the Moon Step to mastery!”

In his mind, a figure danced beneath the moon, stepping gracefully with Meteor Chasing the Moon Step.

After twenty minutes, the technique reached mastery.

Qin Yi found himself granted another secret movement skill!

Qin Yi:

Meteor Chasing the Moon Step: Mastered (Moon Step)
Energy Points: 2

“Swallowing the Whale, Moon Step!” Qin Yi gazed at the two new secret skills on his panel, feeling an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

In terms of strength, the mastery of Meteor Chasing the Moon Step had added another tenth to his power. Coupled with the previous boost from Golden Snake Thrust, he tested himself and found that, compared to Peng Shaozheng’s eighth-rank power, though he had not yet reached that level, he was not far off.

As for speed, with three movement techniques at mastery, his current speed was clearly superior to before!

“I need to find a place to test this.”

“But with the city under lockdown, I’d best wait until nightfall.”

That evening.

Qin Yi donned his night attire, concealed his face, and quietly vanished from his room.

Beneath the cloak of darkness.

A shadow slipped silently through the night.

The next moment, he landed softly atop a rooftop.

“Without using any secret skills, my speed is three-tenths faster than before! If I were to face Elder Zhang Daoxuan now, with both of us using secret techniques, even if my speed isn’t quite on par with his, it wouldn’t be far behind!” Qin Yi estimated inwardly.

“My speed should already be at the level of a ninth-rank master, though I’m not sure exactly where I stand within that range.”

He then found an unoccupied house and began testing various secret skills.

He wanted to see if, with two more martial arts mastered, that stabbing pain would return as before!

After a quarter hour.

When Qin Yi pushed his secret skills nearly to their limits, the stabbing sensation reappeared within him!

“As expected, the pain returns!” Though he had anticipated it, Qin Yi was nonetheless frustrated.

Though this time the pain was less intense than before, it was still present!

Which meant his body was experiencing problems again.

Ever since he had mastered his fifth martial art, the stabbing pain had begun. Later, after learning his second literary skill, Heart Purification, the symptoms vanished. Now, having mastered his seventh martial art, the pain had returned.

“Looks like I need to find a third literary skill to learn.” Qin Yi frowned.

“Is it a problem with my body, or with these second-rate and third-rate martial arts?”

His master, Wang Qingxuan, hadn’t figured it out either, so all Qin Yi could do was speculate.

“I’ll find a chance to ask someone!”

(Votes for monthly recommendations requested!)