Chapter 27: Seven Fengtian Techniques
After returning from the Cruise Ship Mission, Lu Changfeng settled back into the peaceful life of the Retainer Hall.
Given the Wang Family’s current standing as the foremost power in Feng City, missions for their Retainers were actually few and easy, typically posing little threat.
No one wanted to risk mortally offending the Wang Family.
Lu Changfeng asked the other Retainers in the Retainer Hall. On average, a mission came up only once a month, and it was often two or three months before it was one’s turn.
So, early the next morning, Lu Changfeng prepared to visit the Retainer Collection Pavilion, which the Wang Family made available to its Retainers.
Access to the Wang Family’s collection of Martial Arts had been one of Lu Changfeng’s conditions for becoming a Retainer.
Since the cooldown on his duplication ability was long, Lu Changfeng planned to use his time as a Retainer to thoroughly cultivate all the Martial Arts the Wang Family had to offer.
With his Martial Arts Talent, he could easily grasp the basics of many techniques.
Every little bit helped. The more techniques he mastered, the stronger he would naturally become.
Lu Changfeng made his way to the Scripture Pavilion.
The caretaker of the Scripture Pavilion was an elderly Cultivator in the Blood Forging Realm. After examining Lu Changfeng’s Retainer Token and verifying his identity, he allowed him to enter.
The Scripture Pavilion had only two floors. The first floor housed Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts for the Blood Forging Realm, while the second floor was for the Tendon Transformation Realm.
Lu Changfeng first took a look around the first floor.
In total, there were sixteen Blood Forging Techniques and nearly a hundred Martial Arts Techniques.
The sheer number of techniques was a testament to the Wang Family’s power.
Lu Changfeng selected two Martial Arts Techniques for his daily training: the Fist Technique, "Long-Armed Great Ape Fist," and the Saber Technique, "Blood-Drinking Frenzy Saber."
Both were considered highly difficult to master and were among the highest-level Martial Arts Techniques in the Scripture Pavilion.
Masterpieces among the Martial Arts of the Blood Forging Realm.
For example, once "Blood-Drinking Frenzy Saber" was cultivated to the Perfection level, its power should far exceed that of his Falling Leaves Saber Technique.
There was no official ranking system for Blood Forging Realm Martial Arts, but Lu Changfeng could discern their quality based on his experience.
As for the Blood Forging Techniques, Lu Changfeng glanced at a few and found they were not much different from his "Le Mountain Angry Vajra."
Or perhaps the Wang Family kept its better Blood Forging Techniques somewhere other than the Retainer Collection Pavilion.
After selecting the two Martial Arts, Lu Changfeng headed up the stairs to the second floor.
He was currently at the Blood Forging Sixth Layer, on the verge of breaking through to the Tendon Transformation Realm. There was no harm in taking an early look at the techniques for that realm.
The collection on the second floor was much smaller.
There were a total of five Internal Cultivation Methods for the Tendon Transformation Realm.
And twenty-six Martial Arts Techniques for the Tendon Transformation Realm.
Lu Changfeng first leafed through the Martial Arts Techniques for the Tendon Transformation Realm.
Martial Arts Techniques for the Tendon Transformation Realm were vastly different from those of the Blood Forging Realm. They involved the use of Inner Strength, with the stances themselves incorporating methods for channeling it, making them completely unsuitable for a Blood Forging Martial Artist to practice.
After flipping through a few of them, Lu Changfeng lost interest.
He foresaw spending a good while longer in the Blood Forging Realm.
So, he wouldn’t be able to practice these Tendon Transformation Martial Arts anytime soon.
Lu Changfeng turned his attention to the five Internal Cultivation Methods for the Tendon Transformation Realm.
The quality of an Internal Cultivation Method could be judged by the initial number of meridians it could open.
A quick glance told Lu Changfeng that all five Internal Cultivation Methods for the Tendon Transformation Realm initially opened around twenty meridians.
The best one opened twenty-four, making it slightly better than the Tendon Transformation Heart Method his master, Zhang Desheng, had given him.
He briefly reviewed the steps for internal cultivation in the Tendon Transformation Realm.
Then, Lu Changfeng put down the technique manual.
"Hm?"
Just as he was about to leave, Lu Changfeng noticed a book lying flat on top of a bookshelf.
The book’s cover was made of some unknown black animal hide, making it easy to overlook.
Lu Changfeng reached out and took the book down. A thick layer of dust had settled on its cover.
Lu Changfeng brushed off the dust and gently opened the book.
On the first page, three large words were written: "Seven Fengtian Techniques."
It appeared to be a Martial Arts Technique.
Lu Changfeng kept reading. The second page showed a nine-square grid, which used illustrations and text to describe a training method for a Saber Technique.
The following nine pages detailed the advanced stages of the Saber Technique.
It was divided into nine layers.
With each layer, the weight of the saber used for practice had to increase, reaching an outrageous nine hundred and ninety-nine jin for the final layer.
’Is this even possible for a human to master?’
Curiosity compelled Lu Changfeng to keep reading.
The content that followed was actually a cultivation method for the Tendon Transformation Realm!
’Initial number of opened meridians... eighty-one?!’
’Can anyone actually achieve that?’
Failing a breakthrough to the Tendon Transformation Realm would damage one’s meridians. A second attempt might require switching to a different Heart Method entirely. In severe cases, the damage could be so extensive that advancing to the Tendon Transformation Realm would become impossible forever.
’It can be done!’
Yet a voice in Lu Changfeng’s heart told him it was.
’If I can complete the Nine-Layered Saber Technique training, I might actually be able to master this Martial Arts Technique!’
Lu Changfeng continued to read.
The Seven Fengtian Techniques, First Form: Yellow Heaven Form!
Other than those words, the page was completely blank.
And this was the last page of the book.
After a moment’s thought, Lu Changfeng took the book and went downstairs to find the old caretaker of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Senior, do you know anything about this ’Seven Fengtian Techniques’?"
The old man glanced up at the book in Lu Changfeng’s hand and replied, "Oh? Of course I do."
"That’s an old relic from right here in Feng City. No one’s sure where it originated."
"But don’t you believe a word of it. If you actually try to train using its methods, you’ll cripple yourself for sure."
"This technique was probably made up by some bastard novelist to mess with people. I’ll admit, it looks convincing."
The old man spoke with a touch of bitterness, as if he had fallen for this technique’s ruse in his youth.
After a moment’s thought, Lu Changfeng asked, "Can I make a copy?"
"Of course, no problem."
"It’s fine to read it like a storybook, but whatever you do, don’t try to practice it."
The old man took "Seven Fengtian Techniques" from Lu Changfeng and copied the first few pages.
He didn’t copy the last page, since there was nothing on it but the words ’Yellow Heaven Form’.
"Alright, here’s the copy. You can go now," the old man said.
Lu Changfeng nodded. As he looked at the original "Seven Fengtian Techniques," still open to the last page on the old man’s desk, an idea suddenly struck him.
"Senior, allow me to put the book back for you."
"Oh? Thanks! That saves this old man a trip up the stairs!"
The old man handed "Seven Fengtian Techniques" over.
Lu Changfeng took it and headed for the second floor.
Back in front of the bookshelf on the second floor, Lu Changfeng once again opened "Seven Fengtian Techniques" to the final page.
’The Seven Fengtian Techniques, First Form: Yellow Heaven Form!’
It was still just those words, with blank space below.
Lu Changfeng took a shallow breath, then channeled a surge of power within his body as naturally as lifting an arm.
Saber Intent! His Falling Leaves Saber Intent!
HUM.
The surface of the book trembled slightly, vibrated by his Saber Intent.
Apart from that, nothing changed.
Lu Changfeng was a little disappointed. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this technique was more than just a simple work of fiction.
’Whatever. I’ll go back and try practicing it anyway.’
’If it really doesn’t work out, I can always come back and get a copy of "Long-Armed Great Ape Fist" and the "Blood-Drinking Frenzy Saber" Saber Technique.’