Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 188: Chapter 145: Palm Blade! Sprint to Ultimate

In the evening, the sky was a blanket of crimson.

The sun was sinking in the west, its afterglow washing over the entire residential area. The glass windows of the buildings reflected the red light, and even the leaves of the roadside trees were edged in gold.

The park was in the eastern part of the city, a moderately-sized neighborhood park sandwiched between two old residential complexes.

It was dinnertime, so the people coming and going were all in a hurry. Few had the leisure to appreciate the sunset.

Wan Ze followed a gravel path inward, passed through a sparse bamboo grove, and arrived at the lakeside pavilion.

A middle-aged man sat in the pavilion, his collar pulled tight and his neck shrunken into his shoulders. He immediately looked up at the sound of footsteps.

Seeing Wan Ze approach, he froze for a moment, then quickly stood up and got straight to the point. ”Are you Mr. Tan?”

”I am.” Wan Ze stepped forward.

The middle-aged man quickly broke into a smile. He rubbed his hands together and said bluntly, ”Mr. Tan, you can take a look at this Martial Skill of mine. I can teach it to you in person. The price is negotiable.”

Wan Ze’s expression was calm. ”Can I take a look first?”

”Of course, of course.” The middle-aged man nodded eagerly. ”I know the rules.”

He took a thin booklet from his coat, opened it only to the first two pages, and held it in front of Wan Ze. The man would turn the pages, and Wan Ze could only watch from the side.

Wan Ze looked at the cover of the booklet. Two words were written on it... *Palm Blade*.

The middle-aged man explained, ”Mr. Tan, although this is a Palm Technique, it shares common ground with a Saber Technique. To strike with the palm is to strike with a blade. Every move must have the momentum of a lone warrior charging forward, fearless and unstoppable! Without that kind of spirit, you can’t master this Palm Technique.”

Wan Ze lowered his gaze and scanned the first two pages.

The content described the essentials of force generation... how to concentrate one’s qi and blood at the edge of the palm, and how to unleash a burst of power akin to a saber strike at the moment of impact.

The text was simple, the illustrations clear. It was obviously the real deal.

Unfortunately, seeing so little wasn’t enough to activate the Illustrated Guide.

However, the quality of the content on these two pages was quite good, at least upper-intermediate.

He raised his eyes to the middle-aged man. ”I’ll take this Martial Skill.”

The middle-aged man was overjoyed. A smile had just appeared on his face when he quickly suppressed it, adopting a reserved expression. He opened his mouth, wanting to name a price, but he was afraid of lowballing himself and afraid of scaring Wan Ze off by asking for too much.

Wan Ze pondered for a moment before stating succinctly, ”Thirty thousand.”

The middle-aged man was stunned for a second, then nodded repeatedly. ”Okay, okay, thirty thousand it is.”

Wan Ze took a check from his coat, signed it, and handed it over.

The middle-aged man took it with both hands and held it close to his eyes, examining it repeatedly.

He squinted at it for a long time, then flipped it over to look at the back, then held it up to the sunset, his face clearly showing hesitation.

Seeing this, Wan Ze said, ”If you’re worried, I can accompany you to the national bank to withdraw the money first.”

The middle-aged man froze.

He looked up at Wan Ze, a hint of shame flashing across his face.

He quickly waved his hands and said with an embarrassed laugh, ”No rush, no rush... Mr. Tan, you’re being so frank, it’s making me feel a little embarrassed.”

He carefully folded the check and tucked it into an inner pocket. ”Since you trust me, Mr. Tan, I won’t be petty. Let me first tell you how to practice this Palm Blade... striking with the palm like a blade, the key lies in four words... point of no return.

”Your Essence, Qi, and Spirit, your mind, will, and strength—everything must be focused on a single point. Only then can you unleash the greatest power and speed. When you go back to practice, you can start with stance training to find that feeling of ’the palm is the blade’...”

Wan Ze took the booklet and opened it.

He read ten lines at a glance, his eyes moving quickly.

The middle-aged man continued, ”...When you practice, you must be careful not to let your power disperse. If it scatters, it’s useless. When I first learned this technique, it took me half a month just to get a feel for it...”

As he chattered on, Wan Ze had already finished the last page.

The data panel before his eyes flickered slightly.

[Illustrated Guide: Palm Blade]

[Skill Beginner Level Satisfaction Conditions: Practice this technique three times]

He closed the booklet, smiled with satisfaction, and tucked it into his coat.

”Let’s go. I’ll take you to the bank.”

The middle-aged man was taken aback.

He looked at Wan Ze, then at the booklet in his coat, and instead of moving, he said, ”Um... Mr. Tan, Palm Blade isn’t that easy to cultivate. Why don’t you try practicing a few moves while I’m here? If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me anytime.”

”No need.”

”No, I’m serious.” The middle-aged man grew anxious, a note of sincerity in his voice. ”Don’t try to be a tough guy. You’ve spent the money, and if you don’t learn it, I don’t offer refunds.”

Wan Ze looked at him and smiled. ”Don’t worry.”

With that, he turned and walked away. After a few steps, he looked back and gestured with his chin at the man. ”Aren’t you coming? Any later and you won’t be able to withdraw that money today.”

The middle-aged man stood frozen for two seconds before hurrying to catch up.

...

Time passed quickly.

Night fell.

[Illustrated Guide: Palm Blade] (Beginner Level Mastered)

[Skill Basic Satisfaction Conditions: Practice this technique twenty times]

...

[Illustrated Guide: Palm Blade] (Basic Mastered)

[Skill Intermediate Satisfaction Conditions: Practice this technique one hundred times]

...

[Illustrated Guide: Palm Blade] (Intermediate Mastered)

[Effect: All Attributes +0.01, additional Power +0.01, Coordination +0.01]

[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Practice this technique two thousand times]

Wan Ze practiced Palm Blade repeatedly. After a full three hours, he had already cultivated it to the Intermediate level. Feeling the abundant physical functions throughout his body, Wan Ze finally left under the cover of night.

When he got home, he went straight to his room and sat down cross-legged.

Spiritual Form, activate!

The moonlight outside the window seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, tying itself to his wrist and almost instantly pulling him into that mysterious world.

He opened his eyes.

Wan Ze found himself in a completely unfamiliar room.

As far as he could see, everything was antique and elegant.

A canopy bed made of zitan wood carved with hornless dragons was hung with moon-white curtains, which swayed gently in the breeze his arrival had created. Beneath the window was a huanghuali waisted table with everted flanges. On the table sat a celadon vase, and next to it, a paperweight held down a half-finished sheet of poetry paper. The small script was elegant, the ink still fresh.

Wan Ze focused his spirit slightly, stood up, and reached out.

A *Cold River Fishing Painting* hung on the wall, its brushwork sparse and desolate... As he reached out and touched it, a cool sensation surged forth.

[Stealing Celestial Secret: Magic Sense +12%]

’It really works!’

Wan Ze’s heart settled, and he began to speed up.

Beside it, an inkstone carved with cloud patterns... [Stealing Celestial Secret: Magic Sense +4%]

On the zitan curio shelf, a small bronze tripod... [Stealing Celestial Secret: Magic Sense +6%], Ding ware white porcelain... [Stealing Celestial Secret: Magic Sense +2%], an ancient book... [Stealing Celestial Secret: Magic Sense +4%]...

...

After absorbing a full 31% of Magic Sense, everything in the room had been depleted. Confirming that the door could not be opened,

Wan Ze sat down cross-legged in satisfaction, closed his eyes, concentrated his spirit, and began to circulate the Taiyin Breathing Technique.

The moment the Cultivation Technique activated, the vast moonlight was drawn in by an invisible vortex, scrambling to gather behind him.

Perhaps because of Phase Spirit Yin, this time, the shadow behind Wan Ze, elongated by the moonlight, seemed to come alive. Its edges writhed continuously, silently devouring the surrounding darkness.

With each pulse of the shadow, the speed at which the moonlight gathered quickened visibly. The silver radiance nearly solidified into tangible bands of light, coiling around his body.

Wan Ze also clearly noticed this change.

’The absorption speed has increased?’

His heart stirred. As he carefully sensed the influx of Moonlight into his body, he was even more surprised. ’It’s at least twice as fast.’

’At this rate, the High Level requirement of absorbing thirty thousand threads of Moonlight can be completed much sooner.’

Wan Ze opened his eyes and looked at the data panel floating in the void.

On it, notifications were rapidly scrolling: [Moonlight +1+1+1+1+...]

Each flickering number was like a plucked star falling into the depths of his Dantian, nourishing his entire body.

As time went on.

The strain of the Taiyin Breathing Technique on his body grew heavier, and the exhaustion welling up from the depths of his bone marrow became more and more pronounced.

Wan Ze felt a faint stinging pain in his meridians, and his muscles began to tense involuntarily. He knew his cultivation for the day had reached its limit.

Only then did he slowly withdraw his technique, gradually calming the flow of Moonlight.

He glanced out the window.

With a thought, he severed the Spiritual Form state.

The world before him blurred and faded like ripples in water.

The next moment, he had returned to reality.

...

Wan Ze looked at the data panel.

[Illustrated Guide: Taiyin Breathing Technique] (Intermediate Mastered)

[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Swallowing and Replenishing 30,000 Threads of Moonlight] (10145/30000)

’Phase Spirit...’

Wan Ze gazed at the Intermediate Skill’s effect, lost in thought.

Thanks to Phase Spirit Yin, the speed of swallowing and replenishing Moonlight had increased, making him look forward to this Breathing Technique’s High Level Skill even more.

His gaze moved downward.

He glanced at the Horizontal Training Technique.

His sparring with Zhai Jia over the past two days had been quite effective.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Horizontal Training Technique] (Special Level Mastered)

[Skill Ultimate Form Satisfaction Conditions: Rub body with sandpaper 10,000 times (7600/10000), and withstand 50 hits (50/50)]

’Almost there.’

Wan Ze averted his gaze. From outside the door came his sister Xiaoyu’s sleepy voice, ”Bro, are you still awake?”

”About to.”

Wan Ze replied. Xiaoyu mumbled goodnight, and her footsteps faded into the distance. Wan Ze listened quietly for a moment, then got up, stretched his limbs, and quickly went out to take a cold shower.

...

...

Holy City’s first snow of the year came earlier than usual.

A thin layer of white already covered the courtyard.

The snowflakes weren’t large, just like fine salt, fluttering down and landing on the eaves of the tiled roof.

In the rear courtyard of the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall, under the covered walkway.

”Ah Ze has been working so hard lately.”

Tan Xiao, wrapped in a jacket and holding a steaming cup of tea, gazed at the snow in the courtyard. Then, looking at the distant figure, he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

He saw Wan Ze at the martial arts hall almost every day.

He came when it was windy, he came when it rained, and now that it was snowing, he still came.

It was as if the kid didn’t know how to take a break, like he’d feel awful if he missed a single day of training.

Tan Xiao looked ashamed.

He was truly no match for that kind of self-discipline.

In the courtyard, Wan Ze had already finished his laps and returned.

It was his morning routine to run a few laps around the martial arts hall to warm up. Steam was rising from his body now, and any snowflakes that landed on his shoulders melted before they could settle.

He took off his outer robe, revealing the short training clothes underneath, and pulled a Yanling Saber from the weapon rack.

He gripped the saber in one hand and stood firm.

Then he began to swing.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The blade sliced through the air, creating a continuous whistling sound as one strike followed another without end.

Snowflakes drifted down, but the moment they neared the blade, they were diverted by the airflow, swirling around Wan Ze’s body.

Gradually, within a three-foot radius of his body, not a single snowflake could penetrate.

「Two hours later.」

Wan Ze lowered his saber and stood still.

He closed his eyes, feeling the newborn power coursing through his limbs and bones, a warm current washing over his muscles and sinews wave after wave.

Composing himself for a moment, he called up the data panel.

[Illustrated Guide: Jianghu One-Stroke Slash] (Special Level Mastered)

[New Effect: All Attributes +0.05]

[Skill Ultimate Satisfaction Conditions: Swing saber 100,000 times, and condense Sword Momentum]

...

’Another one done!’

Wan Ze chuckled and let out a breath.

His gaze shifted downward.

[Physical Strength: 2.02]

[Intelligence: 1.86]

[Agility: 1.98]

[Endurance: 1.96]

[Power: 2.11]

[Coordination: 1.97]

After his Power broke ”2,” his Physical Strength had also caught up.

In a little while, the era of all his Attributes breaking ”2” shouldn’t be far off.

Soon, Wan Ze’s gaze lingered for a moment on the [Intelligence] stat.

’Only 1.86...’

’Compared to the others, it’s really lagging behind. And to think, Intelligence used to be the fastest to increase.’

Wan Ze fell into deep thought.

’To raise Intelligence, I could rely on Middle-High Tier Martial Skills to raise All Attributes...’

’Didn’t that *Palm Blade* give me a bit of Intelligence?’

He thought of the middle-aged man who sold him the Palm Technique.

The man was quite honest. After the transaction was complete, he had even chased after him several times asking if he needed any pointers.

’But reading more specialized skill books could also work...’

He had been able to raise his Intelligence by reading books at school back then. There was no doubt about that.

’I’ll make some time to visit the library today... I might find something.’

Wan Ze made up his mind.

Only by raising All Attributes could he ensure he had no weaknesses.

He still had a fresh memory of his Intelligence dropping in that mysterious world. He never wanted to experience that feeling of slow reactions and stagnant thoughts again.

Then, he picked up a towel from the stone bench beside him and wiped the sweat from his face.