Chapter 21: Sparring

Chapter 21: Sparring

Yang Xiaoyun came from a family with deep martial roots. Her father, Yang Yizhi, received guidance from a renowned master in his youth, which enlightened him and allowed him to achieve early success.

He later became a disciple of Daoist Kumu on Mount Miaocang, under the tutelage of Master Tianya.

Before Daoist Kumu entered monastic life, he was already renowned in the martial world for his "Canglong Eight Desolate Cloud Piercing Spear."

After becoming a monk, he further mastered the authentic inner arts of the Daoist sect.

With decades of cultivation both internally and externally, he reached a transcendent level.

Yang Yizhi studied the spear for ten years and deeply understood its essence, thereby establishing the formidable reputation of the Iron Blood Escort Agency.

Yang Xiaoyun had a natural inclination towards martial arts since childhood. She practiced the Canglong Eight Desolate Cloud Piercing Spear from an early age, complemented by the authentic "Great Supreme Xuanting Scripture," making her quite formidable.

Even without using inner strength and substituting hands for a spear, the sheer power and ferocity of the spear technique were impressive.

Su Mo immediately adjusted his stance, employing the Purple Sun Sect's movement techniques. With a flick of his fingers, like plucking a lute, he deflected the "spear tip," causing Yang Xiaoyun to be slightly taken aback.

"You're good. Is that the Great Open Yang Scattering Hand? I remember seeing Uncle Su use this technique when I was young. It’s a subtle martial art that balances offense and defense."

"Uncle Su once told me that the essence of the Great Open Yang Scattering Hand lies in four words: 'simplicity conceals ingenuity.'"

"From what I saw just now, you’ve already achieved considerable skill."

"However, in actual combat, you need to support it with inner strength. Otherwise, if I had wielded a silver spear imbued with the Great Supreme Xuanting Scripture, you wouldn’t have been able to break through my spear tip given your current inner strength. You would have been injured instead."

In the martial world, practitioners often cultivate both internal and external skills. Internal cultivation focuses on qi in the dantian, while external training strengthens the body. Combining these with techniques maximizes their effectiveness.

In today’s world, martial arts flourish, and each school has its unique strengths.

As for which school or sect stands out?

Opinions vary widely.

In reality, no one dares to claim they are the best in the world, even those with resounding reputations. The outcome is only known after a real fight.

Su Mo’s first escort mission earned him the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art at its highest level, making him rare in the world.

His subsequent acquisition of the Seven Injuries Fist, an extremely powerful fist technique, further enhanced his skills.

With the experience of mastering the Seven Injuries Fist, he made rapid progress in the Purple Sun Sect’s martial arts during his seven days of practice at home.

At the start of their sparring session, upon hearing Yang Xiaoyun’s comments, Su Mo nodded:

"Again!"

He spread his arms and charged forward, using the Great Open Yang Scattering Hand once more.

"Good!"

Yang Xiaoyun was delighted, her eyes sparkling as she engaged Su Mo vigorously.

Of course... this was still a friendly sparring match, not a life-or-death battle.

They focused on breaking down techniques, without using inner strength, and held back their lethal moves.

After a prolonged exchange, Su Mo realized that Uncle Fu’s advice was indeed valid. Practicing alone at home was not enough; sparring with others accelerated progress.

Immersed in the sparring, nearly an hour had passed.

While Su Mo felt fine, Yang Xiaoyun was already sweating profusely and leaped back, raising her hand:

"Stop!"

Su Mo had already planned his next three moves to surprise her. Hearing her sudden call, he looked up and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Tired?"

"...Despite your youthful indulgence, you haven’t drained yourself? Fighting for nearly an hour without inner strength and still maintaining steady breath? How do you manage that? Did you somehow learn some strange dual cultivation technique in those brothels?"

Yang Xiaoyun marveled, adjusting her breathing.

Su Mo’s lips twitched. "Can you stop mentioning brothels all the time? And where did you get the idea about dual cultivation techniques? You should read less of those wild historical novels."

Yang Xiaoyun was momentarily stunned, not expecting Su Mo to counter her. She didn’t feel angry but was a bit uncomfortable.

She hesitated, saying, "If you don’t want me to mention those things, I won’t. But those novels do contain some truths amidst the fiction. Unexpected events can happen in the martial world, so it’s good to be prepared."

"Hmm, that’s reasonable."

Su Mo nodded.

"Your progress in martial arts is impressive. Today, I realized you’re truly a prodigy. Initially, you could only unleash about thirty percent of the Great Open Yang Scattering Hand’s power, but as we sparred, you grew increasingly proficient."

"Though not yet perfect, you’ve certainly entered the realm of mastery."

When speaking of this, Yang Xiaoyun's face was filled with a genuinely heartfelt smile.

"This is all because of your insightful guidance; only then could I make such rapid progress."

"Then let's practice and spar together every day from now on."

"..."

Su Mo was taken aback. How did the conversation lead to this?

Just as he was at a loss for how to respond, they heard quick footsteps approaching.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun looked up to see a servant approaching, bowing respectfully to Yang Xiaoyun: "Young Miss, Young Master Wu has come again."

"Why is he like a persistent ghost?"

Yang Xiaoyun frowned slightly.

Su Mo, however, was somewhat curious and perked up his ears.

Seeing his curiosity, Yang Xiaoyun directly explained: "Sunset City belongs to the Fallen Phoenix Alliance. Wu Daoyou, the Third Alliance Leader, is also the deputy city lord of Sunset City. You don't need me to tell you who this Young Master Wu is, right?"

"Wu Chenfeng?"

Su Mo was stunned. How could he not know about this person?

Being a native of Sunset City, if he didn't understand the dynamics of this territory, Su Mo would have wasted his two years of transmigration.

As far as he knew, Wu Chenfeng was indeed accomplished for his age, with exceptional martial arts skills among his peers and a good reputation, rarely engaging in frivolous behavior.

Just as he was pondering this, he heard Yang Xiaoyun say: "Tell him I'm not home and to come back in ten years."

Ten years later!?

Su Mo was speechless, but the servant showed no surprise, acknowledged her words, and turned to leave.

"Come, let's have some tea."

Yang Xiaoyun acted as if it were nothing and pulled Su Mo to sit down in the pavilion in the backyard.