Yang Xuan looked at the manual in his hand. He hadn't had many attack techniques before, so he had to learn whatever he could. Now that he was accumulating various martial arts, he didn't plan to stop. However, it was getting quite complex. If he could master all kinds of martial arts, that would be ideal.
Take internal strength, for example. Based on the basis of the North Sea Divine Art, if he could incorporate Nine Yin and Nine Yang techniques, he could balance multiple inner strengths. For hand-to-hand combat, he would need a foundational framework like the Tianshan Zhemei Hand.
"Jiumozhi is gone thanks to me, so I plan to stay in Dali for a few days. If there's anything you can't handle, you can come to me," Yang Xuan said to the people of the Tianlong Temple.
"I wanted to ask, sir..." Duan Zhengchun began.
"You can just call me Yang Xuan directly. Phrases like 'sir' are too formal for me; I'm not used to it," Yang Xuan replied.
"Yang Xuan, I'd like to know how much power you used when you fought with Jiemozhi earlier," Duan Zhengchun inquired.
"Let me think... Hmmm, it probably didn't exceed two levels. I didn't want to kill a Grandmaster of Buddhism. If I had gone all out, one move would have been enough to take his life. Oh, and don't worry about Liu Mai Shen Jian. I won't share it, and your ancestral martial art is something most people can't practice. It requires extremely deep internal strength," Yang Xuan humbly replied.
With the manual in hand, Yang Xuan left the Tianlong Temple. As he walked to the entrance, he browsed through the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill. This martial art had thirteen levels. The first level was quite simple and even an average person could learn it within a year or two. The second level was twice as deep and took three to four years. The third level was again twice as deep and took seven to eight years, and so on, with each level requiring increasingly more time and effort. Yang Xuan's math wasn't great, but if he completed all 13 levels, it would take over 16,000 years. However, there was a catch; this was only for those with poor aptitude. When he saw the Golden Wheel Monk who had mastered the tenth level, Yang Xuan estimated that he had nearly a ton of force, equivalent to a hundred pounds per level of power. Yang Xuan was not satisfied with these results.
"Strengthen the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill," Yang Xuan silently chanted. His body began to experience a similar strain to when he had strengthened the North Sea Divine Art.
"Learn the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill."
Gradually, his body began to feel stronger. It truly lived up to its reputation as an extraordinary body refinement skill within the world of Jin Yong. After enhancement, it was even more powerful. Initially, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill converted external force into internal power. After mastering just one level, he had already gained 200 pounds of strength, which was twice the original power.
The physical enhancement continued, reaching the strength of three ordinary people. Coupled with the first level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, he had strength equivalent to 45 people.
For the past few days, Yang Xuan had been busy practicing martial arts and exploring. After all, he was in ancient times, so he had to bring some ancient jewelry to gift to his women.
One day, Yang Xuan left his room, bought a good horse, and ordered several sets of clean clothes. He felt that the attire from the Song Dynasty was quite nice, but the hat felt somewhat odd. Yang Xuan looked at himself in the mirror, scratching his head; he really had a scholarly air.
"Hey, isn't that Mr. Yang?" A voice came from behind Yang Xuan.
"Oh, it's Duan Zhengchun. Is there something you need?" Yang Xuan inquired nonchalantly.
"Mr. Yang, what's with this attire today? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just an ordinary scholar. It's just that the all-black look isn't very festive," Duan Zhengchun remarked, puzzled.
"It's fine, isn't it? It's not much different from Duan Yu's clothes, and I've always liked black," Yang Xuan explained.
Most of the time, Yang Xuan wore red or black clothes. Red complemented his skin tone, while black was simply his preference, as it didn't show stains easily.
"Mr. Yang, I have a favor to ask today. Would you be interested in helping?" Duan Zhengchun asked curiously. After all, there were only a few top martial artists in the world who could give the Nanjing King a headache.
"It's the Four Great Villains, they've kidnapped my son. But the Four Great Villains are formidable, and my guards can't resist them. Especially their leader, Evildoer, who is very powerful," Duan Zhengchun shared his predicament.
"The Four Great Villains? Good, I'd love to see their skills. Let's go and take a look. You lead the way," Yang Xuan said with style as he mounted his horse, though he didn't really know how to ride a horse.
After a while, Yang Xuan halted his horse. Startled by Duan Zhengchun's shout, he had been taken by surprise.
"Don't make a fuss; it's just the Four Great Villains, right? If you release Duan Yu now, I won't pursue the matter any further. But if you don't, when I act, your fate won't look too good," Yang Xuan stated straightforwardly.
"Who are you? Do you believe I'll snap your head off with a single word? Ridiculous," Yue Laosan said as he gestured with his staff.
"Cut it out. Your boss hasn't said much, and you, an old-timer of a thousand years, are just spouting nonsense. Really full of yourself," Yang Xuan sneered.
"Sir, you're not giving the Four Great Villains any face. Moreover, with just a few words, you want us to release someone? You're overestimating yourself. Today, we're here to settle the score. I'm taking back what's mine," Duan Yanqing said resolutely.
"Ah, I was prepared to deal with it myself, but that's my son after all. You have no choice," Duan Zhengchun lamented.
"I originally directed my heart towards the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch." Yang Xuan sighed helplessly.
He drew his Jian sword with his right hand and attacked Duan Yanqing. Duan Yanqing swung his crutch with great force, but halfway through his attack, the sword's aura suddenly changed direction, targeting a tree. There was a loud scream, and a black figure dropped from the tree. It was none other than Yun Zhonghe, the last of the Four Great Villains.
Yang Xuan applied force with both hands, pulling Yun Zhonghe and Ye Erniang into his grasp. He grabbed them by the neck.
"One is a lecherous villain, and the other kidnaps babies. You deserve to die. You won't escape tonight, and your fates will be sealed," Yang Xuan declared. Moments later, after fully activating the North Sea Divine Art, Yun Zhonghe and Ye Erniang's faces turned pale. After a short while, both of them turned into dust.
