I Can See Your Combat Power

Xu Lao Ying was quite bothered that he couldn’t showcase his wisdom, so his words became more blunt.

When Du Ziteng heard the biggest secret of Red Cloud Village being revealed and his family’s martial arts technique being insulted, he was filled with humiliation and anger. He glared at Xu Lao Ying and said, “You can kill me, but you can’t denigrate my Du family’s martial arts. You’re only bullying me because my abilities are weak. If my family’s experts were here, they wouldn’t let you be so arrogant!”

Xu Lao Ying puckered his lips, turned around, and walked towards Mi Bai without responding to such foolish tough talk.

His education from the noble family told him not to bother with such things. Speaking even one more word would be beneath him.

The sight of Xu Lao Ying’s attitude further infuriated Du Ziteng. He wanted to rush up for a debate, but was pulled back by Tang Luo.

Du Ziteng, his collar gripped, forced himself to turn back and said angrily, “Tang Tianjiao, I appreciate your life-saving grace, but I cannot sit idly by while my family’s martial art technique is insulted. Even if it means shedding blood on Red Cloud Mountain, I must ask for justice!”

“Have you been away from Xiling City for too long?” Tang Luo asked abruptly, still holding onto Du Ziteng’s collar.

Du Ziteng’s face darkened even further. “So what if I have?” He demanded defiantly.

“Then you probably don’t know that the person who disparaged your family’s martial arts is the young master of the Xu Sheng family,” Tang Luo said, letting go of Du Ziteng’s collar.

The young Du Ziteng, looking as though he had been frightened into stillness, swallowed and turned to ask, “The Xu Sheng family? Which Xu Sheng?” Tang Luo responded with a hint of sarcasm, “Have you heard of a second Xu

Sheng?”

Du Ziteng’s face fell, but he held his head high, “Just because they are a noble family, can they insult others’ ancestral martial arts techniques? How could they understand how tough it is for my Du family to practice the Red Cloud Skill? just because he was born privileged, does he have the right to humiliate me?”

Young people are always sensitive and suspicious. Even a common appraisal can hurt their feelings, making them feel insulted.

But most of the time, such supposed insults stem from ignorance.

“Martial arts techniques do not have an inherent ranking. Even the most powerful skills are created from breathing practices, which you must understand,” Tang Luo explained, looking at Du Ziteng.

Du Ziteng nodded along, a grudge against Xu Lao Ying’s words still evident on his face.

Tang Luo smiled and continued, “But among the martial arts techniques in the world, are you aware of any lower-class techniques?

Lower-class techniques? Du Ziteng looked confused because in his understanding, martial arts were only classified into five levels: Heavenly, Earthly, Mystical, Yellow, and Mortal.

Looking at Du Ziteng’s reaction, Tang Luo knew he was dealing with another martial artist who was ignorant about martial arts. He explained, “Heavenly, Earthly, Mystical, Yellow, and Mortal are classifications made after the flourishing of martial arts, graded based on the limit to which a martial art can be practiced.”

“And those classifications are not immutable. For example, if a dazzling practitioner of a Yellow Rank technique manages to reach the Fierce Realm and creates several martial techniques based on the technique’s qi circulation method, then that technique would gain a Mystical rank. Do you understand?” When Du Ziteng heard this, he was shocked. He always thought that the ranking of martial arts techniques was fixed. However, in common folklore, most protagonists found a high-ranked martial art technique and practiced it until they reached the peak. He had never heard of advancing the rank of a martial art technique.

This difference in understanding was what set apart martial artists and martial art scholars. Tang Luo smiled and continued, “But before the flourishing of martial arts, many sects made various obscure attempts, such as cultivating by drawing from different types of spiritual energy in the world, or utilizing some precious heavenly treasures to cultivate, or even absorbing the spiritual power from others to speed up cultivation.”

“Your Du family’s Red Cloud Skill is one such technique that requires the use of a precious earthly treasure for cultivation, isn’t that right?

The secret that Red Cloud Village had been desperately hiding was casually revealed. Du Ziteng felt a deep sense of shame as if he were standing naked before Tang Luo. He stiffly responded, “So what? According to the current ranking system, our Red Cloud Skill, once elevated to the Fierce Realm, is officially a Mystical Rank technique. It’s equal to your Tang Clan’s Heavenly Pathway Technique. How can anyone make fun of it!

Comparing the Red Cloud Skill with the Heavenly Pathway Technique? Tang Luo couldn’t help but smile. Ignorance indeed gives people the most confidence. He avoided arguing about the rank and asked pleasantly, Even if it’s of the same rank, do you know what the problem with relying on precious earthly treasures for cultivation is?”

Du Ziteng’s face darkened once more. As an inheritor of the Du family, how could he not understand the problem with the Red Cloud Skill? This technique, which requires Red Cloud Crystal Core for cultivation, grants its practitioner incredible strength as well as great resistance against spiritual energy attacks and a boost in physical defense once mastery is achieved. However, the huge resource requirement is a key factor restricting the number of people who can actually practice this technique.

in his eyes, unless the world was full of Red Cloud Crystals, the Red Cloud Skill would never flourish. Perhaps that’s the way of the Heavenly Dao. You gain some, you lose some.

Having realized this, his eyes brightened again. He replied, “Though the resources might be scarce, each martial artist who practices the Red Cloud Skill possesses incredible combat power. Even if it is limited by resources, what’s the harm?”

“You really are naively adorable,” Tang Luo couldn’t help but laugh. “Surely you don’t think that’s the only downside I was referring to?

“Cultivating with heavenly treasures will endow the cultivator with some characteristics of the treasure used. For instance, your Red Cloud Skill will provide you with the characteristics of the Red Cloud Crystal, such as heightened resistance against spiritual energy. However, this benefit is trivial compared to its drawbacks.”

“Martial arts like these, which rely on heavenly treasures, are extremely difficult to pass down. Let alone reaching the Fierce Realm, it’s difficult even for martial artists at the Mortal Realm to bear offspring after practicing this martial art. Even if they do, the child has a very high risk of dying young!” On hearing this, Du Ziteng asked incredulously, “Are you saying the reason why the Du lineage has so few people is because we practice the Red Cloud Skill? No. That’s impossible, you’re lying to me!”

Tang Luo merely curled his lips and clearly stated, “Do I have a reason to he to you about something like this? Moreover, this Red Cloud Skill of yours not only relies on precious earthly treasures for cultivation, it is also a Bridal Clothes Technique.”

Still absorbed in the disturbing fact that their martial art hinders fertility, Du Ziteng was numb to anything else he heard. He simply looked blankly at Tang Luo.

A Bridal Clothes Technique is a set of martial arts originally intended for servants to cultivate. It is immediately absorbed by core disciples once they practice it. Its practitioners are easily controlled and are particularly susceptible to superior martial arts techniques. In simple words, this martial art was built to assist advanced martial arts techniques from the get-go. Your ancestors happened to arrive at Xiling City with this manual and by a stroke of luck, stumbled upon Red Cloud Mountain. Otherwise, this technique would be impossible to cultivate..”