I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1189 - Chapter 1189 Chapter Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Hiding

Chapter 1189: Chapter Four Hundred and Eighty-Three: Hiding One’s Talent Chapter 1189: Chapter Four Hundred and Eighty-Three: Hiding One’s Talent There are roughly two types of physical technique cultivation: one emphasizes rigid strength like a sturdy bridge and horse, while the other involves supple strength like a golden snake entwining.

Eventually, both paths converge at the same endpoint where toughness and softness are integrated, but in reality, these are two distinctly different paths from the beginning.

Xiehe has never seen a cultivator of physical techniques with a strength that is both rigid and supple; even those few saints who achieved the integration of toughness and softness merely displayed a degree of toughness within softness or vice versa.

And indeed, this was the case for Tang Luo too, since although he could control his physical body with Spiritual Power with an accuracy that other cultivators wouldn’t dare to dream of, his style of physical techniques was still primarily rooted in rigid strength.

Even that stream of supple strength he comprehended after realizing the mutual root of yin and yang was born from the extreme of rigid strength, not truly supple strength in the real sense.

The reason he chose the path of rigid strength as his main direction for physical technique cultivation was firstly because the inheritance of supple strength is comparably scarce compared to that of rigid strength.

Secondly, when compared to the unrivaled vigor of rigid strength, supple strength has significant limitations in repelling enemies.

If rigid strength exists for the sake of offense, then supple strength exists for the sake of defense.

Neither is superior to the other; they simply focus on different aspects. With the Undying Battle Body, Tang Luo naturally would not go out of his way to strengthen his defense, so he wouldn’t primarily cultivate supple strength.

In some respects, this was actually his first time engaging in a systematic practice of supple strength, and the person responsible for teaching him was the fragrant young lady.

After all, this was martial techniques instruction, especially for physical techniques–just talking about it wouldn’t do, martial techniques need to be practiced.

To experience the vastness of the Yun Clan Soft Technique up close, Tang Luo didn’t even allow his Spiritual Power to sink into his body, with the intention of experiencing the grandeur of the Yun Clan’s thousand-year-old techniques more directly.

“The Yun Clan Soft Technique is different from the usual practice of physical techniques–it emphasizes moving from substance to void, borrowing force to exert strength, and using softness to overcome hardness.”

To properly teach Tang Luo the basics of soft technique, Yun Xiu specially changed into a black training suit and tied her long hair, which fell over her shoulders, behind her head, making her slender figure look even more lean and competent in the black outfit.

Demonstrating a few of the soft technique stances, the Yun Family’s young lady explained to Tang Luo: “Our clan’s soft technique emphasizes borrowing force; it is lively when following others and stagnant when controlled by oneself. The external technique mantra consists of nine forms: shifting the body to change the shadow, utilizing momentum to borrow force, escaping and transforming shape, drawing in to fall into emptiness, avoiding the edge to hide sharpness, darting and transforming to move away, using the diagonal to block the straight, using the horizontal to break the straight, and using ingenuity to overpower clumsiness.”

As she spoke, Yun Xiu proceeded to demonstrate move by move with Tang Luo’s body, taking care to accommodate his current cultivation level by not using the unique Yun Force, instead purely practicing the physical techniques.

Compared to the rigid strength’s sturdy bridge and horse, the main characteristic of supple strength lay in loose and active joints. Joints all over the body seem like two-way or even multi-directional springs that can stretch freely. The seemingly weak and powerless movements actually contain a strong tenacity, and though appearing fragile, they possess an unimaginable endurance.

The Yun Clan Soft Technique truly is extraordinary, Tang Luo inwardly praised.

“It’s done!”

Upon completing a set of the Yun Clan Soft Technique drills, Yun Xiu stood still and said to Tang Luo, “That was the external technique mantra with nine forms of the Yun Clan Soft Technique. These nine forms, when flexibly combined, can give rise to endless variations. Would you like to give it a try?”

“Sure thing!”

As a cultivator obsessed with martial arts, Tang Luo never refused such requests. He promptly assumed the grand posture of the Yun Clan Soft Technique and began practicing the nine forms of the external technique mantra.

“Ha… Withdraw and Shadow Shift!”

“Hey, seize the momentum and borrow strength!”

… Evade and Transform, Draw them into Emptiness, Avoid the Edge and Hide the Blade, Quick Turn and Transform.

Here Tang Luo was training intensely, while over there, Yun Xiu was completely taken aback by what she saw. She had only demonstrated once because she thought that, like the Devil Lord Hook Chen, a master of bodily arts would be able to capture the essence of the external technique after seeing it just once, mastering it to near perfection.

But the reality was… simply too painful to watch.

Apart from reciting the mantra clearly, his posture and footwork varied greatly from the original, severely distorted.

And yet, Tang Luo seemed completely oblivious to this, practicing earnestly with a serious face. He even occasionally threw a proud glance her way, as if to say, “Look, I’m doing well, right? Praise me.”

Praise my ass, you blockhead!

“Don’t move!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Yun Xiu stopped Tang Luo’s practice, walked over to him, pressed down and internally rotated his left arm to demonstrate a “Rolling Bridge”, and then slightly raised his right arm to form a “Sinking Bridge”.

After correcting the posture of his hands, she then touched foot to foot to adjust Tang Luo’s errant steps to the standard, then said, “This is the stance to obstruct diagonally against straight attacks.”

“Furthermore, the steps in ‘Withdraw and Shadow Shift’ must tread the Big Dipper, with each step landing on the stars. No matter where your first step is, after heaven and earth revolve, the second step must land on the proper stellar position.”

While saying this, she grabbed Tang Luo’s right arm and, while twisting his fingers, explained, “When moving, you must make your hands glide as gracefully as wild geese, yet keep your palms firm and wrists flexible; arms like an eagle, expansive and retracting with controlled power; body like a tiger, head leading the body, body leading the steps; physique like a cloud, your posture as light and ethereal as the white clouds.”

It could only be said that Tang Luo’s youthful face was quite deceiving. Yun Xiu was so immersed in explaining these key points while grasping his arm, completely unaware of anything amiss, until she had made her points thoroughly and then noticed Tang Luo’s nearly smiling face was right in front of her.

Only then did Yun Xiu realize how close they were standing to correct his posture, with her holding onto Tang Luo’s right arm, which appeared quite intimate.

A wave of heat rushed to her cheeks, and Yun Xiu’s face turned visibly red. Just as she was about to release Tang Luo’s hand and step back, her wrist was suddenly caught with a reverse grip, using a wrist-capturing technique from the Yun Clan Soft Technique.

Seeing this, Yun Xiu immediately realized that she had been duped by the cunning in front of her and, with embarrassment and indignation mingling, looked up to scold him, only to meet a pair of affectionate and bright eyes.

Tang Luo tenderly held Yun Xiu’s wrist, lifted it slightly, and asked softly, “Is this how it is, Instructor Yun?”

In the middle of autumn, the weather had turned cool, but Yun Xiu inexplicably felt overheated. The wrist being held felt as if dipped in fire, a warm current spreading from the right wrist throughout her body, making her breathing somewhat difficult.

Meanwhile, the Tang Luo holding Yun Xiu’s wrist, seeing the shy charm of the beauty before him, felt a fierce fire rise within him. As his quick-turning body pressed forward and inched closer, they were tightly pressed together, he leaned in for a kiss only to be blasted away by a sudden eruption of pure Spiritual Power, sending the overreaching scoundrel flying into the courtyard wall, embedding him in it.

Yun Xiu quickly came to her senses, rushed over, and pulled him out of the wall. “Are you alright?”

Though sent flying by the Spiritual Power, Tang Luo was unharmed, but his face bore an expression of loss that was pitiable to see.