A moment after Xu Wuyi spoke, a soft, neutral electronic voice sounded:
[Command received. Analyzing user data... Analysis complete.]
[Your Life Energy Level: 10.2. Basic Body Refining Technique: Minor Success Realm. Combat style: exploiting openings, defensive counter-attacks... Recommended: C-Level Spear Technique—Wind-Settling Spear.]
[If your Life Energy Level exceeds 11, you can attempt to comprehend the True Intention of Martial Arts and practice the B-Level Spear Technique: Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear.]
"A spear?" Wang Wenhai's eyes flashed with understanding. "The king of all weapons. It excels at control, piercing, and stabbing. It combines offense and defense into one, which perfectly suits your steady nature and your knack for seizing opportunities in battle."
"A defensive counter-attack style, in particular, can be surprisingly effective when executed with a spear."
He tapped the light screen a few times, and the phantoms of other weapons faded away, leaving only images of various long spears and a list of Spear Technique names and their descriptions below.
"The Battle Network's basic Armory has seven Spear Techniques suitable for beginners. You can take a look at their descriptions."
"The AI's recommendation, the Wind-Settling Spear, is indeed a good one. But you need to use your own judgment. You can use it as a reference, but don't become dependent on it."
Xu Wuyi took the advice and carefully read the descriptions for the seven Spear Techniques, but ultimately, he gave a slight shake of his head.
'Without exception, these seven Entry Level Spear Techniques are all primarily offensive. Their styles vary, but none of them are what I'm looking for.'
He lightly tapped his finger on the light screen. The images of the other spear techniques dimmed, and only the image of a long spear with a simple, ancient design and a straight shaft lit up. A detailed text description appeared beside it:
[Wind-Settling Spear: C-level Martial Arts. Core concept: Immovable as a mountain, swift as fire. Emphasizes a stable foundation and using defense to mount an offense. The spear strikes like a dragon, excelling at finding an enemy's openings amidst defense to land a single, decisive blow. Its stances are concise, prioritizing intention over form, and it demands a highly stable lower body and instantaneous explosive power from the cultivator.]
"Wind-Settling Spear..." Xu Wuyi murmured the name. "Teacher Wang, I've decided to choose this Spear Technique after all."
'The philosophy of this Spear Technique is practically tailor-made for me.'
It wasn't just the AI's recommendation; it was his own choice as well.
"Alright, go with that one then," Wang Wenhai said. "This isn't in the twelve-year compulsory education curriculum, so I can't teach it to you directly. Besides, I don't know it myself."
"You can buy it directly on the Battle Network. High school students get a special discount for studying martial arts, so it's very cheap."
Xu Wuyi thanked Teacher Wang for his guidance and returned to his private space to purchase the Wind-Settling Spear transmission.
[Confirm purchase of the basic Wind-Settling Spear transmission for 1000 Federation Coins (student discount price)?]
"Confirm."
[Purchase successful! The basic Wind-Settling Spear transmission has been delivered to your personal space. You may begin training at any time.]
Following the prompt, a video about the Wind-Settling Spear began to play. It contained the most basic spear-holding posture, Power Transfer Techniques, and practice demonstrations of the first three forms—[Army Stabilization Form], [Cloud-Breaking Stab], and [Back Wind Sweep].
The [Army Stabilization Form] was the foundational stance, requiring one to be as steady as a rock, unmoving and unshakable.
The [Cloud-Breaking Stab] was a single-target thrust, emphasizing an instantaneous burst of power to pierce through in a single strike.
The [Back Wind Sweep] was an area-of-effect defense, a sweeping motion with the long spear to clear the area around the body.
In the Beginner Stage, besides the fundamental movements, he only needed to learn these three forms.
The forms were indeed concise, but the power-generation techniques and the methods for circulating Qi and Blood within them were quite profound.
With a thought, Xu Wuyi summoned a standard-issue long spear, perfectly suited to his height and arm length, into his hands.
The spear's shaft was cool to the touch, with the texture of metal, and it was on the heavy side.
The Wind-Settling Spear used a greatspear, emphasizing overwhelming momentum rather than the dexterity of a light spear.
Following the instructions from the transmission's video, he took a deep breath, planted his feet shoulder-width apart in a stable stance, straightened his back, gripped the shaft with both hands—one forward, one back—and assumed the opening stance of the Wind-Settling Spear: the [Army Stabilization Form].
The moment he settled into the stance, he felt a sense of stability similar to when he practiced the Basic Body Refining Technique. In fact, with the spear in his hands acting as an extension of his body, his understanding of his "root" was even more profound.
He held the posture, carefully feeling the distribution of his center of gravity, the flow of Qi and Blood between his waist and legs, and how to channel power from his arms through to the spear's body.
This single, static stance alone held a great deal of depth.
Ten minutes later, he began to practice the most basic thrust—the [Cloud-Breaking Stab].
Twist the waist, drive the hips, follow with the shoulder, snap the arm, release power!
VMMMM!
The spear tip shot out, accompanied by a barely audible whoosh as it cut through the air.
The movement was a bit clumsy, the power generation wasn't fully connected, and the spear tip wobbled slightly at the end of the thrust.
Undiscouraged, Xu Wuyi retracted the spear, assumed the [Army Stabilization Form] again, made a slight adjustment, and thrust a second time.
Once, twice, three times...
He immersed himself in his new training, just as he had when he first polished the Basic Body Refining Technique. He tirelessly repeated the simplest movements, concentrating on the subtle differences in each execution of power, constantly adjusting and pursuing that perfect "standard."
Even though, just like with the Mountain-Shattering Fist, nothing related to the Wind-Settling Spear appeared on the [Martial Arts Diligence Record], Xu Wuyi continued to practice this way of his own accord.
'One can't rely on external aids in martial arts.' He had understood this principle ever since he obtained the [Martial Arts Diligence Record], and he had never treated it as something indispensable.
On the contrary, the experience he gained from practicing the Basic Body Refining Technique was a precious treasure that belonged completely to him.
In fact, both the Qi Blood Potions he was about to receive and this newly chosen Wind-Settling Spear were merely tools.
The only thing that could truly lead him to greater strength was persistent, wholehearted effort and sweat.
What he didn't know was that in his sea of consciousness, the Bronze Ancient Volume floated silently, occasionally emitting a faint glow, as if it were quietly recording everything.
Over the next few days, the pace of Xu Wuyi's life was astonishingly fast.
In the mornings, he cultivated the Basic Body Refining Technique, taking a Qi Blood Potion every three days to continue raising his Life Energy Level.
In the evenings, he tempered his Spirit; he was already a good way through the Second Layer of the Mountain Shifting Technique.
During his afternoon Martial Arts Class and break times, he was almost always immersed in the Battle Network. He spent a little less than half his time in sparring matches on the platform, continuing to accumulate experience against opponents with different styles. The rest of his time was entirely devoted to practicing the Wind-Settling Spear.
He would hold the [Army Stabilization Form] for half an hour at a time, until his legs were sore and numb as if filled with lead, all to pursue the stability of being "immovable as a mountain."
He practiced the [Cloud-Breaking Stab] hundreds of times in a single session, repeatedly studying the power-generation technique, striving to instantly focus his entire body's strength into the single point of the spear's tip.
He practiced the [Back Wind Sweep] even more, to the point his arms would swell, pursuing the feeling of fluid control where the spear moved as if it were an extension of his own limbs.
With the Minor Success Realm of the Basic Body Refining Technique as his foundation, his control over his body was extremely strong, and his rate of progress far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Ten days passed in a flash. After consuming three vials of Qi Blood Potion, Xu Wuyi drew closer and closer to Level 11.0. And on this very day, he finally reached the Entry Level with his Wind-Settling Spear.