Ripple Step

Tang Xuan was forced back by the Flame Blade, but he threw himself forward once more, employing the technique of the Mighty Vajra Palm. A surge of golden palm energy battered fiercely toward Jiumozhi!

Jiumozhi countered with one of Shaolin’s secret arts, the Flower-Picking Finger. This skill, acquired years ago through an exchange of cultivation methods for the Flame Blade with Murong Bo, was formidable—when wielded by Jiumozhi, his three fingers could snap anything, no matter how solid, with a mere touch.

Yet Tang Xuan’s Mighty Vajra Palm was no less powerful. Although his abilities were not quite on par with Jiumozhi, the formidable boss of level sixty or seventy, and his internal energy—even at the perfection level of the Arhat Divine Skill—was not as deep as Jiumozhi’s, he had Duan Yu to assist him.

Duan Yu’s Six Meridian Sword, though only half-mastered, was backed by the Northern Darkness Divine Art, which had absorbed considerable internal energy, making his strength comparable to Jiumozhi’s. While Duan Yu only utilized the Central Sword technique from the Six Meridian Sword, its power was already on par with the force of Jiumozhi’s Flame Blade. If he could fully master all the sword techniques, he could easily overwhelm Jiumozhi.

Duan Yu ceaselessly launched invisible sword energy at Jiumozhi, forcing him, in the midst of his battle with Tang Xuan, to repeatedly unleash the power of the Flame Blade to fend off the attacks. Faced with Tang Xuan’s not insignificant Mighty Vajra Palm, Jiumozhi found himself stretched thin, fighting two adversaries at once.

Against these two young men united, he was quickly overwhelmed!

Jiumozhi had not anticipated this outcome. Earlier, provoked by Tang Xuan’s words, he had freed Duan Yu’s acupoints, thinking everything was under his control. He never expected the young man who had goaded him would possess such extraordinary martial prowess, and with Duan Yu’s Six Meridian Sword as support, he was unable to cope and increasingly felt the tide turning against him.

The young man standing before him was manageable—if he could free up a hand, he could defeat him with Shaolin’s secret arts or simply kill him with the divine power of the Flame Blade. The real difficulty lay in Duan Yu, who kept releasing powerful sword energy from the sidelines.

Jiumozhi’s expression flickered as he repeatedly sought an opportunity to launch a surprise attack at Duan Yu and subdue the Prince of Dali, who was relentlessly bombarding him with sword energy. Yet every attempt was blocked by Tang Xuan’s Mighty Vajra Palm and the Great Bright Fist, whose shifting blows thwarted him.

Thus, faced with Duan Yu’s unrelenting sword energy and Tang Xuan’s fierce assault, Jiumozhi was finally defeated. With a furious shout, he retreated, fleeing the scene! He did not take a boat, but instead used lightness skill to leave the small island of Melody Pavilion, dashing across the water with incredible speed—soon, he vanished from sight.

Tang Xuan exhaled deeply.

Fighting such a supreme master of level sixty or seventy, he felt immense pressure. Without Duan Yu’s support, he would have surely lost!

Fortunately, he had deliberately provoked Jiumozhi earlier, prompting him to unlock Duan Yu’s acupoints. Only then, two against one, did they drive Jiumozhi away!

“Thank you for saving my life, brother. I truly do not know how to repay you,” Duan Yu said, his face alight with joy after Jiumozhi’s retreat. He had narrowly escaped a fiery death!

Tang Xuan smiled, “No need for thanks. Upholding justice is the purpose of Shaolin.”

Though he spoke modestly, Tang Xuan was inwardly pleased—Duan Yu, a prince of Dali and future heir to the throne, had been rescued from the hands of the evil monk Jiumozhi. When Tang Xuan returned to Shaolin Temple and reported this, he would surely earn great merit. After all, Duan Yu’s status was well-known.

It was an opportunity for Shaolin Temple to forge a good relationship and spread its fame even to Dali!

Though his words were humble, Duan Yu’s gratitude was sincere. “Such a debt cannot be repaid. If you ever need anything from me, I will comply without hesitation!”

Duan Yu trusted the character of Shaolin disciples; he would not be asked to do anything immoral. Besides, that was for the future.

To his surprise, Tang Xuan suddenly dropped his modesty and, smiling, said, “Since you’re so generous, there is indeed something I’d like to ask.”

Duan Yu was taken aback. “What is it?”

Tang Xuan grinned broadly, “I’d like to learn the Ripple Steps!”

“How did you know I can use Ripple Steps?” Duan Yu exclaimed, astonished that Tang Xuan knew of his mastery of this lightness skill.

Beside them, Sun San and Ah Bi were speechless. Although Tang Xuan, the lay Shaolin disciple, was powerful—perhaps not inferior to their young master—and had teamed up with Duan Yu to defeat the evil monk and save Duan Yu’s life, who would have expected such shamelessness?

To rescue someone and immediately request to learn their martial arts—such boldness!

Tang Xuan gazed at Duan Yu, smiling without a word.

Duan Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded, “Very well. Compared to saving my life, a mere lightness skill is nothing.”

“Mere lightness skill?” Tang Xuan was dumbfounded.

Duan Yu, the walking cheat, spoke lightly. Yet Ripple Steps was no ordinary lightness skill—it ranked among the seven legendary martial arts. Like the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, Nine Yin Manual, Nine Yang Divine Skill, and Sunflower Manual, mastering it meant dominion over the martial world!

That was why Tang Xuan seized the chance to ask for Duan Yu’s Ripple Steps. Miss this opportunity, and it would never return!

Truthfully, he wanted to learn Duan Yu’s Northern Darkness Divine Art even more, but Duan Yu had only learned the first of thirty-six diagrams, barely scratching the surface. He had no intention of mastering martial arts, but was compelled by the “Fairy Sister’s” message to learn a bit of the Divine Art.

Moreover, according to the Fairy Sister’s instructions, the Northern Darkness Divine Art was a secret skill of the Carefree Sect and not to be transmitted lightly. Thus, even if Tang Xuan wanted to learn the incomplete version, Duan Yu might refuse.

But Ripple Steps, being a lightness skill, Duan Yu was willing to teach.

“Detected: Seven-tier lightness skill—Ripple Steps!”

[Ripple Steps (Seven-tier lightness skill)]

[Ripple Steps, drawn from the Book of Changes, is a unique lightness skill of the Carefree Sect, exquisitely crafted. Based on the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching, the user moves according to a specific sequence, stepping on the positions of the hexagrams. Thus, it is a movement-based cultivation of internal energy; traversing the sixty-four hexagrams in a cycle causes the internal breath to naturally circulate. With each cycle, internal energy increases.]

Duan Yu taught the skill on the spot, and Tang Xuan mastered this legendary seven-tier lightness skill instantly!