Chapter 22

The next day, October 14th, the day before the Hero Assembly, Jiang Chen stayed in his room to cultivate, aiming to adjust his state to the best. Even when the servant came to inform him about breakfast, he declined, saying that he had drunk too much the previous day and needed a good rest.

Huang Rong and the others all knew that Jiang Chen's internal cultivation was incredibly profound, and they naturally did not believe his excuse. However, due to some reservations, they did not want to directly confront him. But Huang Rong, being a very clever person, quickly came up with a plan. Thus, shortly after noon, someone came to his door.

"Who is it?" After lunch, Jiang Chen had been studying and cultivating the enhanced version of the Sakya Elephant Throwing Technique. This martial art, which starts from the outside and moves inward, is truly remarkable for strengthening the body and increasing energy and strength. The subtlety of its force application is extraordinary. Just a little cultivation had greatly improved his mastery of his own martial arts. However, since he was a guest at the Guo residence, he could not simply ignore the visitor.

"It's me, Polu. They are preparing for the Hero Assembly outside, and there are many people. I came to invite you to come and watch." The voice from outside the door belonged to Guo Polu, which somewhat alleviated Jiang Chen's annoyance.

In fact, if not for the mission, Jiang Chen had no interest in the Hero Assembly. Moreover, the assembly would not start until the next day. Going now would just mean helping to move tables and chairs. He did not want to be a laborer, so he suggested, "Polu, the Hero Assembly starts tomorrow. There's no point in going now. Why don't we spar a few rounds instead?"

Admittedly, Jiang Chen had a selfish motive. He wanted to test Guo Jing's martial arts through Guo Polu. If his guess was correct, with a loving mother like Huang Rong, this young man had likely learned a few moves of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. By sparring with him, Jiang Chen might even be able to learn a move or two with his current martial arts knowledge.

"Sure!" Hearing this, Guo Polu immediately agreed, but then his face changed, and he hesitated, "But my sister..."

"Polu, you're speaking ill of me again." At that moment, a clear voice came from outside. Turning to look, they saw Guo Xiang walking over from a distance.

Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Xiang'er, you came just in time. Polu wants to spar with me, and you can be the witness."

Guo Xiang was slightly taken aback but then clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Sure!" She had long wanted to see Jiang Chen's martial arts. That night, although there was moonlight, the temple was dim, and Jiang Chen moved too quickly, so she and her sister Guo Fu did not see much before Nemo Star died at Jiang Chen's sword.

Then, the three of them went to the courtyard. Guo Xiang stood to the side, while Guo Polu faced Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen slightly staggered his feet, keeping his hands behind his back. This starting posture is usually used when there is a significant difference in martial arts cultivation. However, with Jiang Chen's current late-stage fourth-rank cultivation, dealing with Guo Polu, who was barely at the second rank, was more than enough.

"Brother Jiang, please!" Guo Polu knew Jiang Chen's martial arts were strong, so he did not feel that Jiang Chen was underestimating him. He took the initiative to attack with a move called "Asking the South Mountain," the first move of the South Mountain Fist, which Guo Jing had learned from his fourth master, Nan Xiren. Guo Jing had taught him this fist set because it was simple and powerful, and Guo Polu loved it and practiced it diligently. The powerful fist wind rushed straight at Jiang Chen's chest.

However, Guo Polu's punch, though fast, was easily dodged by Jiang Chen with a slight side step. Jiang Chen then grabbed his wrist with his right hand. Guo Polu felt as if his hand was being sucked in and tried to pull back with all his strength, but Jiang Chen chuckled and used his left hand to push lightly under Guo Polu's armpit, sending him stumbling. Fortunately, Jiang Chen only used a fraction of his strength; otherwise, Guo Polu would have been injured.

Guo Polu, like his father Guo Jing, became more determined after each setback. After falling, he immediately got up and punched Jiang Chen's chest again with "Asking the South Mountain." Jiang Chen shook his head, thinking, "This blockhead, why doesn't he change his moves when fighting?" He then used the same technique to push Guo Polu back, causing him to fall again.

Guo Polu stood up and did not attack immediately. He looked at Jiang Chen, who remained standing still, waiting for him to make the next move. Impressed, Guo Polu used "Asking the South Mountain" again. Jiang Chen frowned but saw that as the two moves intersected, Guo Polu used the momentum to flip and then used "Splitting the South Mountain," which was a smooth transition.

"Hmm?" Jiang Chen did not expect this young man to be as outwardly rough but inwardly refined as Guo Jing. He smiled and did not dodge. When Guo Polu's palm was about to reach his chest, Jiang Chen grabbed his arm, turned his body slightly, and used the momentum to throw Guo Polu away. This time, Guo Polu landed steadily on the ground. Jiang Chen nodded, thinking that Guo Polu's horse stance was quite good.

"Polu, what martial arts do you usually practice?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile. After a few rounds of sparring, he had a good understanding of Guo Polu's character. This young man was a smaller version of Guo Jing. If carefully cultivated, his future achievements might not be inferior to Guo Jing's.

"Father taught me the martial arts from the seven grandmasters, and Mother taught us the martial arts from Peach Blossom Island," Guo Polu replied. Jiang Chen nodded inwardly. Guo Jing had only learned horse stance from the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan in the desert. Guo Polu's practice was similar, so it was no wonder his martial arts were so poor.

"Then, what is your strongest skill?" Jiang Chen asked, intending to guide him. "Do you know the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms? Or the Nine Yin Manual?"

"The Nine Yin Manual? The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms?" Guo Polu was taken aback. He thought, "Brother Jiang is indeed a top expert. He asks about the two strongest martial arts my father knows." He then answered honestly, "I don't know the Nine Yin Manual, but I do know a bit of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. However, Father told me not to use it in sparring."

"Your father is worried that you might hurt others if you use the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms casually. But it's different with me. Come on." Jiang Chen laughed. Guo Polu was still young, so it was understandable that he could not understand the Nine Yin Manual. Even with the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, he had only learned the form, not the essence, and its power was limited. However, Jiang Chen still wanted to see this legendary palm technique, even if it was a watered-down version.

Guo Polu did not dare to attack immediately but looked at Guo Xiang, seeking her approval. Guo Xiang, seeing Jiang Chen's words, also wanted to see his skills, so she said, "Since Brother Jiang has said so, use the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to learn from him."

"Okay," Guo Polu smiled, as this was the first time he was using the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms against someone other than his father. He was naturally excited and bowed, saying, "Brother Jiang, I'm coming."

"Come on," Jiang Chen knew the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms were powerful. Although Guo Polu's cultivation was low, he did not dare to be careless. He focused and waited.

Guo Polu did not hesitate. He gathered his strength and used "Repentant Dragon," a powerful move that rushed straight at Jiang Chen. In that moment, Jiang Chen observed his force application, though he could not steal the technique, he understood a bit of the essence of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, which was useful to him. After the move, he had a deeper understanding. However, he felt that the palm force, though powerful, lacked follow-up strength. He shouted, "Polu, the essence of 'Repentant Dragon' lies in the 'repentance.' You must use ten parts of force but reserve twenty parts for follow-up. This way, the palm force will be continuous and can repel the enemy."

"Thank you, Brother Jiang!" Guo Polu seemed to understand. His palm force became more restrained, but the follow-up strength became more continuous.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen inwardly cursed, "Damn! Is this guy pretending to be a fool? He's clearly a genius." He did not believe it and said, "Polu, your cultivation is low, so using this palm alone is not powerful enough. Try using it in combination."

As soon as he said this, he regretted it. He noticed that Guo Polu's palm force had changed. Although it was still "Repentant Dragon," using it twice in succession made the force twice as strong and the follow-up strength more continuous. Fortunately, Jiang Chen's cultivation was deep, or he might have been forced back a step or two, which would have been embarrassing.

Guo Polu, seeing that one palm was not enough, continued with several more, from "Sudden Arrival" to "Double Dragons Fetching Water," from "Flying Dragon in the Sky" to "Dense Clouds Without Rain." He used the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms in succession. Jiang Chen did not care how he attacked; he just gathered his strength to defend, slowly dissipating the force. Although he had opportunities to counterattack, he only defended, as he only wanted to see the power of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

The defender, Jiang Chen, was fine, but the attacker, Guo Polu, was sweating profusely. No matter how he attacked, he could not do anything to Jiang Chen. The gap between them was too large. Seeing that he had used all his moves, Jiang Chen grabbed his wrist, released his strength, and threw Guo Polu away. He counted and found that Guo Polu only knew eight of the eighteen palms and was not very proficient, suggesting he had not learned them for long.

Guo Polu got up and was about to continue, but Guo Xiang said, "That's enough, Polu. You're no match for Brother Jiang. He only defended and did not attack, showing mercy."

Guo Polu, though honest, was also obedient. Hearing Guo Xiang, he stopped. He patted the dust off his clothes and said, sweating, "Brother Jiang, your martial arts are excellent. I am convinced. Thank you for your guidance, but the martial arts you used were very strange."

Guo Xiang also said, "Yes, Brother Jiang, your martial arts are indeed very strange. I have never seen anything like it before."

Jiang Chen chuckled and said, "This is called the 'Sakya Elephant Throwing Technique,' a profound martial art from India. It uses force to control energy, emphasizing the transition from the outside to the inside, and the true strength it generates is extremely powerful, surpassing even iron walls. If you want to learn, I can teach you when I have time..."