036 Nine Suns Divine Art

Sometimes, happiness descends upon you so suddenly, it leaves you dizzy and unprepared. That was exactly how Li Daniu felt at this moment. His childhood dream of becoming a martial arts master had gradually faded with age, forgotten in the routine of growing up. Yet after acquiring the transmigration system, his long-dormant yearning to master unrivaled martial arts began to swell once more.

Unfortunately, such supreme skills are not simply attained by wishing for them. After a month as a menial disciple at Wudang, Li Daniu had only managed to learn the basics of Wudang Long Fist and the knack for breathing exercises to sense internal energy. The day he would become a true expert seemed impossibly far away.

When Li Daniu, by chance, found himself in the place where Zhang Wuji’s fateful encounter would occur, he had wondered if he might replace Zhang Wuji and receive that stroke of fortune himself. But after seven days of bitter experience, he had all but given up hope.

Who could have foreseen that, just as he resigned himself to disappointment, fate would twist again—Huogong Toutuo agreed to teach him martial arts.

Fate truly works in mysterious ways!

Li Daniu, carrying two buckets of water, returned to the cave he had shared with Huogong Toutuo for half a month. When he first arrived, he’d been instantly driven out by the unbearable stench; he couldn’t imagine how Huogong Toutuo had endured it for so long. He’d wanted to find another cave, but after scouring the base of the cliff, he’d found nothing more suitable. So, with no choice, he pinched his nose and set about cleaning.

He cleaned not only the cave but also attended to Huogong Toutuo’s personal hygiene. After all, no one likes to be filthy—not even beggars, who still long for cleanliness and order. The Huogong Toutuo of this world, though somewhat extreme in temperament, was not truly mad. Of course, if he remained at the foot of this cliff for another eight years, perhaps he would lose his mind. For now, though, he still desired cleanliness and hot food.

Previously, when he was alone, Huogong Toutuo was powerless. Paralyzed from head to toe, he could only rely on his peerless internal energy, using a round boulder for mobility and channeling inner power to manipulate vines for gathering food.

Now that he had Li Daniu as his servant, he made full and unreserved use of him. Each day, aside from teaching Li Daniu the Nine Yang Divine Skill, he would direct Li Daniu in cleaning, boiling water, and preparing cooked food.

Given the opportunity to learn the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Li Daniu was brimming with motivation. Who knew how many people in the world would kill for such a chance? How could he not cherish it? He had only refused before because he had lost hope of ever being taught. Now that the instruction had begun, he treasured every moment.

“I never expected much from your talent,” Huogong Toutuo said, his favorite pastime now being to belittle Li Daniu, “but I didn’t think you’d fall short of even the average man. What a waste of my effort.”

“Elder, in half a month I’ve already reached the fifth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and you still say I lack talent?” Li Daniu paid no heed to the rebuke; instead, he felt quite smug. In his eyes, Huogong Toutuo had taken nearly ten years to reach the ninth level, and he himself had achieved such progress in just half a month. His talent, he thought, far outstripped Huogong Toutuo’s.

He was sure Huogong Toutuo was simply jealous.

“You actually dare bring that up?” Huogong Toutuo snapped, exasperated. “Even a dog, if I infused it daily with my perfected inner power, could reach the fifth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill in half a month. You’re no better than a dog, and yet you’re proud?”

Thick skin is an innate skill of modern people, and Li Daniu was a master of it. Such words could not hurt him. In his view, he ought to be understanding toward a paralyzed man like Huogong Toutuo, and not provoke him further.

“Elder, when can I go out? I’d like to buy some rice and flour, at least. I’m sick to death of roasted meat and wild fruit every day.” Now that he was familiar with Huogong Toutuo, Li Daniu spoke bluntly. “It’s not as if I’d run off. What are you worried about?”

“Run off? Of course you wouldn’t. No one in the world could resist the allure of the Nine Yang Divine Skill. If you ran, you’d never get to learn the final four levels.” Huogong Toutuo was entirely unconcerned by Li Daniu’s desire to leave the valley, confident that even if he did, he’d surely return.

“Elder, you’re looking at someone who once refused the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Can’t you at least take that into account?” Li Daniu was secretly pleased; who would have thought that laziness would one day make him appear noble in the eyes of Huogong Toutuo?

“Hmph!” Huogong Toutuo snorted. “If I knew how long I’d have to wait for the next person to fall to the bottom of this cliff, do you think you’d have gotten this chance, idiot?”

The next person? Li Daniu was tempted to tell him that in eight years, someone would indeed arrive—Zhang Wuji, Zhang Sanfeng’s direct disciple, who would, before leaving, play him for a fool.

“Elder, you still haven’t told me when I can leave.” Li Daniu longed for a decent meal. He wasn’t asking for much; a bowl of rice or a steamed bun would be a feast. He couldn’t stomach another day of roasted meat.

“Wait another month,” Huogong Toutuo sighed. Did he not want to leave, too? Did he not want rice or buns? Only since Li Daniu had started learning martial arts had he enjoyed any cooked food; before that, he’d subsisted for nearly a decade on raw meat and wild fruit.

“Why?”

“Because you’re an idiot and haven’t yet reached the ninth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill,” Huogong Toutuo sighed again. “Though I’ve been in seclusion for nearly ten years, many of my enemies still live. I have matchless inner power, but paralyzed as I am, I can’t use even a tenth of it. If we encountered enemies, which of us would die first?”

No need to think—the answer was both, in quick succession.

Li Daniu could well imagine: if he and Huogong Toutuo appeared together in the martial world, the moment he fought anyone, it would be obvious he was learning the Nine Yang Divine Skill. In his current state, Huogong Toutuo would never surrender the secret to save his own life. Once he died, the whole world would come after Li Daniu, and even if he handed over the skill, who would spare him?

“Surely it wouldn’t come to that, Elder.” The thought of being hunted by the entire world made Li Daniu shudder. He didn’t fancy his chances of surviving until he could return to his own time.

“Better safe than sorry. If I’d been more cautious in my youth, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.” Huogong Toutuo glared at him. “If you had even a bit more talent, we’d probably be out there already.”

Li Daniu, thick-skinned though he was, couldn’t help but complain about his lack of aptitude.

In the original film, Zhang Wuji had mastered the ninth level of the Nine Yang Divine Skill in less than half a month, with Huogong Toutuo infusing him with inner power—despite outwardly resisting the whole time. True, the director had stacked the deck for Zhang Wuji, but in this “real” world, if Zhang Wuji fell off the cliff eight years later, he’d undoubtedly achieve the same feat. Yet Huogong Toutuo estimated it would take Li Daniu a whole month to reach the ninth level. The gap between Li Daniu and Zhang Wuji was not simply three times the duration—it was a chasm as wide as heaven and earth.

“I’ll work even harder, then, and get us out as soon as possible.” What truly worried Li Daniu was not just leaving the cliff, but that he only had another month before he’d leave this world. If he hadn’t mastered the ninth level by then, he’d be in real trouble.

Here, Huogong Toutuo was powering him up, using his own inner force to open each meridian required for every stage—no bottlenecks at all. Once he left this world, he doubted his own talent would see him through so swiftly.

“You’re not lacking in effort; you’re lacking in potential,” Huogong Toutuo mocked.

“I heard the Shaolin Temple has techniques like the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture that can improve potential. Why didn’t you learn those, Elder?” Li Daniu was the type who never knew when to be content.

“If I’d learned those, do you think you’d have this opportunity now?” Huogong Toutuo looked back on his past with a sigh. “If I’d had the patience to study even a few of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts, could Zhang Sanfeng have ever bested me?”

“You’d mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill in your youth, Elder, and still couldn’t beat my grandmaster. Even if I reach perfection, I won’t be able to either—he’s only grown stronger over the years.” After playing the role of a proud Wudang disciple for so long, Li Daniu now called Zhang Sanfeng “my grandmaster” without fear of angering Huogong Toutuo.

“Who said you should challenge Zhang Sanfeng as soon as you’ve mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill? Besides, perfection is something only your own efforts can achieve; I can only help you reach the ninth level.” Huogong Toutuo sneered. “It was arrogance that kept me from learning the Seventy-Two Arts; you must not make the same mistake.”

“Shaolin’s not likely to teach me their ultimate skills,” Li Daniu sighed. He longed for them himself—internal power alone was not enough; he needed profound external techniques as well.

“Are you stupid? If they won’t teach you, can’t you steal them? No one taught me the Nine Yang Divine Skill back then, yet I still learned it.” Huogong Toutuo was exasperated. “Once you’ve mastered the ninth level, use the Bone-Shrinking and Lizard Climb techniques from the Nine Yin Manual to sneak into Shaolin and steal a few manuals. It’s not as hard as you think.”

Steal? Did he look like Murong Bo or Xiao Yuanshan? Li Daniu wasn’t above it for pride’s sake, but he was afraid of being caught. Truth be told, he was troubled by this: the Bone-Shrinking and Lizard Climb techniques were the only external skills in the Nine Yang Manual, and Huogong Toutuo himself knew only a few second-rate techniques, slightly better than Wudang Long Fist.

At his current pace, he’d be lucky to master the ninth level before leaving this world; there’d be no time to seek out any high-level external arts.

“We can talk about that later, Elder. Shouldn’t we start training now?” Seeing the cave’s water supply was full, Li Daniu was eager to begin his daily ordeal.

“Very well. Don’t scream.”

With that, Huogong Toutuo manipulated the surrounding vines to hoist Li Daniu in the air and channeled his inner force through them into Li Daniu’s body.

“Qi Sea, Juque, Jiuwei...”

Listening to Huogong Toutuo recite the acupoints, Li Daniu circulated his own inner power, following the elder’s energy as it surged through his meridians.

Normally, internal training required daily, patient nurturing of the meridians before breaking through the acupoints. But Li Daniu’s meridians, having never been tempered over time, were being bulldozed by Huogong Toutuo’s power—the pain was unimaginable.

“Ah... ah...”

Hearing Li Daniu’s screams, Huogong Toutuo was speechless. If he didn’t have to focus all his attention to prevent injury to Li Daniu’s meridians during the process, he’d have long since lost patience.

Who the hell screams like that while cultivating inner power?

Aren’t you afraid of going mad from the backlash?

If Li Daniu knew what Huogong Toutuo was thinking, he’d surely say he wasn’t afraid—after all, with Huogong Toutuo’s skills, what could possibly go wrong?