Becoming a Saint Starts with Copying Martial Arts

Chapter 43 The Serpent's Eight Strikees Complete

"Now that Jiang Baihe is dead, my situation will improve significantly. It's not pleasant to be watched by a venomous snake," Lin Qing thought to himself.

He closed the doors and windows, then turned back to lie on the bed, calmly reflecting on tonight's battle, looking for any oversights, areas where he could have done better, and shortcomings that needed to be addressed.

"I'm not afraid of head-on combat, but my physical defense is too weak. If I'm ambushed, I'll be caught off guard and could be seriously injured or even killed in one move."

"I'm missing a martial art for external training," Lin Qing thought to himself.

Although he was wearing an inner armor, it was rather small and only protected his torso.

Moreover, the inner armor is ultimately an external object. It can defend against sharp weapons, but it cannot withstand blunt force or strong impacts. The external armor can compensate for this.

Lin Qing pondered for a moment, then absorbed Jiang Baihe's remaining memories.

Previously, after he performed rituals to help the deceased pass on to the afterlife, he would absorb the memories immediately, which was a passive absorption process.

This situation is uncontrollable and may bring unforeseen dangers.

But now, Lin Qing has gradually figured out how to control this ability and can absorb it over a longer period of time.

In an instant, a series of images flashed through Lin Qing's mind.

After about fifteen minutes, all the images finally disappeared completely. Lin Qing rubbed his temples, feeling utterly filthy.

He didn't get any useful information from Jiang Baihe's memories because the old scoundrel led a decadent and corrupt life, spending most of his time eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, so that the useful information was diluted and contaminated by these useless images.

He saw numerous images of this old scoundrel having affairs with different types of women, and how he used various means to amass wealth and exploit people to the bone. He was truly a despicable person.

After reading it, Lin Qing still felt that killing Jiang Baihe was too lenient. This old scoundrel had committed countless evil deeds and deserved to die, even more so than the gangsters from the outer city. His death was not a pity.

Then, a large amount of information appeared in front of Lin Qing, all of which were Jiang Baihe's martial arts skills during his lifetime.

[Please select one martial arts skill or talent to copy]

1. The Eight Strikes of the Serpent (Complete)

The standard martial arts skills of the constables in the Shu region originated from the barbarian tribes in the mountains of the south. They were created by imitating the way long snakes hunt. The moves are subtle, strange, flexible and ever-changing. When mastered, they can unleash the power of the serpent.

2. Mysterious Yin Dislocation Hand (Minor Success)

This is a low-level martial art that is passed down in the Yin Yuan Sect of Sichuan. It combines fighting and training, and its moves are insidious and can dislocate tendons and bones. Those who are hit by it will suffer unbearable pain. When it is perfected, it can reach the peak of Ming Jin, which can stimulate the cold marrow energy. The energy flows through the whole body, which can strengthen the body and greatly increase the hardness of certain parts of the body, and block the pain sensation.

3. Butterfly Dance Steps (Minor Success)

The standardized light-body skills passed down in the government offices of Sichuan allow one to dodge and leap within short distances. When mastered, one can move as lightly as a swallow, agile and free, and is especially adept at dodging weapons.

4 Fish playing in the water (Perfect ending)

The Yin-Yang intercourse technique passed down within the Yin Yuan Sect can greatly enhance the pleasure during intercourse between men and women. When mastered, it can replenish Yang by absorbing Yin, thus strengthening the body.

...

Lin Qing glanced at it and was suddenly overjoyed. What he needed most was the Perfected Eightfold Spirit Serpent Technique, and now he had finally obtained it.

"I didn't expect Jiang Baihe to be secretly practicing the Xuan Yin Dislocation Hand. No wonder he was able to quickly determine that I have the Cold Marrow Strength," Lin Qing thought to himself.

This is normal. Many people are limited by their talent. They can only reach the pinnacle of Ming Jin (manifest strength) and never step into An Jin (hidden strength).

At this point, if one wants to continue to improve their strength, they either need to learn various light-body combat techniques or learn a new method of cultivating internal strength.

If one practices to perfection and unleashes their power, their physique can also undergo a transformation, though the degree of transformation will not be as great as that of entering the realm of hidden power.

Without hesitation, Lin Qing directly copied the Eight-Strike Serpent Technique and immediately selected the equipment.

In an instant, his body trembled, and a new round of transformation began.

As a vast array of detailed techniques flooded his mind, Lin Qing rolled out of bed and began practicing the Eight Strikes of the Serpent in the open space of his home.

He clearly felt his blood and qi surging and boiling, like a torrent rushing towards a certain acupoint on his left arm.

However, the acupoints are extremely solid, and they cannot be broken through in one or two attempts; instead, they will continuously deplete one's qi and blood.

However, after only ten or so breaths, Lin Qing felt an empty stomach, dizziness, and a strong sense of weakness. This was a sign that his body had been altered and that his qi and blood were depleted.

The more powerful and sophisticated a martial art is, the greater the amount of qi and blood it consumes when transforming the body.

Fortunately, Lin Qing was prepared. He hadn't finished the tonics he had scavenged from Yin Muhua before, so he immediately swallowed one.

The medicine took effect quickly, circulating throughout his body. He felt an indescribable heat all over his body, while the feeling of weakness quickly subsided.

However, the effects of the medicine only last for fifteen minutes, after which his qi and blood would be severely depleted again, forcing him to take another health-preserving pill.

He repeated this process many times, consuming a whole bottle of health-preserving pills.

Finally, he faintly heard a cracking sound beside his ear, and that acupoint was opened.

In an instant, a surge of energy burst forth from the acupoints, flowing throughout the body and nourishing every muscle and bone.

Lin Qing's aura was rapidly rising, and he could clearly feel his body getting stronger quickly, a feeling that brought him genuine joy.

This transformation lasted for about fifteen minutes. Lin Qing slowly exhaled a puff of hot air, and his body returned to stillness.

Lin Qing casually threw a few punches, only to find that his punches were faster and more powerful, with loud whistling sounds echoing through the room.

"My strength has increased again, but the increase is not as large as I imagined, about a thousand catties more," Lin Qing thought to himself.

This is the drawback of constantly practicing low-level techniques; the physical growth brought about by mastering a martial art to perfection will become increasingly smaller.

Unless one is limited by talent and cannot reach a higher level, the benefits of practicing higher-level cultivation methods far outweigh those of learning multiple lower-level cultivation methods.

Lin Qing pondered, then calmed his mind and sensed that a surge of energy had arisen within his body.

When he concentrates his mind and focuses on thinking, he can clearly feel that his body's flexibility has greatly improved and he has become lighter.

This is the effect of the Serpent Force, which makes a person more flexible and able to perform many difficult movements and postures, attacking enemies from all directions.

"Spirit Serpent Force, Blood Soul Force, Marrow Devouring Force, the three forces combined, my combat power has reached a new level, and I am invincible among those of the same realm. I just wonder if I have the strength to fight against a Dark Force martial artist like Pang Tong?" Lin Qing pondered to himself.

He had heard that martial artists with internal strength could inject their energy into their enemies' bodies, causing even more serious damage.

Therefore, the combat power of a martial artist with hidden strength is several times stronger than that of a martial artist with visible strength.

"It's a pity that there's no way to spar with a martial artist with internal strength, so we can't estimate Pang Tong's exact strength. We'll have to wait until another day."

Lin Qing figured it out and decided to stop thinking about it. He packed his things, got into bed, and started planning his next steps.

He decided to lay low for a while, and once the storm had passed, he would cash in the silver notes he had received that day and upgrade his Rebirth Record to level 3 in one fell swoop.

At that time, his strength will be greatly enhanced.

...

The next day.

When news of Jiang Baihe's disappearance spread, the Soul Suppression Division immediately dispatched people to investigate.

"You said a man in black broke in and knocked you unconscious with a flying stone technique?"

In the courtyard of Jiang Baihe's residence, a plump woman knelt before Han Tai, her face bruised and swollen.