Chapter 21: Bestowing a Heavenly-Level Martial Art at First Strike

“Have you ever heard the story of a cat teaching a tiger?” Xu Mu asked.

“I have. Why do you ask?”

“There’s a flaw in the Five Thunder Technique your foster father taught you,” Xu Mu said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shuangyi immediately understood what Xu Mu meant.

“Are you trying to sow discord between me and my foster father?” Xu Shuangyi’s expression darkened.

When she was six, abandoned and nearly frozen to death in a dilapidated temple, her foster father found her and raised her as his own daughter. He taught her the Xu family’s secret arts—the Five Thunder Technique and the Dawn-Breaking Sword—nurturing her into a formidable talent. Such kindness was a debt she could never repay in her lifetime. That was why she tolerated Xu Mu in every way.

The Five Thunder Technique was a fierce and domineering Earth-level martial art, a full rank above the Mixed Origin Technique Xu Mu practiced.

“After your training today, was it difficult to calm your vital energy?” Xu Mu asked.

Xu Shuangyi was startled.

“It’s not just today. Whenever you use more than sixty percent of your vital energy in battle, it’s hard to stabilize, and your recovery is slow. That’s because your meridians have been damaged,” Xu Mu explained.

“You!” Xu Mu had only just entered the realm, yet he could see through her underlying condition? Unless he were a Grandmaster, how could he perceive the flow of vital energy in a Minor Master?

“Because your foster father left a hidden flaw in the Five Thunder Technique he taught you. If you continue training this way, you’ll at best reach mid-Grandmaster level in this lifetime. When you attempt to break through to the late Grandmaster stage, the Five Thunder Technique may backfire on you. Moreover, you will never be able to perform the final move of the Dawn-Breaking Sword,” Xu Mu said.

“I learn only what my foster father teaches. Without him, I would have frozen to death. Even if I can only reach Grandmaster, I would never blame him.”

She was merely an adopted daughter; the fact that her foster father taught her the Five Thunder Technique and the Dawn-Breaking Sword was already a blessing she treasured. To reach Grandmaster rank was to surpass the vast majority of martial artists. The two ranks beyond Grandmaster were truly rare and precious.

“Your foster father is raising you to be a glove to do the dirty work for the Xu family. Sending you to Liangzhou serves this purpose. If you had no martial talent, do you think he would have cared for you at all?” Xu Mu scoffed.

“So what? My foster father will always be my foster father,” Xu Shuangyi replied coldly.

Xu Mu took out a small booklet and tossed it to her.

“This is a Heavenly-level martial art called Heart Thunder Invocation. It’s an advanced alternative to the Five Thunder Technique. If you cultivate this, you won’t need to disperse your energy.

“This art not only repairs the meridian damage caused by the Five Thunder Technique but also hides any flaws from your foster father.

“With your talent, breaking through to Grandmaster within three years is no problem. Then, you’ll be able to perform the final move of the Dawn-Breaking Sword,” Xu Mu said.

Xu Shuangyi’s face was filled with shock.

Xu Mu casually threw her a Heavenly-level martial art? The quality of a martial art directly determines a cultivator’s potential ceiling. Earth-level arts typically cap at the Celestial stage beyond Grandmaster, with little hope of breaking through further. But cultivating a Heavenly-level art greatly increases the chances of reaching the Immortal stage above Celestial—becoming a true earthly deity!

Heavenly-level martial arts were exceedingly rare; even the entire Xu family didn’t possess one. Where did Xu Mu get this?

Heart Thunder Invocation? She had never even heard of it.

Her heart, devoted to the pursuit of martial advancement, could not help but be moved.

“Before you reach the Celestial stage, you must learn to conceal your true strength from your foster father. If he discovers your secret, you will surely die. He would never allow his adopted daughter to surpass him.

“As for the Dawn-Breaking Sword, it’s not a top-tier martial art. When you break through to Grandmaster, I’ll repay you a second favor by giving you a Heavenly-level martial skill,” Xu Mu continued.

Not only did he have a Heavenly-level martial art, but also a Heavenly-level martial skill? And he gave it away so readily?

Xu Shuangyi was so stunned she could barely speak.

“Your foster father’s kindness is full of caution. But my kindness to you is without reserve. Tell me, aren’t you moved to tears?” Xu Mu smiled faintly.

She wasn’t sure if the martial art Xu Mu gave her was genuine. The booklet looked freshly written, the ink still wet.

“Whenever your foster father gave you something, you knelt in gratitude. But now, I give you such a precious gift and you don’t even say thank you?” Xu Mu frowned.

Looking at Xu Mu again, she realized he wasn’t as irksome as she thought; in fact, she found him quite agreeable.

She suspected Xu Mu was stirring discord and trying to win her loyalty with martial arts, and she even had proof. Yet she couldn’t refuse.

“Th-thank you,” Xu Shuangyi finally regained her composure.

Xu Mu’s great favor was clearly meant to pull her away from her foster father, to use her for his own ends.

But Xu Mu’s words were not without merit. Even if his martial art had flaws, it was far superior to the Earth-level art taught by her foster father.

“You’re not sincere at all? Fine, you may go now. I’ll meditate a while longer before keeping vigil,” Xu Shuangyi said, her heart stirred as she returned to her quarters and closed the door. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she felt excitement she hadn’t known for a long time—like a child receiving their most beloved toy.

Opening the Heart Thunder Invocation, she saw Xu Mu’s handwriting. She silently recited the incantation, using the Heart Thunder Invocation to guide her vital energy.

In an instant, she felt her heavenly gate open, a powerful surge of vital energy flowing from all directions, coursing endlessly within her and gathering in her dantian.

Yet the flow of the Heart Thunder Invocation was not as fierce and overwhelming as the Five Thunder Technique; it was much gentler.

Truly a Heavenly-level martial art!

And as Xu Mu said, cultivating it required no energy dispersal.

This was the perfect advanced version of the Five Thunder Technique, rare and precious beyond measure.

Even if Xu Mu only gave her one martial art, she could never repay such a debt.

The next morning, everyone in the Xu residence wore mourning clothes.

A funeral notice was posted at the gate.

Written from Xu Shuangyi’s perspective, it announced the passing of her foster mother, Xu Zhoushi, and thanked the elders for their condolences.

One after another, officials and nobles from the northwest province arrived—county magistrates to provincial governors—all came to pay respects.

The Xu family held immense influence; except for a few rivals, local officials would certainly show them face.

Su Tong also came.

When he arrived at the Xu residence and saw the funeral notice, he was stunned as if struck by a thunderbolt, frozen in place.