Chapter 23 - Self-Proclaimed Martial Artist Threw a Poisonous Snake at Opponent During a Match, Called It Self-Defense
Fu Tong kept his tone professional and kept the young lady company. They strolled the garden as they chatted. Being nervous in front of him, Ji Zixuan kept stuttering. However, as they talked, she slowly gained confidence.
And soon, Ji Zixuan asked a sensitive question.
"Young Master Fu, I heard my brother attacked you with a sword. Are you injured? You seem stiff."
Fu Tong dryly chuckled. "No, I'm fine. No cultivator on the mainland can hurt me."
"Really? How strong are you actually? Why is your cultivation base only that of the Qi Condensation stage?"
Fu Tong didn't know how to answer that question. He couldn't lie that his real strength was comparable to a saint, as she might ask him to demonstrate his Qi skills. Since he couldn't lie, he dodged the question.
"I'm under a restriction. I cannot disclose that information. Sorry."
"…I see. That's a shame. I was planning to ask you to spar with me and show me a pointer, can you?"
Fu Tong froze. He thought of backing out at first as 9999 STR might be too much for her, but Fu Tong remembered that he could simply dodge and parry during the entire fight. He accepted the challenge.
"If you wish, we can spar. But since I'm stronger than you, I won't be fighting back."
"Really? Not fighting back?"
Ji Zixuan giggled, but her pride as a martial artist was challenged. She guided Fu Tong to a field, where she always practiced her spear arts. She picked up a wooden pole and showed him a rack full of wooden weapons.
"Let's spar, Young Master Fu. I want to know how strong you truly are!"
Fu Tong sighed. Matching Ji Zixuan, he picked a pole and recalled a spear art from his library dream. His arms and legs twitched, adjusting the muscle memory.
Keeping his left hand behind his back, Fu Tong rotated the 10-kilogram wooden pole with his fingers, holding it by the middle section. After pointing its front tip downward, he stood straight.
"I'm ready. You can have your first move."
Ji Zixuan licked her lips. Her competitive spirit flared through her eyes. Without using Qi, she kicked the ground and instantly closed the distance, followed by an attack, aiming at Fu Tong's left cheek.
Fu Tong's pupils dilated as his reaction time and reflex speed quickened. The world and surroundings slowed down to the point that the time was almost frozen.
While watching the snail-speed wooden staff coming for his face, Fu Tong adjusted his stick and lightly poked the incoming weapon. The time then resumed.
BANG
Ji Zixuan's wooden staff shattered.
"Huh?"
She couldn't follow Fu Tong's move, but the impact feedback knocked the wooden staff from her hand. It rolled on the field as she turned around to look at the weapon.
Fu Tong awkwardly smiled. "I'm so sorry. Did it hurt? I guess I used a heavier staff. Let me try using a weaker one."
Ji Zixuan's eyes brightened. She had another idea.
"If you're that strong, how about I use a real spear while you're using a wooden stick?"
"Err… is that still considered sparring if we use a live weapon?"
"As long as we don't kill each other." She grinned. The shy girl earlier vanished, replaced by a martial arts fanatic. She picked a steel spear from a rack and warned him. "And I'll be using Qi. Be prepared, Young Master Fu."
"…"
Fu Tong sighed. He reevaluated Qi in his dantian.
The volume and number of Qi cells were comparable to any Level 6 Qi Condensation cultivator. However, the Qi of someone who had never consumed a Qi Nourishment pill was purer and more efficient than those who had.
He switched a staff for a wooden branch, which he picked up under a tree. It was merely a foot long, and its thin mass seemed so brittle that a child could easily snap it in half.
"I'll be using this, then. But I'll be using Qi, too."
Ji Zixuan was slightly offended, but her smile widened, feeling excited. Giving her all, she decided to use her best skill.
Her spear glowed in gold, projecting an illusion of a gold dragon around her weapon. She launched a straight thrust, and the dragon from her spear opened its mouth wide.
Fu Tong also applied what he had learned from the library. Using a similar technique, he created an ethereal white snake with his Qi, which coiled around his stick. With a wave, he sent it toward the dragon.
The tiny snake leaped from the stick and transformed into a giant python, double the size of the dragon. It opened its mouth wide and swallowed it whole The steel spear disintegrated into dust.
Ji Zixuan's eyes widened as she stared at the snake illusion in fear and astonishment. Her arms and legs refused to move.
Before the snake could swallow her whole, Fu Tong pulled the stick, dispelling the technique. The white snake vanished, and the wooden branch crumbled into dust.
Ji Zixuan fell on her butt, staring at Fu Tong in a daze.
"H-How… What was that?!"
Fu Tong sighed and elaborated. "That was the Spiritual Qi Manifestation Technique that everybody can use at the Qi Condensation stage."
"I know, but why is your spirit a snake? And how did you turn a tiny amount of Qi into something like that?!"
Fu Tong didn't know what to explain. His 9999 INT and WIS attributes directly influenced the effectiveness of spells and Qi attacks. Therefore, his basic skills, especially a technique that combined physical and Qi attacks, could easily overpowered advanced techniques of Ji Zixuan.
"Let's say, it's just a difference in skill mastery, comprehension, and foundation. I have the physique of an immortal, but you're still a golden core cultivator. When we use the same skills and the same amount of Qi, the outcome can be very different."
"Oh!"
Fu Tong helped Ji Zixuan up. As they were no longer in a condition to continue sparring, Ji Zixuan invited him to take a break elsewhere and continue their stroll to other gardens.
As they chatted, they didn't notice that they were being followed. Elders of the Ji Clan observed their interaction from afar and widely grinned.
Among the stalkers, Ji Guoli hovered in the air. He witnessed their little bout and acquired enough information to make another important decision. He whispered to the elders behind him.
"Contact the immortal headquarters. Have them cancel the prior engagement. Tell them I've found a better partner for my daughter."
The elders nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It's better to wed her to a talented young man from an immortal clan than give her away to the likes of Xiao, especially that womanizer Xiao Han Ce. We shall contact the main house right away."