Xu Yang stepped onto the second floor of the Hidden Skills Hall.
Unlike the first floor, where True Qi Techniques were placed haphazardly, the Cultivation Techniques here were all categorized. Fist, Palm, Finger, Claw, Leg, Saber, Spear, Sword, Halberd, Lightweight Skills, Body Techniques, Heart Methods, and Secret Techniques all had their own detailed sections.
'Secret Techniques?'
Xu Yang was curious. 'What kind of category is Secret Techniques?'
He immediately strode toward that bookshelf.
There weren't many Secret Manuals on this shelf, only five in total.
Blood Burning Technique, thirty contribution points.
Xu Yang picked up the technique marked with thirty contribution points. The description stated that it was a Cultivation Technique that burned Life Energy to boost one's strength, capable of instantly doubling their power.
'This is actually perfect for me!'
Xu Yang's eyes lit up. While others would find it incredibly difficult to recover their Life Energy after burning it, he had his panel and could slowly add it back afterward.
Besides, if he ever encountered an unbeatable expert, survival was what mattered most. If he had to burn his Life Energy, so be it.
He looked at the other Secret Techniques. There was the Secret Transmission method that Lin Cheng hadn't taught him, which cost only ten contribution points.
There was also the Breath Concealing Technique for hiding one's aura, the Disguise Skill for changing one's appearance, and the Turtle Breath Technique for feigning death. All of them were essential for navigating the Jianghu, and Xu Yang felt an unbearable urge to learn them all.
He wanted all of them. They might seem optional on a normal day, but in certain situations, they could be the very means of survival.
But he didn't have many contribution points, so he could only leave this section for now and continue browsing the other categories.
He saw the Fuyue Bear King's Palm that Steward Liu had mentioned, as well as several Saber Techniques and Sword Techniques that cost over five hundred contribution points. There was also a Finger Technique, also over five hundred points, called the Breaking Gang and Cutting Vein Finger.
Unfortunately, these were all things he couldn't afford to redeem.
'This is what motivates the Outer Disciples to work themselves to the bone.'
He had plenty of time, so Xu Yang wasn't in a rush. Even if he couldn't redeem them now, it was good to learn about them. Who knew, one day he might encounter someone who cultivated these techniques.
Two hours later, he had chosen an eighty-point Fist Technique, the Phantom Star Gang Fist, and a seventy-five-point Lightweight Skill, Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind.
A Lightweight Skill was essential for escaping.
A Fist Technique was for close-quarters combat and equally essential. The others were a lower priority; he would have to wait until he had more contribution points to redeem them.
'The Purple Sun Sect does have its merits after all.'
After reaching the Qi Cultivation Gang realm, as long as one diligently completed missions, they could redeem a decent Martial Art within three or four months.
In the outside world, obtaining a Gang Qi Technique was next to impossible.
At a Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion auction, a single Gang Qi Martial Art sold for five thousand taels, but here, one could be exchanged for just a few dozen contribution points.
He went downstairs and registered with Steward Liu, quickly obtaining the Secret Manuals for the Phantom Star Gang Fist and Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind.
"Thank you, Steward."
After cupping his fist, Xu Yang left eagerly. He'd had no new techniques to practice before, but now he suddenly had two Martial Arts to master. Things were about to get busy.
However, just a short distance from the Hidden Skills Hall, he ran right into Sun Jian, an Inner Sect Disciple.
Beside him was a powerfully built man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, who exuded a piercing aura. His eyes were as sharp as daggers.
Like Sun Jian, he also had a large purple sun embroidered on his chest, marking him as another Inner Sect Disciple.
"Hey, aren't you that Xu Yang who won the bid for Ye Qiuling's Blood Coagulation Pill? Have you managed to refine it yet?"
Sun Jian asked curiously, surprisingly remembering Xu Yang.
Xu Yang cupped his hands. "I'm still researching it, Senior Brother."
A look of disdain crossed Sun Jian's face. "Are you really planning to successfully refine an Elixir with just a Pill Formula? If you can pull that off, I'll write my name, Sun Jian, backward."
"Written backward, wouldn't that be 'Jian Sun'? Heh, 'Jian Sun'... sounds like a loser's name. It's perfect," the man with Sun Jian laughed. "I have high hopes for you, little Junior Brother. How about this Senior Brother helps you find a Pill Master to be your teacher?"
"Jiang Yan, cut it out," Sun Jian snapped.
With that, he grabbed his companion, Jiang Yan, and quickly departed. He knew that rascal was fully capable of finding a Pill Master to guide Xu Yang's Alchemy, just to make him write his name backward.
After quickly returning to his courtyard, Xu Yang entered his room, locked the door from the inside, and consumed an Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Pill.
'Jin Lei!'
He muttered Jin Lei's name under his breath.
Jin Lei had disrupted his plans. His supply of Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Pills was nearly gone, and he couldn't leave the mountain for now, lest he face retaliation from Jin Lei.
As a result, his Cultivation progress would slow down again.
Collecting his thoughts, Xu Yang picked up the Phantom Star Gang Fist to study it first.
[Phantom Star Gang Fist - Uninitiated (0/100)]
He ignored the panel that popped up and continued to read it a second time, immersing himself completely in comprehending the Fist Technique.
With the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist and Thunder Shock Fist as his foundation, by the time he finished his third reading, he had already comprehended the Phantom Star Gang Fist to the Entry Realm.
[Phantom Star Gang Fist - Entry Level (1/1000)]
'Gang Qi Martial Arts really are powerful.'
Xu Yang put down the Secret Manual, having already gained a great deal of insight and understanding into the Phantom Star Gang Fist.
Unlike the Thunder Shock Fist and Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, the Phantom Star Gang Fist was not a Martial Technique that pursued explosive power with an unyielding and ferocious offense.
The Phantom Star Gang Fist focused on blurring the lines between illusion and reality, on being unpredictable and mysterious. Its emphasis was on the variation of its Techniques, making it impossible for an enemy to distinguish a feint from a true strike.
Even so, in terms of sheer power, the Fist Technique surpassed his Thunder Shock Fist when enhanced with the Twelfth Layer of Force, truly unleashing the tyrannical might of Gang Qi.
Without rushing to practice, he picked up Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind and began to read.
After studying it a few times, he also brought Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind to the Entry Level.
[Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind - Entry Level (1/1000)]
Compared to the Flying Swallow Skill, Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind was more direct, emphasizing extreme bursts of speed. It cared nothing for qualities like Light Spirit, elegance, or silence. Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind was all about one thing: being as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning.