'Ding! Main quest issued!' the cold system notification sounded in Xiao Wuchen's mind, pulling him back from his daydreams about the future of martial arts. 'First Glimpse of Talent'
'Quest objective: Retrieve the 'Imperial Secret Scroll'. Target Holder: Ranking Master Iron-Armed Fang Xiong (Rank #450). [Quest rewards: Completion assessment, 100 contribution points and an advanced chapter of the 'Basic Internal Strength' technique. Failure penalty: one of his basic attributes is randomly weakened.
Xiao Wuchen's heart skipped a beat. He had only just been promoted to the position of menial eunuch and hadn't even had time to warm up his formal internal strength cultivation method yet he had already received such an important quest. The target was none other than a master on the Jianghu Ranking! A middle-aged eunuch with a cold face and a thin figure — a confidant of the Chief Evil-Repelling Steward — led Xiao Wuchen to a dark, airtight room. The room contained only a nanmu wooden table on which lay a scroll of parchment sealed with wax. 'Xiao Wuchen, although you are a newcomer, the Grand Steward values your potential and your special movement technique that allows you to unleash extreme speed in an instant.' The trusted eunuch's voice was deep and grating, like sandpaper rubbing. 'The Imperial Secret Scroll is of great importance. Last night, it was stolen by a group of ruthless bandits. The Grand Steward discovered that it ultimately fell into the hands of 'Iron Arm' Fang Xiong.' The eunuch tapped the table with his fingers, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's: 'Fang Xiong is ranked 450th in the Human Rankings and is skilled in external hard martial arts. His arms are incredibly strong and he is difficult to harm with ordinary swords and knives. He is currently hiding in Qifeng Tower to the west of the city. Tonight at midnight, he will leave the city with the scroll.
"You must retrieve the scroll before he leaves." He pushed a detailed map and a portrait over. The person in the portrait had a square face, thick eyebrows and large eyes. Their arms were frighteningly thick. 'Remember, this mission is doomed to failure. The Grand Steward has personally authorised the use of any means necessary to retrieve the scroll, but it must not be damaged in any way.' Xiao Wuchen took a deep breath, clasped his hands together in obeisance and said, 'Your subordinate obeys!' After his trusted eunuch had left, Xiao Wuchen focused all his attention on the system interface. Mission Objective: Iron-Armed Fang Xiong (Rank #450)
Main Martial Arts: Xuan Tie Arm (External Kung Fu), Crack Mountain Palm (Palm Technique)
Martial Arts Characteristics: Strength, Defense, Extremely High Resistance to Strikes. [System analysis in progress...] [Analysis complete. Fang Xiong's defence and strength far exceed the host's current level. A direct confrontation with him has an extremely low success rate. Targeted optimisation activated. The system integrates the host's mastered martial art, the Flying Swallow Acupoint Strike, and optimises movement and attack based on the weaknesses in Fang Xiong's external kung fu. Optimisation direction: Increase maximum speed and transform the Acupoint Strike technique into Defense Penetration and Weakness Strike. [Technique: [Flying Swallow Acupoint Strike] Optimisation completed. A flood of new movement techniques and attack methods rush into Xiao Wuchen's mind. The original [Flying Swallow Acupoint Strike] was merely a technique focused on instantaneous bursts of lightness skill and acupoint striking to seal meridians. Now, however, the system had given it new meaning. Movement: Speed is maximised, requiring movement and attack to be completed before Fang Xiong can react. Attack: Attacks no longer aimed to strike acupoints, but rather to strike Fang Xiong's joints.Acupoints and weak points in the flow of qi and blood were attacked with extreme speed and at tricky angles. Every attack had to be "a single strike piercing armour and instantly paralysing". He raised his hand, feeling a slight tremor in his fingertips as though he could sense the subtle changes in the airflow. His eyes were calmer than ever before and he was already simulating tonight's battle in his mind. Speed was the only chance of survival. He carefully put away the portrait and map and meticulously wiped the short sword at his waist; its blade gleamed dangerously in the dim light of the dark room. As midnight approached, the night became as dark as ink and the streets in front of Qifeng Tower were deserted. Like a ghost blending into the night, Xiao Wuchen silently approached his target. He knew that he was not facing ordinary bandits, but a renowned martial arts master; this would be his first true test since arriving in this world.