Chapter 60: The Twenty Weapon Techniques
After a few minutes of relaxation, allowing the remarkable benefits of the spiritual food to settle throughout their bodies, Elder Huang finally circled back to the main topic that had initially excited her.
"You really reached the perfect stage? And in two techniques no less?" she asked with undisguised amazement as Xiang Yu demonstrated both his perfected knife and sword techniques.
Even Elder Guo watched from the side with surprise etched across his weathered face. Though he had long recognized Xiang Yu’s genius-level comprehension, he couldn’t help being impressed each time he witnessed it in action. The flawless execution, the economy of movement, the perfect balance—truly, his disciple had achieved something remarkable.
Elder Huang leaned forward eagerly. "So, did you want to choose another technique to practice?" Her enthusiasm was palpable. She had finally found a worthy test subject for her theories. If Xiang Yu could master techniques at such an astonishing rate, her experiment to unlock that special physique might actually succeed. Given a few years at this pace, he would definitely break through that legendary barrier.
But Xiang Yu’s response caught her off guard.
"Actually, I wanted to pick more than one," he said, scratching his cheek with feigned casualness.
Elder Huang blinked in surprise. Had success gone to the boy’s head? How could he possibly practice multiple techniques simultaneously? As his martial aunt, she needed to guide him back to the correct path. If he strayed now, he might never unlock the physique she sought.
"Martial nephew," she began carefully, "although I acknowledge your talent is extraordinary, you simply cannot practice many techniques at the same time. They will interfere with your progress." Her tone carried the weight of centuries of established cultivation wisdom.
Xiang Yu had anticipated this response. Time to deploy his first trump card.
"Martial Aunt," he explained with calculated humility, "I’ve actually realized that I practice techniques more easily when I’m working on several simultaneously, just like I did with the knife and sword techniques."
Elder Huang’s eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. Was such a thing even possible? Throughout cultivation history, focus had always been prized above breadth. Still, skepticism lingered in her expression.
Seeing her doubtful look, Xiang Yu smoothly employed his second trump card.
"How about this," he proposed, "I’ll practice them for a month, and if I can’t perfect all of them, I’ll give up and study just one at a time."
Elder Huang fell into contemplative silence. Xiang Yu seemed like an honest, straightforward disciple—perhaps he had simply been misled by some unconventional cultivation theory. In the grand scheme of her plans, a single month wasn’t significant. Besides, after the extraordinary feast he had prepared, refusing his request seemed ungracious.
She considered that teenagers naturally rebelled against restrictions. Being too rigid might have the opposite effect, making cultivation feel like a chore rather than an opportunity. He would likely grow out of this experimental phase on his own once he faced its inevitable limitations.
"Okay," she relented with a smile, "which techniques do you want?"
"I want all the weapon techniques you have."
Elder Huang nearly toppled from her chair. She had expected him to request perhaps two additional techniques, but ALL weapon techniques? Had the boy lost his mind?
"Can’t I?" Xiang Yu asked, masterfully adopting a pitiful expression that contrasted sharply with his usual stoic demeanor.
Elder Huang could only sigh in resignation. It was just a month, after all. He would inevitably abandon this folly when he discovered he couldn’t handle it. She decided to begin with just the basic weapon techniques, allowing him to "play around" without risking confusion from more advanced methods. The higher-level techniques could wait until he had demonstrated proper focus and discipline.
...
"There are twenty weapons techniques in cultivation. Since you have mastered the first two, I’ll give you the other eighteen," Elder Huang said with a resigned sigh, her expression a mixture of skepticism and indulgence.
Xiang Yu fought to contain his excitement. His plan had worked perfectly! With his system’s exponential growth, would it even take a full month to master these techniques? And even if it did, once they were recorded in his system, he wouldn’t need the physical manuals anymore. He could practice them at his leisure, steadily perfecting each one without external pressure.
In the next moment, eighteen manuals flew from Elder Huang’s spatial ring, landing neatly in Xiang Yu’s waiting hands. He quickly flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the content. Though he noticed they were all basic-level techniques, disappointment never crossed his mind. With this many techniques available for combination through his newly unlocked system function, he had no doubt he could forge something extraordinary.
The techniques formed an impressive array of cultivation methods:
[Basic Spear Technique], [Basic Staff Technique], [Basic Bow Technique], [Basic Whip Technique], [Basic Saber Technique], [Basic Dagger Technique], [Basic Fan Technique] [Basic Chain Technique], [Basic Axe Technique], [Basic Hammer Technique], [Basic Fist Technique], [Basic Claw Technique], [Basic Palm Technique], [Basic Kick Technique] [Basic Grappling Technique], [Basic Throwing Technique], [Basic Dart Technique], [Basic Needle Technique]
As he examined the list more carefully, Xiang Yu found himself genuinely impressed by the comprehensive collection. Some techniques particularly surprised him—it seemed that even body parts like fists and legs were considered "weapons" in the cultivation realm.
"Take this," Elder Huang interrupted his thoughts, tossing a small pouch in his direction.
Xiang Yu caught it easily, feeling the unusual weight and texture. It seemed ordinary from the outside, but he sensed something extraordinary about it.
"This is a spatial pouch," she explained, her tone softening slightly. "I’ve put all the weapons you’ll need inside."
She spent the next few minutes patiently demonstrating how to access the space within, how to withdraw specific items, and how to secure the pouch against theft.
After the explanation was complete, the two elders finally departed, leaving the disciples alone with their newfound treasures.
Xiang Yu held the spatial pouch reverently, turning it over in his hand with wonder. Spatial treasures were exceedingly rare in this world—he never expected to acquire one so early in his cultivation journey. Despite her skepticism about his training methods, Elder Huang had been remarkably generous. He silently thanked his martial aunt in his heart, appreciating her support despite her doubts.
"Senior brother," Li Yao asked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity, "are you really going to practice all eighteen techniques at the same time?" The disbelief in her tone mirrored Elder Huang’s earlier skepticism.
"Yes," Xiang Yu confirmed with unusual confidence. "With your assistance, I’ll master them in no time. Then we can have another, even bigger feast to celebrate."
Li Yao’s eyes immediately lit up at the mention of food. "Another feast?" she exclaimed, her previous doubts instantly forgotten. "I’ll definitely help senior brother!" she shouted with childlike enthusiasm.
Xiang Yu smiled at her predictable response. His junior sister’s simple motivations made her remarkably easy to manipulate. She was lucky that he wasn’t a bad person otherwise...