"Training methods and fighting skills?" Lu Qing was surprised.
"Exactly," said the elder doctor.
"The so-called training method, also known as a nourishing skill, as the name suggests, involves nurturing the body, tempering the physical body, and enhancing one's physical strength," he explained.
"The Nourishing Body Boxing I taught you is actually a boxing method for cultivating the physical body that I developed myself."
"As for fighting skills..."
The elder doctor organized his thoughts before continuing.
"Martial Artists who cultivate martial arts have vigorous Qi-Blood, are full of spirit, and generally have dominant personalities. It's inevitable for them to be competitive and strive for strength."
"Thus in the prolonged battles, in order to win, Martial Artists gradually created many highly aggressive cultivation techniques, which are the fighting skills."
"Fighting skills are also known as killing skills. These cultivation techniques are generally not aimed at nurturing the body or tempering the physical body but focus more on how to unleash the strongest destructive and lethal power in the shortest time, with the least cost, to defeat the opponent."
"Therefore, in terms of lethality, the martial arts of fighting skills are much stronger than those of training methods."
"Nourishing skills and killing skills..." Lu Qing carefully pondered these two terms.
From these two names alone, he could feel the unevenness on the path of martial arts, which probably was a brutal path where life and death were frequently at stake.
"Master, you said Nourishing Body Boxing is a training method, so what is our fighting skill?" Lu Qing couldn't help but ask.
"Our lineage doesn't have fighting skills."
The elder doctor's next words directly astonished Lu Qing.
"You don't need to look so surprised," the elder doctor said with a bit of amusement. "The master isn't good at fighting, so what's so strange about not being able to create powerful fighting skills?"
Lu Qing then remembered that his master was a doctor, and a very kind-hearted one, who disliked conflicts.
Perhaps a lack of a competitive spirit was why he hadn't created powerful fighting skills.
"However, although I'm not good at combat, I do have a few good martial arts techniques. Would you like to learn them?"
"Eh?" Lu Qing was surprised again. "Master, didn't you just say that our lineage doesn't have outstanding fighting skills?"
"Indeed, our lineage does not have outstanding fighting skills," the elder doctor said.
"Your ancestor, who was my master, was just an ordinary Jianghu Traveling Doctor in the past, who knew several basic defensive boxing skills."
"Afterward, when I was young, I had some adventures and was fortunate enough to create the Nourishing Body Boxing."
"So when I say our lineage doesn't have outstanding fighting skills, I'm not deceiving you."
Lu Qing: "Then what you said earlier..."
"The fighting techniques I possess mostly came from my travels in the past. Some were given as payment by some Jianghu heroes when I treated them, some I bought in markets of the big cities, and others I happened to find while picking herbs in the mountains."
In just a few words, the elder doctor let Lu Qing hear of his master's extraordinary experiences.
"Master, can these cultivation methods actually be bought?" Lu Qing felt somewhat incredulous.
In his view, secret manuals of cultivation methods should be the most cherished possessions of Martial Artists. Who would sell them?
"Hehe, the world is vast and full of wonders. Once you have a chance to go out, you'll see that not only do people sell secret manuals of cultivation methods, but some even carve their lifetime of learning into stones for everyone to learn from," the elder doctor chuckled.
"Who would be so generous?" Lu Qing was astonished.
"That is a great Martial Artist, revered and admired by all Martial Artists across the world."
The elder doctor seemed to recall something, his expression turned contemplative, and he fell silent for a long while before snapping back to the present: "Enough of that, let's not talk about this."
"Ah Qing, although we, as doctors, should take treating diseases and saving people as our duty..."
"But sometimes when venturing outside, one inevitably encounters unforeseen events, hence it's necessary to have some martial skills for defense."
"Nourishing Body Boxing is suitable for handling ordinary people, but against other martial artists who also practice martial arts, it is insufficient."
Nourishing Body Boxing could be used against opponents, but facing those who could unleash powerful killing skills in martial arts, obviously, it would be at a disadvantage.
"Now that you have entered the Qi Blood Realm and become a true martial artist, it is time for you to choose a fighting skill in martial arts to cultivate."
"Then Master, what kind of fighting skill in martial arts can I learn?" Lu Qing asked with some anticipation.
"Although I have many martial arts fighting skills here, most of them are quite ordinary, suitable only up to the Qi Blood Realm. Only three are truly considered exquisite martial arts; let me fetch them for you."
With that, the elder doctor walked into the house and soon emerged with three books.
"These three martial arts, one is a stick technique, one is a saber technique, and there's also a swordsmanship, each one is a Muscle Bone Realm martial arts. Which one would you like to learn?"
Lu Qing's gaze lingered on the three secret manuals.
He did not say anything as foolish as "I want them all."
Although endowed with superpowers, he understood the principle that greed did not lead to mastery.
Currently, as a mere Qi Blood Realm martial artist, focusing on cultivating one martial arts was the best choice.
After pondering for a while, Lu Qing finally said, "I choose the Saber Technique."
"Are you sure? Once chosen, it might influence your martial arts path later on." the elder doctor solemnly stated.
"Disciple has considered it well, I choose the Saber Technique." Lu Qing said firmly.
He had little interest in stick techniques and swordsmanship was just average for him.
Rather, it was the Saber Technique that really intrigued him.
After all, sabers had a more domineering aura, fitting his taste.
"Since you have decided, take this secret manual."
The elder doctor handed over one of the secret manuals to Lu Qing.
Lu Qing received the secret manual and opened the first page, his brows leaping up: "Four Directions Saber?"
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"Yes, this saber technique is called Four Directions Saber, I discovered this secret manual unintentionally in a cave during a mountainous herb collecting trip."
"In that cave, there was a corpse, already reduced to a skeleton, in front of whom lay a bundle wrapped in oiled cloth, encasing this 'Four Directions Saber' secret manual."
"After I buried the skeleton, I took the secret manual."
Lu Qing was quite astonished.
He realized his master seemed to have quite a few serendipitous encounters.
He could discover a nameless skill such as Nourishing Body Boxing in his youth.
Going into the mountains for herbs, and finding a martial arts secret manual.
Such luck was indeed beyond belief.
"Ah Qing, I have only read this Four Directions Saber Technique, never cultivated it myself. Since you chose this technique, I can offer you some cultivation suggestions at most but cannot teach you hands-on."
"So, reaching what level depends entirely on you."
"Disciple understands." Lu Qing nodded.
"However, although the Four Directions Saber Technique is intricate and reaching profound mastery could even challenge Muscle Bone Realm martial artists, it might not be too difficult for you to master, given your martial arts talent."
The elder doctor's confidence in Lu Qing made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
If it weren't for his superpowers, he feared he might indeed disappoint his teacher.