Bone Crushing Palm

With a loud bang, nearly a hundred clansmen scattered in all directions, each choosing a stone house to enter, their excitement palpable. After all, if they could find high-level techniques here, replacing their current ones would mean a step further in their cultivation journey. And if they found powerful martial arts, it would add to their abilities, an opportunity no one would refuse. Li Yi, however, was not in a hurry to rush into any stone house. Having entered the Martial Arts Pavilion with an indifferent attitude, he wasn't overly eager about these matters. His gaze fell on the rotating light body in the middle of the cave, and he asked in his mind, "Old Coot, what is this?"

The voice of the Venerable Serpent rose faintly, "This seems to be an array made from the magic core of a certain magical beast. Judging by the density of the Dou Qi inside, it's likely one of the trump cards left by your Li family's ancestor. It seems your Li family's Martial Arts Pavilion holds quite a few secrets." Li Yi shook his head slightly, not saying much more. He glanced at the two Elders with indifferent expressions, then turned to Li Nana, "Nana, if you want to find any martial arts, go ahead and look for yourself. I'll just wander around." Li Nana tilted her head, wrinkling her cute nose, and huffed, "No need, I'll just accompany Brother Li Yi." With that, Li Yi could only shake his head and walked towards one of the stone houses at random.

The room was empty, about several square meters in size. In the center, an ancient scroll floated in mid-air, wrapped in a spherical glow, perfectly enclosing the scroll. Li Yi noticed at a glance that the light arcs were emitted by the scroll itself, likely a protective measure by the Li family, also serving as a test for the clan members. After all, if someone couldn't break through this light arc, it meant they were not qualified to possess the scroll. "Quite interesting," Li Yi murmured with a low smile, chopping his hand diagonally across the light arc. With a crisp sound, the light arc shattered like glass, and the scroll willingly fell into Li Yi's hands. He tossed the scroll to Li Nana, "Want to take a look?"

Li Nana gave Li Yi a curious look, "Brother Li Yi, your strongest technique is only mid-level Xuanwu, and I don't even care for it. Why would you?" Li Yi smirked, "I'll know after I look at it." As he spoke, he slowly unrolled the scroll, and the first few characters made him somewhat frustrated. It read: "Mid-Level Xuanwu Martial Art: Bone Crushing Palm!" This technique, common in his family, was not considered high-level, and he didn't expect to find it here. However, Li Yi, devoid of contempt, carefully read through the scroll. The scroll was not lengthy, just detailing the flow of Dou Qi when using Bone Crushing Palm. Li Yi realized at the end that to use this technique, one must have at least seven crystal Yuanqi, and the higher the cultivation, the greater the power of the technique. As he expected, the scroll only taught the method of using Bone Crushing Palm, without any specific moves. It seemed Xuanwu-level martial arts were indeed like this.

Channeling his Dou Qi along the specified pathways, a faint yellow light glowed on Li Yi's right palm. With a swing of his hand, he struck the stone wall. "Bone Crushing Palm!" With a muffled sound, the wall caved in like tofu, leaving a deep palm print. Li Yi retracted his hand, and a shower of stone dust fell like sand. It's one thing to smash a stone with a palm, but to leave just an imprint is much more difficult. From this alone, it was clear Li Yi had mastered the Bone Crushing Palm. Li Nana's mouth agape, she sighed, "Brother Li Yi, you really are amazing. Normally, it takes people ten days or half a month to master this technique, but you did it just by looking once..." Li Yi touched his nose, saying lightly, "Just luck." He then let go of the scroll, watching it shrink back, emitting a faint yellow light, and re-wrapping itself.

"Huh! Your Li family, even being a small clan, uses such methods. It seems your ancestor indeed had foresight," commented the Venerable Serpent, his voice filled with admiration. Li Yi replied mentally, "How so?" The Venerable Serpent chuckled, "Such one-time use methods are truly amusing. Any scroll must be opened by one's own strength, otherwise, even if someone else opens it for you, it will instantly revert to its original state. This forces clan members to constantly strive in their cultivation, making it nearly impossible to gain martial arts through other means. While this method might seem to hinder the family's power at first glance, over the years, it naturally filters out the elites of your Li family." Li Yi nodded, understanding that such a method ensured that those who didn't work hard in their cultivation wouldn't be able to break the protection and gain higher martial arts or techniques, cutting off their potential to become stronger. Not everyone was like him, fortunate enough to encounter a freak like the Venerable Serpent. For Li Yi, the family's techniques and martial arts were merely references, but for many in his family, they were the foundation of their livelihood.

"Alright, let's go to the next place." Glancing once more at the quietly floating scroll, Li Yi gestured and casually headed towards another stone house.

In front of one of the stone houses, a crowd had gathered. Looking closely, a young clan member from the family was seen red-faced, using his weak Yuanqi to continuously strike at the protective barrier around a scroll. The light blue arc of light seemed to wobble on the verge of breaking, but stubbornly refused to shatter. The youth, having expended much effort, always fell short of success. Li Yi casually inquired and learned that many had their eyes on this scroll, but none had succeeded in breaking through yet. Li Yi, naturally, did not join the fray. He glanced at the nearby stairs and smiled, "Nana, let's see what the second floor has to offer." With that, Li Yi headed towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

These stairs, built along the mountain, were likely arranged during the excavation of the Martial Arts Pavilion, a fact that made Li Yi secretly marvel. After all, in the Martial Deity Continent, without the highly developed technology of Li Yi's previous world, constructing such a place relied purely on manpower, an almost unimaginable feat. The second floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion was scarcely less crowded than the first. Those who only got to stroll around during the clan assembly, mostly owing their luck to weak opponents, knew their limits and didn't aim for the more advanced items. After all, many people who had visited the Pavilion over the years were aware that the higher the level, the more advanced the techniques and martial arts. Seeing the crowded area, Li Yi frowned slightly; he had no desire to compete for the seemingly accessible techniques or martial arts. He headed towards a less frequented stone house.

Upon entering, he immediately felt a wave of heat. A scroll floated in mid-air, surrounded by a fire-red arc of light, three to four times larger and denser than the previous ones, with flames flickering as if ready to ignite at any moment. This excited Li Yi, and he speculated whether it could be a Suzaku-level item. Narrowing his eyes, he murmured to Nana, "This seems to be a fire attribute, and if I'm not mistaken, your Dou Qi is of fire attribute. Want to give it a try?" Li Nana smiled softly, "Why don't you try first, Brother Li Yi? It might be a martial art I already know, and that would be a waste of my effort."

"So, my effort isn't a waste?" Li Yi said with a wry smile, but without hesitation, he turned sharply, his hand glowing faintly yellow, and struck out. "Bone Crushing Palm!" His right palm landed firmly on the arc, causing the surrounding flames to flicker wildly, but... the arc only gently rippled a few times, creating wave-like patterns, and did not dissipate. "Uh..." This scene left Li Yi somewhat embarrassed. He had not expected the protective force of a second-floor technique to be so formidable. Li Nana chuckled at Li Yi's expression, "Seems your skills aren't that great, Brother Li Yi. Do you need me to help?" This scene caught the attention of a few nearby clan members, who couldn't help but look on with amusement.

Sighing, Li Yi said, "It seems I underestimated this. Let's try more seriously this time!" Taking a deep breath, he tapped his right foot back slightly, the faint yellow light reappearing on his hand. But this time, his palm seemed to emit a 'click-click' sound. With a swift turn, his right palm traced a strange curve and struck the arc. "Bone Crushing Palm!" The same command echoed, but this mighty strike, when it hit the arc, didn't even produce a ripple. However, Li Yi slowly withdrew his hand, looking much more satisfied. Li Nana, puzzled, eyed Li Yi curiously, "Did you skip breakfast this morning, Brother Li Yi?"

Li Yi paused, somewhat bemused, and sighed, "Little girl, what are you talking about?" "If you're not weak from hunger, why did your palm strike have no effect this time?" "Who says it had no effect?" Li Yi smiled lightly, "Bone Crushing Palm, Bone Crushing Palm. If it only injures the flesh, it's not truly a Bone Crushing Palm. It's only when a palm strike shatters bones without external damage that it becomes a true Bone Crushing Palm!" "But it's a light arc, not a human body!" Li Nana retorted with annoyance. Sighing, Li Yi explained, "One principle applies to all. Little girl, you don't even understand this? Come on, let Brother Li Yi show you what a real Bone Crushing Palm looks like." With that, Li Yi reached out and, to the astonishment of many onlookers, slowly passed his hand through the arc, grasping the scroll. As he did, the surface of the arc began to show countless tiny cracks, and as he withdrew his hand, the arc silently shattered into powder...

Li Yi, seemingly oblivious to Li Nana's shock, shook the scroll in his hand and chuckled, "Come on, girl, let's see what this is all about..."