C420 Thousandvillage Martial Competion

The man in silver came this time to deliver a message. In twenty days, the villages under the Azure Sun Martial Mansion will hold the Battle of a Thousand Villages. Anyone under eighteen can participate, and the rewards are substantial for the winners. Those who make it into the top fifty can become honorary disciples of the Martial Mansion. The top twenty receive a secret technique manual. The top ten get a technique manual and a spirit pill. The top three are awarded a technique manual, a spirit pill, and a treasured weapon. The first-place winner receives a technique manual, a spirit pill, a treasured weapon, and a martial skill.

Woo Zhengyang stood among the people of Great Leaf Village, puzzled as he listened to the Old Village Chief announce the event. Typically, the higher the rank, the better the reward, but the first-place prize only included an additional martial skill compared to the second and third places. This left Woo Zhengyang scratching his head, as martial skills were not usually considered great rewards unless they were of a very high level.

In this world, martial skills and techniques aren't categorized in detail, so Woo Zhengyang couldn't determine the quality of the martial skill being offered. However, when the rewards were announced, the people of Great Leaf Village were thrilled. From their discussions, Woo Zhengyang gathered that, at least in the villagers' eyes, martial skills were the most valuable, followed by spirit pills and treasures. Surprisingly, the Body Tempering Technique, which Woo Zhengyang valued most, wasn't held in high regard by the villagers.

After some probing, Woo Zhengyang finally understood that in this world, martial arts techniques hadn't been extensively developed by later generations. Complete martial arts techniques were extremely rare and mostly controlled by the Martial Mansion. This was a stark contrast to the previous world.

Following the great ancient catastrophe, the previous world had sects that were classified into levels, with titles restricted. Similarly, martial arts techniques were also reclassified. Woo Zhengyang wasn't sure why the sects were divided into levels, but he knew a bit about the reclassification of techniques.

In ancient times, martial arts techniques did have levels, but these were closely linked to the practitioner's cultivation stage and weren't clearly marked. For instance, the "Ink Night Sword Washing Arts" could be performed at the peak cultivation stage, known as the Shape Gathering Stage, and was considered a master-level technique. The "Flesh Condensing Technique" could only be practiced at the Body Tempering level, placing it as a basic technique for a Martial Disciple.

Of course, regardless of the world, techniques of the same level could vary in quality, and this remained unchanged. After the ancient catastrophe, many techniques from the previous world were lost, and many of the techniques that are now passed down were adapted from incomplete versions by later generations.

As a result, the original classification of techniques was disrupted due to these modifications. To help practitioners distinguish and select techniques, the Martial Arts Alliance standardized the classification rules and marked them on the title page of each martial arts technique.

In this world, without the presence of a Martial Alliance, martial arts techniques still follow the ancient hierarchy. Basic techniques are easy to find, but finding the right martial skills is challenging. Take Great Leaf Village, for instance; it offers only three martial skills: a spear technique, a blade technique, and a fist technique. The highest-level blade technique is only at a master level and may not suit everyone. Other villages face similar situations.

Thus, having the opportunity to choose a personal martial skill at the Martial Mansion is far more valuable than basic techniques for them. Due to the upcoming Thousand-village Martial Competition, Woo Zhengyang doesn't need to leave Great Leaf Village just yet. His current goal is to find a Body Tempering Technique, and this competition presents a perfect opportunity.

Moreover, after learning about the current state of the world, Woo Zhengyang made a deal with the Old Village Chief. While martial skills are crucial for the villagers, low-level skills hold little value for Woo Zhengyang. From his time with the three sects of the Fallen Sun Country, he has amassed countless martial skills. Although he doesn't have many on hand, he has mastered several himself.

Ultimately, Woo Zhengyang entrusted the Old Village Chief with the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist," "Azure Cloud Embracing Moon Palm," "Silky Hair Soft Finger," and even the "Ink Night Sword Washing Arts."

Great Leaf Village had taken Woo Zhengyang in for several days, and he was deeply grateful. The people here were genuine and kind, so he wasn't worried about being deceived.

When Woo Zhengyang presented his martial techniques, only the Old Village Chief and Sun Li and his son were present. They were stunned when he revealed the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist." As Woo handed over each technique, they were left speechless.

Woo didn't disclose the origins of these martial skills, and neither of them asked. He trusted that the techniques wouldn't be easily exposed. While the villagers were straightforward, they weren't naive about the dangers of the world. If word got out about the village's martial techniques, it would surely attract unwanted attention.

When the Old Village Chief gifted Woo the Willow Wood Flying Sword and the "Sword Manipulating Flight Technique," there were no strings attached. Similarly, Woo offered his techniques without expecting anything in return. The exchange happened because the Old Village Chief and Sun Li felt compelled to reciprocate Woo's generosity by sharing the village's martial arts.

Initially, Woo was curious about the village's techniques, but after understanding the world's current state, he set his sights on the techniques at the Azure Sun Martial Mansion. However, when he stumbled upon one of the village's techniques in the ancestral hall, he was taken aback.

"Skin Origin Hiding Technique!"

This technique had been mentioned by Bing'er and the others. In ancient times, it was one of the most powerful techniques at the Skin Stage, considered top-tier among Body Tempering Techniques.

"Zhengyang, are you interested in this technique? You have a good eye, but unfortunately, it's incomplete," the Old Village Chief remarked as he opened the manual, beginning his explanation.

Legend has it that the ancestors of Great Leaf Village discovered this technique in the lair of a demonic beast while hunting. By then, the manual was already in tatters, and they only managed to salvage the relatively intact first half.

Some have practiced this technique before. Initially, the cultivation speed was indeed much faster than other techniques. However, without the latter part, progress slowed significantly. The main issue is that its training method differs from other Skin Stage techniques. Switching to another technique would require starting over from scratch.

Eventually, no one practiced it anymore. It was preserved so that future generations would remember its name. If they ever had the chance to choose a technique at the Azure Sun Martial Mansion, they should pick this one!

Unfortunately, Great Leaf Village is on the outskirts of the Azure Sun Martial Mansion's influence, and its strength is considered low. In the repeated Thousand-village Martial Competitions, the village's youth never achieved notable results, nor did they get the opportunity to select techniques from the Azure Sun Martial Mansion.