Zhang Xiao saved Peng Lianyun, but being warm-hearted, he feared offending Li Xian afterward and took the initiative to make a toast as a friendly gesture. Li Xian responded coolly, and after a few exchanges, they had become friends.

"Brother Li, was it a draw?" Zhang Xiao asked.

"No, it was Zhou Shijie's overwhelming victory."

Li Xian said, "Zhou Shijie's Eagle Claw came down, and Wang Kun refused to be outdone, responding with the move Evil Tiger Rising. The fist's momentum pointing upward. Although this move seemed evenly matched, the outcome was clear."

"After Zhou Shijie's Eagle Claw, he still maintained the momentum of transforming a carp into a flood dragon, with a hundred changing moves to follow. Although Wang Kun was formidable and intended to hide his strength, in the ebb and flow of the match, he found no opportunity to display it any further. Seeing himself in such a predicament, he conceded."

"In short, one still had strength remaining, while the other had reached a dead end. If it were a life-and-death struggle, with Wang Kun fighting to the death, the result might have been different. But in this martial arts sparring among friends, he was already soundly defeated!"

Zhang Xiao pondered, realizing there was truth to it, but wasn't entirely convinced and continued to think deeply.

Moments later, Wang Kun's voice echoed across the lake: "Brother Zhou, you're truly formidable; this champion's position rightfully belongs to you. If anyone covets it, they must first contend with me, Wang Kun."

Indeed, he conceded, honestly and sincerely.

This impressive gesture stirred the competitive spirit among the gathered prodigies. They took turns asking for a match, causing ripples to form on the lake's surface, wave after wave.

The multi-level banquet was a feast rather than a duel, a display of talent where verbal discussions took precedence. It showcased the demeanor of the prodigies, intensifying the lively and bustling atmosphere.

Li Xian furrowed his brow in thought: "The lady asked me to stir up the wind and rain; what is her intention? Within this tower, all the prodigies have forces or connections backing them, yet I stand alone, with no one to shield me."

"But since I'm already here, I might as well ascend the tower and seek a bout! Do I not wish to meet the prodigies of the Prefecture City?"

Li Xian, too, was young and slightly reckless!

At this time, the banquet was only halfway, and Li Xian cupped his hands to bid farewell to the others on the second floor, then gracefully climbed to the next level.

On the third floor were Luo Bu'Er, Li Ruhu, and others. The layout of the floor was similar, only the copper tripod was fuller with wine, and the aroma more intense. It was the same "Dreams of a Thousand Returns," but aged longer, with a richer flavor.

Luo Bu'Er was savoring the fine wine. Several people had debated martial arts with him, yet no one could solve his martial arts conundrums. His arrogance reaching to the skies, he sneered coldly as someone ascended the stairs: "Here comes another to discuss martial arts. If you're wise, I advise you to obediently leave, to avoid making a fool of yourself."

Li Xian glanced around without stopping, heading straight to the fourth floor. Ascending the tower to seek martial arts was perfectly acceptable. However, Li Xian bypassed the floor, greatly disgracing the others.

Li Ruhu, on the same floor, immediately shouted angrily: "Youngster, you're arrogant!" He splashed his glass of fine wine toward Li Xian.

Li Xian took a breath, and his Qi force surged. Having cultivated the Iron Lung through the Iron Copper Body martial arts, it was perfectly suited for just this purpose. The wine splashed back.

Li Ruhu raised an eyebrow, unwilling to succumb, catching the wine back into the glass mid-air, without spilling a drop.

The fourteen prodigies on the third floor all slapped the tables and stood up, yelling: "Kid, do you look down on us!?"

Li Xian curiously replied: "When did I say I look down on you?"

"You bypassed the third floor, heading straight for the fourth. That means you don't see us in your eyes!" the crowd said angrily.

Li Xian said: "Should I first gain a spot on the third floor and then seek martial arts on the fourth to be considered honoring you?"

"You!" The crowd was furious, but couldn't find fault.

Li Xian smiled lightly and said: "Very well, then I shall discuss martial arts with you, please, Brother Li, give me some advice." He pointed at Li Ruhu, who had just made a move. The hint of humility had faded.

Li Ruhu's face looked unpleasant as he coldly agreed. Discussing martial arts seemed like a battle of words, but was deceptively complex.

Li Ruhu placed his hands behind his back and spoke with confidence.

He had planned the sequence of moves in advance, describing them verbally:

First, he used the "Dragon Swimming Ten Techniques" to maneuver, then employed hand, elbow, and leg techniques, each with intricate mastery. Every martial art was described with precision, how the strategy was laid out meticulously, and how each move flowed logically from the last.

Taking one step while anticipating not just the next three.

This Li Ruhu was the top disciple of the "Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall," a prominent figure among the younger generation, his reputation forged through his technique. He had many defeated opponents under his belt.

His voice carried over the lake, earning the admiration of Jianghu martial artists. Previously, when he faced off against prodigies, though he was defeated, no one understood the reason for his loss. It felt as if they were just half a step behind, needing only a bit more effort to surpass him.

Today, upon hearing the martial arts discussion, they realized the hidden strategies between the moves, the calculated cunning with each step, and the mental duels. Suddenly awakened to the disparity, they found their confidence utterly shaken.

The Jianghu martial artists couldn't help but wonder: "How will this Evil Captain, Li Xian, respond?"

All eyes turned to him.

Li Ruhu arrogantly asked: "Presented as such, how do you respond?"

How to respond? The prodigies also pondered.

Li Xian seriously said: "With fists to resolve it."

"Hahaha." Li Ruhu laughed triumphantly: "Truly a lad from the county, your knowledge is quite shallow. I used the Dragon Swimming Ten Techniques to face you, setting three traps. If you use a fist technique to counter, you will step straight into those traps. You really are straightforward."

He immediately detailed the specifics of the moves.

"With this approach, when you counter with punches, the old momentum dissipates, the new momentum yet unreleased, compelling you to pull back defensively. At this moment, as I continue, this match is already your loss."

"But it won't show immediately. It will take three more forms for you to vaguely sense the problem, but by then it will be too late."

Saying this, he casually demonstrated. These were basic martial arts, the underlying rule of 'discussion of martial arts' was to rely on "basic martial arts." For more advanced martial arts, with their complexity and key points, words couldn't do them justice and thus were not included in the 'discussion of martial arts'.

Luo Bu'Er and the others found it reasonable. Quietly miming in their minds, they all believed Li Ruhu was already victorious.

Li Xian said: "Actually, that's not the case. The moves you use may seem naturally connected, building cleverly step by step. However, they can all be resolved through fist techniques—even with the most basic Four Directions Fist—all your moves can be easily neutralized."

"The three traps you set were not true traps. I only need to do so-and-so, this way and that way, and a set of fist techniques will naturally break all your moves."

He went on to elaborate on how to resolve them, explaining how to use a single set of fist techniques, with similar moves, to break all of Li Ruhu's techniques.

"What a load of hot air!"

Li Ruhu angrily said: "What you said earlier cannot be achieved with just mastery, or even perfection of basic fist techniques. Your argument is completely unreasonable, so what's the significance of this martial discussion? Or are you claiming to have reached the peak? Ha!"

With these words.

Lin Aoshan of Dragon Gate Tower also frowned slightly. While Li Xian's point had some validity, breaking it required extremely advanced achievements in basic fist techniques. Prefecture City has a hundred and eighty sets of basic fist techniques, but very few can truly reach "Perfection."

With diligent study, one might reach [Mastery].

With fair talent, and ten years of unending effort, one might reach [Minor Achievement].

Great Success requires destiny and temperament. As for [Perfection], it's quite rare.

Gathered here are the prodigies of Prefecture City. With the talents present, diligent cultivation might achieve [Perfection]. However, the time and effort expended would not be worth the return.

Indeed, even basic martial arts have inherent flaws.

Achieving Perfection requires filling these gaps, an exceptionally challenging task. As for reaching [Peak]... once at such a point, a martial artist, even at Peak, might not be extremely powerful but would certainly be extremely rare!

Some dare claim [Perfection]. But who dares speak of [Peak]?

Gu Nianjun gazed at the lake, sipping tea. Zhou Shijie, enamored with her, went to great lengths to invite her to the banquet, intending to showcase his talents. But unexpectedly, Gu Nianjun's attention often settled on Li Xian.

She thought: "This martial discussion is no game. His reckless words are stirring trouble. Truly like Brother Xiaofan; if necessary, I'll still need to lend him a hand."

"Only, his exaggerated persona makes it hard for him to walk far on the path of martial arts. He might struggle to be a true hero, challenging for me to truly admire him."

Suddenly, at that moment.

The lake surface resonated with sound: "Young friend Li Xian, we invited you to the banquet not for you to cause discord. You'd better ensure you're not speaking nonsense, or our Cao family will invite you for some tea."

The elder from the Cao family seized the opportunity to make trouble.

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