The Nineteen Arhat Fist, Timber-Splitting Needle Technique

Master Xuanzhi, esteemed as a high monk of Shaolin, possessed profound martial prowess.

How could he fail to notice that his disciple had, in such a short span, mastered the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill” and increased his inner strength so dramatically?

“This extraordinary disciple truly has such talent? He is nothing short of a prodigy!” Master Xuanzhi was both startled and amazed.

He himself had practiced for decades, accumulating strength over many years before he could be called deep in inner power. Yet judging by the aura his disciple now exuded, in mere days, the boy had nearly caught up to him!

He wondered whether it was because his disciple was an Outsider, or simply because the youth’s innate ability was so remarkable.

To the high monks of Shaolin, those who joined the temple by virtue of an “entry token”—the players of the game—were known as Outsiders. Yet Tang Xuan, this particular Outsider, was especially unique.

As the first player to enter Shaolin, Tang Xuan had bypassed the standard process for outer disciples and was admitted directly as an inner disciple under Master Xuanzhi’s tutelage.

Master Xuanzhi regarded him with a strange expression. If all Outsiders possessed such talent, the balance of the martial world would soon be overturned.

What he did not know was that other Outsiders—meaning, the game’s players—even if they learned top-tier internal skills, could only begin their practice at the lowest level. To raise the rank of such advanced internal techniques was not so easy; it required steady progress over time, or perhaps rare treasures to boost one’s inner strength.

A case like Tang Xuan’s—immediately attaining the perfect tenth rank—was unheard of; he stood alone.

The “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill” fully mastered, not only endowed one with the power of a thousand weights and greatly increased attack strength, but also permitted advancement in one of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Techniques: the Arhat Divine Skill.

The Arhat Divine Skill was at least a fifth-grade internal art, perhaps even sixth-grade, and when mastered, was said to summon the presence of five hundred arhats—an art refined exclusively in the Hall of Arhats.

After Tang Xuan finished absorbing the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill,” his strength surged, and he rose to his feet.

Only then did Master Xuanzhi speak solemnly: “Disciple, your talent is outstanding! But remember: never use your martial arts to harm the innocent! Shaolin stands as the pillar of righteousness in the martial world; our duty is to vanquish demons and uphold justice.”

Tang Xuan nodded and replied, “Master, rest assured. I hold to my principle: if others do not wrong me, I will not wrong them.”

Master Xuanzhi gazed at Tang Xuan’s face for several seconds before nodding. “Next, I shall teach you the Arhat Fist. Though it is Shaolin’s entry-level fist technique, with your current inner strength, you will wield it with extraordinary power.”

As he spoke, Master Xuanzhi began to demonstrate the Arhat Fist. His movements were unhurried, each move followed by a pause, and he explained the key points of the technique as he went.

Tang Xuan watched intently, missing not a single detail.

Just as when Master Xuanzhi had taught him the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill,” the system prompt soon sounded in his mind.

“Detected: Second Grade Fist Technique—Shaolin Arhat Fist!”

[Shaolin Arhat Fist (Second Grade Fist Technique)]
[Although the Arhat Fist is Shaolin’s foundational art, when cultivated to mastery, even its simplest strikes can become the most formidable of martial skills.]
[Attack power increases by 15%; each use consumes 5 inner strength points.]

“Notification: Shaolin Arhat Fist achieved Perfection!”

Tang Xuan’s skill immediately advanced to the tenth and highest level.

He checked the details:

[Shaolin Arhat Fist (Perfected): Attack power increases by 180%; each use consumes 5 inner strength points.]

With Tang Xuan’s current attack attribute at 2020, the Arhat Fist’s 180% boost, combined with the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill” at perfected level giving a further 60%, resulted in an astonishing 240% increase!

A single punch could inflict 6868 points of damage!

No wonder Master Xuanzhi claimed that with Tang Xuan’s inner strength, even this entry-level fist technique could unleash overwhelming force.

Yet Master Xuanzhi had no idea; Tang Xuan had immediately brought the technique to perfection.

From Master Xuanzhi’s perspective, since Tang Xuan’s internal energy was already profound and he’d mastered the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill”—which paired perfectly with the Arhat Fist—it was only a matter of time before the disciple mastered the technique.

Tang Xuan even suspected that, using the perfected Shaolin Arhat Fist, he could now slay the level-20 boss of Blackwind Fortress with a single punch—two at most!

After imparting the Shaolin Arhat Fist, Master Xuanzhi proceeded to teach him a concealed weapon technique.

Upon learning that Tang Xuan practiced the Thirteen Plum Blossom Needles, Master Xuanzhi fetched a set of flying needles and personally demonstrated the method, explaining its intricacies.

However, from Tang Xuan’s perspective, though his master was a high monk of the Xuan generation, he was not particularly adept with concealed weapons. Only his deep internal strength lent his flying needles their formidable power.

Still, the limitations in his master’s skill did not mean the technique itself was lacking.

Master Xuanzhi had simply not mastered this concealed weapon art.

“Notification: Detected—Fourth Grade Concealed Weapon Technique, Timber-Severing Needle Method.”

[Timber-Severing Needle Method (Fourth Grade Concealed Weapon Technique)]
[Use this treasure only in dire need; to a powerful enemy, it is soul-shattering. Taught by the ancestral master, it punishes the wicked and aids the poor.]
[When driven by inner strength, attack power increases by 25%, with a chance to inflict a critical hit. Each use consumes 20 inner strength points and requires needle-type hidden weapons.]

A fourth-grade concealed weapon technique!

Tang Xuan had expected, at most, a third-grade technique from his master. He had not anticipated one of the same grade as the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill.”

Yet while Master Xuanzhi could perform the Timber-Severing Needle Method, it was clear he was not truly proficient. His skill was likely at level two or three, perhaps even just level one.

As the technique description stated: only in the most desperate circumstances should this treasure be used; even then, a righteous monk like Master Xuanzhi would rarely resort to hidden weapons, employing them only as a last resort.

“Notification: Timber-Severing Needle Method achieved Perfection.”

[When driven by inner strength, attack power increases by 300%, with a chance to inflict a critical hit. Each use consumes 20 inner strength points and requires needle-type hidden weapons.]

At first level, the Timber-Severing Needle Method boosted attack by 25%. At level ten, perfect mastery, it increased attack by a staggering 300%! Coupled with the 60% boost from the “Arhat Thousand-Jin Skill,” the total increase reached 360%!

Tang Xuan reckoned that this advanced concealed weapon technique could rival the Jade Summit Needles of Little Dragon Maiden, the Icy Silver Needles of Li Mochou, or the Black Blood Divine Needles of the Sun and Moon Sect.

The Timber-Severing Needle Method required 20 inner strength points per use, far exceeding the 5 points needed for the Thirteen Plum Blossom Needles.

Moreover, the technique was not limited to the fine needles of the Plum Blossom Thirteen; it could employ needles of various sizes, from hair-thin to large steel spikes.