novelraw Chapter 131: Captain Bai’s Lesson
Chapter 131: Captain Bai’s Lesson
“It is still early today.”
“Since the mission to clear out the Snake Den failed, I should naturally make it up to you in other ways.”
Bai Jingtang said to the group of First-Rank martial artists in the cabin, “If you have any questions during your cultivation, you may ask. If I can help, I will.”
Bai Jingtang’s words immediately loosened everyone’s tongues.
Monk Dalong, his face lit with delight, was the first to rush in. “Then I will not hold back.”
“Captain Bai.”
“I have already obtained the several Second-Rank martial arts you told me to cultivate properly last time. Right now my Strength is 42, Agility 37, and Stamina 39. I am only four points away from pushing my attributes into the Second-Rank martial artist threshold, but I cannot seem to find any suitable Second-Rank martial art around me.”
What a show-off…
Su Wangchuan almost rolled his eyes.
Monk Dalong was actually about to break through to a Second-Rank martial artist.Judging from the grimaces around him, the others all wanted to smack him.
“In today’s cultivation, did you not push even a single martial art into ‘Entry-Level Mastery’?” Bai Jingtang asked Monk Dalong.
The latter nodded honestly. “《Rock-Splitting Staff Art》 has already been cultivated to ‘Entry-Level Mastery’. That counts as one.”
“Then that is fine. Find an opportunity and see if you can cultivate a Second-Rank fist technique, saber art, or sword art to ‘Entry-Level Mastery’ as well… that should be about enough.”
“I am used to heavy weapons. Holding a saber or a sword feels like playing with a toy. It does not feel right.”
Monk Dalong reached up to scratch at the burn marks on his scalp, looking a little embarrassed.
Bai Jingtang did not indulge him. “Next.”
“Captain Bai!”
Zhang Xiaoxiao reacted quickly this time and raised her hand. “My Stamina is only 30. I want to learn a body-protection technique suitable for women.”
“Qingcheng Sect’s 《Nine Heavens Divine Art》, Emei Sect’s 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 and 《True Essence Body Protection》, Yueying Floral Tower’s 《Drunken Flower Tower》, and there are also some more ordinary and common techniques in Jianghu. Techniques like 《Brocade Screen Body-Tempering Art》, 《Black Sand Iron Body》, 《Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training Technique》, 《Iron Shirt》, and 《Golden Bell Shield》 are not impossible to cultivate either.”
As one of the most senior powerhouses of Warring States Game Studio, Bai Jingtang knew the techniques of the various Jianghu sects inside and out, and he reeled them off without hesitation.
Zhang Xiaoxiao nodded and fell into thought.
At a glance, Bai Jingtang saw through her worry and said, “You do not actually need to worry about whether these techniques suit women. First-Rank and Second-Rank martial arts are low-level techniques in the first place—nothing worth mentioning. They are only stepping stones. Later, you will all move into Third-Rank and Fourth-Rank. When you encounter better martial arts in the future, these techniques will naturally never be seen in public.”
“Captain Bai is right. I understand,” Zhang Xiaoxiao said.
Seizing the opening, Su Wangchuan said to Bai Jingtang, “Actually, I have been cultivating Yulong Gang’s 《Fish Scale Technique》. Although it is only a First-Rank martial art, it also increases Stamina attributes. It is just that I do not know how much help a body-protection technique can provide in actual combat.”
When the others heard Su Wangchuan mention 《Fish Scale Technique》, they all revealed looks of surprise.
“The body-protection effect of a First-Rank 《Fish Scale Technique》 is limited, but in battles between low-rank martial artists, it still offers some help.”
Bai Jingtang looked over at him and explained, “Usually, 1 point of Defense can negate at least 3 points of Attack. Your 《Fish Scale Technique》 has reached the ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ realm, so it can increase Defense by 5 points… In fact, ordinary adults holding weapons can no longer pose any threat to you.”
“Even if a Quasi-Martial Artist holds an ordinary weapon and uses a First-Rank martial art, the threat to you is not great. Without truly becoming a martial artist, one cannot fully bring out the subtleties of martial arts!”
Su Wangchuan suddenly understood. He had not expected the Defense attribute to be this useful. 《Fish Scale Technique》 could block 15 points of Attack.
“Hall Master Su, you have not been in the game for long. It seems you do not understand the relationship between the attributes very well. Let me also explain the relationship between Attack and HP.”
Bai Jingtang said, “After the enemy’s total Attack is reduced by your total Defense, it will cause you a certain amount of damage. Whatever Attack remains in excess will translate into that many points of HP damage.”
“Because Attack has an upper limit and a lower limit, it actually corresponds to different parts of the body. If the strike lands on the torso or limbs, the damage is relatively low. But if it lands on fatal areas like the head, neck, or heart, the upper-limit Attack will erupt. It may even produce a lethal critical strike, easily resulting in a one-hit kill.”
“Therefore, as martial artists, besides cultivating body-protection techniques, it is also necessary to have various defensive equipment.”
Bai Jingtang’s words were not meant only for Su Wangchuan.
“Your various gang outfits look handsome and pleasing to the eye, but they have no defensive attributes. If you have the means, you can stitch chest guard plates into the inner layer, or switch to double-layered clothing and sew leather armor inside. +1 Defense. At a critical moment, it might save your life.”
Everyone nodded.
Su Wangchuan took it to heart.
He calculated quickly: his overall Attack should be around thirty-five points, his Defense 10.4. By that count, each hit would cost about five HP, meaning he could take at most forty-some blows.
But if he faced a Second-Rank martial artist—someone like Monk Dalong, whose weapon damage was high, whose 《Rock-Splitting Staff Art》 damage was high, and whose attribute-based Attack was also terrifying—a single staff strike could deal ten to twenty HP in ordinary damage. If it landed on a vital point, it would be double or triple, and two or three blows would be enough to smash his head open.
Sew it!
He had to sew it!
In this day and age, what could be more important than staying alive?
When he got back, he would sew chest guard plates and leather armor onto himself—one piece in the front and one in the back.
While he was thinking, everyone else continued asking Captain Bai a few more questions.
The First-Rank martial artists of the Land-Clearing Team had chances to consult Bai Jingtang in their daily lives, so they finished asking fairly quickly. Instead, Su Wangchuan asked whatever came to mind, as if he had endless doubts.
“Captain Bai.”
“I want to know—besides shooting and killing wild beasts, is there any other shortcut for cultivation? Something that can quickly raise a martial art realm?”
“Yes.”
“Life-and-death combat.”
“As long as it is a fight where you go all out, taking one move will grant 1 point of experience value. For example, if you spar with Monk Dalong and one staff strike smashes you until you cough blood and fly away, he can gain martial art experience; and you can gain experience for your body-protection technique.”
Su Wangchuan immediately could not help imagining it—switching the sparring weapons, then stacking his Defense to the limit…
Monk Dalong could not help laughing. “Do not think too much. In life-and-death combat, if you are the slightest bit careless and the upper-limit Attack erupts, the impact can be severe. If it injures your internal organs, you will enter a Light Injury State… Injuring your hands or feet is even more troublesome! If you are hit in the head, dying on the spot is entirely possible. After all, blades and weapons do not have eyes.”
“We have all thought about what you are thinking. That road does not work,” Qin Jinguo and the others chimed in.
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