Although Xia Hunao said he would jump off a cliff, that was merely a rather ineloquent metaphor. Everyone understood that as long as you felt you possessed the protagonist's halo, you could leap off any precipice. Below the cliff would lie treasures and secret manuals, enough to carry you across the three realms and make you a scourge of the six paths.
Of course, if you were on the Spirit Monster Star, such an action would be ill-advised. It would be a considerable loss. What Xia Hunao actually intended to do was embark on a quest for scriptures, specifically, scriptures that could enhance his combat power.
The next morning, Xia Hunao was once again on a plane bound for Linglong City, sunglasses on, unconcerned with anyone. The system inquired, "Which Buddha are you seeking scriptures from?"
Xia Hunao closed his eyes to rest. "Nonsense, of course, I'm seeking scriptures from Bodhisattvas. Why would I seek out a Buddha?"
This statement held a deeper meaning. In Xia Hunao's previous life, there was a Bodhisattva Guanyin who possessed both male and female aspects. Xia Hunao's assertion implied he was going to seek out a woman for guidance, and not just any woman, but a formidable one.
Xia Hunao's journey to Linglong City was uneventful. As soon as he disembarked, he hailed a taxi to Lingling University. Sitting in the taxi, Xia Hunao sighed, "Every time I hear the name Lingling University, it strikes me as particularly awkward."
The taxi driver chuckled. "Young man, you think so too? Actually, many people in Linglong City feel the same way. But what can you do? The name Lingling University has been around for years, and it's difficult to change."
Xia Hunao and the driver chatted idly. Soon, they arrived at Lingling University. Xia Hunao entered the campus and grabbed someone who looked like a student. "Excuse me, where is Professor Gongsun's office?"
The student blinked in surprise and then scrutinized Xia Hunao. "Isn't this Coach Xia? Is something the matter with you looking for Professor Gongsun?"
Xia Hunao peered closely, recognizing a face he knew vaguely. He recalled for a moment and then said, "Ah, Huang, Huang Tianxiao, right? The captain of Lingling University."
Huang Tianxiao smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, it's me. But that's ancient history now. I'm no longer the captain."
Xia Hunao thought, right, Huang Tianxiao was a graduating student at the time. But why was he still at the university?
"I stayed on as a research assistant. I'm now an assistant coach for the Lingling University team. How about it? Want to take a look at our Lingling University team?"
Xia Hunao considered it. A visit wouldn't hurt. After all, Sister Gongsun also held the position of coach at Lingling University, and it would be beneficial for him to observe and learn.
As they walked towards the Lingling University team's training grounds, Xia Hunao noticed that despite Huang Tianxiao being around his age, his status within the university was vastly different. However, this was understandable. Although Huang Tianxiao was an assistant coach who had graduated from the university team, to the current students, he was merely a senior. Xia Hunao, on the other hand, had the principal behind him, and more importantly, he was exceptionally good at causing trouble.
Huang Tianxiao led Xia Hunao to the team's training room. Xia Hunao was in luck; Gongsun Xue and Gongsun Shuang were both present. Huang Tianxiao called out, "Coach, we have a visitor."
The Gongsun sisters turned their heads and saw Xia Hunao standing at the doorway. They quickly waved him in. "Come in, come in! This is a rare guest!"
Xia Hunao followed Huang Tianxiao into the training room. He asked, "Are you two sisters doing well recently?"
Gongsun Xue nodded. "Of course. But you're quite impressive, managing to defeat Song Shuangyu."
"Pure luck, pure luck," Xia Hunao said, scratching his head with a seemingly innocent demeanor.
"Alright, what is it you're here for? Speak up."
Xia Hunao rubbed his hands together. "Well, I'm mainly here to see if Sister Xue has any martial arts secret manuals to impart."
Gongsun Shuang covered her mouth and chuckled. "Sister, that's your department. I'm not getting involved."
Gongsun Xue looked at Xia Hunao. "Why are you suddenly interested in this? Is it for Guagua? It's not impossible. I do have techniques for throwing shuriken."
Xia Hunao shook his head. "It's not for Guagua to practice; it's for me to practice."
All three exclaimed in unison, "For you to practice?"
Xia Hunao nodded vigorously. "Yes. My enemies are increasing. While most of the time my Pokémon ensure my safety, who knows if there will be someone so deranged that they forgo Pokémon battles and engage me in hand-to-hand combat? Of course, I need to find a way to deal with that."
Regarding this explanation, Gongsun Xue and the others, as well as the system, agreed. However, the system held a different opinion on the term "deranged." It believed that in this world, no one was more deranged than Xia Hunao.
Understanding Xia Hunao's reason for wanting to practice martial arts, Gongsun Xue asked, "Then what do you want to learn? Isn't Tai Chi enough?"
Xia Hunao didn't even hesitate. "It's good and useful, but it's not intimidating enough. I'm a kind person, adhering to the principle of avoiding conflict if possible. Can Tai Chi scare them away? I want to learn weapons."
This reason was plausible. Tai Chi was indeed not very effective for intimidation. Gongsun Xue continued, "What kind of weapon do you wish to learn?"
Xia Hunao blurted out, "Anything and everything. Who knows what I'll have around me at the time? I'll learn anything that can be used as a weapon, even shovels and hoes count."
"You're truly not picky. Alright, I'll send you the materials shortly."
After receiving the e-books from Gongsun Xue, Xia Hunao retreated to a corner to study. Meanwhile, Gongsun Shuang sidled up to Gongsun Xue. "Sister, do you believe what he said?"
Gongsun Xue shook her head. "No. We both saw the video. His actions are largely synchronized with Froakie. His request for these materials is likely for cross-referencing and learning. So be it. I don't believe him, and he knows I don't."
Xia Hunao, who was flipping through his phone while reading, glanced at the Gongsun sisters whispering. "You can't fool these two sisters, but they are truly good to me."
As he continued to scroll through his phone, Xia Hunao was astonished by the e-books Gongsun Xue had sent. He had asked for shovel and hoe techniques to have a counter-attack option if Froakie failed to condense a Water Shuriken and had to resort to a "Water Shovel." He hadn't mentioned "hoe" techniques because the name sounded too unappealing.
However, despite mentioning it, Xia Hunao hadn't held out much hope. After all, in his previous life, he had heard of hoe techniques while playing "Xian Jian 4," but they were extremely rare.
To his surprise, Gongsun Xue, who ran a martial arts training class, possessed not only hoe and shovel techniques but also the hoe techniques Xia Hunao hadn't explicitly requested. This made Xia Hunao feel increasingly mystified. Could it be that martial arts on the Spirit Monster Star, like Pokémon training, had reached such heights?
Xia Hunao scrolled further and discovered a book on tripod techniques. Yes, the three-legged cauldron. This was a rare item. He never expected someone in this world to practice such a thing.
But before he could click on the book to examine the so-called tripod techniques, Gongsun Xue approached him. "Ah, I forgot to filter these out when I was packing everything to send to you. Things like chopstick techniques or spoon techniques are just for show, written by attention-seekers. You mustn't believe them; they're useless."
Xia Hunao exclaimed, "Are there such ridiculous things in this world? Chopstick techniques, spoon techniques? Are you sure these aren't moves for snatching food at the table?" Xia Hunao scrolled through his phone and, as expected, saw various other strange techniques listed below. Although Xia Hunao found them amusing, he knew he couldn't learn them.
Therefore, Xia Hunao handed his phone to Gongsun Xue. "Sister Xue, please filter them for me. Fighting with a spoon would be too unsightly, and I'd be completely outmatched."
After Gongsun Xue's filtering, the miscellaneous routines were removed, leaving only the proper eighteen traditional weapons. Of course, to keep an escape route open, Xia Hunao did not delete the hoe technique book.
While Xia Hunao and Froakie were engrossed in studying the martial arts manuals, the other students were finishing their classes, either returning to rest or heading out for leisure. As for the university team members, they were expected to gather for training after their daily classes.
When the Lingling University team arrived at the training grounds, Xia Hunao was still researching martial arts manuals with Froakie. They had already memorized the sword techniques and were now studying basic spear forms. As for the hoe techniques, Xia Hunao considered them a last resort, something he would only resort to if truly desperate, as he still had confidence in himself.
Xia Hunao, being an outsider, quickly attracted the attention of the other students. Soon, Kong Shu, the new captain of Lingling University, raised his hand and asked, "Two coaches, who is he?"
Xia Hunao was too engrossed in the ocean of knowledge to notice anyone calling him. Gongsun Xue glanced at Xia Hunao and then said, "This is a friend of mine from Liuling University. He's here to visit, and perhaps he'd be willing to spar with you all."
Saying this, Gongsun Xue called out, "Xiao Xia, come here for a moment."
When one's name is called, there's always a reaction. Xia Hunao's first instinct was to lock his phone screen and put it in his pocket. Then, he immediately stood up and composed himself, adopting a seemingly virtuous demeanor.
Everyone was taken aback by Xia Hunao's appearance. He looked distinctly like someone trying to avoid being caught. What kind of psychological trauma would lead someone to behave like this?
Xia Hunao glanced around and, seeing no one targeting him, heaved a sigh of relief and approached Gongsun Xue. "Sister Xue, did you call me?"
Gongsun Xue nodded. "Yes. How about it? Do you want to spar with my students? Constantly practicing in isolation isn't enough. Some things can only be truly understood through practical combat."
Xia Hunao gave a bashful smile. "Sister, you've guessed it, haven't you?"
"Never mind that. Hurry up and show me what new tricks you've come up with."