Chapter 146: Heavenly Dao Gunmanship

The original owner had already expended all his energy cultivating to the True Qi Realm at such a young age, leaving no time or effort for spearmanship, which he had never practiced. As Zhang Xuan, a genuine Earthling, he naturally had even less experience with it.

"Never learned?" Wang Chong was taken aback. If he hadn't learned it, what was there to discuss about spearmanship? Ouyang Cheng, standing nearby, also wore a peculiar expression. He had heard Zhang Xuan express a desire to learn spearmanship and assumed he had some foundational knowledge. That's why he had tactfully suggested a "discussion" rather than outright "learning" to save Zhang Xuan some face. He never expected that Zhang Xuan had no prior experience whatsoever! This was truly awkward! Had he known Zhang Xuan was a complete novice, he could have simply found any spearmanship instructor. Why trouble an old friend with such a request?

"It's like this," Zhang Xuan explained, seeing their puzzled looks, "I have a student who wishes to learn spearmanship. I was hoping to pick up some knowledge now so I can teach him."

"Learn now? To teach others?" Wang Chong staggered, nearly collapsing. What kind of joke was this? There's an old saying: "A month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear!" Many dedicate their entire lives to spearmanship from a young age and never truly master it. Yet, here he was, with no prior experience, intending to instruct a student... Was he incredibly audacious, or did he simply believe spearmanship was that easy to learn? In an instant, Wang Chong's expression darkened, and his favorable impression of Zhang Xuan vanished. He had dedicated his entire life to spearmanship, treating it as an extension of his very being. He detested anyone who disrespected it. For Zhang Xuan to consider teaching students without any prior knowledge was nothing short of an insult to the art of the spear! Had it not been for his respect for Zhang Xuan's status as a one-star alchemist and his old friend Ouyang Cheng, he would have likely expelled Zhang Xuan already.

Suppressing his displeasure, he stated, "Spearmanship is exceedingly difficult to master and takes a long time to learn. Achieving anything significant in a short period is almost impossible. If you don't even fully grasp it yourself, attempting to teach others would likely lead them astray!" His tone had already turned rather unpleasant.

"Uh..." Realizing Wang Chong's displeasure, Zhang Xuan knew that learning directly from him was no longer feasible. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "In that case, Brother Wang, do you perhaps have any books on spearmanship that I could borrow and look at?"

"Read books?" Wang Chong furrowed his brow. Spearmanship is a martial art, encompassing various moves and body techniques that require direct instruction and lineage. If one could master it simply by reading books, there would be no need for such strenuous practice. However, despite his confusion, he felt a sense of relief seeing Zhang Xuan abandon his earlier notion. "Very well," he conceded, "looking at books might give you some insight and prevent recklessness. I possess many such volumes; if you wish to see them, I can lead you to them!" As a spearmanship master, he had essentially collected every book on the subject available in the kingdom. As long as his family's inherited techniques remained secure, there was no harm in letting Zhang Xuan view these foundational texts.

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan nodded eagerly. While spearmanship, like cultivation techniques, certainly required extensive practice to achieve mastery, Zhang Xuan was different. With a sufficient number of books, he could potentially develop a far more formidable spearmanship technique, making the learning process considerably simpler for him.

"This is my study," Wang Chong announced, gesturing forward with a proud expression. "It contains every book on spearmanship available in Tianxuan Kingdom, along with some rare copies of specific techniques!" He had spent a considerable sum collecting these volumes, and their knowledge had indeed helped refine his own spearmanship, making it more profound and effective. Zhang Xuan looked up to see seven or eight rows of bookshelves, densely packed with various volumes, almost all of them dedicated to spearmanship.

"Ouyang, it's been a while," Wang Chong said, "let's go have a drink!" Knowing that Zhang Xuan would need time to read, Wang Chong had no intention of lingering. He gave a brief instruction, then invited Ouyang Cheng to leave with him. "All right!" The two then departed.

"Time to start!" As they left, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He approached the bookshelves and began to flip through the volumes. A flurry of pages rustled. The sound of turning pages echoed again as various books began to materialize in his mind. These books encompassed everything from foundational principles to common techniques and introductory guides. In essence, they covered almost every facet of spearmanship knowledge. Truly worthy of a spearmanship master; his collection was incredibly rich. He flipped through them incessantly, and all the books quickly materialized within his mind's library. There were only a few thousand books spread across seven or eight rows of shelves, and he had finished reviewing them all within half an hour.

Standing quietly, Zhang Xuan absorbed the spearmanship knowledge that had just formed in his mind. "The correct cultivation method..." With a mental command, all the secret manuals on spearmanship cultivation immediately synthesized the correct information, forming a single book that appeared before his mental vision. He opened it and began to read.

"The weapon is an extension of the arm; only when it becomes as natural as one's own limb can true mastery be achieved. Spearmanship is no different..." The spearmanship manual, compiled by the Heaven's Path Library from countless texts, was incredibly profound and illuminating. As Zhang Xuan read, he slowly mimicked the movements, using his hand as a spear. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! With True Qi surging, sharp qi emanated from his fingertips. In an instant, his entire being seemed to transform into a long spear, his spine supporting the heavens and earth, poised to pierce the sky at any moment. The spear is known as the king of all weapons. To cultivate it successfully, one must first possess the imposing aura to pierce the firmament and the proud bearing to dominate the world. Such an aura is incredibly difficult to develop without enduring countless trials and prolonged cultivation.

If anyone had witnessed Zhang Xuan at that moment, they would have certainly cried out in astonishment. For he already possessed this very demeanor. Even without discerning the mastery of his spearmanship, that mere aura alone would be enough to shatter the confidence of many cultivators, causing them to instantly concede defeat. Completely absorbed in the book, Zhang Xuan was unaware of his own imposing presence. His hands continued to mimic the movements. Sizzling sounds emanated! Streams of True Qi surged from his fingers, striking the floor and leaving shallow indentations of various sizes. Fortunately, he had restrained his power; otherwise, Wang Chong's study would have been utterly ruined, just like Master Lu Chen's.

After an unknown period, Zhang Xuan ceased his movements, expelling a breath of turbid air that stretched out like a white thread into the distance. "I've mastered it?" His eyes lit up. In that short time, he realized he had already cultivated the content of the book formed by the library.

"Let's call it Heaven's Path Spearmanship!" *Hum!* The book shimmered, and a title appeared: Heaven's Path Spearmanship!

"It's a shame, though. There were too few books, and too many errors among them, so only a single move was formed!" Zhang Xuan's face was filled with regret. These volumes contained only the most basic spearmanship techniques. The Heaven's Path Library had merely compiled the correct information from them to create this one spear move.

"I wonder how much this move will augment my strength and what its true power is!" Though it was just a single move, having experienced the Heaven's Path Divine Art and the Heaven's Path Golden Body, he knew it was certainly not simple. When executed, it would undoubtedly boost his strength significantly.

"I'll go back and teach it to Zheng Yang!" Coming here specifically to learn spearmanship for Zheng Yang, even if it was just one move, made the trip worthwhile. It was safe to assume that once Zheng Yang learned it, his spearmanship would greatly advance, and defeating Mo Xiao should pose no difficulty. Anything from Heaven's Path was undoubtedly a masterpiece.

"Time to leave!" Having read all the books and acquired what he needed, Zhang Xuan did not linger. He strode out of the room.