[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback":3,"chapter-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising from Obscurity: My Martial Path Comeback",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2265949,4424,"Chapter 114: Rocks Break Waves Not by Force, But by Understanding the Truth Amidst the Fury","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Jiangshan County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A border county of Quzhou Prefecture, adjacent to Yongfeng County of Raozhou Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiangshan County relay station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All official roads in Great Liang have relay stations, used by both officials and commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commoners must pay to stay at relay stations, but Tai Rubai, as a martial arts hall master, could stay for free within Raozhou Prefecture—though not in Jiangshan County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Tai Rubai didn’t mind paying for lodging; he simply rented two private courtyard houses behind the station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Liang’s relay stations were like long-distance service areas from his past life, fully equipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dining with Tai Rubai at the station’s tavern, Lin Chen returned to his courtyard and began cultivating Water Cloud Palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of crashing waves echoed continuously through the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after an hour of practice, Lin Chen suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strained his ears—sounds came from outside the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen opened the door and walked into Tai Rubai’s neighboring courtyard. The gate stood open; Tai Rubai was sparring with an old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the old man had silver hair and white whiskers, he held his own against Tai Rubai without yielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, Tai Rubai was being forced step by step backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen’s eyes widened in surprise—despite Tai Rubai’s hardened body, he had gained no advantage in direct physical contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elderly man in his seventies, his vital energy waning, yet Tai Rubai practiced Iron Bones Art—yet still lost ground. This old man must have been a ranked warrior in his prime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Lin Chen sensed that neither Tai Rubai nor the old man was fighting to kill—only sparring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Tai Rubai encountered a senior from Zhenyue Martial Hall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, you’ve arrived just in time. Spar with this senior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai spotted Lin Chen stepping out and his eyes lit up; he retreated several steps to exit the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man stood firm, not pursuing, his ancient eyes fixed on Lin Chen. Though his eye sockets were sunken, his pupils burned bright and sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disciple obeys!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen made no excuse; he stepped forward and bowed to the old man: “Senior, please instruct me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tai Rubai told me a remarkable genius emerged from Zhenyue Martial Hall. I’ve come to see for myself—attack without restraint. Don’t fear injuring me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, give it your all. Don’t hold back,” Tai Rubai called from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the command, Lin Chen activated his blood qi; a faint yellow aura shimmered over his skin as he lunged forward like a ferocious beast toward the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man glimpsed the fleeting aura on Lin Chen’s skin and nodded in approval—only those who fully mastered Iron Bones Art, with Stone Skin and Reverse Qi, could produce such an effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Lin Chen’s violent charge, the old man did not dodge. His gray-white hair and whiskers suddenly bristled, and a faint yellow aura erupted around him, just as Lin Chen’s had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment their bodies collided, skin met skin with the resonance of temple bells—each man stepped back three paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai, watching from the side, opened his mouth in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li my lord must have suppressed his strength to match Lin Chen’s realm—yet even in equal footing, Li my lord had lost the edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though both stepped back three paces, what realm was Li my lord in? Even suppressed, his command of blood qi far surpassed Lin Chen’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly follows the extreme martial path—and even stronger than Tai Rubai described. Poyang County has produced a genuine genius.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan stepped back three paces, his expression unchanged, yet inwardly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Tai Rubai, he learned Lin Chen had opened ten acupoints; he thus suppressed his own strength to match—yet his blood qi’s volume and flow rate equaled that of a thirteen-acupoint warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Lin Chen followed the extreme path; had this been an ordinary ten-acupoint boy, he’d have suppressed himself to six acupoints and still dominated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good lad. Again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan secretly increased his strength by one acupoint and charged Lin Chen once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen’s face lit up with exhilaration—though his blood qi had surged momentarily, the sensation of his entire body’s qi being fully unleashed was profoundly satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never felt this before—not from smashing into trees or stone slabs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, then I won’t hold back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunderous impacts echoed through the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen and Li Yueshan collided like two living mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes Lin Chen retreated; sometimes Li Yueshan did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten zhang away, atop the station’s highest watchtower, Li An watched the scene in silence, his eyes filled with boundless shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, this man is truly formidable—he can match Grandfather even with his strength suppressed. I just wonder how many acupoints Grandfather lowered his to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lowered how many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An chuckled bitterly: “Your grandfather suppressed his strength to match this boy’s from the start—and just now, he secretly raised it by one acupoint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a ninth-rank warrior, Li An still had the eye of a ranked martial artist—even from ten zhang away, he could see his father had increased his power mid-collision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he was so stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qimiao’s eyes widened: “Father, are you sure you didn’t misread?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I can’t see this, all my years of martial training are wasted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her father’s confirmation, Li Qimiao finally understood why her grandfather had been so furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though old and with waning blood qi, a sixth-rank warrior’s vitality never truly faded—unless on the brink of death—his power remained within the ranked realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Grandfather’s blood qi flow, even if suppressed to the same level, no ordinary man could withstand a single strike—yet this boy not only blocked it, he forced Grandfather to raise his power just to hold ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a genius… and I drove him away in anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the courtyard, the sparring continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan grew more impressed with each clash—warriors daring the extreme martial path were rare now, and those who reached this stage were rarer still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, Tai Rubai mentioned this boy had perfected a palm technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Li Yueshan suddenly shouted: “Good. You have some skill. Then I’ll show you my true strength—catch this finger!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan extended two fingers like a sword, striking instantly toward Lin Chen’s third eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen felt no fear—the old man knew he couldn’t win in raw strength and now resorted to other martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lin Chen knew more than just Iron Bones Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unleashed Clear Wind Palm, striking with the precision of a deer’s antler—aiming straight at the old man’s descending fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen had absolute confidence in his Clear Wind Palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The perfected version was stronger than his Iron Bones Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant fingertip met palm, Lin Chen caught a glint of cunning in the old man’s eyes—he tensed, then felt his Clear Wind Palm’s force vanish as if swallowed by a bottomless sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lin Chen could shift tactics, the old man’s fingertip erupted with terrifying power—a single finger sent gales howling through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of Clear Wind Palm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he recoiled rapidly, glancing at his palm—there, a deep, full-palm gash bled freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the old man’s finger strength—it was the slicing power of Clear Wind Palm, unique to its perfected form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had used this wind-blade effect countless times to terrify opponents—never imagining it would strike him himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior… you know Clear Wind Palm?” Lin Chen asked, unable to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do not know Clear Wind Palm. What I used was still Iron Bones Art.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan offered no further explanation—he intended to guide Lin Chen through combat, not words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true strength of perfected Iron Bones Art lies not in physical toughness—Iron Bones and Stone Skin are already the absolute limit of the body before entering the ranked realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lin Chen’s thoughtful expression, Li Yueshan struck again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in moments of crisis could one truly comprehend the essence of Iron Bones Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he did not use his finger—he used palm technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen had no time to think—he responded with Water Cloud Palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waves roared as Lin Chen felt his palm struck by a surging tide—the gash on his palm split wider, blood spraying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pain meant nothing to Lin Chen, who wielded Iron Bones Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he wanted to know was how this elder could reverse his attacks back onto himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron Bones Art’s perfected Reverse Qi could only reflect one-tenth of an opponent’s force—never absorb and instantly return all of it, as this elder did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SNAP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Lin Chen’s rhythm shattered completely—no matter what technique he used, it had no effect against this elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harder he fought, the stronger the rebound that struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he felt like a reef on the shore, battered endlessly by tides—powerless, forced to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should he do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How should he respond?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen was now trapped in a unique perspective—his opponent had vanished from his sight; he had become a reef on the shore, surrounded only by the endless pounding tides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai, standing beside the courtyard, wore an expression of deep emotion; from his angle, he saw Li’s aura surge to a terrifying level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li stood motionless, no longer striking, instead guiding Lin Chen in some special manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Martial will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai whispered softly—it was not the martial will encoded in the scroll, but one personally manifested by Li himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li, though a sixth-rank powerhouse, had been so twenty years ago; at his age, wielding such martial will drained him immensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai wanted to speak and stop him, but faced with Li’s stern expression, his lips moved, yet no words came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he spoke now, he would shatter Lin Chen’s chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An, watching from Fengyan Tower, instantly paled—he never expected his father to personally manifest martial will to grant the boy such an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An’s face was filled with guilt; he understood perfectly why his father had done this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, to apologize to the boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the boy’s martial talent was so extraordinary it stirred his father’s desire to nurture him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ultimately, it was his own inadequacy—he was useless. Had his own martial talent matched his father’s, or even slightly fallen short, his father would never have granted such an opportunity to a stranger on first meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to uphold the Li family’s legacy, his father’s act was securing the family’s future with a protector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Lin Chen, the one directly involved, knew nothing of these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found himself in a strange state—both reef and observer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the pain of waves crashing against the reef, yet clearly saw how the reef resisted the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the wave surged, the reef’s edges split the water’s force; much of the first wave’s energy, fractured by the reef, surged back toward the tide itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Breaking the wave without being harmed, turning the tide to one’s own use.” Lin Chen spoke aloud; the faint yellow aura that had vanished from his body reappeared, flickering with his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing carried the faint rhythm of tides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now transformed into the reef amid the raging tide, Lin Chen moved his hands, his blood and qi circulating like the reef’s edges splitting water’s force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bones resonated, skin trembled, blood and breath synchronized…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these three harmonized, Lin Chen’s body—once thickened by Iron Bone Art—began to slim visibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Tai Rubai’s eyes held anticipation; only one final step remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron Bone Art complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as head of Zhenyue Martial Gym, having trained Iron Bone Art for decades, he had never achieved its perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfection in Iron Bone Art was too difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Eight Martial Gyms, reaching Great Completion in Iron Bone Art was enough to rival the perfected techniques of other gyms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One breath… two breaths…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan’s breathing had grown much heavier; his aged eyes also held anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those who had trained Iron Bone Art knew its true power lay in perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before perfection, Iron Bone Art differed little from other entry-grade hardening arts; but perfected Iron Bone Art ranked among mid-grade martial techniques, not entry-grade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A roar erupted from Lin Chen’s mouth; with that sound, the entire courtyard fell utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Lin Chen’s bones and skin rang in unison, like firecrackers exploding continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three breaths later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All returned to silence. Lin Chen opened his eyes, looked at the old man smiling at him, and bowed: “Your humble disciple thanks you, Master Li!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Lin Chen had guessed the old man’s identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he truly thought the man was merely an elder from Zhenyue Martial Gym—he never dared suspect it was Master Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Master Li’s status was far too exalted; how could such a great figure chase after him, a mere Opening Meridian cultivator, in the dead of night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reef breaks the wave not by brute force, but by realizing truth amid the raging tide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan smiled warmly: “No need to thank me. You’ve already replicated the ‘Stone Soul Stele’—even without my guidance today, your Iron Bone Art would have reached perfection within half a year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2211,"2026-06-19T20:25:56.550Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d781157e402fa186469c5574807b36d207e5a9d7754c979f70833c11dac9f919","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-115","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-113",591,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-cover.jpg"]