Chapter 120: Water Cloud Complete, the Youth Seeks to Merge Two Arts (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

In the Wuzheng Office courtyard, Lin Chen looked at the note in his hand and said to Gu Shan and Fu Ang, “Two junior brothers, I’m going out for a while.”

Hearing Lin Chen was leaving, Gu Shan and Fu Ang were surprised; Gu Shan, not close to Lin Chen, said nothing, but Fu Ang urged, “Senior Brother Lin, with the county contest approaching, we should stay put at the Wuzheng Office to avoid trouble.”

“No need to worry—it’s Senior Sister Jiang Qing who invited me.”

Lin Chen didn’t hide it, because he saw no reason to.

Upon hearing this and seeing the sealed envelope in Lin Chen’s hand, Fu Ang blinked, instantly changing his tone: “I understand, Senior Brother, go ahead and meet her. If Master Tai asks, I’ll cover for you.”

“Just tell Master Tai the truth.”

Watching Fu Ang wink and grin, Lin Chen smiled. He and Senior Sister Jiang were perfectly innocent—nothing to hide.

If there really were something between them, Senior Sister Jiang wouldn’t have invited only him—she’d have asked Fu Jingya and Gu Qingqing to come along, to make it look innocent.

A person must know their place.

If a girl has feelings for you, even if she’s usually blunt and carefree, she’ll grow shy and hesitant.

After informing them of his whereabouts, Lin Chen left the courtyard and, following his memory, quickly exited the Wuzheng Office’s main gate.

At the Wuzheng Office gate, Jiang Qing stood in a green dress, strikingly elegant.

Beneath her high nose, her red lips curved slightly upward, always holding a perfectly poised smile as she gazed warmly at Lin Chen.

Who could imagine that this girl-next-door, Senior Sister Jiang, was a woman of decisive, ruthless action?

Seeing her long black hair loosely tied, a few strands falling against her fair neck, radiating a girl-next-door playfulness, Lin Chen found it hard to link her with the image of her striking Zhou San.

“Junior Brother Lin, it’s been a long time. You’ve grown even more impressive.”

“Not seeing you for a day—wait, no, one day without you feels like three autumns—I’ve missed you dearly, Senior Sister.”

Damn input method.

Lin Chen quickly corrected his slip; Jiang Qing didn’t dwell on his wording: “I invited you out today to take you somewhere.”

With that, Jiang Qing turned and walked down the street, no hesitation. Lin Chen followed.

When they reached the city gate and saw Jiang Qing leading two horses over, Lin Chen’s eyes widened—was she taking him outside the city?

“The place is far. Even on horseback, it takes an hour.”

Jiang Qing explained briefly. Lin Chen nodded, asking no more—he’d know once they arrived.

The two rode out of the city, galloping south, soon leaving the main road, passing through a forest, and arriving at the foot of a mountain half an hour later.

Senior Sister Jiang wants me to climb a mountain?

Seeing Jiang Qing dismount, Lin Chen followed suit, but his peripheral vision caught several warriors standing at the trailhead ahead.

“Mount Santan is sealed off—no ordinary person may enter. But the guards here have ties to my family. I’ll take you up.”

Jiang Qing winked playfully at Lin Chen, then stepped onto the mountain steps. The four warriors at the base merely glanced at them and remained motionless.

Mount Santan wasn’t tall—barely a thousand zhang. With Lin Chen and Jiang Qing’s speed, reaching the summit took only fifteen minutes.

At the summit, mist drifted lazily. Occasional mountain breezes parted the clouds, revealing a pool of emerald-green water.

“Mount Santan is named for its three mountain lakes. We can’t enter the inner two lakes—only this one, Water Cloud Pool, is accessible.”

Water Cloud Pool!

Hearing Jiang Qing name the emerald pool before them, Lin Chen guessed her purpose for bringing him here.

“Junior Brother Lin, my Water Cloud Palm is complete!”

The next moment, Jiang Qing’s words confirmed his suspicion.

“Congratulations, Senior Sister. Your Water Cloud Palm is complete—did this pool have something to do with it?”

Jiang Qing nodded slightly: “After leaving Poyang County, I stayed here for a month. My Water Cloud Palm advanced from Great Completion to full mastery.”

Lin Chen was stunned. In just one month, Jiang Qing had taken her Water Cloud Palm from Great Completion to full mastery. If all students of Jing Shui Martial Hall came here for months, wouldn’t they all reach full mastery?

“The elder who created Water Cloud Palm attained enlightenment here. But Jing Shui Martial Hall never sent students here to train because this pool is bitterly cold. Without cold-resistant items, your body will freeze within ten breaths—even a Qi Condensation cultivator’s blood and qi can’t withstand its chill.”

As she spoke, Jiang Qing produced a small jade vial and showed it to Lin Chen: “This contains Warm Sun Pills. After taking one, you’ll resist the pool’s cold for a full quarter-hour. There are ten inside—take one before entering the water.”

Lin Chen didn’t know what ingredients went into Warm Sun Pills, but he knew they were extremely precious.

Jiang Qing had reached full mastery in just one month here. Students like Fu Jingya and Gu Qingqing must know about Water Cloud Pool.

The only reason they didn’t come here? They couldn’t afford the Warm Sun Pills.

Lin Chen’s face showed gratitude, but before he could speak, Jiang Qing spoke first: “When I first joined Jing Shui Martial Hall, I made a promise with Master Zeng—I’d help the hall win first place. I broke that promise by leaving. These Warm Sun Pills are yours. I hope you’ll fulfill my promise.”

I understand. In this county competition, I’ll give it my all—I won’t let down your expectations.

“Good. Each time you enter the water, you have only a quarter-hour. Every hour, the mist above the pool flows into the water—that’s when you may enter.”

Jiang Qing gave Lin Chen these instructions. He was surprised—was she not going to watch him from shore?

As if sensing his confusion, Jiang Qing said softly: “When you enter the water, it’s best to be unclothed.”

Lin Chen scratched his head awkwardly. If he had to be naked, she certainly couldn’t stay.

After Jiang Qing left, Lin Chen didn’t rush in. As she’d said, he waited until mist flowed into the pool. Now, the mist still hung well above the water’s surface.

He dipped a finger into the pool—immediately pulled it back.

The water was terrifyingly cold—a piercing, bone-deep pain.

“Pure cold couldn’t reach this level. With my current blood and qi, even minus dozens of degrees in thin clothing wouldn’t hurt me. This water must have other strange properties.”

Remembering the warriors guarding the mountain’s base, he understood.

But for him, the secrets of Mount Santan didn’t matter—he was here only to master Water Cloud Palm.

After a few minutes, Lin Chen’s eyes sharpened.

The mist hovering above the pool began to churn, surging toward the water’s surface. Lin Chen quickly stripped off his clothes, took one Warm Sun Pill from the vial, and swallowed it.

The moment the pill entered his belly, a pure, intense warmth surged from his dantian, spreading through his entire body.

Without delay, he shed his outer robe, stepped barefoot into the shallow water. The bone-chilling cold vanished. He then fully entered the pool, walking deeper.

With every step, he clearly felt the water’s current and a distinct resistance.

As a fisherman’s son, Lin Chen had spent plenty of time in water. He couldn’t claim to be the White Wave of Poyang Lake, but he was extremely skilled.

Yet, stepping into Water Cloud Pool, he immediately sensed its difference from Poyang Lake’s waters.

This water wasn’t water—not anymore, especially now that mist flowed into it. It felt more like a thick liquid.

Remembering Jiang Qing’s instructions, Lin Chen submerged himself completely.

The instant he sank beneath the surface, his pupils contracted—he saw a scene utterly unlike the one above.

From above, he’d seen mist sinking into the water. But underwater, his eyes opened to countless silver threads of mist twisting and stretching through the depths.

Yet, after only two breaths, he had to close his eyes.

The water no longer burned with cold, but it seeped into his eyes, unbearable.

In the full quarter-hour, Lin Chen opened his eyes only ten times.

Back on shore, he carefully recalled the paths of the mist threads beneath the water—they resembled the movements of Water Cloud Palm.

“Senior Sister Jiang said the elder who created Water Cloud Palm attained enlightenment here. Could he have based the palm’s forms on these mist threads?”

As Lin Chen pondered, in a pavilion on Mount Santan, Jiang Qing sat with a woman.

“Xiao Qing, this is the first time you’ve used your family’s influence to help an outsider.”

“Aunt Wan, I’m just repaying a debt to Jing Shui Martial Hall. I broke my promise by leaving recklessly.”

The woman’s face held skepticism: “Is that really all? You left Jing Shui Martial Hall, but you’re still a disciple. To help them win in this county contest, you could’ve entered yourself. Besides, your promise was to secure first place for the hall in Poyang County—this contest goes beyond that.”

“Aunt Wan!”

Jiang Qing, rarely showing such feminine hesitation, sighed: “Fine. I think it’s hard for Lin Brother to reach this point given his background—I wanted to help him. And… Lin Chen has ties to our Jiang family.”

“What ties? Because he’s from Linhu Village? Your father never liked Linhu Village—back then…”

Seeing Jiang Qing lean forward, the woman swiftly changed subject: “Do you think your junior brother can use Water Cloud Pool to master Water Cloud Palm?”

“Too short a time—it won’t be enough. But with Lin Brother’s insight, given this opportunity, he’ll master Water Cloud Palm within a month.”

Jiang Qing spoke with certainty. The beautiful woman smiled silently. She knew full well: such a short time couldn’t achieve full mastery—useless for the contest. Bringing him here was purely an excuse to help the boy.

The little girl still won’t admit it!

In the second hour, Lin Chen entered the water again.

In the third hour, Lin Chen did not enter.

He’d realized the pool’s peculiarity: even as night fell, the silver mist threads remained clearly visible underwater.

That meant he could wait until nightfall to enter.

After all, night brought the [Complete Darkness] talent boost.

Three hours later, darkness fully fell.

A man brought dinner—plenty of blood-nourishing poultry meat. Lin Chen didn’t recognize the birds, but since Jiang Qing had arranged it, it must’ve been expensive.

In the fourth hour, Lin Chen swallowed another Warm Sun Pill and entered the water.

In the pool, he watched the silver mist threads wriggle like earthworms toward the bottom, while he began practicing Water Cloud Palm underwater.

As his palm moved, the wind from his strike, which should’ve been scattered by the current, solidified instantly upon touching the mist threads. The threads themselves seemed to act as guides, flowing toward him.

“Disperse mist into threads?”

Lin Chen murmured, a vision flashing in his mind: perhaps this pool wasn’t water at all.

It was mist.

Every drop of water was countless mist threads dispersed and then reassembled beneath the surface.

Lin Chen continued striking—not Water Cloud Palm, just casual hand movements—quietly observing the mist threads’ flow.

…

…

Fifth hour…

The sixth hour…

The seventh hour…

In the water, Lin Chen struck again with his palm; instead of drawing the mist threads toward him as before, his palm wind pulled them along, carving a three-foot-long vacuum channel through the water.

This palm strike felt like opening a door—Lin Chen, beneath the Tan water, struck one palm after another; even underwater, his palms met no resistance, each movement ethereal and formless.

The Clear Wind Palm follows the path of ethereal formlessness.

The Water Cloud Palm draws from the unpredictable transformations of clouds, yet embodies the fluidity of water, yielding to the flow.

Conceal transformation within the palm’s motion, like a great wave that appears as a single surge but hides multiple layered waves beneath.

Those mist threads were the transformation—the layered waves.

Lin Chen glanced at his panel.

【Water Cloud Palm: Perfected!】

But Lin Chen did not stop; suddenly, he felt an impulse—perhaps the Clear Wind Palm and Water Cloud Palm could complement each other.

Plop!

Lin Chen changed his palm technique, switching from Water Cloud Palm to Clear Wind Palm.

As the Clear Wind Palm struck, mist threads splashed outward like scattered threads darting in all directions, no longer converging as they had when he used Water Cloud Palm.

Yet Lin Chen was not in a hurry; fusing two grade-ranked arts was no simple matter—he was merely acting on a sudden whim to try.

Once, twice.

…

…

After consuming all ten Warm Sun Elixirs, Lin Chen had returned to shore, yet his cultivation had not ended.

By the shore, gusts howled one moment, waves crashed against the rocks the next…

“Aunt Wan, there’s no time left—only two hours until the county contest begins.”

Jiang Qing, around the bend of a mountain hollow, wore an anxious expression and could not help but rush forward.

“It’s just a county contest—nothing significant. Do you know what your junior brother is doing right now?” The beautiful woman’s eyes held deep astonishment.

“What?”

“Fusing two grade-ranked arts.”

Jiang Qing froze, her lips slightly parted: “Aunt Wan, is this true?”

“If you disturb him now, you’ll destroy a great opportunity. As for the county contest… go to the Wuzhengsuo and ask them to delay it by a day. If they refuse, abandon it.”

“Alright, I’ll go to the Wuzhengsuo. I leave Lin Shi-di in your hands, Aunt Wan.”

“Rest assured—your devoted junior brother, I’ll take good care of him.”

A blush rose on Jiang Qing’s cheeks; she said nothing, turning to descend the mountain.

“Even if he fails, it will benefit his martial path. Little Qing has good judgment—she’s found a raw gem.”

The beautiful woman did not believe Lin Chen could fuse the two grade-ranked arts, yet even failure would yield immense gains.

PS: Four thousand characters delivered. Please support with a monthly vote—Jiudeng continues writing the next chapter.

(End of Chapter)