Chapter 194

"Jiang Jiang Shijie?"

Lin Chen, having learned the news from the back mountain, returned to the village. When he saw Jiang Qing, he froze, unable to believe his own eyes.

The high ponytail Jiang Jiang Shijie usually wore was gone, and her martial attire had been replaced. Shedding her usual clean-cut image, she wore a water-patterned ru-skirt that accentuated her fair, swan-like neck. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were delicately traced, giving her a softness she hadn't possessed before, and the almond-shaped eyes beneath her long lashes were clear and bright.

At this moment, she smiled slightly, her dimples shallow; though she lacked the intoxicating fragrance of a mature woman, she was still enough to make one three-parts drunk.

If Jiang Jiang Shijie had dressed like this at the martial hall, she would have been the youth of countless students there!

"What, does Lin Lin Shidi not recognize me anymore?"

Jiang Qing walked gracefully up to Lin Chen, leaned her head in, and blinked her large eyes. As her red lips parted slightly, her pearly teeth were faintly visible. At such close range, Lin Chen could even smell the fragrance on the young girl.

"I... I recognize you, it's just that I feel today, Sister..."

"What about me today?"

"You look beautiful."

Jiang Qing gave a light huff: "Is Lin Lin Shidi saying that Sister wasn't beautiful before?"

"Today, you are exceptionally beautiful."

As the young man's words fell, the girl's cheeks instantly flushed with a peach-blossom-like pink. Her long, feathery lashes trembled slightly, and she found herself unable to meet the young man's earnest gaze.

"Ahem, Qing'er, why are you here?"

Just as an atmosphere began to rise between the young man and the young girl, an untimely cough came from not far away.

Jiang Duanchao walked over with a dark face. When Jiang Qing saw her father, the blush on her face vanished. She lightly pinched her skirt and trotted over: "Father, this is the Lin Lin Shidi I told you about."

"This junior greets Uncle Jiang."

Lin Chen did not understand why this Lord Jiang was looking at him with such killing intent.

There was no reason for it.

Both he and Lord Jiang were from Linhu Village. If Lord Jiang still held a grudge against Linhu Village, he wouldn't have appeared in the village today.

Furthermore, even if there were resentment, it was a matter between him and the village elders from years ago; it had nothing to do with a junior like himself.

"You are Lin Chen, right?"

Jiang Duanchao truly had the heart to kill the brat before him. Just now, his daughter and this kid were almost pressed against each other. If he hadn't spoken up to stop them, he feared this kid really would have taken advantage of Qing'er.

"That is indeed this junior."

"Since we are both from Linhu Village, as your elder, I shall give you a few pointers."

Hearing that this Lord Jiang wanted to give him pointers, Lin Chen's first feeling wasn't joy, but caution.

Given the killing intent in Lord Jiang's eyes just now, this wasn't about giving pointers; it was about "accidentally" slapping him to death.

"Rest assured, I will suppress my cultivation to the Open-Acupuncture Stage. Since you have left your name on Mount Wudao three times, whether it's twenty or twenty-four acupoints makes no difference to you."

Jiang Duanchao truly had the intention of giving Lin Chen a beating, but with his precious daughter watching from the side, he could only use "giving pointers" as an excuse.

"Very well."

Lin Chen understood; he feared he couldn't escape this beating.

He wasn't truly stupid; in Uncle Jiang's eyes, he was likely no different from a yellow-haired brat right now.

"Father, isn't it too unfair for you to suppress your cultivation to the Open-Acupuncture Stage against Lin Chen? Lin Chen only has twenty acupoints open right now. You should at least suppress it to fifteen acupoints to be fair."

Jiang Qing frowned from the side. Lin Chen quickly said: "Sister, it doesn't matter. Uncle just wants to give me pointers; any level of cultivation control is fine."

My dear Jiang Jiang Shijie.

Every word you say to help me now just makes your father hit me harder later. This isn't persuasion; this is adding fuel to the fire.

As for controlling his cultivation to fifteen acupoints, isn't that entirely up to your father? If he secretly raises his strength, who would be able to tell?

"Fine."

Jiang Duanchao agreed quite readily; in any case, exactly how much he suppressed his strength was up to him.

Seeing Uncle Jiang agree so readily, Lin Chen knew his judgment had been correct.

"Please, Uncle Jiang, give me your guidance."

Sticking your head out is one blade, pulling it back is also one blade.

Since he couldn't escape this beating, Lin Chen didn't dawdle; he cupped his fists in a salute.

Seeing Lin Chen adjust his mindset so quickly, and seeing the way his entire demeanor shifted from his previous restraint, a trace of appreciation flickered in the depths of Jiang Duanchao's eyes.

He truly was a genius.

Forget it, he wouldn't bully this kid; he would just suppress his strength to twenty acupoints.

For Jiang Duanchao, even if he suppressed his strength to twenty acupoints and only used the Qi and blood contained within those twenty acupoints, it was far beyond what a normal Open-Acupuncture practitioner could compare to. But thinking of Lin Chen leaving his name on Mount Wudao, his Qi and blood also far exceeded that of an average youth with twenty acupoints open; in this regard, he wasn't taking advantage.

The only advantage he had was his superiority in martial combat techniques.

"Senior Jiang, this junior offends you."

Lin Chen naturally wouldn't wait for the other party to strike first. As his words fell, his figure shot out, his Wind-Cloud Palm carrying bursts of wind and thunder.

Jiang Qing, watching the battle from the side, had a look of confusion in her beautiful eyes as she saw the palm technique Lin Chen was using. This palm technique looked somewhat similar to the Water-Cloud Palm, yet it had differences; compared to the Water-Cloud Palm's "overcoming hardness with softness," this technique had a bit more elegance.

Jiang Duanchao kept his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged. Not until Lin Chen was right in front of him did he suddenly strike out with his right hand, capturing Lin Chen's true form amidst the sky-filling palm shadows with a strike that was untraceable yet precise.

Slap!

The palms collided. Lin Chen retreated a few steps, while Jiang Duanchao stood proudly, unmoved.

Suffering a loss in the first move, Lin Chen was not surprised; he hadn't used his full strength, just testing to see to what degree this Senior Jiang was controlling his strength.

"You strike one palm, I shall return one palm."

Jiang Duanchao did not withdraw his raised right hand. He flipped his hand, his figure turning into a blur in place. In the blink of an eye, he was before Lin Chen, his right palm striking like a crashing wave. Lin Chen's pupils shrank. He pivoted on his toes, his feet not moving, but his upper body shifted half a position to the left. While avoiding this palm, he unleashed the second move of his Wind-Cloud Palm.

"Your reaction is not slow."

Appreciation flashed in Jiang Duanchao's eyes. This kid's speed and reaction were both good, but what he appreciated most was that he could find the flaws in his palm strike in such a short time.

However, in the face of an absolute gap in strength, it was ultimately useless.

Jiang Duanchao raised his eyebrows slightly, his palms striking out one after another like cold plum blossoms blooming in snow, each burst of Qi precisely striking where Lin Chen's old force was about to exhaust.

Lin Chen was forced to retreat continuously, able only to block passively. If not for having cultivated the Mountain-Suppressing Score to the second level, he would have already been defeated.

Seeing Lin Chen being forced back continuously by her father, Jiang Qing's knuckles, gripping her skirt, turned white, and a look of worry appeared on her face. "I cannot keep taking hits passively like this."

After a dozen moves, Lin Chen decided not to hide his strength anymore. The Qi and blood within his body were completely released and began to circulate crazily. Accompanied by the circulation of Qi and blood, a faint red halo shone across his entire body surface.

The acceleration of his Qi and blood circulation allowed Lin Chen's speed to increase as well, finally enabling him to keep up with Jiang Duanchao's palms.

Slap!

Another collision of palms. This time, Jiang Duanchao's pupils contracted slightly. The palm wind of the two collided, causing the fallen leaves around them to swirl up.

When the dust settled, Jiang Duanchao put his hand back behind his back, trembling slightly at an angle Lin Chen and Jiang Qing couldn't see. This kid's strength had suddenly increased by so much?

This strength already exceeded his own.

No wonder he could defeat Pei Qingming on Mount Wudao; he truly had some tricks up his sleeve.

Lin Chen, however, ignored the shock in Jiang Duanchao's heart. Now that he was no longer hiding his strength, his Wind-Cloud Palm was continuous, palm after palm. Jiang Duanchao frowned and, for the first time, shifted half a step sideways.

One step shifted, every step shifted.

"This kid is so cunning; he deliberately hid his strength earlier!"

Jiang Duanchao looked at Lin Chen, who was attacking wildly, and instantly understood that he had been tricked. If this kid had gone all out from the start, he would have definitely increased his strength immediately. But now, after a dozen moves, if he were to suddenly increase his strength, this kid would definitely be able to feel it.

Was he betting that he wouldn't openly increase his strength in front of him?

He was still too young!

"Not bad, this is finally interesting. Just now I was only fighting you with the strength of fifteen acupoints; now I can increase it to sixteen."

Jiang Duanchao suddenly laughed heartily. His overall momentum didn't seem to increase, but the sound of his palm strike actually tore through Lin Chen's palm wind, like a cold spear piercing through Lin Chen's palm.

"Damn, he increased by one acupoint?"

The moment he felt the palm wind, Lin Chen cursed internally. This strength had doubled. He only felt as if his palm had struck the tip of a spear, and the force of that spear tip went directly through his palm and into his arm.

The Qi and blood that had been circulating crazily within his body instantly collapsed, stirred into a surge by this force.

Lin Chen stumbled back dozens of steps before standing steady. A fishy taste surged up his throat, but at the last moment, he swallowed it back down.

"Good kid, to be able to endure not vomiting blood after my palm strike, which I increased to twenty-four acupoints."

Jiang Duanchao remained calm on the surface, but he was surprised in his heart. Even if Pei Qingming, who was also at twenty acupoints, had taken this palm, he would have had to spit out a mouthful of old blood.

No, he had to make him vomit blood today.

Jiang Duanchao prepared to strike again, but after Lin Chen swallowed the blood surging in his throat, he directly cupped his fists and said: "Thank you, Uncle Jiang, for your guidance. This junior has gained enlightenment."

Gained enlightenment?

You've gained enlightenment just like that?

You've gained enlightenment in your dreams!

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Jiang Duanchao froze, then immediately realized that this kid was very cunning; he knew he was about to strike hard, so he stopped fighting.

"If you're going to be this shameless, I'd be a fool to keep fighting."

Lin Chen muttered internally, his expression unchanged. He even bowed deeply to Jiang Duanchao, then slowly stood in place, beginning to recall the scene of the battle, pretending to be savoring his enlightenment.

"Father, Lin Lin Shidi's martial enlightenment is very high."

Jiang Qing spoke up from the side. Jiang Duanchao couldn't strike even if he wanted to. Forget it, he would let this kid go for now; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

To think he still dared to pretend to have enlightenment, to be able to gain enlightenment from...

Glancing at Lin Chen from the corner of his eye, Jiang Duanchao's eyes suddenly erupted with brilliance. Did this kid really gain something?

How could this be possible?

He hadn't given this kid any guidance at all; what could he have gained enlightenment from?

But at this moment, Lin Chen's hands were subconsciously gesturing, and especially the clarity in his eyes—this was definitely not something that could be acted out. This was truly falling into a state of emptiness.

"Girl, don't disturb this kid."

Jiang Duanchao reminded his daughter. Jiang Qing nodded, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Chen with anticipation.

Lin Lin Shidi had gained enlightenment from fighting her father; she imagined her father would also be very satisfied with Lin Lin Shidi's martial talent.

At this moment, Lin Chen was indeed trapped in a certain state of understanding.

From the battle with that Senior Pei on Mount Wudao to the battle with Uncle Jiang just now, these two had one thing in common: their techniques could evolve the power of weapons.

Senior Pei's finger technique was as elegant and sharp as a sword technique; Uncle Jiang's palm technique was as piercing and fierce as a spear technique... How was this achieved?

If one said Uncle Jiang might have cheated, Senior Pei couldn't have. The figure left on Mount Wudao was definitely a portrayal of Senior Pei's strength at twenty acupoints.

Was it the difference in Qi circulation?

No, the method of Qi circulation only affected the speed of Qi and blood and the power of the palm strike.

His own Qi and blood circulation trajectory was derived from the True Blood Circulation Method; it would definitely not be worse than theirs.

Was it compression?

Lin Chen suddenly thought of the sixth move of his Wind-Cloud Palm: Palm Six.

Palm Six involved circulating the Qi and blood used in the previous five moves several times within the body, and then exploding it to the extreme. The power of one palm could be considered the sum of all previous palms, and it could be stacked three layers deep.

Swish!

The next moment, Lin Chen began to perform the Wind-Cloud Palm on the spot.

Palm One, Palm Two, Palm Three, Palm Four, Palm Five... Palm Six.

The moment Palm Six was unleashed, Jiang Duanchao's pupils contracted: "This kid is actually able to do this? This Qi and blood is so thick..."

Jiang Qing, on the side, had been fine when Lin Chen performed the first palm, but by the second palm, she muttered: "I couldn't take this palm."

"This palm... I would be seriously injured."

"This palm... could kill several of me."

Some moves didn't need to be experienced personally to feel their power. When Lin Chen's sixth palm struck out, Jiang Qing's delicate body trembled. From several yards away, she could feel the power contained within it, which had already stirred the Qi and blood within her own body.

"I understand, it's not compression, it's stacked force. Collecting power and focusing it on one point, combined with the power of an instant explosion, it becomes different types of force. Uncle Jiang's palm technique is a spiral force, while Senior Pei's finger technique is a rapidly flowing force..."

"What I'm doing is different from these two; I'm stacking... so Palm Six can be even more perfect."

Ten breaths, a hundred breaths... a quarter of an hour...

Lin Chen didn't stop performing his palms in the open space. Jiang Duanchao and Jiang Qing, father and daughter, watched quietly from the side. Soon, two more figures appeared on the scene.

Jia Nanzhu and Liu Ru had also arrived, but both stood silently in the distance.

"Senior Brother Liu, if the Canglan Martial Academy wants to recruit Lin Chen, it's best to offer conditions that have never been seen before."

Jiang Duanchao saw Liu Ru appear, his voice condensing into a line and entering Liu Ru's ears.

Liu Ru nodded slightly. Only the longer one spent with Lin Chen did one realize how powerful this young man's talent was.

(End of chapter)