Chapter 200: Four Senior Brothers, I Apologize!

Behind Linhu Village, Zhao Zhao Cangsheng held a blueprint in his hands.

"Have the county's blacksmiths forge this iron vat—it'll be needed later."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng looked at Jia Jia Nanzhu: "Jia, in strength I'm no match for you, but when it comes to blood qi, not many in the entire Liang State understand it better than I do!"

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng spoke with extreme pride.

He had every right to be proud—his late friend had traveled across many nations, seeking a way for warriors to achieve blood qi as potent as those who fused with beast blood, without fusing any beast blood at all.

From this quest came the Secret of Acupoints and the theory of blood qi circulation.

But his friend died shortly after developing the theory; Zhao Zhao Cangsheng spent over a decade experimenting on it, becoming the true master who fused theory with practice.

Jia Jia Nanzhu wasn't offended, because Zhao Zhao Cangsheng spoke the truth—he excelled in resource allocation to elevate youths' realms, but in blood qi research, he was merely proficient, still far behind Zhao Zhao Cangsheng.

"I should've come to Linhu Village sooner, but these things delayed me—though it's not too late."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng patted the bundle behind his back; Lin Chen asked curiously: "Senior, did you know the Canglan Joining Wuyuan would prepare Dragon True Blood for me?"

"I know nothing of the sort," Zhao Zhao Cangsheng shook his head. "Even if Canglan Joining Wuyuan didn't give you Dragon True Blood, I'd find a way to get it for you—but since they've already sent it, I don't need to prepare anything."

Seeing Lin Chen still puzzled, Zhao Zhao Cangsheng paused, then explained: "The notes you read from my late friend weren't complete. On his deathbed, he said that under his theory, a warrior following this path could absorb three drops of beast true blood. I didn't tell you at first because I never expected your blood qi to grow this thick so quickly—I planned to inform you only after you reached the Organ Refinement stage."

"Three drops? That's an exact number?"

Lin Chen remained confused; Jia Jia Nanzhu explained: "Lin Chen, beast blood comes in two types: one normal warriors can absorb and digest, the other is true blood—only a few beast species possess true blood. True blood differs from ordinary beast blood; it's far harder to absorb and refine. You've already absorbed one drop of Dragon True Blood—you know the pain."

Lin Chen nodded—he understood his teacher's meaning.

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng's late friend deduced the three-drop limit based on the energy and pain of true blood—not a guess.

"I originally feared you couldn't endure the pain of absorbing and refining true blood, but since you've already taken one drop, the next two should be bearable—just several times more painful than the first."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng chuckled; Lin Chen fell silent.

The pain of absorbing the first drop of Dragon True Blood—he truly didn't want to endure it again.

"What, are you scared?"

"I'm not afraid," Lin Chen shook his head. "It's just… that sensation is truly unbearable."

"If it were easy, would it be yours?" Zhao Zhao Cangsheng snorted. "How many warriors in Liang State? Martial families, nobles—you've reached this point because you endure more pain, work harder than them. But this path has only just begun for you. If you don't want to fall behind later, you must keep enduring this suffering."

"Canglan Joining Wuyuan offered thirty drops of Dragon True Blood—enough to make the other three wuyuans abandon their bids. Do you really think they couldn't match that offer?"

"The truth is, they simply didn't believe you deserved such a condition. If it were Pei Pei Qingming, Canglan Joining Wuyuan would've offered thirty drops, and those three wuyuans would've deliberated deeply, consulted their senior elders, before deciding to withdraw—not just walk away."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng turned to Jia Jia Nanzhu: "Your teacher knows this well—he just didn't want to discourage you. To many, the two trials before entering the ranks are mere child's play."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng spoke bluntly—only such bluntness could make Lin Chen understand the cruelty of the martial path.

"Among the children of Linhu Village, if one grows up to be a good brawler, you might say he might have some potential in martial arts—but do you truly take such children seriously?"

Lin Chen's eyes sharpened—he understood Zhao Zhao Cangsheng's meaning.

His current achievements were astonishing, but to martial elites, they were merely the squabbles of juniors.

"Zhao Lao, you're being too harsh. Regardless, Lin Chen's potential is clear—he'll enter the ranks without doubt," Jia Jia Nanzhu added, unable to let his disciple be crushed.

His teaching philosophy wasn't about crushing spirits—it was about encouragement and praise.

"If he only wanted to enter the ranks or gain fame in Jiangnan Province, fine—but now that he aims to prove he deserves the title of Model Student of Liang Martial Arts, the suffering ahead will be greater than ever."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng sneered; Lin Chen feared his teacher and Zhao Zhao Cangsheng would argue further, so he quickly said: "Senior, I understand your words are meant to help me see reality. But since I chose this path, no matter how much pain lies ahead, I'll walk it. I was only expressing a thought."

"Even that thought isn't allowed."

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng's expression turned grave: "I'd rather you give up fighting these people than let you sigh. Your sigh today becomes tomorrow's weakness. No such seed must be allowed—if you lose your martial drive, you'll vanish into obscurity."

To Zhao Zhao Cangsheng, "obscurity" meant ordinary martial geniuses.

"I've learned."

Seeing Lin Chen's sincere expression, truly grasping his meaning, Zhao Zhao Cangsheng smiled again.

"Go back to your cultivation. I'll discuss with your teacher how to refine the Dragon True Blood."

"Yes. I plan to visit the Gale Martial Hall."

"Go."

Lin Chen left—he still needed to perfect the Gale Leg Technique, and time was pressing. At his current breakthrough pace, he'd reach twenty-three open acupoints in five days, unless he slowed his resource intake.

"Zhao Lao, aren't you being too harsh?"

Jia Jia Nanzhu watched Lin Chen's retreating figure, worry in his eyes—Lin Chen had already created miracles repeatedly to reach this point.

He feared excessive pressure would break him.

"Jia, Lin Chen now has thirty drops of Dragon True Blood and entered Canglan Joining Wuyuan—he has a high chance of entering the ranks, even the upper ranks. I don't deny that. But Liang State doesn't lack one upper-rank warrior…"

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng sighed long. In numbers of upper-rank warriors, Liang State far surpassed the other eight nations.

"My hope for this boy is that he surpasses the martial geniuses of the other eight nations—not just in open acupoints and organ refinement, but after entering the ranks too…"

To Jia Jia Nanzhu, Zhao Zhao Cangsheng revealed his true hopes for Lin Chen—his late friend's lifelong dream in studying blood qi.

Why couldn't Liang State produce a peerless genius?

Jia Jia Nanzhu's pupils contracted—he never imagined Zhao Zhao Cangsheng's expectations for Lin Chen were so high. Even as his teacher, he dared not think so.

The other eight nations had alliances with beasts, national resources poured into training, and millennia-old clans preserving intact martial lineages. Liang State, after its great war, had lost most of its martial heritage. To catch up in just three hundred years was impossible.

"I didn't expect so much from Lin Chen at first—but his performance has truly impressed me. In three months of training, he made such progress—why shouldn't I expect greater achievements from him?"

Zhao Zhao Cangsheng was now open: he hadn't originally held such high hopes—but on the way back, hearing Lin Chen had left his name on Mount Dengwudao and defeated Pei Pei Qingming, he'd remembered his friend's words.

"Why must Liang warriors rely only on numbers? Even without beast blood or clan legacies, our warriors must stand shoulder to shoulder with the peak geniuses of the other eight nations."

"Zhao Cangsheng, I won't live to see it—but I believe it will come soon. When it does, come to my grave, pour me a cup of wine, and tell me."

…

…

Night fell over the Gale Martial Hall.

Zhao Zhao Qifeng, even after seeing Lin Chen with his own eyes, still looked incredulous, despite earlier reports from his staff.

"Lin Chen, what brings you to the hall?"

Zhao Zhao Qifeng showed no trace of his hallmaster's dignity—only warmth and eagerness.

"Hallmaster, I've reached the peak of the Gale Leg Technique. I'd like your guidance on how to perfect it."

Lin Chen didn't hide his purpose—once the Gale Leg Technique reached its peak, progress stalled. Perfection required insight, not mere practice.

"Your Gale Leg isn't perfected yet?"

Zhao Zhao Qifeng's surprise left Lin Chen speechless—did he think Lin Chen should've perfected it long ago?

As if sensing Lin Chen's disbelief, Zhao Zhao Qifeng chuckled: "I assumed your Gale Leg was already perfected. After all, you perfected Water Cloud Palm, Clear Wind Palm, and Iron Bone Art so quickly."

"Perhaps I lack talent in the Gale Leg Technique."

Lin Chen understood—according to his speed in perfecting Clear Wind Palm, Water Cloud Palm, and Iron Bone Art, the Gale Leg should've been perfected long ago.

Perfection was normal; lack of perfection was abnormal.

"Your martial talent has been proven. If you're untalented, then Poyang County has no martial geniuses."

Zhao Zhao Qifeng waved his hand—he was merely a hallmaster of a county hall, unaware of the hidden currents on Mount Dengwudao. After learning Lin Chen's purpose, he said: "I'll summon several disciples who've perfected the Gale Leg. Let them spar with you—you'll gain insight." Perfection couldn't be taught—only Lingwu ed.

Fortunately, the Gale Leg was easy to learn; the hall had several disciples who'd perfected it, all still at the Open Acupoint stage, perfect sparring partners for Lin Chen.

Whether the students were asleep at this hour didn't matter—if they were asleep, they'd wake up.

…

"Yu Jiaoxi, I still need to cultivate and break into Organ Refinement—how can I spare time to spar? And it's late at night!"

One of the Gale Leg-perfected disciples lay in bed, awakened by his teaching master, his face filled with reluctance.

Usually, when his master asked him to spar with junior disciples, it was just to offer advice—a few times were fine, but too many killed his interest.

Besides, even if he had to advise juniors, why now, in the middle of the night?

"If you're busy, forget it. Keep cultivating—strive to reach Organ Refinement soon. I'll ask Li Gao instead."

"?"

The disciple's eyes narrowed—was his master unusually lenient today?

That wasn't like him. Usually, when he refused, his master would persuade him—or even order him to guide juniors.

"Ah, Lin Chen came to the hall wanting to spar. Li Gao will probably agree."

"Master, wait!" The disciple shouted immediately: "Who are you saying wants to spar?"

"You're busy, so don't worry about it."

"I'm free! I'm free!" The disciple beamed, stepping forward eagerly: "Master, I was joking! Guiding junior disciples is my duty as a senior—whether I'm free or not, I'll make time!"

He lowered his voice: "You mean the Lin Chen from Jing Shui Wuguan?"

"What Jing Shui Wuguan? Lin Chen is a disciple of Gale Martial Hall!"

Facing his master's stern correction, the disciple nodded obediently—but inside, he sneered. That lie only fooled the next few generations of juniors. Lin Shi-di had never even set foot inside Gale Martial Hall's gates—what a joke calling him a disciple.

…

…

Within half an hour, Gale Martial Hall summoned four Open Acupoint disciples who had perfected the Gale Leg—lowest was Open Acupoint 21, highest was Open Acupoint 24.

These four disciples stared at Lin Chen with burning eyes.

A man's name, a tree's shadow.

Lin Shi-di's name was now known throughout Poyang County's martial circles.

Even though they were a year ahead of him, they still admired and envied him. When they heard their teaching master said Lin Shi-di needed sparring partners to perfect the Gale Leg, they came without hesitation.

"Thank you, four senior brothers," Lin Chen spoke first.

"It's our honor to assist Lin Shi-di in perfecting the Gale Leg—no trouble at all."

"Zhang Shi-di is right. Later, we can tell others: 'Back then, we guided Lin Shi-di's martial cultivation'—it'll make everyone else green with envy."

After all, he was still young; though thrilled to see Lin Chen, he felt no restraint.

Of course, this was also because Lin Chen's demeanor was courteous, dispelling the faint tension in their hearts.

"Lin Chen, do you want to go one by one, or…?"

Zhao Zhao Qifeng smiled and asked. Lin Chen thought for a moment: "One by one is fine."

He wasn't here to spar—he wanted to observe others' Furious Wind Leg and see if he could gain any insight.

"Then I'll go first."

The yellow-robed senior stepped forward first. Normally, he'd let the junior initiate, but with Lin Shi-di, he'd better not act the part of a senior.

"Lin Shi-di, watch closely!"

The yellow-robed senior let out a soft cry, tapped his right foot lightly, and shot upward like a kite. The next instant, his legs surged toward Lin Chen like a gale and crashing waves—leg after leg.

Lin Chen's right hand twitched to rise, but he hesitated and held back, instead activating Iron Bone Art.

If he'd used his palm, he'd likely have knocked the senior clean out with a single strike.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of legs striking flesh echoed through the courtyard. The three senior brothers watching on the sidelines showed no surprise—Lin Shi-di's Iron Bone Art was already perfected.

They didn't know how strong perfected Iron Bone Art truly was, since they'd never fought a cultivator at that level. But Zhenyue Martial Hall did have students with great-level Iron Bone Art, and they'd fought them before. Fighting a great-level Iron Bone Art student was like kicking solid iron plates.

The counterforce alone made them ache.

Lin Chen carefully observed the senior's leg movements, silently absorbing insights. After a while, his brow furrowed slightly—this perfected Furious Wind Leg was weaker than he'd expected.

Where was the problem?

"Thank you, Lin Lin Shixiong, for the instruction."

Lin Chen stepped back Zhudong, ending the bout. The yellow-robed senior saw Lin Chen's calm expression, his breathing unchanged, and couldn't help but blush—he'd gone all out, yet hadn't even broken Lin Shi-di's defense. Too embarrassing.

"Next senior brother."

"I'll go."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, the second senior, dressed in blue, stepped forward.

……

After a stick of incense burned down

……

Lin Chen had sparred with all four senior brothers and now had a general understanding of perfected Furious Wind Leg.

Yet he still felt something was off.

The power of Furious Wind Leg shouldn't be this weak!

He glanced at the four senior brothers before him, then spoke: "Could all four of you attack me together?"

"Alright."

The four senior brothers felt no insult—they still hadn't broken Lin Shi-di's defense, and they were panting from exertion, while Lin Shi-di hadn't even altered his breathing rhythm.

Zhao Zhao Qifeng, watching nearby, sighed inwardly—Lin Chen's current strength was already comparable to that of an Internal Organ cultivator.

Ordinary Internal Organ students of the martial hall wouldn't stand a chance against him.

All four senior brothers attacked at once. Lin Chen was engulfed by whistling leg winds and a storm of leg shadows. Facing their full force, he still didn't move—except to dodge their strikes with his head, he let every blow land on his body.

After a cup of tea's worth of punishment, Lin Chen moved—suddenly, he slipped free of their encirclement like a phantom.

"Perhaps it's not that perfected Furious Wind Leg is too weak—it's that its true strength lies not in power, but in speed."

A spark of understanding lit in Lin Chen's eyes. Many thought Furious Wind Leg was merely a leg technique—but what if it was actually a fusion of body movement and leg technique?

Tread upon the wind!

Borrow the wind's momentum!

These were the essence of Furious Wind Leg as recorded in its manual—and these four senior brothers had only achieved borrowing the wind's momentum.

Realizing this, Lin Chen suddenly stepped forward. His speed was so fast the four senior brothers couldn't react. They only saw Lin Shi-di lift his leg—then their pupils were flooded with terrifying leg wind, and they heard his voice beside their ears:

"Senior brothers, my apologies!"

PS: Brothers, please vote for monthly tickets—can we break two thousand?

(End of Chapter)