Chapter 38

Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan backyard.

Ceng Qingyao stroked the horizontal blade in her hand, remaining silent.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie, say something; can this be done?"

Kong Yinglei looked at the silent Jiang Jiang Shijie and couldn't help herself; she wanted Lin Chen to join the martial hall, so after leaving the martial arts field, she came to find the Jiang Jiang Shijie to state her intention.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie, if you don't step forward, then I'll go to the Breeze Martial Hall."

"How do you intend to speak to the Breeze Martial Hall?" Ceng Qingyao moved her eyes away from the horizontal blade in her hand and asked.

"Just say that Lin Chen has chosen to join our Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan; how else can I say it?" Kong Yinglei was puzzled; the Breeze Martial Hall didn't care about Lin Chen at all, and perhaps they would even be happy about it.

"That guy Qihe, his martial arts strength isn't much, but he is very shrewd. Believe me, if you go and say that, Qihe will directly refuse you and even tell you that the Breeze Martial Hall thinks highly of Lin Chen; otherwise, they wouldn't have admitted Lin Chen into the martial hall when there were no spots available."

Kong Yinglei was stunned, somewhat incredulous: "Jiang Jiang Shijie, that can't be, right?"

"How can it not be?" Ceng Qingyao snorted softly: "Qihe is naturally suspicious; he won't think you are cherishing talent, but will only think there is some other reason."

"Then explain the matter clearly to Qihe."

Kong Yinglei was somewhat unwilling; if left at the Breeze Martial Hall, Lin Chen would definitely not be valued, let alone Lin Chen having cultivated the Breeze Palm to proficiency—even if he cultivated it to mastery, it would be the same.

Martial halls value the improvement of cultivation stages more.

In the Aperture-Opening Stage, there are twenty-four acupoints; the first ten can be done by spending thirty or forty taels a month, but after opening ten, the difficulty increases, and the financial requirements for students are extremely high.

The Breeze Martial Hall will not give Lin Chen special treatment, but as the Vice Hall Master of the Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan, as long as Lin Chen enters the Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan, she can give Lin Chen some help within her authority.

Ceng Qingyao flicked her finger against the blade, and the blade emitted a crisp "clanging" sound.

"Xiao Xiao Shimei, have you ever thought about one point: can one really cultivate the Breeze Palm to the proficient stage in less than a month just by practicing diligently?"

Facing this question from her own Jiang Jiang Shijie, Kong Yinglei was stunned; she had indeed not pondered deeply on this point.

"Jiang Qing was able to cultivate the Water Cloud Palm to the proficient stage in such a short time because Jiang Qing is compatible with the Water Cloud Palm; otherwise, Jiang Qing wouldn't have joined our Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan in the end. By reversing this, is Lin Chen also compatible with the Breeze Palm?"

Seeing her Xiao Xiao Shimei stunned, Ceng Qingyao knew that her Xiao Xiao Shimei had also figured out the key point.

In just one month, can one really cross from entry to proficiency just by practicing diligently?

"Jiang Jiang Shijie, you mean that Lin Chen's compatibility with the Breeze Palm is very high, so Lin Chen is more suitable to stay in the Breeze Martial Hall."

"It's not my meaning, but whether the facts are so."

Kong Yinglei curled her lips; from her Jiang Jiang Shijie's analysis, she had to admit that the facts should be so.

There is a saying about comprehension in martial arts, but this thing is too illusory; it might not even produce one such genius in ten years. She didn't think Lin Chen would be a so-called genius of martial arts comprehension.

Those students who can surpass other students in the progress of technique cultivation do so more because of their higher compatibility with that technique.

If Lin Chen were allowed to cultivate the Water Cloud Palm, even if he practiced for eight hours a day, he wouldn't be able to reach the proficient stage.

"Let's put Lin Chen's matter aside for now. Since you cherish talent, giving him Grade-A student treatment is already enough, but this money still has to be paid by the Breeze Martial Hall; after all, our Still Jing Jing Shui Wuguan cannot cultivate disciples for the Breeze Martial Hall for nothing."

"That's for sure; the Breeze Martial Hall pays nothing—how can there be such a good thing in the world." Kong Yinglei said fiercely.

……

……

Martial Arts Pavilion.

"Every Grade-A student in the martial hall, excluding the Aperture-Nourishing Pill, enjoys a 50% discount when purchasing other resources, but it must not exceed fifty taels per month."

From the mouth of this Yu Yu Jiaoxi Li in front of him, learning about the treatment that a Grade-A student possesses, Lin Chen was also shocked.

The treatment for a Grade-A student is that when purchasing martial arts resources in the martial hall, one can enjoy a 50% discount!

Purchasing fifty taels of martial arts resources in the martial hall only requires spending twenty-five taels in the end.

This benefit is very generous.

Unfortunately, he couldn't even scrape together fifty taels from his whole body.

The benefit is good, but he can't use it.

His money is reserved for buying Aperture-Nourishing Pills, and Aperture-Nourishing Pills are not within the scope of the discount.

"May I ask Yu Yu Jiaoxi Li, does the martial hall have any regulations regarding the use of these fifty taels?"

Upon determining that he couldn't spend these fifty taels of silver, the thought of helping others purchase on their behalf surfaced in Lin Chen's heart, but he had to first determine the rules of the martial hall—whether students were allowed to do so.

Yu Yu Jiaoxi Li was somewhat puzzled; she didn't understand what Lin Chen meant.

More appropriately, she hadn't reacted because students who had been able to obtain Grade-A treatment in previous batches had never asked such questions.

Students with Grade-A treatment didn't even have enough of their own fifty-tael monthly quota to spend, so naturally, they wouldn't purchase on behalf of other students.

"There are no regulations, but it must be calculated starting from next month; this month you cannot enjoy this preferential treatment," Yu Yu Jiaoxi Li thought for a moment and answered.

Today is already the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, and the martial hall's rules have always been to calculate from the following month.

"Thank you, Yu Yu Jiaoxi; this disciple understands."

It seems that the path of purchasing on behalf of others is allowed; Lin Chen had a plan in his heart.

Seeing Lin Chen about to leave, Yu Yu Jiaoxi Li spoke: "You don't want the secret manual for the 'Water Cloud Palm'?"

Li Shan knew a little about Lin Chen's situation; as the first male student in the martial hall, Jiang Jiang Shijie Kong had long ago informed them, the junior sisters, about what happened at the Martial Administration Office.

If Lin Chen were only a nominal student, she naturally wouldn't mention the "Water Cloud Palm" secret manual, but since Jiang Jiang Shijie Kong let Lin Chen collect the martial hall disciple identity badge, she should want Lin Chen to become an official disciple of the martial hall.

Since that is the case, Lin Chen can cultivate the Water Cloud Palm.

"This disciple can cultivate the Water Cloud Palm?" Lin Chen was somewhat incredulous.

"Take it; just return it within three months."

Li Shan smiled gently and took out a secret manual from the cabinet below; Lin Chen glanced at it—this cabinet held a thick stack, presumably all "Water Cloud Palm" secret manuals.

Having taken the "Water Cloud Palm" secret manual, Lin Chen was not in a hurry to use his fifty-tael quota; this quota wouldn't be good to use until the end of the month.

Right now, those senior sisters who have Grade-A treatment probably haven't used up their fifty taels yet, and even if he were willing to purchase on their behalf, he was afraid they would drive the price down.

Only when it gets to the end of the month, and these senior sisters have spent all their fifty taels, can he purchase on their behalf and exchange it for more profit.

After solving his lunch at the martial hall, Lin Chen returned to his dormitory.

This morning's time was considered wasted, and the time that followed could not be wasted.

Lin Chen picked up the "Water Cloud Palm" secret manual and curiously flipped through it.

The Water Cloud Palm has few moves, totaling only seven, but each move contains thirty-two variations.

"First move: Cloud Rising Dragon Soaring Stance. Concentrate your spirit and calm your breath, like clouds rising for the first time; the footwork is light, like a dragon swimming in the void. The palm momentum is continuous, soft with hardness inside; when the enemy is strong and I am weak, follow the momentum to attack..."

"Second move: Flowing Water Circling Stone. The body flows and turns, like water circling a stone; the palms and fingers are slightly curved, with force penetrating the palm center. Avoid the solid and strike the void, flexible and ever-changing, like water without constancy; the enemy cannot fathom it."

The annotations next to the illustrations made Lin Chen very shocked.

Is this a martial arts technique?

I still remember that on the secret manual of the "Breeze Palm," all the words added together only amounted to the number of words in the annotation for the first move of the Water Cloud Palm.

No wonder the Water Cloud Palm is known as the most gorgeous among the eight major martial halls and is also the most difficult to cultivate to perfection; just looking at the wording, it looks gorgeous and is full of unfathomable depth.

However, Lin Chen was not in a hurry to cultivate the Water Cloud Palm; he was putting all his energy into the Breeze Palm, and he wanted to strive to cultivate the Breeze Palm to mastery in the shortest possible time.

The booklet of martial arts insights given by Yu Yu Jiaoxi Yu mentioned that any technique cultivated to the mastery stage is also helpful for the improvement of one's cultivation stage.

When the Breeze Palm reaches mastery, it will speed up the circulation of his vital energy; at the same cost, his aperture-opening speed will be faster.

Other students don't take this path because cultivating a technique to mastery is not easier than breaking through a cultivation stage, so they might as well put their minds into how to break through the stage, letting the technique proficiency come step by step.

"Panel."

【Name: Lin Chen】

【Profession: Martial Artist】

【Stage: Aperture-Opening Stage (2/24)】

【Technique: Breeze Palm (Proficient: 4/100)】

【Fate: 【Success Comes Naturally】: The first stage of the Martial Way, moving against the current, progressing step by step, unstoppable like bamboo being split, overcoming every obstacle.】

【Title: Black to the End】

Glancing at the panel, Lin Chen began to enter the liver-exploding mode.

Practice during the day, practice at night.

Bitter practice day and night!

Ten days later.

Lin Chen discovered many students gathered at the bulletin board outside the cafeteria; after walking closer, he discovered a new announcement posted on the bulletin board.

【Jiang Qing: Six Acupoints】

【Fu Jingya: Five Acupoints】

【Gu Qingqing: Five Acupoints】

……

Martial Hall Honor Roll!

On the list are the latest breakthroughs in martial arts stages by new students.

"Jiang Jiang Shijie is too impressive; she only had five acupoints when she entered the martial hall, and in such a short time, she has opened another one."

"Jiang Jiang Shijie Fu and the others have also opened another one; they are all very impressive."

"I have cultivated vital energy for three full months, and I still haven't opened an acupoint; I don't know when I will be able to open one."

"Sigh, these senior sisters have different goals from ours."

Listening to the sighs of these junior sisters, Lin Chen withdrew his gaze from the bulletin board and silently walked back to the dormitory.

There is nothing to envy; my good fortune is in the second half of the journey!

Today, add half an hour of practice.

……

……

Twenty-seven days later!

【Technique: Breeze Palm (Proficient: 90/100)】

When Lin Chen struck his palm, there were already wisps of wind sound in the courtyard.

Withdraw palm!

Standing in the courtyard, Lin Chen also had a look of satisfaction on his face.

"There is one Aperture-Nourishing Pill left; first sell the fifty-tael quota to gather the money for next month's Aperture-Nourishing Pill."

As for who to sell the fifty-tael quota to, Lin Chen had also considered it; the most suitable candidate was definitely Jiang Jiang Shijie.

Being able to open five acupoints when entering the martial hall, Jiang Jiang Shijie must be a person of great wealth; her own fifty-tael quota would definitely not be enough for her.

PS: It's a new week; our new book is currently 30th on the list. Can we rush into the top ten?

There are only two points for being on the new book list: follow-readings and monthly tickets. Monthly ticket data is cleared and recalculated every Monday. At the end of the month, if you have monthly tickets, please cast one; I beg you!

Thank you to the four chopsticks, Fei Hei Fei Bai Fei Cai, Midnight Brother, and many other digital book friends for the tips!

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(End of chapter)