Chapter 40: Qingfeng Palm reaches Mastery

After a round of sparring.

Lu Yongfeng, Zhao Jingchuan, and Cheng Ying were all plunged into deep self-doubt.

They had been defeated too miserably!

Not one of the three could last more than three moves under Lin Chen; all of them suffered crushing defeats within three moves.

Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying finally understood why Lin Lin Shixiong Lu had asked that question earlier.

Only after experiencing it personally could one feel the terror of Lin Chen's Qingfeng Palm.

It possessed that ethereal quality with no tracks to follow, yet when the palm landed, it was extremely precise, with every move aimed straight for a vital point.

In the Wu Tang, it wasn't as if they hadn't sparred with Senior Brothers who had opened three acupoints, but the feeling they got was that even those Senior Brothers were likely no match for Lin Chen.

"Don't ask, just practice more—practice until you're dead."

Lin Chen did not go to comfort the three of them; having come out of the same Wu Tang, he also hoped that Lu Yongfeng and the others could go far on the Martial Way.

Only through harsh blows could their fighting spirit be ignited.

As for whether their Dao hearts would shatter, he believed Lu Yongfeng and the others weren't that fragile.

"Lin Lin Shixiong..."

After a long while, Zhao Jingchuan gave a helpless, bitter smile: "Forget it, let's not continue sparring today. I'll take you to the liveliest place in the Wu Yuan."

"Right, I have no heart for martial arts today either. It'll take at least a few hours to calm down." Cheng Ying nodded in agreement.

"Three Junior Brothers, do not disclose my situation to outsiders," Lin Chen reminded them.

With the Eight Great Martial Halls' new disciple tournament occurring once every three months, he didn't want his cards to be revealed to others ahead of time.

"Lin Lin Shixiong, rest assured. We have discretion and will absolutely not disclose it. Only the three of us know about this matter," Lu Yongfeng said with a serious face.

The group stopped sparring, and Zhao Jingchuan led the three out of the courtyard. After walking to the end of a corridor, their view suddenly opened up.

In front of them lay a vast training ground with several arenas. On quite a few of them, martial artists were currently dueling, and there were many spectators beneath the platforms.

It was bustling with noise and extremely lively.

However, looking at the ages of these martial artists, they were all in their early twenties.

"Lin Lin Shixiong, these twelve arenas correspond to opening one to twenty-four acupoints respectively. Those who meet the realm requirements can go up to duel other martial artists. If you defeat ten opponents, you can participate in the end-of-month Arena Master tournament. The Wu Yuan will give a reward of ten silver taels to the martial artist who takes the title of Arena Master."

Seeing Lin Chen staring at two martial artists dueling in one of the arenas, Zhao Jingchuan explained in a low voice: "The arena you're looking at, Lin Lin Shixiong, is only for martial artists who have opened seven or eight acupoints; it attracts the most attention. After all, once you've opened ten acupoints, you're considered a person of some standing and won't frequently fight in the arena."

Opening ten acupoints allowed one to seek a position in the government office; they were indeed people of status. It was indeed inappropriate to be fighting and showing their faces here, which Lin Chen could understand.

"Lin Lin Shixiong, with your current strength, you could go up to the first arena to duel other martial artists. If you don't want to expose yourself, you can also choose to cover your face with a mask."

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered the feasibility of what Zhao Jingchuan said.

Seeing Lin Chen deep in thought, Lu Yongfeng interjected: "Actually, many students from the Eight Great Martial Halls come here for arena duels as well. It's an opportunity for real combat practice, and many martial hall students choose to wear a mask to conceal their true identities."

"Why?"

"It's not embarrassing if you lose, right?" Cheng Ying added.

That made a lot of sense!

After pondering for a moment, Lin Chen asked: "How can I participate in an arena duel?"

"Just go to the Wu Yuan side and collect an identity badge."

"Are there any restrictions on collecting an identity badge?"

"There are no restrictions at all. That elder in my family once said that the Wu Yuan itself just provides a venue. You can only stay in a Wu Tang for three years, but the Martial Way is long. The appearance of the Wu Yuan is just to make things convenient for everyone."

After hearing Zhao Jingchuan's explanation, Lin Chen understood.

A youth who enters the Wu Tang at fifteen, even if it takes three years to enter a Wu Tang, would only be in their early twenties when the three years are up, and a martial artist's Qi and blood don't decline until they are forty.

There were still more than a dozen long years in between!

Martial artists in Poyang County needed a place like the Wu Yuan to exist, to give them a place to interact, duel, and even exchange resources.

And for students still in the Martial Halls, coming to the Wu Yuan to participate in arena duels could also improve their combat techniques.

The martial artists in these arena duels might not have very high realms—all were below ten acupoints—but some of these martial artists had been practicing on the Martial Way for over a decade, and their proficiency in their techniques was very high.

Fighting these people could help one discover their own shortcomings and allow for rapid progress.

If you're afraid of losing face, just wear a mask.

Having figured this out, Lin Chen, along with Lu Yongfeng and Cheng Ying, went to the Wu Yuan's registration pavilion under Zhao Jingchuan's lead. The Wu Yuan steward glanced at the three of them without asking about their identities or backgrounds, took three identity badges from under the counter, and informed them of the rules.

Wu Yuan identity badges must not be lent out!

This was the only requirement the Wu Yuan had for martial artists.

Lin Chen took his identity badge; there was only a numerical code on it.

One thousand two hundred and eight!

Lin Chen glanced at the numbers on Lu Yongfeng and Cheng Ying's tokens; the three were adjacent, with the two of them numbered after him.

From the attitude of the man responsible for registration, Lin Chen believed Zhao Jingchuan's words: the Wu Yuan truly didn't care about these martial artists who had opened acupoints; they gave out identity badges without even asking for a real name.

After getting the identity badge, Lin Chen wasn't in a hurry to challenge the arena. Because the Wu Tang opened on the sixteenth of the first lunar month, it was actually only the middle of the month, so he could wait until the end of the month to challenge.

He would first practice the Qingfeng Palm to Mastery; that way, his chances would be greater.

After agreeing on the time for their next meeting with Zhao Jingchuan and the others, the four left the Wu Yuan and returned to their respective Martial Halls.

……

……

Five days later!

The 19th day of the second month, 298th year of the Liang Dynasty.

Jingshui Hall dormitory!

Lin Chen once again slapped his palm against a camphor tree.

Bang!

The camphor tree shook. At the point of contact, the bark for several feet above and below peeled away, revealing smooth wood. This time, a full twenty percent of the leaves fell off.

The camphor tree was lush and leafy, with as many leaves as a canopy, yet after this fall, the gaps between the leaves were visibly larger.

As for where Lin Chen's palm struck, it sank into the wood by a full half-foot.

Qingfeng Palm, having reached Mastery!

"Continue!"

Glancing at the panel, which displayed 【Qingfeng Palm: Mastery (1/10)】, Lin Chen did not stop.

With the Qingfeng Palm at Mastery, every time Lin Chen struck, the palm wind whistled. At the same time, while executing the palm, the Qi and blood in his left shoulder and right arm began to circulate continuously, all flowing toward the third acupoint: the right shoulder.

With the martial technique reaching Mastery, the circulation of Qi and blood accelerated, and Lin Chen naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

Another night of bitter practice.

……

……

Waking up the next day.

Lin Chen continued to practice the Qingfeng Palm for an hour, yet the progress of the Qingfeng Palm on the panel remained motionless.

"No wonder the progress became (1/10). It seems that after the Qingfeng Palm reaches Mastery, it's not something that can be achieved just by practicing more; it requires more of an understanding of the true essence of the Qingfeng Palm."

"With the 【Dark Horse】 title, my comprehension will improve at night. Practicing the Qingfeng Palm after nightfall is most suitable. During the day, I can practice other martial techniques to maximize the utilization of time."

Although he felt some regret that the progress of the Qingfeng Palm wasn't increasing, Lin Chen wasn't greedy. His progress in martial techniques was already far beyond most people.

Taking off his practice clothes, Lin Chen changed into his own clothes, left the dormitory, and headed straight out of the Wu Tang.

The joy of a breakthrough in martial arts shouldn't be enjoyed alone.

He prepared to go visit Yu Yu Jiaoxi!

Yu Yu Jiaoxi had shown him great kindness, and now that his Qingfeng Palm had reached Mastery, it was time to inform Yu Yu Jiaoxi of this good news.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 41 =====