Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 60: Chapter 56: Senior Sister, I Yield!

”Panel!”

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Realm: Opening Acupoints Realm (3/24)]

[Clear Wind Palm: Small Success (1/10)]

[Water Cloud Palm: Proficient (150/200)]

[Title: All the Way Black]

[Life Chart: [Natural Progress]: Martial Arts First Realm, Perseverance, Steady Progress, Unstoppable, No Bottleneck Problem.]

Looking at the progress of Water Cloud Palm, Lin Chen was very satisfied.

Because he had first practiced Clear Wind Palm, and Clear Wind Palm and Water Cloud Palm have something in common in some aspects, Lin Chen found that his understanding of Water Cloud Palm was extremely fast.

It could be said that he was advancing by leaps and bounds, already surpassing the speed at which he had initially practiced Clear Wind Palm.

Now, he was just 50 progress points away from mastering the Water Cloud Palm.

”There are still three days until the internal contest in the martial arts hall. Let’s first practice the Water Cloud Palm to mastery, achieving Great Success in Clear Wind Palm in such a short time is probably difficult.”

Power through for three days!

...

...

Three days later.

At the break of dawn, Lin Chen carried a bundle and went to the lakeside with his eldest brother.

Today he would return to the martial arts hall.

If he traveled during the day, he would not make it in time, so he could only take the boat to the county town at dawn.

The bundle he carried contained the clothes he brought back. Mrs. Lin had washed them again, complaining that he hadn’t cleaned them properly.

Lin Chen was helpless; he only practiced martial arts at the hall, so how dirty could his clothes get aside from some sweat?

Perhaps all mothers think their sons’ clothes aren’t washed clean enough.

...

...

Once in the county town, after bidding farewell to his eldest brother, Lin Chen hurried to Jingshui Martial Arts Hall. After returning to the dormitory and putting down his bundle, he headed straight for Chulu Martial Arts Arena.

Hall Master Kong had mentioned that the internal contest for new students would be held at Chulu Martial Arts Arena.

When Lin Chen reached the arena, he glanced at the large hourglass on one side. According to the time displayed, it was exactly 7 a.m.

On the martial arts arena, Jiang Qing and eight others had already arrived.

Even Hall Master Kong was already there. Lin Chen dared not delay and quickened his steps to join the lineup.

Kong Yinglei had already caught sight of Lin Chen from the corner of her eye and said indifferently, ”Since everyone is here, this internal contest for new students in the martial arts hall will now begin.”

”The internal contest in the martial arts hall is very simple; it’s a competition for the top five. Those in the top five will receive first-class student treatment.”

Listening to Instructor Kong’s words, apart from Jiang Qing, the other female students had a look of excitement on their faces. Last month they had been severely criticized by Hall Master Kong for not securing first-class treatment, so they were determined to obtain it this month.

”Hall Master Kong, how do we compete?” Gu Qingqing asked impatiently.

”Choose your own opponent. Those unchallenged will enter the top five.”

Seeing that many senior sisters still looked puzzled, Lin Chen guessed how Hall Master Kong intended for them to compete.

This method is quite fast but also brutal, especially for the competition for the fifth spot.

”Jiang Qing, how many acupoints have you opened?” Kong Yinglei looked at Jiang Qing.

”Seven!”

Jiang Qing’s crisp answer made Lin Chen’s mouth twitch. Looking at this Senior Sister Jiang, he wasn’t sure what to say.

Seven?

A monster!

Has she been eating Nourishing Acupoints Pills like meals?

While Lin Chen was away, this Senior Sister Jiang had opened another acupoint.

Less than two months in the martial arts hall, and she opened two acupoints?

”She must have been like me when entering the martial arts hall, very close to opening the next acupoint, which allowed for consecutive openings.”

After his shock, Lin Chen rationally analyzed the situation.

”Does anyone want to challenge Jiang Qing?”

The arena was silent. Even the previously impatient Gu Qingqing remained silent.

Jiang Qing stood tall, her light blue dress fluttering in the wind. She was the only one not wearing the martial arts hall’s training uniform, a faint smile on her face as she looked at Lin Chen and the others.

An invisible pressure was spreading...

Lin Chen felt he could sense it.

Kong Yinglei, having anticipated this, directly said, ”In that case, Jiang Qing secures a spot for first-class students. Next is Fu Jingya.”

”Disciple has opened five acupoints.”

In fact, Fu Jingya and the others were quite familiar with each other’s realms, as it was all displayed on the martial arts hall’s honor board. It was only because Lin Chen had been away for over ten days that he hadn’t noticed the changes in his senior sisters’ realms.

”Does anyone want to challenge Fu Jingya?”

The scene remained silent. Neither Gu Qingqing nor Kong Lingyun, both of whom had also opened five acupoints, stepped forward.

Seeing this, Lin Chen’s heart was as clear as a mirror. It seemed everyone had the same thought as him; no one would fight for the top four spots.

”Gu Qingqing...”

”Kong Lingyun...”

With no one challenging four in a row, Kong Yinglei was not surprised. She then turned her attention to Li Xue: ”Li Fang, how many acupoints have you opened?”

”Four acupoints.”

”Does anyone want to challenge Li Xue?”

After Kong Yinglei’s words fell, several female disciples present became restless.

”The disciple wishes to challenge Senior Sister Li.”

”The disciple is willing to spar with Senior Sister Li.”

Fang Qianliu and Xiao Ting, both in the Four Acupoints Realm, stepped forward.

Kong Yinglei’s gaze swept to the remaining Lin Chen and the other two female disciples, who, like Lin Chen, were in the Three Acupoint Realm.

”The disciple gives up.”

”The disciple also gives up.”

Both female disciples chose to forfeit, as they had no chance against those in the Four Acupoints Realm.

”The disciple would like to challenge.”

At Lin Chen’s words, everyone present looked at him with puzzled and bewildered expressions.

Except for Kong Yinglei, everyone thought Junior Brother Lin would also forfeit. After all, Junior Brother Lin was only at Two Acupoints when he left the martial arts hall ten days ago. Even if he was now in the Three Acupoint Realm, there was still a gap to Four Acupoints.

When he first joined the martial arts hall, Junior Brother Lin won a duel due to his advanced skill mastery, but over a month, Li Xue and others had also honed their Water Cloud Palm to proficiency.

With his big advantage gone, they couldn’t understand why Junior Brother Lin dared to challenge.

”Alright, since there are three challengers for Li Xue, we’ll split into two groups: Li Xue will fight Fang Qianliu, and Lin Chen will face Xiao Ting. The winners will compete for the last top-grade treatment spot.”

Kong Yinglei was the only one who knew about Lin Chen’s depth; with mastery of Clear Wind Palm and the Three Acupoint Realm, he stood a fighting chance against Li Xue and her peers.

”Senior Sister Xiao, please go ahead!”

The martial arts arena was large enough, with Lin Chen and Xiao Ting occupying the left side, while Li Xue and Fang Qianliu took the right.

The two bouts began simultaneously.

”Junior Brother Lin, I won’t go easy on you.”

Xiao Ting smiled slightly, then stepped forward with a palm strike towards Lin Chen.

Watching Senior Sister Xiao’s strike, Lin Chen frowned, not because it was hard to counter, but because it seemed off.

Too formulaic!

Though he hadn’t fought frequently in the martial arts garden arena, the martial artists he faced were sharp and ruthless. By contrast, Senior Sister Xiao’s move seemed more like a demonstration.

Facing Xiao Ting’s strike, Lin Chen shifted his footwork, elegantly sidestepping, while his right palm struck out like lightning, landing precisely at the gap during Xiao Ting’s palm transition.

Surprised by Lin Chen’s swift and precise attack, Xiao Ting tried to evade, but it was too late.

Lin Chen’s palm hit her waist directly.

As Xiao Ting staggered back, Lin Chen pressed on like a shadow, giving no breathing space, unleashing several Water Cloud Palm strikes, forcing Xiao Ting to retreat and block continuously.

Unfortunately!

In Lin Chen’s eyes, her blocks were still full of flaws.

”Senior Sister Xiao, forgive my presumption!”

As the words fell, Lin Chen’s palm hovered just an inch from Xiao Ting’s chest.

This scene left Fu Jingya and the others dumbfounded!

Can it really be done this way?

How confident must one be to speak before striking?

Jiang Qing’s beautiful eyes were also fixated on Lin Chen, with a hint of curiosity in her clear gaze.

Kong Yinglei’s brows raised slightly; she was surprised that Lin Chen was displaying the Water Cloud Palm, and judging by the precision and fluency of his strikes, he had at least reached proficiency.

Mastery of Clear Wind Palm and proficiency in Water Cloud Palm?

In just two months, very few students in the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall over the years could achieve this!

So, was Lin Chen’s talent in Water Cloud Palm even higher than Clear Wind Palm?

”I... I lost.”

Xiao Ting looked at the palm hovering less than an inch from her chest, her face turning pale. She never imagined she would lose to Junior Brother Lin, and so quickly at that.

”Lin Chen wins!”

Kong Yinglei collected her thoughts and announced the result.

She naturally understood how Lin Chen managed to defeat Xiao Ting; although Xiao Ting was in the Four Acupoints Realm and cultivated Water Cloud Palm to proficiency, her real combat experience was lacking.

This was also the weakness of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall’s disciples compared to others; the hall’s female disciples focused more on realms with insufficient combat experience.

Soon after Lin Chen’s victory, Li Xue also defeated Fang Qianliu on the other side.

”The final battle: Li Xue versus Lin Chen. The winner will earn the top-grade treatment spot!”

Li Xue smiled at the victorious Lin Chen, saying, ”Junior Brother Lin, you really surprised me, but I must win this battle, Senior Sister.”

”Please enlighten me, Senior Sister.”

At this point, Lin Chen didn’t modestly attribute his victories to luck, as that would seem hypocritical.

The two stood opposing each other, the atmosphere tense, the battle imminent.

”Junior Brother Lin, watch out!”

Ultimately, it was Li Xue who took the initiative. Or more precisely, as soon as Li Xue made her move, Lin Chen responded.

In an explosive motion, Lin Chen reacted later but struck first, his Water Cloud Palm swinging with the sound of water waves.

”Has Junior Brother Lin mastered Water Cloud Palm?”

”Isn’t Junior Brother Lin primarily training in Clear Wind Palm?”

Fu Jingya and others, upon hearing the sound of water waves with Lin Chen’s palm swing, displayed disbelief on their faces.

But even more astonished was Kong Yinglei.

At this moment, Kong Yinglei’s mouth was slightly agape, and even her body trembled slightly.

”Sis... Senior Sister, it seems our martial arts hall has found quite an extraordinary disciple this time.”

Jiang Qing, being closest to Kong Yinglei, noticed the change in her demeanor and slightly furrowed her elegant brows.

Lin Chen mastering the Water Cloud Palm shouldn’t shock Hall Master Kong this much, should it?

When she had mastered Water Cloud Palm six days prior, Hall Master Kong merely nodded in satisfaction.

Could it be that this Junior Brother Lin harbors other secrets?