Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 80: Chapter 76: Martial Path Will Appears, Enlightenment of Clear Wind Palm True Meaning

Martial Arts Hall, dormitory.

Lin Chen counted the silver tickets and silver coins once again, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

Two hundred and seventy-two taels!

From the time he entered the Martial Arts Hall until now, his expenses on the Martial Path have not exceeded this amount.

”Logically speaking, after Zhou San lost hope in his Martial Path, he wouldn’t have continued spending money on it, so it shouldn’t be just this little money.”

Martial artists are both poor and rich.

Rich because martial artists spend money on the Martial Path like water, poor for the same reason.

The higher the pursuit on the Martial Path, the poorer one becomes because silver money is never enough.

Storing away the silver tickets and silver coins, Lin Chen glanced at the cloth bag, reaching out to untie the drawstring.

The mouth of the bag opened, revealing a scroll inside, tied with a red string. Lin Chen carefully took it out, finding it to have a peculiar texture, unlike ordinary paper with its softness, instead exuding a slight chill, being firm yet elastic.

Slowly unfolding the scroll, primitive black ink marked a section of writing:

[Liang Calendar Year 275, on my fiftieth birthday, the elders of my hometown came with gifts, bringing back memories, I leave this Martial Path Will as a token, for the elders to bring back to the hometown, for the rising stars in martial arts. Once this scroll is opened, place your palm on it within ten breaths to reveal the Martial Path Will, do not miss the chance... Dai Jingfeng leaves!]

After reading the words, Lin Chen’s mind raced like lightning.

This year marks Liang Calendar Year 299, 24 years have passed since then.

The content of the writing is not difficult to understand.

A martial artist named Dai Jingfeng, on his fifty-year-old birthday, when the elders from his hometown came to celebrate, reminisced about the days of youth in his hometown, leaving the Martial Path Will for the elders to bring back to inspire the hometown’s budding martial artists.

Who is Dai Jingfeng?

Why did this scroll end up in Zhou San’s possession?

What is the Martial Path Will?

Lin Chen had many questions in his mind, but he had no time to ponder, for the scroll stated that once opened, a palm must be pressed on it within ten breaths, or the Martial Path Will left on the scroll would become void.

After five breaths, Lin Chen made a decision.

This Martial Path Will must be something good.

Lin Chen began to operate the Clear Wind Palm technique, synchronizing his breath with its rhythm, and then extended his palm with a mix of tension and anticipation, pressing it onto the scroll.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

After three breaths, the text on the scroll started to move, rearranging into strange humanoid strokes, seemingly infused with a mysterious power flowing between them.

Boom!

The next moment, a vast and terrifying energy burst forth from the scroll, causing the entire scroll to shatter into powder for being unable to withstand the immense power.

This terrifying energy, like a beast dormant for millennia suddenly awakened, erupted with a force like a mountainous tsunami. Lin Chen, in direct line of impact, experienced the momentary torture of his body being ripped apart.

But this pain quickly disappeared, and Lin Chen soon regained clarity, only to feel the lights and shadows shifting before his eyes, as if stepping into a strange space.

Before him appeared a martial artist with the agility of a hawk, seemingly descending from the sky, displaying a palm technique with extraordinary poise and natural grace.

Clear Wind Palm!

Lin Chen immediately recognized that the opponent was using the Clear Wind Palm.

But unlike how he executed the Clear Wind Palm, every move and stance with the opponent looked as if formed naturally.

By the end of the technique, it even evolved into fine rain, drawing forth a storm.

A hint of understanding flashed in Lin Chen’s eyes.

Spring wind turns rain, this is life!

Supreme softness, yet giving birth to life.

The gale booms, like thunderbolts.

Supreme hardness, yet giving birth to strength.

Fleeting and formless, it is the transition between soft and hard!

Supreme softness, can also be supreme hardness.

This is the true meaning of the Clear Wind Palm.

Lin Chen slowly closed his eyes, recalling every move and stance he had previously executed with the Clear Wind Palm, his secret training, the dueling on the stage, and even that clumsy first contact with the Clear Wind Palm.

Long after, Lin Chen slowly delivered a palm strike.

Utterly gentle, utterly slow.

However, strangely, this palm strike carried a whistling sound of splitting the air, and as it passed, the air made a sharp, screeching sound.

Despite being the gentlest of palms, it had the hardest of effects.

”Not right. Merely transitioning between soft and hard is still confined to formality. True perfection means returning to the essence.”

Lin Chen frowned, keeping his eyes closed, his mind once more recalling the scene he witnessed of the figure performing the Clear Wind Palm.

The sensation was marvelous, though he was merely an observer, it seemed as though the scene was something he personally experienced.

The balance of hardness and softness is merely the power of the Clear Wind Palm.

The true essence of the Clear Wind Palm lies in the words ’Clear Wind’, akin to the freedom of the wind, unrestrained and unfettered, acting on impulse, yet able to instantly gather formidable strength.

The storm arises again... Wind-Rolling Clouds...

The lethal strikes of the Clear Wind Palm materialized between Lin Chen’s palm, but at this moment, the techniques he executed already differed somewhat from those documented in the Clear Wind Palm Secret Manual.

Not being confined to moves is the mark of a perfect technique.

Pa!

In an instant, Lin Chen struck the camphor tree in front of him with a palm, exuding astonishing power.

However, the camphor tree didn’t budge at all, not even a single leaf fell.

A smile appeared on Lin Chen’s face. The palm strikes instantly and is instantly withdrawn into the heart, clear as the wind, formless as I am.

Elusive and untraceable.

Tonight, I shall comprehend the True Meaning of the Clear Wind Palm!

[Panel: Clear Wind Palm (Perfection)]

...

...

The next morning, the first ray of the morning sun fell in the courtyard.

Lin Chen was already up in the backyard.

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Realm: Opening Acupoints Realm (6/24): (76/100)]

[Clear Wind Palm: Perfection]

[Water Cloud Palm: Small Success (8/10)]

Looking at his panel data, Lin Chen had a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

Achieving perfection of the Clear Wind Palm overnight, his martial progress increased by 30 points, doubling compared to when he had achieved great success.

The perfection of the Clear Wind Palm is far more than just an increase in proficiency. Even without further practice, the Essence Qi within his body was freely circulating according to the Qi-Running technique of the Clear Wind Palm.

The Martial Path Will contained within that scroll is truly magical. Maybe the reason Zhou San’s family is down to just over two hundred taels is likely because they spent money on this scroll imbued with Martial Path Will.

Unfortunately, Zhou San and his family have all passed away, so he can only speculate.

After putting on clean martial arts attire, Lin Chen went to the cafeteria for breakfast, then headed directly to the Martial Arts Arena.

By the time he arrived at the Martial Arts Arena, many students had already gathered.

Fu Jingya and Gu Qingqing and other senior sisters were present, and those Qi Cultivation students who hadn’t opened their acupoints when they first entered were also there.

As the only male disciple in the martial arts school, Lin Chen’s appearance attracted the attention of many students.

”Is this Senior Brother Lin? He looks so handsome.”

”Senior Brother Lin has such an elegant presence... like a young master.”

”Oh, you little flirt, getting all infatuated. Senior Brother Lin’s family isn’t that well-off, how could he be considered a young master? But he is really good-looking.”

Fu Jingya and the others looked at the approaching Lin Chen, a hint of surprise apparent in their eyes, as if the aura of Junior Brother Lin had changed somehow.

They couldn’t quite describe it, but in short, he just seemed better-looking.

The female students of the martial hall are primarily focused on training martial arts, asking them to describe it with words would certainly be difficult for them.

Xiao Ting, standing in the back of the first row, saw Lin Chen approach with bright eyes, but then a look of disappointment appeared on her face as she thought of something.

There’s a rumor in the martial arts school that Junior Brother Lin has been getting close to Senior Sister Jiang lately.

Don’t ask who spread it.

The unique thing about Jingshui Martial Arts Hall is that gossip travels the fastest.

If it were Senior Sister Li, she could still compete, but if it’s Senior Sister Jiang, she’d have to give up; she couldn’t compete at all.

After greeting the senior sisters, Lin Chen glanced around and surprisingly didn’t see Hall Master Kong and Senior Sister Jiang. Only Instructor Shen was present on the scene.

”Tomorrow is the March Competition, and there’s a directive from the Martial Affairs Office that all martial arts students must go there today. You nine, follow me.”

Today, it was Instructor Shen leading the team.

Instructor Shen didn’t explain much, leading the way, while those students who didn’t qualify to go to the Martial Affairs Office were cheering on their acquaintances among the senior sisters.

”Where is Senior Sister Jiang?”

As the group set off, Lin Chen couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, and Xiao Ting, walking behind Lin Chen, felt even more heartbroken upon hearing his question.

Fu Jingya and the others shook their heads; they didn’t know where Senior Sister Jiang went either.

”Jiang Qing went to the Martial Affairs Office with Senior Sister Kong early this morning.”

Shen Lin listened to Lin Chen’s words and turned back to explain.

Upon learning that Senior Sister Jiang and Hall Master Kong had gone to the Martial Affairs Office first, Lin Chen didn’t inquire further.

”Instructor Shen, how will this martial arts school competition be conducted?” Gu Qingqing curiously asked.

By now, they still didn’t know the rules of the competition among the students from the Eight Great Martial Arts Halls.

”This competition will be different from past ones. Once you arrive at the Martial Affairs Office, you will know. The competition is of utmost importance to all of you, so make sure to give it your all.”

Shen Lin was not deliberately keeping them in suspense, but even she was unsure how Lord Su would arrange this competition. It was only through Senior Sister Kong that she knew that Lord Su seemed to take this competition very seriously.

The three-month competition for new students isn’t considered a major event typically, since the strongest among them haven’t even broken through the Ten Acupoints. From the perspective of the Martial Affairs Office and the upper ranks of the martial hall, it’s just a small skirmish.

But given how seriously Lord Su is taking it, and the fact that the competition rules haven’t been announced yet, it suggests that Lord Su likely has ambitions beyond merely ensuring Poyang County doesn’t come last in next year’s prefecture examination.

The bigger Lord Su’s ambitions, the more benefits the students who get into Lord Su’s top ten would receive. And those benefits could possibly extend beyond just the Acupoint Opening Pill and silver taels on the surface.

Shen Lin understood Senior Sister Kong; Senior Sister Kong would not make such an analysis. These words must have come from the mouth of the senior martial sister, with Senior Sister Kong just relaying them.