Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 156: Chapter 38: Water Cloud Perfection, The Youth Attempts to Fuse Two Cultivation Techniques

”Junior Brother, I understand. I will do my best in the county competition this time and live up to your expectations, Senior Sister.”

”Hmm, you only have fifteen minutes to enter the water each time, and every two hours, the cloud mist on the Water Cloud Pond will pour into the pond. Only then can you enter the water.”

Jiang Qing advised Lin Chen a few words, and Lin Chen was a bit surprised. Senior Sister Jiang didn’t plan to watch him from the shore.

Seemingly noticing Lin Chen’s confusion, Jiang Qing said softly, ”After entering the water, it’s best to not wear any clothes.”

Lin Chen scratched his head awkwardly. Without clothes, indeed, it wouldn’t be appropriate for Senior Sister Jiang to stay here.

After Jiang Qing left, Lin Chen did not rush to enter the water. Following Senior Sister Jiang’s instructions, he waited until he saw the cloud mist pouring into the pond before going down. For now, the cloud mist on the Water Cloud Pond was still some distance from the water’s surface.

Trying to dip his fingers into the pond, Lin Chen immediately withdrew them as soon as they touched the water.

The water was terrifyingly cold, with a bone-piercing pain.

”Pure cold can’t reach this level. With my current level of Qi Blood, even wearing a thin garment in sub-zero temperatures shouldn’t be a problem. I suspect there’s something peculiar about this pond water.”

Thinking of the martial artists guarding the foot of the mountain, Lin Chen had an understanding.

However, to him, the secrets of the Three Ponds Mountain didn’t matter. He was here solely to comprehend the Water Cloud Palm.

After a moment, Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed.

The cloud mist originally floating above the pond began to surge, continuously rushing towards the water surface. Seeing this, Lin Chen quickly took off his clothes and swallowed a Warm Sun Pill from the bottle.

As the Warm Sun Pill entered his stomach, Lin Chen felt an extremely pure heat flow rising from his lower abdomen, spreading throughout his body.

Not daring to delay, Lin Chen removed his outer garments, stepping barefoot into the shallow water at the pond’s edge. That piercing coldness did not reappear, and only then did he fully immerse himself in the water, moving towards the depths.

With each step, Lin Chen could clearly feel the water waves undulating and a certain resistance.

As the son of a fisherman, Lin Chen naturally spent a lot of time in the water. Though he couldn’t claim to be the best in Poyang Lake, he was indeed very familiar with it.

However, as soon as he entered the Water Cloud Pond, he sensed the difference between this pond’s water and the lake water of Poyang Lake.

The water in the Water Cloud Pond couldn’t be called water, especially after the cloud mist poured in—it was more like some other liquid.

Recalling Senior Sister Jiang’s instructions, Lin Chen began to submerge himself completely in the water.

The moment he submerged, Lin Chen’s pupils contracted slightly as he saw a completely different scene from above the water.

Seen from above, one would only see cloud mist pouring into the water, but opening his eyes underwater, he saw countless silver thread-like mist flows twisting and extending within the water.

However, he could only keep his eyes open for two breaths before having to close them.

Though the pond water was no longer bone-chilling, it was unbearable for his eyes.

In the span of fifteen minutes, Lin Chen opened his eyes only ten times.

Returning to the shore, Lin Chen carefully recalled the trajectory of those twisting and extending clouds underwater, which remarkably resembled the moves of the Water Cloud Palm.

”Senior Sister Jiang mentioned that the predecessor who created the ’Water Cloud Palm’ comprehended it here. Could it be that they developed the moves based on the trajectory of these clouds entering the water?”

As Lin Chen was pondering, at a pavilion in Three Ponds Mountain, Jiang Qing sat with a woman inside.

”Qing, this is the first time you’re using your family connections to help an outsider.”

”Aunt Wan, I’m just trying to repay Jingshui Martial Arts Hall’s kindness. After all, I acted recklessly and breached the contract first.”

”Is that really the case?” The woman had a knowing expression on her face. ”You simply left Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, but you’re still a disciple. You could help Jingshui Martial Arts Hall achieve a ranking in the county competition yourself, not to mention that your agreement with the hall was to secure first place in Poyang County, not the county competition, which is beyond what was agreed.”

”Aunt Wan!”

Jiang Qing rarely showed a girlish demeanor. ”Fine, I just think that, given Junior Brother Lin’s background, reaching this point isn’t easy. I wanted to lend him a hand, and besides, Junior Brother Lin has some connections with our Jiang family.”

”What connections? Just because Lin Chen is from Linhu Village? Your father doesn’t have any fondness for Linhu Village. Back then...”

Seeing Jiang Qing’s attentive expression, the woman quickly changed the topic: ”Do you think your Junior Brother can fully master the Water Cloud Palm at the Water Cloud Pond?”

”The time is too short; it might not be enough. But with Junior Brother Lin’s comprehension, given such an opportunity, he should be able to master the Water Cloud Palm within a month.”

Jiang Qing appeared confident, while the beautiful woman silently smiled, knowing full well that mastering the Water Cloud Palm in this short time was highly unlikely. For the county competition, it wouldn’t be much help, yet she still brought her junior brother here under the pretense of the agreement with Jingshui Martial Arts Hall to help the young man.

This little girl is unwilling to admit it!

In the second two-hour period, Lin Chen entered the water again.

In the third two-hour period, Lin Chen did not enter the water.

He already discovered the peculiar nature of the Water Cloud Pond. Even as night fell, he could still clearly see the white threads formed by the cloud mist underwater.

This meant he could completely wait until nighttime to enter the pond.

After all, at night, there’s the ’All the Way Black’ comprehension bonus.

After three two-hour periods, the sky turned completely dark.

A man delivered dinner, consisting of various meats vital for Qi Blood replenishment. Lin Chen didn’t recognize the types of meat, but since Senior Sister Jiang arranged for it, it was certainly not cheap.

In the fourth two-hour period, after Lin Chen took the Warm Sun Pill, he entered the water again.

In the pond water, Lin Chen observed the silver-like fog threads continuously flowing to the bottom, much like worms, while he began to perform the Water Cloud Palm.

The wavering palm, which should have been dispersed by the water flow, suddenly solidified upon touching the fog threads. Those threads seemed to become a pull, continuously converging toward his location.

”Fog dispersing into threads, huh?”

Lin Chen whispered to himself, a picture flashed through his mind. Perhaps this Water Cloud Pond was not actually water.

It’s mist!

Every drop of water was formed from countless mists being scattered into threads and then re-assembling at the bottom.

Lin Chen continued to perform palms, no longer the Water Cloud Palm, just casually waving, quietly observing the trajectory of the fog threads.

...

...

The fifth two-hour period...

The sixth two-hour period...

The seventh two-hour period...

In the water, Lin Chen once again struck out with a palm, this time the fog threads that should have been drawn to him were instead guided by his palm wind, slicing a three-foot-long vacuum water path.

This palm strike seemed to push open a door. In the pond, palm after palm, even in the water, Lin Chen’s palm movements faced no resistance, executed with utmost elegance and imperceptibility.

The Clear Wind Palm walks the path of the ethereal and formless.

The Water Cloud Palm, harnessing the ever-changing nature of clouds, embodies the agility of water, adapting to circumstances.

Concealing changes within the palm momentum, like a massive wave, appearing as a solitary tide but hiding layers of undercurrents beneath.

The fog threads are the changes, the undercurrents.

Lin Chen glanced at his panel.

[Water Cloud Palm: Perfection!]

But Lin Chen did not stop. At this moment, he suddenly had an impulse, perhaps the Clear Wind Palm and the Water Cloud Palm could complement each other in some way.

Pa!

Lin Chen changed his palm technique, switching from Water Cloud Palm to Clear Wind Palm.

The Clear Wind Palm struck out, fog threads splattered, scattering like errant threads, losing the focus that was present with the Water Cloud Palm.

However, Lin Chen was not anxious. Merging two Grade-Entering Techniques isn’t that simple; he was just experimenting on a whim.

Once, twice.

...

...

When ten Warm Sun Pills were consumed, Lin Chen returned to the shore, yet his training was not over.

By the shore, gusts howled at times, while at others waves crashed onto the shore in succession...

”Aunt Wan, we’re running out of time, the competition in two more hours is about to start.”

Jiang Qing, standing by a bend at the foot of a hill, showed a face full of anxiety, unable to help wanting to rush there.

”It’s just a county match, it’s not worth much. Do you know what your junior brother is doing at this moment?” The elegant woman showed a look of deep astonishment in her eyes.

”What?”

”Merging two Grade-Entering Techniques.”

Jiang Qing was stunned, her small mouth slightly agape: ”Aunt Wan, is this true?”

”Interfering with him now would destroy a major opportunity for him. As for the county match...you go to the Military Affairs Department and ask to postpone it by a day; if not, just forfeit.”

”Alright, I’ll head to the Military Affairs Department, and I’ll leave Junior Brother Lin to you, Aunt Wan.”

”Don’t worry, your junior brother whom you care so much about, Aunt Wan will naturally take care of him well.”

A blush rose on Jiang Qing’s cheeks; she didn’t reply, turning to head down the mountain.

”Even if it fails, it’ll benefit his future Martial Path. This little Qing girl has a good eye for people, managing to find such an unpolished gem.”

The elegant woman didn’t believe Lin Chen could successfully merge the two Grade-Entering Techniques, but even if he failed, the gains would be considerable.

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