In the Martial Arts Arena!
As soon as Lin Chen executed the Clear Wind Palm, many of the students present looked bewildered.
Isn't that the Water Cloud Palm?
However, some senior sisters who had sparred with Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall disciples recognized it as the Clear Wind Palm.
But like the new student Fu Jingya, who had never sparred with disciples from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall, could not recognize that Lin Chen was using the Clear Wind Palm.
In the arena, Zhai Xiaolu was slightly stunned to see Lin Chen executing a palm technique she was entirely unfamiliar with.
Nevertheless, she had stayed in the martial arts hall for a year and had real combat experience, so she was surprised but not flustered, responding with her first palm strike.
Lin Chen's palm technique was graceful, while Qu Xiaolu's was smooth and flowing, their exchange was quite equal.
Ten moves, twenty moves...
On the thirtieth move, Lin Chen flipped his palm, appearing at an incredibly tricky angle in front of Qu Xiaolu's forehead, just a little closer and it would have landed on her forehead.
"Junior Brother Lin is indeed impressive, Senior Sister is no match."
Qu Xiaolu admitted defeat straightforwardly; her strength was among the lowest in the martial arts hall, and she came to the arena just for the excitement, not feeling embarrassed to lose.
"Thank you for letting me win, Senior Sister Qu!" Lin Chen smiled slightly.
Kong Yinglei gave Lin Chen a deep look, and with her keen eye, she could see that Lin Chen's Clear Wind Palm had also reached a proficient level. As for Qu Xiaolu, although her Water Cloud Palm was at a proficient stage, she had little combat practice and seemed to have spent more time on breaking through realms during her year at the martial arts hall.
After twenty moves, Qu Xiaolu's palm technique was already a bit chaotic, and Lin Chen could have defeated her then, but he deliberately extended it for another ten moves.
He's quite a nice person, still considerate enough to save face for the senior sister.
"You all can step down now."
Kong Yinglei instructed the senior students, who all left, knowing that the next scene would be Vice Hall Master scolding the new junior sisters.
As the senior students left, Kong Yinglei's smile vanished instantly, and she said with a cold snort: "Are you dissatisfied? Do you think that these senior sisters have been here for a year, and given a year, you could definitely beat them?"
Fu Jingya and a few girls' expressions slightly changed, as Kong Yinglei had hit the nail on the head.
"On the Martial Path, there's no such thing as first or last. In the martial arts hall, you're the new students, but outside, you all have one title: disciples of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall!"
"This year, you will face competition from new disciples of seven other martial arts halls, and next year is the county examination year, you'll compete with the previous year's students!"
"Or do you think that the county examination will give you special treatment because you're a year late?"
Kong Yinglei's words turned Fu Jingya and the other female students' faces pale, as they realized that the county exam would come when they had at most two years in the martial arts hall, while the previous batch had three years, an extra year of training.
How can they compete?
"You can also choose to give up, just stay in the martial arts hall for three years, then leave, marry someone, and focus on domestic life."
"Hall Master Kong, I will not give up," Fu Jingya suddenly spoke up.
"Not give up?" Kong Yinglei's face showed disdain: "You say you won't give up, but your actions have already shown you are giving up. To be honest, except for Jiang Qing and Lin Chen, I am extremely disappointed in the eight of you."
"Some of you took the Opening Acupoints Pill three months ago and started practicing the Water Cloud Palm, yet still haven't reached the proficient stage... it's simply disgraceful!"
"Vice Hall Master Kong, previous batches also took over three months to get the Water Cloud Palm to proficient," Fu Jingya said, not convinced. She felt that her progress was not slow and that given a few more days, she could be proficient in the Water Cloud Palm.
"Only fools compare mediocrity!"
Kong Yinglei sneered: "Jiang Qing started practicing the Water Cloud Palm at the end of the year, and Lin Chen also started with the Clear Wind Palm at the end of the year, yet both have reached proficiency in their respective palm techniques."
"Self-righteous fools!"
Ssss!
Listening to Kong Yinglei's merciless words, Lin Chen subconsciously glanced at Fu Jingya and the others.
They looked like eggplants hit by frost, all losing their spirits and turning pale.
Hall Master Kong's scolding is really harsh!
No consideration for feelings at all... oh, Hall Master Kong is also female, so it's okay.
"And you lot, holding onto the resources of Opening Acupoints Pill, do you deserve it? If not for luck being born into good families, you'd be nothing."
Kong Yinglei didn't hold back, her words still pouring out, and Lin Chen saw tears welling up in several senior sisters' eyes.
"Lin Chen, seeing the performance of these fools, don't you think the heavens are unfair? Why do such fools get to have such good family backgrounds?"
Lin Chen: ...
He didn't expect Hall Master Kong to direct the fire at him.
He definitely didn't have such thoughts.
Facing Hall Master Kong's direct gaze, Lin Chen replied with determination: "My situation is not the same as my senior sisters, it can't be generalized."
Kong Yinglei wasn't very satisfied with Lin Chen's answer: "Really?"
"My family background can't compare to the senior sisters, but I don't envy them. Precisely because of my impoverished background, I know the gap between myself and my senior brothers and sisters, and I know that if I don't want to fall behind on the Martial Path, I must practice diligently. This habit is my most valuable asset on the Martial Path."
Lin Chen answered gently, but some did not appreciate it.
"The Martial Path lies in diligence, who doesn't understand that? I practice martial arts five hours every day, without missing a single day." Fu Jingya raised her head, defiantly.
Lin Chen spread his hands innocently and said, "Junior Brother here practices eight and a half hours each day."
Ssss!
Lin Chen's words changed Fu Jingya and the others' expressions from disappointment to shock.
Practicing eight and a half hours a day means that besides sleeping, all other time is devoted to training.
Even in sleep, they could only sleep at most three hours a day, considering the time needed for eating, drinking, and other necessities.
Jiang Qing, at the far left, also set her sharp eyes on Lin Chen, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.
Fu Jingya conceded.
Her diligence indeed did not match Junior Brother Lin's.
The others felt the same; practicing five hours a day seemed more than diligent enough to them.
Kong Yinglei, seeing Fu Jingya and the others' concession, didn't say anything harsher. Lin Chen's living example was more effective than any prepared lecture she had in mind.
"Lin Chen, stay behind. The rest of you, disperse and reflect on your goal in coming to the martial arts hall?"
Quickly, only Lin Chen remained in the arena as a student.
Lin Chen was puzzled, unclear as to why Hall Master Kong asked him to stay.
If it was because he was a positive example, then Senior Sister Jiang, who was clearly the same, should have stayed too, not just him alone.
"Lin Chen, though you are not a disciple of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, the hall will still grant you A-Class student privileges. You can go to the Martial Arts Pavilion to receive your A-Class disciple badge, and if Junior Sister Li questions it, tell her it was my decision."
Kong Yinglei spoke with a smile, seeing Lin Chen's stunned reaction, but she wasn't in a hurry. She appreciated Lin Chen very much.
The matter of practicing the Essence Qi with twenty taels of silver should be true, but that alone wasn't enough to move her. But after hearing Lin Chen's account today, practicing over eight hours daily, she was genuinely touched by his talent.
On the Martial Path, silver coins are indeed important, but a firm heart for learning martial arts is even more crucial.
Being able to practice martial arts eight hours a day is not just diligence; it precisely shows that Lin Chen has an extremely firm heart for martial arts, otherwise it would be impossible to persist.
This isn't a matter of persisting for a day or two, but for an entire long-lasting Martial Path career, for a month, a year, or even ten years...
"Thank you, Hall Master Kong!"
Lin Chen was delighted; he didn't know what privileges A-Class students had, but it was definitely a good thing.