After a sparring session.
Lu Yongfeng, Zhao Jingchuan, and Cheng Ying were deeply wrapped in self-doubt.
The defeat was too miserable!
None of them could withstand more than three moves from Lin Chen, all were defeated within three moves.
Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying finally understood why Senior Brother Lu asked questions like that just now.
Only through personal experience can one feel the terror of Lin Chen's Clear Wind Palm.
That kind of elusive and traceless movement, yet extremely accurate when the palm strikes, each move targeting a vital point.
In the martial arts hall, it wasn't that they hadn't sparred with senior brothers who opened three acupoints, but their feeling was that even those senior brothers weren't as formidable as Lin Chen.
"Don't ask, if you ask, practice more, practice to death."
Lin Chen did not comfort Lu Yongfeng and the others, having emerged from the same Martial Arts Hall, he hoped they could advance further along the Martial Path.
Only severe setbacks can ignite their fighting spirit.
As for whether their conviction would shatter, he believed they weren't that fragile.
"Senior Brother Lin..."
After a long while, Zhao Jingchuan chuckled bitterly, "Forget it, let's not continue sparring today. I'll take you to the liveliest place in the Martial Arts Garden."
"Right, I don't feel like training anymore today, it'll take at least several hours for my mood to calm down," Cheng Ying agreed, nodding.
"You three juniors, concerning my situation, do not disclose it to the outside," Lin Chen reminded.
For the tri-monthly Eight Great Martial Arts Halls' new disciple tournament, he didn't want others to fully understand his strength beforehand.
"Senior Brother Lin, rest assured, we know our limits and will not disclose it. Only the three of us know about this," Lu Yongfeng said seriously.
They didn't continue sparring, Zhao Jingchuan led the three out of the courtyard, passing a corridor, and suddenly the view widened.
In front, in a spacious Martial Arts Arena stood several stages, upon several of which martial artists were currently dueling, and below, many martial artists were watching.
The crowd was bustling and feverish.
However, these martial artists seemed to be only in their early twenties.
"Senior Brother Lin, these twelve stages correspond respectively to places from Opening One Acupoint to Twenty-four Acupoint, martial artists meeting the realm requirement may go on stage to duel with others. If defeated ten opponents, they can participate in the end-of-month arena master's match. Those who become arena master will receive a ten-tael silver reward from Martial Arts Garden."
Seeing Lin Chen watching the two martial artists sparring on a stage, Zhao Jingchuan softly explained, "Senior Brother Lin, the stage you're looking at is only for martial artists who have opened seven or eight acupoints, it's the most gripping to watch. After all, reaching ten acupoints, one is considered a notable character, and won't compete frequently."
Opening ten acupoints, one could secure a post at the government office, indeed a person of standing. Engaging in openly competitive battles indeed seemed inappropriate, Lin Chen could understand.
"Senior Brother Lin, with your current prowess, you can step onto the first stage to duel other martial artists. If you don't wish to expose yourself, you may also opt to cover your face with a mask."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, pondering Zhao Jingchuan's suggestion's feasibility.
Lu Yongfeng noticed Lin Chen's contemplation and interjected, "Actually, many students from the Eight Great Martial Arts Halls come here for stage dueling. It's an opportunity for practical sparring, and many Hall students choose to wear masks to conceal their true identities."
"Why?"
"So they won't lose face if defeated," Cheng Ying responded.
It made perfect sense!
After pondering for a moment, Lin Chen asked, "How can one participate in stage dueling?"
"Just go to the Martial Arts Garden there to obtain an identity token."
"Is there any restriction in obtaining the token?"
"No restriction whatsoever. A forebear in my family mentioned the Martial Arts Garden simply provides a venue, the most any Martial Hall can stay is three years, but the Martial Path can be long, hence the Martial Arts Garden facilitates everyone."
Upon listening to Zhao Jingchuan's explanation, Lin Chen understood.
A young person enters the Martial Arts Hall at fifteen, even if it takes three years to get into a Hall, by the end of the Hall's three years, they are only in their early twenties, while martial artists can continue until forty before their Qi Blood declines.
This encompasses a prolonged ten-plus years!
Martial artists in Poyang County need a place like the Martial Arts Garden, for interaction, dueling, or even for resource exchange.
And for students still in the Martial Hall, attending stage duels at the Martial Arts Garden helps enhance their martial combat skills.
The martial artists who duel on these stages may not have high realms, all are below the ten-acupoint level, but some have trained in the Martial Path for over ten years, reaching great proficiency in cultivation techniques.
Fighting against such people allows one to discover their deficiencies and progress rapidly.
Fearing to lose face, they could just wear a mask.
Realizing this, Lin Chen, along with Lu Yongfeng and Cheng Ying, under Zhao Jingchuan's guidance, went to the registration pavilion of the Martial Arts Garden, the manager glanced at them briefly and asked no questions about their identity or background, merely pulling out three tokens from a drawer beneath the counter, and informed them of the rules.
The Martial Arts Garden identity token cannot be lent out!
This was the Martial Arts Garden's sole request of martial artists.
Lin Chen received his token, which bore only a numeric identifier.
1208!
Lin Chen glanced at the numbers on Lu Yongfeng and Cheng Ying's tokens, their numbers were sequential, with the other two's numbers following his.
From the attitude of the man responsible for registration, Lin Chen trusted Zhao Jingchuan's word, the Martial Arts Garden genuinely didn't care about these acupoint-opening martial artists, not even asking for their real names before issuing the identity tokens.
Having acquired the identity tokens, Lin Chen wasn't in a rush to challenge the stages. Because of the Martial Hall semester starting on the sixteenth of the first lunar month, it was technically only mid-month now, he could wait until the end of the month to challenge.
First, master the Clear Wind Palm thoroughly, thus enhancing the assurance significantly.
After setting a time for their next meeting with Zhao Jingchuan, the four of them left the Martial Arts Garden and returned to their respective Martial Halls.
...
...
Five days later!
Liang Calendar, Year 298, the 19th of the second month.
Jingshui Hall dormitory!
Lin Chen once again slapped his palm on the camphor tree.
Bang!
The camphor tree trembled, at the point where his palm made contact, the bark peeled off for several feet above and below, exposing smooth wood, and this time a full twenty percent of the leaves fell.
The tree was lush with branches and leaves, leaves as prevalent as a canopy. However, after falling, the visible gaps between the leaves enlarged.
As for the spot where Lin Chen's palm hit, it went deep into the tree flesh, half a foot deep.
The Clear Wind Palm, thus reached mastery!
"Continue!"
Glancing at the panel displaying [Clear Wind Palm: Mastery (1/10)], Lin Chen didn't stop.
With Clear Wind Palm reaching mastery, every palm strike sent gusts of wind howling, meanwhile during palm movement, there was an unceasing flow of Qi Blood beginning to circulate from the left shoulder and right arm, all directing towards the third acupoint: the right shoulder.
Upon cultivation technique mastery, Qi Blood circulation speeds up, Lin Chen naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.
An entire night of hard practice again.
...
...
The next morning upon waking.
Lin Chen continued practicing the Clear Wind Palm for another two-hour session, however, the progress on the panel remained utterly unchanged.
"No wonder the progress became (1/10), it seems after reaching mastery, Clear Wind Palm can't rely solely on practice, more is needed to comprehend the true meaning of Clear Wind Palm."
"With the [All the Way Black] title, my comprehension improves at night, it's most suitable for practicing Clear Wind Palm post-dusk, while the daytime can be used to practice other Martial Arts Techniques, optimizing time utilization to the fullest."
Though somewhat regrettable that Clear Wind Palm's progress didn't grow, Lin Chen wasn't greedy, his progress in martial arts techniques already far surpassed most people.
After changing out of his training attire into his regular clothes, Lin Chen left the dormitory and exited the Martial Hall.
The joy from a breakthrough on the Martial Path, shouldn't be enjoyed alone.
He intended to visit Instructor Yu!
Instructor Yu has been greatly kind to him, now with the mastery of Clear Wind Palm, he ought to share this good news with Instructor Yu.