One match, two matches...
In the next half hour, Lin Chen experienced five more matches.
Each opponent was strong. Although they were all only at the level of Opening the Acupoints in two places, their Cultivation Technique proficiency was high, but since they hadn't learned a Grade-Entering Technique, the power was somewhat lacking.
By the third match, Lin Chen had to rest for a quarter of an hour after each match.
Perhaps because of Lin Chen's winning streak, the first ring, once rarely noticed, was now attracting much attention.
Especially after a senior sister from Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, who was wearing a mask on the third ring, was also defeated, more Martial Artists shifted their attention here.
While Lin Chen was resting, he also watched the battle on the third arena out of the corner of his eye. This senior sister had just been defeated by a Six Acupoints Martial Artist practicing the Iron Collapse Fist.
Listening to the Martial Artists around, the Six Acupoints Martial Artist practicing the Iron Collapse Fist was already thirty and had been the ring master of the third ring for two months.
Lin Chen was aware that Martial Artists who haven't learned a Grade-Entering Technique can't become the ring master at the end of the month. The ring master's position still falls to the Martial Artists who emerged from the Martial Arts Hall.
The senior sister from Jingshui Martial Arts Hall was already commendable, managing to withstand ten moves. The one practicing Iron Collapse Fist from Iron Blood Martial Arts Hall had already reached Great Success. Lin Chen estimated that if it were him, he wouldn't withstand even a single punch.
It seemed getting those ten taels of silver wasn't going to be easy. They were all people who had practiced their Cultivation Techniques to the limit vying for the ring master position, and his Cultivation Technique mastery at its current stage really wasn't enough.
The Martial Arts Garden's rule is that the 25th of each month is the ring master competition.
Only those who had defeated ten opponents during the month are qualified to challenge last month's ring master on that day.
After her defeat, the senior sister from Jingshui Martial Arts Hall didn't linger and left wearing her mask. Once Lin Chen was rested, he returned to the first arena.
By now, his opponent was already on the platform.
"This newcomer is up against Qiao Yi, this is a sure loss!"
"Qiao Yi is known as the ring master's gatekeeper; whoever defeats him is eligible to challenge the ring master."
"I'm curious, Qiao Yi also trains in the Clear Wind Palm. Why is he stepping into the ring now?"
Listening to the discussions below, Lin Chen heard everything clearly, and he looked through his mask at the young man in front of him.
From the opponent, he felt a sense of pressure, wondering if this was also a disciple that emerged from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall?
"Which cohort are you from, junior brother?"
On the platform, Qiao Yi looked at Lin Chen and asked softly.
He had left the Martial Arts Hall seven years ago. He had stayed in the hall for only a year because, without money, he couldn't stay longer.
When he left the hall, he hadn't achieved Opening the Acupoints. The other few brothers of the same cohort had given up, but unwilling to concede, he finally achieved Opening the Acupoints after a year.
Afterwards, by serving as a guard in escort services, he spent another year reaching Opening the Acupoints in two places, which cost him fifty taels of silver.
Upon reaching two Acupoints, Qiao Yi abandoned the Martial Path, aware that even if he persevered, his financial resources meant that at most in this lifetime, he would only achieve Opening the Acupoints in four places.
Instead of wasting money on the Martial Path, it was better to save money to nurture the next generation.
The ring battles in the Martial Arts Garden were one of his targets for saving money.
For five years, in addition to working as a guard, he constantly practiced the Clear Wind Palm, eventually reaching Small Success.
What's frustrating is, even at Small Success, it wasn't enough; his competitors had reached Great Success.
The reason he stepped into the ring at this time was simple; he felt a certain arrogance from this masked junior brother.
The pride of a Martial Artist needs no verbal expression; it's perceivable from the moves.
What he didn't understand was, with his level only at Opening the Acupoints in two places and the Clear Wind Palm at the mastery stage, what was there to be arrogant about here?
If it was a new cohort student achieving this in such a short time, it would be something to be proud of, but the junior brother before him couldn't possibly be a new student.
It's extremely rare for new students at the Martial Arts Hall to achieve mastery in Cultivation Technique in such a short time. Even if any did, they'd also be ahead in level, not still at Opening the Acupoints in two places at this time.
"Please, senior brother, instruct me."
Lin Chen did not directly answer, and Qiao Yi huffed lightly:
"There's quite a gap between mastery and Small Success. Since you want my guidance, I'll give you a few pointers."
Qiao Yi's body flitted forward, like a gentle breeze sweeping across, instantly closing in on Lin Chen. His hands slightly raised, he sent out a palm strike, feeling gentle like a breeze, but this seemingly gentle strike sent Lin Chen's clothes fluttering with a rustling sound.
Lin Chen raised his hand to resist, but a strong wind surged towards him, making him squint his eyes instantaneously, and amidst this swift moment, he felt a heavy blow on his chest, the whole of him flying off the arena, falling to the ground.
Cough cough!
Lin Chen gently coughed, standing up from the ground; this palm strike made his chest feel stuffy and painful, unconsciously rubbing it, while he lifted his gaze towards Qiao Yi on the platform.
This was his first time experiencing failure in a duel since stepping onto the Martial Path.
At the Martial Hall, everyone competed with strength, without duels. Later, after cultivating Essence Qi and Opening the Acupoints, he had sparred with Lu Yongfeng and the other two, never losing, relying on his Clear Wind Palm proficiency.
Is this the power of Small Success in Clear Wind Palm?
Lin Chen wasn't disheartened or disappointed. The ring masters on the earlier platforms in the Martial Arts Garden had all abandoned improving in the Martial Arts Realm, solely focusing on practicing Martial Arts Techniques.
He had only been practicing the Clear Wind Palm for a few months; losing to them was no disgrace.
Yet, this defeat also awakened Lin Chen. Recently, especially since Opening the Acupoints, with everything going smoothly for him, a sense of arrogance quietly grew within him.
He hadn't realized it before, but this recent defeat was a wake-up call. He feared there was a subtle arrogance growing within.
Even in the Martial Arts Hall, watching senior sisters like Jiang Qing continuously Opening the Acupoints, he hadn't felt much discouragement. He was confident that as long as he endured through the early phases, he too could soar.
The realm he can wait until the late period, but he is leading in the cultivation technique.
To borrow a famous phrase from his past life: Although I am surrounded by a group of enemies, I have the advantage.
The emergence of this thought precisely proves that pride has sprouted deep within his heart, only he hasn't realized it yet.
This defeat startled him awake.
The path of the martial arts is not confined to the martial arts hall, just as Vice Hall Master Kong said, the outside world doesn't care how long you've been training, everything depends on strength. If you encounter a fight to the death, is the opponent going to bind one hand just because you started training a few years later?
This failure came at the right time, waking him up.
Lin Chen looked towards Qiao Yi on the stage, with intense battle intent in his eyes. His pride was shattered, but it surged up his martial arts fighting spirit.
He would return to this arena competition again.
Lin Chen did not stay under the arena but, like the senior sister from Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, left the Martial Arts Garden straight back to the dormitory.
In the dormitory of the martial arts hall.
Lin Chen wasted no time and began to practice the Clear Wind Palm.
Although he had been defeated miserably just now, not even able to withstand two moves, he gained insight recalling Qiao Yi's palm strike.
Though he could not yet describe specifically what he comprehended, there would definitely be gains after his comprehension improved by the evening.
...
Night fell.
Lin Chen stood in the courtyard, eyes closed, recalling the day's battle on the stage.
"Ethereal as wind, formless and shapeless."
After a long while, Lin Chen whispered. Instructor Yu had recorded this in the booklet, but before today he understood only its literal meaning. Now recalling Qiao Yi's palm at that time, he felt a stir in his heart.
Whew!
Lin Chen struck a palm, causing the palm wind to flow.
"Not right! That palm of Qiao Yi's not only stirred the airflow, it also had a whimsical nature like an antelope's hanging horns, whereas my current palm strike is traceable."
Clear Wind Palm is a Grade-entering Technique. Such a technique can unleash a power beyond one's own limit because, when mastered, it can borrow the power of air flow.
Instructor Yu referred to it as the Nature Power of Heaven and Earth, which Lin Chen perceived as the power of air flow.
Lin Chen's eyes turned to a water jar in the courtyard, and in his mind, he recalled the scene from his previous life as a child watching a certain celebrity practicing Tai Chi Fist.
Approaching the water jar, Lin Chen immersed his hands in the water, stirring with both hands, soon changing the water flow as it was bid by the movements of his hands.
"Comparing water flow to air flow, when I glide my palm along the direction of the water's surge, there's little resistance. But if I reverse my palm in opposition to the water's flow, resistance would immediately appear, turning the assistance from the stirred water into resistance."
Under the night sky, gazing at the swirling water in the jar, Lin Chen felt enlightened.
The difference between Clear Wind Palm's mastery and small success lies in this. When he strikes, the moving airflow becomes his aid, greatly increasing the palm's power. Yet the flaw is evident—he can't instantly alter his technique.
To put it accurately, he can't reverse the airflow he generates. If he does, there will be an instant delay, enabling someone with greater proficiency in Clear Wind Palm to easily capture the trajectory of his palm technique.
"No, Qiao Yi didn't achieve formlessness either. That palm seemed as whimsical as an antelope with hanging horns, yet I still caught it; it was just too fast for me to react."
Withdrawing his hand from the water jar, Lin Chen once again closed his eyes. What exactly is ethereal as the wind?
In an instant.
A night breeze blew by, causing the sparse leaves of the camphor tree in the courtyard to rustle gently.
Lin Chen closed his eyes, concentrating, listening to the sound of the wind. In the next moment, his right palm lightly patted the camphor tree, causing a few leaves to flutter down from the tree.
Splat!
The fallen leaves drifted down before him, and after Lin Chen struck, the palm wind whipped through the air, carrying these few leaves forward.
Before the forward momentum of the leaves could dissipate, Lin Chen immediately followed up with another palm strike, a foot away from the direction of the previous strike. Yet, these three leaves weren't swept along by the palm wind but instead fell to the ground under the clash of two palm winds.
"It feels off, still lacking something."
Lin Chen opened his eyes, frowning at the three leaves that just landed on the ground, his gaze then shifted to the camphor tree in front of him.
"Brother Tree, my apologies. One day, when I achieve something in the martial path, Brother Tree will have a share of the credit."
Clap!
Yet another palm struck, the camphor tree trembled, releasing a few more leaves.
...
...
Through such cycles, Lin Chen's understanding of the Clear Wind Palm deepened bit by bit.
[Clear Wind Palm: Mastery (2/10)]
...