In the courtyard.
Lin Chen stood there as if being punished.
He didn't know how he had offended this Instructor Chen. From the moment he entered the courtyard, Instructor Chen had been staring at him without saying anything, his face so cold it seemed to freeze.
The only possible reason Lin Chen could think of for offending Instructor Chen was not having paid his respects to him.
It wasn't that he intended to be disrespectful. When he initially came to return the Clear Wind Palm to the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall, that Senior Brother Ma clearly went to the back courtyard to inform the instructor, but the instructor did not wish to see him.
"How many acupoints have you opened?"
After a long pause, Chen Chunfeng finally spoke, coldly inquiring.
"Disciple has currently opened two acupoints, but within ten days, I am confident I will open the third,"
Lin Chen replied truthfully, lifting his head.
The last part wasn't him bragging. After achieving mastery in the Clear Wind Palm, every time he ingested the Nourishing Acupoints Pill for cultivation, he could sense a tingling sensation in the third acupoint around his right shoulder.
Based on his experience with the first two acupoints, this indicated that opening the third acupoint was not far away. Ten days was a conservative estimate; it's very possible it could happen in three to five days.
"Confident to open three acupoints?"
Chen Chunfeng laughed; such a bold claim indeed.
Among the five students receiving the highest-level treatment, the strongest had already opened five acupoints, while the weakest had four.
"Disciple's family background is average, not comparable to my senior brothers."
Lin Chen detected the sarcasm in Instructor Chen's tone. He didn't understand why the instructor held such animosity towards him, but he still offered an explanation.
"So you think that because you received the Martial Affairs Office's reward back at the Martial Hall, you indulge in opportunism, neglect your martial practice, and believe that cozying up to Inspector Shu will allow you to have a long journey on the Martial Path?"
Chen Chunfeng didn't hold back at all: "Let me tell you, a student like you will never go far on the Martial Path. Those who make it far never rely on petty scheming."
"Instructor Chen, I don't quite understand your words!"
Lin Chen frowned. He wasn't naive enough to think that every instructor he encountered on his martial journey would treat him like Instructor Yu.
Instructor Yu was a rare benefactor; in a lifetime, encountering more than three such people would be unlikely.
Yet, he believed he hadn't offended Instructor Chen. Why did he become, in his eyes, someone of petty scheming?
He respected the instructors at the martial hall, but that didn't mean he would accept being insulted like this by Instructor Chen.
"Don't understand?" Chen Chunfeng exclaimed disdainfully: "Tell me, since you haven't opened three acupoints yet when you went to the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, you were only at two acupoints. Why would they award you one of the five high-level treatment slots that each martial hall only possesses?"
Only five top-tier treatment slots?
Lin Chen was a bit startled. He really hadn't considered this; he assumed every student who received the Opening Acupoints Pill was eligible for top-tier treatment.
So Hall Master Kong must have seen his dedication to the Martial Path and hence given him such a treatment.
"About the fact that there are only five top-tier slots, disciple truly wasn't aware. When Hall Master Kong at the Jingshui Martial Arts Hall granted me the slot, it was because, during the initial test to enter the hall, I had cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to a proficient stage. I presume Hall Master Kong gave me the slot for this reason..."
Lin Chen recounted the situation when Hall Master Kong led the new students to face off against the older students.
"You had already cultivated the Clear Wind Palm to the proficient stage when you joined the martial hall?"
There was visible skepticism on Chen Chunfeng's face, thinking Lin Chen was lying, that perhaps he only reached proficiency with the Clear Wind Palm now.
Reaching proficiency with the Clear Wind Palm in only two months was enough to prove his diligence.
Considering Lin Chen's intense practice, Chen Chunfeng's expression softened a bit, but this alone didn't qualify for a top-tier treatment slot.
"If you are so diligent in your martial practice, you should..."
"Instructor, I came to the martial hall to report my progress on the Martial Path."
Lin Chen interrupted Chen Chunfeng, not wishing for any misunderstanding or embarrassing scenario. Instead of causing embarrassment, he preferred to use his talent to gain resources.
"Progress?" Chen Chunfeng was taken aback; without even opening three acupoints, what progress was there to report?
"Disciple recently achieved mastery in the Clear Wind Palm."
Chen Chunfeng's pupils shrunk: "Do you know what you're saying?"
Achieving Clear Wind Palm mastery in just two months was a level of martial talent he had never encountered in his years as an instructor at the martial hall.
"Disciple does not speak falsely. If Instructor Chen doesn't believe me, I can demonstrate the Clear Wind Palm right here."
Seeing Lin Chen's confident expression, Chen Chunfeng hesitated slightly but eventually said, "Fine, show me."
Clear Wind Palm mastery could be judged from the initial strike; it couldn't be faked.
Without hesitation, Lin Chen executed a palm strike.
Whoosh!
As his hand moved, the sound of the wind was clearly audible.
"That's enough!"
Seeing Lin Chen execute three successive strikes, Chen Chunfeng called for a stop.
As an instructor at the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall, he was very familiar with the Clear Wind Palm. From these three strikes, it was evident that Lin Chen had indeed achieved mastery in the technique.
"Good, good, good!"
Chen Chunfeng said "good" three times with a smile, replacing his former coldness. His gaze towards Lin Chen was warm.
Such a promising student.
The martial hall hadn't had a student so highly attuned to the Clear Wind Palm in recent years.
At Lin Chen's pace, there was hope he could achieve perfection in the Clear Wind Palm within three years.
"Ahem, Lin Chen, earlier I was too hasty, forming a bias against you before we even met. This was my mistake; please do not take it to heart."
Seeing how quickly Instructor Chen's demeanor changed, Lin Chen's mouth slightly twitched, but his impression of the instructor improved.
Having the courage to admit he was too hasty and apologize to a student showed his commendable teaching ethics.
"Disciple understands the instructor; I should have come to pay my respects and report earlier to prevent such misunderstandings."
"If I was wrong, I was wrong. You don't need to make excuses for me."
Chen Chunfeng patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, now pleased with Lin Chen as he saw potential in him.
"What brings you to the martial hall now?"
"Disciple wishes to learn another cultivation technique. I just went to select the 'Flying Swallow Technique' from the Martial Arts Pavilion and wanted to consult with Instructor Chen about its suitability."
"Training in other techniques?"
Chen Chunfeng was about to say new students should focus on the Clear Wind Palm, but considering Lin Chen had already mastered it, he could indeed explore other techniques.
Once reaching mastery in the Clear Wind Palm, diligence alone wasn't enough, as further progress required understanding and personal insight, with instructors only able to offer guidance.
Knowing Lin Chen had Instructor Yu as his martial hall instructor, he suspected his junior brother had given personal pointers, otherwise Lin Chen wouldn't have reached mastery so swiftly through sheer practice alone.
"The 'Flying Swallow Technique' can complement the Clear Wind Palm, but it is more challenging than other ordinary techniques, ranking among the most difficult. If you decide to train in the 'Flying Swallow Technique,' be psychologically prepared."
"Thank you for the advice, Instructor. I still choose to train in the 'Flying Swallow Technique.'"
The difficulty didn't deter Lin Chen, as he believed in his own comprehension.
"Very well. Since you chose the 'Flying Swallow Technique,' I will demonstrate it for you. Watch closely."
Deep down, Chen Chunfeng approved of Lin Chen's choice. A martial artist should rise to challenges.
Back then, he himself had chosen the 'Flying Swallow Technique.'
"The skill of the 'Flying Swallow Technique' lies in mimicking the lightness of a swallow, leveraging a breath to gain elevation. The first move: Swallow's Nest."
With those words, Chen Chunfeng lightly bent his knees, tapped the ground with his feet, and leaped deftly like a swallow returning to its nest. In mid-air, he managed a graceful spin before landing steadily.
With one leap, he covered ten yards, leaving Lin Chen in awe.
"In your current realm, you won't achieve such distance. Distance depends on your realm; the challenge lies in adjusting your posture mid-air after leaping."
"Next is the second move: Forest Shadow Piercing..."
This time, Chen Chunfeng didn't leap but turned and moved swiftly forward. As he moved, his body seemed elusive like a shadow.
...
...
After demonstrating six moves in succession, Lin Chen, amid his shock, wore an expression of contemplation.
This demonstration by Instructor Chen deepened his understanding of the Flying Swallow Technique.
Half a two-hour later, Lin Chen left Instructor Chen's courtyard, departing from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall.
Watching Lin Chen walk out of the courtyard, Chen Chunfeng's smile turned into a wry one: "There are only five top-tier treatment slots. How should they be allocated now?"
"Forget it, let Hall Master Qi and the others worry about this!"