Chapter 285 - Fist Technique
“All right! You can stay in my practice mansion for the next seven days. We can also exchange some of our doubts on Martial Arts and help each other improve.” Luo Shuihan said.
“I’m afraid that’s not a good idea,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Word of Luo Shuihan’s test result on the Earth Board had spread. She was now known as the top master and the top genius. She had a prominent family and a beautiful face; and she was even called the first beauty.
She had so many rings of light; she attracted everyone’s attention.
Moreover, many people had witnessed him coming to her practice mansion, which came as a surprise to them.
If he spent another seven days in her practice mansion, you could imagine what a stir it would cause.
Luo Shuihan was very smart. She immediately understood his concern. She smiled lightly. “If you are worried, you can come tomorrow. The door is always open for you.”
Hearing her words, he felt maybe he was being a bit unreasonable.
“She doesn’t care about the rumors, why should you?”
Zhang Ruochen didn’t stay in the end. He turned and left.
Back at the practice mansion, Zhang Ruochen explained to Kong Xuan some of his doubts about practicing the Sword Ripple of Ten Channels. He then practiced alone to consolidate the realm he’d just broken through.
Four days prior, Kong Xuan had reached the Initial Stage Realm of the Sword Following the Mind. Now she was practicing the Sword Ripple of Ten Channels.
The following day, Zhang Ruochen headed to Luo Shuihan’s practice mansion and continued to perceive the Martial Arts of the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph.
After five days, he still had not gained anything. His Spiritual Power on the other hand had improved considerably.
Although Luo Shuihan did not know about the Martial Arts of the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph, she was quite indifferent. She merely asked, “Have you been deliberately perceiving the Martial Arts for the last five days?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded his head. “I think this method is wrong. Sometimes if you deliberately go after something, you will fail. I will try another method tomorrow.”
On the sixth day, when he entered the Sacred Glyph, he ceased to deliberately perceive the Martial Arts. He freed his heart and began to enjoy the view within the Glyph. He felt the flow of water wash through his whole body.
The more he did that, the more he felt tranquility.
Suddenly, an illusory image appeared from the water’s surface.
The illusory image was very much like Luo Xu’s portrait. It stood on the water’s surface as though walking on flat ground. He struck out mysterious fist techniques one after another.
He had finally appeared!
Zhang Ruochen felt pleased. He looked over carefully. He soon recognized the fist technique. It was the Luoshui Fist Technique, the one that had made him famous.
The 36 move Luoshui Fist Technique had shocked Omen Ridge. Warriors still indulged in elaborating on them.
However, the Luoshui Fist Technique the illusory image struck out was completely different from the one Zhang Ruochen saw.
The illusory image seemed to strike out a lot of fist techniques, but he actually only struck out one move from start to finish, not 36 moves.
Zhang Ruochen continued to watch and discovered more new tricks.
The fist technique the illusory image struck out contained all the subtleties of the 36 moves and was even transcendent.
“Wonderful fist technique.”
Zhang Ruochen started to practice by following the illusory image.
Zhang Ruochen found that after one round he hadn’t learned a single movement of the “shape”.
He hadn’t learned the “shape”. How he was supposed to learn the “meaning”?
Zhang Ruochen started to study. He continued to ponder the fist technique. He kept practicing, modifying and perceiving.
Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, two thousand times...
Zhang Ruochen had practiced countless times and gotten the subtlety. It was like he had opened a door and entered the hall of Martial Arts.
He finally got to the beginner level of the fist technique.
Zhang Ruochen practiced the fist technique again. His legs were like hooks and kept moving. When he struck out his fist, thunder sounded throughout the picture scroll.
It seemed to be one fist, but it was as if it contained the power of 36 fists.
A gold foil picture scroll hung in the air in Luo Shuihan’s mansion.
Huang Yanchen, Duanmu Xingling, and Luo Shuihan were sitting below the picture scroll. All three girls were beautiful and they each had different temperaments.
There were three crystal clear emerald jade cups in front of them, full of Half-Saint’s Essence.
The thick Spiritual Qi of Half-Saint’s Essence seemed to have turned into stripes of white dragon-shaped fog that flew among the three of them.
Today, Huang Yanchen and Duanmu Xingling were paying a special visit to Luo Shuihan. After all, they were the top talented girls in the Western Campus and had a very deep friendship.
There was a cup of Half-Saint’s Essence in front of Huang Yanchen, but she was not interested in it at all. She got straight to the point. “Senior sister disciple Luo, I heard that Zhang Ruochen has been living in your mansion for nine days. Is this true?”
Luo Shuihan said, “You are not here to visit me. You are looking for Zhang Ruochen.”
Luo Shuihan was younger than Huang Yanchen, but her cultivation was higher.
So, Huang Yanchen called her Senior Sister Apprentice, and she called Huang Yanchen Sister Chen.
“You’re right. I want to see him.”
Huang Yanchen didn’t hide her intention, rather she said her bit justly and forcefully.
Why not be bold and straightforward?
It was a matter of course for a fiancée to look for their fiancé.
There were lots of rumors going around the School of the Martial Market. So Huang Yanchen had taken Duanmu Xingling with her to visit Luo Shuihan. She wanted to find out if it was true that Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan were together like people said.
Luo Shuihan smiled slightly. “Xingling, why are you here again?”
Duanmu Xingling sat to the side drinking the Half-Saint’s Essence. She said with a smile, “I’m certainly here for the entertainment. I want to know what Zhang Ruochen has done to become a frequent of your mansion. There are lots of people who are green with envy.”
Luo Shuihan looked at the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph and said with a smile, “He is going to wake up soon. Then you can ask him yourselves!”
Suddenly, a thin layer of white light appeared from the picture scroll. A ray of white light flew out and fell onto the crown of Zhang Ruochen’s head.
Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting on the ground, opened his eyes suddenly and asked, “How many days have I been practicing in the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph?”
“Nine days.”
Luo Shuihan walked over quickly. “You have been practicing for nine days straight. You must have made considerable achievements.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded his head. “I have perceived a type of Martial Arts and I’m going to pass it to you right now. As long as you can practice the beginner level and understand the subtlety of it, when you enter the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph, it will resonate, and you will inherit it. After all, predecessor Luo Xu passed it down to you.” ...
Luo Shuihan smiled, “No rush. Sister Chen and Xingling are in my mansion. Would you like to drink a cup of Half-Saint’s Essence together?”
He hadn’t yet noticed the two girls sitting in the distance. He showed a bitter smile.
He had been practicing in Luo Shuihan’s mansion for nine days straight. It would be strange if Huang Yanchen could sit still that long.
After passing the fist technique move to Luo Shuihan, he left the mansion with Huang Yanchen and Duanmu Xingling.
Duanmu Xingling still didn’t believe him. She asked, “Zhang Ruochen, are you really helping senior sister disciple Luo to perceive the Martial Arts?”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “I passed the Martial Arts I perceived to senior sister disciple Luo. You were there. Why do you still refuse to believe me?”
“I didn’t see you pass the Martial Arts to senior sister disciple Luo,” Duanmu Xingling said, rolling her eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said, “The Martial Art was passed down by predecessor Luo Xu. It is a Luo family secret. How could we let you see it?”
“I don’t believe it anyway. And I’m not the only one. If word gets out, no one in the entire Omen Ridge will believe it either.” Duanmu Xingling said, “Everyone knows that senior sister disciple Luo is the top master of the young generation. Why would she need your help?”
“If you don’t believe me, then forget it,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Duanmu Xingling looked at Huang Yanchen. “Sister Chen, do you believe it?”
Huang Yanchen said, “I do.”
“You actually believe him?”
Duanmu Xingling widened her eyes and shook her head violently. She said, “You’re done. You’re finished! You’re hopeless!”
Zhang Ruochen was slightly shocked too. He glanced at Huang Yanchen. His opinion of her changed a little bit.
Senior sister apprentice Huang was not an altogether impulsive woman. She knew how to judge what was right and what was wrong, which was very precious.
However, what Huang Yanchen said next was disappointing.
She said, “I believe senior sister disciple Luo. With her personality, she will never lie to us. As for Zhang Ruochen’s... we can only trust half of what he says!”
Zhang Ruochen was able neither to cry nor to laugh. He merely shook his head. He had overestimated Huang Yanchen.
Suddenly, he put on a straight face. “Senior sister apprentice Huang, do you still remember the dragon horn?”
Huang Yanchen stopped suddenly and made eye contact with Duanmu Xingling. She showed a serious expression. “Ready to go?”
“What dragon horn? What are you talking about? Where are you going?”
Duanmu Xingling was like a curious child. She looked from Zhang Ruochen to Huang Yanchen.
Zhang Ruochen said, “We can’t get all of the treasures from the Four-wing Earth Dragon, even with our combined strength. We need at least six people. I think we should bring senior sister apprentice Duanmu with us.”
“Yes! Yes! Take me with you! What on earth are you hiding from me? Tell me, I’m dying to know!” Duanmu Xingling said.
Huang Yanchen relaxed. “Even if we need six people, we have to choose the most trustworthy ones. There can’t be any uncertainties.”
Duanmu Xingling patted her chest hurriedly and said, “Obviously, I am your most trustworthy person.”
Zhang Ruochen looked at Huang Yanchen and nodded his head.
“All right! Tell her.”
Huang Yanchen looked her. “Xingling, do you remember when we practiced in the Chikong Secret Mansion last time?”
“Of course I remember.”
Huang Yanchen said, “We found a dragon horn in the Chikong Secret Mansion and we think that it is the key to opening the Dragon Palace at the bottom of Tongming River.”