allendalepharm Chapter 29 Special Training Before the Competition
Chapter 29 Special Training Before the Competition
When Lu Jin returned to the quiet room, the sun had just passed noon.
He closed the door, spread the thin booklet on the table, and sat up straight.
The technique for escaping light was not complicated, nor was it long, totaling only a little over a thousand words, but every word was concise and to the point, without a single wasted sentence. Lu Jin read it three times from beginning to end, making sure he had memorized every key point, before closing his eyes and circulating his energy.
The so-called "escaping light" technique, simply put, involves using internal energy to activate the acupoints throughout the body, enabling the body to achieve extremely high movement speed in a short period of time. The principle is not complicated, but to achieve complete control and effortless movement requires extensive practice.
Lu Jin started with the most basic footwork.
He stood up, took a deep breath, and channeled his inner energy along the route recorded in the book before taking a step forward.
next moment.
call out--
"Wait...something's not right!"
boom!
Lu Jin didn't expect that his first time using the escape light would result in him crashing into a wall. He covered his forehead and squatted down, wincing in pain.
"...That's incredibly fast."
Lu Jin rubbed his forehead, stood up again, and began to circulate his energy once more. This time, he dared not exert his full power, but carefully controlled the amount of true energy he output, taking a step forward and stopping exactly three inches in front of the wall.
The third step was to stop just before crashing into the tables and chairs.
By the tenth step, one can already turn around freely in a small, quiet room.
Lu Jin became more and more enthusiastic as she practiced, ignoring the bruises on her forehead, and just kept running around the room.
By the seventh day of practice, he was able to run at full speed in a quiet room that was three zhang square, and could stop precisely just before crashing into a wall or table and chair, without moving an inch.
Lu Jin was delighted and was pondering whether to make further improvements when someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.
"Junior Brother Lu, are you there?"
It was the sound of water and clouds.
Lu Jin quickly stopped his practice, strode over to open the door, and respectfully cupped his hands in greeting:
"Senior Brother Shuiyun, please come in quickly."
Shuiyun glanced at him worriedly, but saw that he was in good spirits and had a rosy complexion. Apart from a bruise on his head, he was fine. She felt relieved and followed him into the house.
"Junior Brother Lu, you haven't come to see me for seven days."
Shuiyun sat down in the chair, speaking casually:
"I wait for you in the room every day at this time to ask you about your studies, but you haven't come for seven days. I almost thought something had gone wrong with your practice. What's been going on with you these past few days?"
Lu Jin was taken aback, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
Since he began his training, whenever he encountered something he couldn't understand, the first person he thought of was Shuiyun.
This senior brother was warm-hearted, easy-going, and willing to give guidance, and the two got along very well.
So much so that it had become a routine for him to go to Shuiyun's place to ask for help with his studies at this time every day.
But for the past seven days, his mind was filled with the escape light and the subsequent competition, and he completely forgot about this matter.
"I'm sorry to have worried my senior brother."
Lu Jin thought about it and felt that since Shuiyun cared about him so much, it would seem petty of him to keep it to himself.
He then told the truth:
"Actually, I've been in seclusion these past few days practicing a new technique, hoping to have a good fight in the competition."
"A contest?" Shuiyun blinked.
"Yes." Lu Jin nodded: "Li Muxuan will be coming up the mountain in a few days. I already have a match with him. In addition, Master has also agreed to let me have a match with Senior Brother Cunzhen."
Shuiyun suddenly realized what Lu Jin was thinking. She looked Lu Jin up and down and smiled.
"You look honest, but you've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve."
Lu Jin felt a little embarrassed after hearing his words, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red, but she did not deny it.
Shuiyun smiled again and lowered her voice:
"Since it's a competition, shall I help you practice?"
Lu Jin looked up, somewhat surprised.
Shuiyun waved her hand, her tone casual yet sincere:
"I have no grudge against Junior Brother Cunzhen, but we're not particularly close either. You're my junior brother, and we see each other every day, so naturally I'll side with you. In this competition, of course I have to help you."
Lu Jin lowered his head and remained silent for a while before saying:
"Senior brother, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
He really wanted to win, but Li Cunzhen had no one to help him practice, so using this method felt a bit unfair.
Shuiyun chuckled and patted the table:
"Junior Brother Lu, listen to me. Junior Brother Cunzhen is single-mindedly devoted to the Dao and doesn't associate with his fellow disciples, which is understandable. He has also cultivated quickly because of this, and that's his choice. But what about you? Since you've joined the Sanyi Sect, you should naturally be close to your fellow disciples. Is that wrong?"
Lu Jin looked up at him.
Shuiyun remained calm:
"He is cold and unapproachable, but he gained a faster cultivation speed. You gave up cultivation time, but you gained favors and incense offerings. Everyone has their own destiny, and the paths they take are different."
"Now that you're going to have a competition, you should naturally make use of your respective strengths. There's no reason for you to cripple yourselves."
Lu Jin thought about it again and again, and finally nodded.
Shuiyun laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
"What kind of magic did your master give you?"
"Escape Light".
"Escape light?"
Shuiyun thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "This technique is suitable for you. You are agile. If you can master the escape technique, speed will be your advantage in the future."
He stood up, took two steps outside, then turned back and said, "I remember Changqing also learned the art of escape light. I'll go and call him over so he can give you some pointers."
Lu Jin quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Shuiyun waved her hand and strode out.
Not long after, Shuiyun returned, followed by a black-haired youth, Changqing.
As soon as Changqing entered, he grinned at Lu Jin:
"Junior Brother Lu, I heard you want to show off your skills in the competition?"
Lu Jin nodded without hesitation and immediately began to use his escape technique inside the room.
He moved with lightning speed, his entire body shifting and turning within a small space, as fast as a white shadow, and finally stopped abruptly in front of Changqing, just barely touching his collar.
Changqing looked at it carefully and nodded slightly:
"Not bad, the foundation is there, but some areas are not refined enough."
He walked to Lu Jin's side and reached out to press his shoulder blade:
"When you circulate your inner energy, don't tense up your Jianjing acupoint too much. Relax it a bit, and your escape speed will be at least 20% faster."
Lu Jin tried it and indeed felt a lightness all over her body, and her steps became smoother.
"Furthermore, the escape light can not only attach itself to the body, but also leave the body to be used as an attack method. Not many people know this, and sometimes it can catch the opponent off guard."
As he spoke, Changqing picked up a pen from the table. With a surge of his inner energy, a faint white light appeared on the tip of the pen. He then flicked his wrist, and the pen flew out and embedded itself firmly in the door panel, its end humming and vibrating.
Lu Jin's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward, pulled out the pen, and began to practice according to his method.
For five consecutive days, Lu Jin did not leave the house.
During the day, Changqing would guide him on various methods of using the escape light, and at night he would ponder the cultivation of refining essence into qi.
Neither will interfere with the other.
Thus, by the evening of the fifth day, Lu Jin had become extremely skilled in using his escape technique, with his speed nearly 30% faster than five days ago. He had also mastered the accuracy and success rate of attaching objects to his body.
Shuiyun stood in the courtyard and watched him demonstrate once before saying, "I think you've mastered the escape technique enough. From today onwards, it's my turn to spar with you."
He walked to the center of the courtyard and waved to Lu Jin:
"I will suppress my strength and try to imitate the situation when Junior Brother Cunzhen sparred with you."
"Come on, you go first."
"good!"
Lu Jin nodded, then his feet flashed, and he instantly appeared beside Shui Yun, striking him in the ribs with a palm.
Shuiyun reacted quickly, dodging to the side. With a flick of her right hand, a thin bolt of lightning, as fine as a hair, shot out from her fingertip and struck Lu Jin's feet with a crack.
Lu Jin was startled and quickly stepped back. The bolt of lightning grazed the sole of his shoe and exploded, leaving a small, charred crater on the ground.
Shuiyun stood aside and observed, offering guidance:
"Thunder magic is most vulnerable to close combat. Your escape speed is fast, and your greatest strength lies in closing the distance. So you need to find a way to get close to him and prevent him from casting spells."
Lu Jin nodded, and the light beneath his feet rose again. This time, he didn't walk in a straight line, but instead circled around the water and clouds quickly, trying to cut in from his blind spot.
Shuiyun tilted her head slightly, and a circle of lightning exploded around her, covering the ground within a radius of ten feet.
Lu Jin's toes were grazed by a bolt of lightning, and a tingling sensation spread instantly. He staggered for a moment, but did not stop. He turned around and pounced down from directly above.
"Good turn."
Upon seeing this, Shuiyun gave a heartfelt compliment, but her movements were swift. She raised her hand to block his palm strike, and lightning exploded between the two, sending Lu Jin flying.
Lu Jin flipped over in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground, showing no signs of defeat. Instead, she grinned.
Progress!
It's good that there's progress! We can always try again later!
After that, Lu Jin practiced with Shui Yun, while Chang Qing stood aside, occasionally interjecting with a few words of advice, and sometimes pointing out how Lu Jin could use his escape light to counter lightning magic.
By the seventh day, Lu Jin was able to exchange dozens of blows with Shui Yun, and although he still couldn't gain the upper hand, he was no longer as disheveled as he had been on the first day.
It was the evening before the competition, and also the last day of training. As the sun set, Lu Jin and Shui Yun stopped fighting, marking the official end of the training.
Shuiyun and Changqing exchanged a glance.
Shuiyun spoke first:
"Junior Brother Lu, no matter how talented Junior Brother Cunzhen is, he hasn't been cultivating for much longer than you. With your current level, you won't lose too badly."
Changqing nodded in agreement: "Maybe it can even cause some trouble for his lightning magic."
Standing in the twilight, sweat beaded on Lu Jin's forehead, a smile playing on his lips. He cupped his hands in thanks to the two men and said, "Thank you, senior brothers. I will do my best in tomorrow's competition."
Shuiyun waved his hand, Changqing patted him on the shoulder, and the three of them went their separate ways.
…………
At the same time that Lu Jin was giving Li Cunzhen special training.
Li Muxuan was not idle either.
After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he went up the mountain to learn a technique and obtained the cultivation method of refining essence into qi. However, after coming down the mountain, he did not rush to practice it, but instead wandered around the town.
After asking several people and turning through several alleys, we finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous little clinic.
As soon as I opened the door, a strong smell of medicine hit me.
On the hospital bed by the window, the burly man was half-lying down, cursing and swearing, his right hand in a splint and sling across his chest, his swear words never ceasing.
Ghost Hand King sat on a stool by the bed, holding a bowl of tea in his hands, and frowned as he listened.
"Senior Wang."
Li Muxuan walked in and, contrary to his usual behavior, addressed Ghost Hand King as "Senior," while also respectfully cupping his hands in greeting.
Ghost Hand King looked up and saw Li Muxuan. Surprise flashed in his eyes: "How did you find this place, kid?"
Li Muxuan smiled and pointed at the burly man:
"It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. You need someone to help you, not a burden. Since you need help, you need to find a place for him to recuperate. There are only a few clinics in this town; if you go and look for them one by one, you'll eventually find one."
Ghost Hand King stared at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Alright, you've got it."
Li Muxuan didn't beat around the bush. He cupped his hands and said directly, "Senior, I would like to ask you to guide me in cultivating the Reversal of Eight Directions."
Ghost Hand King was taken aback by his words, his smile vanished, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at him sideways: "Why should I?"
Li Muxuan didn't speak, but stretched out his hand.
The next moment, a force field surged from his palm.
The force field struck Ghost Hand King's face silently. It stopped abruptly less than three inches from the tip of Ghost Hand King's nose, as if it had hit an invisible wall, and dissipated after a slight tremor.
Ghost Hand King paused, his hand holding the teacup still, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.
He knew Li Muxuan was talented, but he hadn't expected that this kid had already grasped the method of force field separation from the body from the guidance demonstrated by Ghost Hand King. Moreover, the precision with which he controlled the force field was already considered to be at a minor level of mastery.
Li Muxuan withdrew his hand, his expression unchanged.
"Senior, I really don't understand those magnetic fields my brother mentioned. But there's one thing I'm very clear about. You're so old, and the world is so chaotic. Even if you have advanced skills, I don't know if you can actually save eight hundred people."
"In other words, you want to rely on my brother to carry on the tradition of 'Reversing the Eight Directions,' but this may not be successful. Why not give me some pointers first, so that the tradition can be passed down? And as for his skill level, you just saw it; it's definitely not bad."
At this point, Li Muxuan paused, then took half a step forward: "You can't put all your eggs in one basket, can you?"
Ghost Hand King's brow twitched, but instead of getting angry, he grinned.
"You brat, you've got some nerve talking to me like that." He put down his teacup, looked Li Muxuan up and down, and asked suspiciously, "Are you really willing to spend so much effort practicing a technique that can't be used in public?"
Li Muxuan was taken aback, then shook his head:
"Who says you can't use it in public?"
"I'm not my brother."
Ghost Hand King was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, which made the clinic's window paper vibrate.
"Good! Good!" Ghost Hand King slapped his thigh heavily and beckoned to Li Muxuan:
"Sit down, I'll teach you a couple of tricks today."
In the days that followed, Li Muxuan stayed at the clinic.
Ghost Hand King taught him meticulously, and he learned diligently.
Manipulating the inverted force field in every detail.
For example, condensation, separation, orientation, superposition...
Ghost Hand King explained every key point in detail, and Li Muxuan understood it immediately and mastered it after just one practice.
By the fourth day, he was able to manipulate three force fields simultaneously, each affecting objects in different directions.
By the sixth day, the control range of the force field had expanded to three zhang away. Although the precision was still lacking, the increased range allowed for many more variations in the force field.
Ghost Hand King stroked his smooth chin, becoming more and more satisfied. This kid was extremely talented, consistently ranking second among all the disciples he had ever taught.
Of course, the first is his brother.
On the evening of the seventh day, Ghost Hand King called Li Muxuan to the courtyard, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're ready to graduate. You've learned almost everything I have to offer."
Li Muxuan curled his lip: "That's all?"
Ghost Hand King rolled his eyes at him: "Isn't this enough for you? You've only been practicing for a few days, don't be ungrateful."
Li Muxuan snorted, glanced towards the mountain, and curled his lips into a smile: "Just wait, tomorrow I'll defeat my brother and show you that I'm no weaker than him."
Ghost Hand King glanced at him, chuckled, and didn't reply. This kid had a stubborn streak, just like him when he was young, which suited his taste.
But that kid Li Cunzhen...
Ghost Hand King shook his head inwardly as he recalled that day's scene.
He didn't think Li Muxuan could beat his brother, but at least he dared to fight and wasn't intimidated, and that was enough.
The next day.
Li Cunzhen opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.
The fifth stage, the cultivation of gathering the power of heaven and earth to collect medicine, has been underway for half a month. However, as Master Zuo Ruotong said, this step cannot be rushed. Gathering the power of heaven and earth requires the right time and place, the essence of the sun and moon, and cannot be rushed at all.
He stood up, straightened his Taoist robe, and was about to continue his practice when Shoujing's voice came from outside the door.
"Junior Brother Li, Master wants you to go to the training ground."
Li Cunzhen was taken aback, then patted his forehead.
I almost forgot, today is the day of the competition.