Three days later!
Boom!
The camphor tree in the courtyard trembled. With the strike from Lin Chen, another thirty percent of the already sparse leaves fell.
Now it was visibly thin.
From slightly bald to half bald.
Lin Chen stood in the center of the courtyard, his upper body bare. From his arms to his shoulders, where the four acupoints were located, the blood flow was visibly apparent on his skin surface.
Four Acupoints!
Two acupoints on each hand.
At this moment, he finally achieved true balance between his hands.
"Panel!"
[Host: Lin Chen]
[Realm: Opening Acupoints Realm (4/24): (5/100)]
[Clear Wind Palm: Small Success (2/10)]
[Water Cloud Palm: Mastery (1/10)]
... (In case someone accuses me of filler, actually in the free period it doesn’t matter, but Jiu Deng tries not to include unchanged panels)
After ten days, the progress of Clear Wind Palm only increased by 1 point.
Lin Chen didn’t feel discouraged. Although he practiced Clear Wind Palm every day over the past ten days, he mainly used the proficiency of Small Success to speed up the circulation of Qi Blood in his body, and didn’t gain much insight into Clear Wind Palm itself.
After spending half a two-hour period familiarizing himself with the changes after the four acupoints’ power increased, Lin Chen changed out of the martial arts hall training clothes and put on a set of Tight Clothes.
The clothes were a gift from Junior Brother Cheng Ying a few days ago, given when he and Lu Yongfeng had gathered. Cheng’s family runs a cloth shop, and he gave each of them two sets of clothes.
They weren’t top-quality silk and satin, but on the body, they were extremely soft, without the roughness that jabs like burlap.
After leaving the martial arts hall, Lin Chen went to the incense shop to buy a new mask and then headed straight to the Martial Arts Garden.
Martial Arts Garden arena.
When he arrived at the arena, to Lin Chen’s surprise, there were even more martial artists than at the end of last month.
Especially the number of masked martial artists, which had suddenly surged.
"Another student from a martial arts hall, it’s been satisfying to trounce these newcomers over the past few days."
"I heard this year the Martial Affairs Office is being tough on the major martial arts halls. The new batch of students has to have a competition every three months. All these junior brothers want to come to the arena to improve their real combat experience."
Upon seeing Lin Chen come in, those martial artists without masks also discussed for a bit.
Lin Chen understood that the surge in martial artists at the arena was because all the new students from the major martial arts halls had come.
With the three-month competition period approaching, those who were eager to rank high in the martial arts hall competitions had their own plans.
Improving real combat skills at the Martial Arts Garden arena wasn’t just his idea; others thought of it too.
Truly a fierce competition!
Lin Chen sighed and walked to the referee station, taking out his ID card to register.
"Four Acupoints!"
After reporting his strength, the referee glanced at Lin Chen, then recorded his ID number on paper.
Just as Lin Chen was heading to the second arena, the referee flipped the booklet forward about ten pages and saw the record of the number: 1208, Two Acupoints.
The referee looked up again at Lin Chen’s retreating figure and circled the number in the booklet.
The mask might change, but the number doesn’t.
At the second arena, the two martial artists currently fighting were both masked. Just by looking for a few moments, Lin Chen confirmed they were from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall and the Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall.
The one from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall had a proficiency in Seven Stars Fist that exceeded Lu Yongfeng, looking like he had reached Mastery.
But even so, this martial artist from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall was still at a disadvantage in the arena; his Seven Stars Fist was very agile, but his opponent was entirely unfazed.
The one from the Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall was like a mountain of flesh, charging recklessly in the arena. Every time he lunged, the martial artist from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall had to dodge hastily.
"No matter how elaborate and flexible a move is, if it can’t break the opponent’s defense, it’s just fancy; the one from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall is going to lose."
Soon after Lin Chen had made a mental prediction about the match outcome, the man from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall was forced to the edge of the arena and ultimately had to jump off to concede when faced with the charge from the Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall fighter.
As he stepped down, a few others with masks quickly gathered around him. Lin Chen could tell at a glance they were also from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall; this was a team effort to sweep the arena.
It wasn’t just Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall; many of those masked in the audience were in groups of threes or fives. Lin Chen didn’t hesitate and stepped onto the stage as the man from Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall left.
"Need a break, Senior Brother?"
According to arena rules, the victor can choose to rest for a quarter-hour or step down and come back fully rested later.
"No need."
The Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall fighter replied gruffly. Clearly, facing the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall opponent hadn’t significantly drained him.
"Please advise me, Senior Brother."
"Alright!"
The Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall fighter shook his body, flesh trembling, emitting a rock-like tenacity, and took the initiative, launching a powerful and indiscriminate charge.
The Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall, primarily practicing Iron Bone Skill, was as tough as iron, making it nearly impossible for martial artists of the same realm to break through their defense.
The previous martial artist from the Seven Stars Martial Arts Hall couldn’t break the Iron Bone Skill and eventually was driven off the stage.
Seeing the opponent rushing towards him, Lin Chen’s figure suddenly accelerated, unleashing the Clear Wind Palm.
"A disciple of the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall."
Seeing Lin Chen’s strike, many in the audience recognized Lin Chen’s identity.
Using the Clear Wind Palm, he must undeniably be a disciple of the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall.
Pa!
This strike landed on the Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall man. Lin Chen could clearly feel the tremor transmitted from the opponent’s skin surface. The palm landed, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea, showing no ripples.
No wonder it’s reputed as the number one horizontal training skill in Poyang County, the Iron Bone Palm!
Lin Chen did not expect that even with his mastery of the Clear Wind Palm, he couldn’t break through the opponent’s defense.
"Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall, the top in horizontal training, at the same realm, only the Iron Collapse Fist from Iron Blood Martial Arts Hall can compare, other halls are slightly inferior!"
This sentence was written in Instructor Yu’s notes.
Iron Blood Martial Arts Hall and Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall have always been the strongest among the Eight Great Martial Arts Halls, one being the toughest fist, the other the fiercest shield.
For other halls to match them in the same realm, with comparable mastery of techniques, is very difficult.
However, the disciples of these two halls gain their advantage at a great cost, requiring secret medicine to soak the body, which costs far more than that of disciples from other halls.
"Encountering Junior Brother Fu, this disciple from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall is bound to lose."
"Although Junior Brother Fu has only Four Acupoints, his Iron Bone Skill has reached mastery. Even when facing Five Acupoints disciples from other halls, he has the victory secured."
Mastering the Iron Bone Skill is far more difficult than opening Five Acupoints.
Among the new batch of students at Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall, currently, only two have trained the Iron Bone Skill to mastery: Junior Brother Fu and Senior Brother Gu.
Repeatedly attempting palm strikes, Lin Chen was suppressed by the opponent. Fortunately, after cultivating the Flying Swallow Technique, his agility was exceptional. Although the platform limited the technique’s performance, it was more than enough against a disciple from Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall.
The Iron Bone Skill is strong in defense but sacrifices flexibility.
Lin Chen carefully observed the opponent’s actions. Every time the opponent turned or moved, there were very clear signs, almost like a pre-battle sway.
"You sure know how to run, dare you not face me head-on?"
On the platform, Fu Ang looked at Lin Chen flitting around like a swallow and grew impatient, unable to resist taunting.
"As you wish!"
Lin Chen stopped, a faint smile curled at his lips, taking a deep breath, Essence Qi surged within him, no longer holding back, he unleashed the Clear Wind Palm with full force.
A palm strike, accompanied by a whispering slice through the air, like a sharp blade. At first, Fu Ang was indifferent, but when Lin Chen’s palm landed, his expression shifted mildly. This palm strike landed on his arm, causing intense stabbing pain as if a sharp blade had scraped against the skin surface.
Before Fu Ang could recover from his shock, Lin Chen’s figure suddenly accelerated, one Clear Wind Palm after another, each causing Fu Ang pain and retreat.
This scene caused the pupils of the disciples from the Horizontal Training Martial Arts Hall below to contract sharply, staring unbelievably at the changes on the platform.
Junior Brother Fu actually retreated!
How is this possible!
Unless facing a disciple from Iron Blood Martial Arts Hall, no disciples from other halls, at the same realm, should be able to break through Junior Brother Fu’s Iron Bone Skill.
Four Acupoints, Five Acupoints can’t do it, Six Acupoints might be possible!
But this disciple from the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall clearly also has Four Acupoints, how did he do it?
Surely a disciple of the Clear Wind Martial Arts Hall reaching Small Success in the Clear Wind Palm?
Sixth Palm, Seventh Palm...
As the party involved, Fu Ang’s expression under his mask was extremely painful, each of the opponent’s palm strikes felt like a knife cut, the pain making him grimace.
Whiff!
As he saw another palm strike coming, Fu Ang instinctively retreated.
This retreat caused an uproar below the platform!
The disciple of Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall actually retreated, such a scene was very rare to see.
A disciple famed for their bronze tendons and iron bones of Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall actually retreating?
Disgraceful!
The three disciples from Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall below also had unpleasant expressions; luckily, their masks covered their faces.
Fu Ang retreated several steps, also hearing the uproar below, his face instantly flushed red, he had brought shame to the hall.
But the opponent’s palms striking his body really were too painful.
"I’ll fight you to the end!"
Seeing the opponent’s palm about to strike again, Fu Ang suddenly roared angrily, his entire body charging forward like a wild boar.
Lin Chen was taken aback, what did this mean?
With that speed, there was no way he could be hit.
Lin Chen turned swiftly, like the breeze caressing the face, dodging Fu Ang’s frontal charge, ready to turn back with another palm strike, only to find Fu Ang’s body not stopping, headed straight for the edge of the platform.
Lin Chen’s hand raised in the air: ...
His body fell to the ground, but in his heart, Fu Ang breathed a sigh of relief.
He did it on purpose!
Deliberately let himself charge off the platform!
As a disciple of Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall, being continuously forced to retreat was too humiliating, rather than continue being tormented, it was better to lose bravely.
Disciple of Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall, after all, are known for their charging and crashing with their iron bones, the platform being so small, it’s understandable if he didn’t hold back his strength and charged off.
He didn’t lose to his opponent but to his own recklessness.

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