Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 12 Second-rate, Fighting Style

Two days later.

into the night.

The vendor selling sour plum drink in Chaodou Hutong taps his "ice bowl," the clanging sound sending chills down your spine.

And in the alley, in the courtyard.

A ghostly figure darted across the plum blossom stakes, sleeves fluttering and rustling the fallen leaves, as if transforming into a sky full of emerald blades!

As he practiced with increasing enthusiasm, Chen Shunan's speed increased, and his eyes became even brighter!

At that moment, he clearly grasped something.

His will began to detach, and he examined his muscles and joints with a calm and even indifferent attitude.

He quickly corrected some minor mistakes in his exertion.

Some physiological deformities were also corrected by Qingji through painstaking drilling.

At this moment, Chen Shunan's joints and bones, like mechanical wheels, were operating and stretching efficiently along a very reasonable direction of force application!

It is not rigid or inflexible, but rather full of flexibility.

Then, a new and vibrant force naturally flowed from the marrow of the body.

Joints are like machine wheels; ponder the power within!
Chen Shunan gave a low shout, raised his knee and flipped his hip, his right leg shooting out like lightning to strike the man's ribs!

Snapped!
With a sharp thud, the right leg landed on the hard wooden stake with fierce penetrating force.

Bone-ringing thunder!

With a 'crack', the perfectly intact wooden stake was kicked several meters away at the base, breaking in half as it landed on the ground, sending wood chips flying everywhere!
One of the thirty-six leg techniques in "Flying Immortal Meat", the Rib-Penetrating Leg Technique!
Second-rate, done!
The alley suddenly fell silent, completely still.

Even the sounds of vendors banging their knives outside the alley came to an abrupt halt.

call!
call!
Chen Shunan continued his movements without stopping, his energy flowing freely. Following the records in "Flying Immortal of Flesh," he mobilized the new power that sprouted from his bone marrow, his clumsy movements causing his muscles and skin to vibrate.

In a daze, Chen Shunan seemed to see a picture of a 'jade tree and precious clothes', covered with dense pink meridians, with blood and qi flowing through them.

A shock...

Second shock...

Chen Shunan did not last long; after only three or four breaths, he felt exhausted.

"Only seventy-nine tremors? It is said that a true young genius can complete three hundred and sixty joint tremors in one go, making the jade tree shine and the precious clothes flutter. The gains from one cultivation session are several times or even ten times that of others!"

Of course, it's also because Chen Shunan had just broken through to a higher realm in his cultivation and his strength was not yet exhausted; he was not at his peak.

But Chen Shunan estimated that he could only withstand a hundred shocks at most at a time.

Not bad, even average.

After all, if Chen Shunan's martial arts aptitude is really very poor, or even a complete waste.

It's impossible for Chen Shunan to have learned martial arts at the "advanced age" of thirty, and even achieved some success, reaching the third-rate perfection level.

Chen Shunan adjusted his breathing, pressed his hands down, and calmed his breath.

The martial arts training session came to a slow and deliberate end.

Chen Shunan, sweating profusely, took off his clothes and scooped a ladle of water from the water vat, pouring it over himself like a waterfall.

"Hiss... Ah, that feels so good!"

The cold water seemed to dispel much of the fatigue from martial arts practice.

Chen Shunan looked delighted, turning his legs over and over as he examined them, which were as hard as iron.

With a force exerted by both hands, a power far exceeding that of a third-rate cultivator erupted from his bone marrow and muscles!

To reach the second tier at fifty is truly a testament to enduring strength in old age!
If we say that the third-rate method of gathering tendons and muscles only involves simple training methods, it is to enhance the strength of tendons and bones and the power of qi.

Once you reach the second level of the Jade Tree, you need to focus on both training and fighting techniques, entering a new stage where you can truly unleash the terrifying destructive power of a martial artist!

The Thirty-Six Leg Techniques of "Flying Immortal Meat" are a complete fighting style!

Many of their leg techniques are cunning and ruthless, each strike potentially fatal.

Therefore, Chen Shunan's strength at this moment has undergone earth-shattering changes compared to before!
"I can fight, ten times my former self!"

As Chen Shunan predicted, the expected seven days to break through to the second-rate realm was shortened to five days!
In just five days, he went from a sickly old man with a hidden ailment to a second-rate martial artist without uttering a sound!
This is utterly absurd; if word got out...

It's best not to spread it.

After Ahua took action to help Chen Shunan deal with the three thugs, Qingpi Ma, there were no more Xixian Guohuo figures in the streets and alleys near Yinding Street.

Perhaps out of gratitude, more customers came to buy water, specifically requesting that Chen Shunan deliver it.

When Manager Li learned of this, he was overjoyed and naturally showered Chen Shunan with praise and promises.

His cultivation level soared, his water delivery customers increased, his aspirations gradually improved, and he always maintained harmonious relationships with his superiors and colleagues.

"Life seems to be getting better and better..."

Chen Shunan held the short-stemmed pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and smiled with satisfaction, his eyes narrowed.

……

"That was a really loud noise, like thunder!"

"Nonsense, you've never seen anything like it! That's Master Chen practicing his martial arts!"

Outside the gate, two schoolchildren, their faces timid but their bodies following closely, lay prostrate in the grass, listening to the base of the wall.

The two students were not very old, just over ten years old, and were both residents of Chaodou Hutong.

The older one had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and regular features. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he gave off a kind and honest feeling.

The younger one had red lips and white teeth, phoenix eyes, and silkworm-like eyebrows. Her bright eyes were like black lacquer, but she was too thin and her body had not yet fully developed.

Perhaps because they hadn't heard any movement for a while, the two students gradually lost patience, but dared not make any rash moves, so they whispered to each other.

The older one: "Zhang Wangyue, do you think Master Chen is an immortal?"

The younger one said, "Of course not! Master Chen is just a martial artist, he's still eighteen stories away from being an immortal! Li Dongyang, do you perhaps want to become Master Chen's disciple?!"

Li Dongyang gasped, "Good heavens, Master Chen has already struck with lightning, and he's still not a celestial being? As for becoming his disciple... my family is poor and can't afford the tuition."

Zhang Wangyue chuckled: "Even if you want to worship, there's no way. Master Chen doesn't have time to teach you. By the way, Li Dongyang, if you become an immortal, what do you want to do?"

Li Dongyang thought for a moment, then asked in return, "And you?"

"I?"

Zhang Wangyue, with her rear end sticking out and a smug look on her face, boasted,
"I have become an immortal, and I will surely turn the world into a vast ocean!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dongyang immediately retorted defiantly, "If you dare to turn the world into a vast ocean, I swear to slay the evil dragon!"

Just in time,

A calm voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

"Who will stir up the ocean? Who will slay the evil dragon?!"

Li Dongyang and Zhang Wangyue turned around abruptly and were startled to see Chen Shunan. They quickly got up.

Zhang Wangyue ran away as fast as she could.

Li Dongyang managed to stand still, his face showing timidity, and he imitated an adult by bowing to Chen Shunan.
"Meet Master Chen."

Chen Shunan took a piece of ginger candy from his pocket, stuffed it into Li Dongyang's mouth, and laughed and scolded, "Go play with your eggs somewhere else!"

"Hey!"

The sweet taste exploded on his tongue, making Li Dongyang squint his eyes.

He stammered as if he had been granted a pardon, and ran away as fast as he could.

Watching the two schoolchildren leave, Chen Shunan shook his head and turned back to the courtyard.

He wasn't worried about anyone stealing his martial arts skills.

Learning martial arts requires seeking merit; martial arts manuals, lineage transmissions, and techniques for grasping tendons and pulses are taught according to individual needs... and it's not something you can just steal and learn based on your aptitude or talent.

There aren't that many wild geniuses; there are only privileged disciples who are left to their own devices.

"However... the current courtyard is still too small. If you move your fists and feet even slightly, you will make a sound. If it were a large house with its own gate and rockery to block the shadows, and a flowing water garden to make noise, there would even be a good underground quiet room."

Chen Shunan frowned slightly, feeling that it was time to put making money on the agenda as soon as possible.

……

Chen Shunan gave Ma Xiucai another half string of cash.

After breaking through to the second-rate realm, Chen Shunan continued his usual routine of delivering blessed water by pushing a cart during the day. After finishing his shifts and returning home, he would quietly familiarize himself with his surging strength and hone his fighting style.

I only sleep for two hours a day, have no dreams at all, and wake up refreshed and full of energy, perfectly recovering from yesterday's fatigue...

The sky will never fall!
Say goodbye to the person who suffered from a hidden illness.

However, in the afternoon, Chen Shunan would make a special trip to Ma Xiucai's house.

Listen to him read "Collected Annotations on the Four Books" and watch him write various classics and Taoist scriptures.

Out of courtesy, Chen Shunan naturally brought a small gift each time he visited.

It could be a piece of fine pork belly, or a piece of rough-edged paper.

Ma Xiucai and his companions used to eat two meals a day, or even just one meal a day when they didn't have to work.

So in the past few days, with Chen Shunan's help, both of them have regained some color in their faces.

However, Chen Shunan also found that his second-rate cultivation seemed to have fallen into a state of confusion, like a headless fly.

Although Ma Xiucai could offer a comprehensive and concise overview of the martial arts path, he could still capture its essence in a profound and succinct way.

Just listening to Ma Xiucai recite those profound and mysterious sentences gave Chen Shunan a sense of enlightenment and tranquility.

Wash away the restlessness and aggression that comes from being busy making a living and being tired from martial arts practice.

However, they are powerless to provide detailed knowledge on the second-tier realm, such as blood storage and the combination of training and fighting techniques.

Chen Shunan also planned to go to the Martial Arts Academy to seek guidance from a top-notch martial arts master.

In the crowded courtyard, Ma Xiucai shook his head and paced back and forth in the narrow, uneven passageway.

The mung beans drying in the sun, the piles of coal briquettes, and the coffin prepared in advance by the old man, all from the neighbors on both sides, were crammed into the passageway, and they could easily be bumped or scratched if one was not careful.

Ma Xiucai seemed to have eyes in the soles of his feet. Although he was completely absorbed in his books, he walked as smoothly as flowing water, without any hindrance.

Although Chen Shunan could not understand most of what Ma Xiucai was reading.

But after a few days, I also had the illusion that living with virtuous people was like entering a room full of orchids and growing brains.

"Calculation is the warp and weft of heaven and earth, the head of all living beings, and the root and branch of the five constant virtues. Chickens and rabbits in the same cage can be calculated, and the depth of millet in a square cellar can be determined."

The number of breaths a person takes, the strength and weakness of their Qi and blood, the movement of their five internal organs, and even the mechanisms of interpersonal conflict and karmic retribution can all be deduced and measured. The art states: "The ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, the five phases and six Qi..."

A catchy, easy-to-remember voice came through.

Chen Shunan listened attentively for a while, then looked confused.

He had a basic understanding of arithmetic, which consisted of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Why did the tone suddenly change at the end, bringing up things like calculating a person's life force, the sun, moon, stars, and the karmic consequences of killing?

"Scholar Ma, how exactly are the lifespan, the strength and weakness of qi and blood calculated in the last part?"

Chen Shunan couldn't help but ask further questions.

Ma Xiucai put down his book, looked at Chen Shunan with surprise.

"Huh? Brother Shun'an, isn't such a simple principle easy to understand? What? You weren't listening carefully?"

Chen Shunan fell silent.

He somewhat regretted rescuing Scholar Ma from Qingpi Ma's clutches too early that day.

With such a stubborn mouth, one should be extremely resilient to be beaten.

In the past two days, Ma Xiucai's classmates from the academy have occasionally come to visit, either to debate the distinction between the new and old schools of learning, or to exchange their understanding of the classics.

What they spoke and recited were all profound martial arts scriptures, the Five Tombs and Three Classics, the Eight Cords and Nine Hills.

But the people in the courtyard, coming and going, regarded it as normal and did not find it strange at all.

Chen Shunan also asked the residents of the tenement, but they only said that Ma Xiucai was reading some pedantic and pedantic eight-legged essays, so what was so strange about it?

How strange!

Chen Shunan was filled with emotion.

Ma Xiucai and his companions were completely unaware of all this.

No one in the courtyard noticed anything amiss.

Only Chen Shunan was able to observe everything silently with a clear and discerning eye.

"Is it because of the divine status of the [Great Emperor of the Netherworld Abyss]?"

Chen Shunan seemed to understand something.

(End of this chapter)