Chapter 123: Chapter 119: Penetration (Part 2)

Leader Ma raised his cup in a toast.

The escort business was a dangerous profession, after all. Though he had made a name for himself on the route between Baiyang County and South City, Leader Ma still yearned to be like Guo Wei—to train a few Martial Arts Scholars, receive an official title from the Court, and live out his later years in peace.

“Thank you.”

Guo Wei glanced at Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu, then raised his cup and clinked it against Leader Ma’s.

Over the past two years, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu had heard more than once that Guo Wei was teaching them with all his heart because he hoped to earn the title of Grandmaster through their achievements, which would help his only son avoid the hardship of military conscription.

Now that the Daoist Examination’s Martial Arts Examination was over, and with Leader Ma bringing up the matter, the two exchanged a look. They both felt they had to find some time to talk with Guo Wei. If it was true, they had to do everything in their power to help him achieve his goal.

Tonight, Guo Wei got completely drunk, a rare sight.

So did Hei Hu.

Chu Lingguang, also taking a rare chance to relax, drank quite a bit as well.

However, when he returned to his room to rest, he instinctively used the Tidal Breathing Technique to purge the alcohol from his system.

Last night, he had used the Turtle Breath Technique to resonate with the world around him, causing his sensory system to evolve. His hearing and vision had quickened, which was why he had been able to easily defeat Lin Longde today. It was also how, during his fight with Yan Chengdu, he had managed to grasp the secret to the third layer of Skillful Force.

That feeling of resonating with the world was simply sublime.

Chu Lingguang longed to experience it again.

Unfortunately, the feeling had become incredibly ethereal; no matter how he tried, Chu Lingguang couldn’t grasp it. Fortunately, he wasn’t impatient, recalling how he had successfully activated the third layer of Skillful Force today.

Since he had nothing else to do early tomorrow morning, he picked up his Long Spear. Feeling full of energy, he began to practice the Basic Thirteen Spear Techniques under the quiet night sky.

Skillful Force was divided into three layers.

The first layer: Flick and Vibrate.

The second layer: Entangle and Penetrate.

The third layer: Seize and Permeate.

Each of the three layers was different, and when practiced to the extreme, they could unleash unexpected power. Chu Lingguang had been able to defeat Yan Chengdu today not just because he had activated the third layer of Skillful Force, but because he could integrate all three layers, allowing each to display its own surprising might.

Otherwise, how could he have entangled Yan Chengdu’s long saber at the last moment and sent it flying with a flick of his spear?

First, he had used the third layer’s power to make Yan Chengdu lose his grip on the saber. Then, he used the second layer’s power to ’adhere’ to the blade at the critical moment, flinging it behind him.

Having only just awakened this ability, Chu Lingguang was still unable to use the third layer’s power to seize a blade with his bare hands like Guo Wei could.

In the darkness of the night, Chu Lingguang immersed himself in the power of his Spear Technique.

As his Long Spear danced, his eyes searched for that specific path, wanting his power to be able to connect heaven and earth. He also wanted it to flow with the momentum, passing through his opponent’s weapon and penetrating their body.

He wanted to firmly grasp the twin secrets of ’Permeating Out’ and ’Permeating In’.

At this moment, he didn’t need a specific opponent.

He only needed to successfully cast out the power he poured into his Long Spear; doing so would simultaneously achieve both ’Permeating Out’ and ’Permeating In’.

BOOM!

The sound of the Formed Spear Technique was especially piercing in the night.

Fortunately, Master Yan was in exceptionally high spirits today. Even the servants had been rewarded with wine and meat. All of them had eaten and drunk to their hearts’ content, feeling utterly satisfied. Enjoying this rare chance to relax, they had long since fallen into a deep sleep and wouldn’t be disturbed by the sound of Chu Lingguang’s Formed Spear Technique.

However, people like Leader Ma, Da Wu, and Xiao Wu, who had mastered a Breathing Technique and could purge the effects of alcohol, quickly noticed the commotion.

Especially when they got up in the middle of the night to relieve themselves, they couldn’t help but follow the sound of the Formed Spear toward the Inner Courtyard.

When they saw that it was Chu Lingguang practicing his Spear Technique, Da Wu and Xiao Wu remained silent. As the two turned to head back to their rooms, they saw Leader Ma standing behind them in his nightclothes. He watched Chu Lingguang brandishing his spear and said, “He took first place today, and everyone celebrated for him, yet he can remain clear-headed and continue to practice his Spear Technique while the rest of us are drunk. If you two had his diligence, how could you worry about not passing the Provincial Examination?”

After speaking, Leader Ma turned and went back to his guest room to rest.

Da Wu and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, both feeling ashamed of their own inadequacy. They resolved to learn from Chu Lingguang, to rise at dawn to practice, and to throw themselves wholeheartedly into their training.

「After the three of them left.」

Guo Wei appeared in a corner.

WHOOSH!

Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique advanced.

He locked his sights on a stone block in front of him.

He swung the Long Spear, the tip tapping lightly against the stone block.

Power permeated out and then permeated in. The stone block trembled faintly. The Long Spear changed direction, intercepting, sweeping, and cleaving around the stone block. Each strike was restrained, the only goal being to make power permeate out and then in, causing the stone block to tremble ceaselessly.

Slowly, the faint trembling of the stone block became rhythmic.

A faint humming sound began to emanate from it.

Guo Wei didn’t disturb him.

He simply watched Chu Lingguang practice his Spear Technique, looking for flaws. He made a mental note of them, planning to help Chu Lingguang correct them tomorrow and push his mastery of the third layer of Skillful Force to its peak.

HUMMM!

Chu Lingguang was completely immersed.

The sound of the night watchman’s clapper outside the courtyard was like punctuation marks in his Spear Technique, chronicling his growth.

「After an unknown amount of time.」

The sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking came from outside the courtyard.

Chu Lingguang’s state of immersion was finally broken. He looked up at the sky, where the fish-belly white of dawn had already appeared.

He looked again at the stone block in the courtyard.

After trembling continuously, the stone block had shifted from its original position, leaving a circular impression on the ground. Its once-smooth surface was now covered in pits and divots.

Those were the marks left behind by Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique—from his horizontal pushes, intercepting sweeps, blocks, hooks, cleaves, and strikes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep