raknovel Chapter 97 A Fellow Disciple's Sparring: Getting to the Root of the Problem
Chapter 97 A Fellow Disciple's Sparring: Getting to the Root of the Problem
Chapter 97 A Fellow Disciple's Sparring: Getting to the Root of the Problem
The Great Demonic Cult's millennium treasure trove is practically an ATM for players on the cross-platform.
The gold and silver jewelry, armor and elixirs, antiques and paintings, scriptures and classics inside—any one of them could cause a bloodbath in the martial arts world. But more importantly, the wide variety of spiritual materials inside basically met Lin Zhuo's needs for forging weapons.
The importance of the materials Celestial Iron and Seven-Colored Cloud Cotton goes without saying.
The blue blueprint for the Dragon Summoning Bell in Lin Zhuo's hand will eventually become a rather large and complex weapon.
This thing isn't like the Snake Chain Hammer, which can be held in one hand; its actual size is about half the body of an adult male.
Calling it a bell would be too big and heavy; it's more accurate to call it a clock.
All the spiritual materials needed to forge the Dragon Summoning Bell can be found in the Demonic Cult's treasure trove. The outer shell alone requires three rare treasures: Purple Mark Black Gold, Radiant Silver, and Celestial Black Iron. The bell tongue, on the other hand, requires a piece of Magnetic White Jade.
These spiritual materials are generally priced at several hundred to several thousand disaster coins per kilogram on the online forum. Of course, they cannot be compared with those truly rare divine iron and immortal gold, but they are already a very good choice for newcomers.
As for the craftsmanship required to forge the Dragon Summoning Bell, Lin Zhuo is far from qualified. In the entire martial arts world, only the master craftsmen of Shenji Mountain and the four grandmaster craftsmen of the Weapon Forging Valley are capable of recreating this weapon according to the blueprints.
He wasn't in a hurry to use new weapons; even with his bare hands, he could still easily push through the dungeon.
Since that was the case, Lin Zhuo did not immediately set off for the Western Regions, but instead asked the host of the place if he could stay in the Valley of Immortality for a few days.
Valley Master Fang Zeduan was overjoyed upon hearing this and had no reason to refuse. He not only arranged the best accommodations for Lin Zhuo and the other guests, but also had his children perform the disciple's etiquette in front of Lin Zhuo.
Now, in terms of seniority, Fang Qingjun, who was originally considered a sister to Shu Yuliu, can only reluctantly call her "Uncle-Master Shu".
"Haha, that's funny. Little Fang, you'd better behave yourself in front of your martial uncle from now on, understand?" Shu Yuliu covered his mouth and laughed.
"Hmph, Uncle Shu, have you prepared any gifts for your junior disciples?" Fang Qingjun gritted her teeth. She deliberately emphasized her junior disciples, including her eldest sister, second sister, and third brother.
The Valley Master's wife chided from the side, "Han'er, don't be rude."
Lin Zhuo smiled and said, "Madam, why scold me? Since you have accepted the disciple's gift from your son and daughter, as an elder, I must be willing to make a sacrifice. As for gifts, I'm afraid you won't be interested in gold and silver jewelry, and I don't have any rare medicinal herbs on hand. How about I give each of you a talisman instead?"
"A talisman?" The disciples of the Undying Valley peered out curiously.
Lin Zhuo then took out the talismans he had drawn in his spare time, including the Divine Speed Talisman, the Dust-Cleansing Clothes Talisman, the Heart-Cleansing Talisman, and the Body-Cleansing Talisman, etc. These were all practical items that could be used on the road, ensuring that while traveling the world, he could keep his clothes clean and his face clean, without losing the demeanor of a chivalrous hero.
The gadgets he casually produced were wondrous and magical. The legends of ghosts and gods in the world of "Cangcheng" have endured for a long time. Anyone who witnessed Lin Zhuo's skill would exclaim in amazement that a deity had appeared.
"This is far too precious, Master Lin, please accept it. My son and daughter are so unruly, how could they be worthy of such a divine gift?" Fang Zeduan's eyes widened, but he still had to reluctantly refuse.
Lin Zhuo and the other players laughed happily, and even Tie Yingjie and Qingde Taoist had expressions that said, "You guys are really making a fuss over nothing."
"Take it; it's a trivial trick, not worth mentioning."
"This, this—" The Valley Master looked troubled, while waving his hands behind his back, signaling his children to quickly put the talismans into their pockets, just like red envelopes during the New Year, so as not to give their elders a chance to back out.
Lin Zhuo knew that casting these baits would only intensify the Immortal Valley's admiration and desire, probably enough to catch the Heavenly Silkworm Silk. So he claimed that he was tired from his journey and needed to rest, and said that during his stay, his nephews and nieces, including Fang Qingjun, could come to visit and ask for guidance at any time.
After bidding farewell to the reluctant hosts, Lin Zhuo and his teammates and companions were able to close the door and talk.
"Second Senior Brother, I've missed you so much!" Shu Yuliu lightly tapped Lin Zhuo's shoulder. "You're so impressive now, all I hear about you is your legend and news. You're a big shot in the martial arts world."
"There's not much to say about that," Lin Zhuo shook his head and smiled. "How about we talk about how our martial arts have improved? I happen to have some questions I need to ask my senior brother."
During this time, Lin Zhuo continued to learn various martial arts styles. He learned too many and too varied moves, which caused him to lose the intuition and inspiration he once had in battle.
If Lin Zhuo's fighting style was once as concise and clear as a vast glacial river, now it is a chaotic mess of mud and sand, a turbulent torrent.
Although he knows he's on the right track, he's currently stuck in a painful period and can't find a way to improve.
Zhu Baixuan chuckled and, after listening to Lin Zhuo's troubles, simply said, "Keep going."
There are no shortcuts to some things, or rather, when you are stuck in a quagmire and struggling, you are actually moving forward in the most effective way.
To become the world's armory, one must endure the hardships experienced by all martial artists.
"I've learned a lot." Lin Zhuo clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the giant panda. "These words from my senior brother have strengthened my resolve."
Shu Yuliu then raised his hand and said, "Second Senior Brother, if you need someone to spar with, I can help you."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'm actually quite free right now, let's practice a few moves!"
"Wow, just so you know, you can't use that move! Otherwise, your junior sister will be a corpse."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Let's make progress together."
Lin Zhuo can achieve a spiritual resonance with his opponent in battle, which is an extraordinary ability derived from his fighting spirit. It can be described as a supernatural power.
Having sparred with Shu Yuliu, the two developed a deep friendship and naturally entered a state of resonance with each other easily.
They didn't need to speak; their thoughts were conveyed to each other as they shared their insights on the talismans and discussed the battle itself.
"Senior brother, you've become quite hesitant in your fights lately." Shu Yuliu noticed Lin Zhuo's awkwardness and could even sense Lin Zhuo's inner turmoil before each move through their shared understanding.
The same punch can be thrown without thinking by an ordinary person who has not learned martial arts, but it's just a wild, uncontrolled punch.
Those who practice martial arts are able to judge the timing and situation, and will use various routines such as collapsing, chopping, drilling, and horizontal movements according to tactical needs, which inevitably requires some thought and effort.
Lin Zhuo possessed the strengths of many schools, and when he started fighting, all sorts of techniques would suddenly appear in his mind. However, he was not an artificial intelligence that could make the most reasonable judgment in milliseconds, so he naturally had to secretly select some techniques. But the rhythm of the battle was like lightning, and if he hesitated for a moment, the situation on the field would be completely different, requiring him to make a new decision. This repeated itself, which resulted in each move being hesitant and inefficient.
In contrast, Shu Yuliu had little martial arts background; her moves were still at the instinctive stage, full of flaws, and she only used basic punches and kicks, yet she still gained the upper hand.
Lin Zhuo secretly warned himself not to overthink, because the more he thought about it, the more wrong he would be. But the growing pains were still growing pains. The various martial arts he had learned were neither so bad that he could discard them at will, nor so good that he could use them at will. Even without thinking, his moves were still chaotic and full of mistakes.
"Senior brother, are you sure you can handle this?" Shu Yuliu was reluctant to break free from her spiritual connection with Lin Zhuo so quickly, but she had already started to press him hard.
Lin Zhuo responded with a helpless look.
"Fine, might as well try anything. Senior brother, now try to keep up with me." Shu Yuliu pursed his lips, a ring of talismanic restrictions lit up his chest, drawing in divine power from beyond the heavens, and strange light radiated from his body.
Thump! Thump! Her heart pounded like a drum, the sound clear and distinct, the strong rhythm making her want to follow her instincts and start dancing.
Shu Yuliu's attacks became more intense and swift, each move fluctuating and undulating, possessing both the rhythmic beauty of waves and the delicate variations of calligraphy strokes, as fluid as dragons and phoenixes dancing.
Lin Zhuo wasn't the only one making progress during his adventures and training in the dungeon. Shu Yuliu's martial arts skills, though still in their early stages, already had many exquisite aspects and showed traces of her personal characteristics.
Calling it martial arts would be too flashy and dynamic; it's more like dance. Shu Yuliu led the rhythm, like guiding a duet, causing Lin Zhuo to follow the beat of her heart.
Combat itself has its own rhythm. The lightness and heaviness of movements, the speed and slowness of internal energy, and the forward and backward swaying of internal energy are the most profound skills. In comparison, all techniques are just minor details.
Following Shu Yuliu's guidance, Lin Zhuo focused on mastering the rhythm of the battle, gradually forgetting the chaotic techniques. His originally unsteady stance actually stabilized again, like a thousand miles of muddy water finally flowing into a great lake, clearing its source, and then setting off again.