Chapter 61: As Long as You Don’t Hate Me, That’s Fine

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: As Long as You Don’t Hate Me, That’s Fine

Chen Sha’s body dissipated right on Hua Mountain Peak.

This shocked the gathered martial artists, causing them to hurriedly turn back to look at Wang Chongyang. They saw Wang Chongyang crouch slightly, sitting cross-legged on the spot, unexpectedly devoid of breath.

For a moment, a deathly silence fell over Hua Mountain Peak. The crowd looked up to the sky and shed tears. "To think this battle would end like this."

However, the people deeply trapped within the Cosmic Light Fragments did not realize that in the few breaths following Chen Sha’s dissipation, the surrounding environment abruptly rewound.

On Dao Yi Mountain.

A few sudden, heavy, and rapid gasps echoed from the quiet Sect Leader’s room.

PANT!

PANT!

Chen Sha snapped his eyes open, his gaze burning with fiery intensity. "That was truly exhilarating!"

It was his first time fighting to such a standstill against someone within the Cosmic Light Fragments. They had ultimately battled until both their stamina and Essence Qi were completely drained.

He was undoubtedly the number one expert in the Legend of the Condor Heroes story!

Originally, with Chen Sha and Wang Chongyang’s Grandmaster Level Power, they could have sustained a battle for seven days and seven nights without eating or drinking, relying purely on their enduring Qi Power. However, the opponents they each faced were so unbelievably formidable that neither martial arts nor inner strength could decide the victor. Evenly matched in every aspect, they were forced to rely solely on raw physical stamina to continue fighting in the end.

"Fortunately, he was just a memory phantom evolved within the Cosmic Light Fragments..." Chen Sha thought, feeling a sense of immense satisfaction, yet lingering fear and regret also crept into his mind. "If we were both living people, dragging the fight out to the very end would have resulted in our actual deaths."

This was precisely the advantage of the Southern Heavenly Gate. He had no fear of dying in battle! Every time he died, he could start all over again!

He thought, "This trial is different from my past entries into the Cosmic Light Fragments. For the first time, I’ve obtained clues regarding the Southern Heavenly Gate and the Nine Heavens from a figure within the fragments. Although these are just my personal deductions..."

Chen Sha slowly stood up from the bed and poured himself a cup of tea. He continued his train of thought. "But I feel that the ’Innate Realm Ascension’ Chongyang Master mentioned is definitely connected to those Earth God Temples in the Nine Heavens behind the Southern Heavenly Gate..."

Essentially, the people he encountered upon entering the Cosmic Light Fragments were experiences of Hong Qigong’s past. And Hong Qigong’s true form as a clay statue had already indicated the ultimate fate of some of these individuals. They had undergone Ascension to the Nine Heavens!

He wondered, "Just what kind of place are the Nine Heavens?" Chen Sha took a sip of tea, but he still couldn’t figure it out.

Currently, he could only see Hong Qigong’s Earth God Temple in the Nine Heavens and absolutely nothing else.

Just as his mind wandered with these thoughts, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside. The steps were light but carried a hint of apprehension. Judging by the sound, it was a young woman.

"M-Master, are you there? You mentioned that we could come to you if we had any problems while practicing martial arts. I’ve encountered a bottleneck..." Lin Qingqing called out nervously from outside, her head bowed. "May I ask you for some guidance?"

"Come in," Chen Sha said, remaining seated in his chair.

He watched as Lin Qingqing pushed the door open and walked in. "I haven’t decided to accept you all as disciples yet. You are still in the assessment phase, so there’s no need to call me Master right now," Chen Sha stated.

Lin Qingqing’s footsteps instantly froze. She lowered her head in embarrassment and replied, "Oh, understood."

"I don’t let you call me Master because even if you pass the talent assessment, you will only be in-name disciples. The word ’Master’ carries too much weight. Don’t say it so lightly."

A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Confirming the title of Master meant that he would truly become a strict teacher and a loving father figure to his disciples.

After a brief explanation, Chen Sha didn’t dwell on the topic. "However, it’s true that I told you to come to me if you face any issues with your martial arts. How is your progress with the Void Clarity Fist?"

"Mas— I mean... um, this junior has practiced up to the eighteenth path, but I simply can’t grasp the power generation method for the ’Circulating Pavilion’ stance," Lin Qingqing answered instinctively before catching herself.

Hearing this, Chen Sha pondered for a moment. "Demonstrate it for me first."

"Alright!"

Following his instruction, the two stepped out into the courtyard. Standing in the spacious yard, she started with the first stance of the Void Clarity Fist, "Empty Bowl of Rice," followed by the second path, "Empty House Resident."

The young girl moved within the courtyard, her posture as soft and supple as water. Yet, every punch she threw possessed a continuous, unending rhythm. The seamless flow of her strikes was incredibly smooth, like a river cascading down a waterfall.

Chen Sha observed closely and thought, "She really is a fantastic martial arts prodigy..."

Finally, Lin Qingqing reached the eighteenth path, "Circulating Pavilion." She launched a punch from her shoulder, but her force seemed exhausted, completely losing its true essence. This caused her prior sequence of seventeen brilliantly executed stances to end on an anticlimactic note.

After finishing her routine, Lin Qingqing stood awkwardly in place. "I’m too stupid. I just can’t bring out the proper effect when generating force for this ’Circulating Pavilion’ stance."

Chen Sha found it quite strange to hear her call herself stupid. The two who had come with her hadn’t even mastered the first of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms yet, while she had already perfected seventeen paths of the Void Clarity Fist. If this was considered stupid, then there were no smart people left in the world.

Backed by the Great Yellow Court, he could quickly pick up any martial arts, so he had no fear of the young girl asking for guidance. Just by watching her perform, he keenly pointed out two crucial details.

"The Seventy-Two Paths of Void Clarity Fist contain sixteen types of punching forces. The mnemonic is Void, Misty, Hollow, Loose, Wind, Clear, Tolerant, Dream, Rush, Poor, Middle, Play, Child, Ordinary, Bow, and Worm. When you execute the ’Circulating Pavilion’ path, you need to unleash a ’Rush’ force. The force should push upward from your Jianjing Acupoint, which then drives your Yongquan Acupoint. The fist technique must guide your footwork..."

With that, Chen Sha stepped forward. "Get into your stance. I’ll tap your shoulder, and then you try again."

"Okay." Lin Qingqing nodded obediently. She immediately took a half-step forward, drawing a crescent shape with her foot. She held one fist upright in front of her chest and extended her other hand forward.

Chen Sha approached her, extended two fingers, and with a light TAP, pressed onto her Jianjing Acupoint.

Jianjing meant "Shoulder Well"—as the name suggested, there was a well in this acupoint on the shoulder!

"Ah." Startled by Chen Sha’s sudden proximity, Lin Qingqing looked up only to see his handsome and majestic face. Her cheeks uncontrollably flushed red.

But before she could let her imagination run wild, Chen Sha spoke up. "Feel the force emanating from your Jianjing."

Lin Qingqing suddenly felt a tingling sensation at her Jianjing Acupoint. A force surged out from within, much like spring water flowing from a well.

"Alright, I’ll try."

As if struck by an epiphany, Lin Qingqing immediately executed the ’Circulating Pavilion’ stance. With the help of the force Chen Sha had injected into her Jianjing Acupoint, her Jianjing exerted power as she launched the strike, naturally prompting the Yongquan Acupoint beneath her feet to follow suit.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, the air in front of her seemed completely churned and disrupted. Under the impact of her punch, it was impossible to tell whether the strike was real or an illusion...

"I did it!" Lin Qingqing cheered in pleasant surprise.

"Remember how your body generated the force for that punch," Chen Sha instructed. "Hold onto that insight. With more practice, you’ll be able to fully integrate it."

He secretly sighed in admiration in his heart. This was what a genius was. He had merely delivered a trace of force into Lin Qingqing’s body, yet she had successfully executed the technique on her first try. If it were a dullard, they might not have succeeded even after a hundred attempts. Teaching a genius was indeed effortless.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." After retracting her fists, Lin Qingqing bowed respectfully to Chen Sha, her hands reaching her knees, and happily called him Master again.

Just as Chen Sha was about to tell her not to call him that, Lin Qingqing smilingly corrected herself. "This junior will take her leave now. If I encounter any more problems, I’ll be sure to come bother you frequently!"

With a giggle, the young girl trotted away. Chen Sha shook his head and turned to go back inside.

Back in the small courtyard where the three of them lived.

Lin Qingqing came running in. Lin Baibai and Qi Zhengyi asked eagerly, "How did it go? Did Sect Leader Chen give you any pointers?"

"Of course!" Lin Qingqing replied. "He’s not someone who goes back on his word. When I got there, I told him I was having some trouble practicing the eighteenth path. He had me demonstrate it for him in the courtyard, and then he earnestly taught me..."

Hearing this, the two felt their confidence swell and found the courage to seek guidance themselves.

Lin Qingqing looked at her brother and teased with a grin, "I took the lead and tested the waters for you this time. How are you going to thank me? Why don’t you give me that jade fan Dad gave you?"

Lin Baibai rolled his eyes. "Didn’t you also receive guidance from Sect Leader Chen and reap a ton of benefits? How can you say you went to ask for my sake?"

Lin Qingqing scrunched her nose and laughed. "I’ve already mastered up to the twenty-fifth path of the Void Clarity Fist. Why would I need to ask about the force generation of the eighteenth path?"

Lin Baibai widened his eyes. "Then why did you even ask?"

Lin Qingqing exhaled softly. "I wanted to find out if he disliked me, so I used that as an excuse to approach him and test the waters."

Ever since feeling neglected last time, she had been somewhat anxious, worrying that Chen Sha might not like her. Why else would he remain so distant despite her stellar performance? Even though her father and the old man in the padded jacket praised her as a genius, this was the Number One Major Sect in the world. She couldn’t help but feel a bit insecure about whether she was truly that outstanding.

Lin Baibai asked, "So, after going there this time, what do you think Sect Leader Chen’s impression of you is?"

Lin Qingqing slumped onto the table, propping her face up with both hands. "He was still strictly by the book, but at least I found out that he doesn’t hate me. I was just overthinking it, hehe."

She smiled happily. Immediately after, recalling how close she had been to Chen Sha just moments ago—so close that her breath had brushed against his Daoist robe—her face couldn’t help but turn crimson once again.