Chapter 131: This Is Absolutely Impossible

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: This Is Absolutely Impossible

The first rays of dawn pierced the lingering mountain mist, and a fine layer of dew clung to the stone bricks of the courtyard.

Chen Yue slowly relaxed his stance. As he took a final step, he stood firm and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

The breath condensed without scattering, resembling a white dragon. It lingered in the air for two or three seconds before slowly dissipating.

After finishing a set of the Panshi Fist, Chen Yue’s expression was calm. There wasn’t even a bead of sweat on his forehead, and his breathing was as steady as ever, as if that fierce and heavy Fist Technique had been nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

However, Liu Wenying, who was standing to the side, was completely stunned.

She didn’t know how far her little junior brother had cultivated the Fourth Level of Rock Skill, but the perception between Martial Artists was the most honest.

The profundity revealed in every one of Chen Yue’s punches and kicks, his grasp of the Panshi Skill’s very essence, were all silently telling her one thing.

Chen Yue’s mastery of the Panshi Skill was better than her own—much better.

This realization was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.

She had been learning the Panshi Skill for several years now. From the first to the Fourth Layer, every step had been ground out with solid effort. She had fallen, grown exhausted, been scolded by her master, and even cried in secret.

And Chen Yue? He had only received the First Three Layers of the Panshi Skill a little over ten days ago, and the Fourth Layer just two days ago.

Liu Wenying’s mouth opened and closed. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, "Little Junior Brother, how on earth do you cultivate?"

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was filled with genuine confusion.

It wasn’t an accusation, nor was it jealousy. It was pure curiosity. ’How in the world did he do it?’

Chen Yue turned to face her, meeting Liu Wenying’s questioning eyes, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

"It’s just that recent events have given me some insight. After that, understanding the Panshi Skill felt exceptionally smooth."

A look of doubt appeared on Liu Wenying’s face, and her brows furrowed slightly.

’The Life and Death Platform?’

’But could a fight on the Life and Death Platform really have this kind of effect? Gaining enlightenment about a Cultivation Technique on the platform? That’s just too unbelievable.’

She instinctively turned her head to look at her master, Meng Yu Jin.

Meng Yu Jin had been watching Chen Yue’s Fist Technique intently from start to finish, her gaze calm and focused. It was less like watching and more like reading—reading the level of comprehension behind the Fist Technique.

And the more she "read," the more complex her expression became.

Only when Chen Yue finished his routine and turned around did Meng Yu Jin nod. After a moment of contemplation, she said:

"You have comprehended the Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill very thoroughly. You are indeed ready to learn the Fifth Layer."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yue’s eyes lit up, and the smile on his face deepened noticeably. He straightened his clothes, clasped his hands, and bowed. "Thank you, Master!"

Liu Wenying stood to the side, looking from Chen Yue to Meng Yu Jin. She pouted slightly, but in the end, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

She edged forward half a step, her frustration unconcealed, her voice thick with a sense of grievance:

"Master, is little junior brother’s Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill even better than mine?"

Meng Yu Jin turned to look at her outspoken disciple, her gaze a mixture of helplessness and affection:

"I always tell you to train diligently. Now you finally realize how slow you are?"

Liu Wenying understood the implication in her master’s words and immediately pouted. Her almond-shaped eyes went wide, her face full of indignation:

"But I do work hard! I practice every single day! But who learns a Cultivation Technique like this in just two days? Did little junior brother have some kind of epiphany these past two days?"

As she said the word "epiphany," even she felt it sounded a bit absurd, but aside from an epiphany, she couldn’t find any other explanation.

Meng Yu Jin looked at Liu Wenying’s wronged yet defiant expression and couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile.

The morning breeze swept through the mountains, rustling her robes, and the wind chime under the eaves tinkled softly.

"Whether it was an epiphany or not,"

Meng Yu Jin’s tone regained a master’s composure. Her gaze swept past Liu Wenying and landed on Chen Yue. "it is a fact that Chen Yue has almost completely comprehended the Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill."

She paused, as if calculating something, then said slowly, "At this rate, by the time Chen Yue breaks through to the Marrow Refining Realm, you probably still won’t have."

The words were spoken lightly, but to Liu Wenying’s ears, they were no less than a clap of thunder.

Liu Wenying’s eyes flew wide. She abruptly straightened her back and blurted out, "That’s impossible!"

Her voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard, startling even a few birds in the trees into fluttering away.

"I’ll definitely be the first to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm!"

Liu Wenying clenched her fists, her cheeks puffed out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Every pore on her body seemed to scream with defiance.

Meng Yu Jin looked at her, shook her head with a smile, and said no more.

Some things were better proven by time than by words. She turned to face Chen Yue, her smile vanishing as her expression grew serious.

"Come here. I will teach you the Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill."

Chen Yue replied respectfully, took two steps forward, and focused his mind to listen.

The mountain mist had vanished at some point, replaced by the warm sunlight that now brightly illuminated the entire courtyard.

Meng Yu Jin sat upright on the stone bench and began to break down the Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill for Chen Yue, explaining its Heart Method, Force Transmission Technique, Qi Circulation Route, and Cultivation Taboos, one by one, in a way that was both deep and easy to understand.

Although the Fifth Layer followed from the Fourth, there were significant changes in the subtle details of how Inner Strength was circulated.

Therefore, Meng Yu Jin explained with exceptional care, repeatedly emphasizing every key point and even giving one or two examples of cultivation errors she had witnessed in her youth.

For over a full hour, Meng Yu Jin explained every essential point of the Fifth Layer before finally letting out a long sigh. She picked up the cup of long-cold tea from the table and moistened her dry throat.

She set down the teacup and looked at Chen Yue, her gaze both scrutinizing and expectant. "Do you have any questions?"

Chen Yue lowered his gaze, earnestly reviewing what he had just heard. After a moment, he looked up and shook his head gently. "Not at the moment."

Meng Yu Jin nodded and didn’t press further.

Given the Talent Chen Yue had displayed, she knew that when he said "not at the moment," he had truly digested the information. As for any new questions that might arise during his future cultivation, that was a matter for the future and could be addressed then.

She rose from the stone bench, walked into the house, and came out a moment later with a thin, handwritten manual.

"This is the handwritten manual for the Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill,"

Meng Yu Jin handed the book over. "Take it back and study it carefully. Mull it over along with the key points I just explained. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come and ask me anytime."

Chen Yue accepted it respectfully with both hands. He glanced down at the manual in his hands, then took out the handwritten manual for the Fourth Layer of the Panshi Skill that he had received two days prior and returned it, also with both hands.

"Master, I have already memorized the contents of the Fourth Layer."

Meng Yu Jin took the manual for the Fourth Layer and casually placed it on the table.

She sat back down on the stone bench and contemplated for a moment. Her gaze fell upon Chen Yue, her expression growing even more serious than when she had been teaching.

"You learn the Panshi Skill very quickly. I see your Talent, but you must not become complacent."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, then continued:

"In cultivation, it is fine to advance with courage and speed, but your state of mind must not become blindly impatient. Learning a Cultivation Technique quickly is a good thing, but ’fast’ does not equal ’profound.’ You must remember: the stronger your foundation, the farther your path will extend in the future."

"If you chase speed for its own sake and neglect your foundation, you will live to regret it."

Meng Yu Jin did not speak these words harshly; her tone was even somewhat gentle. But every word carried weight, the most sincere admonition from a senior to a junior.

Chen Yue’s expression turned solemn. He immediately clasped his hands and bowed. "Yes, Master. I understand!"

Seeing from Chen Yue’s expression that he had truly taken her words to heart, Meng Yu Jin nodded in satisfaction.

She picked up her teacup, took another sip of the cold tea, then suddenly seemed to remember something and set the cup down.

"Besides this Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill, I shall teach you a Body Technique today as well."

Chen Yue was slightly taken aback, then a flash of delight crossed his eyes.

Meng Yu Jin continued, "A Cultivation Technique is a Martial Artist’s foundation, but when truly traveling the Jianghu and fighting others, the most practical skill is actually a Body Technique. The fine control over advancing and retreating often determines life and death, victory and defeat."

Liu Wenying, who had been looking down and fiddling with the hem of her clothes, snapped her head up at these words. Her mouth fell open, and she almost blurted out, ’Master, you’re playing favorites!’

She remembered it clearly. When she had first started, she had also pestered her master to learn more Cultivation Techniques, but Meng Yu Jin would always just say lightly, "Learn them one at a time. Don’t bite off more than you can chew."

’Why does little junior brother get to learn a Body Technique at the same time as the Fifth Layer of the Panshi Skill when he just arrived?’

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Liu Wenying’s gaze involuntarily swept over to Chen Yue, and the image of him practicing his fist technique in the courtyard earlier reappeared in her mind.

She forcefully swallowed the words ’Master, you’re playing favorites!’ that were about to escape her lips, leaving only a vague, indistinct grumble in her throat.

Meng Yu Jin caught Liu Wenying’s little movements out of the corner of her eye. The corner of her mouth curved up slightly, but she didn’t call her out on it.

Her gaze returned to Chen Yue, and Meng Yu Jin said seriously, "Which Body Technique are you most skilled in? Demonstrate it for me. Once I know your strengths and weaknesses, I’ll know which Body Technique you should learn."

Chen Yue nodded. "Yes!"

Before the word had even fully left his lips, his figure was already drifting out like a leaf caught in the wind. In the blink of an eye, he was standing steadily in the center of the courtyard.

The transition from motion to stillness was as smooth as flowing water, the rustle of his sleeves barely audible.

The courtyard sun was just right, bleaching the gray bricks of the ground a faint white. Chen Yue stood in that patch of light, took a deep breath, and his figure flickered into motion.

He was executing the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step. Unleashing it with his full power, each step he took followed a subtle rhythm. The instant his toes touched the ground, he would use the momentum to leap up, his body carving a series of fluid arcs through the air.

At first, there was a single figure, but then afterimages began to appear, layer upon layer, like ripples spreading across the surface of water, circle after circle.