OBS Chapter 49 True Martial Arts: The Fall of the Clumsy Dragon
Chapter 49 True Martial Arts: The Fall of the Clumsy Dragon
Saying certain things out loud, or figuring out certain issues, can lead to an irreversible and profound change for both people and things, like a break with one's past self.
Lin Zhuo also had a similar transformative experience, but his personality remained largely unchanged. He simply finally admitted that he had always harbored an unyielding ambition and a desire to dominate the world.
These thoughts, which he was once ashamed to speak of, were never truly broken. They continued to influence Lin Zhuo, shaping him into a man of steel, both inside and out. He always viewed himself as a mayfly with a heart as vast as mountains, and believed in himself in this way. However, as a young man, he had not yet achieved great things or held significant power, and thus could only keep his talents hidden.
Hiding one's talents for too long is like a knife left unsharpened in its sheath; it will rust and become dull. If the heart becomes dull, it will always doubt itself, but only sincerity is needed to polish it back to its former brilliance.
Lin Zhuo reflected on the martial arts techniques he had previously created. He also reflected on the core system he had used to create these techniques.
The chain mace is a relatively unpopular weapon, and it doesn't sound as cool as swords. One of the main reasons for choosing it was that it was easy to conceal.
Later, when Lin Zhuo discovered that the online platform could authenticate self-made equipment and store weapons in his backpack, he also considered whether or not to change his weapon.
But after only a moment's hesitation, he abandoned the idea.
Now that the Serpent Chain Hammer has been created, how can we bear to let this meticulously crafted weapon go to waste?
Since you've already made up your mind, you should trust your initial judgment and resolutely move forward. Only consider other options if things truly become impossible.
Be true to your own thoughts, and true to every moment of your past life.
Moreover, the chain hammer, as a weapon that combines strength and flexibility, was the most correct choice for Lin Zhuo.
What he truly loved were heavy weapons—heavy, massive, sturdy, and unstoppable. He wanted to transform into a loyal giant hammer to crush all enemies of the human community.
The long whip's agility and versatility allow him to showcase his talent in exquisite moves, perfectly embodying the essence of "Supreme Transformation of Dragons".
Clumsy yet agile, simple yet strange—these contradictory qualities can be unified through a simple, primitive dialectic, which is the so-called "great skill appears clumsy, great straightness appears crooked." When things go to extremes, the result is often not destruction, but rather transformation into their own opposite.
Lin Zhuo's pursuit of true martial arts is now beginning to take shape.
That is to use the most complex method of channeling energy in the world to complete the simplest moves and routines in the world.
In the courtyard shrouded in moonlight and mist, Lin Zhuo slowly clenched his fists and swung his palms, his body surging with powerful true energy. Every movement was laborious and slow, as if he were wearing a suit of lead-filled iron armor, or an old steed about to die from exhaustion in the fields.
He unleashed pure, unadulterated destructive energy, yet the changes in the energy's power were extremely complex, like a turbulent current beneath a deep sea, sometimes bending, sometimes straight, sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling, sometimes pressing, sometimes lifting, sometimes shaking, sometimes still, sometimes sealing, sometimes releasing, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes sharp, sometimes slow, sometimes real, sometimes illusory.
The mysteries and wonders of the changes in Qi are too numerous to describe, like a group of dragons soaring freely, infinitely wondrous.
The clouds and smoke on the ground were enveloped by the invisible true energy he unleashed, transforming into long snakes that surged and swirled around him. At first, their shapes were scattered, but they gradually gathered into a perfectly round energy shield with a radius of six feet. The center of the sphere was located at the Qi Sea on his spine, completely engulfing his entire body.
A huge cloud of fog reflected the cold, white light of the stars and moon, resembling a second moon on Earth, while a resolute and upright figure could be seen faintly within it.
Three pairs of eyes were secretly watching him from the window of the small building, gazing at this strange sight, each with their own thoughts.
Zhu Baixuan suddenly turned his head, his gaze passing through the walls and roof tiles to look outside. He pushed up his conical hat, transformed into a black and white child, jumped out of the window, and flew away lightly, landing in the fields on the outskirts of the town not far away.
Before him stood a masked man, sneaking around trying to figure out what was going on in the courtyard, but he was caught red-handed by the owner before he could even get close.
The masked man immediately chuckled and said, "I'm just passing by. Don't be nervous. We're just strangers from the martial world meeting by chance. Why don't we pretend we didn't see each other?"
"Mu Xiaofan, I've heard Junior Brother Lin mention you before." Zhu Baixuan's words immediately revealed everything about the masked man.
Tie Yingjie was startled by what he heard and felt a surge of frustration. How could his disguise be seen through so easily? Was it really that bad?
Or is it that these outsiders have a special ability to judge people?
"Haha, I heard from the innkeeper in town today that there's a little deity wearing a panda headgear. Is that you, sir? Seeing is believing, indeed. I just remembered I forgot to extinguish the candles at home, so I'll head back now."
Seeing that he was about to leave, Zhu Baixuan said, "If you believe that I am a god, go to the house of your beloved and find out if there is a plum tree planted by the small lake in her backyard, and if there are raindrop marks on the trunk of the plum tree."
"Raindrop marks?" Tie Yingjie's heart tightened suddenly, but he feigned confusion, "Is there any significance to these marks?"
"That's the secret code of the Cangcheng Rain Blade Hall in Hexi County, Xiaoshui Prefecture. Their hall master heard that the martial arts alliance was changing hands and was worried that the new leader would pursue the Cangcheng massacre and seek justice for the destroyed Fengjianlou Tie family. So he wanted to find the last survivor of the Tie family to settle the matter once and for all and eliminate any future troubles. After all, in this martial arts world, no one cares about the grudges and feuds of the dead."
Upon hearing this news, Tie Yingjie was in turmoil, but he managed to remain calm and continued to probe, "Does Your Excellency know why these members of the Rain Blade Hall came to Liquan Town? And why they went to Wan'er's house?"
"Well, I can tell you directly, after all, Master always says not to be a riddle teller. The Rain Blade Hall has been tracking the clues of the Iron Family Orphan for many years, and it's not surprising that they finally found Liquan Town. The Iron Family Orphan, that is, you, has a close relationship with Wei Xiaowan, which is common knowledge in the town. Next, they will test your martial arts skills, and after fully confirming your identity, they will kidnap her to blackmail you into going to the appointment alone."
Tie Yingjie lost his parents at a young age and lacked love. When he heard that his beloved was in danger, he lost his composure, hurriedly thanked her, and ran away.
Zhu Baixuan's voice, like a whisper, echoed in his ears: "You're welcome to visit the courtyard sometime. Remember to come during the day next time."
The departing figure stumbled on the rooftop, then ran even faster.
Zhu Baixuan smiled as it watched this very familiar stranger leave. It had dealt with Tie Yingjie countless times and knew him inside and out, but every time it re-entered the instance, it had to get to know him all over again.
It was quite troublesome, but Zhu Baixuan was patient and persistent.
For these characters in the storyline, players of the crossover network are like time travelers who can infinitely reshape time; behind every seemingly instant connection lies a long-awaited reunion.
Zhu Baixuan still remembers a time when he was exploring the map alone, he was busy collecting brewing ingredients the whole time, letting the main storyline develop on its own.
When it first met Tie Yingjie, it was already winter.
The last surviving member of the Tie family returned to Cangcheng, but apart from the helpers and heroes of the Martial Alliance, he had no relatives or friends left. His old acquaintances had either died violently or cut off all contact with him.
At that time, Tie Yingjie stood on the site of the old Fengjian Tower, looking at his old home that had been transformed into a bustling theater, and knew that his parents, brothers and sisters had not even left behind a grave.
The expression on his face stayed with Zhu Baixuan for a long time.
And there's Tie Yingjie's speech in the theater crowd.
"Mother, you always said that many years later, I would become a great hero, settle down, and have many children and grandchildren. But now I have arrived many years later, and this place is still desolate. That's bad enough, but why aren't you by my side? Who can I tell..."
During the subsequent map exploration, Zhu Baixuan will participate in the main storyline.
The moon sets at midnight, the Milky Way shines brightly. The incense burner cools, the afterglow fades.
Suddenly, a deep, loud rumble echoed in the courtyard of Sishui Guitang, as if some huge and invisible creature had flown across the sky, causing the air to collapse violently and emit an explosive howl.
After the first bang, a second bang quickly followed, even more deafening, the roar of the air causing the window frames and tiles of the small building to tremble and shake.
With extremely calm and slow movements, Lin Zhuo pushed a simple palm towards the sky. All the swirling energy around his body gathered in his palm, forming a round ball of energy that rapidly collapsed towards the center. Then, he unleashed a powerful force that had been accumulating to its limit in front of his palm.
Suddenly, a third explosion rang out in the courtyard.
The laurel petals and leaves fell one after another, leaving only the bare crown of the tree. Hundreds of households in Liquan Town were awakened from their sleep, shouting "Thunder! Thunder!" The chickens and dogs in the streets barked in panic, and flocks of birds in the suburban woods took flight.
There was no fourth sound, because the person who made the move had already stopped, standing under the tree looking up at the sky, his shoulders covered with fallen osmanthus blossoms.
Ding--
Skill created successfully! Evaluating skill level against the built-in database...
Please name this skill; you may choose whether or not to leave a comment.
【The Fallen Dragon (Medium Grade, White)】
[Great skill is like a thousand dragons soaring through the sky, great clumsiness is like ten thousand peaks falling to the ground. This method is straightforward, relying solely on a single palm strike, yet the exquisite subtlety of its force is unparalleled. Before the palm strike even lands, the opponent is already as if trapped in quagmire, unable to move an inch. There is no escape, no avoidance; the overwhelming power of the palm strike is utterly unstoppable.]
Learning progress: 0% (Base multiplier × 1)
Current effect: During the execution of this technique, the power of [Crushing] True Qi is adjusted to (400% + 14 × [Cultivation Level 0%]); after fully executing this technique, one stack of "Hidden Dragon" buff is gained. For each stack of this buff, the next time this technique is executed, an additional attack power bonus equivalent to (100% + 5 × [Cultivation Level 0%]) [Crushing] True Qi power is gained, stacking up to 2 times.
(When your profession level reaches Lv3 and your learning progress reaches 99%, you can try to break through the bottleneck and unlock the next effect.)
My true self is thus, sweeping away all enemies. —Mayfly Mountain
Excellent palm technique. —Comment from a user named "The Great Swordsman Loves Noodles" (2 likes)
Lin Zhuo was surprised to see the comments from various online sources appearing in the skill description.
If a player creates a skill or crafts an item and does not choose to keep it private, the information will be synchronized to the built-in database of the network. Other players can search for these items in the forum and then make their own evaluations.
However, there are so many white-quality items that players usually don't bother searching for and commenting on them on forums.
Unless it's a friend who's specifically there to support them.
He looked around and saw a pair of cheerful, bright eyes behind the windows on the second floor of each of the three small buildings to the east, west, and north.
Lin Zhuo smiled and waved to them.
It was getting late, time to rest. He didn't want to practice any more martial arts tonight; he just wanted to get a good night's sleep.