Chapter 62 - 54: Illegal Factory
Inside the training room.
The air seemed to have frozen in concentration.
Lin Yi was bare-chested, sweat trickling down the lines of his bulging muscles and splashing onto the floor.
His eyes were electric as he stared intently at a sheet of rice paper, thin as a cicada’s wing, hanging three meters in front of him.
On the paper, a mechanical fly the size of a mung bean buzzed its wings, its flight path erratic.
"Hah!"
With a low shout, Lin Yi twisted at his waist and hips. Power surged up from the ground, flowing seamlessly through his body.
The dark silver Owl Dragon C-82 Long Spear in his hand transformed into a streak of black light, tearing through the air as it thrust with unerring accuracy toward the minuscule target!
SWISH!
The spear tip stopped abruptly, a hair’s breadth from the rice paper. The force of the wind it generated sent the paper fluttering violently, yet the tip itself never touched it.
As for the buzzing mechanical fly, it had been instantly pulverized by the focused energy contained within the spear tip, not leaving so much as a scratch on the paper.
"Stable! Accurate! Vicious!" Zhang Quan’s voice sounded from the side, carrying a hint of imperceptible approval. "You’ve grasped the essence of controlling and retracting your power. With this ’Thrust,’ you’ve finally gotten your foot in the door."
Lin Yi slowly withdrew his spear, its tip pointing to the ground, his chest heaving slightly.
This seemingly simple thrust was the culmination of seven days of almost masochistic, arduous practice of the "Thrust" form.
Just as Zhang Quan had said, thrusting a spear was not just about stabbing. It demanded absolute control over power, angle, and timing during an explosive burst, and even more importantly, the ability to perfectly retract that power in an instant to prepare for the next strike.
Every thrust was like walking on a cliff’s edge; the slightest deviation would lead to a massive error.
"But this is just the beginning." Zhang Quan’s tone shifted, turning cold and hard once more. "Of the ten spear forms, ’Thrust’ is merely the easiest one to master. ’Block’ requires skillful force to intercept an opponent’s attack, like a dam diverting a flood. ’Capture’ must lock down the opponent’s weapon, like a python coiling around its prey. ’Bind’ is like a vine wrapping around a tree, continuous and unending, wearing down the enemy’s will... Each form has its own unique way of channeling energy and requires specific timing, making them ten times more complex than ’Thrust’!"
Lin Yi took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering.
The Kidney-Water Spiritual Essence continuously soothed his aching muscles and mental fatigue, allowing him to maintain peak concentration at all times.
He once again assumed his stance and began to practice ’Block’ and ’Capture’.
The spear shaft seemed to come alive in his hands. At times it was like a spiritual snake striking from its hole, precisely parrying the attacks Zhang Quan simulated with a wooden staff. At others, it was like an iron chain stretched across a river, cleverly entangling the "enemy" weapon in an attempt to disarm it.
Every collision produced a dull thud, making the webbing between his thumb and forefinger go numb. Yet, his eyes grew brighter and brighter as he perceived the changes in force transmitted through the spear shaft with increasing clarity.
"Footwork! Footwork is the soul of the spear!" Zhang Quan shouted sternly. At the same time, his own footwork became unpredictable, instantly closing or widening the distance, the angles of his wooden staff’s attacks becoming incredibly tricky.
Lin Yi’s Spirit was highly focused, and his footwork changed rapidly!
Bow-Lunge Step! His center of gravity sank, like an old tree setting its roots, to firmly meet the opponent’s charge.
Dragon-Riding Step! He slid in from the side, like a dragon swimming in the shallows, evading the brunt of the attack while aiming his spear tip at the opponent’s ribs.
Empty Step! His front foot tapped lightly as he shifted his weight back. The moment his opponent’s strength waned, his spear shot out like a viper’s tongue!
Pad Step! A short, explosive burst to instantly close in, the long spear following like a shadow!
Sliding Step! His feet skimmed the ground as if treading on thin ice. While dodging a sweeping attack, he pressed down with his spear shaft, attempting to break his opponent’s balance.
Sweat had long since blurred his vision, but Lin Yi’s perception was heightened to its absolute peak.
He no longer relied solely on his eyes. Instead, he used every vibration and every change in force transmitted through the spear shaft to predict Zhang Quan’s next move and adjust his own footwork and spear techniques.
When should he meet force with force?
When should he evade?
When should he close in and press the attack?
When should he pull back and fight from a distance?
Grasping the timing for all of this was a hundred times harder than simply practicing the forms!
"Do you feel it?" Zhang Quan suddenly stopped his assault, his gaze burning as he stared at Lin Yi. "The spear is moving, the energy is flowing! Your spear, my staff—with every clash, the magnitude, direction, and intent of the force are all transmitted through the shaft to your hands! This is the first step to ’Listening to the Spear’s Energy’!"
He walked to the corner of the training room and picked up two thick, black strips of cloth.
"True ’listening to energy’ requires you to discard visual distractions and rely purely on your sense of touch! Come, blindfold yourself!"
Lin Yi did as he was told, tying the cloth strips tightly over his eyes.
Instantly, his world plunged into darkness, leaving only the sound of the wind and his own heartbeat.
However, his Spiritual Nose Spirit Essence activated at that moment. Even without his eyes, the pheromones in the air constructed an image of his surroundings in his mind.
He had no choice but to focus his mind on his nose.
And shut down the ability of his Spiritual Nose Spirit Essence.
Finally.
The entire world plunged into darkness.
"Watch out!"
Zhang Quan’s voice rang out in the darkness, followed immediately by the sharp sound of something cutting through the air from his left!
Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and he focused all his attention on his hands!
The vibrations traveling up the spear shaft were instantly magnified!
It wasn’t a simple impact force, but a twisting, grinding energy!
"’Bind’!"
Understanding dawned in his mind. He retreated with an Empty Step while flicking his wrist, causing the spear shaft to coil upward like a spiritual snake in an attempt to neutralize the twisting force with softness.
CRACK!
The two shafts met. Lin Yi felt his spear get diverted by a skillful force, and his opponent’s power seemed to vanish without a trace.
"Wrong! It’s a feint! ’Capture’!"
Zhang Quan’s voice held a testing tone.
Lin Yi immediately changed his move. The spear shaft dipped, sealing and closing, exuding a steady ’Capture’ energy as he tried to lock down his opponent’s follow-up move.
However, the force from the spear shaft suddenly vanished!
"Sliding Step! ’Point’!"
Zhang Quan’s shout arrived at almost the same time as his attack!
A cold glint of light seemed to pierce the darkness, stabbing straight for Lin Yi’s right shoulder!
It was incredibly fast!
The hairs on Lin Yi’s body stood on end!
’Listen to the energy!’
’It’s all up to listening to the energy!’
He caught the almost imperceptible sound of something tearing through the air and the faint disturbance in the airflow as the tip was about to hit him!
In the nick of time, he twisted his waist violently. Simultaneously, he switched his long spear from ’Capture’ to ’Collapse,’ the shaft snapping up like a massive tree branch that had been bent back, and the butt of the spear, like a hammer, struck the incoming staff’s tip by the barest of margins!
CLANG!
A crisp sound rang out!
The impact sent a numbing jolt through Lin Yi’s arm. He stumbled back two steps before steadying himself, his heart pounding wildly.
He had blocked it, but it had been a clumsy defense.
Zhang Quan pulled off his blindfold, a rare, even slightly excited smile appearing on his face.
"Good! Very good! Your block was ugly, but you were able to judge my ’Point’ strike and react in complete darkness, relying only on touch and listening to the energy! Your perceptive talent is even more astonishing than I imagined! You’ve truly found the doorway to listening to the spear’s energy!"
He clapped Lin Yi on the shoulder, his tone unprecedentedly solemn.
"Remember that feeling! The spear isn’t just a deadly weapon; it’s an extension of your perception of the outside world! Man and spear as one, listening to energy to discern the situation—this is the beginning of the profound path of the spear! Keep practicing. Carve this feeling into your very bones!"
「The days that followed.」
Lin Yi’s life fell into an extreme routine.
He traveled a straight line between two points: the school’s Martial Dao hall and the training room at Zhang Quan’s house.
During the day, under Zhang Quan’s strict supervision, he deconstructed, combined, and painstakingly refined the ten spear forms and various footwork techniques.
At night, he would return to the villa and continue consolidating his training in the first-floor living room, practicing the bow-lunge spear stance, often until late into the night.
The Kidney-Water Spiritual Essence made him tireless. Each rapid recovery after exhaustion allowed him to devote more time to honing his skills.
Although the collapse that followed periods of intense concentration was unavoidable.
But the joy he felt was the pure joy of immersing himself in the process and seeing his own tangible progress.
Every more precise ’Thrust,’ every more clever ’Block’ and ’Capture,’ every more fluid transition in his footwork, and every time he captured a clearer flow of the spear’s energy in the darkness sent him into raptures.
「Before he knew it, three more days had flown by in a blur of sweat and spear shadows.」
That evening, inside the dedicated second-floor training room of the villa, the lights stretched their two shadows long.
Zhang Quan looked at Lin Yi, who had just finished a high-intensity combination drill. Steam was rising from his body, yet his eyes remained clear. A heartfelt smile finally broke through the master’s serious expression.
"Lin Yi, your progress... is immense."
He paused, as if searching for the right words.
"In just ten short days, your execution of the ten spear forms—the power generation, angles, and transitions—has become almost instinctual. What’s even more commendable is that your footwork has begun to merge with your spear techniques. It’s no longer a rigid application of forms; you can now find the most appropriate moment to use your footwork based on your opponent’s movements. Although it’s still a bit rough, this level of comprehension is truly rare!"
He looked at Lin Yi, his eyes full of expectation.
"In terms of skill level, your basic spear arts have already stabilized at the ’Proficient Level’! Ten days, from zero to Proficient... You’ve done well! Very well!"
Lin Yi brought his spear to rest and stood straight, then gave a deep bow.
"It is all thanks to Teacher’s excellent guidance and meticulous instruction!"
Zhang Quan smiled, his expression tinged with reminiscence and emotion.
"I first touched a spear at five and reached the ’Control Level’ in spear arts at twelve. It took me a full seven years. I wonder... how long will it take you? I look forward to seeing the heights you’ll reach!"
He glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Alright, it’s getting late. That’s all for today. Go take a shower, rest well, and digest what you’ve learned."
"Yes! Thank you for your hard work, Teacher!" Lin Yi bowed respectfully and left the second-floor training room, covered in sweat but filled with a sense of satisfaction in his path of the spear.
Warm water washed over his weary body, carrying away the sweat and dust from his training.
Lin Yi toweled his wet hair and pushed open the door to his bedroom on the first floor.
He walked to his bed, about to lie down.
Suddenly!
His body went rigid as if struck by an invisible electric current, and he shot up from the bed!
In the darkness, his eyes erupted with an indescribably brilliant light.
’I finally... found it!’
’So it wasn’t underground. No wonder the Mosquito Avatar couldn’t find it even after thoroughly searching the entire sewer system of Yang City!’
’I should have thought of it sooner. This damn illegal breeding farm would have to be built somewhere with cheap food; otherwise, the profits could never cover the costs!’
’The garbage disposal plant outside the city!’
Lin Yi had been systematically training with the spear for ten days now.
As early as the fourth day, his Mosquito Avatar had already explored the sewer system but had not found any trace of the illegal breeding farm.
This had left Lin Yi feeling a little regretful at the time.
So afterward, Lin Yi had focused all his attention on his spear practice and hadn’t given the matter much thought, instead directing his Mosquito Avatar to hunt for Demon Beasts in the wild.
Who could have known?
He hadn’t found any Demon Beasts.
But he had found traces of the illegal breeding farm at the garbage disposal plant outside the city!
Was this an unexpected twist of fate?
How could this not make Lin Yi ecstatic?!
His Bone Tempering progress hadn’t improved for a good ten-plus days!
