Book 2: Chapter 22: Guess I'll Suffer Again

Book 2: Chapter 22: Guess I’ll Suffer Again

Inside his own Self Defense Freshman Dormitory room, when faced with the academy’s night sky and distant mountains and starry sky, Lin Xi’s figure continuously moved in a fixed sequence, stretching his body, lowering it, twisting his waist, sliding his feet, turning his elbows, releasing a fist, pulling back his shoulders…

He was like a leopard in the darkness of night, stretching out his muscles and bones, reaching out its claws, slowly turning over.

These were Green Luan Academy’s Twenty Four Body Forms Technique. Even though it didn’t seem that complicated or mysterious, in the mountains behind the academy’s Ailao Peak,those lecturers who dealt with a sea of information each day, referred to as the “Milky Way” by Principal Zhang, had previously carried out a long and extensive amount of research on it. The conclusion they reached was that when fighting on the battlefield, ninety percent of instinctive reactions and movements were a combination of these exact movements. 

Among them, there were some movements that trained one’s flesh and ligaments to be stretched to their extreme, allowing the body to become more flexible, more nimble, possess more explosive power.

When all of these movements were trained well, they would naturally display instinctive reactions when facing danger, avoiding attacks with the greatest precision like a conditioned reflex.

After repeating this Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique several dozen times, sweat already soaked through Lin Xi’s clothes, a layer of steam rising from his back, but Lin Xi still didn’t stop and rest. He first practiced the strange forms Luo Houyuan taught him, and then he picked up a tree branch that was the length of an arm, continuously swinging it.

The tree branch was clearly being treated like a blade, and he was using this ‘blade’ to cut in certain patterns in the air, as if there was a special arc. It corresponded with his body’s twisting motion, the movements of his arms and wrists, allowing the ‘blade’ to move extremely swiftly from one strike to the next, giving one the feeling that this ‘blade’ was constantly dancing through the air, extremely smooth without any rigid turns.

Even though some of his movements were still rather unfamiliar… judging from the swooshing noises this branch produced in the air, it was clear that these strikes’ speed was already quite excellent.

After practicing for about fifteen minutes more, Lin Xi, whose movements became much more fierce, stopped. His face was covered in sweat, but he couldn’t be bothered to even wash up first, falling onto his bed in exhaustion just like that.

He hadn’t been in the academy for that long, only four days had passed since An Keyi taught him these blade movements, and only during yesterday’s Martial Skills class did Xu Shengmo, who never showed him any good expressions, teach them all the Green Luan Academy’s Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique. However, compared to the past him when he rushed to Four Seasons Plains to join the great entrance examination, his originally frail and weak body now seemed to have become much tougher. His body’s muscles also developed beautiful curves, as if they concealed some hidden and dormant power.

However, right now, these muscles within his body were ravaged by soreness, especially his arms, which even more so felt like there was lead poured over them, not only sore, but also having a type of heavy and swelling feeling. Even after he slowly breathed in and out for a long time, he still didn’t want to move even a single finger.

….

“Seems like I should seek out Lecturer Mu Qing tomorrow, see if she can get me a real long blade. That way, the effects of training will become even better.”

Lin Xi, who was lying on his bed, finally stabilized his breathing. He gazed into the starlight outside his window, muttering to himself.

“There really isn’t enough time in a day…”

After thinking over this matter of getting his hands on a real blade, Lin Xi released a light sigh. He should be able to head to the training valley again tomorrow.

During these past few days, apart from meditation cultivation, his mind was almost completely filled with thoughts about the training valley, facing opponents, and the Direct Spear Strikes Trial matters. However, there was the windstalker training, and then he also had his studies, not to mention the Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique and the blade movements An Keyi taught him, so what time did he have left to temper himself in the training valley?

It was to the extent where he even had to cut some of his meditation cultivation time.

The only thing that left him feeling satisfied was that his cultivation seemed to have increased a bit. The wave of energy in his dantian seemed to have become a bit stronger, and the injuries within his body also finally healed.

“There’s not enough time… right… wasting is still wasting… either way, that middle-aged uncle said that using this roulette won’t make it disappear…”

Originally, he clearly still wanted to lay on the bed lazily for a bit longer, but suddenly, his eyes lit up, actually sitting up from his bed.

“Return!”

Lin Xi shouted this word firmly.

The world around him suddenly changed. He returned to ten minutes ago, in his hands the tree branch that wasn’t that light.

However, when he looked at this branch in his hands, his originally complacent and excited expression immediately disappeared, and then a bitter expression appeared on his face. “This is just suffering another round of pain… it really isn’t something to feel that great about…”

…

A setting sun hung from the sky, the mountain forest secluded and quiet.

Recently, Jiang Xiaoyi persistently searched through the training valley every single day, now already familiar with three-fourths of this training valley’s topography, yet he didn’t find that mysterious and strange black-armored ‘Silver Fox’.

During these past few days, Jiang Xiaoyi’s accomplishments were both good and bad. He had two records of withdrawing with five emblems, but yesterday, he was ambushed by an opponent, hacked by a battle-axe until he couldn’t get up for a long time, forcing him to withdraw without a single emblem.

More and more new students were entering the training valley, there was almost no need to worry about not finding opponents.

Right now, the weapons in his hands were a round shield and a nine segment whip, as well as a short blade on his back. 

Suddenly, he stopped. He heard a trace of irregular noise from the forest to his right.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately quietly rushed into the mountain forest.

All of a sudden, Jiang Xiaoyi felt as if thunder struck his body, shaking all over.

Silver Fox!

He immediately saw that a longsword user was facing a staff wielder. The one who was using the longsword, the symbol on the chest of his black armor, was precisely the Silver Fox symbol he had been waiting for all this time!

Meanwhile, the moment Jiang Xiaoyi recognized the symbol on that person’s black armor, both the longsword wielding black armored-student and the long staff wielding-black armored student already charged at each other.

The black staff smashed over viciously.

The originally viciously charging ‘Silver Fox’ suddenly stopped, the rod passing in front of his body, barely missing him, not hitting anything.

Bang!

An explosive sound rang out. The longsword in his hand smashed heavily against the staff that already moved past his body, making the black staff wielder’s body stagger, almost lose his balance.

Pa!

However, ‘Silver Fox’ didn’t stop in the slightest, fiercely stabbing towards this student’s calf. The moment this student staggered and fell, the black longsword in Silver Fox’s hands was brought down fiercely, hacking at this student’s neck!

Jiang Xiaoyi was immediately dumbstruck! The face behind his silver mask was immediately filled with an expression of disbelief.

How was this possible?!

He definitely didn’t see incorrectly! This black-armored longsword wielder had a Silver Fox symbol on his chest, yet just several days ago, when this opponent faced him, apart from some archery skills, his close combat skills were far too lacking. Yet now, this Silver Fox’s movements were exceptionally clean, instantly dispatching his opponent.

If it was on the battlefield, this blow would have removed the other side’s head!

Could it be that during these past few days, he had been training bitterly in this training valley?

Even if he was training bitterly all this time in the training valley, his strength shouldn’t have increased so quickly! Moreover, the way he handled that blade… it made even him, an observer, feel a chill run down his body.

En?

Right at this time, Lin Xi, who had just removed a golden pentagon emblem from the fallen black-armored opponent, noticed Jiang Xiaoyi’s arrival.

The longsword wielding ‘Silver Fox’ was precisely Lin Xi.

Now that he felt that his body already completely recovered, and that his speed pursuing sword training had also reached a decent point, after today’s windstalker training ended, he immediately entered the training valley. It hadn’t been long since he got here.

This White Crane symboled, blacked-armored new student was momentarily knocked out. This was the first opponent he ran into.

Even though he successfully knocked down this opponent, the moment Lin Xi noticed Jiang Xiaoyi, his excited self couldn’t help but frown a bit, shivering inwardly.

He also recognized that Jiang Xiaoyi was the Black Flower Pike wielder he encountered last time.

This Natural Arts Department student with the Rose Flower symbol was clearly much stronger than the opponent he had just knocked down.

Meanwhile, just now, even though he used the longsword in his hands like a blade, he still felt like it wasn’t all that comfortable. After all, this longsword was hard and long, still quite different from the long blade that was naturally slightly curved.

The scene entered a momentary stillness, only the heavy breathing sounds of that student on the ground could be heard.

“You’ve appeared again. Today, everything is fair, both of us have four stars.” Jiang Xiaoyi was the first to speak out. He took a deep breath, and then closed in on Lin Xi.

Even though he felt like his opponent was a bit mysterious and strange, since they finally met again, the only thing left to do now was fight.

Lin Xi stood in place without moving, bringing the sword in front of him, watching as Jiang Xiaoyi approached. He noticed that the other party also had four golden pentagon emblems on his shoulder. With a slight chuckle, he said, “It is indeed quite fair.”

Jiang Xiaoyi didn’t say anything in response. He held the shield in front of him, and then suddenly accelerated, his entire being charging at Lin Xi.

His eyes were staring at the longsword in Lin Xi’s hands. However, Lin Xi laughed again. The sword holding right hand didn’t move, but his left hand shifted from behind him, rising towards Jiang Xiaoyi, a rock the size of a child’s head smashing outwards!

“You!”

Jiang Xiaoyi’s movements became a bit sluggish, his heart turning slightly cold, and only then did he react. The other party copied his trick from last time, actually secretly picking up a rock while removing the golden pentagon emblem from that black-armored student!

Only, during his moment of sluggishness, when he subconsciously raised the shield in his hands to block it, Lin Xi’s body shot forward. The longsword in his hand, along with his sudden charge, brushed the bottom of the shield as it hacked over!

Clang!

A loud and clear sound rang out. Jiang Xiaoyi brandished the nine jointed long whip in his hands, making contact with Lin Xi’s longsword, drawing forth several strings of sparks.

However, what immediately made Jiang Xiaoyi’s breathing stop, his eyes widen, was that before his long whip had time to move again, Lin Xi’s longsword already bounced off like a skipping stone on a lake, smashing towards his chest with a speed he could not evade.

Pa!

Jiang Xiaoyi’s body staggered backwards. This strike only made him lose his balance, not completely lose fighting strength. However, his eyes had already lost track of Lin Xi’s figure!

Lin Xi already moved to his side. 

Pa!

Pa!

Two heavy blows were applied to his right arm and neck!

A wave of intense dizziness and pain immediately made Jiang Xiaoyi fall heavily onto the ground, the shield and long whip leaving his hands.

“How is this possible… his attacks are linked so well, how could the strikes be that fast? Could it be that he was a hidden expert from the very beginning?”

While breathing painfully, he watched as Lin Xi spoke a word of apology, and then removed a golden pentagon emblem. This Silver Fox then stabbed the longsword into the ground, removed the short blade from Jiang Xiaoyi’s back, and then left. During this entire process, this was the only thought that filled Jiang Xiaoyi’s mind.