Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“Alright,” Geezer Shi hesitated, “But don’t embarrass me.”
Miluo, Shengxiang and Nanzheng were between China and war-torn areas, within which dwelt many of the friends Geezer Shi’s made in his earlier years.
So much for your confidence in me... Lou Cheng complained secretly, knowing it was Shi Jianguo’s pride at work.
He brooded for a few seconds and asked curiously,
“Master, who are the up and coming young players in these four countries?”
“How would I know? Why would an old geezer like me give a darn about what those younglings are up to?” Geezer Shi replied disdainfully. “For sure they have some fighters at the Inhuman stage, but not more than a handful. Now hurry and pass me the Fighting Formula.”
“Okay.” With the layout of Senior Sister’s apartment in the back of his mind, Lou Cheng sprang up and dashed into the study. He whipped out a sheet of rice paper, laid it out flatly, set paperweights on it, then picked up a brush and drowned it in ink.
Taking a deep breath, he began to concentrate, visualizing the Dou character stroke by stroke in his mind, and feeling something surging in him—a mixture of explosive power, strength, vigor and unyielding spirit.
With suspended wrists, he pressed down on the brush. The ink spread like fire as though it was trying to escape the confinement of the paper.
Lou Cheng withdrew his brush, admiring the charming word he had written and nodded with satisfaction.
This was way more artistic than his normal signature!
Lou Cheng’s spirit, Qi, blood, and force had not yet reached the level of “connecting heaven and earth,” therefore the essence in his Fighting Formula decays with time and only lasts one to three months. Similar to the Forwarding Formula he had written for Wang Xu, once decayed it would no longer be of great use to visualization and Kungfu practice, aside from the lingering effects. After a few years, it will be nothing more than a piece of scrap paper.
Doesn’t matter, he could always write them a new one anyway... And it wouldn’t take Queen of Thought and Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame more than a month to master it at their current levels, with prior experience no less. With his thoughts racing, Lou Cheng grabbed the writing and presented it to Geezer Shi, smiling.
“Here, Master, the Fighting Formula.”
“That’s it?” Geezer Shi asked, astonished.
What about the items related to the Fighting Formula from Old Nanny Qiu?
Lou Cheng replied to his disbelief with an embarrassed smile.
“Master, the item Old Nanny Qiu had was barely in one piece. When I was comprehending the essence of the Dou character, I had to fill in many missing pieces by myself, just like that time with the Xing character from the notes at Shushan Study.”
As he spoke, he was scrolling through his phone gallery to find the picture of the jade plate he had taken for Yan Zheke. He left the real thing at home, seeing it would make a meaningful gift for his little fairy when he goes to America in September.
Geezer Shi took a glance and coughed dryly, resuming his know-it-all attitude.
“Didn’t I tell you that you are fated with the Nine Words Formula? You are almost half a disciple of the Longhu Immortal.”
He kept the Fighting Formula Lou Cheng had written as he spoke. “Anyway, it’s good that you are here. Take this time to get your American visa done before you worry about the competition. As for now, practice your Kungfu, suppress any signs of morphing, and try to grasp the basics of Ice Spirit Force visualization as quickly as possible.”
From the inside of his linen, he took out his treasured rolled-up diagram.
“This is a memento from my prime. Don’t you dare lose it, brat!Initially I planned to give you my Master’s diagram, but on second thought, with the evolution of martial arts, his comprehensions are probably a tad outdated, so I decided to give you mine instead,” he said tongue in cheek.
“Master, you can paint visualization diagrams?” asked Lou Cheng, with sincere awe and admiration.
“Of course! Don’t forget that I was only a level away from stepping into the forbidden area in my prime,” said Geezer Shi with pride in his eyes.
Lou Cheng did not hide his admiration as he received the diagram. Corresponding to the Ice Spirit force, it felt almost weightless in his hands, as if it was a hollow void that retained nothing—not even a trace of warmth. Yet the coldness, darkness and loneliness it gave off seemed to be absolute and eternal.
In that moment, Lou Cheng felt his thoughts drift into an endless realm of darkness as the biting cold greeted him. When he snapped out of it, he was met with his Master’s grin.
“The Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram.”
Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram...Lou Cheng nodded slightly. As he unfolded the diagram, he saw rays of clear, wavy light etched on it. Contrasted by the darkness, it was pure, dreamy and beautiful—yet at the same time it emitted loneliness, darkness and a biting chill.
Geezer Shi smiled. “Ice Spirit Force is the combination of Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram and The Frozen River Diagram. Once you complete your morphing, your force will grow closer to its purest form, and by then you’ll only need the Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram which can be used hand in hand with the explosive force from your Dantian.”
“Mm.” Lou Cheng inhaled, tingling with excitement at the prospect of acquiring Mighty Kungfu.
Undoubtedly, it would take way longer to master as compared to the Nine Words Formula, which took him only ten to twenty minutes, so he had to suppress any effects of morphing triggered by the process.
That being the case, I should have begun training Ice Spirit Force and Emperor Yan Force first. But I doubt even master had expected me to make the breakthrough so quickly and approach the Inhuman stage...
Sigh, Is it my unpredictable awesomeness that makes Master seem unreliable? He reflected.
For the next few days, other than heading out to apply for his visa application, he spent most of his free time comprehending the Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram. With his own knowledge of the Frost Force and the fruit of two years’ worth of training in the Ice Sect, he began to make some progress.
As the King of Youth Pro League drew near, his visa already in hand, Lou Cheng finally received the Emperor Yan diagram, its essence rapidly fading and expiring in a matter of days. It seems like the military got their little revenge on him.
It was the polar opposite of the Ice Spirit Holy Light diagram. The single sheet of paper felt immensely heavy, as if it held a mountain of volcanic ashes that kept piling up, eventually collapsing and igniting everything in its path and spitting out scorching hot lava.
On the diagram was an immortal in traditional dress, his center a core that spread into layers of multicolored flames, transforming into an imperial robe. It was terrifying and majestic at the same time.
Paired with the Prairie Fire Diagram from before, he could finally master the Emperor Yan Force!
“Okay brat, don’t slack off. Only morph after you restore your balance through mastering both Ice and Flame,” Geezer Shi went on, “Before you depart to Huahai tomorrow, meet up with the others at Haidong Airport. Here’s the guide’s contact number... Even though it’s an individual competition, you have to go as a group. Otherwise, heh, you won’t even get past the language barrier.”
The competition was to be held in Shengxiang’s capital, Fuluo.
“Master, who else is participating?” Lou Cheng inquired curiously.
He was wondering if he would see familiar faces.
With a sardonic laugh came a gruff reply, “Didn’t ask!”
“....” Lou Cheng knew better than to ask any further questions and went back to his room to pack his belongings.
He drew his phone and texted Yan Zheke. “Going to Huahai... Can’t believe my first trip overseas is to Shengxiang and not America. (Insert snickering).”
No reply. It was midnight over there.
Lou Cheng stared at his phone in silence as his longing for Yan Zheke overwhelmed him with emotions.
Snapping out of it, he phoned the guide to confirm the details for the meeting. By the time he had booked his train ticket, it was almost night. That’s when Yan Zheke’s reply came at last. “I can’t watch your match live this time, again [wipes tears]... Luckily I’ll still be able to find the replays online in America!”
“Ha ha, don’t worry about it. I’m not feeling too confident since I can barely understand what is written on the opponent’s data,” replied Lou Cheng humbly, his mood lifted all of a sudden.
The following day, to no avail, he attempted to comprehend the Emperor Yan Force.
After breakfast, Lou Cheng slung his belongings on his back and headed towards the train station. Before noon, he was already at Haidong Airport.
It was around 2PM when he spotted the competition guide, Zhong Ningtao, in the departure hall.
“Alright! Please hold on for a moment, the rest will be here anytime now.” Zhong Ningtao was a man of average height with slicked back hair and a warm smile.
“Alright.” Lou Cheng did not ask who else was going, instead he whipped out his phone and reported to his wife. “I arrived. Can’t wait to know the identity of my teammates! [smiling]”
As soon as he hit “Send,” he felt a resonance. Looking back, he saw a young man in white T-shirt and shorts walking towards him. With his luggage in hand, a relaxed smile, and a distant look in his eyes, it was no other than Peng Leyun!