Chapter Fifty-Five: The Lin Family Spear

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"The spear, king of all weapons!"

Inside the martial hall's lecture room, a husky, deep voice echoed through the chamber, reaching the ears of every new student present.

"There is feint and reality, surprise and straightforwardness; its advance is sharp, its retreat swift, its momentum perilous, its rhythm brief! Unmoving as a mountain, moving as the thunder!"

On the lectern stood a disheveled middle-aged man, spear in hand, each phrase resounding powerfully.

Fang Xiao listened with rapt attention, afraid to miss a single word.

The man imparting his art was none other than Lin Chong, the spear and staff instructor of the martial hall.

Fang Xiao had spent three hundred taels of silver—a hefty sum—to select Lin Chong's "Spear of the Setting Sun Over the Long River" technique.

Perhaps its value and difficulty accounted for the high price.

Among all the new students in the same lecture room, including Fang Xiao, there were only seven.

Suddenly, Lin Chong raised his battered silver spear single-handedly, pointing it straight ahead.

Though his appearance was haggard, a sharp brilliance flashed in his once-dull eyes—like the silver-white spearhead itself!

A spray of spear flowers burst forth, cold frost scattering in dazzling arcs.

Thrust, stab, flick, slam, coil, circle, block, seize, sweep, tap, shift, whirl...

Despite the distance, every new student, Fang Xiao included, felt their hearts stirred, blood pounding with excitement.

The spear moves Lin Chong displayed surged like a river, ceaseless and grand beyond words.

Indeed, the price was justified!

At that moment, the shadows and chill of the spear vanished without a sound.

Lin Chong withdrew his battered silver spear.

His indifferent gaze swept the chamber, lingering briefly on each new student's face, as if to memorize them all.

He spoke coldly, "Class dismissed."

No sooner had his words faded than the academy's bell rang outside.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, the taut string of their nerves suddenly loosened.

The seven new students stood in unison, bowing to Lin Chong. "Thank you, instructor!"

Lin Chong nodded. "See you at the training field this afternoon."

With that, he turned and left.

The students followed, heading to the dining hall for lunch.

Only Fang Xiao remained, lost in thought.

[Scarlet Sun Codex]

[Unshaken by all martial arts, impervious to all sorcery, invulnerable to all evil]

[Dragon-Tiger Stance (Perfected)]

[Demon-Subduing Fist (Proficient): 5/40]

[Lin Family Spear (Beginner): 0/10]

[Experience: 34]

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[...]

Today was Fang Xiao's first lesson in Lin Chong's spear technique.

He had managed, simply by observing the instructor's demonstration, to learn a spear art!

Had it not been for the Scarlet Sun Codex's notification, Fang Xiao wouldn't have realized he'd "picked up" the skill for free.

The term "picked up" he had learned from Daoist Pang, and found it quite apt.

But he declined to use it.

Scratching his head, Fang Xiao felt he ought to pay Lin Chong for the skill, but the martial directory contained no such spear technique as the "Lin Family Spear."

How could he explain it to the instructor?

Feeling uneasy, Fang Xiao went to the dining hall first.

After eating his fill, he headed to the training field to practice his martial arts.

Through days of diligent effort, his "Demon-Subduing Fist" had gained five experience points.

With just one more point, he could invest all his accumulated experience and advance the fist to the master level!

On the verge of leveling up, Fang Xiao trained with extra vigor.

He repeated the set of fist techniques again and again, sweat soaking then drying on his clothes, leaving marks behind.

At this moment, Fang Xiao was oblivious to the curious glances cast his way.

Until suddenly, in his vision...

[Demon-Subduing Fist +1]

[Demon-Subduing Fist (Proficient): 6/40]

Success!

Effort never goes unrewarded!

Fang Xiao was elated.

Without hesitation, he poured all his Scarlet Sun Codex experience into the fist art.

[Demon-Subduing Fist (Master): 0/80]

Crack!

A clear vibration sounded from Fang Xiao's tailbone.

As if a switch in his body had been flipped, the same crisp resonance echoed from various joints, continuous and unending, unleashing pure, powerful energy that surged through his meridians and acupoints.

A strange tingling sensation spread through every muscle and bone.

All his pores opened wide!

Fang Xiao naturally assumed the Dragon-Tiger Stance, suppressing the turmoil within.

Then he continued to perform fist forms, venting the swelling energy!

His mind brimmed with countless inspirations, all related to the fist art.

It felt as though he had spent over a decade honing this technique, now truly mastering its power and touching its essence.

The enlightenment gained at this moment marked the true mastery of the fist.

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Fang Xiao exhaled a long, turbid breath, feeling light enough to float.

A profound ease inside and out!

Then he noticed the heavy stench of sweat clinging to him.

With the afternoon class not yet begun, Fang Xiao hurried to the academy's bathhouse and changed into clean clothes.

Fortunately, he had come prepared, keeping a spare outfit in his bag.

Otherwise, he himself couldn't have endured the reek!

When Fang Xiao returned to the training field, he caught the sound of the afternoon class bell.

Instructor Lin Chong appeared right on time, bringing a bundle of spears for the seven new disciples.

One for each student.

These were practice spears, blunt and rounded at the tip, greatly reducing their lethality.

Fang Xiao handled his spear, familiarizing himself with it.

Compared to his refined black-iron spear, this practice spear was lighter and lacked the same feel.

But Fang Xiao wasn't picky.

He gripped the spear and, with the other new students, followed Lin Chong in practicing basic spear forms, taking it seriously.

Once everyone had grasped the fundamentals, the instructor went around correcting and advising each student.

Though Lin Chong looked ragged and unkempt, he was meticulous and responsible in his guidance.

As Fang Xiao stood at the back, he was the last to be corrected.

Watching Fang Xiao's spear practice, Lin Chong didn't immediately demonstrate or instruct.

Instead, his expression gradually shifted.

Sensing the instructor's aura, Fang Xiao instinctively stopped practicing.

Lin Chong was, by Fang Xiao's reckoning, the strongest martial artist he had encountered in this world—an impression born of intuition.

Yet Fang Xiao felt no malice from the instructor, even as Lin Chong's aura locked firmly onto him.

Suddenly, Lin Chong moved, gripping Fang Xiao's shoulder.

He asked in a deep voice, "Have you studied the Lin Family Spear before?"

Fang Xiao shook his head reflexively. "No."

"Impossible!"

Lin Chong's gaze became sharp as a blade.

Fang Xiao quickly replied, "I watched your spear practice this morning and picked up a few things."

"Instructor, I will pay for it!"