C15 Run!!

The battlefield is the ultimate teacher and the finest crucible for honing Combat Skills.

This is particularly true for Combat Skills like the Eight Linked Forces, which are born from the heat of battle and require the tempering of blood.

Thus, on a night aglow with starlight, Lin Chen ventured alone into a shadowy and eerie forest.

Having employed the Qi Transformation and Breath Concealment Technique, Lin Chen was nearly undetectable to Demonic Beasts. If he adorned himself with green branches and nestled into the underbrush, he could easily pass for an innocuous palm tree.

He had been lying in wait for quite some time, perfectly still and exceedingly patient.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Then, something unexpected happened!

Suddenly, the nearby grass quivered... and out hopped a gray rabbit.

Lin Chen felt a wave of disappointment; his quarry was still nowhere to be seen.

Awoo...

Just as he settled back into stillness, a massive black shadow darted by. In the next instant, it was on the ground, ferociously tearing at the rabbit's warm carcass and beginning its feast.

Lin Chen's eyes lit up with excitement; his target had finally shown itself.

The Ironback Wolf, a formidable Rank 1 Demonic Beast, was notoriously tough to handle. Its very name suggested a beast that could withstand a beating, possessing remarkable resilience. The Ironback Wolf wasn't just tough; it was also vicious and incredibly swift.

Scanning the surroundings, Lin Chen saw no sign of any packmates; it was clear he was dealing with a Lone Wolf.

With no reason for hesitation, Lin Chen burst from the bushes like a tiger, charging at the Ironback Wolf with a ferocious momentum.

Ha!

He launched a punch through the air, unremarkable in speed and utterly ordinary in appearance.

Awoo!

The Ironback Wolf, alerted by the sound, turned just in time to see the fist almost upon it. Too late to evade, it let out a growl and was struck squarely on the head, sent tumbling through the air.

The Ironback Wolf rolled on the ground, then rose as if unscathed, its eyes glinting with malice. As it bared its teeth, the menacing snarl revealed a fearsome array of fangs.

It roared, its powerful hind legs propelling it forward with a sudden spring, charging at Lin Chen like an arrow shot from a bow. Its mouth gaped open, revealing the extreme sharpness of its wolf teeth, gleaming coldly as they aimed for Lin Chen's neck.

"Bring it on!" Lin Chen, fearless, bellowed, "Two hits!"

He twisted his waist, stepped forward, and delivered an upward punch with his right hand.

Bang!

His fist connected solidly with the jaw of the Ironback Wolf. This punch packed far more power than the last, sending the Ironback Wolf tumbling backward through the air.

Seizing the moment, Lin Chen contorted his body in a strange maneuver, closing the distance to the Ironback Wolf. Before the beast could even touch the ground, Lin Chen unleashed a barrage of punches, his fists striking like twin dragons bursting from the sea, landing heavily on the Ironback Wolf's flank.

Awoo~

The Ironback Wolf let out a pitiful howl as it was hurled against a large tree, blood spraying midair. It hit with a thud, then fell to the ground, twitching weakly.

Lin Chen approached for a closer look and confirmed it was beyond dead.

He exhaled deeply, steadying his breath, then bent down to extract the two fangs from the Ironback Wolf.

"How about that? Did I pass?" he asked with a wide smile.

Chen Wuji let out a cold laugh. "Your body is too stiff, not flexible enough, that's a fail! Your Fist Technique lacks smoothness and fluidity, fail! Your moves are too showy, not simple and practical, fail!"

Lin Chen's face fell into a frown as he complained, "Why are your standards so high? I thought I did quite well."

Chen Wuji scoffed, then retorted icily, "Still not convinced? Fine, I'll make you see the truth. Tell me, what is the essence of the Eight Linked Forces?"

Without hesitation, Lin Chen answered, "The Epic Point is the foundation, formless and invisible!"

"And what does that mean? Explain."

"The essence of the Eight Linked Forces lies in the Epic Points. Each force corresponds to a mysterious acupoint within the body. There are eight Epic Points in total, all connected in a straight line. You can only activate the next one after opening the first, and it's a one-way sequence. You must follow the order, activating the first Epic Point and delivering the corresponding punch, then immediately activate the next to leverage the accumulated power and speed of the previous punch, and so on."

Lin Chen cleared his throat and continued, "This is what it means to have the Epic Point as the foundation. The true power of the Eight Linked Forces lies in the stacking of strength and speed. The key is to activate the Epic Point. The force generated by one Epic Point can be carried over to the next, enhancing its power. Without the ability to open and close the Epic Points at will, you can't achieve that cumulative effect."

"Hmm, and what about being Formless?"

Chen Wuji pressed on.

"Formless... Uh, it's like hitting however I want, right? As long as I use my fists, there aren't any other specific requirements for the Eight Linked Forces, are there?" Lin Chen said, scratching his head uncertainly as he looked at Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji's face darkened as he hopped around, fuming, "Just hit however you want? You're going to be the death of me! Formless doesn't mean you whimsically perform all sorts of flashy moves. Do you think this is a show? This is a Combat Skill meant for the battlefield, where every move has one goal: to overcome the enemy! You could have settled a fight with just two moves, but you had to throw in an uppercut and a 'Double Dragon from the Sea,' turning it into a Three Linked Force?"

He was shaking with rage, and if it weren't for the concern of wasting Soul Energy, he would have been tempted to give this wayward student a thorough thrashing himself.

Lin Chen took the lesson to heart, realizing that indeed, he had overused the Eight Linked Forces just for the sake of looking cool.

Is it so wrong for a boy to want to show off a bit when he first masters an impressive Combat Skill?

"I was wrong, Master!"

Lin Chen said, bowing his head in a sincere apology.

Chen Wuji waved his hand and sighed, "The Divine Martial Bloodline is truly extraordinary, and your ability to understand is frightening. I've never seen anyone master the Three Linked Forces in just three days. You're quite the prodigy! But I think you've had enough practice with the Ironback Wolf. Continuing like this won't lead to much improvement. It's time to find a more formidable opponent."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement, "You're right. I've also noticed that without sufficient challenge, my progress with the Eight Linked Forces slows down considerably."

As he spoke, a sigh laced with melancholy escaped him, and his gaze, profound and distant, was filled with sorrow.

"I never anticipated advancing so rapidly. Even the formidable Ironback Wolves no longer pose a challenge to me. I'm suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of disorientation and vulnerability. The world is so vast..."

Awooo!

Lin Chen's voice was abruptly cut off as chilling howls of wolves echoed from every direction!

He had been unwittingly encircled by Ironback Wolves!

A cold sweat broke out on Lin Chen's back as he scanned his surroundings, his scalp tingling with dread.

From the grass, the bushes, and atop the stones, dozens upon dozens of blood-red eyes emerged, radiating ferocity, bloodlust, and... an endless enmity!

One thought dominated Lin Chen's mind — Run!