#6 - Eight Steps to Chase the Cicada, Eight Desolate Palms
【Task: Spar with Lin Xia. Reward: A bottle of second-grade Qi and Blood Pills. Completed. Claim reward?】
“Don't claim!”
Hearing the system's prompt, with Lin Xia present, Lin Yun refused to claim it, waiting to return home to retrieve it.
“Lin Yun, little brother, you've mastered two martial arts. You have a real talent for martial arts cultivation. Let's go, I'll take you to the Martial Arts Hall.”
Lin Xia said happily.
Before long, the two arrived at the Martial Arts Hall.
Before entering the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yun also tentatively created tasks.
【Task: Obtain a movement martial art. Reward: A pair of iron shoes weighing one hundred pounds.】
【Task: Obtain a second-grade martial art. Reward: A second-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.】
“It actually worked!” Lin Yun thought joyfully, silently giving the system a thumbs up.
The guards at the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall recognized Lin Xia. After a brief exchange, they agreed to let Lin Xia bring Lin Yun in.
Stepping into the Martial Arts Hall, a scholarly aroma permeated the air. The Martial Arts Hall had a considerable area, with crisscrossing redwood shelves filled with numerous martial arts books.
This wasn't Lin Yun's first time entering.
However, before he had only been in the first-grade martial arts area.
“Come, let's directly choose from the second-grade martial arts.”
Lin Xia pulled Lin Yun forward, passing the first few rows of redwood shelves, arriving at the second-grade martial arts area.
Compared to the first-grade martial arts, the number of second-grade martial arts was greatly reduced, with only three or four bookshelves, containing about a hundred books.
Lin Yun first looked for movement martial arts, narrowing the scope.
“'Soaring Dragon Movement', second-grade martial art…”
“'Gale Step', second-grade martial art…”
“'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas', second-grade martial art…”
After looking at about a dozen movement martial arts, some focused on speed bursts, while others focused on agility.
Lin Yun finally made a choice. He selected 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas'. As the name suggests, it's about catching a flying cicada within eight steps.
This was an extremely powerful lightness skill, emphasizing lightness and swiftness, combining agility and speed, and also possessing bursts of speed.
“Lin Yun, little brother, although this martial art is only second-grade, it is considered top-notch among second-grade techniques. After mastering it, the speed can almost compare to third-grade martial arts. The main reason it wasn't selected for third-grade is that this martial art is very difficult to cultivate and has high requirements for the body. Coordination of the limbs needs to reach a certain level before it can be mastered. No one in the clan has mastered this martial art for a long time. Are you sure you want to choose it?”
Lin Xia advised. She often came to the Martial Arts Hall to read and had a good understanding of most martial arts, immediately pointing out the drawbacks of 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas'.
“I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll change it. I'll trouble Sister Lin Xia to make another trip then,” Lin Yun joked.
Lin Xia said, “It doesn't matter to me whether I run or not. Anyway, we're both in the clan, it's just a few steps. The main thing is you. Forget it, you have a high talent for martial arts, so trying it is no problem.”
After selecting the movement martial art he wanted, Lin Yun, following Lin Xia's suggestion, chose a second-grade offensive martial art.
After some selection, Lin Yun chose the 'Eight Desolate Palms' that Lin Hong had learned before.
This martial art was quite popular in the Lin family, with many people practicing it. Lin Hong mainly cultivated this palm technique, and Lin Yun would also cultivate it later.
Lin Yun also had a bit of mischievousness, wanting to join in the fun and see who could cultivate it stronger.
Of course, this palm technique was also quite suitable for Lin Yun. Both were hand techniques, and Lin Yun had the foundation of two fist techniques. In addition, the 'Eight Desolate Palms' was known for its powerful and fierce nature, with wide and open movements, which had similarities to the 'Falling Rock Fist', making it easier for him to cultivate.
After leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Lin Yun and Lin Xia parted ways.
……
【Task: Spar with Lin Xia. Reward: A bottle of second-grade Qi and Blood Pills. Completed. Claim reward?】
【Task: Obtain a movement martial art. Reward: A pair of iron shoes weighing one hundred pounds. Completed. Claim reward?】
【Task: Obtain a second-grade martial art. Reward: A second-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill. Completed. Claim reward?】
“Claim!”
Returning to the desolate little courtyard, Lin Yun immediately claimed the rewards.
A bottle of second-grade Qi and Blood Pills, a second-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill, and a pair of iron shoes weighing one hundred pounds.
The Marrow Cleansing Pill was a milky white pill the size of a dragon's eye, emitting a light fragrance, round and full. This pill had the effect of cleansing the marrow and improving physique, and enhancing talent.
Lin Yun directly swallowed it and refined it.
As the medicinal power dissolved in his body, Lin Yun felt impurities being forced out of his body.
Before long, a layer of black, oily substance appeared on Lin Yun's body surface.
After taking a refreshing bath, Lin Yun began to create tasks, cultivating 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' and 'Penetrating Back Fist'.
The iron shoes weighing one hundred pounds were very suitable for cultivating 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas'. Generally, cultivating lightness skills would involve weighted training.
Imagine, Lin Yun cultivating while wearing these shoes. When he mastered 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' and took off the shoes, what speed would that be?
A month later!
In the courtyard, Lin Yun opened his palm. A cicada desperately flew out of his palm, flapping its wings at a high frequency, instantly flying tens of meters away, about to leap over the wall to escape.
Lin Yun smiled slightly, letting the cicada fly for three seconds.
Three seconds later, Lin Yun's legs moved. The iron shoes weighing a hundred pounds did not affect him. His figure almost turned into an afterimage, toes touching the ground, quickly stepping on the wall, leaping lightly, and arriving on the wall. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the flying cicada.
The cicada directly lay in Lin Yun's hand, motionless.
This cicada was caught by him to cultivate 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas', being released and caught back repeatedly for hundreds of times, and was now completely devoid of the will to live.
【Task: Cultivate 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' 10 times. Reward: 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' Minor Success proficiency + 1. Completed. Claim reward?】
“Claim!”
【Task: Cultivate 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' to Great Success. Reward: Movement Talent (Beginner).】
“Claim!”
【Essence Pill: A pill condensed from the essence of heaven and earth, capable of enhancing Yuan Power.】
Lin Yun smiled with satisfaction, finally cultivating 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' to Great Success in a month.
As expected of a second-grade martial art, it took much longer than a first-grade martial art.
Mainly, it took ten days to learn the basics at the beginning. After learning it, repeatedly practicing to farm experience, it only took five days to farm to Great Success.
Of course, during this period, Lin Yun also cultivated the two fist techniques and 'Eight Desolate Palms'.
'Eight Desolate Palms' had already been cultivated to Minor Success.
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ is ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!
During this period, Lin Yun tried to create achievement-type tasks for proficiency, such as Beginner and Minor Success, but found that cultivating a martial art to Beginner or Minor Success did not meet the task requirements.
Only by cultivating to Great Success could a task be created.
However, the reward for reaching Great Success in a second-grade martial art was a second-grade pill, which was on the same level as the reward for reaching Perfection in a first-grade martial art.
From this, it seemed that the reward for cultivating a second-grade martial art to Perfection might be even better. Lin Yun immediately created a task.
【Task: Cultivate 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' to Perfection. Reward: Movement Talent (Beginner).】
【Task: Cultivate 'Eight Desolate Palms' to Great Success. Reward: A bottle of second-grade Essence Pills.】
【Task: Cultivate 'Eight Desolate Palms' to Perfection. Reward: Palm Technique Talent (Beginner).】
“Just reaching Perfection can grant a talent reward, as expected of a second-grade martial art,” Lin Yun exclaimed, immediately preparing to first rush the Perfection proficiency of 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' and 'Eight Desolate Palms'.
As for the already perfected 'Penetrating Back Fist', he would put it aside for now. Reaching Transcendent Mastery required 10,000 repetitions.
Lin Yun now had pills and food in hand.
The demon beasts hunted before could be stored in the Qiankun bag for a long time, so he didn't have to worry about food and resources in a short time.
He could safely cultivate in seclusion.
Twenty days later!
Suddenly, someone came to visit him.
Opening the door, it was Lin Xia.
“Sister Lin Xia, why have you come?” Lin Yun was a little surprised. His courtyard basically never had visitors.
Lin Xia said, “Since you obtained 'Eight Steps Catching Cicadas' last time, I heard that you haven't left your house, so I came to see how your cultivation is going. What, aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?”
“Oh, please come in, Sister Lin Xia.” Lin Yun quickly welcomed her in.
Lin Xia curiously looked around Lin Yun's courtyard. This was her first time coming to Lin Yun's house. The courtyard was very clean, but also very simple. Besides tables and chairs, there were no sundries or furniture.
There were only water cups and towels on the table in the courtyard.
Lin Xia was carrying a few bags in her hand. She put the things on the table and casually picked up a towel and handed it to Lin Yun.
“You're covered in sweat. Were you just practicing martial arts? Wipe it off first.”
Lin Xia said with some concern.
“I brought you some food. Qi and blood are very important for martial artists. You need to replenish your body. Constantly cultivating with your head down is easy to overdraw, which is not good. If you need anything, you can tell your sister, don't be polite.”
She looked at Lin Yun's figure. Lin Yun used to be thin and skinny, but now he looked not bad. Although not very strong, his muscles were even and his lines were clear, very capable.
“Thank you, Sister Lin Xia, I will pay attention. Don't worry, my foundation is very solid,” Lin Yun said with a silly smile.
“Is that so? Then let your sister examine how solid your foundation is,” Lin Xia said with a smile.
Then she took a stance, preparing to have another sparring match with Lin Yun.
