Chapter 119 - 118: Huo Jun Leaves
Yang Shen thought the Madman was joking, but that seemed highly unlikely.
After running his mouth and making a grand declaration that left everyone stunned, the guy actually just ended it!
In Huo Jun’s own words: "Those are all the basic principles behind Overlapping Waves. I’ve explained everything."
"From here on out, you just need to explore and practice on your own."
Of course, before Huo Jun left—or more precisely, for this afternoon only—Yang Shen was allowed to ask questions.
Following his own train of thought, Yang Shen asked about a few points he considered critical.
For example: "When Source flows and reflects inside the body, the external interface is obviously the enemy. So what’s the internal interface?"
Huo Jun answered, "Low-tier scrubs choose the core of their torso. This provides ample reaction time for adjustments. The torso may seem more vulnerable, but this method is actually safer. The downside is that it slows down the activation of ’Overlapping Waves.’"
"Skilled practitioners, on the other hand, choose the bones closest to the point of contact with the enemy, like the knuckles or shin bones."
"And true masters of this art can even use ’Overlapping Waves’ through weapons forged from special alloys."
"So, ’Overlapping Waves’ manifests very differently depending on the user. Some treat it as a ’slow-start buff,’ using it purely to enhance their condition. They might spend half the fight charging up a single blow, not for the immediate result, but for the buffs that follow."
"Others use it as a ’quick-start killing blow,’ achieving maximum damage in an instant. Every strike becomes a fatal attack, with the power to put an opponent in their grave with a single hit."
Yang Shen asked, "If Source needs to be constantly pressurized and accelerated during the reflection process, then theoretically, does more reflections mean greater power?"
Huo Jun replied, "Yes. That’s also why ’Lan Die’ will never become obsolete and has no upper limit to its power. The stronger a Martial Artist is, the more they benefit from Lan Die, capable of unleashing ten or even a hundred times their own Power."
"But for a beginner, it’s enough to manage a ’one-out, two-back, three-out’ sequence."
"And... make sure the number of reflections is always odd."
"An even number, and it’ll blow up in your own face."
Huo Jun didn’t hide this information from anyone while he was explaining. Xu Bamboo, for instance, was listening intently from the side.
But in truth, this was all far beyond her current reach.
Martial Artists at the initial stages can’t even sense the flow of Source within their bodies, let alone ’control’ it. That’s a trait one only begins to grasp after reaching the Innate realm, eventually mastering it at the Great Success stage on the way to the True Gang Realm.
But after hearing Huo Jun’s explanation, Yang Shen suddenly had a feeling.
’Advancing from the initial stages to the Innate realm is a matter of pure physical accumulation. Everyone starts on the same line, and your Qi and Blood Value tells the whole story.’
’But advancing from the Innate to the True Gang Realm isn’t just about ’Source Supplement.’ It’s about constantly honing one’s control over and insight into ’Source’...’
’By that logic... wouldn’t my advancement from the Innate to the True Gang Realm be far easier than anyone else’s?’
After finishing his "Q&A session," Huo Jun didn’t linger. He didn’t even really say goodbye.
The Madman couldn’t be bothered with such trivialities. With a wave of his hand, he was gone.
He saw promise in Yang Shen.
But he wouldn’t get attached to him.
The big shot would probably leave Jinshui District first thing tomorrow morning, heading off to some unknown place to carry out another mission that excited him.
He left him with only two instructions. First: "Kill more, improve more, and remember to obliterate your examiner during the college entrance exams."
Second: "The offer for a spot at Yanjing Military Academy still stands. Contact me if you change your mind."
They had only spent a month together, and while Yang Shen had benefited immensely from Huo Jun, he still knew nothing of the man’s past, rank, or experiences.
The Mad Old Man Special Training Camp, which he had so often complained about, had ended all too suddenly and unceremoniously.
So much so that the thought of no longer having the "Madman’s Small Stove" during P.E. class left him feeling strangely unaccustomed.
After all, Huo Jun was twisted, but the things he taught were even more so.
’According to Huo Jun... "Overlapping Waves" is a technique with no ceiling, and its masters are exceedingly rare...’
’...but when he used it himself, it was completely effortless, as if it were an extension of his own body.’
’A True Gang Realm Martial Artist who can unleash Overlapping Waves so casually.’
’And a battle-hardened veteran who’s killed countless people, no less...’
’Just how strong is Huo Jun?’
That was a question Yang Shen could probably only answer once his own strength reached a sufficient level.
At night, Yang Shen stood on the rooftop, fumbling in the darkness to get a feel for "Overlapping Waves."
Even with all his miraculous abilities from both the Martial Arts Side and the Cultivation Side, he had to admit this was an incredibly difficult technique.
He could already circulate the Source in his body fluidly, forming the Rising Sun Wheel. He could also channel Source into his fists and palms to generate intense heat.
In actual combat, he could even use this trait to heat his spear or boost his overall vitality.
But when it came to "reflection and folding," it was a completely different story.
"Heating up" was merely a matter of maintenance; once activated, it was like a long, flowing stream, with Source circulating continuously.
"Overlapping Waves," however, was an ignition! A series of ignitions, even. It required constantly increasing pressure, and the necessary timing and control were on a whole other level.
The difference was like holding a dumbbell still versus using that same dumbbell to repeatedly bat a ping-pong ball against a wall, making it rebound rapidly.
Most importantly, the signature characteristic of his Rising Sun Fist Intent was being "Harmonious." Every wisp of Source he directed outward possessed an innate homing tendency, forming a complete circuit to ensure the Rising Sun Wheel was self-sustaining.
Normally, this trait made his every move fluid and powerful. But in his attempts to learn "Overlapping Waves," it had become a major obstacle.
To put it bluntly...
The Source he was sending out was... curved!
It was like it always traveled in an arc.
Yang Shen continued to practice, even turning up the "volume" of his Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique to thirty percent to stimulate his Source Activity.
But he still couldn’t get the hang of it, and was starting to get frustrated.
Yang Shen let out a heavy breath and shook his fist, dispelling the intense heat gathered there.
’Could it be... I’m just not suited for ’Overlapping Waves’?’
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
’Even the name doesn’t fit. *Lan* sounds like Water, and I’m all about the *Sun*... or at the very least, fire...’
————
The next day, Yang Shen’s Qi and Blood Value officially broke past 460, taking a huge stride toward the 500-point dividing line for mid-stage Marrow Refining.
It had only been a few days.
This rate of progress was terrifying. Aside from Xu Bamboo, no one else in the entire school was at mid-stage Marrow Refining. Even across all of Yanhua, he was now among the absolute top echelon.
He now had a solid chance of getting into either Yan Wu or Jiangti.
And he had gone from the bottom of the pack to the leader of the flock in less than two months.
Right now, though, his mind was entirely occupied with last night’s training.
After a night of painstaking effort, he had cleared six of the seven passages to understanding "Overlapping Waves"—which is to say, he was still utterly clueless.
It was all for naught.
Even with the lingering effects of the Heart-Inquiry Water, this technique was no easy thing to master.
But... a Killing Skill that could unleash ten times his power in a single punch? Who could possibly say no to that?!
’Plus, when it lands, you get that awesome red lightning VIP special effect!’
"Master Yang! Good morning!!"
His eight "great disciples" were once again lined up at the school gate, shouting their greeting with vigor.
The sight made the security guard’s eyelids twitch.
’What is this, some kind of campus Crocodile Influence?’ he wondered.
Yang Shen snapped out of his reverie and absentmindedly patted Yuan Rui’s shoulder. "Doing great."
Yuan Rui had no idea what he’d done to earn the praise, but he immediately replied, "This disciple is slow. It’s all thanks to Master Yang’s guidance."
In the last few days, his score had already gone up by 7 points!
’Master Yang’s kindness is like a debt,’ he thought. ’I’ll never be able to repay it! Never!’
Meanwhile, Cao Wei stared at Yuan Rui’s shoulder, her eyes filled with envy.
’Why does Master pat him and not me...’
’I wish one day, Master would pat my shoulder and tell me, "Doing great..."’
School life was uneventful that day. The morning was filled with the usual academic classes.
By P.E. class in the afternoon, Huo Jun was, as expected, nowhere to be seen. Apart from Yang Shen, who knew why, no one had a clue where he had gone.
Class Six’s P.E. teacher was also a new face—not an outside expert, but one of Nanliang High School’s own.
He was at the Late-stage Marrow Refining and had previously taught the second-year students.
It was a well-known fact: once Yuan Kui left Nanliang, the school had no great teachers left.
Yang Shen sat through half the class and could feel the clear disparity in levels. The new teacher’s instruction was aimed primarily at the average students.
In truth, with the college entrance exams so close, school instruction could really only serve to reinforce what students already knew.
This was especially true for the top students; any further improvement was up to them.
It seemed that in the final stretch before the exams, Yang Shen would have to rely on himself.
For Yang Shen, whose "Source Supplement" relied on his Cultivation and whose "foundation-building" relied on what were essentially cheats, all he really needed was to hone his techniques.
Sparring with his disciples, especially Xu Bamboo, was also important. He could absorb a great deal of Nourishment from it.
His disciples weren’t on his level, but they weren’t without their merits. After all, they had all made it to the final round of this brutal academic tournament.
Even a scrub like Huang Gang could be considered a "textbook of common mistakes," couldn’t he?
It was just as the saying goes, "truth is stranger than fiction." What he once considered a waste of time had now, with Huo Jun’s departure, become a crucial source of Nourishment for his progress.