## AST 960 – Favor, Psychological Attack, The Eve Of Departure

Qing Shui understood after a while, recognizing Hu Yanlin’s Back Connecting Fist as an ‘appropriate method’ that could yield twice the result with half the effort. The Back Connecting Fist seemed to have cleared a few points of his meridians, creating a flow of Qi as smooth as an unhindered river stream.

His fists were as fast as thunder, exploding the air with each succession of moves, yet with the smooth movement of flowing water. When he turned around and saw Qing Shui approaching, he flashed an honest smile and went to greet him.

“Mr. Qing!”

Hu Yanlin gave a reverent greeting to Qing Shui, who was smiling back as he walked closer to him. “How does it feel?” asked Qing Shui.

“Very good,” Hu Yanlin chuckled with an expression of utmost excitement. Ever since Lady Duanmu and the others returned safely, he didn’t manage to get a wink of sleep and continued to cultivate his skills in the backyard. He had been practicing all night while waiting for Qing Shui to come in the morning.

Because Qing Shui asked him to wait for him in the morning, he stayed the whole night until dawn. He didn’t know how early Qing Shui wanted to meet him and he didn’t want Qing Shui to wait for him, so he decided to stay in the backyard until morning while mastering his Back Connecting Fist, striking the iron while it was hot.

“Eat these.” Qing Shui handed ten Five Elements Earth Fruits to Hu Yanlin, whose body constitution was of the earth element. He took the fruits without hesitation and ate all of them quickly.

“Unleash the ‘Back Connecting Fist’ with everything you’ve got. Clear your mind of everything else!” said Qing Shui.

Hu Yanlin nodded and proceeded to unleash his Back Connecting Fists. The strength of the fists was strong and ferocious, each striking fist was followed by a distinct blast. However, he was quite tall for his height, making his form seem bit awkward. But it wasn’t too unsightly, his form was rough but masculine in a good way.

At the same time, Qing Shui took out a Golden Needle and shot it at Hu Yanlin in a quick flash like a passing ghost, which he continued to do so after each period of time.

After half an hour had passed, a number of Golden Needles could be seen sticking out of Hu Yanlin’s body. Qing Shui had no intention of stopping, adding a few more every few moments, increasing the number of Golden Needles in his body. Hu Yanlin pretended like nothing had happened and continued to strike the Back Connecting Fists with increasing momentum. His face was colored an intense red, as he drenched himself in a pool of sweat.

Lady Duanmu and Duanmu Lingshuang were already standing at the gates of the backyard, forbidding anyone to enter and interrupt the situation. They had been watching the two of them for a while now.

“What are they doing?” Duanmu Lingshuang turned to look at Lady Duanmu after witnessing Qing Shui shooting Golden Needles, while Hu Yanlin was striking his Back Connecting Fists.

“Qing Shui wants Yanlin to break through to Martial Saint,” Lady Duanmu replied with a smile.

Duanmu Lingshuang was surprised. She swiveled her head back towards Qing Shui and Hu Yanlin in excitement. She knew Hu Yanlin was a Peak Martial King, but it would be extremely difficult for him to break through to Martial Saint because the flow of Qi inside his body wasn’t smooth enough. In order for him to break through to Martial Saint, not only did he have to unblock his flow of qi, he would also need the purest item of ‘Five Elements Force’ as well. The abnormal Five Elements Fruits alone could not assist in his breakthrough even the slightest.

She had thought about his breakthrough before, but she estimated that he would take at least five to ten years before he could become a Martial Saint cultivator. However, that would be possible if he had a diligent restoration to his flow of Qi, as well as a good insight to his cultivation.

Still, if Hu Yanlin managed to break through to Martial Saint, then it wouldn’t be difficult for him to advance to Peak Martial Saint with the aid from the Duanmu Clan in a short amount of time. The rest would be up to him should he wish to break away from Peak Martial Saint towards the next level. Even so, the Martial Emperor realm was still far away, even Lady Duanmu was only a Peak Martial Saint cultivator.

“Yanlin should be fine, right?” Duanmu Lingshuang asked in a worried tone, but with a look of anticipation as she continued watching the men in the backyard.

As long as Hu Yanlin could reach a breakthrough, no one would look down on him in the future regardless whether it was the people from the Duanmu Residence or in the Duanmu City. The strength of a Martial Saint was an important marker to achieve, much like the transformation of a sparrow into a phoenix.

The 49th Golden Needle!

Qing Shui stopped immediately. At the same time, Hu Yanlin’s movements had become as heavy as an imposing mountain. Every time he tried to strike a move, his actions would seem clumsy and slow.

The Five Elements Acupuncture in addition to the Earth element and the Earth Fruit had allowed his body to reach the point of outburst after a period of time. Qing Shui hoped that Yanlin would continue to endure the extreme fatigue of his body, because the next step towards the realm of Martial Saint was soon to come. The path to Martial Saint afterwards would be smooth and his powers would grow stronger. He would be able to control the capacity of his energy flow with ease, which was a crucial point of being a Martial Saint.

“Keep it up. You can cut back five years if you manage to endure through this stage and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of being a Martial Saint very soon!” Qing Shui said calmly, as he continued to support him from the side.

Hu Yanlin opened his eyes fiercely so that he could stay conscious to lift up his spirits. He wanted to sleep for a while, but he knew he couldn’t afford to do that. He couldn’t forget the laughing faces of those who looked down on him and he didn’t mind that. But he had a wife and a child to protect and he couldn’t disappoint Lingshuang any longer. It was a grace from the heavens when Lingshuang chose him as her husband, so he vowed that he would do whatever it took to make her the happiest woman in the entire world.

“Ah!”

With a loud outburst, he struck the ground violently with his fist, emanating a cloud of grey-black mist around him instantaneously. Before this, his body looked like an overfilled water tank. The strike on the ground was the breaking point to the doors of Martial Saint.

Bang bang bang…..

Loud explosions echoed in the air towards the far horizon. Hu Yanlin’s muscles did not expand, but had grown more solid than ever. The Qi of Xiantian in his body continued to nourish every part of his meridians, vital organs and bones…

His spiritual energy had increased exponentially as well. The body that had gone through an ordeal of extreme fatigue was brought back to life, brimming with a strong sense of vigor. After the breakthrough, his body was recovered to his best state, restoring his good health in no time.

Because of that, opponents who could reach a sudden breakthrough in the middle of a battle were likely to be feared, because their body would recover to its maximum state of health, in addition to the surge of strength to their power. In any case, the battle was over the moment their opponents were able to recover their full health.

After 15 minutes had passed, Hu Yanlin finally stopped emanating the mist from his body. His face was flushed in a glow of red as he noticed Qing Shui standing nearby smiling at him.

Hu Yanlin approached Qing Shui and gave him a respectful 90 degrees bow and said, “I can never repay the kindness you have shown me today for the rest of my life.”

Qing Shui almost laughed at the honest display of the man in front of him. He extended his arms, pulled him straight up and said: “I don’t expect you to return the favor. You are Lingshuang’s husband and Lingshuang is Lady Duanmu’s daughter. The reason is as simple as that.”

Although Hu Yanlin was a simple man, he was not stupid, not a bit. He knew what Qing Shui meant, he was able to receive his help all because of Lady Duanmu and Lingshuang.

Even so, he understood his situation clearly. If it weren’t for the ladies, he wouldn’t be able to meet a man of such strength and power, much less receive a boost to break through to the Martial Saint this quickly.

“Mr. Qing, I know what I should do now,” Hu Yanlin said with deep respect. In spite of what Qing Shui said, nothing would affect the respect Hu Yanlin had for him.

“I heard you like to use a hammer as your weapon,” Qing Shui said to Hu Yanlin with a chuckle.

“Yes, I feel that hammers can hit very hard,” Hu Yanlin replied quickly.

“Then, this is for you!” Qing Shui took out the Thunder God and handed it to Hu Yanlin.

“This…..”

“Be a man and take it,” Qing Shui smiled.

Hu Yanlin received the Thunder God and remained silent without saying thanks to Qing Shui, but his eyes were so full of deep gratitude that words were simply inadequate. As he held the hammer in his hands, he knew that this weapon was of extraordinary power. A strong aura flowed into his body, filling him with an abundance of explosive energy through his veins.

He had gained twice the strength to his power…

“Watch carefully, my time here is limited, so how much you can absorb will depend on you.” Qing Shui then swiveled his head towards Lady Duanmu and Duanmu Lingshuang and beckoned them to come closer.

Unfolding the Thousand Hammer Technique!

Qing Shui kept demonstrating his techniques while he explained the moves thoroughly. It took about an hour to explain while allowing Hu Yanlin to practice on the spot. The sky was already bright and it was almost time to have breakfast. However, no one mentioned a thing about eating, as they continued to watch Qing Shui explaining the hammer technique to Hu Yanlin.

“I will teach you some of the Tiger Forms. Lady Duanmu and Miss Lingshuang should also take note, it might prove useful in the future.”

Two hours had passed after Qing Shui had taught them the Tiger Form. It wasn’t difficult to learn, but it was more difficult to grasp and adhere to the steps. He repeated the key points of the form several times and demonstrated the form repeatedly so that they would remember clearly. After that, he took out a silk sachet and gave it to Lady Duanmu.

“There are useful items inside. Keep it for now!” Qing Shui smiled as he handed the sachet to Lady Duanmu.

She went ahead and took the sachet before she looked up to the sky and said, “Let’s go back and have breakfast. It’s getting late.”

………

This was a joyous occasion for the Duanmu clan as they had taken over everything that used to belong to the once glorious Lei Clan. The atmosphere outside the Duanmu Residence was quite lively, with every household discussing news about the Duanmu Clan. The power of the public was not to be underestimated, as nearly every household in Duanmu City had already known about the current situation within a mere few hours.

When a man attained the Dao, even his pets were allowed to ascend the heavens. Even though Qing Shui wasn’t a member of the Duanmu Clan, in the eyes of the public, it didn’t matter. Everyone could see that Qing Shui did it all because of Lady Duanmu. However, no one knew about their relationship – an intimate relationship between a mature woman and a young man.

“Qing Shui, you are leaving, aren’t you!”

The two of them stood at the top of the mountain situated in Duanmu City. Lady Duanmu looked at Qing Shui, she already had a feeling that he was going to leave soon after the deed was done.

“We still think alike. So you knew already.” Qing Shui turned to look at her. There was no sign of aging on the charming face of the elegant woman.

Her skin was as delicate as gleaming jade, with the luster that could captivate the hearts of men. Based on her appearance, she could be around 30 years old if he compared her appearance to the normal standards of his past life.

Qing Shui recalled about the immortals that were as ancient as old demons, yet as beautiful as maidens in their endearing youth. The Spiritual Qi in the World of the Nine Continents was quite abundant, which Qing Shui had adapted gradually as he grew stronger. To preserve an eternal youth required skills and cultivation of a strong level. If the requirements were met, preserving 200 years of youthfulness would become nothing more than an effortless feat.

When Lady Duanmu caught Qing Shui staring at herself, she quickly turned away from his gaze in embarrassment.

“Don’t be shy!” Qing Shui was inches away from her beautiful face. A distinct faint blush appeared on her cheeks, which made his heart beat faster in a rhythmic excitement.

“Qing Shui…..”

“I am going soon. But before that, I want my reward from you for winning the bet,” Qing Shui said, as he ignored Lady Duamu’s bitter anger towards him.

“What kind of reward are you asking for?” Lady Duanmu asked in a soft voice.

She wasn’t too worried that someone would spot them together like this. Even though there was no one in this vicinity, someone could have passed by and caught a glimpse of their intimate act. Even so, she wasn’t too flustered about the thought at all.

“I want a kiss from you!” Qing Shui teased while he stared at Lady Duanmu.

“Qing Shui…..”

“If not, let me kiss you. Your choice. Do you want me to initiate the kiss or the other way around?” Qing Shui reached out, taking her chin gently yet with enough boldness and lifted her head proportionally to his.

His heart was still beating fast, despite already having had the most intimate interaction with her before. But that was a long time ago. Even though they already had sex, they weren’t connected together spiritually. Back then, it was a frustration and a mistake he could not erase.

But now, it was different. Both of them were slowly getting to know each other, connecting two hearts together subconsciously. While teasing a mature elegant woman with such boldness and frivolous attitude, he felt anxious yet excited at the same time…
He maintained his grasp and touched her chin with his thumb. As he saw the delicate dimples on the side of her desirable lips and her shivering body when she half-closed her eyes, revealing a slight view of her misty eyes and quivering luscious lashes, he couldn’t help but feel a rush in his heart as he inched closer to give her a kiss.