Born in the Internet age, he tried to find out his master's full name via search engines and wanted to know more about him. However, like "Unparalleled Dragon King" and "Road to the Arena", entering "Unique Skill of the Ice Sect" plus "Shi" through keyword searching only filtered out one result—the Physical Invulnerability Mighty One of Wuyue Club—Expert Shi Yuejian of Three Pin.
Lou Cheng suspected that she was the daughter as Geezer Shi has mentioned, also his so-called Senior Sister. But he was not certain about it. Who knows his master's real last name is?
"Why is he so mysterious?" He could not help but grumble. When he remembered that Geezer Shi had deep relationships with the military and was involved in many secret matters, he felt relieved.
"Judging from his looks, he was probably an expert when professional games just started. During those times, the Internet was not available and televisions were not popular. Games recorded in the remaining videotapes were all well-known events. But clearly, I can't think of any other Mighty Ones like him. I even suspect that he played few Challenge Tournaments." The Unparalleled Dragon King continued his analysis.
"So, you mean, he grew up in life and death fights?" The Road to the Arena was shocked.
"It's only a guess. But at that time when professional events and title matches were still in their infancy and many areas were in turmoil, it's not surprising to see life and death fights." The Unparalleled Dragon King explained.
Seeing these conversations, Lou Cheng suddenly remembered what Geezer Shi said previously. Before he became the Physical Invulnerability, he ventured in war-torn areas and even used the Thunder Roar Zen, shocking a strong opponent to death.
It quite fits in with the Unparalleled Dragon King's inference...
Lou Cheng scrolled down and found no more chats. Then he logged out from the forum, discussed this issue with Yan Zheke and waited for the dinner time.
…
Near the Weishui Lake on the next morning.
Lou Cheng came to the same place and did routine practices of Yin-Yang Stance. However, he reduced his practices on skills that he had mastered earlier, such as the 24 Blizzard Strikes. He wanted more time to train the Thunder Roar Zen and meditate on the essence and spirit of the visualization.
The ice sheets were boundless in the white snow and the wind was blowing with biting cold... After looking carefully at this visualized picture for several times, Lou Cheng closed his eyes, pictured a scene in the freezing temperatures, and combined it with his personal feeling with winter, attempting to render a unity of both form and spirit.
How cold is it on earth? So cold that you have to wear cotton jerseys, thick sweaters, and down jackets.
How chilly is the wind on earth? So chilly that it feels like a knife is cutting the face...
Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he still failed to integrate his everyday feelings and insights into the visualization.
Gradually, these thoughts streamed in his mind and tangled up, so much that he could no longer control his spirit and had to quit the concealment of spirit and qi.
"You're too rash today." Geezer Shi chuckled next to him.
"You're right." Lou Cheng took a breath and replied in a low voice, also realizing his problem.
Too hasty and anxious!
Since it was already challenging to start with, I should relax, experience rather than getting too ambitious. However, I keep thinking about succeeding overnight, so it'll have opposite effect.
Why I become so rushed suddenly? Does it come from the newly unknown pressure in my mind?
Ke's mother is coming. My mother-in-law is coming...
After setting his goals of his college career in Tiantong Taoist temple, he was quite clear about his road ahead and felt more motivated to work hard. But this urgency and pressure were not overwhelming since he still had an entire three and a half years to go.
But now, the "Queen Mother" was expected to arrive. Even if he didn't have to face himself, the target suddenly came before him within his reach, reminding himself all the time. So, he wanted to prove himself eagerly and anxiety came inevitably.
Breathing out... he exhaled the fresh air, calmed down and entered a meditative state in peace.
How can I capture the essence and spirit of the visualization?
Is everyday observation, feeling and accumulation the only way to it?
... Will taking advantage of the natural environment similar to the visualization help me acquire it faster?
But understanding the nature can only be attained by rare geniuses or Mighty Ones. Am I capable of doing that?
Even if I can, I have neither time nor money to go to the Arctic or Antarctic.
Well, can I replace it with some second-best places, such as Ice and Snow amusements and mountain ski resorts?
With many ideas flashing through his mind, he considered the viability of visualizing by understanding the nature while thinking about an ideal place.
I am still a university student who can't support myself financially, add to that much money was spent on dates and presents, so this method seems unrealistic...
At this moment, Lou Cheng brainstormed what could replace the natural environment for enlightenment!
"How can I be so silly?" He cursed quietly.
Since I have coldness ready to help me, why do I bother to acquire it from outside?
The Jindan (the Golden Elixir) in my body is half fire and half ice already!
Of course, I can sink down my spirit and feel the coldness in the Jindan!
All of a sudden, Lou Cheng was enlightened as if the sky also became clear and bright.
Well, it's a little dangerous definitely. But don't I have my master next to me?
At the thought of that, he decided to do it right away. He calmed down and resumed the concealment of spirit and qi.
This time, he did not attempt to picture a scene in the freezing temperatures. Instead, he came into a state of inward vision slowly and allowed the Jindan (the Golden Elixir) in the lower abdomen to amplify before eyes inch by inch!
Clear and fantastic, these ice crystals rotated round the fiery blazes of distinctive colors just like stars, reflecting their own lights and blazing with colors.
Gradually, it was as though he had been in the immense universe and lost in directions without edges.
He came to one of the stars cautiously and amplified it before eyes, allowing the brilliantly fine crystals to have a delicate contact with himself.
Within a minute, Lou Cheng was frozen from the spirit to flesh. Before the eyes was a blanket of white devoid of life, by his ears was the howling cold wind, and the surroundings were brought into the state of extreme coldness that froze the blaze and movements.
Within merely two or three seconds, his spirit was bounced back and the dazzling nebula in the lower abdomen inflated and contracted. Such feeling was so wonderful that was imprinted in his mind!
At this point, Lou Cheng suddenly understood. With the help of that feeling and a few more times, he would be able to capture the spirit and essence that he could not even name or point to!
He wanted to have a try at once, only to find that he was exhausted and the mind also came slow.
"It's Just a couple of second and it consumed so much of my energy..." With no choice, he opened his eyes and shook his head.
"If you feel tired, don't push yourself." Geezer Shi watched peacefully and reminded.
"Yes, Master." Lou Cheng listened to his advice, took down his stance and started to run around the lake for morning practices.
"I had no idea that the Jindan could work!" He thought happily to himself while running. Meanwhile, he felt that there were many hidden abilities in the Jindan to be explored. Something could only be felt, not said.
Looking at his back, Geezer Shi smiled and said, "Hey, how could it be that easy to succeed with visualization at first try? The boy finally has the time when he gets impatient and rushes into things, if not I would have thought that he is not a young man anymore..."
...
After the special training on Saturday morning, on a rare occasion, Lou Cheng did not leave the martial arts arena walking next to Yan Zheke. Instead, he was dragging Cai Zongming and was following his girl and Guo Qing.
"Cheng, to be honest, did you do something bad?" The witty Talker began to interrogate with a smiling face.
Abnormal behavior means trouble!
Lou Cheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "Her mother will be visiting her."
"So it was about your 'mother-in-law'..." Little Ming realized it.
Lou Cheng got inspired and asked curiously, "Ay, Talker, have you ever met your mother-in-law?"
"You want to take my advice from experience? I haven't met my mother-in-law actually, but I was blocked by my father-in-law one time..."
"How did that happen?" Lou Cheng gossiped and wanted to learn something.
With a rare sigh, Cai Zongming said, "It was a love story when I was a senior high school student. That day it was storming. There was thunder and lighting. Her mother was away on a business trip while her father worked overtime. She was alone and afraid at home. I braved the rain to go to her place to keep her company. You know... that reaction when you put dry wood and fire together? In the end, her father was worried about her as well, so he came back to check her. When he saw an unfamiliar pair of men's shoes at the doorway, he locked me in her room..."
"Good thing I was rather skilled then. I quickly grabbed a chance to escape. If not, I would have been chopped up by her dad... Ay, after that, she transferred school, and I was depressed for quite a long time."
There was still some fear and regret in his voice while he recalled the incident.
Lou Cheng did not joke about it, and instead, he patted Cai Zongming on the shoulder and said,
"Casanova, I believe that your journey to love has been hard..."
…
After lunch, Lou Cheng went back to his dormitory before going to the school bus area to get in line for the bus. A few minutes later, Yan Zheke showed up, dressed in a youthful style. However, she did not greet him first. Instead, she went straight to the end of the line.
"Does it feel like meeting with the underground party?" Lou Cheng chuckled and texted to Yan Zheke first to show that he was quite calm.
Yan Zheke looked down on her phone and texted back immediately: "If you're in the underground gang, you'll be a dead man by now because you keep looking at me!"
"With such a pretty girl here, which boy wouldn't look over? If I don't, I'll look suspicious instead," Lou Cheng said with a naughty smile, and took the opportunity to praise her.
In case that they came across her mother coming by the school bus here, Yan Zheke decided to separate from Lou Cheng.
Although they were just arm's length away from each other, they continued to text each other. They were enjoying it and felt that it was fun. Time flew by and a school bus came. It stopped and the passengers alighted.
"My mother didn't come!" Yan Zheke exclaimed. "Get me a good seat later!"
After they got on the bus, the two took seats next to each other without any considerations.
"Finally, the underground gang is together!" Yan Zheke smiled cheerfully.
Lou Cheng said nothing and held out his hand smiling. Yan Zheke chuckled and also reached out a hand.
In silence, the two touched and fingers entwined.
Seeing this scene affectionately, they huddled together gradually.
…
On arrival at the old campus, they separated and made a detour to the north gate and went to Songcheng Ocean Aquarium by bus.
Looking at the magnificent entrance, Lou Cheng felt a little nervous suddenly because he had not visited the place ahead of time. How they should go about with the tour of the aquarium was not clear because all he had was little information from the Internet. In addition, the notes that he made about the marine life was kind of messy too. If he were not familiar with the route they took, he would forget a lot of whatever he had prepared.
Hand in hand, he walked to the ticket office and continued a random conversation while he tried to recall the information he prepared.
Starfish. Every part will be reborn as a brand-new one after being torn apart...
Urchin. Very timid.
Jellyfish. Beautiful but dangerous...
Manta Ray. Looks like bats in the sea...
Angelfish. Has tassels. Swimming like dancing.
...
When he almost finished a half of the remembering, Yan Zheke's phone rang. She took a close look at it and made an "shh" sign to Lou Cheng immediately.
"Mom?" She answered briskly.
From the other end of the phone came a mature voice of a woman:
"Ke, aren't you in the dorm?"
When Lou Cheng Heard Yan Zheke call her mom, a stream of anxiety and loss seized him.
Alright, I guess there's no need to review...