Amid White Waves, Killing Without Form

Night Heron Martial Arts Hall.

Longlegs Seven looked yearning as he clenched his fists. "The Learning Society... I'll definitely get in!"

Master Ye sighed. "The truly formidable people in the stronghold are all in the Learning Society. To put it bluntly, clubs and martial arts halls are just scraps rejected by the Learning Society.

"The Learning Society is too low-key and mysterious, detached from worldly affairs. Ordinary people think Ever Joy is the heart of the stronghold, never realizing that the Learning Society is its pillar that holds up the sky!"

As an old-timer, Master Ye had witnessed the Learning Society's rise.

Back then, Mr. Ming and his followers—masters from over a hundred martial arts schools across the land—had founded the Learning Society.

From being dismissed by everyone to becoming one of Fragrant Sea's foremost cradles of martial arts talent, it had produced countless experts.

Even the more powerful martial arts world of the Prosperous State across the sea spoke of it with great praise.

Only by entering the Learning Society could one be said to have truly stepped into the world of martial arts!

Night shrouded the city stronghold, and the lights of countless homes flickered on like stars.

Only Huang Sihai and Li Xiuwen, master and disciple, remained at Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.

"Master, you mentioned waiving three months' fees and two Fish Balls..." Li Xiuwen said with a smile.

"Of course it counts," Huang Sihai said. "If you can truly enter the second floor in two months, you'll never have to pay monthly fees again."

"Thank you, Master!" Li Xiuwen bowed.

Huang Sihai smiled faintly. "Those are mere trifles. The movement technique I'm about to teach you is the real priceless treasure. Ordinary people couldn't learn it even if they paid."

Huang Sihai's heart was bleeding. Under normal circumstances, second-floor disciples had to pay an additional three thousand in tuition to learn this movement technique.

All told, he was practically giving away fifty-eight hundred!

Rounded up, that was... ten thousand!

How many people would he have to fool into becoming disciples to earn that back?

Huang Sihai took a pale golden booklet from his robes. "Memorize the manual first, then practice with me."

Li Xiuwen accepted it with both hands. Four large characters were written on the cover: "Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance!"

He smiled. "Master, that's quite a nice name for a movement technique. It has more poetry to it than Sand-Turning Palm."

"The name wasn't chosen by the founding master," Huang Sihai said. "It was chosen by the founding master's wife. She was a talented woman of the Great Ying Dynasty."

The core mantra of Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance was only fourteen characters: "Flowers in mirrors, moons in water are empty; a thousand waves pass, leaving no trace."

To practice this movement technique, one had to imagine standing by the sea at night, with rolling waves and moonlight glimmering across the water.

One had to cultivate a light, agile force, constantly lifting one's body upward.

When mastered, one could tread water over short distances, borne amid white waves and killing without form, like a vicious shark in the sea!

Li Xiuwen did not go home that night.

Huang Sihai did not sleep either. It had been a long time since he had devoted so much effort to teaching a first-floor disciple.

During a break after training to exhaustion, Li Xiuwen asked, "Master, how does one know when Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance has reached the beginner level?"

Huang Sihai said proudly, "This movement technique is exceptionally intricate. Among the fighting arts of my Sea Sand Style, its difficulty is among the highest.

"It's several times harder than Sand-Turning Palm. It'll be good enough if you can reach the beginner level in a week. Once you do, you'll be able to run ten steps across water without sinking!"

Nothing more was said that night. After finishing the lesson, Li Xiuwen said, "Master, I won't be coming tomorrow. I'll rest at home for a day."

"Do as you please." Huang Sihai looked exhausted as he went up to the second floor.

Li Xiuwen left, keeping his body light as he hurried along and practiced that agile force.

Training methods, fighting methods, movement techniques, hard qigong... I lack nothing now.

When he returned home, his aunt and uncle immediately gathered around him.

"Awen? We heard you won a match at the martial arts hall?"

The stronghold was not large. Night Heron Martial Arts Hall's high-profile challenge visit the previous day had drawn some spectators from outside the halls, and word had spread through a small circle.

Though his aunt and uncle had not had time to watch, they had asked others to keep an eye on it.

Li Xiuwen smiled. "Yes. Master said he'd waive three months of my fees. From now on, you won't need to worry about my training expenses. I can support myself."

His uncle said excitedly, "Good, good! You're becoming more and more impressive!"

After working so hard for so long, Chen Ziyi could finally get some proper rest.

From here on, he wanted nothing more than to run the factory well, nurse himself back to health, and have the family live safely and happily. That would be enough.

The Illusory Realm,

Four Seas Martial Arts Hall,

"Today, I won't practice Sand-Turning Palm. I'll practice movement techniques."

Movement techniques were also a kind of fighting art, so they could be practiced within the Illusory Realm.

Li Xiuwen chose Silly Qiang as his opponent and had him attack.

He did not strike back, relying on Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance to evade.

He trained like this for an entire shichen.

As the Heavenly Fragrance burned out, movement came from the incense burner. The fifth stick of incense rose up and began to burn.

[Thousand-Wave Floating Radiance: Beginner (1%)]

"Heh, Old Huang said it would be good enough if I reached the beginner level in a week. Little does he know, I have the Illusory Realm."

"One night's sleep is enough!"

"But if my comprehension changes so drastically all at once, Old Huang might grow suspicious."

"Seven days is too slow to make Old Huang value me. I'll tell him the day after tomorrow instead."

Li Xiuwen took out one of the Fish Balls Old Huang had given him for free. After eating it, he began practicing his stance.

After a day of cultivation, his Sea-Sand Stance improved noticeably again.

[Sea-Sand Stance: Lesser Mastery (44%) → Lesser Mastery (50%)]

[Stage: Purple Membrane (44%) → Purple Membrane (50%)]

As his Purple Membrane progress broke through the fifty-percent mark, that layer of bluish-purple skin membrane completed its transformation.

All traces of blue light vanished, while purple radiance surged forth, cold and eerie in its gleam.

This meant that at the Purple Membrane stage, he was now an experienced hand—a standout.

When it comes to cultivation, I've left Silly Qiang and the others far behind.

In the blink of an eye, another two days passed.

At the dining table in Four Seas Martial Arts Hall, the disciples were still discussing the challenge visit from three days ago.

"Who would have thought that Awen, who never stood out, would become this year's biggest dark horse? Do you think there'll be no suspense over the fight for the second floor?"

"Senior Brother Liu Chun was just unlucky to face Longlegs Seven. In terms of actual strength, he still crushes Awen. He's guaranteed a place on the second floor."

"I think it's hard to say. Awen has learned a movement technique this time, giving him one more trump card than Senior Brother Liu Chun. It's hard to tell who'll win."

Hearing these discussions, Liu Chun poured all her frustration into the palm technique before her, attacking with increasing ferocity.

Huang Sihai said, "Liu Chun, what does one setback amount to? Besides, there's no shame in losing to Longlegs Seven. Don't be impatient."

"I understand, Master... I'll defeat everyone fair and square in the second-floor competition!" Liu Chun said resolutely.

At that moment, Li Xiuwen arrived at the martial arts hall, and quite a few people took the initiative to greet him.

Liu Chun's feelings were complicated. Fortune had turned, and now it was Awen's turn to bask in the spotlight.

Li Xiuwen went to the study and found Huang Sihai. "Master, I think I've reached the beginner level in the movement technique."

Huang Sihai's expression turned serious. He stood up and asked, "Ten steps over water without sinking?"

Li Xiuwen smiled. "I tried it. No problem."

Huang Sihai's opinion of Li Xiuwen rose another level. Could he be a hidden talent? Has he not yet reached the limits of his comprehension?

Without realizing it, the scales in Old Huang's heart had tilted away from Liu Chun and toward Li Xiuwen.

He might not even have noticed that he had paid more attention to Li Xiuwen than Liu Chun lately.

Huang Sihai said, "Keep working hard. Reaching the beginner level is only the beginning. Many second-floor disciples still haven't achieved greater mastery of this movement technique. You have a long way to go."

In the blink of an eye,

it was already the end of Li Xiuwen's second month of learning martial arts.

Zhao Dalong had called again yesterday, wanting to get together.

Li Xiuwen was truly too busy, so he politely declined.

But he did not want to disappoint Dalong, so he promised to drink three cups as punishment next time and make amends.