Wave Treading

Biodata

Power Progression

Abilities & Skills

Water-Based Movement

Wave Treading spreads water beneath Ling Yun’s feet and boosts his speed. On a water-covered surface, he can slide across the ground and change direction sharply without the usual loss of momentum 17 21.

• Ling Yun uses it to keep pace with Tang San’s Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and overtake him 4.
• Its turning ability gives him an advantage over Zhu Zhuqing even when her straight-line bursts are comparably fast 21.
• When Ling Yun senses that Liu Erlong has been injured, he activates Wave Treading and draws water from a lake to rush to her 6.
• Restricting the areas where he can move across water limits his routes; Tang San uses Blue Silver Grass to divide the training ground for that purpose 25.
• At full output during the Darkwater Shadow Leopard hunt, he crosses more than ten meters in a blink 14.
• Its close-range maneuverability lets him repeatedly change direction within inches of Tang San while preventing Mysterious Jade Hand from locking onto his joints 23.

Skill Combinations

• Water Shadow Clone — Ling Yun uses clones alongside Wave Treading to make his movements difficult to track; during his clash with Dugu Bo, five figures shift rapidly across water spread on the ground 7.
• Mist Veil — Wave Treading supplies water and speed while Mist Veil conceals Ling Yun’s presence. Nearby moisture also reduces Mist Veil’s ongoing Soul Power cost 17.
• Battlefield setup — Ling Yun gradually spreads a thin film of water while clones occupy Dai Mubai, then activates Wave Treading once the surface is ready 19.
• Pink Soul-Power Tongue Scarf — Wave Treading’s movement adds leverage to pulls and throws. Ling Yun uses it to drag the Darkwater Shadow Leopard off balance, circle behind Dai Mubai while holding his arm, and disrupt Zhu Zhuqing’s landing by darting in the opposite direction after catching her waist 14 19 21.
• Water Shuriken — Water scattered by the destroyed shuriken provides a surface for rapid movement during the confrontation with Dugu Bo. Against Tang San’s Clear Sky Hammer, Ling Yun cuts through obstructing Blue Silver Grass with a Water Shuriken and slips through the opening 7 25.

Limitations and Counters

• Water dependence — The skill needs supporting water. Ma Hongjun attempts to weaken Ling Yun’s speed by evaporating the water on the ground with Phoenix Fire Line, although the resulting steam instead helps Ling Yun deploy Mist Veil 20.
• Terrain control — Blocking water-covered landing points or dividing the field reduces Ling Yun’s available movement routes. Tang San combines Hidden Weapons, Blue Silver Grass, and close-range pressure to exploit this limitation 24 25.
• Predictable movement habits — Speed does not make Ling Yun’s route choices inherently unpredictable. By studying his preferred directions after Wave Treading, Tang San anticipates his dodges and directs Hidden Weapons toward those positions 23 24.
• Lightning exposure — A large water-covered area can conduct an opponent’s lightning. Against Yu Tianheng’s Thunderous Fury, Ling Yun retracts most of the shallow water rather than risk becoming a conductor, reducing the space in which Wave Treading can exert its greatest advantage 37.

Notable Uses

• Against the Darkwater Shadow Leopard, Ling Yun uses Wave Treading in the Mist Marsh to evade its attacks, exploit the shallow water, and close in after exposing its true body 14.
• Against Ma Hongjun, he uses it to evade Phoenix Fire Line. Ma Hongjun’s flames boil the water on the field, but the resulting steam helps Ling Yun set up Mist Veil 20.
• During the two-on-one spar against Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, he initially uses it to evade their coordinated attacks. He later accelerates toward Zhu Zhuqing, closing a dozen or so meters while Water Shadow Clones converge from three directions to help him isolate her 22.
• Against Tang San’s Clear Sky Hammer, he slides backward to avoid a swing passing close to his chest, denying Tang San an opportunity to exploit the hammer’s strength 25.
• During his fight against the Shrek Seven Devils, he combines Wave Treading with the tongue scarf to unbalance Ma Hongjun before kicking him out of the fog zone. He later uses the momentum of a forward charge to drag Dai Mubai beyond the training ground’s sideline 30.
• Against the Imperial Battle Team, he feigns an attack on Ye Lingling, then uses Wave Treading to reach Yu Tianheng’s flank while Dai Mubai applies frontal pressure. He also changes direction to avoid Dugu Yan’s poison mist while sending a Water Shadow Clone into it 36.