Lightness arts: walking on water

The monk was tall and broad, but his left arm had been severed at the shoulder, and blood had stained half his robes red. He wielded a demon-subduing vajra with his remaining hand, every swing whipping up a howling wind. The force swept up gravel beneath his feet, sending sand and stones flying in a terrifying spectacle!

The enormous beast was as big as an ox and shaped like an eagle. Black feathers covered its body, yet it had four thick animal legs and a curved, pointed horn on its head! It opened its huge beak, and the sound that emerged was unmistakably a baby's cry!

"Oh my God!" Yang Wanqing nearly dropped her phone. "What is that thing?!"

The livestream chat instantly erupted:

[Gourd Kid: Holy shit! What the hell is that?!]

[I Am Ying Zheng: Holy shit! Real martial arts! That monk knows martial arts?!]

[One Step Ahead: That's terrifying! The monk's arm has been torn off!]

[Academic Failure: This... this is impossible! Creatures like that only exist in legends!]

[Visitor58647: Are they shooting a movie? Special effects?]

[Snow Everywhere: Those aren't special effects! We've been watching live the whole time! This is real!]

[Rich Bro: Am I seeing things? Monsters like that actually exist?]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: The Transformation Realm! That's the martial arts Transformation Realm! He's even stronger than my grandfather!]

[Snark Master: They're shooting a movie, right? Where are the props? The wires?]

[Science Believer: Impossible! Those have to be special effects! But how could they add effects to an uninterrupted livestream?]

[Veteran Explorer: What is that monster? It doesn't quite look like an eagle, and it cries like a baby. That's seriously creepy!]

Sitting in his luxurious mansion in the Capital City, Ying Wenjie (I Am Ying Zheng) stared at the screen, transfixed, while his fingers frantically tapped to send gifts:

"Send more! Keep them coming! Celestial Master Chen is surrounded by extraordinary people and incredible happenings! I have to top the leaderboard this time!"

Chen Siyao held up her phone, keeping the camera fixed on the far shore despite her trembling hands. "Guys! Are you seeing this?! Someone's really fighting over there! What is that monster?!"

Li Li covered her mouth in terror, not daring to make a sound, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

Cai Jingwen went pale and clutched Chen Hao's sleeve, her heart racing. In over twenty years of life, she had never seen such a terrifying beast, much less someone who could command wind and sand!

On the battlefield, the monk was already in grave danger. His movements grew slower, and his face was as white as paper, clearly from excessive blood loss. Seizing an opening, the beast charged headfirst. The monk barely dodged, but its claws caught him, sending him flying backward. He slammed into a rock and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Master!" Cai Jingwen cried.

At that critical moment, Chen Hao's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Chen Hao moved.

But what happened next completely overturned everything they thought they knew!

Everyone assumed Chen Hao would run around the lake. After all, the icy mountain lake was dozens of meters across, with no path over it.

Chen Hao gently handed Moontrace to Cai Jingwen beside him and said calmly, "Hold on tight."

Cai Jingwen instinctively took the Wolf Cub. Before she could react, Chen Hao stepped forward and shot away!

Without a running start or anything to push off from, he simply planted one foot on the icy surface of the lake!

"Brother!" Chen Siyao shouted.

"Chen Hao!" Cai Jingwen's heart nearly stopped.

The livestream chat went completely wild:

[I Am Ying Zheng: Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! He's walking on water?!]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: Her brother knows lightness arts! Our big brother knows lightness arts!]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: This... this is impossible! Lightness arts are only a legend! How could they really exist?!]

[Endless Deliveries: Am I seeing things? Or am I dreaming?]

[Occult Whiz: I knew Chen Hao wasn't ordinary! These are a Heavenly Master's powers! Believe it now?!]

[Onlooker: Mom asked why I was kneeling while watching my phone!]

[Science Believer: My eyes must be broken! How is this possible?! How can water support a person?!]

[Onlooker: An uninterrupted livestream, no editing! No special effects! No acting! This is real!]

[Influencer Gossip: Celestial Master Chen is a legend! This just cemented it!]

Ying Wenjie frantically sent Super Rockets, and gifts from [I Am Ying Zheng] dominated the top of the screen:

"Celestial Master Chen! Take me as your disciple! I'll devote my family's entire resources to supporting you!"

Not to be outdone, Ye Chendong (Snow Blows at the East Gate) filled the screen with Cloud-Piercing Arrows. "Celestial Master Chen! I, Ye Chendong of the Ye family, wish to become your disciple! I'll follow you for life!"

Silence.

Deathly silence.

Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, Li Li, and Cai Jingwen all stared wide-eyed, their mouths forming O's. Their minds went blank, and they froze where they stood, forgetting even to breathe.

Walking on water... was that something a human could do?!

Holding Moontrace, Cai Jingwen felt her fingers stiffen. Her heart pounded wildly, as though struck by a heavy hammer.

She gazed at the tall, straight figure standing on the snow, her eyes filled with fascination and awe. This man truly was no ordinary mortal!

The elderly, one-armed monk on the opposite shore also widened his eyes. He even forgot the pain of his wound, his face filled with disbelief.

Chen Hao had already landed on the shore and stood between the monk and the beast.

The beast stared at him and let out a piercing wail, its eyes gleaming with vicious intent.

The monk struggled to raise his head and looked at the young man before him, shock filling his eyes. "Benefactor... leave... this beast is beyond you..."

Chen Hao did not answer. He merely watched the beast calmly.

"Waaah—" The beast let out another infant-like cry, then drove off all four legs and charged at him like a small mountain!

Just as it was about to strike him, Chen Hao raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and slashed through the air!

A brilliant streak of sword light appeared out of nowhere, dazzling as lightning. With incomparable sharpness and force, it cleaved toward the beast!

The sword light tore through the air with a shrill whistle!

Before the beast could even scream, the sword light split its enormous body straight down the middle!

Blood sprayed and entrails spilled. The two halves of its corpse crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Everything fell deathly silent.

The monk stared wide-eyed, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

The livestream chat stopped completely for a full three seconds, then—

[I Am Ying Zheng: Holy shiiiiiiit!!!]

[Yaoyao's Little Red Riding Hood: Big brother is so cool! One sword strike to slay a monster!]

[Snow Blows at the East Gate: Is he a sword immortal?! An actual sword immortal?!]

[The Real Hero: I don't believe it, I don't believe it, I don't believe it... these have to be special effects...]

[Outdoor Xiaofeng: Livestream special effects? Try making some yourself and show me!]

[Occult Whiz: I told you! Mr. Chen is no ordinary mortal! He's a cultivator! A real cultivator!]

[Rich Bro: Boss, need another leg accessory? I can cling on and cheer for you!]

Chen Hao lowered his hand as though he had merely done something trivial. He turned and crouched to examine the monk's injuries.

The stump of the monk's left arm was still bleeding. His face had gone almost translucent with pallor, and his gaze was unfocused, yet he stared fixedly at Chen Hao, his lips trembling. "Benefactor... you... you are..."

"Don't speak." Chen Hao tapped several points on the monk's body, and the bleeding immediately stopped.

The monk's eyes widened further. "Stopping bleeding through pressure points... that's... an ancient, lost technique..."

At that moment, Chen Siyao and the others came running along the shore. They had taken more than ten minutes to circle the lake and arrived gasping for breath.

"Brother! Are you okay?" Chen Siyao rushed over and looked Chen Hao up and down.

"I'm fine," Chen Hao said calmly.

Cai Jingwen stood to one side, looking at Chen Hao with completely different eyes.

She had seen everything clearly. This man had walked across water and slain a monster with a single sword strike. Abilities that existed only in myths and legends had actually appeared before her!

He was not an ordinary person.

He was nothing like an ordinary person!

Li Li's legs went weak, and only her grip on Cai Jingwen kept her from falling. She looked at the beast's bisected corpse, then at Chen Hao, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

Chen Siyao held up her phone. Her hands shook badly, but she kept the camera fixed on the beast's corpse.

"Guys... did you see that... that sword light just now... my brother split this monster in half with one strike... those weren't special effects... it was real... real..."

Her voice trembled too.

The monk caught his breath and struggled into a sitting position. Looking at Chen Hao, he bowed his head deeply. "Thank you for saving my life, benefactor. I am the former Tripa of Esoteric Buddhism. My Dharma name is Hui Ming."

"Khenpo?" Chen Siyao paused. "What's that?"