Chapter 76: Serpent and Flood Dragon
The stern man in the video possessed eyes that seemed like twin suns, their brilliance undimmed even in the slightly shadowed training room. If not for the barrier of the internet separating him from the young tycoon, one could imagine that a single glance exchanged face-to-face would leave the eyes aching, unable to withstand his gaze. This was an exceedingly rare technique in martial arts—the art of observation. Before experts spar, they often lock eyes, and whichever party’s gaze falters will inevitably lose ground in the ensuing match.
To possess such commanding power in one’s gaze, the man in the video had clearly honed his skill to a formidable degree.
“Junior brother, you’ve been back in the country for two years, preoccupied with family business. Your martial arts have regressed rather than improved, gone is the sharp, serpentine edge you once wielded among overseas societies. Now, all that remains is a harsh, feminine ruthlessness, which hinders your cultivation. I advise you to lay aside those worldly affairs, lest they obstruct your path.”
“As for these eyes, I’ve combined the Shaolin Angry Vajra technique, the Daoist Giant Spirit Eye method, and the Dragon Eyes and Tiger Eyes from our master’s teachings in Xingyi’s dragon and tiger forms, and created my own secret art—the Candle Dragon’s Secret Sight!”
“When first practicing this technique, I nourished my eyes with animal livers—pig, lamb, fish—strengthening them internally, and applied a special medicated solution daily, massaging them while channeling blood and energy between my eyes. It makes them robust enough to stare directly at the noonday sun for several minutes without blinking or tearing.”
“Clothes are best new, friends best old. As times change, so must martial arts evolve. When I perfect this Candle Dragon Secret Sight, I’ll leave it to the school. If you have time to visit, remember to learn it before you return abroad.” The stern man gave the young tycoon a measured glance, then spoke calmly.
“Candle Dragon Secret Sight?”
“Two years apart, and you’ve already reached the stage of creating your own secret techniques?”
“Even a single look through the video intimidates me—such a technique, even our master can’t match! But to abandon the family business? Impossible! I’m not like you, relying on the school’s resources, devoted to martial arts, indifferent to worldly affairs.”
The young tycoon was shaken—admiration and jealousy mingled within him. Listening to his senior’s admonition, his mood was complex, and he sighed, “Senior brother, you know my situation! I have parents to care for, an unmarried younger sister. Until the family foundation is secure, I can’t devote myself to martial arts.”
The stern man in the video smiled faintly, a trace of sarcasm in his eyes. “Chasing profit in the mundane world is the path of mediocrity. As our master says: without enlightenment in alchemy, without entering the alchemical path, after a hundred years, all will return to dust.”
“Now, tell me—what business do you have with me?”
Seeing that his senior had dispensed with pleasantries, the young tycoon described the situation he had encountered at the seaside villa.
“A two-hundred-kilogram dumbbell?”
“That’s hardly remarkable! Watch this!” The stern man suddenly rose from his meditation mat, and the video followed his movements.
He lunged at an old-fashioned stone barbell in the training room—a wooden shaft with stone wheels at each end, the ancient precursor to modern barbells used for strength training.
Yet this barbell was unlike any ordinary one. The stone wheels were as large as millstones, each likely weighing no less than two hundred pounds; together, they rivaled the two-hundred-kilogram dumbbell.
Even so, with a swift hook of his leg, the stern man sent the heavy barbell flying into the air. He seized the wooden shaft, spinning it rapidly like a martial staff, then with a powerful shake, slammed it into the wall with a thunderous crash, raising a cloud of dust.
“Go call someone to clean this up,” he said, steadying himself as his face paled and white vapor rose from his body, clearly exhausted from the exertion.
The subordinate filming with his phone promptly agreed, summoning others waiting outside to repair the wall—clearly accustomed to such occurrences.
The young tycoon, witnessing his senior’s display of strength, felt a spark of awe and inadequacy, finally unable to suppress his admiration. “Senior brother, your skill grows ever more refined! You’ll surpass our master before long!”
Flattery never fails. The stern man smiled with satisfaction, laughing softly. “Master is old—his strength isn’t what it was. If we fought for real, he wouldn’t be my match.”
“But as for you, junior, your hidden-force skills are already in hand. How could you be intimidated by a minor expert from Wen City?”
“Since you have his name, it’s easy to investigate. Wait here!” With that, he instructed his subordinate to end the video, clearly dispatching the school’s intelligence network to dig up information.
About twenty minutes later, the stern man didn’t resume the video call, but instead sent two short clips and several long voice messages.
One clip showed Chen Jue participating in a martial arts exchange, filmed by the An County television station for a feature, including scenes of him shattering a vertical sandbag with a punch and easily subduing civilian experts and military instructors. Though Chen Jue’s face was blurred, the buzz-cut bodyguard could still recognize him.
The second clip was posted by Chen Jue himself on an online forum, demonstrating hidden-force needle strikes underwater.
Wherever the goose flies, it leaves a trace; wherever the wind passes, it leaves a sound.
Chen Jue had no idea that his modest display had attracted the attention of these overseas martial arts schools.
The stern man’s voice message said: “Junior brother, I’ve found the information on Chen Jue. He’s just a civilian practitioner newly mastering overt force. He had little reputation before—likely just recently achieved this level. He practices a minor, declining style, possibly supplementing with Shaolin child’s skill and iron shirt. He’s innately strong, reminiscent of black boxers, with robust bones—hence his power shown in the first video.”
“A black-belt disciple of Hwarang-ryu who fought him has already uploaded his information to headquarters, confirming he has not mastered hidden force.”
“With your serpent-hand hidden force, facing this newly emerged overt-force brute, no matter how strong he is, a few moves would be enough to defeat him! You were overcautious before.”
“But junior, pay special attention to the expert in the second video—the underwater needle-strike. This unknown hidden-force master posted the clip from an IP address in Wen City.”
“With such forceful hidden needle strikes, even I would not care to face him! Take heed.”
Hearing his senior’s message, the young tycoon felt a wave of relief. He hadn’t expected that Wen City would produce two civilian experts—one overt, one hidden—in such a short time.
“So, Chen Jue is just a recently emerged, slightly stronger beginner. I really frightened myself!” he thought.
“But the hidden-force master senior mentioned is truly terrifying. Such underwater needle strikes—two inches in force—even if I trained another ten years, I couldn’t match him.”
Having watched the videos and listened to the messages, recalling the earlier video call with his senior, the young tycoon leaned back in his Mercedes business-class seat, adopting a comfortable posture. A sly smile flickered at the corner of his lips, a hint of feminine ruthlessness in his eyes. He murmured softly, “Chasing profit in the mundane world is the path of mediocrity? How utterly laughable!”
“Oh, senior brother! Are you not also one of those mediocre souls, relying on your school’s resources?”
“Always harping about alchemy and the alchemical path—my dear senior, you’ve trained yourself into a fool! Even if you achieve the swallowing-pill stage that master speaks of, what then?”
“Abroad, the land is chaotic, lacking foundation and spirit. Even if you perfect the dragon form in Xingyi and innovate endlessly, at best you’ll become a hornless flood dragon.”
“Unless you can, like our junior sister, willingly shed your burdens and abandon everything outside, only then might you one day transform into a true dragon!”
“As for me—though the serpent form’s foundation is weak, its changes are manifold. The giant python, biding its time, will one day rise from the sea, swallow the pill, and sprout horns to become a dragon.”
His words, like his senior’s, were laced with martial arts jargon, secret codes, and cryptic references—an outsider unfamiliar with these disciplines would find themselves utterly lost.
Yet both brothers had made one mistake: the two videos, overt and hidden, featured only Chen Jue. There was never a second hidden-force master; the information gap led them to believe that Wen City harbored a hidden expert capable of two-inch needle strikes.
After all, when Chen Jue participated in the martial arts exchange, he was only at the level of overt force, not yet having touched the threshold of hidden force.