Chapter 14: The Third Level, Refining Stones

“I want to start breaking through.”

“The number of people that had passed through the second level is 1,000, and the fastest was 30 seconds.” The electronic sound made Zhou Ping’s heart tense.

“The fastest time is only 30 seconds? Yes, it’s a real test of lightness, and naturally, it should only take a short time to pass through. It seems that I will have to try my best.”

In order to earn promotion value, ranking was required. Naturally, Zhou Ping prioritized it.

“The timer for the second level begins.”

As soon as the announcement came, Zhou Ping raised his hand. A piece of shaded driftwood was thrown to the weak water like a water drift. Then, Zhou Ping jumped into the pool.

Hiss

In the waiting hall, Director Zheng took a deep breath.

“Ping’er…” Liu Ting exclaimed.

In the Zhou’s compound in Yanping, several teenagers who were watching exclaimed. Zhou Zuoguo, who was sitting on a chair, tightly squeezed the chair’s handle.

“Grandpa, why did my cousin jump! Wasn’t he practicing horizontal martial arts?” A little girl covered her mouth, staring in surprise.

“Ping’er is practicing horizontal exercises. Does he want to rely on horizontal exercises to break through?” The old man of the Zhou family tried to guess Zhou Ping’s thoughts.

“Those Irontooths can easily bite into steel plates. Can my cousin pass through?” The little girl looked at the water on the screen with a worried expression.

“Ping’er is not a reckless person.”

She didn’t even believe what Elder Zhou said.?Isn’t going to the seven barriers being reckless? You know that these seven barriers look ordinary, but they are in fact incredibly difficult.

In the pool, Zhou Ping landed on the shaded driftwood the moment the first ripple appeared.

“How is this possible!”

Countless people were shocked. Zhou Ping actually stood on that small piece of shaded driftwood, as if he had no weight. The shaded driftwood drifted on the weak water’s surface, making a series of ripples along the way.

“What great lightness skill!”

“The body is as light as willow catkins, and the feet are as light as mosquitoes and flies. This is a unique skill!”

In the Zhou family compound, Mr. Zhou stood up.

“What do you mean? What catkins? What mosquitoes?” The little girl looked at old man Zhou who suddenly stood up.

“If a person uses lightness martial arts and gives a sense of elegance like fluttering catkins, then the lightness martial arts of this person is already superb. However, catkins do not have roots, so they always flutter with the wind. Practicing to the point of being like catkins is not a manifestation of great achievement in lightness skills. To be truly successful in lightness skills, we should add the last sentence, “one’s feet are like flies and mosquitoes.”

“Look at those mosquitoes and flies. Even if they are erected at right angles and on very smooth walls, they can steadily stand on it. If people can practice such lightness skills, they will have roots under their feet.” Old man Zhou stared at Zhou Ping without blinking, his expression full of excitement.

“Rooted or not? What’s the difference?” The little girl tilted her head, looking innocent and cute.

“There’s a big difference. If you don’t have roots under your feet, you can’t attack with force. The body is like catkins. It sounds good, but if you can’t attack, you can only run away. Look at the famous masters of lightness martial arts who can only use their skills for thievery. Therefore, the lightness martial arts are trained to be like catkins. Although it is elegant, it is nothing more than that.” Old Master Zhou talked about the lightness masters who once appeared in history with disdain.

“No? They are all masters of lightness skill, and they are so famous.” The little girl shook her head in disbelief.

“It is precisely because they are just half a bucket of water that they are famous for their light skills.” Old man Zhou laughed. “The real lightness martial masters have already integrated light skills into their bones. Do you know that there is a sword technique called ‘Flying Immortal Beyond the Sky.’”

“I do! I heard that that skill is amazing.” The little girl clapped her hands.

“Flying Immortals Beyond the Sky is very elegant. It was just like an immortal coming into the world. If there is no unique lightness skill, do you think it can be used?” Old man Zhou touched the little girl’s head.

“That is what it means to step like a mosquito and fly. If you have roots under your feet, you can exert strength to attack. When the enemy comes, he can dodge and take advantage of the situation to counterattack. He can integrate lightness skill into every move, making the move more unpredictable. At that point, the lightness skill is already a very important factor.”

“Doesn’t that mean that cousin Zhou Ping is already the same level as those famous masters in history?” The little girl looked at Zhou Ping on the screen, little stars appearing in her eyes.

“Hahaha, it’s not that easy to be a master.” Old man Zhou’s eyes flashed. “But Ping’er has certainly shown the potential of a master. If we can give him enough time to develop, he will definitely become a top master in the future.

“With this child, my Zhou family may be able to go further and become a famous super family in the world!” Old man Zhou looked at Zhou Ping’s eyes.

“Congratulations to the barrier-breaker who passed the second level. It took you ten seconds and had set a new record. You are now among the first 1,000 successful barrier-breakers,” the electronic sound announced.

“Ten seconds?” Zhou Ping breathed a sigh of relief. “The ‘A Reed Crossing the River’ is really powerful. It is rumored to be a technique handed down by Master Bodhidharma. Now I am a little convinced. There were many Irontooths swimming on the weak water earlier, but they weren’t reacting as I passed through.

It is precisely because of the powerful and fast skill that these Irontooths can’t react and attack me. That’s why I passed through in such a short period of time.”

“With the help of the system, no peerless genius can compare with me. I can’t waste the power of the system. Today, I must be the whole country’s sensation!” Zhou Ping felt blood rushing to his head. His whole body was boiling and full of fighting spirit.

Opening the iron gate, Zhou Ping entered the third level.

Boom!

As soon as he stepped into the third level, Zhou Ping felt an explosion in his mind. Unprepared, Zhou Ping staggered. He knew that something happened, so he stood still.

“The third level will test the will of the barrier-breaker. In this level, there is a suppressing refining stone. Anyone who can walk into the center of the room will be considered to have passed the level. The longer you stay in the circle, the higher the ranking,” the electronic sound explained.

Zhou Ping looked to the other side of the room and saw a fist-sized black stone placed on a table. One meter in front of the table, there was a red circle with a diameter of about two meters.

“The refining stone? What is that? The black stone is the refining stone?”

Questions arose in Zhou Ping’s heart. Then, he calmly walked towards the refining stone.