Unbeatable! Invincible! Unparalleled! 27 Chapter 27: The Gossiping Juniors!

Duan Li immersed himself in the sensation of bathing in hot water.

"That feels good.." he said as he closed his eyes, feeling all his bodily aches to slowly go away with each exhalation.

The hot water bath for the students were made up using spirit spring water, which was from a natural reservoir up from the mountains and then transferred into this bath through some genius engineering method called pipes.

These spirit water could alleviate pain and fatigue when bathed in, and when it is drinked, could quench thirst with just a few sip.

Furthermore, this hot bath were reinforced with runic inscriptions for pa.s.sive healing in order to quickly restore the student's vigor into the peak state every morning.

After all, being a martial artists and cultivator is a tiring occupation.

s.h.i.+nggg!

His All-Seeing eye activated as usual but now he could see the addition of many tiny spots the size of a few needle points around his body. These are the 2000 acupoints that he had studied.

"Mmm.. it seems that some of these acupoints overlapped with my meridians and blood vessels too.."

He continued to explore his body with closed eyes as he thought about some stuff.

According to the book and his memories, to level up in stages required three things;

Firstly, is that they needed a certain amount of spiritual Qi density inside their body to push through a bottleneck. These bottleneck consists of several acupoints inside the body that the spiritual Qi must travel to and complete a whole cycle.

Secondly, as these acupoints overlaps with the meridians and blood vessels, the physical body must also be trained to a certain extent to reinforce them. Otherwise, the dense spiritual Qi would rupture these pathways and seeps into the muscles and bones that would be difficult to control.

Thirdly, is that it requires manual books to actually identify these pathways along which acupoints to be opened and closed to stimulate the meridians for new routes the spiritual Qi could use and circulate within a single breath.

For Duan Li who had already reached the pinnacle in the original timeline, although his memories were now filled with a whole lifetime, but since that future self of his didn't encounter the mysterious pearl at all, the result was - lapses in between memories.

Duan Li is someone that has a habit to easily forget anything insignificant over time. Therefore, when he had reached the pinnacle of power before, all the practices and knowledge to breakthrough the stages of the lower realm were pretty much forgotten by him.

This isn't to say however, that he had forgotten them all. He did remember a few powerful skills and techniques that he previously used during his time in the lower realms. Just that these also had certain requirements and conditions.

Furthermore, as someone who is at the pinnacle of the immortal ascension realm back then, his physical body was already tantamount to the rocky mountains. Thus, most of the stances of martial arts were no longer used by him as he inclined more towards the cultivator path instead.

Therefore, other than a few notable and extremely strong stances of the martial arts path, again, he had forgotten most of them.

Opening his eyes, he cupped his chin together.

"I'll go breakfast with brother Shen Lu first and then go back to my room to wait for senior teacher w.a.n.g Guozhi to come.. "

During the bath, the other male students around him kept on whispering as his background got exagerated further and further.

"I heard that this new guy had once served the emperor of the eastern lands when he was 16!" said a 16 years old boy with wild imaginations.

"What? Then how did he end up becoming a student of the academy now?"

"It is because his emperor got murdered by an immortal unjustly! Thus, he came here in order to turn himself into an immortal for revenge!"

"T-thats! How tragic!"

"It is! Hais.. what a rightful man.."

These groups of young people were gleaming with respectful glances, reverence even as they allow their imaginations to run wild.

Duan Li was oblivious to all their gossip talks as he didn't bother to hear what they were saying. To him, the gossips from people younger than him shouldn't be anything important and was just about girls and love.

At the moment, he wasn't interested in such an affair at all.

Splas.h.!.+

He poured out cold water atop his body after getting out from the hot bath to freshen himself. Then after brus.h.i.+ng his teeth and donning on his student's uniform, he exitted the bathroom to find Shen Lu.

Along the hallway, he could vividly realize that some students avoid their gaze from meeting his eyes. In fact, some even showed an expression of fear except the others that were older in appearance who seemed to be indifference. When he thought about it, it must've been because he looked like a senior. Therefore, as they were someone younger than him, it might be rude to look at their seniors straight in the eyes.

Hmmm.. what a strange culture..

"Ohh Duan Li! You're finally out from the hot bath eh? How was it?"

Shen Lu was leaning besides the door outside his room as he was waiting for him.

"Ahh, I've never taken a bath such as those.. Its effects are really quite marvelous! All my fatigue from yesterday are gone too.. " replied Duan Li.

"Hahahahahaha! When it was my first time using the hot bath, I was surprised too by its wonderful effects!" he laughed out.

And then, sneakily looking around him left and right, he leaned forward to whisper at Duan Li.

"Duan Li, I heard some of the students talking here that you were a ronin samurai from the eastern lands.. "

Huh? Ronin samurai?

From the eastern lands?

What is that?

"Eh? I'm not! I told you that I came from the Xuan village.." replied Duan Li shaking his head vehemently.

Eventhough he didn't know what a ronin samurai meant, he thought that it shouldn't be anything good at all with the vibes he was feeling about it.

"Is that so.. I even heard they said that you disappeared just a moment before Zhang Li's left hook was inches away from your face.. and it was actually a quick draw techniques of a samurai. Fortunately they said, you didn't bring with you any sword, otherwise that fella would've been a goner.. " said Shen Lu as he cupped his chin feeling amused.

Zhang Li? Who is that?

Did such an event really occurred this morning?

Thinking about it thoroughly, Duan Li did indeed recalled that there was a young man who stopped him as if trying to say something to him.

But because he was still in a dizzy at that time, he couldn't heard what he was saying at all. The next thing he knew was that the young man tried to pat his shoulder perhaps as a way to become friends with him, but suddenly his bladder acted up.

Thus, after saying that he needed to go to the toilet very quickly, he just rushed straight to the bathroom and entered the toilet. He then soon forgot about the whole matter after that!

Hais, what a blunder!

Duan Li palmed his forehead.

"It must've been due to my ability that slowed down time automatically if I am under threat.. thought Duan Li.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter! People here always liked to gossip whenever they had the time. I sometimes wonder myself how they were similar to those old grandmas by the town street when they were gossiping! Whats with all their hush-hush way of talking and all! Hahahahahaha!" Shen Lu laughed out as he grabbed at his stomach, feeling hungry.

"Ahahahaha..." Duan Li laughed too, albeit awkwardly.

"Well, lets just go to the cafeteria then, the rumors will die out eventually! Im famished!" continued Shen Lu.

Hearing this, Duan Li nodded as he was feeling quite hungry too now. But remembering something, he quickly entered his room to take the breathing manual on his shelf, 'Opening Pores, Swallowing Rivers'.

He hadn't had the time to read it last night, so he was thinking that he should read it on their way to the cafeteria and while having breakfast.

As someone whom had already learnt such a breathing method before in that timeline, it shouldn't take long for him to re-learn all the details on how to do it.

When Shen Lu saw Duan Li carrying that thick book, he had a weird expression on his face as he threw some glances at it.

Finally unable to rein in his curiousity, he couldn't help but to ask Duan Li.

"Duan Li, if I am not mistaken, that book.. is the breathing manual 'Opening Pores, Swallowing River' right? Did you perhaps.. were already able to breath in spiritual Qi.. using your pores slowly..?"

Hearing this, Duan Li recalled that senior teacher w.a.n.g Guozhi did indeed mention such a thing. Thus, he nodded.

"En! That's right!" Duan Li replied casually.

Although Shen Lu's statement was a bit incorrect as he could actually absorb spiritual Qi through his pores rapidly, instead of slowly. But he wouldn't tell that to him.

"Ahh.. I see.. "

At first, Shen Lu was quite surprised when he heard Duan Li's answer, but thinking about how Duan Li is about the same age as him, he didn't think that it was too weird.

After all, there were quite a number of talented students who achieved the same feat as well at a young age in the academy.

"Hais.. you are quite talented! While here I am, still only able to breath in spiritual Qi from my seven apertures.." sighed Shen Lu as he felt a little bit down.

People around him all said that he was a genius for being able to breath in spiritual Qi through his seven apertures when he was 19, and now three years later, he was still at that level while Duan Li and several other of his cla.s.smates were already able to breath in through their pores.

"This.. hahaha.. I reckon brother Shen Lu would be able to do the same quite soon.." replied Duan Li awkwardly as he tried to smooth it out.

Shen Lu sighed repeatedly along the way while Duan Li would casually open a few pages to read if they are not talking.

...

At the cafeteria..

"Oh yea, let me re-introduce myself! I am Shen Lu, a second year and is at the early stage of level 2 in the foundation establishment realm. I'm also one year older than you and I came from the Triding River town!" said Shen Lu as he munched down on his breakfast.

"Why were you late to enroll here in the academy?" he asked feeling quite curious.

"Ahh.. its because.. my mother wanted to train me personally before I enroll.." Duan Li decided to answer similar to how he had said it to sister Ling Yu.

"Ahh.. no wonder.. then you should have already learnt quite a lot of stances for your foundation then. How much have you learnt? Perhaps we could trade for a few moves next time!"

...