Chapter 344: Chapter 182: A Small Test of Skill
With a gentle smile, Shen Mingyuan said, "My father has been waiting in the Ice Castle for some time. Please, Young Master Chen, come with me for a talk."
"Alright," Chen Cheng responded with a slight nod.
’Still, he couldn’t help but be curious. The Shen Family Ancestor wanted to see him, but not here—they were going to this Ice Castle. He had no idea what they were plotting.’
Shen Mingyuan took the lead, walking slowly and guiding Chen Cheng through a corridor into the Double Courtyard.
The Double Courtyard felt even deeper and more secluded, its layout grander.
"Young Master Chen, this is the Shen Family’s council hall."
Shen Mingyuan gestured toward the wide and imposing main hall of the Double Courtyard, smiling meaningfully.
Chen Cheng nodded slightly and simply said, "Oh."
’The Shen Family council hall was obviously an important place. Shen Mingyuan’s pointed introduction was clearly not for nothing.’
’It was probably related to what Shen Qingyao had told him—that the Shen Family Ancestor wanted to see him about a major matter.’
’But what important business could the Shen Family possibly have to discuss with him, someone who was ostensibly just a Muscle Strengthening Realm Martial Artist?’
’Perhaps it was just about the Shen Family’s peerless twin beauties.’
’I just married Xiaowan yesterday. The Shen Family can’t possibly be trying to recruit me as a live-in son-in-law.’
’If that’s really their plan, I’ll just have to politely refuse.’
’With my master, Mr. Zheng, backing me up, I have plenty of confidence now!’
As Chen Cheng weighed his options, he was struck once again by how important his master was.
’It all came down to Mr. Zheng. When trouble arose, he was someone who could truly handle it. Just his name alone was enough for me to stand tall!’
’But back then, my master, Mr. Zheng, seemed to have no background to speak of. His situation must have been far more difficult than mine is now!’
Lost in thought, Chen Cheng continued to follow Shen Mingyuan’s slow pace out of the Double Courtyard.
They entered an even more secluded inner courtyard. It was vast, with deep gardens and tall, imposing manor houses scattered within.
Several hundred yards in the distance stood a fairly wide, short mountain. The vegetation on it consisted entirely of cold-resistant pines.
The temperature in the inner courtyard already felt like the dead of winter, a chill permeating the air. The short mountain was covered in a blanket of white snow and ice.
To experience such a shift—from the dry heat of late summer to the depths of winter—all within the small confines of the Linji City Inner City, left Chen Cheng secretly amazed.
The group crossed a bluestone path, climbed a set of stairs, and walked another several hundred yards to arrive on the short mountain. There, they were greeted by the sight of a fortress covered in ice and snow.
The fortress was circular and dozens of yards in diameter. It had no gate and was constructed from hard ice blocks stacked over twenty feet high.
"This is our Shen Family’s Ice Castle. My father has been waiting inside for some time. Young Master Chen, please enter for a talk."
Shen Mingyuan stopped walking and, with a smile, gestured toward the Ice Castle.
The other members of the Shen Family all fixed their eyes on Chen Cheng, as if waiting to see how he would react.
The sisters, Shen Qingyao and Shen Qingshuang, had a complex and unreadable look in their beautiful eyes.
Martial Artists possessed powerful physiques. An ordinary Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm could easily leap about ten feet into the air.
And for someone at Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection, leaping twenty feet with a bit of a push-off wasn’t too difficult either.
But a height of more than twenty feet was another matter entirely.
Furthermore, the walls of the Ice Castle were constructed from smooth, slick ice, making it incredibly difficult to find purchase.
Even the two sisters themselves had been unable to scale it before they reached Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection.
Chen Cheng observed their expressions and the general atmosphere, immediately understanding. ’This is a test. The Shen Family is testing my Martial Arts Power.’
Martial Artists could often use various Dharma Gates to conceal their external Qi Blood Power, making it difficult for others to sense its true depth.
But scaling a high wall like this was a test of true skill—it couldn’t be faked.
Seeing Chen Cheng’s thoughtful expression, Shen Mingyuan said with a smile,
"The Ice Castle is where my father secludes himself to comprehend the Frost Snow Realm. To prevent the cold energy from escaping, the walls were built of solid ice, without a single gap or any gate for entry and exit."
"Young Master Chen, you will need to leap over the wall to enter."
"Of course, there is no need to worry, Young Master Chen. Just give it your best attempt. If your strength proves insufficient, I will naturally lend a hand."
"Alright!" Chen Cheng replied with a nod.
’Back when I was at Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm, I could leap about twenty feet, but getting over this Ice Castle wall would have been a struggle.’
’But now, at Small Success in the Bone Forging Realm, getting over this wall is as simple as lifting my leg. It’ll be effortless.’
’But doing that would obviously expose my true strength.’
’Forget it. I’ll reveal a bit and hide the rest. The Shen Family has made such a show of this; I have to give them a taste of my real abilities!’
With that thought, Chen Cheng suddenly took several steps back, drew the long saber from his waist, and then charged toward the wall of the Ice Castle.
As he charged, the long saber in his hand began to move, faintly stirring a gentle breeze. Within this breeze, ripples started to form.
It was none other than the Wind Chasing Saber Stance, which he hadn’t used in a long time.
The man moved with the saber; the saber chased the momentum of the wind!
As he neared the ice wall, Chen Cheng leaped abruptly. He reached a height of nearly twenty feet before his ascent suddenly slowed, as if his momentum was about to give out.
Chen Cheng’s long saber suddenly flashed. A breeze gusted, and a faint score mark appeared on the ice wall.
But before the breeze had even fully formed, Chen Cheng’s body was already above the mark his saber had left.
As his saber stance unfolded, Chen Cheng’s movements became increasingly rapid.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH...
With each slash, Chen Cheng shifted his position, ascending higher up the wall.
It happened in a flash. In the space of just a few breaths, Chen Cheng was already standing atop the high wall of the Ice Castle.
To someone who didn’t understand the Martial Dao, or who couldn’t perceive Saber Momentum, it would have looked as if Chen Cheng had simply swung his long saber a few times and effortlessly scaled the twenty-plus-foot-high ice wall.
But the members of the Shen Family were all powerful experts of the Martial Dao. How could they fail to see the technique he employed?
Every single one of them was inwardly stunned!
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