Chapter 5: The Mysterious Stone Symbol

  "What is this thing?"

  Lin Dong stared blankly at the object in his hand, which appeared to be a stone about the size of two fingers. The stone was only the size of two fingers and had a faint grayish-white color. However, when he pinched it with his palm, there was a strange soft feeling that didn't seem like stone, nor did it feel like jade or wood.

  Like stone but not stone, like jade but not jade, like wood but not wood.

  This is what Lin Dong found after exhausting his mind and climbing to the top of the mountain cave, from a hidden crack in it. Looking at the source of the previous dripping location, it should be this thing.

  On the dark mountain top where this object was embedded, there was also a very clear palm print. The palm print was so clear that even the lines on the palm were visible. Looking at the mysterious palm print, Lin Dong finally understood that this cave might have been visited by someone long ago.

  "Weird stuff."

  Lin moved his lips and on this thumb-sized stone, some obscure textures could be vaguely seen, looking like a mysterious rune.

  The stone slab is covered with mysterious symbols all over it, which makes it look more like a mysterious stone symbol.

  The current Shifu, apart from the mysterious and profound symbols that make people feel obscure at a glance, doesn't have too many peculiarities. However, Lin Dong is certain that the red light spots he saw earlier are not an illusion.

  "The reason why Shichi has such abilities is probably due to this stone symbol..."

  Lin Dong's small face was filled with a thoughtful expression, earlier he had personally seen that light point fall into the stone pool, and only this one point could explain why this stone pool would have such a magical effect.

  "Bang!"

  As Lin Dong was deep in thought, a sudden rumbling sound of rolling stones came from outside the cave. He hastily put the stone talisman into his inner pocket and held it against his chest.

  "Lin Dong Ge, hehe, I knew you were here."

  When Lin Dong was collecting the stone talismans, a figure like a butterfly appeared at the entrance of the cave. It was a little girl who looked about 13 or 14 years old. She was wearing only a simple light-colored dress, but her simple clothes couldn't hide the liveliness on her small face. Although the little girl was still young, her small face was already quite delicate, and her big eyes sparkled as she blinked, making her look extremely cute.

  Looking at the little girl, Lin Dong also secretly let out a sigh of relief. The girl was not a member of the Lin family, but a baby that Liu Yan had adopted from the snowy ground shortly after his birth, slightly younger than Lin Dong. The two grew up together, their relationship like siblings, extremely close. Because she was an orphan, she didn't take the surname Lin, so Liu Yan gave her a pleasant-sounding name, Qing Tan, and this person was also like her name, filled with spiritual energy like sandalwood.

  "Lin Dongge, it's almost dark outside, your mother has been calling you for a long time."

  Qingtan smiled and walked up, her small hand naturally holding onto Linder's arm, then she pulled him towards the outside while walking and muttering: "It's getting dark, the stone path here can't be seen either, do you still want to sleep in a mountain cave like that time?"

  Looking at the cyan wood beside him, which was chirping like a skylark, Lin Dong couldn't help but smile. He then gently touched his chest with his palm, where the stone symbol was attached, and felt a faint coolness emanating from it.

  Although he didn't understand the origin of this stone token, his intuition told Lin Dong that it should be quite extraordinary.

  ……

  The night color shrouds the earth, cool moonlight pours down, washing away the remaining heat in the earth.

  In the room, Lin Dong closed his eyes and fell asleep. A thread of moonlight poured in from the window, some of which shone on Lin Dong's body. Suddenly, the moonlight rippled like water waves, and a strange scene emerged. It was seen that those cool moonlights began to condense towards Lin Dong's chest, bit by bit, emitting a faint glow. In the depths of the light, one could vaguely see that the center of the light was an ancient stone token.

  When the stone symbol emitted light, Lin Dong's eyes, which had been in a deep sleep, also opened slightly. However, before he could fully open his eyes, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness surging from the depths of his mind. Immediately after, he was horrified to discover that he had appeared in a pitch-black space.

  There is no light here, quiet and cold.

  The sudden change of events made Lin's heart surge with fear. No matter what, he was only a fourteen-year-old kid after all.

  "Hiss!"

  In the midst of fear, a faint sound suddenly emerged in the silent and pitch-black space. Immediately, a cluster of light and shadow appeared before him. Upon closer inspection, the light and shadow resembled Lin Dong's appearance, except that his face was devoid of any vitality, filled with numbness instead.

  "What's going on..."

  Lin Dong stared blankly at the light shadow in front of him that was exactly the same as his, and his mind was somewhat frightened by this strange scene.

  "Bang!"

  When Lin Dong was stunned, the figure of "Lin Dong" suddenly moved, and his shadow flashed, his fists stretched out, a familiar set of Lin Dong's boxing moves were performed in his hands.

  "This is... Tongbei Fist?"

  Looking at the fist technique displayed by the light shadow, Lin Dong's eyes suddenly widened uncontrollably, and then a strong shock surged from his eyes. He found that the fist technique displayed by the light shadow seemed to be even more smooth and perfect than Lin Xiao's!

  Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!

  In the dark space, light and shadow move swiftly, with a pair of fists waving, it's as if a monkey is stretching its body, that feeling, compared to Lin Xiao's time, seems even more full of spiritual energy.

  Nine echoes of energy!

  Lin Dong's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the identical figure, and when the latter threw a punch, he clearly heard nine crisp sounds!

  "Nine echoes..."

  Lin Dong muttered to himself, but just as he was shocked by this, the light and shadow of the fist technique that had just ended suddenly shook strangely. Under this shake, there was actually a faint muffled sound coming from Lin Dong's arm!

  "This..."

  This extremely faint and subtle sound would have been impossible to hear if the space had not been quiet and still, and if Lin Dong's spirit had not been focused at this moment.

  Perfect score!

  Lin Dong stared blankly at the light and shadow, this was clearly just a nine-sounding punch, but in his hands, would there be a tenth sound?

  Lin Dong said very affirmatively that this tenth move, even if his father Lin Lang himself were to use it, would be impossible to execute.

  "What's going on?"

  Lin Dong fell into a daze, and it was only after a long time that he gradually came back to his senses. He furrowed his brow in deep thought. Although he had only watched it once, Lin Dong had a strange feeling that the Tong Bei Fist displayed in this light shadow seemed even more natural and agile than the one Lin Xiaoyin had performed during the day. Or perhaps, perfect.

  But as for why this light and shadow had such a strange ability, it was not something that Lin Dong could understand. However, he vaguely felt that perhaps this time, he had encountered a treasure...

  In Lin Dong's mind, the thoughts were racing back and forth. The light and shadow of that set of fist techniques had not dissipated, but instead flashed again, and another identical Tongbei Fist began from the start.

  Looking at the agile figure like a monkey, Lin Dong was somewhat distracted, and his initial fear had unknowingly dissipated. He concentrated all his attention, staring intently at the agile light shadow, and the contemplative expression on his small face also deepened. He repeatedly observed the fist style of the light shadow, even the subtle arc degree was carefully remembered in his mind.

  After watching for a long time, Lin Dong finally opened his legs, pulled out his posture, and began to imitate the light and shadow, slowly unfolding his Tongbei Fist.

  "Bang!"

  In the dark space, two identical human silhouettes and light shadows began to tirelessly display their fist techniques one after another. The crackling sounds were also endless, but almost all of them belonged to the light shadow.

  For this situation, Lin Dong didn't show any signs of being flustered. His small face was full of seriousness as he executed his fist technique, and at the same time, he also started to subtly change it according to the light and shadow's fist style.

  This change, although small, seems to have a magical effect like adding the finishing touches to a painting. A small modification has brought unexpected gains.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Fists and palms stretched out, arms agile like a monkey's, swiftly flipping and turning, four crisp sounds ringing out in succession, while the whirlwind of Lin Dong's fists also brought forth a howling wind at this moment!

  Four Cheers!

  His shining eyes, at this moment, became exceptionally bright, he didn't think that just some subtle changes in the way of practicing the Tongbei Fist would make it so effortless and natural!

  That feeling is just like having an unparalleled good teacher who teaches you hand in hand, and the level of this teacher is simply terrifying.

  Such a harvest, it's simply making Lin Dong ecstatic in his heart. If Lin Xiao knew that he was able to cultivate the Tong Bei Fist to four resonances within just one day, he would probably be shocked to the point of having his jaw drop. He had originally cultivated for nearly a month before barely reaching this speed, while Lin Dong had surpassed him by dozens of times!

  With such gains, Lin Dong's spirit seemed to have become even more vigorous, not only did he not rest because of this, but instead once again opened his fist style, repeatedly displaying the Tongbei Fist, striving to make his own fist technique identical to that light shadow...

  In the pitch-black space, it seemed as if time had stopped flowing. Lin Dong was constantly mimicking the light and shadow, and with each drop of sweat, his fist technique became more and more like the light and shadow.

  Ink-black space, light and shadow dancing, like two agile apes, fists and palms stretching out, breaking through the wind.