456: Who were his teammates?

Chapter 456: Who were his teammates?

Translator: Larbre StudioEditor: Larbre Studio

"行."施老头想了下补充道,"别给为师丢脸啊."

"Alright," Geezer Shi hesitated, "But don't embarrass me."

汨罗,圣象和南郑在战乱地区与华国之间,是他昔年经常混迹的所在,少不了熟人和朋友.

Miluo, Shengxiang and Nanzheng were between China and war-torn areas, within which dwelt many of the friends Geezer Shi's made in his earlier years.

师父,你就对我这么没信心吗...楼成腹诽了一句,知道重点是施建国同志好面子的毛病又犯了.

So much for your confidence in me… Lou Cheng complained secretly, knowing it was Shi Jianguo's pride at work.

沉吟十几秒,他饶有兴致颇为好奇地问道:

He brooded for a few seconds and asked curiously,

"师父,这四个国家有什么年轻高手啊?"

"Master, who are the up and coming young players in these four countries?"

"我怎么知道?老头子我关心这些后生晚辈做什么?"施老头一脸鄙夷地回答,"反正非人肯定有,不过没几个就是了,好啦,快把'斗'字诀给为师吧."

"How would I know? Why would an old geezer like me give a darn about what those younglings are up to?" Geezer Shi replied disdainfully. "For sure they have some fighters at the Inhuman stage, but not more than a handful. Now hurry and pass me the Fighting Formula."

"好."楼成早就观察过师姐家的布置,话音刚落,腰背一弹,蹿进了书房,抽出宣纸摊开,用镇纸压好,提起毛笔,浸吸着墨水.

"Okay." With the layout of Senior Sister's apartment in the back of his mind, Lou Cheng sprang up and dashed into the study. He whipped out a sheet of rice paper, laid it out flatly, set paperweights on it, then picked up a brush and drowned it in ink.

他吸了口气,静下心,凝住神,于脑海内勾勒出了"斗"字的一笔一划,爆炸,力量,霸道,血气和永不服输的精神等跃然而出.

Taking a deep breath, he began to concentrate, visualizing the Dou character stroke by stroke in his mind, and feeling something surging in him—a mixture of explosive power, strength, vigor and unyielding spirit.

手腕悬停,毛笔沉按,墨色水渍张扬炽烈,仿佛快冲出白纸,打上云霄.

With suspended wrists, he pressed down on the brush. The ink spread like fire as though it was trying to escape the confinement of the paper.

收尾提笔,楼成看了神韵流转的墨字,满意地点了点头.

Lou Cheng withdrew his brush, admiring the charming word he had written and nodded with satisfaction.

这比自己平时的签名美观多了!

This was way more artistic than his normal signature!

不过自己的精气神意还没到"外通天地"的程度,"描绘"的神韵无法稳固,会随着时间缓慢流逝,多则三个月,少则一个月,这幅"斗"字就无法用于观想练功了,只能像写给汪旭的"前"字一样,靠残留的感觉镇压某些情绪,直到几年后,彻底归于平凡.

Lou Cheng's spirit, Qi, blood, and force had not yet reached the level of "connecting heaven and earth," therefore the power in his Fighting Formula decays with time and only lasts one to three months. Similar to the Forwarding Formula he had written for Wang Xu, once decayed it would no longer be of great use to visualization and Kungfu practice, aside from the lingering effects. After a few years, it will be nothing more than a piece of scrap paper.

反正没效果了再给他们写就是...而且,以"意后"和"罪火天君"的境界,在前面有着经验的基础上,一个月肯定也练成了...楼成思绪浮动,掀起桌上的宣纸,提着走向了客厅,微笑递给了施老头:

Doesn't matter, he could always write them a new one anyway... And it wouldn't take Queen of Thought and Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame more than a month to master it at their current levels, with prior experience no less. With his thoughts racing, Lou Cheng grabbed the writing and presented it to Geezer Shi, smiling.

"师父,'斗'字诀."

"Here, Master, the Fighting Formula."

"就这个?"施老头一脸错愕地反问.

"That's it?" Geezer Shi asked, astonished.

在老邱婆那里得到的"斗"字诀相关物品呢?

What about the items related to the Fighting Formula from Old Nanny Qiu?

从他的表情里,楼成解读出了"你TM在逗我"的意思,一阵汗颜,讪讪笑道:

Lou Cheng replied to his disbelief with an embarrassed smile.

"师父,老邱婆那物品是半坏的,我是靠自己才补齐了神韵,就跟从蜀山斋的笔记里悟出'行'字诀一样."

"Master, the item Old Nanny Qiu had was barely in one piece. When I was learning the magical spirit in the Dou character, I had to fill in many missing pieces by myself, just like that time with the Xing character from the notes at Shushan Study."

说话的同时,他翻动手机,找到了之前拍给严喆珂的照片——玉佩被他放在了家中,打算九月份才带去松城,前往米国时作为其中一件有纪念价值的礼物送给小仙女.

As he spoke, he was scrolling through his phone gallery to find the picture of the jade plate he had taken for Yan Zheke. He left the real thing at home, seeing it would make a meaningful gift for his little fairy when he goes to America in September.

施老头瞄了眼,咳嗽两声,恢复了"爷什么没见过"的姿态道:

Geezer Shi took a glance and coughed dryly, resuming his know-it-all attitude.

"我就说,你和'九字诀'有缘嘛,算是龙虎真人再传了."

"Didn't I tell you that you are fated with the Nine Words Formula? You are almost half a disciple of the Longhu Immortal."

他一边说,一边收起了楼成书写的"斗"字诀,岔开话题道:"正好你过来,去走个流程,把到米国的签证弄好,等名额下来,再办去四国赛的事情,这几天嘛,好好在这里练功,压住蜕变的趋势,争取早点将'冰魄劲'的观想初步掌握."

He kept the Fighting Formula Lou Cheng had written as he spoke. "Anyway, it's good that you are here. Take this time to get your American visa done before you worry about the competition. As for now, practice your Kungfu, suppress any signs of morphing, and try to grasp the basics of Ice Spirit Force visualization as quickly as possible."

说到这里,他从怀里掏出了一张卷起的图谱,颇有几分珍重意味地开玩笑道:

From the inside of his linen, he took out his treasured rolled-up diagram.

"这可是为师我最鼎盛时留下的纪念,你小子可别弄丢了!本来打算借祖师爷那张给你观想的,但琢磨着吧,武道衍变了这么多年,他的体悟,呵呵,总有点不合时宜,还是用为师的好了."

"This is a memento from my prime. Don't you dare lose it, brat!Initially I planned to give you my Master's diagram, but on second thought, with the evolution of martial arts, his comprehensions are probably a tad outdated, so I decided to give you mine instead," he said tongue in cheek.

"师父您都能制作传世的观想图谱了啊?"楼成确实诧异又真心佩服地赞叹道.

"Master, you can paint visualization diagrams?" asked Lou Cheng, with sincere awe and admiration.

"这不废话吗?你师父我当年好歹也是只差一步就能踏入禁忌领域的人."施老头的眼神里满满地透出了"骄傲"两个字.

"Of course! Don't forget that I was only a level away from stepping into the forbidden area in my prime," said Geezer Shi with pride in his eyes.

楼成没掩饰自身的敬佩,伸手接向了图谱,刚有拿住,便觉这承载了"冰魄劲"对应观想的纸张轻得似乎没有半点重量,像是空到了极点的虚无,连一丝热量都无法保留,只余绝对的永恒的冰冷,黑暗和孤寂.

Lou Cheng did not hide his admiration as he received the diagram. Corresponding to the Ice Spirit force, it felt almost weightless in his hands, as if it was a hollow void that retained nothing—not even a trace of warmth. Yet the coldness, darkness and loneliness it gave off seemed to be absolute and eternal.

这个瞬间,楼成的思绪也仿佛飘散在了那无边无垠没有丝毫光亮的寒冷里,不知过了多久才回过神来,看见自家师父笑眯眯的表情:

In that moment, Lou Cheng felt his thoughts drift into an endless realm of darkness as the biting cold greeted him. When he snapped out of it, he was met with his Master's grin.

"冰魄神光图."

"The Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram."

冰魄神光图...楼成微微点头,展开了手中的图卷,看到上面绘满了晶莹流转的光,黑暗衬托下的光,它梦幻,美丽,纯洁,却给人孤寂,黑暗,冷到极点的感觉.

Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram...Lou Cheng nodded slightly. As he unfolded the diagram, he saw rays of clear, wavy light etched on it. Contrasted by the darkness, it was pure, dreamy and beautiful—yet at the same time it emitted loneliness, darkness and a biting chill.

施老头微笑着说道:"'冰封大江图'接'冰魄神光图'就是'冰魄劲'了,等完成了蜕变,劲力接近本能,就只需要'冰魄神光图',可以配合丹劲爆发用."

Geezer Shi smiled. "Ice Spirit Force is the combination of Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram and The Frozen River Diagram. Once you complete your morphing, your force will grow closer to its purest form, and by then you'll only need the Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram which can be used hand in hand with the explosive force from your Dantian."

"嗯."楼成吸了口气,心里有着终于接触顶级武功的喜悦.

"Mm." Lou Cheng inhaled, tingling with excitement at the prospect of acquiring Mighty Kungfu.

这可不是什么好练的东西,不可能再像"九字诀"那样十几二十分钟就能搞定,得花费一定的时光才能成功,为此必须压制自身的牵引蜕变.

Undoubtedly, it would take way longer to master as compared to the Nine Words Formula, which took him only ten to twenty minutes, so he had to suppress any effects of morphing triggered by the process.

早知道提前弄"冰魄劲"和"炎帝劲"的...不过,师父估计也没想到我能这么快就完成关键突破,即将非人...

That being the case, I should have begun training Ice Spirit Force and Emperor Yan Force first. But I doubt even master had expected me to make the breakthrough so quickly and approach the Inhuman stage...

哎,是我太夸张才造成的师父不靠谱吗?楼成忏悔了两分钟.

Sigh, Is it my unpredictable awesomeness that makes Master seem unreliable? He reflected.

接下来几天,他只外出办了个手续,大部分空闲时间在钻研感悟"冰魄神光图",靠着本身对寒冷的理解和这两年来的冰部修行体验,逐渐有了点收获.

For the next few days, other than heading out to apply for his visa application, he spent most of his free time learning the Ice Spirit Holy Light Diagram. With his own knowledge of the Frost Force and the fruit of two years' worth of training in the Ice Sect, he began to make some progress.

弄好出国手续,快参加四国赛前,楼成终于拿到了"炎帝图":神韵飞快流逝,用不了十几天的那种,似乎是来自军方的小小报复.

As the King of Youth Pro League drew near, his visa already in hand, Lou Cheng finally received the Emperor Yan diagram, its power rapidly fading and expiring in a matter of days. It seems like the military got their little revenge on him.

这卷图和"冰魄神光图"恰好相反,虽然只有一张纸,但拿到手里,却让人感觉沉重,似乎有无数的尘埃在累积,最终超过临界,轰然坍塌,点燃所有,喷发出难以想象的高温火焰.

It was the polar opposite of the Ice Spirit Holy Light diagram. The single sheet of paper felt immensely heavy, as if it held a mountain of volcanic ashes that kept piling up, eventually collapsing and igniting everything in its path and spitting out scorching hot lava.

图卷之上,绘着位高冠古袍的神人,核心是那很重很密的一团,往外扩散出层层不同颜色的火焰,它们化为衮服,威严外露,恐怖内藏.

On the diagram was an immortal in traditional dress, his center a core that spread into layers of multicolored flames, transforming into an imperial robe. It was terrifying and majestic at the same time.

配合之前的"燎原图",就能借此练成"炎帝劲"!

Paired with the Prairie Fire Diagram from before, he could finally master the Emperor Yan Force!

"好啦,臭小子,抓紧练,冰火都有掌握,又恢复平衡后,再进行蜕变."施老头叮嘱了一句,"明天去华海,到海东机场和其他人会合,这是联系电话...虽然是个人赛,但还是要组队一起去的,嘿,要不你小子过去听都听不懂."

"Okay brat, don't slack off. Only morph after you restore your balance through mastering both Ice and Flame," Geezer Shi went on, "Before you depart to Huahai tomorrow, meet up with the others at Haidong Airport. Here's the guide's contact number... Even though it's an individual competition, you have to go as a group. Otherwise, heh, you won't even get past the language barrier."

这次的主办地是圣象国的首都夫罗.

The competition was to be held in Shengxiang's capital, Fuluo.

"师父,都还有哪些人参加啊?"楼成好奇打听道.

"Master, who else is participating?" Lou Cheng inquired curiously.

不知道有没有自己认识的人.

He was wondering if he would see familiar faces.

施老头呵呵笑了一声,忽地板着脸孔道:"没问!"

With a sardonic laugh came a gruff reply, "Didn't ask!"

"..."楼成识相地返回房间,收拾好了行李.

"...." Lou Cheng knew better than to ask any further questions and went back to his room to pack his belongings.

接着,他拿出手机,给严喆珂发了条消息:"要去华海了...没想到我出国第一次不是米国,而是圣象（手动滑稽）."

He drew his phone and texted Yan Zheke. "Going to Huahai… Can't believe my first trip overseas is to Shengxiang and not America. (Insert snickering)."

消息过去,石沉大海,那边正是半夜.

No reply. It was midnight over there.

楼成静静看了几分钟,又涌起了些难以排解的思念.

Lou Cheng stared at his phone in silence as his longing for Yan Zheke overwhelmed him with emotions.

之后,他联络了对面,确定了细节,订好了高铁票,快到晚上时,严喆珂睡醒起床,"擦着眼睛"道:"又不能现场看橙子你的比赛了...还好米国这边找得到网上资源!"

Snapping out of it, he phoned the guide to confirm the details for the meeting. By the time he had booked his train ticket, it was almost night. That's when Yan Zheke's reply came at last. "I can't watch your match live this time, again [wipes tears]... Luckily I'll still be able to find the replays online in America!"

"哈哈,这样就好,我都看不懂多少对手的资料,有点没底."楼成谦虚回答,心情忽又振奋.

"Ha ha, don't worry about it. I'm not feeling too confident since I can barely understand what is written on the opponent's data," replied Lou Cheng humbly, his mood lifted all of a sudden.

翌日,他尝试了一次"炎帝劲"的体悟,毫无疑问,没什么收获,

The following day, to no avail, he attempted to comprehend the Yan Emperor Force.

用过早餐,楼成背上行囊,前往了高铁站,赶在中午前抵达了海东机场.

After breakfast, Lou Cheng slung his belongings on his back and headed towards the train station. Before noon, he was already at Haidong Airport.

下午两点,他在出发大厅见到了本次比赛的领队钟宁涛.

It was around 2PM when he spotted the competition guide, Zhong Ningtao, in the departure hall.

"好了,再等几分钟,他们都说快过来了."钟宁涛梳着大背头,个头中等,笑容和善.

"Alright! Please hold on for a moment, the rest will be here anytime now." Zhong Ningtao was a man of average height with slicked back hair and a warm smile.

"好的."楼成没急着问还有谁,先拿出手机,给自家媳妇汇报了一句,"微笑"道:"会合了,期待队友!"

"Alright." Lou Cheng did not ask who else was going, instead he whipped out his phone and reported to Yan Zheke. "I arrived. Can't wait to know the identity of my teammates! [smiling]"

他刚发出这条消息,心中忽生感应,回头望向了另外一边,看见位穿白T恤休闲裤的年轻男人拖着行李走来,他笑容干净,气质闲散,眼神刚从漫无边际的"旅游"里归来,俨然便是彭乐云!

As soon as he hit "Send," he felt a resonance. Looking back, he saw a young man in white T-shirt and shorts walking towards him. With his luggage in hand, a relaxed smile, and a distant look in his eyes, it was no other than Peng Leyun!