046 The Power of Water Forms Itself

At the cusp of summer and autumn, when the rains were plentiful, the reservoir brimmed with water, reaching depths of nearly eight or nine meters. As Chen Jue plunged into the water, he immediately felt a tugging force from below—a hidden current drawing him downward. This was the power generated by the reservoir's flood discharge valve. Yet, because the water level was always kept safely below the threshold, the valve was only opened slightly, limiting the strength of the current.

For an ordinary person, being caught in such a pull would mean certain entrapment. But Chen Jue had honed his skills, his attributes far surpassing those of common folk, particularly his constitution which had reached 1.98, greatly enhancing his cardiac and pulmonary capacity. On land, he could easily hold his breath for over an hour in one go! Underwater, with the pressure and while channeling his energy, even if his breath-holding time was halved, he could still manage half an hour. (Note: The world record for static breath-holding exceeds twenty-four minutes.)

He noticed the pull of the underwater current gradually intensifying. Within mere seconds, his body slowly sank until his feet touched a layer of silt. He scraped at the soft mud, revealing the solid concrete base of the flood discharge valve. It was a circular device resembling a manhole cover connecting a street to a sewer. Chen Jue remembered seeing it once as a child, when the reservoir was emptied and people from nearby villages came to fish.

This time, however, he was meeting the valve face-to-face, submerged in water rather than standing on dry land. Planting himself firmly, he spread his feet on the rim of the concrete base, closed his eyes, and focused, feeling the hidden currents flowing past his skin, streaming toward the mouth of the valve beneath him. Occasionally, a fish would brush against his body in the darkness below. Chen Jue's skin alternated between tightness and release, pores opening and closing in rhythmic cycles, feeling the subtle fluctuations of the underwater current.

"Aboard the Eight Immortals' boat, the force of entering the water forms itself."

"So, this is what it means!"

He marveled at the swirling currents and the reflexive responses of his skin when touched by swimming fish, gaining a deeper understanding of the so-called hidden force. If the defining traits of obvious force were: fierce, explosive, direct, then hidden force was: gentle, internal, indirect. These were two diametrically opposed strengths, perceptible only through personal experience.

For Chen Jue, there was an even more straightforward measure: his eyes fixed upon the attribute panel, where the progress of the Eight Immortals Stance technique was climbing visibly, incrementing by one at a time.

The speed, the efficiency—it was ten times faster than practicing the stance on the embankment or on a boat!

…

After more than twenty minutes, as the feeling of suffocation grew, Chen Jue kicked off with both legs, exerting force beneath him, shooting upward like an arrow through water. His exertion shattered the underwater whirlpool, dispersing it for a moment before it reformed. His feet propelled him as if climbing a watery ladder; in only a few seconds, he broke the surface, grabbed the edge of the small boat, and vaulted aboard in one fluid motion.

Twenty minutes of underwater practice had propelled his Eight Immortals Stance to Lv2 (362/500)—perhaps two more sessions would be enough to reach Lv3. Chen Jue sensed that once he reached Lv3, he would truly master the hidden force.

Moreover, the twenty minutes of underwater enlightenment had significantly boosted all his attributes. His constitution had broken past the "2" barrier, reaching 2.01. Strength and agility both increased by 0.02, and even his long-static intelligence attribute rose by 0.01—clearly, his tranquil mind and intense thought beneath the water had promoted this growth.

Additionally, his free attribute had surged by 0.05 in just twenty minutes, a level of efficiency that astonished even him.

“Forum experts say that Yang Guo, training with his sword beneath a waterfall, rapidly advanced his skill and even grasped the profound Iron Sword technique.”

“Does my underwater stance training resemble Yang Guo’s?” Chen Jue wondered to himself.

…

The night wind swept across the boat; feeling chilled and soaked, Chen Jue let out a quiet breath, activated his internal striking technique, and countless droplets flew from his body and clothes, shaken loose. Though it wasn’t enough to dry him instantly, most of the water was expelled.

He looked up at the sky, where the stars shone dimly beside the moon, and realized he was utterly absorbed by his training. Not only did he feel invigorated, but his fearlessness had grown—he had plunged into the depths of the reservoir for the sake of practice.

“I’m getting bolder and bolder!” Chen Jue laughed at himself, rowing back to shore. Gathering what strength remained, he sprinted home at a rapid pace.

He changed clothes and took a hot shower. Though the reservoir water appeared clear, it was teeming with life—microorganisms and bacteria. Letting it dry naturally would risk infection, so he scrubbed thoroughly.

…

He washed himself several times over, using body wash and shampoo thrice, until he felt cleansed and comfortable. Only then did Chen Jue dress in dry clothes, ascend the stairs, and retire for the night.

…

At dawn, awakened by the crowing of roosters, Chen Jue rolled out of bed. The previous night’s underwater practice had shown him the thrill of rapid progress, and mastery of the hidden force was now within reach.

Determined not to waste time, he washed up and returned to the reservoir. In the early hours, before the villagers stirred, Chen Jue rowed back to the whirlpool and dove into the water, swimming toward the floodgate below.

In contrast to last night’s darkness, daylight allowed him to barely see a few meters underwater, glimpsing several small fish darting about. Yet the water was not particularly clean, and opening his eyes stung. After a brief glance, he shut his eyelids and continued.

For Chen Jue, his second underwater stance practice felt much more familiar. However, being on an empty stomach, and despite his recovery, he could only endure the pressure for a little over ten minutes before resurfacing.

Climbing back onto the boat, he checked his attribute panel. The Eight Immortals Stance had reached Lv2 (436/500); likely, one more session would be enough to break through.

“I’ll head home first, and return tonight when no one is around!”

Chen Jue rowed ashore. With the morning still young, he sprinted along the mountain road like a gray flash. He was wary of practicing underwater during the day, fearing that villagers working in the fields around the reservoir might spot him. If discovered, they might call the police or summon an ambulance, leading to a major misunderstanding.

It was safer to wait until nightfall, when visibility was low and the reservoir was deserted, before training underwater again.