Wang Yue carried the Harmonious Flow Fist secret manual across the training ground. His gaze swept idly across the field, and he happened to spot Xu Li.
Xu Li was gathered with four or five Martial Academy disciples, sparring with one another in the Harmonious Flow Fist. Though he was at a disadvantage in nearly every bout and was forced back step after step, he remained brimming with enthusiasm. His face was full of excitement, without the slightest trace of frustration.
It seems Xu Li has adapted well to the atmosphere here. Wang Yue sighed inwardly without slowing his steps. Xu Li had always been easygoing, so it was within Wang Yue's expectations that he could quickly fit into the Martial Academy's competitive environment.
After crossing the training ground, he reached the disciples' residential area. Small wooden plaques hung outside a neat row of rooms, each bearing a disciple's name.
Wang Yue walked along the rooms until, deep within the residential area, he finally found the wooden plaque bearing the name "Wang Yue."
He pushed open the door and entered, musing to himself that it was fortunate he had been born into the Wang Clan. Even ordinary clan members were given literacy lessons. If he had been like those disciples of outside surnames in the rear courtyard, more than ninety percent of them would likely have been illiterate. They probably could not even fully recognize their own names, much less understand fist manuals and secret texts.
The room was not large. It contained only a bed, a wooden table, and a cabinet. The furnishings were simple, but it was neat and clean.
Wang Yue had not come here to enjoy himself, so he had few demands regarding his living conditions. He placed the bundle he had brought on the bed, containing his night-traveling clothes and Black Cloud Fist gloves, then leaned the Good Victory Saber against the wall. Only then did he sit before the wooden table and carefully take out the yellowed Harmonious Flow Fist secret manual.
The moment he placed the manual on the table, a dazzling golden radiance suddenly burst from its pages. It was even brighter than when it had been in Wang Shuo's room, illuminating the entire small chamber.
Wang Yue's consciousness was instantly pulled into the Martial Soul panel. Lines of golden text surfaced clearly:
Item: First-rank martial art, complete Harmonious Flow Fist secret manual (Wang Clan inheritance) Introduction: Filled out and perfected by generations of Wang Clan martial artists, it contained the martial devotion of countless forebears and was one of the Lineage's core inheritances Contained content: perfected Harmonious Flow Fist Breathing Method, perfected Harmonious Flow Fist techniques, perfected Harmonious Flow Fist footwork, perfected Harmonious Flow Fist force-condensing method (incomplete; must be completed with the Harmonious Flow Fist force-condensing diagram) Extractable talents: Fist talent: Fist Master Bone aptitude talent: Exceptionally Gifted Comprehension talent: Overflowing with Talent Note: All three talents were martial imprints left behind by the most gifted members of the Wang Clan throughout its generations. Once extracted, they would take effect permanently
Wang Yue stared at the text on the panel, completely dumbfounded. He was even somewhat incoherent. "This... this... this is far too outrageous!"
The three talents alone—Fist Master, Exceptionally Gifted, and Overflowing with Talent—were enough to elevate him from an "ordinary genius with above-average bones" into a true genius in one leap!
He had originally thought that gaining more resources by entering the Martial Academy would already be enough. He had never expected Wang Shuo to give him such a precious gift outright.
To Wang Yue, this secret manual was more precious than anything else!
Wang Yue took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. His gaze fell upon the cooldown timer at the bottom of the panel. "Twenty-eight days and three hours."
There was still less than a month until the next extraction.
But it was still far too long. To Wang Yue, a month of waiting made every day feel like an ordeal, especially when he thought of how Exceptionally Gifted could improve his bone aptitude and Overflowing with Talent could raise his comprehension. He could not suppress the impatience rising in his heart.
After all, no one knew his own situation better than he did. He needed these things.
As if possessed by ghosts and driven by gods, Wang Yue raised his hand and lightly touched the area of the Martial Soul panel displaying the cooldown timer with his fingertip.
The next moment, a faint suction force came from the panel, as though some invisible power were drawing upon the Blood Qi within his body.
Wang Yue froze, then a probing glint flashed through his eyes. Could Blood Qi shorten the cooldown?
He pondered for a moment, then stopped hesitating. He actively mobilized the six streams of qi and blood within him, which had yet to fully recover, and poured them into the panel through his fingertip.
Although the six streams of qi and blood had not been fully replenished after his earlier Pure Blood Body Refining, leaving their total amount reduced by a third, their purity was exceptionally high. As they circulated, they carried an intensely condensed quality.
As the Blood Qi poured in, the cooldown timer on the panel began to jump violently: "Twenty-eight days and three hours," "twenty-six days and one hour," "twenty-four days and five hours"...
The numbers continued to fall until the six streams of qi and blood in Wang Yue's body were completely drained. Only then did the timer stop, finally settling at "fourteen days."
"One strand of Qi and Blood can shorten the cooldown by two days?" Wang Yue was both shocked and delighted. This discovery was undoubtedly an unexpected delight!
But his joy had barely lasted when a fierce wave of dizziness suddenly struck. His vision repeatedly darkened, his body swayed, and he nearly fell from his chair.
"Damn it! My Blood Qi is exhausted!" Wang Yue groaned inwardly. He hurriedly gripped the edge of the table to steady himself. He had been so focused on shortening the cooldown that he had forgotten his Blood Qi had not recovered to begin with. Now it had been completely emptied, making even standing difficult.
Trembling, he pulled out the porcelain bottle of Blood Replenishing Pills, twisted open the cap, and heedlessly poured all six remaining pills into his mouth.
The pills melted the instant they entered his mouth. A violent warm current exploded in his stomach, and a vast amount of vital essence surged forth like a tide, spreading through his meridians toward his limbs and bones.
But this power was far too turbulent. Wang Yue had no time to refine it, and the vital essence rampaged through his body, causing a swelling pain.
"What suffering!" Wang Yue cursed himself inwardly. Those three talents had tempted him until his head was clouded. That was why he had acted so impulsively, not only draining all his Blood Qi but greedily swallowing so many Blood Replenishing Pills. One misstep, and his Blood Qi would become disordered, damaging his foundation.
He did not dare delay any longer. He immediately sat cross-legged and assumed the opening stance of the Blood Dragon Secret Method. After practicing for some time, he had already mastered more than half of the first form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method. Though it was not yet perfected, it could barely guide the circulation of his Blood Qi.
Low breathing echoed through the room. Wang Yue focused on operating the secret method, little by little sorting out the vital essence running wild within him and converting it into his own Blood Qi.
Who knew how long passed? The sky outside gradually darkened, and even the oil lamp in the room was shrouded by dusk before Wang Yue slowly opened his eyes. Within his body, the outlines of six streams of qi and blood had finally reappeared.
Yet his face remained pale. These six streams of qi and blood were even more listless than before, like a candle flame guttering in the wind. Their total amount had diminished further, clearly a consequence of forcibly driving his cultivation.
Wang Yue stopped the Blood Dragon Secret Method and leaned back against the chair, his heart filled with lingering fear. If I keep acting this impulsively and drain my Blood Qi several more times, I may truly damage my foundation. At that point, forget extracting talents—even whether I can continue cultivating will be a problem.
Wang Yue silently warned himself: he had to first nourish his Blood Qi, make up for his losses, and only then slowly plan how to shorten the cooldown. Otherwise, before he could extract the talents, he might instead leave himself at death's door. That would be more loss than gain.
Wang Yue rose and walked to the bed, then lay down and closed his eyes to rest. Right now, the most important thing was allowing his body to recover first. As for shortening the cooldown and extracting talents, he could only make plans over the long term.
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