Top-Tier Root Bone Talent

The morning of the twelfth day arrived with the sky just beginning to lighten. The training grounds of the Martial Academy were already filled with the sounds of whistling fists.

The Martial Academy's management of its disciples was exceptionally lenient. Apart from Wang Shuo's few inspections of Wang Yue, there was almost no other interference. Disciples were free to arrange their own training times and content.

Wang Yue, holding the freshly acquired Blood Nourishing Soup, walked to a corner of the training grounds and tilted his head back, downing the medicinal soup in one go.

The warm soup slid into his abdomen, instantly transforming into a potent medicinal force that spread through his meridians. Wang Yue subconsciously activated the Blood Dragon Secret Method. The Qi and Blood changes of the first form circulated within his body, echoing the medicinal power.

Almost simultaneously, an indescribable sense of exhilaration swept through his entire body. Compared to the martial arts assessment, his strength had increased by nearly a quarter. His limbs and bones felt filled with power.

What surprised him even more was that the quality of his Qi and Blood had also improved by nearly half. What was originally normal Qi and Blood now felt as dense as congealed fat.

Just then, the six strands of Qi and Blood within his body suddenly surged, as if stimulated by the medicinal power. Behind the sixth strand, a small, condensed nascent form of Qi and Blood slowly began to materialize. Though weak, it was tenacious, like a sprout breaking through the soil.

"Breaking to establish, there's truth to it!" Wang Yue's lips curved slightly. Forcing himself to consume Qi and Blood to shorten cooldowns had damaged his body, but it had also broken through the limitations of his Qi and Blood. Now, with the medicinal power of the Blood Nourishing Soup, he was experiencing an increase in his Qi and Blood capacity.

He dared not delay and immediately turned to run towards his room. The newly formed Qi and Blood was extremely fragile and needed to be tempered and stabilized as soon as possible, otherwise, it could dissipate with the slightest carelessness.

Back in his room, Wang Yue closed the door, sat cross-legged on the floor, and slowly threw punches.

He meticulously adjusted his breathing rhythm, coordinating his breathing technique with the Blood Dragon Secret Method, guiding the medicinal power within his body bit by bit to precisely nourish the nascent Qi and Blood.

The fist wind was gentle yet firm. With each punch, a wisp of medicinal power integrated into the nascent Qi and Blood, causing it to slowly grow stronger. With each inhale, he could draw in the surrounding Qi and Blood, assisting in the refinement of his Qi and Blood.

After an unknown amount of time, as the morning sun streamed into the room through the window, the nascent Qi and Blood finally stabilized.

Wang Yue showed a pleased expression. The seventh strand was also formed. Once he had nine strands of Qi and Blood, he would have a chance to step into the next realm.

Wang Yue's gaze shifted, and his consciousness sank into his Martial Soul panel. Twelve days had passed since he last consumed Qi and Blood to shorten cooldowns. Including the newly condensed Qi and Blood, he now had seven strands of usable Qi and Blood in his body.

He attempted to infuse a strand of Qi and Blood into the panel. Before the Qi and Blood was fully consumed, the word "Extractable" on the panel lit up.

"It seems that with the improvement in Qi and Blood quality, the efficiency of shortening cooldowns has also increased."

Wang Yue smiled slightly, his mind already made up: he would set aside the cultivation of the Blood Dragon Secret Method for now and focus all his efforts on extracting everything from the Harmonious Flow Fist secret manual.

This was the goal he had carefully considered over the past few days. He wanted to enter a Sect, to see this vast world, and to contend with countless prodigies from across the land. His efforts were the stepping stone to opening the gates of a Sect.

The better one's talent, the faster they could learn martial arts. Sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of wood – this was precisely the principle.

Altering one's root bone talent – something so many people dreamed of, and now he could do it!

"Extract [Talent]!" Wang Yue no longer hesitated, silently reciting the command in his mind.

The next second, a strange power surged into his body from the panel. Wang Yue's brow furrowed instantly. His bones began to tremble slightly, and a fine, itchy sensation swept through his entire body, as if countless small insects were crawling within his bones.

But this itchiness was fleeting, replaced by unbearable pain. Deep within his bones, it felt as if something was trying to break free, or as if invisible hammers were repeatedly striking, trying to crush and reshape his bones!

In just a moment, Wang Yue was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes clinging tightly to his back. His pupils first widened, then suddenly contracted, his eyes turning blood-red from the intense pain, like burning flames.

"Can't make a sound!" Wang Yue gritted his teeth tightly, forcibly supporting himself with the starting stance of the Harmonious Flow Fist, trying to steady his mind with the martial art. "Enter concentration! I must enter concentration!"

He forced himself to block out all external sensations, focusing all his attention on his stance, letting the excruciating pain rage within him. He knew this was the necessary path for [Talent] to remodel his root bone talent; there was no turning back.

After an unknown period, just as Wang Yue's consciousness was about to blur, the intense pain suddenly vanished, replaced by a sense of lightness, as if his body were floating on clouds. All fatigue and pain had dissipated.

"I… I made it through?" Wang Yue tentatively moved his fingers, his voice hoarse.

He slowly extended his palm, which was still trembling faintly, clearly not having fully recovered from the intense pain.

At this moment, a pungent, strange odor entered his nostrils. It was the smell of his sweat evaporating, carrying a faint coppery scent.

Wang Yue subconsciously took off his training uniform. As soon as he unfastened his belt, he froze. His perfectly fitting training uniform was now a good deal shorter. The pant legs only reached his knees, and the sleeves were pulled up to his forearms.

"Did I grow taller?" Wang Yue stood up abruptly and quickly walked to the bronze mirror. The teenager reflected in the mirror was nearly a head taller than before, standing over 1.9 meters tall. His shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, and his posture upright.

He spread his arms, his wingspan almost equal to his height. His arms were symmetrically long and slender, with smooth but not exaggerated muscle lines.

Looking further down, his legs had also become more slender, and his entire skeletal structure had undergone a tremendous change.

The joy on Wang Yue's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of distress. "This change is too obvious. Anyone who isn't blind can tell I'm different from before."

If Wang Shuo inspected him again, the remodeled root bone talent from [Talent] would be impossible to conceal. Going from a mid-to-high grade root bone talent to a top-tier one – no explanation would seem anything but pale.

"I can only take it one step at a time."

Wang Yue sighed helplessly and shoved the old training uniform into the back of the closet. "I'll extract the remaining two talents first. As for the subsequent trouble, I'll deal with it when it arises."

Wang Yue stood before the mirror, his fingertips lightly tracing the muscle lines on his arm. He suddenly recalled what Wang Hu had said before: the difference in root bone talent had a vastly different impact on martial arts cultivation. Those with superior root bone talent could train their punches for a day what others took ten days for, while those with inferior root bone talent, no matter how diligent, would struggle to catch up to the top.

At the time, he had been half-believing due to the assistance of his Martial Soul. But now, having personally experienced the changes brought about by [Talent], he truly understood the weight of those words.

He walked to the center of the room and subconsciously assumed the starting stance of the Harmonious Flow Fist. Without deliberately channeling his Qi and Blood, the seven strands of Qi and Blood within him spontaneously boiled, as if imbued with life, flowing rapidly through his meridians.

When he practiced before, he always felt as if a thin veil was blocking him, making the circulation of Qi and Blood sluggish and his potential excavation like squeezing a sponge, only able to extract meager strength bit by bit.

But now, that thin veil seemed to have been completely torn apart. The potential hidden within his bones and muscles, like an awakened flood, surged out madly, all transforming into nourishment for the Harmonious Flow Fist.

The circulation of Qi and Blood was no longer slow; instead, it was like being equipped with a turbocharger, flowing freely through his meridians. With each cycle, his Qi and Blood became more condensed and robust. His punching movements also became incredibly smooth, his fist wind moving with his breath, as if it were an instinct etched into his very bones.

What surprised him even more was that when he had previously extracted the Harmonious Flow Fist secret manual, the martial arts shadows that occasionally flashed on his Martial Soul panel now merged into his body silently, like drops of water merging into the ocean. Before the boxing routines in his mind could even fully manifest, Wang Yue's body had already executed them.

Every move, every technique, was fluid and natural, as if divinely crafted, without any hesitation. It was even more proficient than the Harmonious Flow Fist he had painstakingly practiced for months, subtly approaching mastery.

"Hoo…" Wang Yue slowly stopped his punches. The Qi and Blood within him was still slightly surging. All the medicinal power that had been dormant within him was now completely excavated and consumed, even the newly formed seventh strand of Qi and Blood had become somewhat vigorous.

But his face was filled with shock. "This is [Talent]? Truly extraordinary!"

He finally understood why the Wang Clan, and even those unknown Sects, placed such importance on root bone talent. Those with superior root bone talent not only cultivated at an astonishing speed but also grasped the essence of martial arts more quickly. This advantage was by no means something that could be compensated for with mere diligence; it was no exaggeration!

"If I were to extract 'Talent' and 'Fist Master' as well, to what extent would my martial arts progress be propelled?" Wang Yue couldn't help but imagine. "Onefold? Fivefold? Or tenfold?"

Although there had been resistance from his Martial Soul before, his poor root bone talent had still held back his progress. But now, Wang Yue's growth would shock the entire Wang Clan!

For the next half of the day, Wang Yue remained in his room, circulating his breathing technique to restore his Qi and Blood while familiarizing himself with the bodily changes brought about by 'Talent'. He was too afraid to go out, lest the drastic changes in his height and demeanor attract unwanted attention.

He waited until nightfall, when the Martial Academy's training grounds were completely quiet, with only scattered lights still burning, before he quietly pushed open his door.

Like a feline, he moved with light steps across the bluestone slabs, making not a sound, and soon arrived at Xu Li's door.

Gently pushing the door open, Xu Li, who was sitting at his desk polishing his gauntlets, heard the movement. He shot up, asking guardedly, "Who's there?"

"It's me," Wang Yue said, placing his index finger to his lips as a gesture for silence. "Don't make a sound, I need your help with something."

He emerged from the shadows by the doorway, moonlight streaming through the window to fall upon him, outlining his upright figure.

Upon seeing who it was, Xu Li's pupils suddenly widened. The gauntlets in his hand fell to the floor with a clatter. His face was filled with shock as he stammered, "This… this… is this you? Big Brother Wang, did you consume some heavenly treasure?"

In just twelve days, Wang Yue, who had been about the same height as him, had suddenly shot up to over 1.9 meters. His build was proportionate and slender, and as he stood there, he exuded an extraordinary aura, completely different from his usual self, as if he were a completely different person.

Wang Yue sighed helplessly and walked over to the table to sit down. "I don't know what happened either. It's just that after breaking through with the Harmonious Flow Fist, my body became like this. My current training uniform doesn't fit anymore. Could you help me get another one from the storeroom?"

Xu Li hadn't recovered from his shock. He circled Wang Yue, then held his hand up to compare their heights, muttering continuously, "It's too incredible… these changes are too drastic…"

It wasn't until Wang Yue urged him that he suddenly snapped back to reality. He grabbed his jacket from beside the bed and quickly walked out the door, his steps even carrying a hint of unsteadiness, clearly not having fully accepted Wang Yue's transformation.

Wang Yue watched his hurried retreating figure and suddenly slapped his forehead, muttering to himself with annoyance, "Damn it! I forgot to tell Xu Li not to spread the word!"