Ten days later
Half an hour before school let out
Inside a private Martial Arts Classroom
"Li Xijun, Blood Essence Level: 7.4."
Looking at the Blood Essence Level displayed on the large screen at the front of the classroom, Li Xijun was far from satisfied.
After all, he had only broken through after sacrificing more than an hour of training time for the "Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist."
In Li Xijun's view, this was a very bad start.
If this continued, then by the time he trained at Blood Essence Level 8, he might really have to sacrifice progress in either martial arts or spiritual cultivation.
"The bottleneck in the 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' can't be delayed any longer. I need to see if there's a way to resolve it early."
With that thought, Li Xijun no longer hesitated. He headed upstairs and entered Su Nianying's private office to seek her guidance.
"This sort of thing is quite common. In fact, basic cultivation methods can roughly be divided into four stages."
"The first stage is when you have just begun and often make all sorts of incorrect movements. The second stage is when every movement and stance is flawless and fully mastered."
"The third stage requires comprehending the true meaning within the basic cultivation method. The fourth is gaining complete control over it, making the method adapt to you."
"Generally speaking, mastering the second stage is enough for cultivation up to Blood Essence Level 9.0."
"Most high school students cannot even achieve complete mastery of the second stage before the College Entrance Exam."
After hearing Li Xijun's question, the aloof, mature female teacher gave him a detailed explanation.
As Li Xijun listened, his gaze began to wander unconsciously.
Su Nianying was not wearing her ancient-style battle suit today. Instead, she wore a classic office skirt suit.
The hem of her white blouse was tucked into her skirt, emphasizing her exceptionally slender waist. Though the skirt was not especially short, she possessed a tall, nine-head-tall figure, and her long, fair, shapely legs left Li Xijun somewhat dazzled.
She seemed to notice his gaze as well. Turning slightly, she raised her violet eyes and swept them over Li Xijun's body, her willow-leaf brows furrowing faintly.
"Your talent has exceeded my expectations. You actually reached complete mastery of the second stage of the 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' so early."
"So your previous rate of gaining 0.1 Blood Essence Level in ten days was actually dragged down by that External Skill fist technique you practiced. Otherwise, you should have improved even faster."
"You asked me how to break through the bottleneck of the 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' because you want to balance both."
"But I should have told you before that External Skills from the old era, those used to temper skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, do not have much use."
"As long as your Blood Essence Level rises, the extraordinary body you gain upon advancing to the Mortal Shedding Realm in university will be beyond comparison with mortal flesh."
"You have the ambition and aptitude to contend for the Imperial Capital Two Heavens. Why not focus wholeheartedly on cultivating your Blood Essence?"
Su Nianying could not quite understand the thoughts of the young man before her. Her expression turned stern, and the faint aura she released seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
An ordinary Elite Class genius would already have been unable to withstand it and collapsed to the ground.
Yet Li Xijun, who had witnessed the similar aura of Martial Saint Zhang Fuhu and possessed a powerful Spirit Level, was unaffected.
He could not explain how great the benefits of Viscera Refining were in Dasheng's Martial Arts System, nor could he tell her that he had also spent time cultivating the path of spirit.
After a moment of silence, he simply pretended to ignore her displeased frown and oppressive aura, then continued.
"Yes, that is part of the reason. But if my 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' breaks through to the third stage, it will definitely increase the speed at which I raise my Blood Essence Level too, right?"
"As long as my mastery of the 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' improves, it won't affect my Blood Essence Level growth. If it truly begins holding back my Blood Essence cultivation, I will know how to prioritize."
Seeing that her aura had proven useless and that Li Xijun still persisted, Su Nianying could not help falling into a difficult position.
She had always believed that if something could be solved with a blade, there was no need to say much.
But when facing such a gifted student, it would hardly be appropriate to use violence.
And as a first-time instructor, she could not think of any persuasive words to make him give up.
The two stared at each other in silence for a long while.
Su Nianying spoke first. "The third stage of a basic cultivation method is usually only reached by students whose compatibility is extremely high and who have awakened Martial Dao Spirituality. But there are ways to comprehend it even without Martial Dao Spirituality."
"Fortunately, Nianyi is rather skilled in matters involving 'true meaning.' I'll send her a message and have her personally guide you through breaking into the third stage."
Hearing this and seeing that she had yielded, Li Xijun was about to thank her, but Su Nianying immediately added,
"However, I'll state the ugly truth first. If your Blood Essence Level cannot keep up in the future, I will personally beat you until you recognize your mistake."
Su Nianying, who was not good with words, gave up trying to use her mouth.
She stated that using her hands and feet to make him understand his mistake would be more effective.
Hearing this, Li Xijun suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine.
As he calmed the instinctive reaction of his soul, which had nearly bristled, he nodded repeatedly and hurried away.
The sun slanted westward.
In the school courtyard's maple grove
A quiet young girl with waist-length hair sat on a folding stool, carefully painting on the drawing board before her.
A maple tree on the paper was vivid and lifelike. Its flaming red vitality seemed ready to burn, while the refreshing autumn breeze that stirred as maple leaves fell seemed as though it could come alive from the painting and enter reality.
Li Xijun, who had watched from the side for quite a while, fell into thought.
She was not merely painting. More importantly, she was using Psychic Power to recreate the maple tree before her and the Artistic Conception of its vitality.
In the Main World, where there are no Contemplation Methods, this is also a way to train Psychic Power.
Only after she finished the painting and placed the maple grove picture into the sketchbook she usually held against her chest did Su Nianyi turn to Li Xijun, who had been watching for so long, and speak.
"In your spare time, try doing this more often. It is beneficial for your Psychic Power."
Li Xijun nodded slightly, neither refusing nor agreeing.
After saying that, Su Nianyi went straight to the point.
"The key to the 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method' lies in the Azure Dragon on the World Tree. The dragon is the Spine Great Dragon within the cultivation method. If you can understand the dragon's true meaning and make it 'come alive,' you will have broken through to the third stage."
"This weekend, come with me to Bocheng's Mythical Creature Zoo. There is a Sub-Dragon Species, the Kui Wood Jiao, with a diluted dragon bloodline being kept there."
"At that time, I will guide you in 'painting' the traits and true meaning of the dragon it displays. It certainly cannot compare to a true dragon species, but it is currently the most suitable method."
Su Nianyi's words gave Li Xijun an epiphany.
Just as many fist techniques had been created through imitation of animals such as tigers, cranes, and monkeys.
To comprehend the essence of the "Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method," the best way would naturally be to truly see the Azure Dragon itself. The next best thing would be to observe a 'dragon' among Mythical Creatures. Given the capabilities of a small city like Bocheng, that naturally meant observing the Kui Wood Jiao with its thin dragon bloodline.
Of course, the process and method of observing these dragon species creatures were also important.
With a Psychic Power genius like Su Nianyi guiding him, someone who could easily express the true meaning of things like maple trees through painting, it would naturally be countless times faster than figuring it out alone.
"It's just a pity that Bocheng's educational resources are lacking. If this were the Imperial Capital, I might be able to see a pure-blooded dragon species from a Mythical World. If I could observe one every day, I might be able to break through the third stage quickly."
Having figured this out, Li Xijun sighed greedily.
Su Nianyi could not help rolling her eyes at him.
"Pure-blooded dragon species are extremely precious resources. Even in the Imperial Capital, only top universities and major forces possess them. As for observing one every day, keep dreaming."
The dismissal bell happened to ring at that moment.
Li Xijun, who had originally intended to ask a few more questions,
remembered that the Da Sheng World seemed to have many legends and stories concerning 'dragons,' and that the Western Continent also had extraordinary Sub-Dragon Species creatures. Perhaps he might gain something there.
"Haha. Then I'll be going, Little Su Teacher."
Li Xijun thought of returning to Dasheng to see whether there was anything related to dragons that might prove useful.
Hearing his strange form of address, Su Nianyi halted. Her large amethyst-like eyes blinked as she looked at him.
Her sister was Teacher Su, so that made her Little Su Teacher?
Su Nianyi really wanted to ask how he had come up with such a name.
But Li Xijun's mind was already filled with matters of Dasheng, and he had quickly walked away. Before she could speak, all she saw was his retreating figure vanishing in a puff of dust.
The way he did not pause for even a moment made her seem like some savage beast.
The long-haired girl, who usually appeared so quiet and reserved, puffed out her cheeks slightly.
At the same time,
the Elite Class students who had just left the teaching building
looked at Li Xijun's departing figure, then at the adorable expression of Su Nianyi, the normally calm and unattainable top student in their grade.
The seventeen- and eighteen-year-old boys and girls immediately imagined an entire youthful romance story.
"Ahhh, Xiaomeng, this is a story between the top student and a genius boy! They're so perfect together!"
"Exactly, exactly! Even in this fiercely competitive senior year, there can still be sweet romance."
The girls, who could ship a couple over anything, began wildly speculating.
The boys were led astray as well and could not help discussing whether Su Nianyi, whom no one had ever been able to approach, might really have fallen in love.
Zhou Shenghao, mixed in among them, smiled and chimed in a few times. Then, using the excuse of going to the restroom, he sat on a toilet and repeatedly sent messages urging Chang Ge on.
A while later,
the other party's reply finally arrived. Though it was only a classic OK emoji, it made excitement surge through Zhou Shenghao's heart.
By the time he returned to the car that picked him up every day, his cousin Zhou Yibai was drinking an energy drink in the car and casually asked,
"Cousin, your mood suddenly seems much better. Earlier, when we saw Brother Li and Su Nianyi downstairs, I thought you were actually in a bad mood."
"Yeah, it is much better. Yibai, you're still the one who cares about me."
Zhou Shenghao glanced at his cousin a few more times and smiled. Then he turned, picked up an energy drink from the thermostat box, and drank it in one go. He was a little too hasty, though, and the bottle was nearly crushed in his grip.
As the autumn night began, dusk spread across the sky like a layer of black gauze.
Passing through the lively, prosperous streets, Li Xijun entered the somewhat old-fashioned alley as usual.
The red light on the camera at the intersection had gone out at some point, as though it had malfunctioned.
Only orange streetlights shone down on the road, forming circles of light one after another. Whenever the autumn wind blew, the orange glow flickered, as if the wiring had aged.
With only one person's footsteps echoing through it, the alley took on the atmosphere of a horror film.
"Clack!"
The sudden sound made Li Xijun turn alertly toward it.
He discovered that a black cat had run across a garbage bin, knocking a half-finished milk tea cup onto the ground.
He let out a breath of relief and turned to continue forward.
At that very moment, a hand split open across its palm, revealing a bloody wound, silently struck toward the back of the young man's head, intending to knock him unconscious.
Yet the young man, who had just relaxed his guard, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head—or perhaps the ability to foresee the future. He sidestepped early and avoided the strike.
At the same time, his hands rose at some unknown moment, descending like drooping wings. His fingertips tore through the air as they silently clawed back toward the attacker's throat.
"Riiip!"
Li Xijun felt as though he had grabbed solid concrete. With great difficulty, he tore five strips of skin and flesh from the man, but could not press any further.
And at the instant hand met throat,
the other party did something beyond his expectations and charged forward without caring about the wound.
He struck out with another palm, carrying terrifying force as it smashed heavily toward Li Xijun's head like a mountain collapsing from above. If this blow landed, his head would burst like a crushed watermelon, scattering across the ground.
But for the middle-aged man, this was also a helpless choice.
The strength Li Xijun displayed in this battle was far beyond the supposed Blood Essence Level 7.3 shown on paper.
The instant he was struck by Li Xijun's five fingers, he could feel that the young man's body was like copper skin and iron bones, while the True Martial Killing Move Cloud Hand he used possessed terrifying power.
If he still tried to defeat or knock Li Xijun unconscious, he would most likely be dragged into a prolonged battle. For a Blood God Cult member like him, that would be extremely dangerous.
He might as well go all the way and kill Li Xijun directly. That would also let him better win over Zhou Shenghao, the sect's genius.
With that thought, blood-colored light filled his eyes. He simply allowed the massive amount of Blood Essence he had devoured to erupt again, causing the power of this Mountain-Overturning Hand to surge once more, far surpassing the one-thousand-kilogram force of Blood Essence Level 9.0.
Even if the other party were forged from iron, he would be smashed to pieces by this strike!
"Whoosh!"
A crimson gleam flashed through the dark alley lit only by dim yellow streetlights.
The middle-aged man suddenly felt his body grow light, while his vision continuously rose higher. His whole body seemed weightless, as though the wind had blown him into the sky.
Only when he saw a familiar body—a fat-bellied middle-aged man's corpse, off-balance and collapsing to the ground, its raised palm forever unable to fall—did a thought arise in his mind.
Am I dead?
Before you continue