Potential Unleashed

"Changming, what's wrong? You seem a little out of it." Liang Chuanshan patted Song Changming on the shoulder and asked with concern.

Song Changming abruptly pulled his wandering thoughts back and shook his head. "Nothing. Maybe I'm just a little tired."

"We owe tonight to you. You've worked hard. Go back and recuperate properly. I'll allow you a few days off to recover. I'll personally request credit for every contribution you made tonight!" Liang Chuanshan promised Song Changming with a smile.

In his view, it was perfectly normal for Song Changming to be exhausted.

Tonight, Song Changming had crushed and torn apart every one of the Nine Bends Society's toughest bones. Calling him the foremost contributor would not be an exaggeration in the slightest.

The role he had played was no less significant than that of Zhou Sixin, whom the headquarters had specially invited.

The more Liang Chuanshan looked at Song Changming now, the more he resembled a superb piece of unpolished jade, exceptional in every way.

To have stumbled upon such talent truly meant fortune was smiling on him.

They escorted all the money and supplies back to the Patrol Guard Headquarters' warehouse, secured them behind heavy locks, and had the Director's personal guards keep watch day and night.

Liang Chuanshan had long since invited physicians from several clinics across the city to the Patrol Guard Headquarters, where they waited to treat the wounded guards who returned.

"Captain Song has a sturdy build. It's only flesh wounds, nothing serious. A few days of ointment and bandaging will do," the physician said easily after examining Song Changming.

"Thank you for the trouble, Elder Li." Song Changming sat cross-legged on a mat in the room and nodded in thanks.

Lu Gang was seated beside him.

One had mainly injured his back, while the other had mainly injured his shoulder bone.

Overall, Lu Gang's injuries were more serious. After all, his bones had been damaged. Even with a Martial Artist's recovery ability, it would take at least over a month to fully recover.

Before long, both of their wounds had been treated. They sat bare-chested, wrapped in bandages.

The air was filled with a faint scent of blood and the heavy smell of medicinal ointment.

Song Changming closed his eyes and leaned against the wall for a brief rest. After fighting battle after battle tonight, he truly was somewhat exhausted.

The ointment on his back brought a cool relief, and the burning, stabbing pain from before had eased considerably.

Beside him, Lu Gang rubbed his still-aching shoulder. His gaze fixed on the candle flame before him. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Wang Xianwen tried to kill me."

Song Changming's eyes flew open at those words.

"What did he do?"

Lu Gang recounted what had just happened. Song Changming frowned as he listened, then asked, "Does the Director know about this?"

Lu Gang shook his head. "There's no direct evidence. If Wang Xianwen insists it was all fabricated, the Director has no way to punish him openly."

Song Changming shook his head. "No matter what, you should still mention this to the Director. Even if he can't be severely punished, Wang Xianwen needs to be transferred out of your Patrol Guard Team as soon as possible. Otherwise, there'll be endless trouble later."

Lu Gang considered it, then nodded. "You're right. This feud is settled for good now. In the future, I want to see who kills whom. If he's going to die, he can't die in my Patrol Guard Team!"

A vicious glint shone in Lu Gang's eyes as he said this.

He had never been a good man, nor was he someone who repaid grievances with kindness. Given the chance, he would always retaliate.

"Do you need my help?" Having known Lu Gang for years, Song Changming believed his words could not be baseless.

"No need. He's just Wang Xianwen. If I can't even deal with my own deputy, what kind of Patrol Captain would I be?" Lu Gang said coldly.

Song Changming nodded and did not ask further.

He merely committed the matter to memory. In the future, he would pay closer attention to Wang Xianwen's every move.

By the time Song Changming left the Patrol Guard Headquarters, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

For the next few days, he stayed home to recover from his injuries.

He had originally planned to put both Practicing Martial Arts and training on hold until his wounds had healed somewhat. There was no need to force himself to train while injured. However, that night's daily evaluation immediately stirred him up again.

[Today's Evaluation: A perilous day. Lifespan -10. Obtained limited-time status: 'Potential Unleashed']

Potential Unleashed: Having experienced a life-or-death moment, one's potential erupts. Lasts one day.

This was the first time he had received such an evaluation.

Looking back over his past, the only time he had truly experienced a life-or-death moment had been in his previous life.

For more than ten years in this life, before he had gathered thirty-six thousand days, he had been cautious every day and deliberately avoided all foreseeable dangers.

Along with his parents' protection, he had passed through childhood safely and grown into adulthood.

Thus, it was not until the Nine Bends Society Leader's blade stabbed toward him that he triggered this new evaluation and this new status.

At that moment, he truly felt as though he had walked through the gates of hell and caught the scent of death.

If his reaction had been even an instant slower, that strike would not have merely wounded his back.

Curious about the effects of this new status, he tried practicing his saber on the second day of his rest.

Then he was stunned.

Under Potential Unleashed, the efficiency of his saber practice had not merely improved. It had erupted to an unprecedented level.

He only had to casually touch his saber, and flashes of insight burst through his mind one after another.

It was like a sky that rarely saw shooting stars suddenly being swept by a meteor shower!

Even though he was still injured, the growth rate of his Soul Severing Saber experience had reached an unprecedented level.

It was no longer measured by the day. Every moment, every minute, his saber technique experience was increasing!

This was far more than a doubled training efficiency. It was an eruption of dozens, even hundreds of times!

Such an opportunity was far too rare. Song Changming cast aside everything else and plunged headfirst into Practicing Martial Arts, forgetting food and sleep.

In the two years he had spent Practicing Martial Arts, this was without question his most serious and diligent day, like the legendary Martial Arts Maniac!

Mother Song watched with deep concern, but she did not dare disturb her son, who had suddenly become so driven and immersed in martial arts.

It was not until the day ended and the evaluation status refreshed at midnight, returning to Heaven Rewards Diligence, that Song Changming finally stopped. He lay sprawled on the stone floor of the courtyard, utterly drained.

He was already soaked in sweat. Even moving his arms or legs felt as if they had been filled with lead, too heavy to lift.

Unfortunately, his physical stamina was limited, and he was practicing while injured. That inevitably affected his final training efficiency.

Otherwise, he would have gained even more from this day!

Still, he was more than satisfied.

He checked the panel under martial arts.

[Soul Severing Saber: Perfected (5000/5000)]

[Great Strength Bull Demon Art: Two Oxen Strength (235/300)]

[Flying Swallow Style: Proficient (25/3000)]

[Flying Swallow Light Body Technique: Beginner (885/1000)]

Under Potential Unleashed, he had raised the Soul Severing Saber from the Major Accomplishment stage to the Perfected stage in less than eight hours!

Afterward, he spent just over three hours raising the recently learned Flying Swallow Style to Proficient, having Mastered the Basics.

Furthermore, mastering a saber technique at the Perfected stage had also significantly improved his efficiency in practicing the Flying Swallow Style.

The foundation of his saber technique had been thoroughly solidified.