Vast Sea, Single Grain

"1,502,007 kg"

"1,503,402 kg"

"1,502,800 kg"

The hotel had a private training room. Yue Ming was currently testing his punching strength. Every punch carried an explosive crack through the air, slamming into the punch target of the testing machine like a cannonball. The target shook violently, and strings of numbers appeared on the screen.

An ordinary peak High-level War God had a strength of around 500,000 kg, while Yue Ming's strength had reached 1.5 million kg. This was all thanks to his triple genes. And it was not just his strength—every aspect of Yue Ming's physical attributes was three times that of an ordinary person.

"Boom!"

"4,510,750 kg"

Yue Ming drove hard with both feet, the force instantly traveling from his legs to his waist and hips. His entire body rippled and surged like waves across the water, unleashing four layers of hidden force. His fist roared with an explosive crack as it smashed fiercely into the punch target.

With the threefold force technique of Shadow Stream Swordplay, Yue Ming instantly unleashed 4.5 million kg of strength. Unfortunately, Shadow Stream Swordplay was too low-grade and could only unleash force up to three times. Replacing his sword technique was clearly urgent.

"Log in to the HR Alliance platform!"

After staying in the training room for an hour, Yue Ming went to the audiovisual room. He first verified his fingerprint, then passed facial recognition before logging into the martial artist shopping platform—the HR Alliance platform.

There were many martial artist shopping platforms on Earth, but most required a specific identity to access. For example, only martial artists from Limit Martial Hall were qualified to log into the Limit Home. The HR Alliance platform, however, was open to all martial artists. As long as one was a martial artist, one could log in.

Unlike Limit Home, everything on the HR Alliance platform was sold at full price. Limit Home, on the other hand, allowed buyers to purchase anything at half price as long as they had enough contribution points.

"Search for sword technique manuals!"

In the quiet audiovisual room, Yue Ming reclined on the sofa with a cup of hot tea in hand, his gaze fixed on the enormous screen mounted on the wall. A list appeared on the screen, displaying all kinds of sword technique manuals.

Army-Breaking Kill Sword, rated SS-class, priced at 40 billion Huaxia currency.

Flowing Cloud Sword Art, rated SS-class, priced at 35 billion Huaxia currency.

Blood Kill Sword Technique, rated SS-class, priced at 34 billion Huaxia currency.

Yue Ming searched carefully and discovered that SS-class was the highest rating among sword technique manuals. Or, more accurately, there were only two ultimate manuals on Earth: World Annihilation and Nine Heavens Thunder Saber.

Each manual came with physical images and detailed descriptions. After carefully making his choice, Yue Ming ultimately selected Blood Kill Sword Technique. He mainly felt that this sword technique suited him best, and its force level could reach fivefold at most.

"Confirm purchase of Blood Kill Sword Technique?"

"Yes!"

"34 billion Huaxia currency deducted."

Watching 34 billion disappear straight from his account, Yue Ming could not help shaking his head. Money really did not last. He had only just received more than 40 billion Huaxia currency, and before it had even had time to sit in his account, he had spent nearly all of it. Now, he had only a little over 2 billion left.

Yue Ming had originally considered creating his own sword technique, but now it seemed better to forget it. Even if he created one himself, its level would not be particularly high. It was only a transitional measure for the early stages anyway, so there was no need to waste time.

He would be better off using that time to cultivate and break through to the Planetary level as soon as possible, comprehending domains and the Origin Laws. That was the true broad road ahead. Wasting time in the early stages on creating his own sword technique would undoubtedly be foolish.

"Although Blood Kill Sword Technique suits me well and its force level is not low, it has one flaw: it is not conducive to comprehending artistic conception. I still need a sword technique that can help me comprehend artistic conception..."

In fact, the Cultivation Methods of the Swallowed Star world—or rather, those on the Earth in Swallowed Star—placed greater emphasis on force levels. They were just lacking that little something when it came to assisting the comprehension of artistic conception.

Yue Ming opened the Chat Group and entered the Chat Group Mall to search for sword technique manuals. Since he could not find anything suitable on the Earth in Swallowed Star, he would look in the Chat Group Mall.

There were countless Cultivation Methods in the Chat Group Mall, including several million sword techniques alone. However, Yue Ming only had 17 points at the moment, so there was no need to even consider top-tier sword techniques. They were simply beyond what he could afford right now. After choosing again and again, he selected a sword technique called Vast Sea, Single Grain.

Vast Sea, Single Grain: Originating from a comprehensive martial arts world, this was an unparalleled sword art created by the Heavenly Absolute Swordsman after he comprehended the meaning of "Mayflies entrusted between heaven and earth, a single grain amidst the vast sea"...

"Purchase Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art."

"5 points deducted."

Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art was not expensive, requiring only 5 points. After Yue Ming confirmed the purchase, the contents of the sword art were transmitted into his mind by the Chat Group, allowing him to gain an initial grasp of it.

This was perhaps the benefit of purchasing Cultivation Methods from the Chat Group Mall. With the Chat Group's transmission, one could instantly gain an initial grasp. However, to truly cultivate the sword art to perfection, he would ultimately still need to rely on his own efforts.

"This sword art really does suit me!"

Returning to the training room, Yue Ming began practicing Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art. Compared to Earth's sword techniques, Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art had no force amplification, but every move and stance contained a unique artistic conception. This was tremendously helpful for comprehending artistic conception.

"Mr. Yue Ming, this is the manual you purchased. You can open it using your fingerprint."

About two hours later, the delivery for Blood Kill Sword Technique arrived. Yue Ming took the sealed alloy box handed over by the courier and ran his finger across the top of the box.

"Beep! Fingerprint verification passed."

A synthesized electronic voice rang out. The alloy box then opened, revealing a book roughly one centimeter thick. Two discs were also inside the box. They were the Blood Kill Sword Technique Yue Ming had purchased.

"Mr. Yue Ming, please take a look and confirm it. Once you have done so, please sign here."

"Also, Mr. Yue Ming, I believe you know the restrictions after purchasing a manual, but I still have to state them according to procedure. The copyright of the manual belongs to its creator. The buyer has the right to learn it, but not the right to pass it on. Copying, privately selling, or teaching the manual is prohibited. Anyone who violates this will be jointly hunted down by Limit Martial Hall, Thunderclap Martial Hall, the Underground Alliance, and the government military!"

"I know the rules!"

Yue Ming nodded lightly. Of course he knew the rules; it was not his first time buying a manual. Once Yue Ming had inspected and accepted it, the delivery man left.

For the next half month, Yue Ming barely left his room. He cultivated both Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art and Blood Kill Sword Technique. Blood Kill Sword Technique was relatively easy to cultivate. In less than a week, Yue Ming had already cultivated it to completion, raising his force output to five times.

Vast Sea, Single Grain Sword Art, however, was much more difficult. Though he had likewise cultivated it to major accomplishment, he was always just a sliver away from comprehending its artistic conception, unable to cross that final threshold.

"It's already May. The college entrance examinations will be here in another month, and the plot of Swallowed Star will soon begin. It's time to break through to the Planetary level!"

Yue Ming remembered that Luo Feng took the college entrance examinations in June. He fainted during them and failed the exams, then passed the Quasi-Warrior assessment before passing the practical combat assessment in August and officially becoming a martial artist.