The lights in the library's reading area were soft.
Lin Feng closed his eyes and focused, his consciousness fully immersed in the system screen within his Sea of Consciousness. Information on Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete) flickered faintly in the [Martial Skills] section.
"System, deduce and optimize Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete)!" Lin Feng gave the command without the slightest hesitation.
[Command received. Beginning deduction of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete)...] [Severe technique deficiencies detected. More than 60% of the core runes are incomplete. Deduction difficulty: High.] [Deduction requires energy. Host's spiritual energy is insufficient. Use an external energy source?]
An external energy source? Lin Feng froze. Other than the Martial Arts Hall Experience Card Teacher Li had given him, he possessed nothing. He subconsciously touched the metal card in his pocket.
"System, can this Martial Arts Hall Experience Card be used as an energy source?"
[Low-concentration spiritual energy aggregate detected (Experience Card). Contains limited energy and is expected to support an initial deduction. Use it?]
"Use it!"
The instant the command was issued, Lin Feng felt the metal card in his pocket grow slightly warm. Threads of an almost imperceptible cool aura were drawn out, flowing into his body before being guided by the system into his brain.
[Energy injected. Deduction commencing...] [Analyzing fragments of the True Meaning of Thunder... Completing missing force-generation pathways... Reconstructing qi-and-blood simulation circuits... Optimizing move transitions...] [Deduction progress: 10%... 30%... 50%...]
Lin Feng felt his temples swell slightly as his mental strength drained rapidly. Yet he could "see" the originally fragmented, dim runes of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade in his Sea of Consciousness being enveloped by countless tiny blue motes. They were repaired and extended, gradually becoming whole and bright, even giving off faint crackling sounds that made his heart tremble.
[Deduction complete!] [Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete) has been optimized into Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Initial Chapter)!] [Current mastery: 1% (Beginner)] [Grade: Low-grade Profound Tier (Can be further deduced and improved)] [Evaluation: The might of thunder reveals its first sharp edge. Contains the complete cultivation methods for the first three levels and the accompanying moves "Thunder Flash" and "Thunderclap Break." Its power far surpasses the original incomplete version, but its demands on the physical body are extremely high.]
It worked!
A surge of excitement rose in Lin Feng's heart. Low-grade Profound Tier! On the market, Profound Tier martial skills were already considered precious enough to serve as the treasured foundation of a martial arts lineage. And his Nine Heavens Thunder Blade was only the Initial Chapter—he could continue deducing it in the future!
He immediately chose "Deep Comprehension."
That familiar cool sensation washed over him. Every mystery of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Initial Chapter)—how to circulate qi and blood to simulate the explosive intent of thunder, how to stack and unleash strength layer upon layer in an instant, as well as the essential principles of the two moves called "Thunder Flash" for movement and "Thunderclap Break" for attack—was completely mastered by him.
Though he had only reached the 1% beginner level, he had already touched the threshold and knew how to cultivate it.
He opened his eyes, and a streak of lightning seemed to flash through them. Forcibly suppressing the urge to find a place and begin cultivating at once, he closed the original incomplete copy of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, which no longer held any reference value, and returned it to its place.
This technique, once ignored by everyone, was about to reveal its true edge because of him!
By the time he left the library, it was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun had dyed the sky orange-red.
Lin Feng did not go home. Instead, holding the Extreme Martial Arts Hall Experience Card, which had lost its energy and become somewhat dim, he followed the address on it to the Jiangnan City main branch of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, located in the bustling heart of the city.
A massive, majestic building rose before him. Its streamlined outer walls gleamed with metallic luster, while the four words "Extreme Martial Arts Hall" shone brilliantly beneath the sunset. Most of those entering and leaving were martial artists with sharp auras and steady strides. Students in school uniforms could occasionally be seen as well, but they were either wealthy or influential.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and calmly walked inside.
The spacious, brightly lit lobby rivaled a five-star hotel. At the front desk sat a pretty young woman in professional attire.
"Hello. How may I help you?" The woman wore a professional smile, but when her gaze swept across Lin Feng's washed-faded school uniform, a trace of barely noticeable disdain flickered deep in her eyes.
"I have an experience card." Lin Feng handed her the metal card.
The woman took the card and swiped it across a machine. When she saw "Remaining Uses: 2" displayed on the screen, along with Lin Feng's ordinary student information, her smile faded slightly. In a formulaic tone, she said, "A beginner experience card. It may be used for the Beginner Training Room and the one-times Gravity Zone, with a two-hour limit per session. Please follow me. I must remind you that if your body cannot endure it, press the emergency stop button immediately."
There was a routine quality to her reminder. Clearly, she did not believe a student like Lin Feng could last long in the Gravity Zone.
Lin Feng nodded expressionlessly and followed her through the lobby to an area partitioned into small rooms. The doors were marked "Beginner Training Room" and "Gravity Zone (1–3x)."
The woman led Lin Feng to the door of an empty Beginner Training Room and swiped it open. "This is it. The system will notify you automatically when your time is up. Enjoy your experience." With that, she turned and left.
Lin Feng entered the training room and shut the door. The room was small, only around ten square meters. Its walls were made from some sort of soundproofing and cushioning material, and a simple meditation cushion sat in one corner. Most remarkable of all, the spiritual energy concentration here was clearly much higher than outside. Though it was nowhere near as exaggerated as when the system infused him with energy, it still refreshed his spirit.
Let's try this Nine Heavens Thunder Blade first!
He walked to the center of the room. Rather than using the offensive move Thunderclap Break, he first attempted to cultivate the movement technique Thunder Flash.
Following the method he had comprehended, he mobilized the qi and blood in his body, making them vibrate at a unique frequency to simulate the explosive force of thunder at the moment it erupted. Then he stamped down hard!
"Sizzle!"
A faint sound, like electric current darting through the air, rang out. Lin Feng's figure suddenly blurred, shooting more than three meters forward! He was nearly twice as fast as before!
Yet when he landed, he staggered. A tearing soreness shot through his calf muscles, while his qi and blood churned violently.
"What a tyrannical method of exerting force! The burden on the muscles and meridians really is enormous!" Not only was Lin Feng not alarmed, he was delighted. The stronger the martial skill, the harsher its cultivation requirements. That only proved how extraordinary it was.
He did not stop. Enduring the soreness, he tried again. Once, twice, three times...
Guided by his perfect-level comprehension, he continuously adjusted the minute details of his qi-and-blood vibrations, searching for the point of exertion best suited to his current body. Each use was a little smoother than the last, and each movement carried him a little farther.
At the same time, the dense spiritual energy within the training room was continuously drawn into his body, nourishing the muscles and meridians that had suffered minor damage from cultivating Nine Heavens Thunder Blade. Even the progress of his "slightly being cleared" meridians sped up by a trace.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Only when the system notification sounded did Lin Feng emerge from his absorbed training. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and his muscles were sore and weak, but his eyes shone brilliantly.
[Martial Skill: Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Initial Chapter)] [Current mastery: 5%] [Strength: 175 kg] [Agility: 12 m/s]
In two hours, his mastery had risen by 4%, while both his strength and agility had increased significantly! This efficiency far surpassed shutting himself at home and training bitterly on his own.
"This experience card really is worth every penny!" Feeling his own progress, Lin Feng became even more confident about the approaching martial arts examination.
He walked out of the training room, ready to leave, but encountered the receptionist again in the front lobby. When she saw Lin Feng emerge—especially when she sensed the trace of sharp aura around him that had yet to fully settle—surprise flashed through her eyes. But she quickly resumed her professional expression.
Lin Feng paid her no attention and left the martial arts hall directly.
Not long after Lin Feng departed, a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man in a black training uniform happened to pass before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the advanced members' area on the second floor. His gaze casually swept over the lobby below and landed on Lin Feng's back as he walked out the main entrance.
"Hmm?" The middle-aged man gave a soft exclamation, one brow lifting slightly. "Such condensed qi and blood. His steps are heavy but not sluggish, moving but not floating... Was that kid just training in the beginner area? Interesting. Looks like Third Middle School has more than just that old Zhang Tianba's son as a promising seedling this year."
He stroked his chin and casually instructed someone beside him who looked like a manager. "Keep an eye on the student who just left. That looked like Third Middle School's uniform. If he comes again, notify me."
"Yes, Deputy Hall Master!" the manager quickly replied with a bow.
The middle-aged man said nothing more and turned away. His interest had merely been stirred on a whim. As for whether that sapling could grow into a towering tree in the future, that would depend on his own fortune.
At that moment, Lin Feng knew nothing of any of this. He walked along streets where the lights had just come on, feeling the power surging within his body. As he watched the still-bustling crowds beneath the city's neon lights, his heart burned fiercely.
This world would eventually hear his name!
Before you continue