Choosing a Cultivation Method

Inside the library's reading area, the lights were soft.

Lin Feng closed his eyes, concentrating, his consciousness completely immersed in the system's light screen in his sea of consciousness. In the [Martial Skill] column, the information for Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete) was faintly flickering.

"System, deduce and optimize Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete)!" Lin Feng gave the command without any hesitation.

[Command received. Beginning deduction of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete)...]

[Detected severe skill deficiency, core runes are more than 60% incomplete, deduction difficulty: High.]

[Deduction requires energy consumption. Detected insufficient Spiritual Energy from host. Use external energy source?]

External energy source? Lin Feng was taken aback. Besides the Martial Arts Hall Experience Card given by Teacher Li, he had nothing. He instinctively reached into his pocket and touched the metal card.

"System, can this Martial Arts Hall Experience Card be used as an energy source?"

[Recognized low-concentration Spiritual Energy aggregation item (Experience Card), contains low energy, estimated to support preliminary deduction. Use?]

"Use!"

The moment the command was issued, Lin Feng felt the metal card in his pocket grow slightly warm. Faint, almost imperceptible streams of cool energy were drawn out, flowing into his body, then guided by the system into his mind.

[Energy injected, deduction begins...]

[Analyzing fragments of True Meaning of Thunder... Completing missing force channeling routes... Reconstructing Blood Essence simulation circuits... Optimizing move transitions...]

[Deduction progress: 10%... 30%... 50%...]

Lin Feng felt a slight throbbing in his temples as his Spiritual Power rapidly depleted. But he could "see" the incomplete, dimly lit Nine Heavens Thunder Blade runes in his sea of consciousness being enveloped by countless tiny blue light dots, repaired, extended, gradually becoming whole and bright, even emitting a faint, heart-pounding crackling sound.

[Deduction complete!]

[Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete) has been optimized to Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (First Chapter)!]

[Current Mastery: 1% (Beginner)]

[Grade: Low-grade Profound Tier (Can be further deduced and improved)]

[Evaluation: The might of thunder, beginning to show its power. Contains complete cultivation methods for the first three stages and accompanying moves 'Lightning Flash' and 'Thunderclap Break'. Its power far surpasses the original incomplete version, and it demands extremely high physical conditioning.]

It's done!

Lin Feng felt a surge of excitement. Low-grade Profound Tier! In the market, Profound Tier martial skills were already considered precious, enough to be the treasured heirloom of a martial arts family. And his Nine Heavens Thunder Blade was only the first chapter, with the potential for further deduction in the future!

He immediately chose "Deep Comprehension."

The familiar cool sensation washed over him. All the mysteries of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (First Chapter)—how to circulate Blood Essence to simulate the explosive power of thunder, how to layer and unleash power in an instant, and the essence of the two moves named "Lightning Flash" (movement technique) and "Thunderclap Break" (attack)—were all mastered by him.

Even though it was only 1% beginner mastery, he had already grasped the fundamentals and knew how to cultivate it.

He opened his eyes, and a fleeting spark of electricity seemed to flash within them. He suppressed the urge to immediately find a place to try practicing. He closed the original incomplete manuscript of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade, which had lost its value, and put it back.

This once-unremarkable cultivation technique was about to reveal its true brilliance because of him!

By the time he left the library, it was already evening. The afterglow of the sunset painted the sky a fiery orange.

Lin Feng didn't go home. Instead, he took the now-dimmed and energy-depleted Extreme Martial Arts Hall Experience Card and, following the address on it, found the main branch of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall in Jiangnan City, located in a bustling downtown area.

A magnificent, colossal building appeared before him. Its streamlined exterior gleamed with metallic luster, and the words "Extreme Martial Arts Hall" shone brightly in the setting sun. Most of the people entering and leaving were Martial Artists with sharp auras and steady gaits. Occasionally, students in school uniforms could be seen, but they were all from wealthy families.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and calmly walked inside.

The spacious and bright lobby was comparable to a five-star hotel. The receptionist was a beautiful woman in a professional suit.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The woman wore a professional smile, but as her gaze swept over Lin Feng's faded school uniform, a hint of barely perceptible disdain flashed in the depths of her eyes.

"I have an experience card." Lin Feng handed over the metal card.

The woman took the card and swiped it on a machine. When she saw "Remaining Uses: 2" displayed on the screen, along with Lin Feng's ordinary student information, her smile faded slightly. She spoke in a perfunctory tone, "Beginner Experience Card. It allows access to the Beginner Training Room and the 1x Gravity Zone, with a two-hour time limit per use. Please follow me. I must remind you, if your body cannot withstand it, please press the emergency stop button immediately."

Her tone was a routine reminder, clearly not expecting a student like Lin Feng to last long in the gravity zone.

Lin Feng nodded expressionlessly and followed her through the lobby to a certain area. This area was divided into small rooms, with doors labeled "Beginner Training Room" and "Gravity Zone (1-3x)."

The woman led Lin Feng to the door of an empty Beginner Training Room and swiped the card to open it. "This is it. The system will automatically notify you when time is up. Enjoy your experience." With that, she turned and left.

Lin Feng walked into the training room and closed the door. The room was not large, about ten square meters. The walls were made of some kind of sound-absorbing and cushioning material. In a corner, there was a simple meditation cushion. The most peculiar thing was that the concentration of Spiritual Energy here was noticeably higher than outside. Although far from the exaggerated levels during the system's infusion, it still invigorated him.

"Let's try this Nine Heavens Thunder Blade first!"

He walked to the center of the room. Without using the offensive "Thunderclap Break," he first attempted to practice the movement technique "Lightning Flash."

According to the comprehension he had gained, he mobilized the Blood Essence within his body, causing it to vibrate at a unique frequency, simulating the explosive power of a thunderclap. At the same time, he stomped his foot!

"Screech!"

A faint sound, like the crackling of electricity, rang out. Lin Feng's figure blurred, and he shot forward more than three meters! His speed was nearly double what it was before!

However, as he landed, he stumbled. A tearing pain shot through his calf muscles, and his Blood Essence churned.

"What a powerful way to exert force! The load on the muscles and meridians is indeed immense!" Lin Feng was delighted rather than alarmed. The more powerful a martial skill, the stricter its cultivation requirements, which only proved its extraordinary nature.

He didn't stop, enduring the soreness, and tried again. Once, twice, three times...

Under the guidance of his perfect-level comprehension, he continuously adjusted the subtle details of his Blood Essence vibration, searching for the most suitable force application point for his current body. Each time he performed the move, it became smoother than the last, and the distance he moved increased slightly.

At the same time, the rich Spiritual Energy in the training room was continuously absorbed into his body, nourishing the muscles and meridians that were slightly damaged from practicing Nine Heavens Thunder Blade. It even accelerated the progress of his "slightly unblocked" meridians by a notch.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

When the System's prompt sounded, Lin Feng snapped out of his self-absorbed cultivation. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his muscles sore, but his eyes were incredibly bright.

[Martial Skill: Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (First Chapter)]

[Current Mastery: 5%]

[Strength: 175kg]

[Agility: 12m/s]

In two hours, his mastery had increased by 4%, and both his strength and agility had grown significantly! This efficiency far surpassed his own solitary training at home.

"This experience card is truly worth every penny!" Lin Feng felt his own progress, his confidence for the upcoming Martial Arts Examination growing even stronger.

He walked out of the training room and was about to leave when he encountered the receptionist again in the front hall. Seeing Lin Feng emerge, especially sensing the still-unsettled, sharp aura emanating from him, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her professional demeanor.

Lin Feng paid no mind and walked straight out of the Martial Arts Hall.

Not long after Lin Feng left, on the second floor of the Martial Arts Hall's premium members' area, a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man in a black training uniform happened to walk past the floor-to-ceiling window. His gaze unintentionally swept over the lobby below, landing on Lin Feng's retreating figure as he exited the main entrance.

"Hmm?" The middle-aged man let out a soft sound, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Such condensed Blood Essence, his steps are steady but not sluggish, active but not frivolous... Was this kid training in the beginner area just now? Interesting. It seems Third High School has more than just Old Zhang Tianba's son as a promising talent this year."

He stroked his chin and casually instructed someone who looked like a manager beside him, "Keep an eye on that student who just left. He seemed to be wearing Third High School's uniform. If he comes again, notify me."

"Yes, Deputy Hall Master!" The manager quickly bowed in response.

The middle-aged man said no more and turned to leave. It was merely a passing thought; whether this seedling could grow into a towering tree in the future would depend on his own destiny.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng, completely unaware of any of this, walked on the street as the lights began to illuminate the evening. He felt the surging power within him and watched the still bustling crowds under the city's neon glow, his heart filled with passion.

This world will eventually hear his name!