Zhao Heita's Grand Gift!

"Jiang Hao, you truly exceed your master's expectations. Purifying Ten Percent Blood Qi, the force born from it doubles in power... Do you know what this means?"

Jiang Hao shook his head.

He had merely followed Zhao Heita's advice to purify as much Blood Qi as possible.

He hadn't expected his spirit to be so strong that he directly purified Ten Percent Blood Qi.

"Jiang Hao, there are some things your master didn't explain to you in detail before, but now it seems I must lay them out clearly."

"Between sect martial artists and rogue cultivators, the gap is vast in every aspect. In truth, the divergence begins at the Manifest Force level. At the Blood Qi Realm, everyone is more or less the same."

"Once you reach the Manifest Force Level, the force born differs first. Sect disciples consciously strive to let force emerge naturally, which grants a boost to its power. But that's not the most important part—the key is which techniques you can cultivate at the Manifest Force Level."

"The reason purifying Blood Qi is so crucial is that the more you purify, the more Manifest Force techniques you can cultivate after breaking through, and thus the more terrifying the stacking of Manifest Force power becomes."

"For instance, if you purify Thirty Percent Blood Qi, you can cultivate three Manifest Force techniques and gain three force boosts. By that logic, since you've purified Ten Percent Blood Qi, theoretically you can cultivate ten Manifest Force techniques and gain ten force boosts. At the Manifest Force level, who could rival you? Moreover, such a formidable Manifest Force will greatly aid your future steps into Hidden Force and Transforming Force."

Jiang Hao understood.

He hadn't realized purifying Blood Qi involved so much.

He felt fortunate that he had used his mental strength to forcibly suppress his Blood Qi, purifying Ten Percent before breaking through.

Otherwise, his limit would have been only Thirty Percent Blood Qi.

"Master, if I break through using a technique, would I only have one kind of force?"

"Yes. Breaking through with a technique allows you to cultivate only one force. Cultivating another would cause conflict. But force born naturally is different—it can accommodate and absorb many kinds of force without conflict."

Hearing his master's explanation, Jiang Hao fully grasped it.

No wonder his master said that any Huangtian Sect disciple with even a shred of ambition would purify their Blood Qi to let force emerge naturally.

The gap between breaking through with a technique and having force born naturally was enormous.

Incomparable.

"Jiang Hao, since you have such talent, it must not be wasted."

"You can cultivate ten Manifest Force techniques and fuse ten forces, so you should choose top-tier techniques for each."

"Manifest Force techniques are divided into Ordinary, Superior, and Top-tier. The difference lies in the additional power the cultivated force grants."

"An Ordinary Technique's force adds only ten percent power, a Superior Technique adds twenty percent, and a Top-tier Technique adds thirty percent. There are even some Divine Skill Manuals that can add forty or fifty percent, but those are extremely rare—encountered by fate, not sought."

"If you choose Top-tier Techniques for all ten, you'll gain a threefold power boost. Add your original force's doubling, and your force can amplify up to fourfold! At the Manifest Force level, who could stand against you? And with this foundation, stepping into Hidden Force and Transforming Force will give you a massive advantage."

It was a simple math problem.

Jiang Hao calculated carefully and found it true.

Purifying Ten Percent Blood Qi gave him an unparalleled edge.

He naturally had to make the most of it.

Zhao Heita gazed deeply at Jiang Hao.

His eyes were somewhat complicated.

He let out a long sigh and said, "Jiang Hao, it seems your master cannot keep you for long."

"Hm? Master, what do you mean? Are you driving your disciple away?"

Jiang Hao was slightly startled.

He didn't understand Zhao Heita's intent.

They were talking fine, and suddenly he wanted to send him off?

"How could your master drive you away? But Cang City is too small; shallow water cannot raise a dragon."

"Originally, I planned for you to cultivate to the Transforming Force level before heading to the Huangtian Sect, directly becoming an Inner Disciple and soaring to greatness."

"But now, it seems you must go to the Huangtian Sect at the Manifest Force level."

Zhao Heita spoke slowly.

"Master, didn't you say that only Inner Disciples of the Huangtian Sect are true disciples? And that only Transforming Force can make one an Inner Disciple? Your disciple is only at Manifest Force—going to the Huangtian Sect wouldn't let me enter the Inner Gate."

Jiang Hao asked, puzzled.

Back then, he had wanted to join the Huangtian Sect, but Zhao Heita had dissuaded him.

Why was he now encouraging him to go?

"Jiang Hao, times change. Back then, I didn't expect your talent to reach such heights that I can't keep you even if I wanted to."

"At that time, I truly wanted you to build a solid foundation and enter the Huangtian Sect after reaching Transforming Force. But now that you've purified Ten Percent Blood Qi and stepped into Manifest Force, you need ten Top-tier Techniques. Where am I supposed to find ten Top-tier Techniques for you?"

"If I only give you Superior Techniques, it will only hold you back. Only by going to the Huangtian Sect can you gather ten Top-tier Techniques, and perhaps even have a sliver of hope to come across those Peerless Divine Skills."

"However, don't worry about being stuck in the Outer Gate at the Huangtian Sect. Manifest Force cultivators can also become Inner Disciples, but the requirements are high—you must challenge the Desolate Heaven Tower. If you can clear the Ninth Floor, you'll be promoted directly to the Inner Gate and become an Inner Disciple."

"This is a path the Huangtian Sect reserves for the truly most exceptional geniuses. But you must be among the best; otherwise, clearing the Ninth Floor of the Desolate Heaven Tower is impossible."

Jiang Hao understood.

The Huangtian Sect's Inner Disciples required Transforming Force cultivation—that was a hard rule.

But if they were top-tier geniuses, they certainly wouldn't be held back by these rigid rules.

There were also special passages, passages reserved only for top-tier geniuses.

Ordinary geniuses simply couldn't break through the Ninth Floor of the Desolate Heaven Tower.

"Master, breaking through the Ninth Floor of the Desolate Heaven Tower must be very difficult, right?"

"Yes, very, very difficult. With your current strength, you definitely can't do it, but you also have a great chance."

"The geniuses of the Huangtian Sect can probably refine thirty percent Blood Qi, boosting their power by thirty percent. If they also cultivate three Top-tier Techniques, that's a ninety percent boost, plus the original thirty percent, for a total boost of one hundred twenty percent—roughly a little over double."

"You'll definitely need to be stronger. You've currently refined Ten Percent Blood Qi, doubling your power. I have two Top-tier Techniques. If you master them, your total boost will be one hundred sixty percent! That already surpasses many geniuses of the Huangtian Sect."

"But that's still not enough. To ensure absolute certainty, I'll try to find you one or two more techniques. Maybe we can gather three or four Top-tier Techniques."

Jiang Hao was silently calculating as well.

If he really had three or four Top-tier Techniques, then his total Ming Jin boost would be one hundred ninety percent or two hundred twenty percent—roughly double or more.

"A boost from three or four Top-tier Techniques still can't guarantee absolute certainty. I really have no more options with techniques, so we'll have to find a way through Martial Skills."

"Fierce Tiger Fist at Minor Accomplishment can boost power by ten percent. At Major Accomplishment, it boosts by twenty percent, and at Perfection, it boosts by fifty percent. This boost is applied on top of all your Jin. That means the more Jin you cultivate, the more terrifying your Fierce Tiger Fist's burst will be."

"Perfected Fierce Tiger Fist is extremely difficult, so let's set that aside for now. But you can strive for Minor Accomplishment or even Major Accomplishment."

"How about this: come with me, and I'll give you a great gift to help you along! But whether your Fierce Tiger Fist reaches Minor Accomplishment depends on your own fortune."

Zhao Heita said with a smile.

Jiang Hao quickly bowed. "Thank you, Master."

But he was also a little puzzled.

His Fierce Tiger Fist had hit a bottleneck, stuck at the "Proficient" level with no clue how to advance.

What method could his Master have to improve his Fierce Tiger Fist?

Seeming to read Jiang Hao's doubt, Zhao Heita smiled and said, "To reach Minor Accomplishment in Fierce Tiger Fist, you must comprehend the 'Tiger Form.' Jiang Hao, you've never even seen a real tiger—how can you 'understand its form'?"

"Today, I'll take you to see a real tiger!"

With that, Zhao Heita lifted Jiang Hao onto a horse, spurred it swiftly out of the city, and galloped northwest.