After the Spirit Devouring Art broke through, Shen Hao's cultivation speed rose to another level. He immediately turned his attention to cultivating the Flowing Cloud Steps. Movement techniques were crucial in actual combat, especially when facing powerful enemies. An exquisite movement technique could evade fatal attacks and uncover an opponent's flaws, often achieving victory by surprise.
His Flowing Cloud Steps had now reached the second layer, "Flowing Cloud Surge." His movement speed had increased by twenty percent, and his figure became graceful and agile, as unpredictable as flowing water. The third layer was called "Flowing Cloud Shadow Transformation." Once mastered, it would increase his movement speed by another twenty percent, for a total increase of forty percent. Moreover, when moving at high speed, he would leave behind faint afterimages to confuse his opponents, making it difficult for them to pinpoint his true position. This layer was more difficult to cultivate than the first two combined. It required not only more precise control over spiritual energy, but also a perfect harmony between his movement technique and the rhythm of heaven and earth.
Early one morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten and the mist among the trees had yet to disperse, carrying a faint dampness, Shen Hao arrived in the Dense Forest on the Back Mountain of Qingyun Peak with his Flying Sword strapped to his back. Few people ventured here. Towering trees and luxuriant branches and leaves made it an ideal place to cultivate movement techniques.
Shen Hao stood in an open clearing amid the woods, drew a deep breath, and adjusted his breathing. Then, he circulated the spiritual energy within his body and slowly guided it into the meridians in his legs. At once, a lightness spread through both legs, as though he were stepping on a ball of cotton.
With the Flowing Cloud Steps beneath his feet, he darted among the trees like a ghost. A light tap of his feet against the ground sent him gliding several yards away. His figure was graceful and nimble, shifting as unpredictably as drifting clouds. Following the method of the third layer of the Flowing Cloud Steps, he continuously poured spiritual energy into the meridians of his legs while adjusting his center of gravity, ensuring that every step landed exactly right and matched the rhythm of heaven and earth.
At first, his movements were still somewhat awkward, and his spiritual energy did not circulate smoothly enough. While moving at high speed, the flow of spiritual energy occasionally broke off. The afterimages he left behind were as faint as blue smoke, vanishing in an instant and nearly impossible to notice. Yet Shen Hao did not lose heart. He practiced again and again, constantly adjusting the circulation of his spiritual energy and his body's center of gravity, searching for the most perfect point of harmony.
Sweat slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the fallen leaves, spreading small patches of dampness. His clothes had long been soaked through, clinging tightly to his body and outlining his somewhat lean yet upright frame. But his gaze only grew firmer. There was not the slightest trace of exhaustion in his eyes, only an unwavering persistence toward cultivation.
Time trickled by. The mist in the forest gradually dispersed, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering mottled patches of light and shadow. Shen Hao's movements became increasingly skillful, while the circulation of his spiritual energy grew ever smoother. Like flowing clouds, he streaked through the forest faster and faster, and the afterimages he left behind became increasingly distinct.
Whoosh—
Shen Hao suddenly pushed off with his feet. Spiritual energy poured endlessly into his legs, and his figure abruptly accelerated like a blue bolt of lightning, sliding sideways past an ancient tree. This time, a clear afterimage identical to himself remained behind him. It was lifelike and lingered for a full three breaths before slowly dissipating into the air.
"I did it!" Shen Hao stopped and let out a long breath of stale air, a delighted smile appearing on his face.
Feeling the spiritual energy circulating within him, he found his legs incomparably light, as though he could ride the wind at any moment. He took a casual step, and his figure flickered through the forest with lightning speed. Afterimages followed one after another behind him, making it impossible to capture his true position.
"The third layer of the Flowing Cloud Steps, Flowing Cloud Shadow Transformation—I've finally mastered it." Shen Hao clenched his fist, his heart filled with confidence.
The improvement in his movement technique meant that he had a greater margin for error in actual combat. Whether evading attacks or seeking out an opponent's weaknesses, he would hold a greater advantage. Especially those afterimages—at a critical moment, they were enough to confuse an opponent and give him the chance to deliver a fatal blow.
He raised his head and looked toward the depths of the Dense Forest, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. The Inner Sect Grand Competition was fast approaching. He not only needed to hone his cultivation arts and footwork, but also improve his practical combat experience. Quite a few mid-level Demon Beasts dwelled in the depths of this forest, making it the perfect place to temper himself and test the results of his cultivation.
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