Five Water Flows Stacked

With an idea in mind, Qi Hong immediately rose to his feet.

Seeing his movement, Zhong Ming struggled to stand as well, but Qi Hong stopped him.

"You should rest for now. Balancing work and rest is also part of cultivation."

Zhong Ming said, "Yes, Senior Brother."

After taking the advice and lying back down, Zhong Ming saw his senior brother explain, "Your talent is strong. You shouldn't limit yourself to the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique. That move is ultimately far too extreme."

"Unfortunately, I only excel at sword drawing. As for Dragon Stream Peak's footwork techniques, cultivation methods, and water techniques, I'm merely proficient in them, not truly skilled."

"Fortunately, Dragon Stream Peak has plenty of idle people. I'll go find them now."

Those words made Zhong Ming feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Cough, cough, Senior Brother, won't this be too much trouble for you all?"

Qi Hong said, "No. Useless people like us only have this much use left."

After saying this bitterly, he quickly recovered and smiled. "If you truly feel bad about it, then give it your all during the Seven Peaks Grand Competition. Make Dragon Stream Peak better. That can be considered one of our obsessions."

"Besides, teaching you is also a good thing for my friends. Your future is bound to be bright. They should be happy to have ties with a genius like you."

"Er... Senior Brother, you flatter me." After humbly responding, Zhong Ming's expression turned solemn. "Senior Brother, please rest assured about the Seven Peaks Grand Competition. Dragon Stream Peak is also my home. Even for my own sake, I'll give it everything I have in the assessment at the end of the month."

Qi Hong said, "Then I'll look forward to it."

Having received a satisfactory answer, Qi Hong left with a smile.

Watching his departing figure, thinking of his wholehearted guidance just now and Senior Disciple Sister Mo Shuying's care for him, Zhong Ming truly began to regard Dragon Stream Peak as his home.

"This atmosphere of mutual aid... this is how a righteous sect should be."

Of course, Zhong Ming also knew that a large part of why others were willing to help him was because he had displayed talent and been rated Class A.

Without talent, even in a righteous sect, one would still be treated like an ox or horse.

But that did not affect his view of Dragon Stream Peak. After all, in the Demonic Sect, even if you had talent, you would still have to stay on edge and not dare reveal it.

Qi Hong's kindness stirred Zhong Ming's heart, but he soon calmed himself down.

As he regulated his breathing, rested, and restored his Mental Strength and spiritual power, Zhong Ming opened his Attribute Panel and examined his current condition.

Zhong Ming

Cultivation Realm: early Qi Condensation

Dragon Creek Breathing Technique: Stage 2: Proficient (2110/8100), traits: 1 Water Flow... Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme (Incomplete) (41)

Leaping Wave Dragon Creek Steps: Stage 2: Proficient (778/4800), traits: Water Walking, Body Like a Stream

After looking through it all, Zhong Ming discovered that among his skills, Reading Skill, which he had learned before entering the sect, was at the highest stage. Yet it was also the hardest to improve now.

"Normally, if I want to raise this skill to Stage 5: Master, I'll need to spend at least one or two years reading Ten Thousand Scrolls and understanding their meaning."

Zhong Ming's talent was Heaven Rewards Diligence, not point allocation, much less daily sign-ins.

Therefore, improving his skills required time and effort—only with a share of tilling could there be a share of harvest.

And reaching Master in one or two years was truly not slow.

For ordinary people, let alone one or two years, they would be more than willing if they could enter the Master realm in twenty or thirty years, even thirty or fifty years.

Even if most people studied bitterly all their lives, without comprehension or a Fortuitous Encounter, they would stop at Stage 3: Furnace-Blue Perfection, unable even to reach Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment.

"But one or two years is too slow for me... I can only place my hopes on the True Intent Diagram."

Even with Heaven Rewards Diligence, it would take Zhong Ming one or two years for his Reading Skill to advance from Stage 4 to Stage 5. This made him understand the difficulty of Stage 5: Master, and why those who entered that realm were called masters.

"That was one in ten thousand."

Compared with other cultivation methods, this one was simple and easy to practice because it only had a single move.

In his iaijutsu duel with Qi Hong just now, although he had lost battle after battle, the extreme pressure and Senior Brother Qi Hong's demonstration had sent the progress of Zhong Ming's Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique soaring.

"If I can maintain this pace, I may truly be able to grind this cultivation method to Stage 4: Minor Accomplishment before the end of the month."

Thinking of this, Zhong Ming's eyes lit up.

"While reading cultivation notes, I saw senior sages say that the fourth stage of Dragon Creek Swordplay required 'life.' Originally, I thought life referred only to living springs and living streams, requiring Qi Circulating Through the Heavens. Now it seems it isn't that simple."

At that moment, Zhong Ming recalled how, when Senior Brother Qi Hong drew his sword, the sword in his hand gave off the feeling of a venomous snake.

"The flavor of a living creature... I don't need to imitate Senior Brother Qi Hong in this step. Though the Sword Drawing Technique is a sword of assassination and ambush, venomous snakes don't suit me. I should continue imitating Dragon's Charm..."

"Those who learn from others live; those who resemble others die. I need something of my own, my own insights."

This prompt stunned Zhong Ming for a moment.

"So much... It seems that having something of one's own is extremely important for advancing from Stage 3 to Stage 4."

After marveling at this, Zhong Ming suddenly had another thought.

"Then, if I view the Dragon Flood True Intent Diagram, will my Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique gain a huge wave of Experience Points?"

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. This also made Zhong Ming look forward immensely to Yi Yunya's plan.

"I hope it succeeds. If I'm lucky, two viewings could directly give me two thousand Experience Points, perhaps even more..."

After the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique came the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique. Its progress was also rapid, and it was now one-quarter complete.

More importantly, Zhong Ming also had a shortcut for increasing the progress of this Fundamental Cultivation Method.

Thinking this, Zhong Ming lowered his gaze again and looked at Dragon Creek Swordplay, Leaping Wave Dragon Creek Steps, and Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Art.

"If nothing unexpected happens, once these three skills reach Stage 3, the traits I gain will all be Water Flow."

"Three plus two, five Water Flows stacked together. This trait may very well undergo a Qualitative Change. If that change can in turn stack onto the Fundamental Cultivation Method, the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique..."

The more Zhong Ming thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

What excited Zhong Ming even more was that he could rapidly improve all three of these skills.

And Qi Hong had even found some seniors proficient in these things to teach Zhong Ming.

"With them here, at most two or three days will be enough for me to practice all these skills to Stage 3: Furnace-Blue Perfection..."

"A Senior Brother comparable to Xiao Yichen's Innate Sword Heart? Qi Hong, are you sure you aren't joking?"

While Zhong Ming was thinking of Qi Hong, Qi Hong had already called his companions over.

But clearly, these people did not quite believe Qi Hong's words, nor did they think Dragon Stream Peak could be so fortunate as to produce another supreme genius.

Faced with their doubts, Qi Hong did not argue. He merely smiled and said, "Don't believe me? That's fine. Just consider it a favor to me and properly teach Junior Brother Zhong Ming."

Qi Hong's words instead made Yang Chen, Shi Yun, and Lin Shuyu suspicious.

After exchanging glances, Yang Chen secretly transmitted, "Something's wrong."

"I'm only lame, not blind..." After saying that, Shi Yun frowned. "Could what Qi Hong said be true? Did our Dragon Stream Peak really produce a supreme genius?"

Those words made Lin Shuyu shake his head. "How could it be so easy? Besides, if such a genius had truly entered Dragon Stream Peak, we should have heard some rumors long ago, shouldn't we?"

"Still, you know Qi Hong's temperament. He's quite proud. For him to acknowledge someone and set aside his pride to invite us to teach him, that Zhong Ming probably truly has some talent."

"Of course, he still can't compare to Senior Brother Xiao Yichen. That one is a True Disciple."

"I hope so." Yang Chen said, "Dragon Stream Peak shouldn't decline in our hands."