Compassion

"Dragon in the heavens, snake upon the earth—one yang, one yin. Among the true transmissions of the Twelve Divine Aspects, only the dragon and snake aspects fit together in yin and yang, becoming one whole..."

As she exchanged pushing hands with Gao Wu, Song Mingyue softly explained the many transformations of Dragon-Snake Dual Cultivation.

Gao Wu did not care much about such theories. What mattered was that Song Mingyue used her force to guide the resonance of the force throughout his body, putting them both in an extraordinarily harmonious state.

Since he had begun practicing martial arts, this was the first time he had experienced such a marvelous sensation.

The old man possessed profound insight into martial arts. Gao Wu had learned the true essence of the Nine Dragon Forms from him, laying down an exceptionally solid foundation.

On this point alone, his starting point already surpassed ninety-nine percent of Jiu Middle School students.

For a child from an ordinary family, having a Warrior offer daily guidance in cultivation was still far too extravagant.

Only after practicing a set of Nine Dragon Forms with Song Mingyue today did he realize how rough his own Nine Dragon Forms still were. Some muscles that ought to exert force could not do so naturally, while other areas that should not have exerted force were straining too hard.

During the process, Song Mingyue did not even need to point anything out. The subtle changes in the way their forces meshed allowed him to notice the flaws in his own practice.

This also left Gao Wu somewhat puzzled. Dragon and snake methods practiced together had such miraculous effects, so why had the old man never mentioned it?

After all, Shang Qingjun cultivated the Spirit Snake Fist, which was also one of the Snake-Form True Methods. Shang Qingjun's martial talent far exceeded his own, yet their sparring had never produced any effect.

While resting, Gao Wu could not help asking Song Mingyue about it.

"The conditions required for Dragon Snake Dance are extremely harsh. Only because our spirits resonate subtly and our genetic codes are compatible can we achieve this effect," Song Mingyue explained.

Gao Wu did not entirely believe her explanation. He always felt that Song Mingyue had not revealed the crucial point. Still, he could not press her further.

Respect went both ways. Song Mingyue knew his physique was unusual, yet she had never asked for details about it. Likewise, he could not ask Song Mingyue questions that were too private.

Gao Wu and Song Mingyue practiced the Nine Dragon Forms five times in total, taking more than an hour.

By the time they finished the final set, Gao Wu was soaked through with sweat from head to toe.

There was no heating in the martial arts hall. Steam rose from Gao Wu's sweat-drenched body, while Song Mingyue's expression had not changed in the slightest, making for a stark contrast.

"Go rest for a while. At nine, we'll head to Bailin Lake." After speaking, Song Mingyue looked at Gao Wu, inquiry showing in her bright eyes.

Gao Wu nodded. "No problem. I'll listen to you."

After sparring with Song Mingyue, Gao Wu had developed considerable respect for this beautiful woman's strength. Under the present circumstances, there was an obvious gap in power between them.

More importantly, Song Mingyue was exceptionally calm and rational. Every arrangement she made was thorough and prudent.

Given the current situation, all he needed to do was follow Song Mingyue's lead.

After returning to his room, Gao Wu took a shower and changed into a fresh set of training clothes. He tossed the clothes he had just worn into the laundry basket, where someone would naturally wash and handle them.

When it came to such details of daily life, hiring people saved a great deal of time. Gao Wu could not help sighing again: being rich really was wonderful!

After resting for a while, Gao Wu felt warm all over, refreshed in mind and body, utterly at ease inside and out.

The effects of the Blood Dragon Agent he had injected yesterday seemed to have been completely stimulated during the sparring session. All the high-source-force food he had eaten for dinner had also been thoroughly digested, bringing his body into a state of vigorous yet natural strength.

Gao Wu summoned the Boundless Merit Book and saw that his strength had increased by 0.1 points. This had come from converting the effects of the Blood Dragon Agent, so he was not surprised.

What surprised him was that his agility had increased by 0.1 points.

Agility had been the lowest among his five-dimensional attributes. This increase was likely because he had sorted out his body inside and out, making the changes in his force more refined and improving his bodily coordination.

The Nine Dragon Forms remained at the proficient level, but the glow around the words "proficient" was noticeably stronger. He had likely made considerable progress.

Even without looking at the Boundless Merit Book, Gao Wu was certain of it.

Just one hour of training tonight had given him a deeper understanding of the Nine Dragon Forms. This kind of progress was almost visible to the naked eye.

Lastly, Gao Wu checked his lifespan. Once he confirmed that every change was positive, he let out a long breath.

If he could improve like this every day, how powerful would he become after a year? He did not dare imagine it, did not dare imagine it... Of course, he also knew it was impossible to make such enormous progress every day.

His current level was still low, so even the slightest improvement was obvious.

At nine that night, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue returned to the middle of the bridge.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, they jumped into Bailin Lake together.

Just like the previous two times, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue suffered a savage attack from the invisible Strange Spirit. Gao Wu recited the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation twice in succession before managing to bring Song Mingyue out of danger.

Song Mingyue was in slightly better condition than last time, but her body was still frozen stiff. Only through Gao Wu activating the Divine Qi Mantra did she recover completely.

This time, Song Mingyue was wearing a diving suit, avoiding some awkwardness as well.

After seeing Song Mingyue off, Gao Wu returned to the dormitory and checked the Boundless Merit Book again. Sure enough, his spiritual power had increased by another 0.1 points.

The rapid growth of his spiritual power also demonstrated the terror of the Strange Spirit from another angle. Without the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation, he would have died the first time he saved Song Mingyue...

Thinking of this, Gao Wu felt that he had rightfully earned everything he had gained.

After injecting another Blood Dragon Agent, Gao Wu ate quite a few energy bars and practiced the Nine Dragon Forms several more times.

When he woke the next day, Gao Wu felt as if every cell in his body were cheering and leaping with joy. He even felt a little overexcited.

His progress in the Nine Dragon Forms had improved the quality of his sleep.

The agent, combined with his high-energy intake, had naturally put his body into an excited state.

Gao Wu silently recited the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation thirty times. Azure Dragon Divine Light flowed and danced within his body, dispelling every abnormal condition and returning his body to a naturally relaxed state.

After filming his running training video in the morning, he sent it to Shen Yue through Feixin.

Classes proceeded as usual that morning. At noon, Gao Wu found time to buy two hundred yuan worth of fruit and went specially to the hospital to visit Houzi and Wang Tiesong.

The two had been severely injured by Bai Xiang. As their teammate, he naturally had to visit them. He also wanted to do his best to help them.

Houzi and Wang Tiesong were both surprised to see Gao Wu. Since they had entered the hospital, the school had only visited once, leaving all subsequent matters to the insurance company.

After these severe injuries, it was almost impossible for them to return to the Martial Arts Team. This left them both utterly despairing about their futures.

Though neither of them liked Gao Wu, they were both deeply surprised—and somewhat moved—to see him arrive carrying fruit.

"Old Gao," Houzi said, struggling to sit up and grasping Gao Wu's hand, but he was too emotional to know what to say.

After being severely injured this time, even the few friends from the Martial Arts Team whom he had once been close to had vanished without a trace. His family was also very dissatisfied about his injury, believing that he had been too careless.

Over the past few days, Houzi had endured tremendous pressure in his heart, and it hurt him even more than his physical injuries.

Gao Wu, with whom he had always been at odds, had come to visit them. Houzi's emotions surged, and tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

After only a few days apart, Houzi had visibly lost a great deal of weight. He had once been lean but vigorous; now, the hand he extended was weak and limp, and his face had shrunk by a full circle.

Wang Tiesong, in the bed beside him, also stared straight at Gao Wu. His chin was firmly supported by a neck brace, so he could not open his mouth at all. He could only signal with his eyes.

Usually taciturn, Wang Tiesong was clearly somewhat emotional as well.

Gao Wu shook Houzi's hand, then patted Wang Tiesong on the shoulder. He knew the two were badly injured, but seeing them with his own eyes gave him an entirely different feeling.

Though their relationship had not been good in the past, they had merely disliked one another. There had been no real enmity between them.

Two boys who had once been as lively as dragons and fierce as tigers now lay weakly in hospital gowns upon their beds. The sight could not help but stir pity in his heart.

Taking advantage of the contact, he secretly circulated the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation and bestowed Divine Mantras upon Houzi and Wang Tiesong respectively.

From his experience, the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation could temporarily stimulate a person's Source of Vitality. Just as Song Mingyue's body had stiffened after being eroded by the Strange Spirit's cold qi, a bestowed Divine Mantra could dispel such abnormal states.

However, severe bodily injuries could not be resolved merely by bestowing a Divine Mantra. Only by reciting the incantation day and night and maintaining the blessing for a long time could it produce an effect.

Bestowing Divine Mantras upon these two was merely his way of doing his small part. Helping even a little was still helping.

After two Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantations, Gao Wu could sense that the two boys' bodies were like those of people in their forties or fifties—spiritually depleted and qi weak, utterly lacking the vibrant life force that boys their age should possess.

This was not solely due to their severe injuries. They had likely also used drugs to stimulate their bodies, overdrawing their potential.

Their severe injuries had damaged their foundations, completely exposing the problem of their overdrafted potential.

The Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation was not useless, either. It granted both boys a trace of mysterious source-force blessing, and their vitality noticeably strengthened.

"To get me into the Martial Arts Team, my family borrowed hundreds of thousands. They bought me agents and Strange Beast meat, hired private tutors to make up lessons for me... Now that I'm like this, after these severe injuries, I'm afraid I'll never have another chance to practice martial arts..."

As Houzi spoke, his emotions surged beyond control, and he burst into loud sobs.

Wang Tiesong's eyes reddened as well. His family's circumstances were much like Houzi's. Thinking of his family's enormous sacrifices and the years of grueling cultivation that had all turned to bubbles, this silent boy could no longer control his emotions either.

With Houzi and Wang Tiesong so emotionally agitated, they were even less likely to notice the subtle changes deep within their bodies.

Gao Wu offered a few words of comfort. Only after the two boys had calmed down did he rise to take his leave.

After leaving the hospital, Gao Wu checked the Boundless Merit Book. This visit had increased his Merit by nearly two hundred points.

His short videos had almost no traffic, so this Merit had likely all come from Houzi and Wang Tiesong. The results of this visit had somewhat exceeded his expectations...

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