Cutting a Knife

Gravity Room.

Shi Yan's body was sore and numb as he leaned against a gravity pillar.

His bare body was strong and sturdy, with well-defined muscles that stood out like sculpted steel, brimming with astonishing explosive power.

With his food needs fully met, Shi Yan had endured another month of relentless training. Not only had he grown much stronger, but he had also gained a few centimeters in height.

Suddenly, the door to the gravity room was pushed open.

Shi Jian, Han Feng, and Yang Hai appeared together at the entrance.

Shi Jian's gaze was sharp as lightning. He swept a glance at Shi Yan from afar and nodded inwardly, saying, "It seems you haven't been slacking off."

"Of course," Shi Yan replied, his face etched with exhaustion, maintaining his posture. "I think my physical body refinement is almost complete. I should choose a Martial Skill to cultivate next."

"Whether it's truly complete isn't up to you," Shi Jian strode forward, arriving beside him. He put on a stern face and said, "Extend one hand."

Shi Yan cooperatively extended his left hand. With a thought, his hand quickly petrified, turning a dark brown.

On the surface of his skin, visible wisps of dark light flickered. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the faint dark light seemed to be a layer of cicada-wing-thin protective shield, completely covering his hand.

"Whoa!"

Shi Jian exclaimed, his face lighting up. He grinned, "You've got something here. A layer of dark light has actually appeared. It seems you haven't been slacking off during this time. Good! Very good!"

Yang Hai's heart leaped with joy. He leaned closer to take a look and said, "Foster Father, this phenomenon is the extreme limit achievable at the Human Position realm, isn't it? Back when Qing'er broke through to the Human Position Triple Heaven realm, her skin only showed this dark light after petrification. Is that right?"

"Mm," Shi Jian nodded faintly, his lips twitching uncontrollably. "This kid is indeed remarkable! To have stimulated the potential of his Martial Soul to this extent in just a month and a half is very good!"

Although Shi Jian was afraid Shi Yan would become arrogant, he couldn't help but praise him, his face showing a hint of surprise. "Kid, how did you manage it?"

"I just followed your method and kept training like that. This is the result," Shi Yan said, spreading his hands with a detached expression.

"How long do you train each day?" Even Han Feng, who rarely spoke, couldn't help but ask.

"About fifteen hours."

"Fifteen hours?!"

Han Feng and Shi Jian exclaimed in unison. They exchanged glances, seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.

"Impossible! You must be lying, kid!" Shi Jian reprimanded sternly. "After a high-intensity training session, the body needs at least eighteen hours to recover. Add in meal times, and you're lucky to get five hours of training a day! Where are you getting fifteen hours of training time?"

Han Feng also looked puzzled, shaking his head slightly, clearly not believing it either.

"You brat, tell the truth. Don't try to play games with your great-grandfather," Yang Hai grumbled, scolding him.

"Who says it takes eighteen hours to recover?" Shi Yan asked casually, a smile on his face. "Four hours is enough for me."

"Impossible!"

Shi Jian and Han Feng shouted again in unison.

"The body absolutely cannot recover so quickly from such high-intensity impacts! I've managed the Shi Family for so many years, and I've never seen anyone recover so quickly! Back then, that kid Shi Dang had exceptional physical conditions, and even he needed fifteen hours to fully recover after such intense impacts at the Human Position realm," Shi Jian shook his head repeatedly and snorted again. "Are you saying you're four times faster than him? Do you think that's possible?"

"Nothing is impossible," Shi Yan smiled. He suddenly stood up, turned towards a corner, took out a dagger from his backpack in the corner, and calmly walked back. "Great-grandfather, I've always had a question, and since my father is here, I'd like to conduct a test. I hope Great-grandfather will permit it."

"What test?" Shi Jian frowned.

"Uncle Han, I want to cut your arm."

"Insolent!" Shi Jian roared. "Kid, do you think you can do anything you please?"

"It's just a light cut," Shi Yan's expression remained unchanged. "I also want to cut my father's arm and my own arm again to make a comparison."

"Patriarch, Young Master Yan might have a plan. Let's try it," a subordinate interjected.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Shi Jian was also puzzled.

"You'll know in a moment," Shi Yan said calmly and unhurriedly, walking towards Han Feng. "Uncle Han, please don't use any Essence, and even if the wound bleeds, don't activate your Essence, alright?"

"Mm."

"Then I'll begin?"

"Mm."

Shi Yan stepped forward and cut Han Feng's extended left arm. Bright red blood immediately welled up from Han Feng's arm.

"Father, it's your turn," Shi Yan walked towards Yang Hai.

"You brat, what are you doing? Father isn't a Martial Artist, be gentle!"

"Mm, I know," Shi Yan stepped forward, his dagger flashing like lightning as he made a quick cut on Yang Hai's arm.

Yang Hai yelped, looking at his bleeding arm and exclaiming, "You brat, you're really ruthless! I wasn't even ready."

Under the watchful eyes of Han Feng and Shi Jian, Shi Yan calmly made another cut on his own arm with his dagger. Bright red blood immediately flowed out.

"You brat, what exactly do you want to show us? What's the deeper meaning of doing this? I can't see anything," Yang Hai continued to shout.

"Let's wait. We'll wait a moment," Shi Yan said with a solemn expression, his demeanor gradually becoming serious.

Han Feng and Shi Jian looked puzzled, not knowing what he was up to. Their eyes gleamed as they shifted their gaze around him.

Shi Yan smiled, offering no explanation. He even covered his bleeding arm with his sleeve, preventing Han Feng and Shi Jian from seeing his wound.

Ten minutes later.

"Huh?"

Han Feng was the first to notice something unusual. He stared blankly at Yang Hai's arm and said, "Patriarch, look!"

Shi Jian's attention was focused entirely on Shi Yan. Hearing Han Feng's words, he couldn't help but glance at Yang Hai's arm.

Upon closer inspection, he also noticed the peculiar aspect. "Hai'er," he said, "your wound, why has the blood clotted and formed a blood cocoon?"

"Ah!" Yang Hai exclaimed, finally noticing his own arm. "I don't know either."

"My arm, the blood is still flowing..." Han Feng extended his hand, gesturing for Yang Hai to take a good look.

"What's going on?" Yang Hai looked astonished. "You've cultivated Martial Skills for many years, your physical condition should be far stronger than mine. By all rights, you should have stopped bleeding earlier? How can this be?"

"You guys, look at my arm."

Shi Yan smiled and finally removed the clothing from his arm, revealing it. He slowly wiped away the congealed blood.

He saw that the wound on Shi Yan's arm, at some unknown point, had become as thin as a needle.

The flesh on either side of the wound seemed to be slowly wriggling, striving to close together, healing the wound at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shi Jian and Han Feng trembled violently, their eyes filled with shock.

"You brat, what, what exactly is going on?" Shi Jian stammered for a long time before suddenly demanding urgently.

"This is a Martial Soul, a Martial Soul that can self-heal! My father has it too, but unfortunately, he didn't cultivate the martial path and never suffered a serious injury, so it was never discovered," Shi Yan said indifferently, dropping a bombshell.

Shi Jian's eyes gleamed, his hands clenched tightly. After a long silence, he suddenly threw his head back and roared with laughter, "Haha! A Martial Soul! A self-healing Martial Soul!"

"I call it the Undying Martial Soul," Shi Yan explained softly. "I feel that in the later stages, this Martial Soul can even regenerate severed limbs and reforge internal organs. It means the body won't die."

Han Feng and Shi Jian froze. After thinking it over, they immediately realized the terrifying potential of this Martial Soul. Both of them could barely contain their excitement, their breathing becoming noticeably more rapid.

"You brat, so you have dual Martial Souls?" Yang Hai also exclaimed with joy. After a long moment, he finally reacted and couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"Of course, dual Martial Souls! Is there something wrong with that?" Shi Jian roared with laughter, slapping Yang Hai's shoulder so hard that Yang Hai fell to the ground. "Hai'er, I never expected you to have a Martial Soul too! Haha, I really didn't expect it. If I had known, I would have cut you when you were little to check, haha!"

"I said I could recover in four hours, do you believe me now?" Shi Yan asked with a faint smile.

"Believe it! Completely believe it! Haha!" Shi Jian had never been in such a good mood. Ignoring Yang Hai sitting on the ground, he said directly, "Boy, come with me! I'll take you to the Martial Soul Hall! All our Shi Family's Martial Skill secret manuals are kept there. You can pick any Martial Skill you want!"

"Okay."