Soliciting Talent

After Qin Xuehua and the others left, the Heavenly Prison returned to its usual silence.

Zhang Yu sat cross-legged on the floor, yet his heart was calmer than it had ever been.

His entire mind sank into the earth-shaking changes taking place within him.

The first thing he sensed was the qi sea in his dantian.

Internal energy surged like a mighty river, rolling on without end.

Its depth far exceeded his previous understanding of Sixth Rank warriors; he had even faintly touched the threshold of Seventh Rank.

Next came the sensations of his Physical Body.

Every muscle, every bone, even each delicate tendon, brimmed with explosive strength.

This surge in pure physical strength brought with it an incredibly solid sense of control and security.

Yet what astonished and bewildered Zhang Yu most was a third kind of "power."

It was stored neither in his dantian nor in his flesh and blood, but seemed to permeate the depths of his consciousness—or, rather, to be closely connected to his "spirit" and "will."

This power had no form or substance, yet it was undeniably real.

"System,"

Zhang Yu silently asked in his mind, intensely curious. "What is this third kind of power... ? As far as I know, it isn't part of martial cultivation."

The system replied casually:

[This power is called Soul Power. It involves the origin of life and the elevation of the spirit, and is indeed beyond the scope of ordinary martial artists in the current world.

Generally, only those who have reached the realm of a Land Immortal can begin to touch and wield this power.]

"Land Immortal?"

Zhang Yu's heart jolted.

He had never heard of such a title.

As far as he knew, in the Wei Kingdom where he lived, Ninth Rank marked the peak of the mundane. Above that were the transcendent Innate Warriors, and above them were Martial Arts Grandmasters, powerful enough to establish their own sects and shake an entire kingdom.

As far as he knew, in all of Great Wei, only three Grandmasters openly stood guard. Each was a pillar of the kingdom, rarely seen and impossible to track.

As for Great Grandmasters, who stood above Grandmasters, they were the stuff of legends. Not one had appeared in a century.

But "Land Immortal"... He hadn't even heard the name before.

The system seemed to understand his confusion, but offered no lengthy explanation. It merely added: [Soul Power has endless applications. You will have to explore and comprehend its uses on your own.]

Explore on his own?

Zhang Yu pushed down his shock and turned his attention back inward.

He "saw" three entirely different cultivation methods, each faintly resonating with the others yet running in parallel without conflict, like three surging rivers. Their routes were already deeply etched into his meridians, acupoints, and even the depths of his consciousness.

One focused on cultivating Internal energy. Its route was intricate and profound, channeling qi through the extraordinary meridians while keeping the mind on the dantian. Each cycle made the "lake of Internal energy" ripple gently, growing purer and more concentrated.

One focused on cultivating the Physical Body. Its route ran through every limb and bone, stimulating every inch of flesh, muscle, and bone, constantly strengthening and tempering them. Waves of warmth and comfort coursed through him.

The last was the most mysterious and obscure.

Its route did not seem to run entirely through physical meridians, but instead involved certain indescribable "acupoints" and flows within the realm of consciousness.

Though he had never encountered these three cultivation methods before, he now felt as if he had painstakingly practiced them through countless seasons. He knew them all inside and out, and could use them without the slightest awkwardness.

"So this is the 'one year of cultivation poured into me' that the system mentioned..."

Zhang Yu understood, and a mighty wave surged through his heart.

How could this be the result of an ordinary martial artist cultivating for a year?

It was clearly the achievement of a peerless genius cultivating for a year under the best possible conditions.

And it was the result of simultaneously cultivating three systems of power: Internal energy, the Physical Body, and the soul.

Ordinary martial artists might spend their entire lives unable to reach the pinnacle of even one path.

But thanks to the system's "bug," he had started out cultivating all three paths at once, with a terrifyingly high starting point—and the cultivation methods he was practicing were of the highest grade, unknown to him until now.

No wonder a mere "year" of cultivation had taken him from a useless Martial Dao First Rank to the peak of Sixth Rank, even allowing him to touch the threshold of Seventh Rank.

Once he understood it all, Zhang Yu no longer felt the slightest worry about his fifty-year sentence. Instead, he was filled with unprecedented anticipation and fervor.

Fifty years. More than eighteen thousand days.

Every day, he could receive a threefold infusion of cultivation—the equivalent of a peerless genius cultivating top-tier techniques for a year.

What an unbelievable stroke of fortune!

Suddenly, a voice came from the cell next door.

"Hey, kid across from me."

It was Xiao Sheng, the Heir of Prince Jing.

Xiao Sheng took a swig of wine, smacked his lips, and drawled, "You've got a lot going for you, kid. Patient, ruthless, and quick-witted."

He sat up straighter, his tone taking on the hint of a powerful man looking to recruit someone:

"Interested in coming to work for me?

Don't worry. Follow this Heir Apparent, and high office, a generous salary, fine clothes, and delicious food are all part of the deal."

If those words had reached the ears of any ordinary prisoner—or even any martial artist eager to climb into the good graces of the powerful—they would have been a godsend.

The Heir Apparent of Prince Jing was a scion of the imperial family, with power that reached the heavens. Winning his favor was the kind of fortune that would make one's ancestors' graves smoke.

Yet Zhang Yu's expression didn't change as he listened.