What choice? Take them all!

Zhang Su suddenly smiled. What choice was there to make?

It was not as if he had no contribution points.

Since both techniques had compatibility rates above 90%, then he would take them all!

If both sword techniques reached the Perfected Realm, they could increase his Compatibility Points by two.

These were techniques that could increase Compatibility Points.

What were two techniques worth?

The more, the better!

However, a person's energy was limited.

He would first choose these two sword techniques, then select other martial skills as circumstances allowed in the future.

Zhang Su immediately went to find the elder of the Scripture Pavilion to exchange for the two sword techniques.

"Hmm?"

"Exchanging for two sword techniques at once?"

"Yes. I ask Elder to grant this request."

The elder frowned. "Although the Nine Shadows Sword Technique and Triple Wave are not considered top-tier sword techniques, they are still superior techniques. The Nine Shadows Sword Technique chiefly trains speed and is renowned for its swiftness. Triple Wave, on the other hand, places strength first. Each wave is stronger than the last, overwhelming others with force."

"These two sword techniques are as different as horses and oxen. Are you sure you want to exchange for both?"

The elder's knowledge was naturally exceptional.

He also knew that the characteristics of these two sword techniques represented completely different styles.

Disciples who exchanged for sword techniques of two different styles at once were quite rare.

"Yes, this disciple is certain."

Zhang Su bowed to the elder.

"Fine. Six hundred contribution points in total."

The elder said nothing further. After all, he had already given the necessary warning.

After exchanging for the two sword techniques, Zhang Su immediately entered a Cultivation Room and opened the manuals.

After carefully reviewing the contents of both sword techniques, Zhang Su understood that the elder's warning had been correct.

They truly were sword techniques with different styles.

Yet the Nine Shadows Sword Technique had a compatibility rate as high as 93%, while Triple Wave had 91%. Both indeed met Zhang Su's requirements.

"Then I'll give them a try."

Zhang Su had never practiced swordsmanship before, so he naturally did not carry a sword technique of his own.

However, the Cultivation Rooms in the Scripture Pavilion contained all kinds of weapons.

He drew a standard-issue longsword of the Guiyuan Sect.

The Nine Shadows Sword Technique immediately surfaced in Zhang Su's mind.

The next moment, as though driven by instinct, Zhang Su began practicing the Nine Shadows Sword Technique.

At first, his movements were quite proper and conventional.

But as time passed, Zhang Su's sword grew faster with every strike.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Su thrust out his sword, and three sword shadows actually appeared.

Moreover, each of those three sword shadows was almost identical.

This was not some illusion technique.

Those three sword shadows were all real.

When speed reached a certain level, sword shadows would appear.

"One sword, three shadows. The Nine Shadows Sword Technique has reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm..."

Zhang Su was stunned.

It had reached Minor Accomplishment already?

He remembered clearly that he had practiced the Spirit Snake Fist for an entire year.

And its compatibility rate had not been low either, reaching 81%.

What had been the result?

After a year, the Spirit Snake Fist had only reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

Yet he had only just begun the Nine Shadows Sword Technique, for at most half an hour.

The Nine Shadows Sword Technique had already reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

This was simply unimaginable.

Perhaps this was the true worth of a 93% compatibility rate!

At this pace, it likely would not take long for the Nine Shadows Sword Technique to reach the Major Accomplishment Realm.

It might even have a great chance of reaching the Perfected Realm.

Zhang Su tried practicing Triple Wave again.

It also had a compatibility rate of 91%.

Triple Wave and the Nine Shadows Sword Technique were completely different in style.

Yet when Zhang Su began practicing it, he immediately felt incomparably at ease.

There was not the slightest sense of difficulty.

Instead, every sword strike felt more comfortable than the last.

He did not know how long he practiced.

Boom!

Zhang Su thrust out with his sword.

This strike produced a violent sound in the air.

It was like the roar of crashing waves.

Zhang Su knew this was the First Wave.

And as long as one could unleash the First Wave, it meant the Triple Wave Sword Technique had reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

Zhang Su immediately checked the System Panel.

Host: Zhang Su

Cultivation Base: Blood Qi Realm First Layer

Taotie Blood Nourishing Technique: Compatibility Rate 91% (Initiation Realm)

Nine Shadows Sword Technique: Compatibility Rate 93% (Minor Accomplishment Realm)

Triple Wave: Compatibility Rate 91% (Minor Accomplishment Realm)

Compatibility Points: 0

Sure enough, the System Panel showed that both the Nine Shadows Sword Technique and Triple Wave Sword Technique had reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

"When compatibility reaches above 90%, practicing martial arts becomes easy..."

Zhang Su murmured under his breath.

This was only a 90% compatibility rate.

If it reached 100%, his martial arts training would be even faster and more efficient.

Moreover, a compatibility rate above 90% did not necessarily mean a martial art could reach the Perfected Realm.

That also depended on the difficulty of the martial art.

For many martial arts, even with a compatibility rate of 90%, they might reach the Perfected Realm, or they might forever remain just a thread short of it.

But if compatibility reached 100%, then the martial art would definitely reach the Perfected Realm!

"Compatibility Points are still quite important. With Compatibility Points, I can directly raise martial arts with compatibility above 90% to 100%. Then I won't have to worry about a martial art being unable to reach the Perfected Realm..."

Zhang Su had personally experienced the importance of compatibility.

So what if he was older and his bones had already set?

So what if his talent for martial arts was not high?

As long as his compatibility was high enough, there would be no obstacles on his path of martial arts!

Zhang Su continued practicing in the Cultivation Room for another two or three hours.

He did not leave the Cultivation Room until the sky gradually darkened.

Zhang Su also checked the contribution points on his Identity Token.

Exchanging for the Taotie Blood Nourishing Technique, Nine Shadows Sword Technique, and Triple Wave had cost a total of nine hundred contribution points.

He had previously had six thousand contribution points on his Identity Token.

Now, he still had five thousand one hundred contribution points left.

He could not spend them all!

He simply could not spend them all!

At times like this, the benefits of having money became apparent.

When Zhang Su returned to the Outer Sect residence area, he faintly heard bursts of noise from inside the room.

He opened the door and found that the three companions sharing the room with him were Du Tian, Zhao Feng, and Chu Dachuan.

These three companions had joined the Guiyuan Sect's Outer Sect in the same batch as Zhang Su.

However, they were different from Zhang Su.

They were talents selected by the Guiyuan Sect from various regions.

They were all only around twelve years old and possessed decent talent.

Although they had joined the Guiyuan Sect for only a year.

They had already cultivated Blood Qi early on.

The strongest, Chu Dachuan, had even reached the Blood Qi Realm Third Layer.

The remaining two, Du Tian and Zhao Feng, were also at the Blood Qi Realm Second Layer.

Compared to Zhang Su, who had failed to cultivate Blood Qi after an entire year, there was simply no comparison.

"Zhang Su, you're only coming back so late. Where did you go?"

Du Tian asked.

"I went to the Scripture Pavilion."

Zhang Su replied.

"Hmm? Did you go change your cultivation technique?"

"Yes."

All three raised their heads, somewhat surprised.

They all knew that Zhang Su had cultivated the Great River Divine Art for an entire year without the slightest result.

In such a situation, he should have changed cultivation techniques long ago.

Yet Zhang Su had stubbornly dragged it out for a whole year.

However, the three clearly did not care whether Zhang Su had changed cultivation techniques.

In their eyes, Zhang Su was already sixteen and had not even cultivated Blood Qi. His bones had long since set, and he had no special innate physique.

It would be difficult for him to achieve anything great in the future.

The reason the three remained "close" to Zhang Su was because they had their eyes on the good things he possessed.

More precisely, they wanted the nourishing items Uncle Guan brought Zhang Su every month.

"Zhang Su, I saw a wooden box on your bed. Judging by the time, your family servant should have delivered something today, right? What good thing did he bring this time?"

All three gazes turned toward the wooden box on Zhang Su's bed.

Zhang Su frowned. "Nothing much. Just some Blood Replenishing Pills."

"What? Blood Replenishing Pills? Those are good things! For Blood Qi Realm martial artists, Blood Replenishing Pills are even better than medicinal meals."

"Zhang Su, take out the Blood Replenishing Pills and let us test their effects."

"That's right. You haven't even cultivated Blood Qi, so you can't use those Blood Replenishing Pills. Give them to us, and we can test their effects for you."

Their eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Give them to you? And have you test their effects for me?"

Zhang Su frowned.

Did these three take him for a fool?

However, their words caused memories to flash through Zhang Su's mind.

Over the past year, Uncle Guan had brought things every month.

Some were precious supplements.

Some were expensive medicinal meals.

There were also medicinal baths.

But the previous Zhang Su had been stubborn and refused to use anything from his elder brother.

Thus, he had basically given all those precious items Uncle Guan brought to these three companions.

For these three to reach the Blood Qi Realm Second Layer, even the Third Layer, within a year, the things Zhang Su had given them had played no small part!

"I really was a fool..."

Zhang Su shook his head.

No wonder these three were demanding the Blood Replenishing Pills.

Given the previous Zhang Su's actions over the past year, he truly had been a fool.

"I need these Blood Replenishing Pills!"

After saying that, Zhang Su ignored the stunned expressions of the three and immediately took a Blood Replenishing Pill from the wooden box.

He opened his mouth and swallowed it at once.

He had taken a Blood Replenishing Pill.

Boom!

Zhang Su felt a surge of scorching heat erupt within his body.

He immediately circulated the Taotie Blood Nourishing Technique, swiftly refining the medicinal power of the Blood Replenishing Pill.

Previously, Zhang Su had indeed cultivated Blood Qi.

But there had only been a single thread of it.

Now, after taking the Blood Replenishing Pill, he refined another thread of Blood Qi.

A second thread, a third, a fourth, a fifth...

Zhang Su's Blood Qi force was increasing at a terrifying rate.

Seeing this, Du Tian, Zhao Feng, and Chu Dachuan were all greatly shocked.

"This is... Blood Qi force! Zhang Su has cultivated Blood Qi?"

The three of them could not have sensed it wrong.

This was Blood Qi force.

The three exchanged glances, but none of them felt happy for Zhang Su.

Instead, their faces darkened.

Zhang Su had cultivated Blood Qi, and he had even swallowed a Blood Replenishing Pill.

Then would they still be able to "shear the sheep" from Zhang Su in the future?

That would probably be difficult.

Without the great tonics Zhang Su "supplied" every month, their cultivation speed would certainly slow down in the future.

This made them feel exceedingly miserable.

The three exchanged looks and tacitly walked outside.

"What do we do? Zhang Su doesn't seem quite so stupid anymore..."

"Zhang Su is nothing but trash. He only got in through the support of his older brother-in-law. Otherwise, how could an overage piece of trash enter the Guiyuan Sect and become an Outer Sect disciple?"

"He used to be stupid. He wouldn't use the things his older brother-in-law gave him, handing all the good stuff to us instead. But now, it seems he probably won't give us those good things anymore."

"So what if he has cultivated Blood Qi? At most, he's only at the Blood Qi Realm First Layer. Wang Hai had always been causing him trouble before, and only after we stepped in did Wang Hai stop pestering him. Since he won't give us good things anymore, why should we keep protecting him?"

"Exactly. Let Wang Hai give him a ruthless beating. Then he'll probably understand how useful we are. When that time comes, he'll still have to give us the good stuff..."

Good things ought to be used by true geniuses like them.

If Zhang Su used them, wouldn't that be a monstrous waste of heaven's gifts?

The three exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.