Buying Secret Techniques

After swallowing all six Green Spirit leaves, Lin Yun stayed in his room for an entire day.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go out. He needed time to adjust to his explosive increase in strength. His Spiritual Force had surged from Intermediate War God all the way to the peak of the late High-Level War God stage, while his physical fitness had broken through from High-Level War General to the peak of Primary War God. This kind of leap was like someone who normally drove a family sedan suddenly getting behind the wheel of a supercar. He was faster and stronger, but still needed time to get used to its handling and learn to control it precisely.

He practiced controlling his Spiritual Force in the training room over and over. Nine flying daggers darted through the room, at first with painstaking caution, then with smooth, flowing precision. They progressed from simple straight lines to complex three-dimensional trajectories, and from moving as one to each dagger performing its own task without interfering with the others. By evening, he could use his Spiritual Force to make all nine daggers perform nine completely different movements at once. One drew circles in the air, one traced zigzags, one spiraled forward, and one alternated between speeding up and slowing down... Every dagger's trajectory was accurate to the millimeter. They weaved past one another at distances of less than a meter, yet never collided.

Before taking the Green Spirit leaves, he hadn't been able to control them like this.

"That should do it." Lin Yun recalled his daggers and let out a long breath. It would take time to digest his explosive growth in strength, but at least he had regained control of his body and Spiritual Force. He wouldn't lose control of his power.

He returned to his room, opened his smart computer, and logged into Limit Home.

He had received 10.4 billion in funds and earned Two-Star Rank contribution points. It was time to spend some money.

"First, flying daggers." Lin Yun opened the weapons page.

The daggers he currently used were a mix of Grade 7 and Grade 8. They were more than sufficient against ordinary commander-level beasts, but were somewhat inadequate against High-Level Lord Rank opponents. During his battle with the Heaven-Swallowing Python, his daggers had managed to pierce between its scales, but its hide had quickly stopped them. That definitely wouldn't have happened if he'd had Grade 9 daggers.

Now that he had money, he might as well go straight for the best.

Lin Yun opened the page for Grade 9 flying daggers.

"Grade 9 flying daggers, full price: 300 million Huaxia Currency; half price: 150 million. (Requirement: Two-Star Rank contribution points.)"

150 million apiece. Lin Yun glanced at his account balance—10.4 billion. After a moment's thought, he bought twelve at once.

"Please confirm: purchase 12 Grade 9 flying daggers for 1.8 billion Huaxia Currency?" A prompt appeared on the screen.

"Confirm." Lin Yun clicked once.

"Please complete fingerprint verification to confirm."

Lin Yun placed his finger on the fingerprint scanner.

"Beep—purchase successful! Payment successful! The 12 Grade 9 flying daggers will be delivered within 24 hours."

Twelve Grade 9 flying daggers, for 1.8 billion. Including the ones he'd used in the Wilderness Area, he now had twenty-one in total. For an ordinary Spiritual Master, controlling this many daggers at once would require an enormous amount of Spiritual Force and extremely precise control. But Lin Yun was more than capable of handling them now.

The daggers were taken care of. Next came the main event—secret techniques.

Lin Yun opened the martial arts manual page and began carefully sorting through the options. But his approach was completely different from that of an ordinary warrior.

Ordinary warriors bought secret techniques to practice in the Swallowed Star World and improve their combat strength. But Lin Yun had a more important purpose—to let his other self in the Coiling Dragon World practice them.

He had discovered this pattern long ago. The two worlds expressed power and laws in completely different ways.

In the Swallowed Star World, Genetic Origin Energy was the foundation of the power system. Warriors strengthened their bodies by absorbing cosmic energy, and every punch and kick could unleash terrifying force. Even an ordinary War General Rank warrior could easily strike with tens of thousands of kilograms of force. But comprehending laws in this world was extraordinarily difficult. A genius who could comprehend even a trace of a law at Stellar Level would be a star-domain-level figure in the entire universe.

In the Coiling Dragon World, the situation was exactly the opposite. Physical strength was greatly suppressed. Lin Yun, a Level 7 Warrior, could unleash only tens of thousands of kilograms of force at full strength—about the same as an Intermediate Warrior in the Swallowed Star World. But laws were much easier to comprehend here. Many geniuses could touch the threshold of the laws before reaching the Saint Realm, and some could even comprehend a trace of a law at Level 9.

That was the difference between the rules of the two worlds—one emphasized strength, the other, laws.

Lin Yun's advantage was that he could make use of the rules of both worlds. In the Swallowed Star World, he could raise his physical fitness without restraint and accumulate Genetic Origin Energy. In the Coiling Dragon World, he could quiet his mind and comprehend laws, combining the advantages of both worlds.

And the secret techniques were the bridge that connected them.

Although the methods of practicing secret techniques from the Swallowed Star World differed from those in the Coiling Dragon World, their core principles—the understanding and use of the essence of power—were connected. The Nine-Layered Thunder Blade centered on the power of lightning, while World Destroyer centered on the power of light. If he took these secret techniques to the Coiling Dragon World and practiced them there, he could use that world's more favorable environment for comprehending laws to advance his understanding of the Laws of Thunder and Laws of Light several times, or even dozens of times, faster.

That was the real reason he was buying secret techniques in bulk—not to gain more ways to attack in the Swallowed Star World, but to let his other self in the Coiling Dragon World practice them and comprehend laws.

Lin Yun began paging through the list of manuals, scanning the various secret techniques for those related to elemental laws.

The first to catch his eye was a secret technique called Great Earth Tremor, a Grade S Earth Element technique created by a Beyond War God-level expert. Its core involved sensing the pulse of the earth and synchronizing one's own power with its vibrations, unleashing strength far beyond one's limits. At an advanced level, it could even trigger small-scale earthquakes.

"Grade S Earth Element secret technique, half price: 800 million." Lin Yun glanced at the description and added it to his cart without hesitation.

In the Coiling Dragon World, the Laws of Earth had six Profound Mysteries: Earth Pulse, Strength, Mysteries of Earth Element, Gravity Space, Vitality, and Destruction. The principles behind this Great Earth Tremor technique were almost identical to the Earth Pulse Profound Mystery in the Laws of Earth. Practicing it in the Coiling Dragon World would greatly accelerate his comprehension of Earth Pulse.

Next was Blazing Fire Burning Heaven, a Grade SS Fire Element secret technique. Its core involved converting Genetic Origin Energy into high-temperature flames and coating one's fists, feet, or weapons with them to unleash terrifying burning damage. At an advanced level, it could even condense tangible flames out of thin air.

"Grade SS Fire Element secret technique, half price: 1.5 billion." Lin Yun added it to his cart.

The Laws of Fire had six Profound Mysteries: Mysteries of Fire Element, Mysteries of Fire Body, Mysteries of Explosion, Mysteries of Fire Walking, Soul Attack, and Mysteries of Scorch. Blazing Fire Burning Heaven seemed to share some principles with Mysteries of Fire Element and Mysteries of Explosion, and would be of great help to his comprehension of the Laws of Fire in the Coiling Dragon World.

Formless Flowing Water, a Grade S Water Element secret technique, half price: 600 million. Its core principle was "using softness to overcome hardness." It turned power into flowing water that coiled around, seeped into, and eroded an opponent, leaving them with no way to bring their strength to bear. This was connected to the Mysteries of Circular Softness in the Laws of Water.

Wind Spirit Movement, a Grade S Wind Element secret technique, half price: 700 million. Its core principle was to use the wind to increase speed and agility, making one's movements as elusive as the wind itself. It was closely related to the Mysteries of Wind Speed in the Laws of Wind.

Nine Thunder Strikes, a Grade SS Thunder Element secret technique, half price: 1.6 billion. This was a pure Thunder Element attack technique. It focused on gathering the power of lightning along the blade and unleashing a thunderous slash. At an advanced level, it could even draw on the lightning in the sky. Lin Yun added it to his cart without hesitation. He primarily cultivated the Laws of Thunder, so this technique was especially important to him.

Light and Shadow Step, a Grade S Light Element secret technique, half price: 500 million. Its core principle was to use the refraction and reflection of light to mislead an opponent, making it impossible for them to determine your true position. It was related to the Mysteries of Light Refraction in the Laws of Light.

Shadow Stealth, a Grade S secret technique, half price: 500 million. Its core principle was to use shadows to conceal one's aura and figure, allowing one to move freely in the dark. Lin Yun hesitated for a moment, but added it to his cart anyway. Although he wasn't primarily cultivating the Laws of Darkness in the Coiling Dragon World, having the technique was better than not having it.

Earth, fire, water, wind, thunder, light, and darkness—the seven laws. He bought a corresponding secret technique for each. Their grades ranged from S to SS, and their prices varied, but together they had already cost him more than six billion.

But that still wasn't enough.

Lin Yun continued browsing and picked out another secret technique that interested him.

Unity of Heaven and Man, a Grade SS secret technique, half price: 1.5 billion. Its author was Hong. Its core principle was to merge oneself with the heavens and earth and reach a state of "self and world as one," thereby unleashing strength far beyond one's limits. This state was very similar to the meditative state one entered while comprehending laws in the Coiling Dragon World. Practicing this technique could help him comprehend the domain more quickly. Seeing the author's name, Lin Yun didn't hesitate at all. He bought it immediately.

After all, Hong was an unparalleled genius who had comprehended a domain on his own, without any guidance whatsoever.

Finally, Lin Yun picked out two reference books about monster illustrations and spirits of vegetation. They weren't secret techniques, but they were essential reference books for warriors who spent a lot of time in the Wilderness Area. The two together cost only a few million, so Lin Yun bought them without a second thought.

The items in his cart kept piling up, and the total kept rising.

Lin Yun checked everything carefully to make sure he hadn't missed anything, then clicked to check out.

A long list appeared on the screen—

Great Earth Tremor (Grade S Earth Element secret technique): 800 million

Blazing Fire Burning Heaven (Grade SS Fire Element secret technique): 1.5 billion

Formless Flowing Water (Grade S Water Element secret technique): 600 million

Agility of Wind (Grade S Wind Element secret technique): 700 million

Nine Thunder Strikes (Grade SS Thunder Element secret technique): 1.6 billion

Light and Shadow Step (Grade A Light Element secret technique): 500 million

Shadow Stealth (Grade S Dark Element secret technique): 500 million

Unity of Heaven and Man (Grade SS secret technique): 1.5 billion

Earth Monster Encyclopedia + Encyclopedia of Plant Spirits: 6 million

Total: 7.506 billion

"Please confirm: purchase the items listed above for 7.506 billion Huaxia Currency?" A prompt appeared on the screen.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and clicked confirm.

"Please complete fingerprint verification to confirm."

He placed his finger on the fingerprint scanner.

"Beep—purchase successful! Payment successful! The items listed above will be delivered within 24 hours."

7.506 billion, gone in an instant.

Lin Yun watched his account balance drop from 10.4 billion to a little over 1.1 billion and felt a slight pang. But the sting was quickly replaced by anticipation. These secret techniques would become accelerators for his comprehension of laws in the Coiling Dragon World.

The daggers and secret techniques were taken care of, but he still needed to replenish some other things. His combat suit and Blood Shadow Battle Blade from the Wilderness Area were still usable, but they were starting to fall behind his strength. He didn't rush to buy new ones, though. His strength would certainly continue to improve over the next month. He hadn't taken the fruit of the Green Spirit yet, and he was still refining his magic power in the Coiling Dragon World. It wouldn't be too late to buy equipment once he had absorbed all of it. Besides, he might be going to the War God Training Camp later. Its equipment supply was better than what he could get elsewhere, so buying anything now would be a waste.

"Money really does disappear fast," Lin Yun murmured. But it was money well spent. Flying daggers were essential for survival, the secret techniques were a bridge between the two worlds, and everything else was necessary. Compared to all that, money was the least valuable thing.

The next morning, the deliveries began arriving one after another.

First, a delivery van from the Limit Dojo brought the twelve Grade 9 flying daggers. Lin Yun opened the box and inspected them one by one. The Grade 9 daggers were a little heavier than the Grade 8 ones, their blades were longer, and their edges had a more subdued sheen. He picked one up and spun it between his fingers a few times. It felt excellent, with evenly distributed weight and a perfectly balanced blade.

He slid the twelve daggers one by one into the throwing knife pouch at his waist, replacing his old ones. He had bought the new pouch from Limit Home while he was at it. Designed specifically for Grade 9 flying daggers, it could hold twelve and made them easy to draw.

Then came the secret techniques. More than a dozen manuals arrived in two sealed alloy cases, each accompanied by an optical disc and detailed practice diagrams. Lin Yun checked them all and signed the delivery receipt.

Once everything had arrived, Lin Yun closed the door, sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room, and began reading through the secret techniques.

He opened Nine Thunder Strikes first.

The author of the manual was a Beyond War God-level Thunder Element expert. In the preface, he wrote—

"Lightning is the most violent and swift force in the heavens and earth. It is bound by nothing and hindered by nothing. Practicing the Thunder Dao is not about how strong you are, but how steadfast your will is. Once you truly understand the nature of lightning, your blade will be as fast as a bolt of lightning, and your fist will be as fierce as thunder."

Lin Yun read carefully. The core of Nine Thunder Strikes lay in "building up" and "releasing"—accumulating power to the utmost, then unleashing it in an instant. The manual described in detail how to build up the power of lightning inside the body through special breathing methods and force application techniques, then release it all at the moment of a strike. This principle had a lot in common with the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, but focused more on the process of building up power rather than simply on speed.

"Practicing this in the Coiling Dragon World should greatly help my comprehension of the Laws of Thunder." Lin Yun thought to himself.

He closed Nine Thunder Strikes and opened the next manual.

The core of Great Earth Tremor was sensing the earth's frequency. Its author wrote in the preface: "The earth is not dead. It is alive. It has its own breathing and its own heartbeat. When you can sense its pulse and synchronize with its frequency, you can borrow its power."

The more Lin Yun read, the more excited he became. The core principles of these secret techniques were connected to the Profound Mysteries of the laws in the Coiling Dragon World in countless ways. Great Earth Tremor corresponded to the Earth Pulse Profound Mystery of the Laws of Earth; Blazing Fire Burning Heaven corresponded to the Mysteries of Scorch and burning in the Laws of Fire; Formless Flowing Water corresponded to the Mysteries of softness in the Laws of Water; Wind Spirit Movement corresponded to the Mysteries of Speed in the Laws of Wind; Light and Shadow Step corresponded to the Mysteries of Refraction in the Laws of Light; and Shadow Stealth corresponded to the Mysteries of concealment in the Laws of Darkness.

Each secret technique was a key that could help him open the door to its corresponding law.

Unity of Heaven and Man, meanwhile, was a secret technique that could improve his comprehension and help him sense the laws more quickly and enter a state of deep insight.

Lin Yun read through the secret techniques one by one, silently planning his training in the days ahead.

In the Coiling Dragon World, he needed to incorporate the core principles of these techniques into his daily training. He would practice Nine Thunder Strikes to comprehend the Laws of Thunder, Great Earth Tremor to comprehend the Laws of Earth, Blazing Fire Burning Heaven to comprehend the Laws of Fire... Seven laws, seven paths, all progressing at once.

In the Swallowed Star World, he would keep improving his physical fitness and Spiritual Force, accumulating Genetic Origin Energy and laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs.

Two worlds, two bodies, one path—becoming stronger.

Before he knew it, the day had passed.

By evening, Lin Yun finally closed the last manual and let out a long breath.

There was no way he could learn all these secret techniques in a single day. But he now had a general understanding of each one and knew which parts were most valuable to him and which he could set aside for the time being. Over the next month, his task was to practice these techniques in the Coiling Dragon World and incorporate their core principles into his comprehension of the laws.

Would a month be enough? No. But at least it would be enough to get started.

Lin Yun stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The sunset painted the horizon a golden red. The villas in Bright Moon Residential District lay peacefully in the dusk. In the distance, the spire of Limit Hall gleamed in the fading light.

A new day was about to end, and a new journey was about to begin.

And the fruit of the Green Spirit was still waiting for him in his Space Ring.

Once he had fully absorbed the effects of the leaves, it would be time to eat the fruit.

He turned and walked back to the training room. Sitting cross-legged, he shifted his consciousness to the Coiling Dragon World.

In a small grove behind Ernst Academy, his other body opened its eyes, picked up the Refined Iron Short Blade beside him, and began practicing the first form of Nine Thunder Strikes.

Moonlight fell across his shoulders. Thunder Element magic elements danced joyfully around him, as if welcoming the arrival of a kindred spirit.