"I have a long saber in my collection, as well as a damaged long spear. Both were once used by Alien Martial Artists with Life Development Power exceeding a thousand."
"Your talent for fist techniques is quite good. I personally recommend that you choose the spear."
"Though it's damaged, its power is in no way inferior."
The email had come from Zhang Qifeng.
Qin Annian had no idea that Zhang Qifeng already thought so highly of him, a homegrown talent from Taiyu City.
In fact, Zhang Qifeng had even decided to back him.
Otherwise, why would the powerful director of the Security Bureau, with Life Development Power exceeding a thousand, offer him personal advice?
Qin Annian thought about it briefly and understood why Zhang Qifeng had said that.
"Fist and spear techniques go hand in hand."
"In my previous life, people used to say you should learn fist techniques first, then spear techniques."
"It was even said that Xingyi Fist had originated from spear techniques."
"And Baji Fist also had a corresponding spear technique."
With the mind of a Fist Technique Grandmaster, choosing the spear would indeed give him the greatest boost in combat strength.
Qin Annian made his decision without hesitation.
"Thank you, Director."
"I'll take the spear."
Command Center.
Zhang Qifeng was sitting in a chair, looking at his Personal Terminal. A smile spread across his face.
"This kid really is my kind of person."
When given an opportunity like this, many people would think about saving the favor for the most crucial moment.
But martial artists respected strength above all.
Hesitation, fussing over every little thing, and constantly looking ahead and behind would only wear away a person's fighting spirit.
Even if a senior expert owed him a favor, he should have the nerve to ask to spend it and turn it into combat strength. To Zhang Qifeng, that was the right way to do things.
"I like this kid."
"If he survives this war..."
"I'll help him get a spot in the Hundred Cities Tournament."
The other high-ranking officials who had stayed in the Command Center were astonished to see Zhang Qifeng smiling.
"The director hasn't smiled once since he arrived at the Command Center. Did something good happen?"
But when Zhang Qifeng's smile faded and his gaze returned to the large screen, everyone immediately looked away and schooled their expressions.
No one wanted to get on Zhang Qifeng's bad side right now.
Qian Yuansen's email was much simpler: an encrypted video and an introduction to a Mental Secret Manual.
"The Water-Fire Tempering Technique."
"It's a secret Mental Secret Manual exclusive to the Sky Roc Dojo."
"Draw on raging flames to temper your true nature, and use pure water to nourish your spirit."
"When water and fire meet, they become a medicinal cauldron that tempers your mental power."
Qin Annian put on his wireless earbuds and opened the video attached to the email.
A martial artist with graying hair sat cross-legged.
As a voice came through the earbuds, the martial artist in the video abruptly opened his eyes.
Boom!
In an instant, Qin Annian felt as if boundless flames were surging on his left, while monstrous waves crashed toward him from the right.
"Hah!"
Following the voice's guidance, Qin Annian immediately stood in the Iron Man Stance.
His Inner Demon had only just begun to rise when—
Rumble!
The merciless water and fire refined it in an instant.
At the same time, the chanting voice rang out deep within Qin Annian's spirit.
His consciousness seemed to split in two.
One part rose into the air, watching as the other stepped into the Spirit Sea.
Then, guided by that consciousness, the Force of Creation in the Spirit Sea flowed into his body.
"Hm?"
Qin Annian watched the changes within his mind with focused attention.
The power drawn from the Spirit Sea split into two parts as well. One hung above, drawing in Li Fire; the other settled below, summoning Kan Water.
Li Fire shone downward, while Kan Water rose.
As water and fire converged, they formed a great medicinal cauldron with three legs and two handles.
The force created by their collision was contained within the cauldron, tempering the mental power that had been drawn from the Spirit Sea into his body to promote his evolution and undergo a transformation.
At last, the demonstration ended, and the guiding force faded away.
Boom!
The power within the cauldron slipped out of control.
Qin Annian abruptly opened his eyes, bringing his Standing Posture practice to an end.
"Incredible!"
That was the only thought in his mind.
"Only a true genius can reach this level!"
"I never imagined there was a way to cultivate like this!"
The video in the email finished playing and deleted itself automatically.
Qin Annian took a deep breath and eagerly looked at his Status Panel.
Even though he had only undergone a brief guided practice, his awareness of the world around him had grown much sharper.
It was as if he could see everything around him even with his eyes closed.
"It's like the clairvoyance or outward-projecting divine sense from the novels in my previous life."
This was what it looked like when one's mental power improved.
Although the Status Panel showed only one person available to help, Qin Annian didn't hesitate. He immediately selected the option to place an order with assistance.
[Host: Qin Annian.]
[Number of helpers: 1.]
[Available cultivation technique for assistance: Water-Fire Tempering Technique.]
[Water-Fire Tempering Technique · Helpers (1/1). Place order?]
"Yes!"
Beiming City, the Universe Tower's top floor.
Zhuang Shengtian, the Sky Roc Dojo's current senior disciple and the City Guardian, suddenly fixed his gaze ahead.
With Life Development Power already exceeding two thousand, his eyes swept the area like blazing torches.
The void seemed to twist as his immense mental power traced out a web.
After a long while, facing this boundless will, vast as the azure firmament, Zhuang Shengtian took a deep breath.
"Since Senior doesn't wish to show yourself, I won't press you."
"If Senior wishes to test me, then I'll accept."
Zhuang Shengtian closed his eyes.
Buzz!
Light sprang up within the Practice Room, and streams of light danced around him.
At last, they formed a boundless sea.
Then, the waves began to swell as a colossal creature surfaced from the depths!
The next moment—
Rumble!
The force of his mental power made the entire Practice Room shake violently.
The Kun Fish leaped from the sea and transformed into a roc.
It soared on the wind, battling its way through the sky!
Boom!
Zhuang Shengtian opened his eyes again. For a moment, he felt as though he had become that Kunpeng.
"Senior, are you satisfied with my Mental Secret Manual, the Kunpeng Heaven-War Technique?"
But that will had appeared just as suddenly as it vanished.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone without a trace, as if it had all been a dream.
Seeing this, Zhuang Shengtian's brows drew together.
"Which senior just passed through our Shenxiu Star?"
He took out his Personal Terminal and sent a message into the distant reaches of space.
Then, Zhuang Shengtian rose and walked over to the window.
Standing there, he felt as if he could reach out and touch the sky.
"The Hundred Cities Tournament on Shenxiu Star is about to begin."
"But..."
"Would a tournament really draw the attention of an existence like that?"
He racked his brain, but the only thing he could think of was the upcoming event on Shenxiu Star: the Hundred Cities Tournament.
"If that's the case..."
"Perhaps this Hundred Cities Tournament could..."
After thinking for a while, Zhuang Shengtian sent a message to his personal senior disciple.
"Go to the Hundred Cities Tournament yourself this time."
Qin Annian kept his eyes closed as he browsed the new memories in his mind.
In those memories, he practiced the Iron Man Stance and cultivated the Water-Fire Tempering Technique.
But the period wasn't long.
Compared to the full year he'd experienced before, it lasted only a hundred days.
"Could it be...?"
Surprise and puzzlement appeared in Qin Annian's eyes as he murmured,
"Is this still the Water-Fire Tempering Technique?"
"How could it have changed like this?"
Before you continue