Father's Illness

Yet at this moment, Li Wen's thoughts were still firmly controlled by the [Absolute Focus] skill.

He could not cheer, could not relax, and could not even feel the slightest emotional fluctuation over successfully reaching Initiation.

Within his mind, there were only two cold commands:

[Initiation confirmed].

[Consolidate results].

Thus, having withdrawn from his extreme burst state, Li Wen moved once more within the cramped training room.

His movements no longer pursued the limits of explosive power. Instead, they became incomparably standard, incomparably focused.

One slash after another.

Tirelessly, he repeated the newly initiated Rainbow Light Blade Art, from the first form to the sixty-fourth, again and again.

Every movement strove for perfection, every exertion of force precisely calibrated.

Through mechanical, bone-deep repetition, he engraved his understanding of "Initiation" deep into every inch of muscle fiber and neural reflex arc.

This consolidation was both trust in the effects of [Once Proven, Forever Proven] and the utmost exploitation of the skill's time limit!

He wanted to solidify the precious gains he had obtained in this brief span of time to the greatest extent possible.

"Ring-ring-ring-ring—!!!"

The harsh, piercing alarm sounded like an icy awl, viciously stabbing through the mental state shrouded by [Absolute Focus].

Bzz—!

An indescribable sensation of being torn away swept over him, as though his brain had been forcibly dragged from an absolutely silent sea of ice back into the noisy, troubled human world.

The cold, efficient, frighteningly pure "filter" over his consciousness shattered and vanished in an instant.

"Ugh..." Li Wen gave a muffled groan, his body swaying slightly as though his spine had been yanked out in an instant.

Overwhelming exhaustion crashed down upon him like a collapsing mountain range.

Along with it came the familiar mental backlash.

It felt as if needles were savagely piercing his brain. Stars burst before his eyes, while a ceaseless ringing filled his ears.

Yet even as that mountain-toppling, sea-overturning exhaustion and pain descended, everything that had happened during those thirty minutes of Absolute Focus surged into his consciousness like a roaring flood.

"Shadow," "Startled Swan," "Blazing Sun," "Piercing Sun"!

Failure after failure, deduction after deduction, until his final success. That sharp, vigorous sense of power belonging to a Peak Technique.

And every slash, every detail from that final stretch of mechanical repetition and consolidation.

All those fragments of memory flashed through his mind—clear, coherent, revealing every last detail—then came together.

The immense sense of achievement from successfully grasping a Peak Technique formed a world of ice and fire with the agony of his body and the lethargy of his mind.

"Panel."

The thought flickered almost instinctively, and a virtual screen visible only to Li Wen instantly unfolded before his eyes.

His gaze became almost tangible as it immediately nailed itself to the [Skills] section:

[Skills: Advanced Blade Technique (Perfection), Peak Blade Art (Initiation 1/100)]

His gaze froze for a full second.

"1/100..." Li Wen's lips moved soundlessly.

Then, an irrepressible smile silently spread across his tired, pale yet still handsome face like thawing icewater in early spring. It grew wider and wider until he finally broke into a grin.

"Heh... hahaha..." Exhaustion could not conceal the light in his eyes. His hoarse laughter brimmed with satisfaction and the unexpected delight of having struck gold.

"I never thought... using those last few minutes of [Absolute Focus] to consolidate my Initiation would actually... raise my experience by a point as well."

This was simply an unexpected windfall.

One point of Initiation experience was not merely a number. It meant that the gates of Peak Blade Art had been completely thrown open to him.

It meant that this path was truly beneath his feet now, and that further improvement was no longer beyond distant reach.

Looking at the shining [Initiation 1/100] on the panel, Li Wen's heart filled with an unprecedented certainty.

At this moment, Li Wen finally understood deeply why this world held "comprehension" in such extreme esteem.

With the fusion of two lifetimes' souls, his innate comprehension had already far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Yet even so, when facing the subtle mysteries of a Peak Technique, he had still been firmly blocked by those few forms, unable to cross that invisible threshold for a long time.

Until Lv.3 [Absolute Focus] had forcibly raised that peerless comprehension by a terrifying 30%!

Quantitative change had finally caused qualitative change. Those mysterious points that had once seemed separated from him by only a sheet of window paper were finally pierced through by force.

"An ordinary person... the gift of two souls... plus a 30% boost in comprehension... and that only barely reaches the threshold for a B-level Contract?"

Information about the signing standards of the Four Great Factions flashed through Li Wen's mind.

From what he had learned recently, not one of the so-called geniuses at Qingshi No.1 High School who had only signed D-Level Contracts had taken fewer than five days to reach Initiation in a Peak Technique.

Only that legendary academic god who had been signed early by Xinhuo Hall with a B-level Contract had entered a Peak Technique at a speed comparable to Li Wen's current pace—just over two days.

Based solely on the speed of reaching Initiation in a Peak Technique, Li Wen now possessed the solid qualifications to sign a B-level Contract with a top-tier faction.

That realization made his heart tremble slightly, but it was immediately buried beneath an even stronger sense of urgency.

"If so... then the final exam the day after tomorrow..." He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the force, while flames of determination burned in his eyes.

"Top ten in the class? The first-tier bonus of that Progress Award... is mine."

With difficulty, he bent down and fished an energy drink out of his backpack. Unscrewing the cap, he tilted his head back and drank deeply.

The icy liquid, carrying a faintly stimulating sweetness, slid down his throat and slightly eased the dehydration-like exhaustion in his body.

With exhaustion all over his body but a refreshed sense of satisfaction in his heart, Li Wen packed up his things and pushed open the training room's heavy soundproof door. The noise and fresh air from outside instantly rushed in.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to wait for the day after tomorrow.

After having a High-Energy Dinner in the cafeteria, Li Wen slung his still somewhat heavy backpack over his shoulders, headed straight for the bus stop, and began his journey home.

Right now, he only wanted to get home sooner and spend the evening making a final push with Fracture Edge Gold Sha Method, advancing his Flesh Rank as much as possible.

"Cough—cough—cough..."

Just as he inserted his key into the lock, before he could even turn it, a suppressed, heavy coughing fit—like someone was about to cough their lungs out—drifted faintly through the crack in the door.

Li Wen's hand suddenly froze on the doorknob.

Without making a sound, he turned the key and pushed open the front door.

The living room was dimly lit. His father, Li Hong, sat hunched over on an old wooden stool, one hand covering his mouth as his body rose and fell slightly with violent coughing.

"Dad," Li Wen said, his voice carrying a tension he did not even notice himself, "what's wrong with you?"

"Ah Wen, you're back?" Li Hong jumped in fright and abruptly turned around. A trace of panic and forced unnaturalness flashed across his face.