As Lu Yuan continued flipping through the incomplete Vajra Technique, he suddenly discovered that the Ancient Scroll in his mind was glowing with brilliant golden light.
The golden light grew brighter and brighter, finally intertwining and condensing into a Golden Little Man that appeared vividly atop the scroll.
Immediately afterward, the Golden Little Man seemed to begin practicing the Vajra Technique on its own.
More precisely, it was practicing the Five Animals Fist while cultivating the Vajra Technique.
Yet its movements seemed rather clumsy, even a little comical.
He could even see red lines beginning to spread and twist through the Golden Little Man's body.
Bang!
Suddenly, the Golden Little Man burst apart completely, turning into a mass of golden light.
But soon, it intertwined and condensed once more, continuing to practice the Five Animals Fist and the Vajra Technique.
This time, the red lines inside its body changed again.
But before long, it burst apart once more, transforming into a mass of golden light.
Sure enough, the Golden Little Man soon condensed atop the scroll again.
Just like a stubborn child, the Golden Little Man kept bursting apart, yet condensed itself again and again, continuing to cultivate the Five Animals Fist and the Vajra Technique together.
Lu Yuan also saw that the progress behind the Five Animals Fist had finally changed.
[Five Animals Fist: Perfection (Unbroken Limit: 2%)]
Moreover, as the Little Golden Man on the golden scroll kept trying again and again, its progress continued to rise.
[Five Animals Fist: Perfection (Unbroken Limit: 5%)]
[Five Animals Fist: Perfection (Unbroken Limit: 10%)]
"It seems the reason I couldn't trigger the conditions for breaking the limit before was that I hadn't encountered a better internal cultivation method."
Lu Yuan's eyes glinted with surprise as he pondered silently.
If that was really the case, then perhaps the Wind-Breaking Blade Technique and Gale Steps could also break their limits with the help of corresponding Mystic Grade techniques.
However, Mystic Grade blade techniques and movement techniques would probably be impossible to find in the short term.
Perhaps he would have to wait until he went to the Martial Academy in the commandery city to encounter Mystic Grade techniques, or even techniques above Mystic Grade.
Fortunately, he already possessed the Mystic Grade Blazing Sun Sword Technique, which would be more than enough for the time being.
As for internal cultivation, a pleasant surprise was probably just around the corner.
The next day, after Lu Yuan woke up, he discovered that the Little Golden Man on the scroll was still making strenuous attempts.
[Five Animals Fist: Perfection (Unbroken Limit: 37%)]
The progress toward breaking the limit of the Five Animals Fist was already nearly halfway.
If nothing unexpected happened, he should succeed by tomorrow at the latest.
Lu Yuan wasn't in a hurry. As usual, after arriving at Guangchun Hall, he first went to the dining hall and ate a serving of fatty meat. Then he continued practicing the Five Animals Fist, nurturing and tempering his qi and blood.
After completing one set of the Five Animals Fist, he could clearly feel that the qi and blood in his body had increased noticeably again, though the increase seemed smaller than it had been over the previous two days.
That meant that even if he continued practicing the Five Animals Fist, the qi and blood he nurtured would likely keep dwindling.
The reason was probably that a person's body had its limits after all; it couldn't contain an unlimited amount of qi and blood.
It was like a sealed bottle that could only hold a set amount of water. Once it reached its limit, it couldn't hold any more. If more were forced in, the bottle might burst.
To hold more water, he would have to get a bigger bottle.
Naturally, Lu Yuan couldn't change his body, so he had to break through his body's limits.
As for how to break through those limits, the answer was to reach a higher level—in other words, to advance beyond the Transformation Realm and enter the ranks of the elite.
"As soon as the Five Animals Fist breaks its limit, I can start preparing to enter the ranks of the elite!"
Lu Yuan thought to himself, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
Although he could start cultivating the Vajra Technique right away, he still wanted to wait for the Five Animals Fist to break its limit.
"Have you heard? Wang Qing, the young master of the Iron Palm Gang, was apparently killed!"
"No way. Who'd be so bold? The Iron Palm Gang is about to become the third-largest gang in Qinghe County!"
"They say the Iron Palm Gang's leader has announced that anyone who provides a lead on the killer will receive a reward of three hundred taels. If someone captures the killer and delivers him to the Iron Palm Gang, the reward will be a thousand taels!"
At that moment, Wang Chao, Chen Zheng, and the others had finished practicing and gathered together to chat.
"Wang Qing is dead?"
Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened. Had Wang Qing been killed after leaving the black market last night?
No wonder the other party hadn't tried to ambush him after he left the auction.
It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to. He'd simply had no chance.
That was a lesson from the past: in this world, the cautious and low-key lived longer.
So what if Wang Qing was the young master of the Iron Palm Gang? He'd exposed his identity in the black market, and someone had taken him out as soon as he left.
But then again, if they were looking for the killer, he—the Goat-Headed Man who had competed with Wang Qing for the incomplete Vajra Technique—would probably be the prime suspect.
Fortunately, he hadn't revealed his identity that day. Otherwise, he would have been framed again.
"I did it! I'm a genuine Hidden Energy expert now!"
At that moment, Zhang Feng came over, his face beaming with joy.
"Brother Zhang Feng, congratulations!"
"Hey, not bad! Congratulations!"
Everyone immediately stood up, smiling as they offered their congratulations.
"Brother Lu Yuan, I've finally caught up with you. I still can't eat three servings of fatty meat a day like you, but I'll work hard and try to break into the Transformation Realm as soon as possible!"
After basking in everyone's praise, Zhang Feng came over to Lu Yuan and grinned smugly.
"Then I hope you get your wish soon!"
Lu Yuan smiled and replied.
After he'd carried Zhou Wu back from Black Cloud Stronghold, he had received not only a five-hundred-tael reward and a stalk of Century-Old Blood Ginseng, but also an increase in support from the Zhou Family. They now provided him with the same resources as Cao Yang: three servings of fatty meat each day, as well as a dose each of Qi-Replenishing Soup and Essence-Replenishing Soup.
Therefore, he had never revealed his Transformation Realm cultivation. In everyone's eyes, he was still just at the Hidden Energy Realm—at most, someone who had, with the help of hidden weapons and movement techniques, been lucky enough to defeat a Transformation Realm expert despite being only at the Hidden Energy Realm.
"Brother Lu Yuan, we can take the Martial Examination together!"
Zhang Feng nodded with a smile, his eyes full of hope.
Although he had only just entered the Hidden Energy Realm, there was still more than a month before the Martial Examination. Even if he failed to break into the Transformation Realm before the exam, his strength would certainly improve by a great deal. He still had a chance of passing the Martial Examination.
"But you're only at the mere Hidden Energy Realm. Without reaching the Transformation Realm, you have no chance of passing this year's Martial Examination!"
At that moment, Cao Yang suddenly shot him a disdainful look, then turned to Lu Yuan and said in a low voice, "Lu Yuan, you can still accept what I offered last time."
"I already gave you my answer."
Lu Yuan's expression didn't change as he replied coolly.
"You'll regret it!"
Cao Yang snorted, then walked straight out.
"Brother Lu Yuan, he's not only reached the Transformation Realm, but he's also a first-rate genius with exceptional bone structure. They say the Zhou Family is sparing no expense to pile resources on him, hoping to help him break into the ranks of the elite before the Martial Examination. Unless you have to, you should avoid his edge!"
Zhang Feng spoke in a low voice, his eyes glinting with surprise.
"I should avoid his edge?"
Lu Yuan merely smiled faintly, saying nothing more.
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