Hidden Edge in Writing

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 16/2000 (Third Layer)]

A fierce surge of power erupted from the boiling blood energy atop his head, like subterranean fire bursting through rock strata.

Su Yuan twisted his body, his forehead suddenly snapping toward a melon-sized piece of bluestone.

The bluestone first emitted a crisp crack, spiderweb-like fissures blooming across its surface.

Immediately following, with a dull thud, the entire stone shattered completely, sending fragments flying in every direction.

"Golden Vajra Horse-Head Strength—indestructible and impenetrable," Su Yuan muttered, walking over to a water vat.

At this moment, his eyes were wide open, a faint golden luster swirling deep within his pupils.

Only when he slowly reined in his power did the golden glow in his eyes gradually fade.

Su Yuan touched his slightly warm forehead.

For now, this Vajra Strength could only be gathered and unleashed from his skull.

The blood energy in the rest of his body was not yet sufficient to catalyze the same power.

The next step was to use this "Horse-Head" as a guide to temper his entire body with high intensity, stimulating his blood energy to activate and gradually dispersing the power into his skin and flesh.

This was the cultivation stage of Savage Strength; once achieved, the power could be released at will to injure enemies, doubling his lethality.

With the medicinal effects still lingering, Su Yuan continued his training while flipping through the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist.

"The Heavenly Horse gallops through the void, its momentum like a landslide.

The Flying Star falls to earth, its force like a collapse.

To cultivate this fist, one must first establish the Flying Star Stance, then gather the Mountain-Collapsing Force.

Power rises from the spine, the fist descends from the heavens.

Ask not for a path of retreat, seek only the singular moment!"

"What a fist technique!" This style pursued the instantaneous explosion of a falling star, concentrating all force into a single point. It was peerlessly tyrannical and perfectly aligned with the [Split in Two] trait and Su Yuan's consistent pursuit of a one-hit kill.

He set his stance into the Flying Star Stance.

With his feet one in front of the other, the ball of his front foot gripped the ground tightly while his rear heel was slightly raised, his body leaning forward like a fully drawn bow.

His lead fist was held high above his head, palm facing the sky as if holding horse reins, while his rear fist was tucked at his waist, palm facing upward.

His eyes stared straight ahead over the lead fist, resembling a charging stallion with its front hooves raised, ready to trample the earth in the next heartbeat.

The Flying Star Stance was also a dynamic stance.

Su Yuan pressed his entire weight onto his front foot. After standing still for a quarter of an hour, he stepped forward violently, his lead fist crashing down with a thunderous roar.

He did not exhale; his iron fist, carrying the weight of his entire body, plunged down exactly like a falling meteor.

He immediately retracted his fist back into the stance, switched feet, stepped again, and struck again.

He continued this cycle, alternating left and right without pause.

[Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist: 1/500 (First Layer)]

[Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist: 13/500 (First Layer)]

"This fist technique resonates deeply with the Golden Horse-Head Technique. Practicing it is actually faster than the Flying Horse Leg; I can finish the first layer in ten days."

Su Yuan thought to himself that these techniques from the Horse Division clearly shared the same origin.

The Rong Family's true art, the Soaring Horse Wind-Chasing Leg, was a leg technique; if he could collect them all one day, they would surely be of great use.

"Clouds have no constant shape, palms have no fixed form; the momentum is like drifting clouds, the power like flowing water, expanding and gathering, continuous and unending."

[Cloud-Striding Palm: 1/500 (First Layer)]

"My studies are becoming scattered, yet time is limited. I must make some choices." For the first time, Su Yuan was troubled by having too many techniques.

Naturally, mastering them all would be best, but how to allocate his energy required careful weighing.

He decided to focus his efforts on the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist first; after all, he could not expose the Golden Horse-Head Technique.

Afterward, he would find time to grind the Origin-Returning Finger to complete perfection to obtain its trait.

[Origin-Returning Finger: 458/2000 (Perfect)]

After finishing his martial arts practice, Su Yuan took out the blood-stained letter from Duan Hongyan.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to maintain contact with the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall.

With his current strength alone, it would be difficult to save Gao Mian, let alone shake the Shan Family.

Although the Chai Family was at odds with the Shan Family, they were both lackeys of the Great Liang and would never completely turn against the Shan Family for the sake of a Jing person like him.

The most direct path remained stepping into the Vein Splitting realm himself and breaking the deadlock with raw power.

As far as he knew, Vein Splitting martial artists were already the peak combat power in Ji City.

Unfolding the blood-stained letter, Su Yuan sighed softly: "Hongyan, fate truly plays cruel tricks on us."

Hongyan could not return to the south, and he could not head north for the time being.

He carefully deciphered the handwriting; he needed to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

The Literacy entry must not be neglected either.

Duan Hongyan's handwriting was exceptional; even when written in blood while on the verge of death, the strokes remained vigorous and bone-deep, concealing a sharp edge that clearly spoke of years of painstaking practice.

"Father, Mother:

Seeing these words is like seeing me... Before your son headed north, you always laughed at my cowardice, saying the family had raised a fledgling bird afraid to leave the nest, one that would faint at the mere sight of blood. Now, your son's hands are stained with blood and his heart is burning with fire. Lying here in the cold soil of a foreign land, I feel... perhaps I can be considered a hero after all. Do you think so, Father, Mother?

"It is a pity that I shall never return to repay your kindness. It is your son's lack of filial piety. I once swore to see the bandits driven from this land with my own eyes and to welcome my junior sister home in a grand red bridal sedan. In the end, I achieved none of it. Hongyan... I never became the kind of great hero from the storybooks who could turn the tide... but I truly tried my best...

--Your son is at peace now. Do not grieve. The final words of your unfilial son, Hongyan."

Su Yuan read it word by word. This was not merely a family letter; the end contained detailed intelligence regarding the Void Cloud Horse Ranch.

Even while dying, he had exhausted his strength to serve his country.

The emotion between the lines—fierce as a flame, yet calm and without regret—moved even Su Yuan, despite his firm resolve.

"Hongyan, you are a hero. I respect you, and I thank you." Su Yuan whispered to himself, tucking the blood-stained letter away with solemn care.

[Literacy: 2000/2000 (Perfected)]

[Obtained Entry: Hidden Edge in Writing]

[Hidden Edge in Writing: Blood-bound sentiment, blade-concealing brushwork]

[Mastery in identifying various handwritings and texts. You can perceive the intense emotions and chilling aura contained within words, integrating this sharp essence into your martial arts. Your strikes and movements become piercing and fierce.]

Su Yuan extended his arms and threw a punch, feeling that every move now naturally carried a pressing sharpness, its power far exceeding what it had been before.

"A real man should show his edge; how can one remain suppressed and downtrodden for long!"

With his strength surging today, coupled with the plight of Gao Mian and the impact of Duan Hongyan's dying wish, Su Yuan's heart was filled with a stirring heroism, wishing he could immediately trample the Shan Estate and overturn Ji City.

Yet, the memory of his own weakness when facing the City Lord and Chai Hong pulled him back to reality.

A real man must also know how to hide his edge and endure hardship to achieve his goals.

"Wait until I reach the Vein Splitting realm! Give me one year—no, half a year!"

Su Yuan picked up the brocade box containing the blood letter and prepared to leave, but suddenly paused.

The Xiasheng Martial Hall he had previously contacted had already been reduced to ruins in the chaos.

Where was he to find them now?

After a moment of thought, he turned and headed toward the Inner City.

Deep within the Shan Estate, in the training room.

Gao Mian was held under house arrest here, the doors and windows sealed tight, guarded by layers of men, with only a single maidservant for company.

Shan Xiongqing's cold voice drifted in from outside: "Wife, do you truly think the Shan Family dares not touch you? You were the one who lacked virtue first. I turned a blind eye before, but you disgraced the Shan Family's reputation at the Wolf God Festival. It is only right that you reflect on your mistakes here. Even the Gao Family would have nothing to say."

Gao Mian sneered: "You are always good at pinning crimes on others. I could ask how many wild weeds and idle flowers you have courted outside. I merely acknowledged a younger brother; he was drunk, and I simply took care of him. What wrong is there in that? If you have the guts, kill me! What kind of skill is it to lock me away!"

Shan Xiongqing could not be bothered to argue with her; he had never been able to out-talk this woman. He merely said in a sinister tone: "Wife, I know you are obsessed with martial arts. The equipment in this room has all been replaced. Cultivate well here; who knows, you might actually break through to the Vein Splitting realm, and then I naturally won't be able to hold you."

Gao Mian knew the truth clearly in her heart.

The fact that her martial path had stalled was known to all, and her daily practice was merely to maintain her current realm. Shan Xiongqing's move was rubbing salt into her deepest wound.

Fortunately, there is Yuan'er. My bottleneck has loosened, and my constitution has improved to a medium grade. Breaking through to the Vein Splitting realm is not entirely hopeless! Gao Mian had never given up, just as she had never given up on martial arts.

If she persisted, a turning point would eventually come.

Before, she had relied on Yuan'er; from now on, she would have to rely on herself.

Just then, Shan Xiongqing's voice drifted in again, carrying a cruel playfulness: "Wife, I have already spread the news of your imprisonment. I wonder if that good brother of yours has the guts to come and save you. If he dares to come, hehe..."

Gao Mian's eyes turned icy, though she forced herself to remain calm: "He will not come."

"Indeed, that brat is the ultimate fence-sitter; it would be normal for him not to come. But since you two are so close, I will certainly invite him to keep you company. Whether he arrives warm or cold, however, is another matter." Shan Xiongqing's tone was filled with mockery.

"Shan Xiongqing! You dare!" Gao Mian stood up abruptly and slammed a fist against the heavy door, but the wood did not even tremble.

"Why wouldn't I dare? Wife, just wait patiently! Hahaha..." Shan Xiongqing laughed with arrogant triumph, though his laughter hid a trace of bitterness and surging rage.

With the recent string of events, Gao Mian had been a bit too carried away; it was her own lack of foresight.

She leaned her back against the cold door panel, feeling a pang of regret: Yuan'er, it is your sister who has harmed you. Please, do not come...