Fusion of Strength, Mid-stage

Su Yuan urged his Cloud-Striding Strength with his right palm, and a gentle, long-lasting power surged forth. It was like drifting clouds unfurling and rolling, ever-changing and ceaseless.

The many secret techniques and skills of the Cloud-Striding Palm were all based on this Cloud-Striding Strength.

For instance, the Black Cloud Secret Art that Yun Xu had used for self-preservation earlier was also a deep-level application of Cloud-Striding Strength.

They divided the mastery of Cloud-Striding Strength into three realms—White Cloud, Dark Cloud, and Black Cloud—corresponding to the three realms of External Force.

This was not merely an increase in the total volume of strength; it required a profound understanding of energy and sufficient insight to execute the Black Cloud Secret Art, transforming the originally gentle White Cloud into the explosive Black Cloud.

It was truly worthy of being a Great Jing martial art, with such meticulous classification.

In contrast, the two Great Liang techniques he had mastered only required one to throw away their brain and train with reckless abandon.

The drawbacks of Great Liang martial arts were also obvious: under such high-intensity training, one was extremely prone to injury and damage to their foundation if a single mistake was made.

However, with the blessing of his Fate, Su Yuan perfectly avoided this disadvantage.

As he continuously stimulated his Cloud-Striding Strength, his palm suddenly went out of control, and a sharp pain shot through it.

The Cloud-Striding Strength and his original Flying Star Strength—the two forces had violently clashed!

Su Yuan hurriedly shifted the Flying Star Strength away, no longer obstructing the generation of the Cloud-Striding Strength.

Sure enough, the pain subsided significantly.

It seemed that as long as these two forces did not directly collide, there would be no major issues.

He then immediately induced his Vajra Strength to make contact with the Cloud-Striding Strength, and the conflict occurred once again.

"What should I do? Must I give up the Cloud-Striding Strength? But all paths of martial arts lead to the same destination; there must be a method of fusion."

Having finally cultivated the Cloud-Striding Palm to the second level, how could he give up so easily?

He racked his brains, simultaneously mobilizing the three forces within his body, trying to reference the way he had superimposed his Vajra Strength and Flying Star Strength.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that those two forces were not perfectly blended either; they were merely able to coexist without clashing.

As he endured the discomfort and continued to experiment, the conflict between the three forces seemed to weaken by a fraction.

"That's it! Smoothing Edges!"

Strength was, in reality, the condensation and elevation of blood-qi, or what was called internal energy; its essence was a form of one's own vital energy, which could be regulated by Shadow Concealment.

By the same logic, these three forces could perhaps be polished into harmony using Smoothing Edges.

But if he were to grind away the sharp edges of these three forces and then attempt to fuse them, what would they become?

However, as he continued to polish them, the forces would surely become more harmonious.

As for the specific process of polishing, Su Yuan could adjust it himself to create the version best suited to him.

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 602/2000 (Third Level)]

[Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist: 13/2000 (Third Level)]

[Cloud-Striding Palm: 21/2000 (Third Level)]

[Cloud-Covering Art: 169/1000 (Great Success)]

Su Yuan had a plan.

He prepared to use the versatility of the Cloud-Striding Strength as the lead to attempt to fuse the other two forces, and then use the Cloud-Covering Art to conceal them.

The legacy of the Cloud-Striding Palm he had obtained was the most complete, allowing him to cultivate all the way to the peak of Internal Force.

According to Yun Xu, once Ji City was reclaimed in the future, they might be able to defect to the Cloud Mist Sect, as the Cloud-Striding Palm could integrate with the Cloud Mist Sect's techniques.

Su Yuan now had a retreat on both sides: the Cloud Mist Sect on the Great Jing side, and Gao Mian on the Great Liang side.

However, it was difficult to decide where to go at this moment.

After all, the world was unpredictable, and it was hard to foresee what would happen in the future.

He would simply cherish the present.

He continued his training.

With the Cloud-Striding Strength, coupled with his constant attempts at reconciliation, his control over his internal energy was also improving, and the progress of his Cloud-Covering Art was rising rapidly.

"Flying Star Strength focuses on the external, explosive lethality; Cloud-Striding Strength resides in the center, reconciling and concealing; Vajra Strength dwells within, supplementing the reserve power."

Over the next few days, Su Yuan remained immersed in the fusion of his forces and the tempering of his martial arts.

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 667/2000 (Third Level)]

[Cloud-Striding Palm: 97/2000 (Third Level)]

[Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist: 13/2000 (Third Level)]

[Cloud-Covering Art: 5/2000 (Perfected)]

"Mid-stage Savage Strength."

Su Yuan felt the Vajra Strength within his body become thick and substantial, nearly twice as strong as it had been at the early stage.

The fusion had already shown results, and he was impatient to put it to the test.

Su Yuan looked at Yun Xu, who stood before him in moon-white training gear, her complexion now fully restored: "Senior Sister, please."

Both figures moved in unison, sparring with the techniques of the Cloud-Striding Palm.

Their palms and wrists rose and fell like drifting clouds, at times gently entwining, at others striking out with sudden force.

Su Yuan's palm movements appeared soft, yet they concealed an imperceptible, explosive power.

Yun Xu defended with flawless precision, her palm techniques rotating with effortless fluidity.

After a dozen exchanges, the two tacitly withdrew their hands.

Yun Xu smiled brightly: "Junior Brother, your palm technique looks soft, but it actually hides the Flying Star Strength, making it explosively difficult to guard against. But have you made further progress in your martial arts recently? I feel your Flying Star Strength is even more profound than before."

Su Yuan felt a secret joy upon hearing this.

Since she hadn't noticed that his internal forces had begun to fuse, it seemed his research was a success.

However, there was a new problem: he possessed the least amount of Flying Star Strength.

If he were to fight at full power, he might not be able to fully contain the other two types of force within it, but if he swapped it with the Vajra Strength, he wouldn't have this worry and could continue to improve.

"Just a minor breakthrough, far from reaching your level, Senior Sister. You are only a step away from Internal Force; how could I compare?" Su Yuan said modestly.

"The barrier of Internal Force is not so easily crossed. Even with full preparation, and despite my superior aptitude, I only have a fifty percent chance of success. If I am to break through, I still need your help, Junior Brother." Yun Xu sighed softly and extended her hands.

Su Yuan understood, stepping forward to grasp her hands and begin the familiar massage; her skin was delicate, warm, and smooth as jade.

There was no helping it—the rewards she offered were simply too generous.

This arrangement had been proposed by Yun Yan. As Su Yuan's long-term client, he was exceptionally satisfied with his techniques and had even introduced him to his own daughter.

Su Yuan's massage could provide the necessary assistance for her to break through to the Internal Force realm.

Yun Yan had originally prepared a long speech to persuade his daughter to accept, but before he could even speak, Yun Xu had readily agreed.

At this moment, Yun Xu felt the tingling, warm current flowing from his palms. Although she had experienced this many times, her fair cheeks still flushed a faint red. She bit her lip, struggling to suppress a soft moan that threatened to escape.

Not far away, Ji Haoyang and Zhou Xing watched from a distance.

Ji Haoyang still clung to hope, whispering: "Senior Sister Zhou, Senior Sister Yun said she is only doing this to stabilize Senior Brother Su. For the sake of the nation and righteousness, she is... sacrificing herself."

Zhou Xing could not bear to shatter his illusions, so she only nodded lightly.

In her heart, however, she saw things clearly: the relationship between the Senior Sister and Su Yuan was by no means that simple.

Thinking of this, she felt a bit stifled. She had also heard that Su Yuan's massage helped with cultivation and offered many benefits; she had once sought him out, only to be politely refused.

When she turned to ask the Senior Sister for help, she was rejected as well.

The Senior Sister was clearly keeping the good things for herself!

Yun Xu seemed to sense her junior sister's resentful gaze and sighed inwardly.

It was not that she was unwilling to help her fellow disciples, but Su Yuan had long made it clear that his energy was limited, and he could take on at most two clients at a time.

She did not want to put Su Yuan in an awkward position, so she simply played the villain herself.

"Junior Sister, this man Su Yuan has too much ambition; you wouldn't be able to handle him."

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a strange, aching, and swollen sensation suddenly surged from her palm, causing her to cry out: "Ah!"

It turned out that Su Yuan had closed his five fingers and struck the Laogong point in the center of her palm.

Su Yuan returned to the Chai residence.

"Young Master, I wish to consult the third level of the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist." Su Yuan stated directly.

"The third level? You haven't even mastered Savage Strength yet—" Chai Nian started to frown in refusal, but Su Yuan interrupted him.

"Young Master, I have already achieved Savage Strength. With the help of the Blood Bone Pill, my aptitude has reached the intermediate level, and after taking three Break Strength Pills in succession, I managed to break through by sheer luck." Su Yuan did not want to drag this out any longer.

Nearly three months had passed since the Wolf God Ritual. He already had a foundation in martial arts, so with the boost from the medicinal pills, this speed was considered reasonable.

"What? You succeeded?" Chai Nian stood up abruptly, flashed to Su Yuan's side, and reached out to examine him.

"To think you actually succeeded; your luck this time is quite good." After a brief moment of shock, he tapped his palm with his folding fan.

"But it is good that you succeeded! Tie Niu has already stabilized his Savage Strength, and I have recently entered the late stage of Savage Strength myself." A smile bloomed on Chai Nian's face.

The Chai Family had seen a string of happy events recently.

The Blood Bone Pill had also made great progress, and the resources and prestige Su Yuan had won for the family by taking the top spot had mostly been digested.

"Congratulations to the Young Master for breaking through to the late stage of Savage Strength. With your talent, reaching the Vein Splitting realm is just around the corner. You are truly the number one among the younger generation of the Chai Family and even all of Ji City! When the martial arts tournament arrives, you will surely dominate the entire field!" Su Yuan immediately flattered him.

"Good, good! You go ahead and read it. Once you are done, we will head to the Treasure Horse Chamber of Commerce; the details for the martial arts tournament have almost been finalized." Chai Nian was pleased by the praise and took out a secret manual.

Su Yuan quickly stepped forward, focusing his mind to memorize the third level of the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist.