Array-Breaking Style

Chen Ye lay on his side in bed. Three points of golden light shone through the flesh at his dantian—the Guanyuan, Sea of Qi, and Shimen acupoints. They were brighter than they had been that morning, sparkling like stars and shimmering with a gentle glow.

A surging tide of vitality burst from his dantian, like molten iron rushing forth, washing through every inch of his bones, muscles, and flesh.

A sharp pain hit him. He couldn't help opening his mouth and spitting out a stream of foul air.

"Pfft!"

After leaving his body, the foul air unexpectedly condensed into a white stream in midair and shot toward the window paper.

The paper trembled, and fine dust drifted down with a soft rustle.

The sudden change left Chen Ye stunned as well.

The whole process lasted about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Only after the pain, like being flayed and having his marrow torn out, ebbed away like a tide could Chen Ye lift his head and gasp for breath.

He steadied his breathing and looked down at his dantian.

The three points of starlight had vanished, sinking deep beneath his skin and no longer shining.

But the new torrent within him had not subsided. It still coursed in waves through the channels all over his body, as though a living thing were charging and roaming inside him.

It was even stronger than that morning.

After a moment, Chen Ye slowly drew his gaze back.

At that moment, everything around him suddenly became clear to his senses.

He could hear night insects crawling over the roof tiles beyond the courtyard wall, and smell the medicinal residue in the kitchen slop bucket.

The back of his hand, rough just that morning, was now covered in bulging veins like the roots of an old tree. It was as if his body had been reborn.

With the slightest flex of his strength, a layer of golden-gray callus rose over the surface of his skin.

Chen Ye flicked a finger at the corner of the table. With a dull thud, a chunk of the hardwood corner broke off and flew away, scattering splinters across the bed.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Current Martial Art: Foundation Cultivation Technique (Perfected)]

[Realm: Mortal Shedding (First Transformation)]

[You can pawn your lifespan to obtain the corresponding cultivation progress]

[After pawning, redeeming your lifespan requires paying double the price. Only talent, luck, and wealth can be used]

[Remaining lifespan: One year, two months, and nine days.]

At that moment, Chen Ye heard a drumlike rumble in his ears: the sound of blood being pumped by his beating heart.

Strong. Powerful.

"Is this the Mortal Shedding Realm?"

Mortal Shedding—just as the name suggested, it meant shedding one's mortal body and gaining a new one.

Only after crossing this threshold could someone truly be called a martial artist.

He remembered that Zhang Tieyi had undergone Mortal Shedding twice. Zhang Tieyi had blood on his hands, and his experience in actual combat must have left Chen Ye far behind.

Right now, Chen Ye's only advantage was that Zhang Tieyi didn't know he had already completed his first transformation.

If he used that to his advantage, he might be able to fight his way to a sliver of hope.

One slight disappointment was that advancing in realm had not extended his lifespan.

If he wanted to increase his lifespan in the future, he would have to find another way.

Just then, a new line of information suddenly appeared in his vision.

[Foundation Cultivation Technique has reached perfection]

[Unlocked hidden move: Foundation Cultivation Technique: Array Breaking Style]

[This is a hidden move of the Foundation Cultivation Technique. It can be mastered by spending seven days of lifespan]

"Hidden move?"

Seeing this, Chen Ye froze for a moment. Then his face broke into an irrepressible grin.

He had known it.

The Foundation Cultivation Technique taught to him by the Gao Family had indeed been incomplete.

The technique was not only about tempering qi and blood; it also contained moves for channeling strength.

The Gao Family had never intended to teach him those moves.

After all, he was just a "useful asset." He didn't need to know too much.

He had just completed his first transformation. The only change so far was in his strength; when it came to fighting, he was utterly clueless.

Even with the advantage of striking first, he still felt uncertain about facing a seasoned opponent like Zhang Tieyi.

This hidden move unlocked by the Pawn System was just the coal he needed in a snowy winter.

He didn't hesitate for long.

Seven days was nothing compared to what he had already spent.

"Pawn seven days of lifespan."

[Seven days of lifespan deducted. Providing hidden move: Foundation Cultivation Technique: Array Breaking Style.]

In an instant, the world fell silent.

It seemed as though only a moment had passed, and yet it felt as if ages had gone by.

A flood of unfamiliar memories poured into his mind, and his expression grew dazed.

Only after a few short breaths did he regain his clarity.

Chen Ye reached out in surprise. His hand felt familiar and practiced, as though he had trained for years.

At some point, a series of moves and mental techniques had become thoroughly ingrained in his mind.

Even the breathing, coordination, and circulation of strength required when executing each move were clear to him.

[Remaining lifespan: One year, two months, and two days.]

Chen Ye swung his legs off the bed. An eager impulse rose in him, like a child with a new toy, itching to try it out at once.

But the room was only two zhang across—not nearly big enough to practice in.

After a brief pause, Chen Ye picked up the piece of wood that had broken off the table corner, pinched each splinter between his fingers, and crushed it, feeling how his body exerted its strength.

Fine wood powder sifted between his fingers.

Before long, Chen Ye contentedly blew out the oil lamp.

The next day.

Chen Ye woke earlier than usual.

As he usually did, he fetched water to wash up, then stood practicing his stance in the courtyard.

An unused stone millstone sat by the courtyard wall, neglected.

Chen Ye walked over, wrapped both arms around it, and calmly lifted the millstone, which weighed over two hundred jin.

He held it steady for a moment, then quietly set it back where it had been.

"After one transformation, my strength has increased a great deal. I can lift at least two hundred jin. In ancient times, that'd be enough to carry a great standard."

If a martial artist who had undergone only one transformation was already this strong, Chen Ye could hardly imagine how awe-inspiring an Xiantian martial artist like Bridge Sea must be.

Chen Ye returned to the middle of the courtyard. He slowly tensed the muscles in his arms, then directed his strength into his legs.

The key to the Array Breaking Style was gathering the strength of the whole body into a single point and pursuing the most explosive force possible.

If an ordinary person could manage that, they too could deliver a punch far beyond the norm.

Chen Ye closed his eyes and pictured Zhang Tieyi's build in his mind.

Two meters tall, arms two feet long, right-handed.

Chen Ye's feet ground against the blue-brick floor as he twisted halfway around. His body spun abruptly like a top.

His right fist shot out, cutting through the air.

Smack!

The punch cracked through the air with a faint whistle.

This punch was aimed at the opening left when his opponent lost his balance.

The second punch followed, aimed at his opponent's knee as he instinctively lifted it back.

Then the third punch, the fourth...

The Array Breaking Style had only a few moves, so he practiced them over and over.

After trying them several times in succession, Chen Ye had a clear grasp of his own strength.

The sky grew bright.

Gao Qiaoniang had gotten up as well. Seeing Chen Ye still practicing his stance, she carried a wooden tray out to him.

"Today's medicine."

Chen Ye glanced at it, not wanting to make things difficult for her.

He took the pill into his mouth but didn't swallow it.

Once Gao Qiaoniang turned around, he spat it out without drawing attention to himself. A nudge from his toe sent it into an inconspicuous corner.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then resumed his stance.

Now he had only one year, two months, and one day left.

Every day was precious.

Zhang Tieyi didn't come today, which meant no one was there to supervise him. He certainly wasn't going to waste his lifespan on something like this.