Deduction

Thinking of this, he furrowed his brows.

If this were the case, some of his previous deductions would also make sense.

However, if that were true...

Then...

He turned his head to look out the window.

He rose and walked over.

It was currently nighttime.

There were no dark clouds in the night sky, and the moonlight was bright.

It spilled over him like liquid silver.

The moonlight contained no Source Value; he had already tested this.

What he was thinking about was something else entirely.

If his hypothesis was correct, wouldn't that mean the source capable of providing a sustainable Source Value—that sun—was also some kind of Strange Specter?!

If so, did that not mean it was a living entity itself?

The moment this thought arose, a sense of indescribable, immense terror shrouded him, making Hu Long feel somewhat suffocated.

A living sun—if that were truly the case, was it already dead, or was it merely slumbering?

If it were the former, that would be fine.

But if it were the latter, and the entity were to wake up and move even slightly, then perhaps even the Earth Star beneath his feet would be reduced to ashes.

Thinking of this, Hu Long couldn't help but feel cold sweat sliding down his forehead.

This speculation was too terrifying.

He shook his head, forcing himself to suppress the thought.

Thinking about these things now was of no real use.

Self-sabotage was a major taboo.

What he needed to do now was rest, then practice his secret martial arts to resolve the problems plaguing his body.

With this in mind, he entered the bathroom. Because of his previous experience, he dared not take a bath.

He simply took a quick shower, then lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

The night passed without incident.

Hu Long didn't sleep much.

It wasn't because he was overthinking.

Rather, he had several nightmares throughout the night, all of which involved him being unable to breathe as that ghostly thing wrapped its hair around his neck.

Perhaps it was the lingering memory of the original owner before his death, or perhaps it was the result of this thing causing more severe erosion to him as time passed.

It had caused him to have frequent dreams these past few days, though none as frequent as tonight.

Fortunately, his physical condition was excellent now, so going without sleep for a night was nothing.

In the morning, after a simple breakfast, Hu Long drove away from home.

Tongbei Club.

Rather than a club, it was more like a martial arts gym.

Walking into the main hall, there was little ornamentation; only a few calligraphy and painting scrolls hung on the walls, adding a sense of solemnity.

The air held a scent of wood mixed with faint ink.

"Hello, are you Mr. Hu Long?"

Just as Hu Long stepped inside, a young woman dressed in simple, clean clothing approached him, her voice gentle and polite.

"It is I."

Hu Long gave a slight nod.

"Please, follow me."

The woman offered a faint smile and led him inside.

After passing through a short corridor, the two arrived before the door of a reception hall.

"Please go in and wait; Chief Instructor Hu should be here momentarily. If you need anything, just call for me at any time."

The woman bowed slightly, and after seeing Hu Long nod, she turned and left.

Hu Long stepped inside.

He had assumed he arrived early, but he hadn't expected others to be there before him. The other four were already present.

"Brother Long is here! Come, sit!"

Seeing Hu Long arrive, the Hu Clan member in the black tank top with tattooed arms immediately stood up, gesturing for Hu Long to take a seat first.

Hu Long remembered this man was called Hu Wei. In terms of age, he was actually a year older than Hu Long, yet he didn't hesitate at all to call him "brother."

Hu Long didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.

Upon seeing Hu Long, Hu Zetong, who was sitting to the side, let out a cold snort. However, after catching Hu Long's gaze, he couldn't help but shrink his neck.

Since they were children, no one had ever been his match in terms of raw strength. This meant that even though he was unconvinced, he had developed an instinctive fear of Hu Long.

Hu Long merely smiled slightly at the other's display, not paying it much mind. After all, fifteen or sixteen was the prime age for teenage angst to run rampant. Besides, as an elder, he naturally couldn't stoop to the boy's level. Of course, there were times when a proper lesson was still necessary.

After Hu Long arrived, the group didn't say much, maintaining a strange, quiet atmosphere.

However, this situation didn't last long before footsteps echoed from outside.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting!"

The man who entered was muscular and broad-shouldered. His muscles weren't sharply defined, falling into the "fat-covered muscle" category, yet he looked incredibly sturdy. In truth, this build was undoubtedly more lethal.

After entering, he swept his gaze around the room, his eyes lingering specifically on Hu Long and Hu Zetong. Clearly, he had already been briefed on certain matters beforehand.

"I am Hu Qitian, and I will be the teacher guiding you into the path of Secret Martial Arts. Until you master internal force and reach the Body Casting Realm, I will be the one instructing you," Hu Qitian said with a smile, appearing to have no airs.

"Hello, I am Hu Long. Please look after me!"

Hu Long immediately extended his hand.

Hu Qitian was slightly taken aback. Seeing the hand offered before him, he couldn't very well refuse, so he reached out and shook it.

"You must be Hu Long. I've heard of you; your performance during the Ancestral Rite was quite impressive. You're a genius."

"Not at all, I still have much to learn from you," Hu Long replied with a smile, showing no arrogance despite being labeled a genius.

As he spoke, his heart stirred.

The other party was named Hu Qitian, yet he remembered that he didn't seem to have seen this person among the group of main family members.

It appeared that the main family consisted of more than just the thirty or so people seen at the Ancestral Rite.

The other four people saw this and hurriedly stood up to shake hands.

They were terrified of making this teacher in front of them feel disrespected.

Regarding this.

Hu Long retreated to the side without leaving a trace.

Lines of silver text faded away on his retina.

[Target: Hu Qitian]

[Skill 1: Mountain Standing Stake (Level 9)]

[Size: 20M (Status: Cannot download)]

(Description: A prerequisite practice method for the Spirit Ape Secret Martial Art. Once mastered, it can reduce the difficulty of practicing the Spirit Ape Secret Martial Art.)

[Skill 2: Tang Hand (Master)]

[Size: 2M (Status: Cannot download)]

(Description: A method for close-quarters hand-to-hand combat...)

The other party had quite a few skills, but aside from that Mountain Standing Stake, they were basically ordinary skills.

For instance, that Tang Hand, as a master-level skill.

For him now, it had been reduced to needing only two megabytes.

Compared to before, it had been cut by more than half.

However.

Given his current situation, these ordinary skills were effectively useless to him.

They were of no great utility.

If he hadn't guessed wrong.

That Mountain Standing Stake was the method that a Secret Martial Artist needed to practice.

Unfortunately, he currently only had a little over one wisp of Source Value, which was nowhere near enough to download it.

Soon, after a brief introduction.

Hu Qitian led Hu Long and the others out of the reception hall and headed outside.

They had just walked past two corridors when shouts could be heard from afar.

Hu Long looked toward the source of the sound.

He saw a dozen people standing in a room not far away, sparring with each other.

"Are we going to be with these people?"

Hu Zetong asked curiously from the side.

"No!"

Hu Qitian shook his head.

"These people are just outsiders raised by the family.

Their purpose is merely to be at the beck and call of the main family. If they truly possess astonishing talent, they may choose to marry into the main family."

He spoke as if it were only natural.

But this was normal.

As a clan built on the core of extraordinary powers like Secret Martial Arts, they had to ensure the stable production of Secret Martial Artists if they wanted the clan to be passed down for generations.

However, practicing Secret Martial Arts required sufficient aptitude.

No clan could guarantee this.

Whether it be a family, a company, or a dynasty, all found it difficult to escape a similar cycle.

The older generation creates glory, but the next generation may not necessarily be able to inherit and maintain it.

Examples of family businesses failing and dynasties collapsing were everywhere.

As a clan connected by blood, while they were slightly more resilient than a purely organizational structure, they still struggled to jump out of this seemingly fated circle.

No one could guarantee that every generation would possess the aptitude for practice, or be able to cultivate enough strength to support the family and prevent its decline.

To maintain the prosperity of the clan, one must constantly inject fresh and high-quality blood.

Therefore, many clans would actively absorb those fighting geniuses with outstanding talent.

Compared to ordinary people, they had better aptitude and greater potential.

By having clan members pair with such people, the probability of their offspring obtaining excellent aptitude was naturally higher.

Even if they were not used as marriage partners, they could be trained as peripheral Secret Martial Artists or capable subordinates.

This practice was quite common among various clans; the only difference lay in the scale and scope.