At seven in the morning, after returning to Cell No. 1 and taking a shower, Ye Wudao sat on his bed.
He opened the system panel and looked at the now-complete Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art.
A [+] symbol had appeared behind the two arts.
He tried tapping the [+] symbol.
The next second, a system notification popped up.
[Two arts that can be fused have been detected. Fuse them?]
Ye Wudao pursed his lips and tapped [Confirm].
The next second, a mysterious sensation welled up in his heart.
The essential principles of the Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art appeared in his mind.
A massive torrent of information began crashing into his mind, as though an ocean of knowledge were about to explode inside his head.
He could feel his head beginning to swell with pain.
His brows knitted tightly as he endured it without making a sound.
[Your Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art have finished fusing. Please name the new art!]
Fortunately, the swelling pain lasted only three seconds before vanishing at once.
What followed was the system's notification.
He pondered in his mind for a while, then muttered inwardly, Let's call it the Northern Dark Infinite Art!
[Naming successful. The system has recorded the new art: Northern Dark Infinite Art.] [The host has created a new art for the first time. Reward: 10,000 art proficiency for Northern Dark Infinite Art!] [Your Northern Dark Infinite Art has reached the entry level. Delighted and striving for self-strengthening, art proficiency +320/minute, realm experience +32/minute!]
The next second, three consecutive system notifications appeared in his mind.
Looking at the final notification, Ye Wudao pursed his lips.
Three hundred and twenty art proficiency and thirty-two realm experience per minute—this did not seem like much of an improvement.
The Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art had originally given him a combined total of 320 art proficiency and 32 realm experience per minute.
The Northern Dark Infinite Art seemed only to have inherited the cultivation efficiency of the Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art.
Then he looked at the Northern Dark Infinite Art's initial proficiency. It required 10,000 art proficiency points to advance from uninitiated to entry level.
Now that the art had reached the entry level, it would require 100,000 art proficiency points to advance to minor accomplishment.
Judging by the required art proficiency, the Northern Dark Infinite Art was indeed a level above the Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art.
He just did not know what realm this Northern Dark Infinite Art could ultimately cultivate to.
Nor did he know its maximum cultivation efficiency.
With that thought, he began studying the essential principles of the Northern Dark Infinite Art in his mind.
After studying it for a while, he pursed his lips. The Northern Dark Infinite Art did not clearly state what realm it could cultivate to.
However, in the latter half of the art, one term repeatedly appeared—"True Qi Liquefaction"!
If he understood correctly, this so-called True Qi Liquefaction was a realm above Grandmaster, and it seemed unrelated to the Martial Dao Golden Core Hu Lianfeng had mentioned.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his breathing suddenly quickened.
If his guess was correct, then he would have a chance to advance beyond Grandmaster?
With that thought, he immediately began cultivating the Northern Dark Infinite Art.
He wanted to see just how high the Northern Dark Infinite Art's cultivation efficiency could go.
After one circulation cycle, a system notification appeared in his mind.
[The host diligently cultivates Northern Dark Infinite Art. Northern Dark Infinite Art is encouraged. Art proficiency +640/minute, realm experience +64/minute.]
Seeing this notification, joy rose in Ye Wudao's heart, and he continued cultivating.
After ten circulation cycles, the system notification appeared again.
[The host cultivates Northern Dark Infinite Art. Northern Dark Infinite Art has been inspired and accelerates its cultivation!] [The art is incomplete. Cultivation efficiency cannot be further increased. Please complete the art.]
When he saw these two system notifications, Ye Wudao's mood instantly soured.
The art was still incomplete. Six hundred and forty art proficiency per minute was already its limit.
But on second thought, he seemed to be able to cultivate another art.
Great Master Qin Tianlong still had an art. If he cultivated that art to completion, then fused it with the Northern Dark Infinite Art, could the new art continue rising in level?
The Northern Dark Infinite Art required eleven million art proficiency points to reach completion. It would probably take around ten days to cultivate it to completion.
Great Master Qin Tianlong's art could also cultivate to the Grandmaster Realm, much like the Infinite Art.
The Infinite Art had taken five days to cultivate from uninitiated to completion.
Then the art Great Master Qin Tianlong possessed would probably also need only five days to reach completion.
In other words, as long as he waited ten days, he could cultivate and fuse another new art.
The Northern Dark Infinite Art gave 640 points per minute, while the art Qin Tianlong would teach him gave 160 points per minute. Together, that was 800 points.
Even if the cultivation efficiency only doubled, it would still reach 1,600 art proficiency per minute.
He did not know whether his calculations were correct.
The most urgent matter was to quickly learn the new art from Qin Tianlong first.
Thinking this, he hurriedly opened his eyes, looked at Qin Tianlong, and said softly, "Great Master, you can teach me the new art now!"
Qin Tianlong had been resting with his eyes closed on his bed. Hearing those words, he froze for a moment, then immediately sat up.
Looking at Ye Wudao, he asked excitedly, "Your arts fused successfully?"
At those words, Hu Lianfeng and Zhang Hankuang also sat up from their beds and looked at Ye Wudao.
Ye Wudao nodded. "The fusion succeeded. The new art is called the Northern Dark Infinite Art!"
A sharp light flashed through Qin Tianlong's eyes as he hurriedly asked, "What level is the art? Can it cultivate beyond Grandmaster?"
Ye Wudao pursed his lips and shook his head. "I don't know yet. I only know that there is a new cultivation direction called 'True Qi Liquefaction.'"
"As for exactly how one 'liquefies' it, I will have to wait until I advance to Peak Grandmaster to find out."
Zhang Hankuang hurriedly asked, "Then can we cultivate this new art of yours?"
At those words, all three men stared intently at Ye Wudao.
Ye Wudao shook his head again. "No! This art is actually formed by fusing together the true qi of the Northern Dark Divine Art and Infinite Art."
"To cultivate this art, one must first cultivate two kinds of true qi with different attributes."
"In other words, one must cultivate the Primordial Art!"
At those words, Zhang Hankuang was greatly disappointed.
Qin Tianlong did not take this to heart. In truth, he had already expected it.
An art fused through the Primordial Art would most likely only be cultivable by someone who had cultivated the Primordial Art.
His father had studied the Primordial Art for so many years, so he understood it better than anyone else.
Zhang Hankuang looked at Qin Tianlong and said softly, "It's all right. As long as you can cultivate it!"
"I look forward to the day your true qi liquefies!"
"If I, Qin Tianlong, can personally raise someone beyond Grandmaster, then even in hell, I will have the face to meet my ancestors!"
After saying that, he looked at Ye Wudao and said softly, "Then I'll teach you the new art!"
"My art is called the Sea-Gathering Art. It is similar to the Infinite Art and can also cultivate to Grandmaster Great Accomplishment."
"The sea embraces a hundred rivers; tolerance makes greatness. The dantian is a ravine, the meridians its channels..."
As Qin Tianlong imparted the Sea-Gathering Art to Ye Wudao, Ye Wudao began, with practiced ease, encouraging the Sea-Gathering Art to cultivate.
Combined with his own self-strengthening cultivation, after circulating it one hundred times, the Sea-Gathering Art's cultivation efficiency successfully reached 160 per minute.
If he continued encouraging it, the earlier notification would appear, telling him to complete the art.
Just as he had expected, for an art that could only cultivate to the Grandmaster Realm, its peak cultivation efficiency was 160 per minute.
However, his two arts could now bring him 80 realm experience points per minute.
At this rate, advancing from Houtian minor accomplishment to Houtian Great Accomplishment would take less than two days.
Advancing to Houtian Peak would take around five days.
Five days later would happen to be the day to harvest the Spirit Rhino Grass.
In other words, he would be able to advance to Houtian Peak just before harvesting the Spirit Rhino Grass.
With Houtian Peak cultivation, entering the desert to harvest Spirit Rhino Grass would be far more secure.
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