The Technique Has Come to Life!

Hu Lianfeng saw Ye Wudao glance at him and asked, "What is it? Is there a problem?"

Ye Wudao shook his head. "No, I just find some parts a little obscure and difficult to understand."

Hu Lianfeng smiled. "The technique I'm teaching you is a top-tier one. Once you cultivate it to perfection, you'll be able to step through the gates of the Grandmaster Realm."

"A technique of this caliber is naturally difficult to understand for someone like you, who has never been exposed to the Martial Path."

"But don't worry. Just memorize the technique and cultivate it little by little. You'll naturally come to understand its mysteries."

Ye Wudao nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Hu Lianfeng looked at Ye Wudao and nodded in satisfaction before continuing to teach him the technique.

In the end, he recited it eight times. His mouth was dry by the time he finally asked, somewhat impatiently, "How much of it do you remember?"

Ye Wudao looked at Hu Lianfeng, who was starting to lose patience, and nodded. "I remember most of it. There are a few parts I haven't memorized well, so I'll ask you about them later."

Hu Lianfeng nodded slightly, stood up from Bed No. 7, and said, "Then cultivate properly. Your master's a little tired, so I'm going to rest for a while."

"If there's anything you don't understand, just come ask me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man sitting on Bed No. 2 suddenly said, "Old Ghost Hu, you're really willing to go all out!"

"You actually recited the entire technique. Aren't you afraid I'll secretly learn it?"

Hu Lianfeng glanced at him and sneered. "Since I've taken him as my disciple, I'll naturally teach him properly and hold nothing back."

"If you want to learn, just call me Master. I can teach you too!"

The middle-aged man snorted. "Hmph! You? You think you can be my master? You'll only lead your students astray!"

Hu Lianfeng was just about to speak when the old man lying on Bed No. 1 suddenly shifted. He immediately shut his mouth.

The middle-aged man also noticed the old man on Bed No. 1 move, and stopped paying Hu Lianfeng any mind.

Cell No. 1 fell into an unusually quiet atmosphere once more.

Ye Wudao sat on his bed, paying no attention to the verbal sparring between Hu Lianfeng and the middle-aged man.

By now, he had more or less figured out what was going on.

Hu Lianfeng had said he would have Ye Wudao cultivate to the Houtian Realm's minor mastery and then go out and kill people, but that was probably a lie.

His real goal was likely to absorb Ye Wudao's power.

If the system hadn't fed him the insights into the Northern Dark Divine Art, he really wouldn't have been able to understand this obscure and difficult technique.

But since Hu Lianfeng also cultivated the Northern Dark Divine Art, that meant Ye Wudao could absorb Hu Lianfeng's power too.

Of course, that was only if Hu Lianfeng really intended to do the same to him.

After all, Hu Lianfeng had taught him the technique and was, in a sense, his master.

If Hu Lianfeng had no intention of using him as a cauldron, then absorbing his power in return would be a little like betraying his master and ancestors.

As for whether he could counter Hu Lianfeng if the man really tried to absorb his power, that would depend on how capable the system was.

At that moment, he was studying the system panel in his mind.

[Host: Ye Wudao]

[Realm: Mortal (0/1000)]

[Technique: Northern Dark Divine Art (Uninitiated) (0/1000)]

The system panel was simple. It had only three sections.

But after studying it for a few minutes, he still couldn't figure out what the system was supposed to do.

The system panel was a blue, translucent screen. It looked pretty advanced, but there were no buttons at all, and he couldn't find anywhere to interact with it.

"Is this thing messing with me?"

"This system's completely useless?"

"Then what's the point of cultivating this Northern Dark Divine Art?"

Ye Wudao muttered to himself.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a notification suddenly appeared on the system panel.

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, felt insulted and rose to the challenge. It began cultivating. Technique proficiency +10, realm experience +1!]

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, sensed that you are older and only average in talent. Knowing it can only rely on itself, it resolved to strive for the top and began cultivating. Technique proficiency +20, realm experience +2!]

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, didn't want to be held back by you. It threw itself into reform and began cultivating. Technique proficiency +30, realm experience +3!]

Three system notifications appeared in a row. Ye Wudao was stunned.

So this was the Martial Dao Self-Improvement System!

The Martial Path technique he cultivated had actually developed a mind of its own and started cultivating by itself.

Martial Dao Self-Reliance had nothing to do with him, its host. It all depended on whether the technique he cultivated had any self-respect!

In other words, as long as he kept provoking the technique within his body, it would keep growing stronger and then feed its power back to him?

"That's it?"

Thinking this, he muttered another quiet remark at the system panel.

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, felt humiliated by your mockery and rose to the challenge. It began cultivating. Technique proficiency +10, realm experience +1!]

Seeing the system notification, he excitedly clenched his fist.

His guess had been right. The techniques within his body needed him to provoke them.

Still, he felt he hadn't fully unlocked the system's potential.

Having to provoke the technique every time to make it cultivate went completely against the idea of self-improvement.

Wasn't self-improvement all about constantly striving to better oneself?

By rights, the technique should be able to cultivate on its own, without him having to provoke it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind. He muttered to himself, Can't you cultivate on your own? You have to improve yourself!

As soon as the words left him, another system notification appeared.

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, was stimulated by your words and awakened a will to strive ceaselessly for self-improvement. It began cultivating automatically. Technique proficiency +10/minute, realm experience +1/minute.]

Seeing the system notification, Ye Wudao trembled with excitement.

Automatic cultivation had really been activated!

Ten points of technique proficiency and one point of realm experience per minute—this was basically cultivating on autopilot!

Suddenly, another flash of inspiration crossed his mind. He thought, You're still not strong enough. You have to become stronger!

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, sensed your encouragement and wanted to become stronger, but was powerless to do so. It entered a state of cultivation deviation and paused cultivation! (Countdown: 23:59:59)]

Seeing this system notification, Ye Wudao was stunned.

A few seconds passed before he came back to his senses.

It looked like he couldn't provoke the technique without limit. He had to know when to stop.

"It's fine! Take it slow!"

"You don't have to rush. We can get stronger together!"

He muttered quietly to himself.

[Your technique, Northern Dark Divine Art, sensed your encouragement and gained some insight. Its state of cultivation deviation was lifted, and it began cultivating automatically. Technique proficiency +20/minute, realm experience +2/minute.]

"So that's how it works. It's not enough to just provoke it; sometimes I have to encourage it too!"

After seeing the new system notification, Ye Wudao finally understood how to use the system.

To use this system well, he had to learn how to manipulate people.

As long as he found the right balance, he could increase the technique's cultivation speed.

Once he understood, he sat on his bed and pretended to cultivate.

At twenty points of technique proficiency per minute, it would take less than an hour for the technique to reach the entry level.

His realm might advance more slowly, but ten hours would be more than enough to reach the entry level of the Body Tempering Realm.

On Bed No. 3, Hu Lianfeng watched Ye Wudao cultivating, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.