Learning

Lin Bai stayed hidden in his room, with no intention of going out for morning practice.

It was not because he was ready to lie flat and await death, but because in his current condition, going out would be courting death.

Last night, a former sworn brother had attacked him.

Though he had successfully killed him in return, sending ahead the brother with whom he had sworn, "We may not be born on the same year, month, and day, but we shall die on the same year, month, and day,"

he might still follow in his footsteps before long.

A stain of red seeped through the bandages around his waist.

The injury was not particularly serious. He only needed to rest and recuperate for a while to recover.

After forming a symbiosis with the Life-Eroding Flower, their recovery abilities had improved to some extent.

But no matter how fast it was, recovery still took time, while the companions around him could wait no longer.

The moment anyone showed even the slightest sign of weakness, the others would immediately pounce and exploit it.

By rights, he should have gone to the open ground to practice Martial Arts as usual, but unfortunately, his condition could not support it. Exposing a flaw might only make him die sooner.

"Looks like there's a lost flower here that needs some help."

The instant the voice sounded, Lin Bai drew his weapon, only for it all to be seized by a large hand.

Then the flesh at the back of his neck was lifted, and the pain jolted him awake.

"Yes, I need help!" Lin Bai immediately said, and only then was the nape of fate spared.

"Then drink. This is your destiny!" A bowl of bluish-green liquid was placed before Lin Bai.

The medicine Lu Bai had carefully concocted was, in truth, just some unknown weeds mashed together. As long as it definitely would not kill anyone, that was all that mattered.

The important thing was not what the stuff actually was, but what the other person believed it was.

Lin Bai's face went pale, yet he still took the green liquid and drank it in one gulp. Aside from an intense grassy taste, he felt nothing unusual.

Yet that was precisely why he found it terrifying.

"Now then, let us discuss the help you require, and a reasonable payment." Lu Bai's voice was exceedingly gentle—so gentle that Lin Bai did not dare put up the slightest resistance.

Next, Lu Bai and Lin Bai had a friendly exchange. Of course, that still could not rule out the possibility that Lin Bai would sell Lu Bai out the moment he turned around.

After all, reporting an infiltrator could earn him quite a reward, enough to help him through his crisis.

"Don't think of selling me out for benefits." Lu Bai sat before Lin Bai and said, "The secret I carry is enormous, beyond your control."

"You're a smart man. You should understand that."

Lin Bai's chaotic thoughts stalled, and he nodded, understanding the situation.

If Lu Bai were merely an ordinary member of the Martial Forest, then exposing him would be no great matter.

But if he carried some great secret, Hundred Flower Grave might very well silence him over it.

After all, the present Hundred Flower Grave was no loving, close-knit family. It was a merciless flower field.

After that, Lin Bai became even more convinced that Lu Bai was no simple person.

He clearly possessed strength Lin Bai could not resist, yet he did not even understand some basic terminology from Secret Manuals.

Anyone with normal intelligence could draw the conclusion from such an abnormal state that he was not ordinary.

Seeing Lin Bai's expression, Lu Bai understood that, for the time being, Lin Bai would not be considering betraying him.

And for Lu Bai, temporary was all he needed.

Over the next few days, Lu Bai made contact with several other people, because he could not be sure whether any one person's teachings had been adulterated with private goods.

Only by cross-checking them could he ensure the accuracy of the knowledge, though it also increased the risk of exposing himself.

After all, people could not remain entirely rational. Unstable factors always existed.

"But fortunately, I've learned almost everything I need."

Lu Bai was not completely illiterate. If he was merely learning terminology, he picked it up quickly enough.

Over those few days, Lu Bai also copied out another three Martial Arts Secret Manuals.

Sure enough, just as he had guessed before, newly copied Secret Manuals could not be converted into modules at all.

But after he copied the manuals, the previous three Secret Manuals were all converted into modules.

The number of modules in Lu Bai's hands instantly increased.

"Killing an Elder and two ordinary disciples all gave me modules. Adding the modules converted from the Secret Manuals, my number of modules is nearly thirty now, though most of them are consumable [Internal Force] modules."

"And the final piece of the puzzle is complete as well."

Lu Bai took out a purple module.

Control Module [Focus]. Its function was that while focusing, it granted a certain degree of control over the energy within the body.

This was the module dropped by that Elder, and it was one of only two Control Modules Lu Bai possessed.

After adding this module, Lu Bai's Internal Energy Protection finally lost its (Incomplete) label and became a normal skill.

Furthermore, as the number of [Meridian] and [Acupoint] modules increased and were arranged correctly, Lu Bai could use Internal Energy Protection across nearly his entire body.

Lu Bai roughly tested it out. [Internal Force] modules varied in quality depending on where they came from.

Normally, a brand-new [Internal Force] module could support three to five uses of Internal Energy Protection on a particular body part.

But if he used Internal Energy Protection over his entire body, it could only be used once and would last for less than roughly ten seconds.

"My control over [Focus] still isn't skilled enough, which makes my manipulation of [Internal Force] far too crude."

"I wasn't particularly good at this sort of fine control to begin with." Lu Bai rubbed his head, where a crew cut had grown in.

"Of course, I might not necessarily need fine control." Lu Bai looked toward his second Skill Bar and considered the composition of his second skill set.

With the modules broken down from the Secret Manuals, it was not impossible for Lu Bai to assemble a corresponding skill set, but it was not suitable.

This period of study had also given Lu Bai some understanding of Internal Force Martial Arts. Normal Martial Arts cultivation required the coordination of movement and stillness.

For instance, Flower Fist required one to become proficient in its fighting forms, feel one's own Vitality surge forth through repeated practice, then use stillness exercises to refine that surging Vitality, ultimately forming Internal Force.

Stimulating Vitality and refining Vitality—this was the foundation of Internal Force. Most Internal Force Martial Arts could not escape this framework.

Afterward came using Internal Force to temper the body's operating system: the Dantian, Meridians, Acupoints, and so on.

Only that constituted a complete Martial Art, one that could generate Internal Force itself rather than constantly consuming external [Internal Force] modules like Internal Energy Protection.

"But if I want to construct such a Martial Art, my modules don't seem to be enough." Lu Bai examined his modules. Nearly thirty sounded like a lot, but in reality, it was nowhere near enough.

"According to the descriptions in the Secret Manuals, [Meridian] and [Acupoint] modules alone would require over a hundred."

"Besides that, I'd need a large number of Control Modules, but among the five types of modules, Control Modules are the rarest."

"Building a self-contained internal cultivation system would take no small amount of effort. Perhaps I still won't be able to gather enough modules by the time this dimensional Travel ends."

"And it is foreseeable that even if it is constructed from modules, this skill set still won't be able to escape fine control."

Yet Lu Bai was not skilled at fine control, while Flowery Fists and Embroidered Legs were both Martial Arts Secret Manuals that required fine control.

"Then I can only entertain some crooked thoughts, huh?" Lu Bai tossed Flowery Fists and Embroidered Legs aside and looked at another Secret Manual, named Blood Burning Technique.

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