"Hmm, Transparent World and Physical Practice?"
Qin Qi lay on the bed, listening to the prompt in his mind. He was stunned for a moment. He had expected the credit reward.
But the rest was something he truly hadn't seen coming.
System, what are the uses of Transparent World and the Physical Practice function?
Qin Qi silently asked in his mind.
[After claiming the talent Transparent World, you will learn this talent.]
[Physical Practice function: Teachers can use the host's body to put various skills into practice.]
[Each use lasts five minutes. As your recognition increases, the duration will increase as well.]
[Cooldown: 24 hours]
(While using Physical Practice, the host can end the state at any time and regain control of his body.)
After learning what his rewards were, Qin Qi didn't claim them right away. Instead, he left the dormitory and found an empty spot in the academy.
"Claim Transparent World."
Qin Qi gave the command in his mind.
The instant he finished speaking, his body began to change. Every sound grew clearer in his ears.
He could clearly feel his heart beating, his blood flowing, and his muscles moving.
At the same time, everything around him seemed to turn transparent and slow down. Even with his eyes closed, he could see his surroundings clearly.
"So slow! So quiet!"
Qin Qi's mind entered a state of profound calm. His emotions were as still as withered wood and cold stone.
At that moment, every trace of his presence was completely concealed.
"Transparent World... Is this the Transparent World from Demon Slayer?"
Qin Qi suddenly thought of the talent Tsugikuni Yoriichi had possessed from birth in the world of Demon Slayer: Transparent World.
Transparent World was also known as the Clear World. Once someone entered this state, everything seemed to turn transparent.
The outside world became transparent, as did one's own body.
This transparency brought unparalleled powers of observation. You could see an enemy's blood flow, heartbeat, and muscle movements.
You could also clearly detect an enemy's malice and killing intent. Take it a step further, and you could instantly pinpoint their weak spots.
As for yourself, you could precisely control every inch of muscle in your body, eliminating all unnecessary movements.
You could concentrate all your strength into a single point, increasing your power and speed.
At the same time, all your presence was concealed in this state, making you seem as still as a stone.
"Enter the Study Space."
Qin Qi spent ten credits to enter the Study Space again and conjured the pig once more.
Then, with Transparent World activated, he began to butcher it.
"I can see so clearly!"
Qin Qi could clearly see the pig's beating heart, its blood vessels, and where its bones lay.
He could even make out the grain of the meat. He gripped the knife and thrust it in.
The blade slid smoothly into the pig's blood vessel, killing it with a single strike!
A level that would take an ordinary butcher years, even a decade, to reach—Qin Qi had already attained it!
Qin Qi stopped moving and slowly adapted to the state of Transparent World.
"Don't stop. Keep going and butcher the pig."
Tang Jiaren had been watching from the side the whole time. He didn't know what Qin Qi had encountered outside.
But he had noticed the change in Qin Qi. At that moment, Qin Qi had concealed his entire presence.
Even Tang Jiaren couldn't sense him at all. He had almost failed to notice Qin Qi's arrival.
"Mm."
Qin Qi's emotions were utterly calm, and he spoke less, as though talking were a waste of energy.
He gripped the knife and began to butcher the pig. The pig's body structure, the grain of its meat, and the gaps between its bones—
He saw everything clearly. Following those details, he made his cuts, and before long, Qin Qi had butchered the pig.
"Do it again. This time, when you work on the pig's leg, move the cut a little lower and use a third less force."
Tang Jiaren spoke up.
"Mm."
Qin Qi nodded, then spent one hundred credits to enter the Epiphany State. The instant Epiphany began,
he felt a buzz in his mind, and the world around him seemed to grow clearer.
Looking at the pig in front of him, he suddenly had a feeling—a kind of instinct for what would work better!
For the next while, Tang Jiaren kept having Qin Qi butcher pigs, moving from killing them before butchering them to butchering them while they were still alive and running around.
At first, Qin Qi made many mistakes. The running pig kept changing position.
Its muscles kept contracting, and its bones kept shifting. Qin Qi needed to see more clearly.
His cuts had to be faster, more accurate, and more decisive. Otherwise, he couldn't hit the weak point precisely.
It took Qin Qi five hours to master the method of killing a running pig.
"You've already learned Observation of People and Observation of Objects. But you still haven't learned Observation of Heart."
"Next, spar with me and learn what Observation of Heart is."
Tang Jiaren drew a circle on the ground, just large enough to hold himself and Qin Qi.
The two of them stood inside. With so little room to move, they began to fight in that tiny space.
"Activate the Epiphany State!"
Qin Qi activated the Epiphany State again. In this state, he seemed to instinctively know what to do.
But Epiphany wasn't a cheat. It only improved Qin Qi's learning efficiency; it wouldn't directly increase his strength.
In the art of Observation, even with the talent Transparent World, Qin Qi still couldn't compare to Tang Jiaren, who had practiced for more than seventy years.
It wasn't just a difference in mastery. Their techniques differed by a great deal, too. Tang Jiaren's movements were clearly cleaner and more efficient.
"Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out."
Watching Tang Jiaren, Qin Qi began adjusting his breathing on his own.
He started mimicking Tang Jiaren's muscle movements. The little unnecessary motions in his movements faded, and he grew faster!
One minute, two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, five minutes!
"Mm!"
At that instant, Qin Qi sensed something. He watched Tang Jiaren's movements.
Judging by the direction of his muscles, Tang Jiaren was about to attack his heart.
But an instinctive voice inside Qin Qi told him it was a feint. Tang Jiaren was going to attack his throat!
Qin Qi had no time to think. He chose to trust his instincts and counterattacked!
In the blink of an eye, Tang Jiaren's fist struck Qin Qi's throat, while the Poison Spike formed by Qin Qi's fingers pierced Tang Jiaren's heart.
A draw!
"Hahahaha! Good lad! A genius has emerged from my Tang Sect—a once-in-a-century genius!"
Tang Jiaren burst into laughter. He sat cross-legged on the ground, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.
"What draw? You were obviously holding back for my sake."
"If you hadn't deliberately let a hint of emotion slip, how could I have seen through your intentions?"
Qin Qi sat down on the ground, too. He had learned a great deal from this battle, and his eyesight had improved more than anything else.
During the final exchange, Qin Qi had seen through Tang Jiaren's intentions because Tang Jiaren's emotions had shifted.
Through Observation of Heart, Qin Qi had keenly caught that change and responded at once.
"I'm seventy-three years old. I started learning the Tang Sect Assassination Technique when I was a child. I've studied it for decades."
"And you? How many days have you been in the sect? You've achieved this much in such a short time."
"You've earned the title of a once-in-a-century genius."
Tang Jiaren said with a smile.