Nine Yang Divine Skill

Li Qingshan swept his blade out horizontally. The broad edge drove the air before it, and the mats in the training area immediately split apart, a long gash extending from beside his feet.

As the blade technique gradually unfolded, a flood of saber-training memories poured into Jiang Yuan's mind. The system began to work!

[Tyrant Blade Fragment Infusion Progress: 70%, 90%, 100%!]

The blade stopped half a meter before Jiang Yuan's chest, and the gust it created stirred his training uniform.

As Li Qingshan sheathed his saber, a translucent system panel filled Jiang Yuan's vision.

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the hidden achievement: Master's Transmission!]

[Achievement Description: Encountered a master who gave wholehearted guidance and passed down an ultimate art.]

[Achievement Reward: Volume One of Nine Yang Divine Skill!]

Jiang Yuan's facial muscles tightened, and he nearly failed to control his expression.

He had only just obtained the A-rank fragment of Tyrant Blade, yet the system immediately stuffed another internal cultivation art into his hands.

Dense text flooded into his mind. The distribution of meridians, circulation routes, and breathing rhythms all became clear in an instant.

The residual vitality and blood energy from the Creation Pill within his body was drawn forth, circulating from his abdomen through all his meridians as his body temperature rose.

Once his blood energy entered the circulation route of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, the strength scattered throughout his flesh began to gather. It condensed through repeated cycles, eventually forming blazing inner force.

White vapor rose from his collar. Sweat quickly soaked through his training uniform, the fabric clinging to his back with an unbearable heat.

"Steady yourself!"

Li Qingshan stepped forward and gripped Jiang Yuan's shoulder with all five fingers. The blood energy in his palm sank into Jiang Yuan's body, forcibly stabilizing his increasingly heated muscles and sinews.

"Your first contact with an A-rank martial skill stirred the blood energy of your entire body. Kid, your comprehension is terrifyingly high."

After circling to the front, Li Qingshan pressed Jiang Yuan's wrist, shoulder, and neck, checking the flow of his blood energy point by point. Only after confirming that his meridians had not been damaged did his tense shoulders relax.

"Your blood energy is churning fiercely, but the circulation route isn't in disorder. You've stumbled into an epiphany. Don't move for now. Steady your breathing."

Following his advice, Jiang Yuan adjusted his breathing and gradually guided the inner force racing through his meridians back into his abdomen.

The heat radiating from his body slowly dissipated, and his restless blood energy settled.

Neither the system nor the Nine Yang Divine Skill could ever be exposed.

"Thank you, Teacher, for passing down this technique."

Jiang Yuan clasped his hands in salute and bowed respectfully.

What he had gained this time far exceeded an A-rank fragment. He had firmly committed this favor from Li Qingshan to memory.

"All right, cut it out with the empty formalities."

Li Qingshan waved a hand, then held the training saber out before Jiang Yuan.

"Tyrant Blade emphasizes saber momentum. Don't hold back when you strike. Master the basic movements first, and I'll check your results during the practical assessment."

After leaving the martial arts hall, Jiang Yuan did not return to the classroom. He turned and headed for the infrared testing room.

Today's test results had already been entered into the school's system. After he scanned his student terminal, the punch-strength testing machine lit up, its internal mechanisms emitting a low hum.

Standing before the machine, Jiang Yuan circulated his inner force according to the Nine Yang Divine Skill's route. The heat in his abdomen passed through his shoulder and elbow, gathering entirely in his right fist.

This punch did not use the force-generating technique of Tyrant Blade. He used only the basic straight punch taught uniformly by the school.

Bang!

The testing machine rocked backward, and its fixed base let out a dull boom. The numbers on the screen flickered rapidly before finally stopping at 450 kilograms.

Compared to his previous 435 kilograms, the result had increased by only 15 kilograms. He was still at the peak of Body Tempering First Layer.

Jiang Yuan raised his fist and carefully examined the machine's surface, without a trace of disappointment on his face.

The outer shell remained intact, but the alloy steel plate inside that absorbed punching force had caved inward.

The equipment recorded frontal impact force. The penetrating power hidden within his punch had not been fully calculated.

If this punch landed on a human body, the injuries to the skin and flesh might not be severe, but the internal organs would immediately suffer a second impact.

"The data only increased by fifteen kilograms, but the actual killing power is completely different."

Jiang Yuan rolled his right arm. The inner force he had just expended was already flowing back into his meridians, and the soreness in his arm was rapidly fading.

The most troublesome issue now was still control over his strength.

Blood energy relied on the physical body to exert force, inner force flowed through the meridians, and Tyrant Blade had its own separate force-generating technique. Forcibly stacking the three together would only make them interfere with one another.

After opening the school facilities page, the gravity chamber section had already lit up with a green authorization marker.

Students ranked in the top ten of their grade could use it for two hours free each week.

His test results had only just been uploaded, but Jiang Yuan had already obtained the qualification to use it.

He submitted an application on the spot.

[Application Approved.]

[Gravity Chamber Usage Time: Today, 18:00 to 20:00.]

"The timing is perfect."

High gravity could continuously pressure his blood energy, and it would also make it easier to test the recovery speed and protective capabilities of Nine Yang inner force.

The next morning, the practical assessment roster spread through the entire senior year.

This assessment used a free-challenge system, and the final rankings would directly affect the distribution of core cultivation resources for the second half of the semester.

Jiang Yuan's name was near the top of the list, and his relevant test data was displayed on the homepage of the campus terminals.

Inside the Senior Class Eight classroom, more than a dozen students gathered around the screen, discussing the targets and order in which they planned to challenge others.

Song Xi stood outside the crowd, her gaze lingering on the two figures: 20.8 meters per second and 435 kilograms.

A moment later, she took out her communication terminal and walked alone into the changing area.

"I want to apply for the experimental equipment in the storage room."

The person on the other end of the call asked several questions in succession.

Song Xi reported Jiang Yuan's performance changes over the past month one by one. Her thumb remained pressed against the edge of the terminal without moving.

"The school is preparing to hold a practical assessment. I can collect combat data for the equipment on behalf of the Household. Deduct the crystal cores consumed from my cultivation allotment."

Half an hour later, a Song Household logistics worker delivered a black carrying case to the school.

When the case opened, metal components fitted for the limbs and spine lay neatly embedded in the cushioning layer, each component marked with a serial number.

Song Xi fastened the miniature exoskeleton over her training uniform piece by piece. As the power modules activated, fine energy circuits lit up section by section and connected with the blood energy within her body.

After finishing her preparations, she stood before the testing machine and struck the force plate with a punch.

The number on the screen rapidly climbed before finally stopping at 503 kilograms.

This set of equipment was standard auxiliary protective gear. It could increase explosive force by consuming crystal cores.

School rules did not explicitly prohibit such equipment. Even if others raised objections, they could not use that as grounds to revoke her assessment eligibility.

Inside the assessment arena, Li Qingshan projected the challenge rules onto the large screen. Blinding white light illuminated half the venue.

"The loser exits the current ranking competition. The winner can continue accepting challenges. Practical performance determines your share of cultivation resources. If anyone isn't convinced, settle it in the arena."

On the second-floor viewing platform, the principal and dean stood side by side behind the railing, both focused on Jiang Yuan's position.

Footsteps sounded from the other side of the arena.

Song Xi entered the combat area wearing a black exoskeleton, its metal joints clicking softly with each step.

She raised an arm and pointed directly at Jiang Yuan.

"First match. I challenge you."