Jia Qingshan Returns

Wu Ming had never expected the Spiritual Guidance Technique he had searched for so long to appear like this.

"The time it takes to convert Spiritual Force hasn't changed, but the efficiency has tripled. This has to be the effect of a Guidance Technique!"

"But... how does it work? Is it a lingering effect of Void Silence, or just the result of exhausting my mental energy? If it's the former, that's trouble."

Even so, Wu Ming doubted that the Spiritual Guidance Technique had much to do with Void Silence. The latter was too unusual. It had never even been mentioned in the original work and could hardly be a method anyone else could use.

"Today's Spiritual Force training time is up. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to test it. No point worrying about it now. I need sleep."

He had studied enough for one day. It was nearly three in the morning, leaving him only three hours to sleep. Wu Ming wasn't about to waste that precious time.

Even as he prepared for bed, he wondered whether he should sleep in the next day. Being well-rested for training mattered far more than waking up on time.

At six in the morning, Wu Ming opened his eyes right on schedule. His fatigue had vanished, and he wasn't the least bit sleepy.

"Hm? I only slept three hours, but I feel about as rested as usual. Is this another effect of the Spiritual Guidance Technique?"

"Or..."

Wu Ming frowned slightly. Thinking back on the night, he felt as though his consciousness had sunk completely away. He had dreamed nothing, and not a single thought had stirred.

Rather than attributing that deep-sleep-like state to the Spiritual Guidance Technique, he suspected it was an effect of Void Silence.

The two were remarkably similar at their core: both brought his consciousness into complete stillness. The only difference was that this time, his consciousness hadn't left his body.

Naturally, that deep sleep hadn't fully awakened his body's potential. It had simply worked wonders for restoring his energy.

"That's not bad either. If I only need three hours of sleep a day, I'll have more time to train."

Wu Ming's frown soon eased. He had always been happy to accept something that brought benefits without any drawbacks.

As for how long that deep sleep would last, or whether it would vanish along with the lingering effects of Void Silence, he didn't dwell on it.

If it stayed, he was fortunate. If it went, so be it. What mattered was making the most of it now.

Since he had to leave his Spiritual Force training until night, Wu Ming followed his usual routine during the day.

The difference was that he now carried the Dragon Sparrow Saber everywhere, and his training gradually shifted toward saber techniques.

In his eyes, learning fist techniques was only a way to strengthen his foundation. Saber techniques were what mattered in a fight!

How could he fight those thick-skinned Monsters barehanded? If he couldn't even break through their scales and armor, a single Monster might exhaust him.

But with a weapon sturdy and sharp enough, he could pierce a Monster's defenses without much strength. That would make killing them far more efficient.

That was why weapon skills became the true mainstay among Martial Artists on Earth in later years.

So although he knew the Five-Elements Blade Art, which he had adapted from Xingyi Quan, inside and out, and had incorporated the essence of various schools of Internal Martial Arts into his saber techniques, it still wasn't enough.

His saber techniques were exquisite, but in battle, he still had to assess the situation with his mind before telling his body what to do.

A real fight, however, could be decided in a Lightning Flash. He had almost no time to react, and no matter how quickly his mind processed the situation, it couldn't match a movement born of instinct.

He needed to practice every move relentlessly until it became instinct. Then he wouldn't have to think in battle; his body would respond in the most fitting way on its own.

Under the classifications used in later years, that state fell within the Basic Level.

Wu Ming, however, aimed for the very peak of instinctive technique within the Basic Level—a state he could perhaps call "Basic Mastery."

The next stage was the Microscopic Level. That wouldn't be difficult for him. With the control he had gained through Hidden Strength, he could learn it quickly.

The only stage likely to pose much difficulty was the Perfect Level. It required control over the surroundings, turning any terrain to one's advantage. That went beyond the control granted by Hidden Strength.

Still, with Spiritual Force to help him, Wu Ming was confident he could master it.

Only the final stage, the Intent Domain Level, remained a mystery to him. The original work's description was too vague. He knew it involved understanding nature through heaven and earth, but not what that understanding entailed.

That stage was still far off. For now, Wu Ming's greatest goal was to master Perfect Level techniques before the Beast Tide arrived in September.

To reach that point, he would need both grueling practice and plenty of real combat.

Fortunately, Basic Level training didn't strictly require an opponent. He planned to hone his saber techniques to Basic Mastery, then head out to hunt mutated creatures and even Monsters, gaining combat experience along the way.

For now, Wu Ming spent each day refining his saber techniques, working to make every move second nature as soon as possible.

But saber techniques alone weren't enough to improve his fighting ability. Footwork was just as important.

He knew the Plum Blossom Stakes at the training ground behind the mountain so well that he could cross them from start to finish with his eyes closed. They barely challenged him anymore.

He needed a way to train under pressure. Soon, he came up with one: have people throw stones at him so he could practice dodging the pebbles flying toward him.

At first, he gave the task to Ruan Qingzhu and the other two, having them surround him and throw pebbles from different directions.

The method worked. Wu Ming was even a little flustered at first, but with the aid of Spiritual Force, he quickly learned to dodge. His movements grew steadily more assured.

Then he stopped using Spiritual Force and practiced dodging with his physical reactions alone.

With the powerful boost from Close-Combat Grandmaster, he rapidly absorbed what he had learned. In less than two days, his footwork reached a level comparable to what he could manage with Spiritual Force's help.

Wu Ming was enjoying himself, but Ruan Qingzhu and the other two were exhausted. Throwing pebbles for hours every day was seriously disrupting their own training.

After some thought, he went to the training field in the front courtyard to find martial arts school students who could help him instead.

Since he didn't know them, Wu Ming approached Jia Mengyun, whom he had met on his first day. He explained his training plan and offered to pay any students who took part.

After discussing it, they settled on a rate of 100 yuan an hour for roughly two to three hours a day. That was good pay at the time, especially for students who had never held a job.

Sure enough, applicants came pouring in once Jia Mengyun spread the word. After screening them, they selected eighteen suitable students, all of whom had survived the RR Virus transformation.

Wu Ming then settled into an enjoyable training routine. Each day, he practiced saber techniques behind the mountain for several hours before going to the training field for dodging practice.

To avoid overtaxing the students' arms, he split the footwork training into three one-hour sessions.

By switching between Weapon Master and the Melee Grandmaster Set, Wu Ming made rapid progress in both saber techniques and footwork. He could see a clear improvement almost every day.

Time slipped by. On February 17, Jia Yi and Ruan Qingzhu both reached the physical standard of a Quasi-Martial Artist. Zhu Hongyu was still a few dozen kilograms short.

Wu Ming summoned the three of them and told them about the Genetic Energy Cultivation Method. Only then did they learn that another path existed beyond Internal Martial Arts.

He taught Jia Yi and Ruan Qingzhu the Five Hearts Toward Heaven method and told them to focus on sensing what it described. Zhu Hongyu would have to keep training for another couple of days; he would teach her once her body met the standard.

Two days later, Zhu Hongyu finally reached the Quasi-Martial Artist level. Delighted to receive the cultivation method, she returned to her dormitory to study it. The training ground behind the mountain finally fell quiet, with only Wu Ming there each day to practice his saber techniques.

Before long, it was the end of February.

Wu Ming had progressed rapidly during that time. His saber techniques were no longer merely practiced. His blade moved as he willed, and he followed its edge, responding perfectly without conscious thought.

His saber techniques had finally reached Basic Mastery. Now he could set his sights on the Microscopic Level.

Another breakthrough soon followed. Not long after advancing with the saber, Wu Ming suddenly grasped the last piece he had been missing during his dodging practice. His footwork reached Basic Mastery too.

Then, on the morning of February 28, a figure in a Chinese tunic suit stepped through the martial arts school's gates once more.

The school's master, Jia Qingshan, had returned!