The Method of Devouring

Duan Rong stood there for nearly two hours.

Two hours later, Duan Rong opened his eyes and withdrew his inner power.

He let out a long breath and straightened his back, his gaze somewhat listless.

"Looks like cultivating this Inner Power Cultivation Method consumes even more! It's only been two hours, yet I already feel drained!"

Duan Rong actually felt hungry, and even a touch of panic rose in his heart.

"If I keep practicing like this for long, my body will definitely be depleted!"

"I haven't exactly been lacking rich food lately. Why am I still like this?"

Duan Rong had absorbed Zhao Mu's several years of experience with the Inner Power Cultivation Method all at once. The moment he circulated it, he moved like an old hand, overlooking not even the finest meridians.

Not only was his efficiency extremely high, but his control was exceptionally precise. When ordinary martial artists first encountered an Inner Power Cultivation Method, even after learning it, they would proceed in fits and starts, feeling their way through the circulation. Duan Rong, on the other hand, had driven it fiercely from the moment he began. His body had not yet had time to adapt, so naturally it showed signs of depletion.

But no matter what, he had mastered the Inner Power Cultivation Method. He could practice it slowly from now on.

Xiao Zongting's three-day deadline posed no pressure whatsoever for him.

What he needed to figure out first was an even more important matter.

That was the ability of the Devour Artifact Spirit that had crossed over with his soul.

Previously, he had been busy dealing with the assessment and had no time to examine it closely. Now that he had finally passed, he needed to thoroughly study the matter.

After all, the Devour Artifact Spirit's ability was the foundation upon which he would establish himself in this world!

It was merely important, not urgent, which was why he had set it aside before.

Now that the assessment was over, figuring out the Devour Artifact Spirit's abilities had become his most important task.

Duan Rong looked around. This Martial Arts Field was exceptionally spacious, with a large arena in the center and four weapon racks set around it.

This was, after all, an escort agency. Everyone made their living in the martial world, and martial arts were the skills that kept them alive. It was inevitable that they would occasionally exchange a few moves.

Moreover, arena bouts were often held during holidays and festivals.

The shopkeeper and the Chief Escort would offer some extra reward money to the winners.

The annual promotion assessment for Trainee Escorts also included arena bouts.

Naturally, the person presiding over them was still Chief Instructor Xiao Zongting.

The weapon racks held all kinds of weapons—axes, polearms, hooks, forks, sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.

Although Yuan Shun Escort Agency taught its Menial Disciples the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber, not all its escorts had risen from the ranks of Menial Disciples. Many had been recruited from outside.

Duan Rong walked to the nearest weapon rack and drew a simple saber from it.

This simple saber was one and a half meters long, its blade nearly half its total length. It weighed roughly six or seven jin in hand.

"Read Artifact Spirit."

Duan Rong silently recited the command, and a set of data appeared before his eyes.

Item: Long-Handled Simple Saber.

Artifact Spirit Rank: Rank 3.

Devouring Requirement: Host Mental Strength Level 3 (Not Met).

Devouring Effect: Rakshasa Saber Technique Mastery, Asura Saber Mastery, Yellow Springs Saber Technique Mastery, Eight Trigrams Saber Introduction.

Duan Rong clicked his tongue slightly as he looked at the Devouring Effect. "Three Mastery-level techniques?"

Duan Rong did not believe anyone had the leisure to train three saber techniques to Mastery, while also bringing an Eight Trigrams Saber technique to the Introduction level.

It seemed this simple saber had passed through who knew how many hands. What a fine simple saber that had belonged to everyone.

Duan Rong cracked a dirty joke to himself, then slid the simple saber back onto the rack.

"A Rank 3 Artifact Spirit requires Mental Strength Level 3!"

Duan Rong noticed the Devouring Requirement in the data. "Then what level is my Mental Strength right now?"

With a turn of his hand, Duan Rong pulled a red-tasseled Plum Blossom Spear from the weapon rack.

"Read data!"

Item: Plum Blossom Spear.

Artifact Spirit Rank: Rank 1.

Devouring Requirement: Host Mental Strength Level 1 (Met).

Devouring Effect: Luohan Spear Introduction, Ice and Fire Dual Spear Introduction, Soul Reaper Spear Introduction.

Looking at the data before him, Duan Rong thought it over. He had previously tried quite a few Artifact Spirits, including Rank 2 and Rank 3 ones, but had been unable to devour any of them.

"Looks like my Mental Strength Level is 1."

"Level 1... that sounds pretty pathetic." Duan Rong's eyes flickered with contemplation.

Today, the term Mental Strength had entered his mind several times already.

He still remembered Xiao Zongting's words.

"Martial arts use Martial Skills as their method of combat, Inner Power Cultivation Methods as their foundation, and Mental Strength as their core!"

"Mental Strength as the core..." Duan Rong murmured the words again.

He still could not understand how martial arts used Mental Strength as their core.

However, he already understood that his Devour Artifact Spirit ability used Mental Strength as its core.

The higher the host's Mental Strength Level, the higher the rank of Artifact Spirit he could devour.

His Mental Strength Level was only 1 at present, so he could only devour Rank 1 and Not Ranked Artifact Spirits.

Duan Rong did not devour the Artifact Spirit in the Plum Blossom Spear. Instead, he returned the spear to the weapon rack.

He had no interest whatsoever in those three motley, no-name spear techniques from a general store!

Duan Rong went through the weapons on all four weapon racks one by one, touching every last one.

The martial arts listed came in all shapes and sizes. The highest Devouring Effect had reached Major Accomplishment, though Artifact Spirits of that level were naturally beyond Duan Rong's ability to devour at present.

Several weapons possessed Rank 1 Artifact Spirits, which met Duan Rong's devouring requirements.

But he put all of them back as well.

He was currently in an escort agency and had only learned the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber. If he absorbed other martial arts and accidentally gave himself away before Xiao Zongting, he would definitely be charged with secretly learning martial arts.

He had already experienced just how sharp that old man's eyes were.

Kong Bin was at a stone table in the corner of the Martial Arts Field, flipping through the secret manual for the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber.

He had carefully studied the Inner Power Cultivation Method section, but after trying several times without success, he was at his wits' end. Then he looked up and saw Duan Rong at the weapon rack, touching this weapon one moment and that weapon the next. Disgust appeared in Kong Bin's eyes as he said, "Putting on airs."

Duan Rong returned a saber to the weapon rack, unable to suppress his disappointment. He had not found an Artifact Spirit containing the Mastery Level Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber.

A voice suddenly sounded behind Duan Rong.

"Look, they say this ginkgo tree is more than three hundred years old. It's an ancient tree!"

Hearing this, Duan Rong turned his head and saw two boys dressed as servants whispering together in a corner.

The servants and attendants of the Middle Courtyard and Back Courtyard were generally relatives of the escorts and required a guarantor. Should anything happen, the person who recommended them would bear joint responsibility.

These two Servant Boys looked no more than twelve or thirteen. When they noticed Duan Rong looking at them, they shyly ran away.

Duan Rong stood there, his gaze deep as he looked toward the Ginkgo Ancient Tree not far away.

The afternoon sunlight shone upon the ginkgo's tender green leaves, like countless blinking eyes.

As Duan Rong watched the leaves flickering in the sunlight, something seemed to stir within him. He suddenly walked over, pressed his palm against the smooth trunk of the ginkgo, and silently said, "Read Artifact Spirit."

Duan Rong stared at the data that appeared before him, astonishment filling his heart.

Item: Old Ginkgo Tree (Tree Age: 361 Years).

Artifact Spirit Rank: Rank 9.

Devouring Requirement: Host Mental Strength Level 9 (Not Met).

Devouring Effect: Read Through the Years (Can increase the host's Mental Strength).

"Read Through the Years..." Duan Rong murmured. He raised his head as sunlight filtered through the gaps between the ginkgo leaves and fell into his eyes.

At that moment, he seemed to hear the Ginkgo Tree whispering beneath his palm.