Specialization!

When hunting monsters, Jiang Zhe might sometimes entertain a few clever shortcuts.

For example, he could use his "hidden weapon" to deal with particularly troublesome War Marshal Level targets, most of them snake-type monsters, avoiding close-quarters combat with them.

A Psychic Master's control over accuracy, combined with his terrifying tenfold force amplification, made long-range throwing nearly unstoppable.

But when it came to training, Jiang Zhe never cut corners. He carried out the old man's requirements to the letter.

In truth, if he lowered the spear tip a little and crushed the soybeans with the back of the blade like swatting flies, he could complete the task more easily and quickly.

The old man was not watching over him, and there were no cameras in the training room.

But brother, wake up!

No one was forcing him to train. If he did not like it, he could simply quit, return to the Base City, and live off his family's support. Why stay in the Wilderness Zone and halfheartedly go through the motions for the old man?

Since he had decided to become strong, even the slightest moment of laziness now could lead to irreparable losses in the future.

Perhaps in some life-and-death battle, that crucial spear thrust would miss its mark, and he would pay for his past laziness with his life.

"Block," "control," and "thrust"—these were the three fundamental essentials of spearwork.

Before beginning specialized training in "thrusting," the old man had already taught Jiang Zhe all the most basic things.

As for combat theory, Jiang Zhe scored full marks.

He had gone through the family's treasured Fist Scripture during his first sixteen years, memorizing countless martial arts sayings by heart.

What mattered now was practical application.

Likewise, with Jiang Zhe's talent, he picked up the basic skills of spearwork quickly enough.

The foundation began with Spear Holding Technique—hold the spear steadily yet flexibly, guide the front and lock the rear, grip it with both hands; stable without stiffness, flexible without slipperiness.

Under the old man's hands-on instruction, Jiang Zhe had taken the correct path from the moment he first touched a spear.

After Spear Holding Technique came practice in the basic movements of wielding a spear.

There were thrusting, stabbing, striking, wrapping, circling, blocking, controlling, pointing, deflecting, Spear Flourishes, and more. Jiang Zhe quickly grasped and skillfully applied them all. (He could use them, and his movements were standard, but they were ordinary and lacked flair.)

Then came the demands placed on footwork—his movement had to be agile and varied, with a wide range of motion; his steps needed to be light, swift, and steady.

Opening Steps Like Wind, Stealing Steps Like Nails!

The old man had reminded Jiang Zhe of these points before he ever began spear training, and there were accompanying Stance Training exercises specifically meant to strengthen them.

With someone teaching him hands-on, these foundational things were not difficult.

The old man was like a master chef, unreservedly sharing recipes he had treasured for years with Jiang Zhe, then preparing only the finest ingredients for him. Jiang Zhe now only needed to learn how to handle the ingredients and master the cooking techniques before he could make a delicious feast.

Once he had mastered the basics, Jiang Zhe would begin striving for flawlessness on the Path of Technique.

According to Earth's classification of martial skills, this was the process of progressing from "foundation—specialization—mastery."

Only after achieving perfection in one's "methods," attaining flawless skill in technique, could one hope to reach the higher levels of "arts" and "laws."

For example, Artistic Conception, domains, and the laws of the Universe Source!

As well as perfect techniques capable of reaching the level of laws.

Like the Law of the Blade Duan Donghe had demonstrated to Luo Feng—it had served as the latter's introduction to the blade path and later became the foundation of his standing among the Hunyuan Lords.

All of those belonged to the higher levels of "arts" and "laws."

One had to remember: a towering building rose from level ground.

Returning to the present, the seemingly ordinary specialization training—Stabbing Spear—was already enough to give Jiang Zhe a hard time.

Bean Piercing!

During training, he could only use his most basic Physical Quality and could not employ any Force Amplification Technique.

At the beginning, Jiang Zhe could not even accurately pierce the soybeans.

Although he was a Psychic Master, and his visual accuracy was exceptional—even a mosquito could be locked onto with the naked eye.

But the problem lay in his arms. They did not obey him perfectly. The slightest tremor could shift the spear tip by several millimeters, even several centimeters.

A blind cat might stumble upon a dead mouse and accidentally pierce another soybean instead.

But with Jiang Zhe's pride, such "unexpected gains" were deductions in his eyes.

How embarrassing!

Still, Jiang Zhe quickly corrected the instability in his arms.

After all, force multiplication did not merely represent how much damage one could unleash. It was actually the percentage of control one possessed over one's body.

Tenfold meant ten percent.

A hundredfold Strength Amplification meant one hundred percent Perfect Control over the body.

One-tenth was enough for him to tame his body on the surface. The instability in his arms was naturally a minor issue.

Beyond that, there were many other problems.

1. The soybeans would be knocked flying. After all, they were round and would not obediently stay embedded in the alloy floor.

Solution—maintain accuracy while using the greatest force possible with his basic Physical Quality, explosively increasing his instantaneous speed. In common terms: strike while the soybean was not paying attention;

2. He wore specially made shoes with hard wooden soles. He had to remain in place and could not move carelessly, or he might step on the surrounding soybeans and be killed by them in return.

Solution—use the Taiji Posture, root himself firmly in place like a tree, then rely on the flexibility of his waist, hips, and upper body to complete the "thrusting" training.

It was not until around eight at night that Jiang Zhe finally pierced and crushed every soybean, completing his training.

The old man entered the training room at leisure, holding a hand warmer as he came to inspect the results.

After the soybean fragments were swept away, the alloy floor beneath was revealed to be riddled with holes.

Jiang Zhe turned his head away somewhat awkwardly, his face flushed red with shame.

"Alright, you pass. Take it one step at a time."

The old man did not mean it as comfort. He was telling the truth. Jiang Zhe had only just begun training, so the standards could not be too harsh.

"Take this. Keep it beside you when you cultivate Gene Primordial Energy tonight."

The old man tossed over a round iron case. Jiang Zhe hurriedly caught it with telekinesis and immediately sensed the surging Cosmic Energy emanating from within.

Freshly produced "slag"?

Jiang Zhe twitched his nose, but he did not smell the familiar fragrance. Unable to resist, he opened the case to look.

It was still a semi-solid paste.

Unlike the colorless, crystalline fragrant paste from before, this one was dark blue, like a vast starry sky.

Cosmic Crystal!!!

That was the first thought that popped into Jiang Zhe's mind.

Obviously, it was not.

But their properties were definitely similar. This dark blue paste was also a form of Universe Source Energy condensed into physical substance.

The feedback from his body—the urge to devour it—could not be wrong!

"Grandpa, what is this?"

"It's the raw material I condensed with that Alchemy Furnace for making 'slag.' It's an energy substance that dissipates very easily, so just keep it beside you when cultivating Gene Primordial Energy. It will make you feel like you're bathing in Cosmic Energy."

Jiang Zhe nodded.

He understood. A Spirit Gathering Formation from a Cultivation Novel.

This inevitably made him think of the small instance—Thunder World.

Because Cosmic Crystals were buried underground there, the concentration of Universe Source Energy was extremely high, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

Something similar to Cosmic Crystals?

Could that Alchemy Furnace be at least a fifth-tier or Realm Lord Level item?

That made no sense. How could an inanimate object accomplish something only a Realm Lord could do?

Influenced by the original novel, Jiang Zhe's impression of the universe had always been rather rigid. But now, it was beginning to change. He realized that four or five million characters could hardly depict all the mysteries of the universe.

Jiang Zhe grew increasingly curious about the Alchemy Furnace's true purpose.

But one thing was certain: its primary use was definitely not to condense this kind of "slag," because that was far too low-end.

Judging by the old man's tone, even with his Planetary Level strength, activating the Alchemy Furnace to condense this energy substance was an exhausting task.

Clearly, the cost and reward were disproportionate.

Jiang Zhe increasingly longed to gather all eight paintings, lift the Furnace Lid himself, and uncover its secrets.

Late at night.

Cultivating in an environment rich in Universe Source Energy, combined with his maxed-out bloodline level, Jiang Zhe felt that by the time this journey through the Wilderness Zone ended, he should have progressed far within the Junior Battle General realm.

Maybe one or two weeks?

A new day.

The fifth day of formal cultivation in the Wilderness Zone.

In the morning, he hunted monsters.

But that needed an additional modifier—using the spearwork he had just learned.

Jiang Zhe had not thought much of it at first, but the moment he charged into a Beast Horde wearing only a Combat Suit and carrying a long spear, he immediately felt the pressure.

First and most critically, he no longer had any defensive means!

Over the past few days, he had loved relying on his extremely high force multiplication to clash head-on with War Marshal Level monsters while wielding a shield.

One hand blocked the monster's attacks, while the other used the golden mace to expand his advantage, waiting for an opportunity to crush its skull.

That would not work now.

His Fighting Style could no longer be based on direct clashes. He had to first rely on movement techniques to evade attacks, then use the long spear to seize opportunities.

Without a shield's protection, he did not dare ignore the attacks from the lesser monsters around him. He had to keep his mind tense at all times, listening in every direction and watching all around.

His margin for error had been drastically slashed!

That meant he had to make up for it elsewhere—for instance, he now needed more exquisite technique!

Fortunately, if his spearwork was not refined enough, he still had Subtle Realm movement techniques.

After adjusting his Fighting Style, Jiang Zhe chose light and nimble Guerrilla Tactics.

Once he moved, he was like a butterfly weaving left and right through the Beast Horde. His long spear was like a great python coiling around his waist; every time it shot out, it was like a venomous snake striking with its tongue, piercing monster skulls one after another.

In the following battles, he stopped focusing on the speed of slaughter and began tempering his spearwork.

Actual combat was far better than blindly practicing in the training room!

After returning to the Safe House and cultivating the Life Blueprint for two hours, he began his afternoon training.

It was still Bean Piercing.

This time, Jiang Zhe paid attention to controlling his strength, trying to crush the soybeans without damaging the alloy floor beneath them.

The result of restraining his strength was that the soybeans were knocked flying, greatly increasing the difficulty of training.

Therefore, this session ended later than yesterday's.

When the old man came to inspect the results and saw that the alloy floor had not gained many more marks, he nodded lightly.

The boy was teachable!

The sixth day.

The seventh day.

The eighth day.

The ninth day.

Jiang Zhe's spearwork became increasingly convincing, as if his Ren and Du Meridians had been opened. He perfectly combined his movement techniques, spearwork, and Force Amplification Technique.

His Combat Power soared!

As for himself nine days ago, using a mace and shield with sevenfold force amplification... Looking back, Jiang Zhe felt that his former self was like a child holding a spear.

Crude! Far too crude!

Now, he only needed to sweep sideways with the spear shaft, and even a mid-level War Marshal would be sent flying. After landing, it would be unable to rise again, its bones shattered by the blow and its internal organs turned to mush by the impact.

Even Greater Beast Marshals could not react to his swift and accurate spear thrusts and would have their skulls pierced through.

On the way back to the Safe House, Jiang Zhe could not help suggesting, "Grandpa, let's go into the city district. I want to try fighting a Lord-Tier monster."

"Wait a little longer. I'm still somewhat worried about you."

The old man continued, "Your attacks are strong enough, and you can use your Force Amplification Technique on your legs as well, giving you impressive speed. But your body's defense is still far too lacking. You're a glass cannon. If one of those Lord-Tier monsters so much as touches you once, the battle will be over."

Jiang Zhe frowned, then nodded, deeply agreeing.

He could not help recalling Barabata's evaluation of Earth's secret techniques—they could amplify strength and speed, yet could not amplify defense.

Jiang Zhe asked, "Grandpa, when do you think I'll be suitable to fight Lord-Tier monsters?"

"When you advance to Junior Battle General and possess the cultivation of a high-level Battle General Psychic Master."

Jiang Zhe said nothing and silently nodded. That would probably be tomorrow.

That afternoon, training proceeded as usual.

But there was one difference: Jiang Zhe replaced every alloy floor tile in the 5×5 area with new ones.

There were spare tiles in the storeroom. He had replaced them once before.

The batch of alloy tiles he had just removed bore noticeably smaller and sparser marks than the first batch.

All of it reflected the progress of his spearwork.

The old man, standing against the wall nearby, could not help sighing. "Back then, it took your eldest uncle a full two years to reach your current level. It was not until the third year that he could 'crush soybeans on the floor tiles without leaving marks' and 'Extinguishing the Incense Tip Without Breaking the Stick.'"

Jiang Zhe poured the soybeans into the 5×5 area, then stepped inside in his special shoes with spear in hand. Grandpa, the record you're marveling at is probably about to be broken again.

Then he moved. Spear thrust after spear thrust shot out, crushing the soybeans with pinpoint strikes. His speed was so fast that afterimages trailed behind his movements, while the great python coiling around his waist seemed to transform into a Serpent Form.

As a Planetary Level warrior, the old man had keen eyesight. He had also immersed himself in the spear path for many years and possessed an extremely precise instinct for judging spearwork.

As Jiang Zhe moved, his eyes widened until they nearly bulged from their sockets.

What the hell!

He had already done it?

Five days versus three years—what kind of monstrous talent was this?

Nine minutes later, Jiang Zhe withdrew his spear and stood still, wiping the sweat that had slid down his temples.

The old man had already impatiently come over to clean up.

Jiang Zhe wanted to take the broom and do it for him, but the old man drove him out of the circle. He wanted to do it himself, to personally confirm this moment.

A moment later, the old man bent down and gently stroked the alloy floor tiles, feeling their texture.

He could not stop praising him. "Not a trace of error. You didn't leave behind even the slightest mark. Just how freakish is your control over your body?"

Jiang Zhe shrugged, unsure how to answer.

In truth, he had noticed it himself. He had a real talent for Body Cultivation. Things like the Force Amplification Technique seemed to come naturally to him, as if he had been born to make a living as a warrior.

His talent as a warrior was probably comparable to that of a Psychic Master with an exceptionally high Brain Domain Capacity.

The old man announced that the first stage of training had come to an end.

Then, he went to the storeroom and brought back an incense burner and a bundle of incense sticks. He lit one and placed it in the burner.

"Come on."

"Begin the second stage of training—extinguish the burning incense tip without breaking the incense."

Jiang Zhe felt as though he were playing a level-clearing game. He had just defeated the final boss, only to be met with the challenge of the next stage.

That night, he cultivated Gene Primordial Energy.

Just as Jiang Zhe had expected, he naturally broke through to Apprentice Rank 4, becoming a Junior Battle General.

With his Physical Quality improved, his Psychic Master cultivation likewise reached Apprentice Rank 6, allowing him to easily slaughter high-level War Marshal Level warriors and monsters.

The tenth day of formal training in the Wilderness Zone.

That morning, the grandfather and grandson set out for a major city near the Tai River Estuary.

Number: 009. Extremely dangerous!