Fast-Slow Artistic Conception!

Realizing the flaws in his Power Emission Technique, Jiang Zhe was somewhat discouraged.

But he quickly adjusted himself, restoring his mind to the stillness of an ancient well. His thoughts raced as he actively explored more possibilities.

"I need to master higher-level techniques. I need to step into the Realm-Level!"

A Realm-Level Movement Technique or a Realm-Level Spear Technique!

"Either one will do!"

"The former would make Guerrilla Tactics possible. A Realm-Level Movement Technique is enough to toy with Lord-Tier monsters, and when I go all out, it can make up for the openings exposed."

"The latter is all about a One-Hit Kill!"

"As long as my body can withstand the impact fed back by the first collision, there won't need to be a second one. The battle will already be over."

Jiang Zhe still had not given up on challenging powerful enemies.

That night, his uncle, who was responsible for delivering supplies and experience packs, arrived. Jiang Zhe temporarily stopped cultivating Gene Primordial Energy.

The moment he opened his eyes, he heard his uncle's deep voice from afar.

Jiang Chengbai was a middle-aged man with a square face, nearly two meters tall and powerfully built. Simply standing there gave people a sense of steadiness that made them trust him instinctively.

"He's already mastered it? The second stage? It took me three whole years to reach this point..." His uncle's tone was full of mixed emotions.

The old man said leisurely, "Haven't you noticed? Little Zhe is very good at Body Cultivation, whether it's power emission or Gene Primordial Energy."

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chengbai nodded. "He's a lot like Thunder God!"

The old man's lips curled into a smile. "He's stronger than Thunder God, much stronger. He already has 10 times force amplification!"

"Yes, 10 times!" Jiang Chengbai laughed. "I can't wait to see Earth's First Secret Manual come into being!"

The old man waved a hand. "I'll summarize it. Don't let such trivial matters interfere with Little Zhe's cultivation. I've gotten some inspiration from him and have a few ideas."

"Mm, that's true. Little Zhe should focus on cultivation. There's no rush to compile the secret manual."

Jiang Chengbai echoed him, then suddenly asked curiously, "By the way, Dad, what about that Lord-Tier Golden-Fur Ape?"

"Little Zhe killed it."

"Huh? Have you been training Little Zhe's Psychic Master methods these past few days?"

"No. Little Zhe wanted to challenge a Lord-Tier monster using a martial artist's methods, so I found him that Golden-Fur Ape. It caught him completely off guard. In the end, he only turned things around and killed it with Psychic Master methods."

Jiang Chengbai's expression turned strange. "Dad, were you trying to take the wind out of Little Zhe's sails? Otherwise, you would've chosen a pig-type lord. Don't let the fact that Little Zhe is only a Junior Battle General fool you. With 10 times force amplification, he could barely handle one using martial artist methods."

Jiang Zhe, eavesdropping: "???"

Only then did he remember that different types of monsters had different combat power even at the same rank.

The strongest were those mysteriously mutated Dragon Beasts.

And humanoid Lord-Tier monsters were definitely stronger than War Gods of the same rank.

The old man coughed twice. "See through it, but don't say it! Let that silly brat stew for a while and honestly polish his spear techniques to perfection first."

Jiang Zhe: ...

He immediately closed his eyes, pretended not to know his uncle had arrived, and continued cultivating Gene Primordial Energy.

"Ten times force amplification is equivalent to a high-yield shell. I can't use it for a suicidal attack and still guarantee my survival. So I need to create a launcher, fire the shell out, and deal the greatest possible damage."

The eleventh day of cultivation in the Wilderness Zone.

Limited by the conditions, he did not undergo the third stage of Stabbing Spear training—"stabbing mirrors."

That morning, Jiang Zhe sparred with his uncle using spears.

Then he was utterly crushed by a martial arts routine called the Seven Coiling Serpent Lance.

Seven attacks flowed into one another without end. His Stabbing Spear was like spilled water, and the spearhead kept "tracing the edges" around his body. The fierce wind scraped his skin and made his hair stand on end.

At that moment, Jiang Zhe felt that the spear in his hand had never seemed so useless. It felt like a restraint.

That was an illusion!

Jiang Zhe knew that clearly.

With such perfect spearwork, even if he used a shield or a mace to resist, he would still feel that the "fire poker" in his hand was useless.

In terms of spear technique, he was still far behind. He could not even achieve Man and Spear as One.

Soon, offense and defense switched.

Jiang Zhe attacked with his spear, while his uncle only defended.

Jiang Zhe rubbed his hands together, eager to vent some frustration and show his uncle the Stabbing Spear foundation he had trained so hard for.

Then it was the Seven Coiling Serpent Lance again, nearly making Jiang Zhe throw up.

One spear technique, two uses. Its defense was just as fierce.

When his uncle's spear danced, Jiang Zhe felt as though a great serpent was coiled around him. Anything that tried to approach would be violently flung away by its tail.

The Jiang Family actually had many spear techniques like this. They belonged to the scope of Traditional Martial Arts and had not been adapted into Modern Secret Manuals.

They were categorized as Freehand Combat together with methods like "Throwing Mace," and were stored in folders on the computers in the Audio-Visual Room on the ninth floor of the Inherited Martial Hall.

With each sparring session against his uncle, Jiang Zhe was like a dry sponge thrown into water, madly absorbing nourishment and improving his experience with the spear.

As the saying went—how much water a bucket could hold depended on its shortest stave.

Relying only on Stabbing Spear, Jiang Zhe's spear technique could at most reach specialization.

But if he raised all other spearwork fundamentals to the specialization level, then used his miraculous Stabbing Spear to link every part together, his spear technique would become perfected!

This was not wishful thinking.

That possibility rapidly neared reality through his repeated sparring sessions with his uncle.

That afternoon, Jiang Zhe saw another new trick.

The old man flew to the top of the waterfall and poured down the wild chestnuts he had gathered.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhe stood in the pool beneath the waterfall. The water was deep enough to cover more than half his thighs, and in that environment, he had to swing his spear and shatter the wild chestnuts mixed into the cascading water.

This was specialized training for Stabbing Spear, waist control, and footwork. It was also why the old man had taken a liking to this waterfall.

Just like that, Jiang Zhe forgot all about finding Lord-Tier monsters to fight and focused on tempering his spear technique.

Until the tenth day, which was also the twenty-first day of wilderness cultivation.

The spear in Jiang Zhe's hand thrust straight out, breaking through the layers of the "great serpent's" coils. The silver-white spearhead streaked through the air like a comet before finally stopping one centimeter from Jiang Chengbai's brow.

Jiang Chengbai stood calmly in place without making the slightest move to dodge. He did not even blink as the spearhead came at him, merely revealing a faint smile.

He believed in Jiang Zhe. He believed Jiang Zhe could control that Stabbing Spear perfectly.

The progress of those ten days could not be faked.

"Unbelievable! You've practiced martial arts for less than forty days, yet you already have a Perfect Level Movement Technique and perfected spearwork... If word got out, it would probably directly shatter the faith of countless martial artists. Even I feel somewhat inferior standing before you, as if I'm unbelievably stupid!"

That was right, there was also a Perfect Level Movement Technique.

His uncle had beaten it into him while chasing him around with a spear. During sparring, Jiang Zhe often had to make use of every condition around him to evade his uncle's attacks.

Over time, he mastered it.

For a Psychic Master, both subtle control and a Perfect Level Movement Technique came with innate proficiency. They could quickly get started and master them.

Jiang Chengbai could not help sighing. "Perhaps in a year or two, you'll surpass me."

Jiang Zhe smiled. "Even then, I'll still be a member of the Jiang Family. Uncle and Grandpa taught me together. The glory belongs to the Jiang Family!"

His uncle froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Right! Right! The glory belongs to the Jiang Family!"

"Good lad, you really know how to talk!"

"I believe you can definitely surpass Hong and Thunder God and become a new legend! The legend will belong to our Jiang Family!"

"Didn't you want to challenge Lord-Tier monsters? Your uncle knows what kind of monster would make a suitable sparring partner for you. When the time comes, I'll have your grandpa catch a few for you."

His uncle happily patted Jiang Zhe on the shoulder, completely ignoring the Death Glare his Old Man was sending him.

Is he going to catch me a few piglets?

But pig-type lords were still lords!

Jiang Zhe rubbed his hands together, eager to test how much his Perfect Level Movement Technique and perfected spearwork would increase his combat power.

Last time, I was completely defeated. I reflected on it; this time, I still dare to keep challenging them.

A martial artist who did not dare to taste the sweetness of Kill Across Ranks was destined to be mediocre.

Uncle really is good to me!

Grandpa has no martial virtue. He directly gave me hard difficulty, but Uncle cares about me and is letting me slowly level up from easy difficulty.

The old man could not help speaking up. "Little Zhe still needs to come into contact with Realm-Level techniques. For now, there are no plans for him to gain practical combat experience against Lord-Tier monsters."

Then he glared at his restless eldest son.

Under Jiang Zhe's expectant gaze—

His nephew's youthful, innocent gaze could not compare to his father's Death Glare.

Jiang Chengbai immediately changed his tune. "Coming into contact with the Realm-Level is more important. Come, Little Zhe, let me show you your uncle's Realm-Level Spear Technique."

Huh? Watching a Realm-Level Spear Technique? That was fine too.

Jiang Zhe felt that he could accept that.

After he nodded, his uncle immediately swung his spear and delivered a Forceful Mountain Splitting Chop at him.

The piercing howl of the wind was so sharp that it made his ears ache.

It was merely a simple downward chop, yet it nearly suffocated Jiang Zhe. His eyes widened, and his pupils shrank sharply.

The silver Overlord Spear seemed to enlarge before his eyes, crashing down like the collapsing Mount Buzhou. The oppressive weight unique to a mountain bore down upon him.

At that moment, Jiang Zhe felt as though he had fallen into a swamp and was sinking deeper and deeper. The only thing he could do was watch helplessly as the "mountain" came down.

In the end, the "mountain" shifted aside.

It struck not far to Jiang Zhe's right, smashing a round boulder half a meter tall into countless fist-sized fragments.

Psychic Power surged forth, seizing the many flying stones and tossing them into the pool, where they skipped across the water several times.

"Tsk, Psychic Masters find everything convenient." His uncle withdrew the Overlord Spear and carried it on his back, sighing.

Jiang Zhe seemed not to hear him, still savoring the sensation from before.

But the old man suddenly said, "Little Zhe, your uncle's Artistic Conception and mine are somewhat similar. Take a look at mine as well."

Jiang Zhe had only just raised his head when he saw the old man hold the Eight Treasures Alligator Dragon Spear in one hand and deliver an unadorned Stabbing Spear.

This strike looked soft and weak, with no sense of power whatsoever.

But in Jiang Zhe's eyes, it was entirely different.

The needle-like spearhead drew ever closer!

A biting chill wind inexplicably rose, invading his body and making his limbs feel sluggish, as though he were standing in an ice cave and about to be frozen within solid ice.

The two Realm-Level Spear Techniques really were similar.

They carried the same sense of stagnation, though expressed in different ways, making him feel unable to break free.

The old man did not stop, but an accident suddenly occurred.

A droplet of water splashed from the waterfall and entered the Artistic Conception, passing right before Jiang Zhe's eyes and disrupting its overall cohesion.

Clang!

Clang!

Jiang Zhe felt as though he had just been trapped in a mirror maze, only for all the mirrors to suddenly shatter. He fell into a Dark Void.

The speed of time blurred in his perception.

Only a streak of light flashed before him, a "comet" passing through.

It seemed fast, yet slow, carrying a special rhythm.

Jiang Zhe instinctively raised his spear, imitating that peculiar rhythm and combining it with the memories of Stabbing Spear engraved into his body.

Using the technique he knew best, he recreated that "comet's" trajectory!

Stab!

The spearhead drew a silver arc, knocking aside the old man's Eight Treasures Alligator Dragon Spear with unbelievable speed before thrusting straight toward his brow.

For the first time, the old man's expression changed, and intense shock surfaced in his eyes.

He had fought many martial artists who had grasped Artistic Conception. He had seen Lightness of Wind, Explosiveness of Fire, Swiftness of Thunder... but when had he ever seen such a bizarre Artistic Conception?

Yes, bizarre.

A contradictory union that seemed both fast and slow!

Facing that Stabbing Spear head-on, the speck of silver light at its tip expanded before one's eyes.

It felt especially slow, like slow-motion replay in a sports broadcast, but that was only an illusion. It was actually unbelievably fast, like a meteor streaking through the sky.

By the time you leisurely tried to raise a hand and do something, it was already too late. You could not catch anything!

From Jiang Chengbai's perspective, he also felt that sense of disconnection.

Fast and slow at once—it simply overturned common sense!

He could not help murmuring, "What kind of Artistic Conception is this?"

The old man was ultimately still a Planetary Level martial artist. Jiang Zhe's current level could not stump him. He broke free from the conflicting fast-slow Artistic Conception and raised a hand to grab the spearhead aimed at his brow.

A dot of crimson bloomed between his brows, sliding down the tip of his nose before splashing onto the ground like a flower of blood.

Jiang Chengbai stared in disbelief. "I was still one step too late..."

"Haha, good! Good! What an excellent Artistic Conception!"

The old man froze the wound on his brow and laughed heartily. This bizarre Artistic Conception gave him even greater confidence in Jiang Zhe's future.

It was around two or three minutes later before Jiang Zhe came back to his senses.

Remembering what had just happened, Jiang Zhe felt somewhat guilty. "Grandpa, I..."

"It's fine. I'd love for you to do it again." The old man waved a broad hand, his face full of smiles. "Quick, how much of that Artistic Conception did you grasp just now?"

Jiang Zhe frowned as he recalled it. "I should... more or less remember it."

"Come, try it. Aim at me!"

Jiang Zhe nodded, raised his spear, and thrust out. The spearhead drew a silver arc, its speed unbelievably fast.

But... that was all.

"Why is half of it missing? Where's the slow part?" Jiang Chengbai spotted the difference immediately and cried out.

This time, the old man easily caught the spearhead and looked at Jiang Zhe with concern.

The Artistic Conception was still there, but only half remained. The spear thrust was unbelievably fast, making it difficult for anyone to react.

Yet it alone lacked the sensation of "slowness," no longer giving people that isolating feeling of contradiction between fast and slow.

Jiang Zhe gave a wry smile. "I really only remembered this half. I'll slowly work on the rest—shouldn't have lost it, right?"

"Mm. Later, focus on consolidating it and try to recover that feeling. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, either. This remaining half is already very good. It's still Realm-Level, after all. Reaching the ultimate in speed is powerful too!"

After offering some comfort, the old man encouraged him, "Give your newly comprehended Artistic Conception a name."

"A name?" Jiang Zhe thought of a possibility. "Time!"

"I'll call it the Time Realm!"

"Time? Time!"

The old man repeated it twice, looking slightly startled. "Time Acceleration? It really is fitting!"