Chapter 329 - 254: Stealing Heavenly Secrets

Chapter 329: Chapter 254: Stealing Heavenly Secrets

Seventh-Grade Elixirs were generally refined from Extraordinary Blood Marrow, their medicinal potency much weaker than that of fresh Blood Marrow.

Their advantage, however, was that most Extraordinary beings could absorb them.

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Liu Bing stood, clasped his fist in a bow, his heart burning with fervor. ’I’ve followed the right person.’

"There might still be some who defy you on this trip, but things should be much better next time. Take my Token with you! When you reach the various regions, just use my name!" Tang Wen’s status had risen like a boat with the tide. With a Fifth-Grade White Tiger by his side, no one would dare to look down on him.

A White Tiger didn’t care for personal feelings.

Liu Bing rose and accepted the order.

A Maid set a new place at the table, and Tang Wen had him stay for breakfast.

Liu Bing was moved beyond words. It wasn’t that he was easily impressed; it was just that comparisons were odious.

Previously, under Zhao Zhe, whenever Zhao Zhe ate breakfast, Liu Bing could only stand there like a lowly subordinate.

Forget about eating—he wasn’t even offered a seat or a glass of water.

’The difference in character is just too vast. No wonder even the former mistress... uh, no wonder even Madam Lin followed Young Master Tang.’

After finishing his report and eating, Liu Bing rose to leave. He spoke cautiously, "Um, Young Master, the grass in Zhao Zhe’s courtyard has grown wild. Do you think we should arrange for some people to clean it up?"

The mention of Zhao Zhe’s courtyard naturally made Tang Wen think of the people inside.

"How are Lin Shi’s father and brother? Have their injuries gotten any better?"

"They’re better. I sent someone to check on them. Her father and brother can already get out of bed and walk around."

"Good. Have someone clean up the courtyard. I might go over in the next few days."

"Yes, Young Master."

Liu Bing bowed and left.

It had to be said, having such a subordinate always allowed Tang Wen to feel the pleasure of being revered.

Back in his study, after handling some miscellaneous matters, Tang Wen created a new Cultivation plan for himself.

In his Martial Arts philosophy, a duel was similar to the battlefield.

One must first secure an invincible position before thinking about how to defeat the opponent.

And how does one become invincible?

By being fast, of course!

With speed, one has the advantage whether escaping or pursuing.

Therefore, in the coming days, he planned to focus on mastering the footwork Profound Technique from the Night Divine Fist—Instant Step.

In the morning, Hu Qi and Hu Jiu took Tang Wen outside the city.

After searching for several hours, the man and two tigers found a suitable location.

Two mountain peaks, about three hundred paces apart.

The place was deep in the mountain forest, at least several hundred miles from civilization.

Before them, twin peaks rose tall and steep, their rock faces smooth and sheer, like two sharp swords piercing the sky.

"This place is good."

"Yes, a good place to practice Instant Step."

Tang Wen rode the wind and slowly landed on the peak of one of the mountains.

The summit offered only a few meters of space to stand on.

Looking down made him dizzy. A thin mist shrouded the mountainside, hiding the bottomless abyss below.

"Phew! Looks like I have a fear of heights, too."

He shook his dizzy head and looked toward the opposite peak.

The short distance of two or three hundred paces was obscured by clouds.

Fortunately, his vision was extraordinary, and he could vaguely make out the opposite peak through the clouds.

However, the summit opposite him was even steeper and more perilous, with a foothold of only two or three square meters.

Tang Wen couldn’t help but swallow hard. "Sister Qi, Ah Jiu, is this really going to work?"

"Of course, it will."

The two White Tigers hovered on either side of him, resting their furry heads on their paws.

Their lively, amber-gold eyes were filled with the look of spectators enjoying a show, radiating a clear sense of schadenfreude.

’He glanced down at his feet. With my Constitution, if I went all out and got a running start, I could probably make the jump.’

’But after I made it across, without using some other technique, I probably wouldn’t be able to stop in time.’

Seeing him hesitate, Ah Qi said, "This kind of environment is what will make you nervous, make you afraid, and force you to focus. Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to overcome the fear. Just focus your mind and use the Visualization!"

Tang Wen thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and moved to the very edge of the peak, until he was only half a step from the bottomless cliff.

He did this because with even a little room for a running start, he could rely on his powerful Constitution to cheat and just brute-force the jump.

Since that was the case, it was better not to give himself any opportunity to take the easy way out.

"HUU... HAA... HUU... HAA..."

His breathing became heavy.

Tang Wen stared straight ahead, gathering his focus for a long moment.

Thirty seconds, one minute, three minutes passed...

The two Fifth-Grade giant tigers were about to yawn.

"Hah!"

He let out a sharp cry, pushed off with his right leg, and took a fierce step forward with his left foot.

His eyes were half-closed, and in his Sea of Consciousness, the visualized movements played out as if slowed down ten times.

’*A figure in the darkness leaps into a shadowy corner, then instantly leaps back out. For a moment, the figure leaping in and the figure leaping out seem to exist simultaneously.*’

’What exactly is the principle behind Instant Step?’

’Quantum mechanics?’

’Quantum entanglement?’

STEP—he took a step forward and was immediately hit by the sensation of falling rapidly.

The wind roared upwards past his ears.

Without even looking at his Experience Panel, Tang Wen knew he had failed.

The two White Tigers were already howling with laughter.

From their perspective, Tang Wen’s expression had been incredibly intense and his gaze exceptionally determined, only for him to step right into thin air!

And down he went.

Some Instant Step that was. It wasn’t even as good as a child’s skip.

The two White Tigers roared with laughter, but they didn’t forget about Tang Wen.

A gentle wind formed an elevator, lifting him back onto the precipice.

Tang Wen shot the two White Tigers an irritated glance. ’Laugh all you want. You’re tigers. I won’t stoop to your level!’

’I got distracted just now!’

’Let’s go again!’

A few minutes later, like an Olympic sprinter on the track, he had regained his composure.

SWOOSH!

He pushed off hard with his right leg, and his body shot into the air as he leaped forward.

He flew for about a few dozen meters.

Then, like a thrown stone, he began to fall in an arc.

This wasn’t Instant Step; it was a long jump.

The second time, he was fished out by the wind.

The two White Tigers were still laughing happily.

On his third try, Tang Wen wasn’t so rash.

’He knew his fear of heights wasn’t absolute.’

’In other words, he would soon get used to this place.’

’It wasn’t like he’d die if he fell, anyway.’

’The worst that could happen was being laughed at by the two White Tigers a few times.’

’After all, he was different from the Tiger Race.’

’The Extraordinary members of the Tiger Race practiced Wind Department Techniques. After jumping, they had to rely entirely on themselves to control the wind and ensure their own safety.’

’Under those circumstances, the pressure was immense, enough to squeeze out their potential.’

’Especially after failing many times and becoming exhausted, they were often more likely to master Instant Step.’

Tang Wen meditated for a while. When he opened his eyes again, it felt as if a long time had passed.

Everything before him seemed refreshed and new.

Third time, another jump!

SWISH! WHOOSH!

Another failure.

Then came the fourth time, the fifth, the sixth... all the way to the thirtieth.

He was numb to it.

There was no fear, no nervousness.

It was like he was bungee jumping from a great height.

It was safe, thrilling, and free.

But the thrill was diminishing, gradually approaching zero.

He was rescued for the thirty-first time.

The two big white cats, Hu Qi and Hu Jiu, tried to persuade him together. "Kid, you’re already very impressive. You don’t have to stubbornly bash your head against this one Skill."

He could tell the two White Tigers weren’t very good at comforting people.

"What we mean is, a Skill like Instant Step is probably better suited for those from the Wind Division to practice. It’s not very compatible with other Ability Users."

Tang Wen didn’t jump again. He knew in his heart that this trip to learn Instant Step using the Tiger Race’s experience could basically be declared a failure.

"How about this: let’s head back to the city first. We can discuss it with the others and see if they have any better ideas."

The two big white cats exchanged a glance, then summoned a gentle wind to carry Tang Wen away from the summit.

Hanging his head, Tang Wen felt utterly helpless.

’The Experience Panel was powerful, but I still have to successfully execute a technique at least once for it to be registered as learned.’

’Only then can I start grinding experience points for it.’

’But now, I can’t even manage to learn it in the first place.’

’The technique’s name isn’t even appearing on the Experience Panel, giving me no opportunity to grind experience at all!’

He thought for a long time but was at his wit’s end.

It was the kind of frustration you’d feel if you possessed a great Treasure Artifact but had no money to impress the ladies.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the endless scenery below.

Countless peaks of all sizes stood like a forest. Suddenly, he spotted a flat-topped peak that looked like a concrete building, and a thought struck him. He remembered something he had heard a long time ago.

To be precise, it was a clever training method used by Martial Arts masters in his previous life, called "Stealing Heaven’s Secrets"!

In his past life on Blue Star, there was no such thing as Extraordinary Martial Arts.

Martial Arts masters were still made of mortal flesh and blood.

When faced with firearms, they could only grit their teeth and say, "Within seven steps, my fist is faster!"

They had a training method that involved practicing their forms blindfolded on the edge of a rooftop, in a space barely large enough to stand.

Dodging, turning, and moving, every step was fraught with danger.

If you fell from a tall building, no one could save you.

This method of training on the brink of life and death could rapidly improve one’s practical combat skills, which was why it was called "Stealing Heaven’s Secrets."

An idea struck Tang Wen, and his eyes snapped open.

"Sister Qi, Sister Jiu! Can you seal my five senses?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"