Chapter 245 - 168: The Divine Sword in Position, Heaven and Earth Can Be Slain

Chapter 245: Chapter 168: The Divine Sword in Position, Heaven and Earth Can Be Slain

Wan Ze nodded.

He understood that not everyone could multitask like him.

Besides, for most people, mastering a single Martial Skill could take anywhere from three to five years at minimum, to over a decade at most.

He understood the principle of not biting off more than he could chew.

Besides, his master had only just taught him the Dragon Eagle Combat Skill. Asking for another Martial Skill so soon would inevitably make him seem overly ambitious.

As for exposing his talent for Martial Arts...

Wan Ze smiled wryly to himself.

He had already solidified his reputation as a genius. If he revealed his full capabilities, he wouldn’t be called a genius anymore. He’d be called a monster.

He didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Situ Bai. But he couldn’t bear the devastating disaster that a single "what if" scenario might bring.

"In that case, I won’t hold back either..." Wan Ze took a deep breath and listed them all in one go: the Eight Desolates Fist, Divine Martial Twelve-Ring Leg, Palm Blade, Eagle Claw Skill, and Horizontal Training Technique.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to continue...

It was that his two senior brothers kept telling him to stop.

"Ah Ze, this... is way too much. Generally speaking, learning one or two skills from a single discipline is enough," Zhai Jia said, a bit worried.

There were precedents of Martial Arts geniuses turning themselves into a jack-of-all-trades and master of none... He had seen Ah Ze’s talent firsthand, which was precisely why he was worried.

Zhai Yu mulled it over. "I’ve also heard of some masters who study a wide range of Martial Skills to find their own path... Ah Ze, that road is not an easy one. It’s like forging your own way through an entire army... You must be mentally prepared. You don’t need to list any more Martial Skills. For us, the ones we’re currently practicing are more than enough."

To each their own.

Seeing his senior brothers’ firm stance, Wan Ze asked again, "Actually, I’ve also collected some ridiculously overpowered Martial Skills. Are you sure you don’t want to learn them?"

"Nope, definitely not. I’m not a freak of nature like you," Zhai Jia said, shaking his head repeatedly.

Wan Ze gave a wry smile and dropped the subject.

The three of them chatted for over an hour, exchanging insights on their respective Martial Skills.

Zhai Yu pointed out a few techniques for generating power, and Zhai Jia shared some small tricks for his Fist Technique.

In turn, Wan Ze went over the mnemonic chant for the Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash in detail, helping the two of them grasp its key principles.

As they were leaving, Zhai Yu patted Wan Ze’s shoulder.

"Leave finding the people to us. You just focus on your Cultivation for now. We’ll definitely have everything ready before the eighth of the month."

Zhai Jia nodded as well. "Don’t worry, Brother Yu is reliable."

Zhai Yu shot him a look. "Trying to slack off?"

Zhai Jia just chuckled.

After some lighthearted banter, the two of them got up to leave.

Wan Ze returned to the martial arts hall’s courtyard.

He pushed open the gate. The courtyard was silent, and there were few people to be seen under the night sky.

Walking into the center of the courtyard, Wan Ze took a deep breath. He didn’t rush to practice his martial arts, but first pulled up his data panel.

The day had been too busy; he hadn’t had a chance to check it.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Soldier Immortal Technique](Beginner Level Mastered)

[Effect: All Attributes +0.05]

[Skill Basic Satisfying Conditions: All Attributes not below 3.8, and defeat 1 enemy while in the Soldier Resolution State]

...

Wan Ze stared at the lines of text, stunned.

’All Attributes +0.05?’

He read it three times, making sure he hadn’t misread it.

’Such a powerful Effect!’

He had personally experienced the power of the Soldier Immortal Technique. That state where every cell in his body burned and his Power surged had allowed him, a Refining Viscera Middle Stage cultivator, to completely dominate opponents in the same Realm. He could even team up with Zhai Jia to kill someone at the Refining Viscera Late Stage.

And that was just at the Beginner Level, adding 0.05 to All Attributes.

’If I can get it to the Basic, Intermediate, or High Level...’

’It’s true what they say: the greater the risk, the greater the reward.’

Wan Ze clenched his fists, feeling the new Power coursing through him.

He looked intently at the data panel.

The conditions for the Basic level were All Attributes no lower than 3.8, and defeating one enemy while in the Soldier Resolution State.

’A mere 3.8... I’ll get it done.’

Wan Ze turned and began his sword-drawing Cultivation.

The Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash, as its name implied, had one core principle: the "draw."

Draw the sword, slash, sheathe the sword. It was that simple.

But the simplest things were often the hardest to perfect.

Wan Ze stood in the center of the courtyard, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He closed his eyes, feeling the weapon’s weight.

Then...

Draw!

SHING!

With a flash of light, the longsword left its scabbard, traced an arc through the air, and was sheathed again.

One.

He adjusted his breathing and drew the sword again.

SHING!

Two.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Three, four, five...

The only sounds in the courtyard were the ring of the blade and the whistle of it cutting through the air.

He didn’t know how many times he had drawn his sword.

A hundred? Five hundred? A thousand?

He only knew that when his arm grew sore, he would rest for a few seconds, then continue drawing.

There were still twenty-eight days until the eighth of next month.

There was still time for everything.

...

「Ten-odd days later.」

Early one morning, Wan Ze pushed open his door to find the courtyard damp.

A light rain had fallen the previous night, and the ground hadn’t completely dried. The blue-gray bricks glistened faintly with moisture.

The sky was still overcast. A layer of gray-white clouds hung low, obscuring the sun, but daylight had already broken.

Wan Ze walked into the middle of the courtyard, stretched his limbs, and assumed the opening stance of the Dragon Eagle Combat Skill.

He had been practicing this Fist Technique for a long time. The opening move, the twist of the waist, the punch, and the retraction of his fist—all flowed together seamlessly.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The wind from his punches tore through the air.

Wan Ze went through the motions again and again at a steady pace. On the damp ground, his footprints grew deeper and more jumbled.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Suddenly, the sound of his punches cutting through the air ceased.

A peculiar sensation rose from deep within Wan Ze’s body.

It felt as if something deep inside him had come undone.

He knew at once: the Dragon Eagle Combat Skill had broken through!

He had reached the Intermediate level.

He pulled up the Illustrated Guide.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Dragon Eagle Combat Skill](Intermediate Level Mastered)

[New Effect: Initial Release (All Attributes +0.06)]

[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Practice this fist technique for 1000 hours]