We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

At this stage.

Basic swordsmanship can be said to be Shen Bailian's only zero-level skill, that is, a skill that has never been advanced using divine matter.

But its importance is beyond doubt.

Since ancient times, there have been sayings related to weapons and blades, such as "With a knife in hand, follow me to kill!", "With a sharp weapon in hand, the will to kill arises", and so on.

This clearly demonstrates the importance of weapons in combat.

A fist may be strong, but it is far less powerful than a sharp blade.

In the course of battle, having a weapon in hand is always much more reassuring than being empty-handed.

The Dragon Slayer Blade and basic sword techniques did indeed play a crucial role in Shen Bailian's growth. Even his strongest move is the Heavenly Blade, which combines the essence of the Heavenly Qi and the mysteries of nature.

Furthermore, the risks along the border of the Great Xia Dynasty are unpredictable.

Who knows when a fourth-tier catastrophe-level ferocious beast might suddenly appear, just like when Shen Bailian first participated in the wilderness trial before entering the martial arts university.

Moreover, this final exam was a collective effort involving the first-year martial arts students from the four academies of Tiangang Academy.

Shen Bailian's idea is to keep the passive effect of the divine skill [Following Shadow] as secret as possible, unless absolutely necessary.

Furthermore, once you have skill points, being stuck at a certain level or rank becomes meaningless for Shen Bailian.

One skill point is worth 4999 points of divine matter, while upgrading the basic swordsmanship skill from Tier 0 to Tier 2 only requires 1100 points of divine matter.

The price is very high.

Therefore, this second advancement in basic swordsmanship is imperative.

As Shen Bailian's murmur ended, in just an instant, the remaining 1232 divine substances on the panel plummeted once again at an even more frantic rate than before.

1232、1200、1100、950……232。

when!
Like a resounding bell, Shen Bailian's originally calm expression suddenly changed slightly, as he felt his long-stagnant sea of ​​spiritual energy.

In the blink of an eye, ripples spread out in circles, growing stronger and wider, and a halo seemed to appear above the sea of ​​spiritual energy.

This is a phenomenon that has never occurred again since the basic boxing techniques were advanced.

Since then, Shen Bailian's mental strength has gradually kept pace with the improvement of his physical fitness level.

Even surpass it for a period of time!

Furthermore, during the upgrading or advancement of various skills, the Sea of ​​Spirit never exhibited any abnormal fluctuations, let alone the appearance of such a strange halo.

Shen Bailian's mental strength has now reached the mid-stage of the second tier. In addition, his mental strength is constantly being washed by the power of origin, making his mental strength comparable to some experts in the Embracing Moon Realm.

Even surpassing it.

Furthermore, this strange phenomenon did not appear in his sea of ​​spiritual power when he advanced the Heavenly Gang One Qi Fist Technique.

The originally rigid and lifeless sea of ​​spiritual energy seemed to "come alive" and gain independent vitality the moment the halo appeared.

As time passed, those halos spontaneously combined, spectrating into strangely shaped characters, radiating a hazy glow.

Like a dream.

This was unimaginable, something Shen Bailian had never seen or witnessed before.

At the same time, just as he was focusing his attention on the Sea of ​​Spirit, the four characters of the skill [Four Seasons Blade Technique] on the ink-wash panel subtly changed—

[The Four Seasons Sword Technique has advanced to the next level—All Things Under Heaven!]

【All Things in the Universe LV1 (0/400)】

Congratulations! Your physical attributes have been improved!

Congratulations! Your Spirit attribute has been improved!

【…】

at last.

"Boom--!"

As the deafening sound rang out, a powerful force seemed to be awakened within Shen Bailian's body. The primordial power in his dantian suddenly surged forth like a raging river, roaring and raging wildly.

This primal power, carrying the most ancient and primal roar, resounded like thunder through his meridians, shaking every inch of his soul.

All of a sudden.

Shen Bailian's aura rose steadily, and the invincible kingly aura of the Sea Opening Realm emerged and spread wildly, making it difficult for many ferocious beasts within a radius of several miles to withstand this heavy pressure.

Kneel down on the ground.

Within just over ten seconds, the pupils of these ferocious beasts contracted violently, as if they had seen the most terrifying thing in their hearts, causing them to roar wildly.

He nearly committed suicide!

"Chucky!"

The strong wind pierced their bodies, and miraculously, it was as if these ferocious beasts had been slashed by a sharp blade, with several wounds bursting open all over their bodies, completely dyeing their fur dark red.

On the verge of death, memories of the past surfaced in my mind.

Powerlessness, emptiness, collapse, resentment, fear, regret... all sorts of negative emotions surged into their hearts, and the eyes of these ferocious beasts suddenly became glazed.

Some were weeping, some were screaming in anguish, some were laughing maniacally, and some were even banging their heads against stones, creating a scene of no return.

"Crack—sizzle—!"

Some of the weaker ferocious beasts widened their eyes and then bit off their own tongues without hesitation, their bright red, foul-smelling blood gushing out like an unopened can of soda.

It was like a riot of demons.

Chilling.

Inside the cave.

Shen Bailian's face was slightly pale. His spiritual power sank down, and the muscles beneath his skin, under the cleansing and baptism of the primal power, emitted a hazy luster, emanating from his pores.

His muscles were taut like wires, and the veins below his forehead bulged like worms, as if he were undergoing a transformative process, with every inch of skin and every muscle experiencing a qualitative leap.

And as time went by, the light emanating from Shen Bailian's body grew brighter and brighter, even becoming dazzling.

Within this dazzling light, myriad phenomena are faintly emerging.

But what shocked Shen Bailian even more than the physical pain was the scene outside.

"This, this... isn't this second-tier skill, 'Myriad Manifestations,' a bit too overpowered?!" Shen Bailian frowned slightly as he looked at the ferocious beasts outside, which were exhibiting various abnormal states.

Even he had never witnessed such a situation.

Although Steel Body, Primordial Chaos, and Myriad Manifestations are all second-tier skills, they each have their own specializations, and their overall effects are also different.

Just like there is a big difference between martial arts prodigies and top-tier martial arts prodigies.

The basic sword technique, being the most lethal among Shen Bailian's series of skills and also an active skill, will undergo a qualitative leap after advancement.

He had naturally anticipated this before advancing his skills.

However… this power seems a bit outrageously strong. It's not just about physical damage anymore; it also involves mental damage. Furthermore, after careful examination with Shen Bailian's Divine Eye, it was discovered that those ferocious beasts were actually affected by multiple negative status effects.

This unscientific!

That's too mystical!

But it seems reasonable, because this is Shen Bailian's original talent, all of which comes from his extraordinary aptitude, unparalleled comprehension, and tireless hard work.

That's not entirely unreasonable.

Because when Shen Bailian's skills are upgraded, they are all "tailor-made" based on his current physical fitness level, mental strength, intensity, and rank.

More than ten minutes later.

One-third of the surging primal power had already disappeared as it was devoured by the muscles and bones throughout Shen Bailian's body.

It became much quieter.

On its spiritual sea, faint, ghostly characters flickered, densely packed.

"I can't understand it, I really can't understand it!" Shen Bailian looked at the words and felt a headache coming on. He shook his head and decided to put it aside for the time being, thinking to himself, "This improvement should be coming to an end soon."

"I just don't know to what extent the physical fitness level can be improved."

With the outcome still uncertain, even Shen Bailian could not predict exactly how much the attribute values ​​would be increased by this second advancement of the basic sword technique before the result was announced.

……

When Shen Bailian was calming down and improving his martial arts level.

Beneath the vast, boundless sky, dark thunderclouds surged.

Below the thunderclouds, a solitary black peak stands proudly between heaven and earth, shrouded in mist, as if it were the only black earth in the world untouched by the dust of the mortal world.

On the summit, a man, shirtless and wearing only shorts, stood quietly, his body surrounded by fluctuations of the elemental energy of heaven and earth, and his lightning element was unusually active.

Yuwen Changkong remained expressionless, his eyes as deep as the Milky Way, calmly gazing at the increasingly thick black clouds above the sky. A fleeting look of excitement and longing flashed across his eyes.

Like a devout seeker of the truth.

As time passed, the dark clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, as if they had been stained with a large amount of black ink, giving people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

Its momentum was immense.

Directly above Yuwen Changkong, the dark clouds resembled an inverted spiral. Within those clouds, something seemed to be shimmering, emitting a hazy purple light that stained the dark clouds with an eerie purple hue.

"Bang! Bang!"

"Bang bang bang-!"

At the very center of the inverted black cloud, a vibrating drumbeat resounded through the sky, and the black cloud itself began to vibrate rhythmically with the drumbeat, its surface wreathed in spiraling purple electricity.

"Crackling and popping—BOOM!!!"

The purple lightning intertwined and formed illusory purple dragons, which coiled and swirled in the sky, roaring and emitting thunderous roars.

Dozens of miles away.

"Sikong, is it really necessary to be in such a hurry?" Lei Zhentian's gaze pierced through the thick black clouds, glancing worriedly at the young man atop the mountain peak. He then turned to look at the imposing figure before him, whose aura was terrifying. After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively offered his advice:
"Chang Kong is still young, and there is still a long time for him to cultivate."

"If things proceed as originally planned, Chang Kong will be able to fuse with the Heart of Thunder more safely after advancing to the Sea Opening Realm, and the fusion rate will reach over 70%. There's no need to rush now..."

"Instructor Lei." The man Lei Zhentian addressed as Boss Sikong was burly, his muscles like stacked boulders. He shook his head, interrupting Lei Zhentian, and said in a deep voice like muffled thunder:

"You need to understand one thing: plans can never keep up with changes, and this is a resolution passed by the elders in a meeting. It is not open to questioning and cannot be changed."

Although the man addressed Lei Zhentian as "Instructor Lei," it was clear from their positions and conversation that the man's status within the Starry Sky Martial Hall was far superior to Lei Zhentian's.

“But…” Lei Zhentian’s words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

Because he also knew that the man wouldn't lie to him about this.

Although the man and Yuwen Changkong in the distance were both holy sons of the Starry Sky Martial Hall, their strengths were no longer on the same level, so there was naturally no conflict of interest between them.

Of course, the most important thing is that the Heart of Thunder, one of the Starry Sky Martial Hall's treasures, was brought out by this man.

"Actually, Instructor Lei, I understand your concerns." The man's expression was serious as he stared intently at the Heart of Thunder in the sky and the young man atop the mountain.

"However, the matter you are worried about has already been completely resolved."

"Hmm?" Lei Zhentian looked puzzled. After a moment of contemplation, his face suddenly lit up with surprise and delight. He asked, "Have you discovered another giant cave world?"

"No."

Lei Zhentian's expression froze.

"But this time, a method has emerged that can more stably enhance martial arts potential than the primordial power within the giant cave world."

"Oh?"

"It seems you still have the same old habits, Instructor Lei, not paying much attention to current events." The man looked at Lei Zhentian, who had a puzzled expression, shook his head helplessly, and smiled, "You should know Shen Bailian, right?"

"I know him." Upon hearing this, Lei Zhentian's expression turned extremely ugly. He continued, "And I have a very deep impression of him."

He never expected that he would rely on the charm of the Unrepentant Divine Palace Realm expert to win over Shen Bailian to the Starry Sky Martial Hall.

As a result, Shen Bailian not only failed to win him over, but also sent Si Buhui to him instead.

This is even worse than losing both one's wife and one's army.

If Lei Zhentian hadn't been Yuwen Changkong's master, he would probably have been expelled from the Starry Sky Martial Hall by now.

After noticing Lei Zhentian's expression, the man couldn't help but smile as well, and then recounted the whole story to him.

After a while.

"If the Elders' predictions hold true, Shen Bailian's ability to enhance others' martial arts potential is limited, and there's even a possibility that he might be exchanging martial arts potential for other martial arts potential," Lei Zhentian asked hesitantly.
"If it's the latter, given the Third Elder's past personality, I'm afraid he wouldn't agree to this, right?"

"Elder Si Bu Hui certainly doesn't know how."

"So what are you thinking?" Lei Zhentian frowned, suppressing his inner confusion. He tried his best to look at the man calmly.

He knew that although there were stubborn mules, madmen, and fanatics in the council, there would never be a fool who didn't understand the seriousness of the matter.

"Elder Si Bu Hui doesn't know how, but Shen Bailian does?"

"Hmm?" Lei Zhentian frowned immediately, looking at the man in front of him with confusion, and said, "I spent some time with that kid. Although he is very talented, he is definitely not the kind of person who would talk back to his master so easily."

"If Si Bu Hui and Duan Wuya refuse to agree, Shen Bailian will most likely disagree as well. If we insist on contacting Shen Bailian, we'll probably be criticized and looked down upon, won't we?"

"Furthermore, Xiong Kuotian is also a hot-tempered guy."

"No, he will definitely agree." The man said with a confident smile, "What our Starry Sky Martial Hall has in abundance is divine matter."

"???" Lei Zhentian was full of doubt.

"It involves top secret, so I can't tell Instructor Lei," the man said meaningfully, taking a deep breath.

"But Instructor Lei, you should know that in the Great Xia Dynasty, it is difficult to escape Nuwa's surveillance until one has fully grown up and become a Moon Embracing Realm expert."

Lei Zhentian's heart suddenly tightened... (End of Chapter)