Successive Advancements

"Tiya, which path are you planning to take?" On another afternoon, several of them gathered at the training grounds. "Blood Law, or Emerald Honey?" It was not just Scholar Haide asking; the other companions were equally curious about Xilutaiya's choice. "Probably Emerald Honey." Xilutaiya had originally entertained thoughts of Radiant Moon as well, but she currently lacked the occult knowledge for it and could only set that idea aside for now. Unfortunately, Madame Falan was not home. Xilutaiya wanted to ask the lady about her past experiences and lessons regarding advancement choices; otherwise, she could have stepped into First-Order · Emerald Honey at any moment. Perhaps this was a happy trouble to have. While everyone else was still fretting over how to break through, she was hesitating over which breakthrough was superior. "What about you guys?" Her own advancement would likely have to wait a few more days, but the remaining members on the field were in varying situations. She didn't know much about Kemiya's cultivation of the Mist Shadow attribute, but Kemiya only needed to advance Eye of Phantasmal Incantation to Lv. 2, and then combine it with Meditation Method to advance to First-Order · Mist Shadow. Kailun's Breathing Method had only just broken through to Lv. 2, so she was likely still some distance away from advancing. Mick and Lei were already very close to Lv. 3 in their mastery and completion of the Breathing Method, but they were still missing that most crucial final insight. The gap was like forging iron and steel—lacking only those last few dozen degrees of heat to melt the iron ingot. Xilutaiya thought of the bottle of blood wine Scholar Haide had awarded her for placing first in the exam. It was time to take it out. She wasn't short on money now and didn't need to sell it for living expenses, so it was perfect to share among them. The next day, when Xilutaiya brought the bottle of blood wine, Mick and the others were still quite surprised. After more than a month of spending time together and even going hunting and exploring as a group, their relationship was naturally strong. Even so, blood wine worth nearly one gold coin—one hundred silver coins—was an enormous sum. With the kind of work Taliel had looked for before, one would have to labor for about three years without eating or drinking to save that much. "All right, there's no need to be polite. Since I brought it out, I naturally don't need it myself." The girl raised a finger, signaling them not to worry about it. "The three of you drink a little each day, and paired with practicing the Breathing Method, you should be able to break through to stage three in about a week," she estimated. As for herself, her Breathing Method had broken through some time ago, and she now possessed [Breathing Method Lv. 3] and [Dew Prayer Method Lv. 3], which was why Scholar Haide had brought up the question earlier. "Thank you." Mick and Lei wanted to say more, but for the moment, they couldn't find any eloquent words of gratitude. A faint warmth simply welled up inside them. Over this period, the students had divided into three distinct groups: the first was the four noble students led by Iona, the second was the six commoner students led by Suolin, and finally, there was the five-person squad led by Xilutaiya. Coincidentally, the leaders of the three groups held the top three spots in class grades. Iona maintained a firm grip on first place, though she didn't interact much with the other noble students and often trained alone. Suolin and Xilutaiya frequently acted with their companions, exchanging insights and experiences. Compared to the noble circle, the commoners were noticeably more united. Over the next few days, Xilutaiya went about her routine as usual, attending classes on time, studying and tutoring with her classmates, and then helping tend Madame Falan's fields. On the fourth day after she gave them the blood wine, Mick was the first to achieve a breakthrough and advance. Name: Mick Race: Human (Mortal Body) Status: Healthy (No abnormalities) Talent: Blood Activation [Good Grade]—The rhythm of your blood is active, making it easy to perceive and cultivate abilities related to Blood Law. Destiny Card: [Hot-Blooded Youth] (First-Order · Blood Law)- Effect: [Sturdy Body Lv. 2]: Adjusted through the Breathing Method, your body has gradually adapted to the circulation of Blood Law, gaining a sturdier physique and greater strength. Ability Cards: [Breathing Method Lv. 3], [Empty Slot], [Empty Slot] Skills: [Basic Swordsmanship Lv. 4], [Military Swordsmanship Lv. 3], [Wilderness Survival Lv. 2], [Secret History Knowledge Lv. 3] —— His advancement once again set off a wave of eager discussion among the students. Many felt as though they had caught sight of hope, becoming even more diligent and eager. On the seventh day, Lei broke through as well, completing his advancement. Name: Lei Rangmier Race: Human (Mortal Body) Status: Healthy (No abnormalities) Talent: Burly [Good Grade]—Your physique and frame are naturally sturdier than ordinary people. Destiny Card: [Burly Youth] (First-Order · Blood Law)- Effect: [Robust Body Lv. 2]: Adjusted through the Breathing Method, your body has gradually adapted to the circulation of Blood Law, gaining a burlier frame and greater strength. Ability Cards: [Breathing Method Lv. 3], [Empty Slot], [Empty Slot] Skills: [Basic Hammer Technique Lv. 4], [Military Hammer Technique Lv. 2], [Secret History Knowledge Lv. 2] —— If Mick's advancement was understandable—he had always ranked near the top in combat practicals, so everyone had anticipated it—then Lei's advancement left many people unable to sit still. After all, everyone thought the fellow was somewhat slow-witted, so how could he properly adjust the pulse of his attribute and skillfully grasp the techniques of training and combat? "Speaking of which, have you noticed that over the last few exams, Lei hasn't been at the bottom of the class anymore?" When school first started, Lei's grades had consistently ranked dead last. Although everyone acknowledged he was tall and strong, they hadn't paid him much mind. After all, in the cultivation of a transcendent, intellect and comprehension were indispensable; you didn't have to be exceptionally brilliant, but you at least couldn't be too dense. Lei's breakthrough thoroughly shattered everyone's long-held impression, and only then did many realize how much progress he had actually made. "It has to be the effect of Tiya tutoring him, right?" The thought immediately crossed everyone's minds. They had all seen Tiya tutoring a few struggling students, but none of them had thought it would amount to much. Even if poor students improved, how strong could they become? Although Mick and the others were no longer at the bottom in secret history, they were merely in the middle of the pack, still far from the top. Yet, as Scholar Haide had said, countless tiny accumulations eventually triggered a qualitative transformation. The practice of the Breathing Method, the study of occult knowledge, and adjustments across countless training sessions had allowed both of them to find the method that suited them best when advancing. And under the same First-Order · Blood Law, the Destiny Card effects of Mick and Lei were actually slightly stronger than Suolin's. Perhaps out of a desire to vent frustration that had built up for too long, or perhaps to test his true strength, Mick issued a challenge to Suolin after three days of adapting to his new attribute rank. "Oh? Looks like you couldn't hold back either, haha." Suolin gladly agreed. "To be honest, even if you hadn't brought it up, I was planning to ask you for a match these past two days. After all, our backgrounds are similar, and we both advanced along the Blood Law path." With that, the two walked side by side toward the dueling ground. All the students gathered around to watch, and even the instructor on the training grounds walked over with great interest. Ordinary people did not possess Xilutaiya's keen perception; they merely assumed that since both had entered First-Order · Blood Law not long ago, their strength would be fairly evenly matched, making them exceptionally curious to see who was stronger. "Is that so? Looks like I made a good decision today." Holding his sword in both hands, Mick fixed his gaze intently on his opponent and replied in a steady voice. Once inside the ring, neither wasted any more breath on idle chatter. Instead, they faced each other with calm patience, ready to bring out their full strength for the duel. Both were around seventeen years old, full of youthful vigor. Neither would admit to being inferior to the other, nor would either deny the fruits of their recent sweat and toil. "Then let the duel begin!" the instructor barked. Gripping their longswords, both boys pushed off the ground and charged toward each other with fierce momentum, their power, speed, and technique all brought to their absolute peak.