Extreme Speed

The clear notes of the bamboo whistle echoed through the mountain forest once again. Dusk gradually settled over the wilderness. It was another day without finding a soul. Lin Zheyu carried a wild boar over two meters long across his shoulders as he walked back toward his cave. The weather had cleared for two days now. Though the branches and fallen leaves were not entirely dry, using them for a roast posed no real problem—it merely required a bit more effort. Outside the cave entrance, Lin Zheyu crouched by a crackling bonfire as the marbled boar meat sizzled and dripped with oil. He sprinkled a pinch of chili powder and seasoning over it, and a rich, mouthwatering aroma drifted into the cool air. Several days had passed like this. Combing the forest for his target while devoting the rest of his time to cultivation was actually quite pleasant. After eating his fill, Lin Zheyu walked over to the cave steeped in sinister, eerie energy. The wild beast he had captured yesterday was still alive. Confined within the array formation and steadily corroded by the dense sinister power, it had grown utterly languid and dispirited. "Still breathing and baring its teeth. Decent vitality, all things considered." Lin Zheyu checked the beast's condition, inspected the secret chamber and the coffin, and after confirming there were no new developments, returned to his shelter. Time slipped quietly by. Lin Zheyu spent each day to the fullest. He felt less like he was on a search mission and more like he had entered the deep mountains for a dedicated cultivation retreat. Having scoured nearly all of Mount Daba without encountering a single soul, he suspected that the secluded cultivator had probably moved on. Or perhaps the man was already dead. In the blink of an eye, another nine days flew past. Lin Zheyu had still found no trace of the secluded cultivator; the man truly seemed to be gone from these mountains. He had already remained in Mount Daba for a full seventeen days. His mission was long overdue, and he had only stayed the past two days because a few matters had delayed his departure. *** Inside Songyi City, at the Xing clan estate. "How is the investigation into the remaining individuals going?" the Xing clan's Grand Elder asked nonchalantly, looking at the middle-aged man standing before him. Over the past dozen days, they had interrogated a portion of the people on their list and executed another. Those remaining were all experts of the Qi and Blood Realm. "Reporting to Elder: Zhao Weikun and his circle have cleared their suspicion. According to reports from our scouts in Lion Valley, they were stationed inside Lion Valley throughout that entire period." "At present, only Xu Yunhu, the head of the Xu clan, and Ren Yuhan of the Ren clan remain unaccounted for." "Neither was in the city at the time, and their whereabouts were unknown. They may very well be connected to the deaths of the Second Elder and the Fifth Elder," the middle-aged man reported respectfully. "It seems the deaths of the second and fifth brothers are deeply tied to the Xu and Ren clans." The Grand Elder paused in thought, then asked, "Any news on that brat from the Feihong Gang?" "None." "We dispatched men into the mountains to search, but after more than ten days, they haven't found a single trace of him. His whereabouts are unknown, and we cannot confirm whether he is dead or alive," the middle-aged man answered. Ten or so days ago, they had deployed several teams to track down leads connected to the deaths of the Second and Fifth Elders. They had suffered a fair number of casualties during the process. Yet the squad assigned to tail Lin Zheyu had been wiped out entirely. "Keep investigating. Leave a few men to watch the main transit routes near Songyi City; the moment you receive word of that boy, report it at once." "In addition, deliver this secret letter to the patriarch." The Grand Elder pondered for a brief moment, then produced a sealed envelope. "Understood, Elder," the middle-aged man answered respectfully as he took the envelope. "Wait a moment. What were Zhao Weikun and his people doing in Lion Valley? Have they also formed a partnership with the Nine Nether Cult?" the Grand Elder asked after a brief thought. "The people of the Nine Nether Cult are tight-lipped and refuse to reveal anything." "However, according to our scouts, Zhao Weikun and his group stayed inside Lion Valley for two days. There is a strong likelihood they reached a cooperation agreement with the Nine Nether Cult," the middle-aged man replied. "Very well. You may leave." After the man withdrew, the Grand Elder summoned another subordinate. "Deliver this secret letter to Zhao Guanhua, the head of the Zhao clan," the Grand Elder said calmly, handing over a newly penned letter. "Understood, Elder!" The man took the envelope and hurried out. With the arrangements settled, the Grand Elder walked into an inner chamber. He twisted a small mechanism concealed inside a vase, and the bookshelf slid open smoothly, revealing a hidden chamber behind it. The hidden room was dead silent, occupied only by Xing Rui. The two young boys from before were nowhere to be seen. Xing Rui sat cross-legged on the floor with his fingers intertwined in an incantation sign, holding an eccentric posture. His eyes were shut tight, his chest rising and falling to the rhythm of a mysterious, measured cadence. Invisible strands of eerie glow gathered from the air, drifting gently into Xing Rui's body and flowing through his meridians. The Grand Elder glanced at Xing Rui, walked to a corner of the chamber to sit down, and drew out the Guiyuan Art to study it. He had no intention of cultivating the Guiyuan Art just yet. Only after his grandfather practiced it and confirmed there were no hidden dangers would he begin. Time drifted by slowly, and roughly four hours passed. Xing Rui surfaced from his cultivation and opened his eyes. The instant his eyelids parted, a faint, dark glow flickered across his pupils before fading into nothingness. "Grandfather, how do you feel?" The Grand Elder set aside the secret manual and walked over to inquire. "I feel better than ever!" "The Guiyuan Art truly lives up to its name as an immortal cultivation method. I can feel my strength, which had been regressing for decades, beginning to rise once more!" Xing Rui smiled, in high spirits. Although he had broken through to the Marrow Tempering Realm with the aid of potent medicinal herbs to extend his lifespan, old age had steadily eroded his combat strength. Now, after practicing the Guiyuan Art, his former prowess was rapidly returning. "That is wonderful news." "Even so, Grandfather, you must not let down your guard. Whether it is the ancient records left by our ancestors or the warnings of the Nine Nether Cult priest, all evidence suggests that immortal cultivation methods are inherently sinister." "If you notice anything amiss, you must halt your cultivation immediately and disperse the spiritual power generated by the Guiyuan Art," the Grand Elder cautioned with a grave expression. "Rest easy, I know what I am doing." "How are the plans progressing?" Xing Rui asked calmly. "Everything is going smoothly. However, the Xu clan seems to have caught wind of something and has begun secret preparations," the Grand Elder reported. "No matter. With our Xing clan's power, whatever preparations they make will amount to nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot." "If not for the City Lord keeping us in check from above, the Xu and Zhao clans wouldn't even have a standing here. Songyi City would belong solely to our Xing clan!" Xing Rui declared indifferently, his tone brimming with immense confidence and overbearing authority. *** At dawn. The first light broke as a hazy mist veiled the mountain forest. After five or six consecutive days of rain earlier, the skies had cleared. Though a few overcast days followed, no further rain fell. Lin Zheyu woke early. He did not venture out to search for anyone today; his search mission was officially over. In a flash, four days had passed since he last broke past his physical limits to harvest Origin Power. It was time for another harvest. 'Breaking my limits this time will grant two units of Origin Power. That should be enough to push Mountain-Shattering Leg to perfection,' Lin Zheyu noted internally, examining the data in his consciousness. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 0 Skills: Mountain-Shattering Leg (Major Mastery 12%) Six Harmonies Saber (Major Mastery 68%) Golden Goose Skill (Eighth Layer 48%) Turtle Breathing Art (Third Layer 5%) He had already used Origin Power twice to enhance Mountain-Shattering Leg, yet it had only reached twelve percent of Major Mastery. There was still some distance to go before perfection. Currently, unleashing Mountain-Shattering Leg at full power allowed him to erupt with eighteen consecutive strikes, surpassing the capacity of Mountain-Shattering Palm. However, because his original definition of the technique's perfection required reaching a state where he could unleash Mountain-Shattering Leg unrestrained, the skill had not yet attained perfection. Whoosh— Whoosh, whoosh— Inside the cave, fierce gusts whipped around as Lin Zheyu began his frantic regimen. With his growing mastery of Mountain-Shattering Palm's qi and blood burst technique over the past nine days, he had even integrated it into his Wild Bull Fist. Whenever he drove a fist forward in a full burst, the resulting power was staggering. Time flowed steadily past, and six hours melted away. The instant his essence, qi, and spirit were pushed to their absolute limits, Lin Zheyu felt as though his entire being had sublimated, a wave of profound euphoria surging through his mind. This sensation of bliss was something that a few fleeting seconds of pleasure at Hundred Pavilions could never hope to rival. Though his muscles ached intensely all over, a look of sheer savoring spread across his face. "Phew... hah, hah..." Panting slightly, Lin Zheyu sat down cross-legged and began restoring his qi and blood. Ten-odd minutes later, the dull aches throughout his frame eased considerably under the soothing circulation of several strands of qi and blood power. He plunged both hands into a wooden basin filled with water, greeted by an icy chill. Ten packets of powdered Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Decoction had been mixed into the basin, providing ample energy to support the two units of Origin Power meant for advancing Mountain-Shattering Leg. During his time in Mount Daba, his Golden Goose Skill had not advanced in the slightest, yet he had burned through a significant amount of his medicinal ingredients. Of the seventy batches he had brought, only forty remained, all of which had been poured into advancing Mountain-Shattering Palm and Mountain-Shattering Leg. Yet Lin Zheyu felt no regret. Compared to leveling Golden Goose Skill, using the medicine to elevate Mountain-Shattering Palm and Mountain-Shattering Leg yielded the greatest direct boost to his combat prowess. Golden Goose Skill possessed only eight layers, with its ceiling capped at Qi and Blood Four Transformations. Even if he raised Golden Goose Skill to the perfection of its eighth layer and stepped into Qi and Blood Four Transformations, his overall strength would not jump dramatically. An increase of roughly twenty percent to his total combat capability was about the absolute limit. In contrast, mastering Mountain-Shattering Palm and Mountain-Shattering Leg to perfection directly tripled his offensive output—an astonishing leap. Even reaching the Sixth Blood Transformation and attaining the realm of the Qi and Blood Furnace would likely fall short of tripling his attack power. 'Let's begin!' Lin Zheyu thought. Next, he needed to find a way to triple his speed as well, a feat that posed considerable difficulty. Achieving a threefold increase in speed would require a long journey. First, he had to train Mountain-Shattering Leg to perfection, reaching the level where he could unleash it without reservation. After that, he needed to bring Golden Goose Skill to perfection as well. Only then could he thoroughly weave the qi and blood burst technique of Mountain-Shattering Leg into Golden Goose Skill. The circulation of qi and blood in Golden Goose Skill demanded exceptionally fine control, and blending a violent, explosive burst technique into it was no simple undertaking. Food had to be eaten one mouthful at a time, and the road had to be walked step by step; one could never rush the martial path. 'Use two units of Origin Power to advance Mountain-Shattering Leg.' As the thought formed, his mind blurred, pulling him into that extraordinary conscious space. Lin Zheyu threw himself into a tireless, endless frenzy of cultivation. His conceptual comprehension of Mountain-Shattering Leg had already reached perfection; what he primarily needed to enhance was his legs' physical capacity to endure the ferocious burst of qi and blood. Through repeated full-power strikes that tore at the muscle fibers, membranes, and skin of his legs, followed by swift regeneration, his flesh, sinews, skin, and bones grew progressively tougher. At the same time, across this unending training, Lin Zheyu's grasp of the burst technique deepened continuously. His personal insights into this technique had long surpassed the manual's original descriptions of Mountain-Shattering Palm, though his progress was still largely composed of subtle refinements built on that foundation. This burst technique was exceptionally powerful and profoundly intricate. Achieving a major breakthrough on top of it required an immensely high martial cultivation level paired with profound martial arts knowledge. At best, Lin Zheyu was relying on repetition to achieve mastery, tailoring minute improvements and adjustments to fit his own physical structure through countless rounds of relentless practice. A few breaths later in the waking world, Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air. "Done!" "Mountain-Shattering Leg has reached perfection!" Lin Zheyu looked at the panel in his mind, his eyes glinting with sharp light. [Heaven Rewards Diligence] Name: Lin Zheyu Origin Power: 0 Skills: Mountain-Shattering Leg (Perfection) Six Harmonies Saber (Major Mastery 68%) Golden Goose Skill (Eighth Layer 48%) Turtle Breathing Art (Third Layer 5%) Perfection in Mountain-Shattering Leg was fundamentally different from perfection in Mountain-Shattering Palm. Once Mountain-Shattering Palm was perfected, a full-power burst still capped him at sixteen consecutive strikes. With Mountain-Shattering Leg perfected, however, Lin Zheyu could unleash it unrestrained until every drop of qi and blood power in his body was completely drained! Prior to utilizing the burst technique, an all-out effort would allow his internal qi and blood power to sustain him for roughly twenty minutes. With the burst technique activated, he could unleash three times his original qi and blood power simultaneously. Moreover, because the burst technique was inherently violent, its internal friction and strain were far heavier, consuming approximately an additional fold of qi and blood power during the process. Every burst of Mountain-Shattering Leg burned roughly four times the normal volume of qi and blood power. In other words, Lin Zheyu could unleash Mountain-Shattering Leg without restraint, sustaining three times his standard offensive power for roughly five continuous minutes. 'With my current strength, even if I face a Sixth Blood Transformation martial artist, I shouldn't be at a disadvantage, right?' Lin Zheyu mused. He circulated his qi and blood power, channeling it into his legs. With a loud bang, explosive power detonated through Lin Zheyu's lower body, hurtling him forward like a cannonball. His speed was terrifying, far exceeding his previous limits. The scenery before him blurred into streaks as wind roared fiercely past his ears. Extreme speed! A three-fold surge of extreme speed! The corners of Lin Zheyu's lips curved upward slightly. Just as he had anticipated, applying the burst technique directly to Golden Goose Skill dramatically enhanced its velocity. Now that Mountain-Shattering Leg had reached perfection, his legs could endure the explosive qi and blood technique without fear of injury. He was free to apply the technique unrestrained while running Golden Goose Skill. "Holy shit, I'm going to crash!" Lin Zheyu spotted a massive tree ahead, his heart leaping into his throat. The qi and blood released by the burst technique was far too violent and difficult to steer; he could only channel it into the most basic footwork of Golden Goose Skill. Put another way, it could only be applied to straight-line acceleration. He was entirely unable to manage sharp turns, dodges, or nimble shifts in direction—the momentum was simply uncontrollable. Boom! Lin Zheyu's right foot stomped hard against the ground to blunt his forward momentum while both fists drove forward, shattering the thick tree trunk into flying splinters. "Phew, I nearly plowed straight into it." "For now, applying the burst technique to Golden Goose Skill is only good for fleeing in a straight line; I can't even manage basic evasive turns," Lin Zheyu muttered under his breath. To fully incorporate it into Golden Goose Skill, he would need far more delicate control over the burst technique. Lin Zheyu decided to reserve that ambition for the ninth layer of Golden Goose Skill. Once he brought the eighth layer to perfection, he would merge the burst technique into it to create a ninth layer of his own. "Time to see how that wild beast is doing." "Regardless of the result, I have to head back today, or Gang Leader Xu might start suspecting something happened to me," Lin Zheyu told himself. After gathering his belongings, he walked toward the cave filled with sinister energy. His reason for lingering in Mount Daba for an extra few days had been to study the array formation, the coffin, and the mutated beast inside that cavern.