In Martial Arts, Speed Reigns Supreme; Creating the Instant Kill Technique!

Lu Changsheng patted himself down; he had only twenty taels of silver left. This was his entire net worth now. Over the past three months, he had been buying Eight Treasures Blood-Replenishing Powder without pause; otherwise, his Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique could never have reached perfection so swiftly. The powder's effects were indeed remarkable—in just three months, his qi and blood had multiplied several times over. The pity was that it was far too expensive. His silver was practically exhausted, leaving him without enough funds to purchase Strengthening Blood Realm martial arts on the black market. "Silver... though I can trade medicinal herbs for that!" Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath. Fortunately, he had not sat idle over these past three months and was well prepared. During those three months, he had ventured into the mountains time and again, retrieving some of the rare and precious herbs from the valley and using the processing techniques he had learned at Miaoshou Garden to cure and store them. Having accumulated them over three months, the quantity of herbs was quite substantial. What was more, they were all precious herbs, sure to fetch a handsome sum once sold. Lu Changsheng pulled a wooden chest out from beneath his bed. He opened it, revealing that it was packed to the brim with the precious herbs he had gathered and preserved over the last three months. Lu Changsheng packed the herbs into a bundle and headed out. Eighty percent of the pharmacies in Nanyang City belonged to Miaoshou Garden, but the remaining twenty percent were still numerous enough to let him sell off his haul. Cautious by nature, Lu Changsheng selected five separate pharmacies, selling a portion of the herbs at each one. In the end, the proceeds were astounding: a total of over one thousand two hundred taels of silver! This far exceeded even Lu Changsheng's expectations. Even those bandits from before, who had risked their heads to plunder gold, silver, and jewels, had only managed to amass around eight hundred taels. Yet here Lu Changsheng had acquired more than twelve hundred taels simply by selling some herbs. "It's the ginseng. Those wild roots turned out to be over a century old, so naturally they commanded exorbitant prices. "It seems that valley truly is a treasure trove. What a pity those three bandits sat on a mountain of wealth without realizing it, turning to robbery instead." Lu Changsheng felt a surge of excitement. There was still plenty of ginseng and other precious herbs left in the valley. So long as he spared some time to gather them in the mountains, he could continue reaping huge rewards down the line. Lu Changsheng returned to Miaoshou Garden. He had converted the twelve hundred taels entirely into banknotes, hiding them away in his room. "The silver should be enough now. But the black market is a mix of dragons and fish. If I enter it again and spend lavishly on Strengthening Blood Realm martial arts, there's no guarantee I won't be targeted just like last time. "My luck won't hold forever; I might not always shake off those who spy on me there. "Therefore, I must also possess enough strength to protect myself!" Lu Changsheng concentrated and called up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 147 (average talent) Iron Sand Palm: Accomplished Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique: Layer Three, Perfection Lu Changsheng saw that his comprehension had jumped straight from 104 to 147. This was the fruit of three months of hard work. In those three months, Lu Changsheng had trained twenty of the twenty-one martial techniques to perfection, gaining 40 points of comprehension. Only Iron Sand Palm remained unperfected. Iron Sand Palm was not merely an ordinary technique. It seemingly required palms tempered with a specially prepared blend of iron sand to attain perfection. Because Lu Changsheng could not find this special sand for now, his progress was stuck at "Accomplished," unable to reach perfection. Still, it was merely a second-tier technique, so it made little difference. Factoring in the 3 points gained from bringing the Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique to perfection, his comprehension had increased by a total of 43 points. Lu Changsheng sank into thought. His qi and blood were indeed powerful now, having grown several times stronger. He was even capable of shattering stone steles with raw strength. Yet this was not enough! Thinking carefully, Lu Changsheng realized he was still lacking an offensive martial technique. Although he had practiced many techniques, most of which were offensive, they were all only second-tier. Frankly, their power was lacking. They were certainly more than enough against ordinary people ignorant of martial arts, but against martial artists—especially those in the Strengthening Blood Realm or even the Tempering Bone Realm—they would fall far short. "I need a technique—one that is remarkably straightforward yet devastatingly powerful, and perfectly tailored to me. "Finding such a technique ready-made is exceedingly difficult. Even if one were immensely powerful, it might not suit me. "To achieve a perfect fit, the only way is to create it myself..." Lu Changsheng considered creating his own martial technique. Had other martial artists heard this notion, they surely would have scoffed. A mere martial artist in the Strengthening Blood Realm dreaming of creating a technique? It was nothing short of a fool's dream! Yet Lu Changsheng saw things differently. His gaze fell upon his attribute panel, resting on his comprehension of 147 points. Calculating against a baseline of 100, a comprehension of 147 meant he was nearly fifty percent sharper than an ordinary person! What did fifty percent higher comprehension mean? Recently, Lu Changsheng had felt it plainly: he learned everything with astonishing speed. Whether reading, practicing martial arts, or identifying medicinal herbs, he far outstripped ordinary folk. So with comprehension this formidable, could he not attempt to forge his own martial technique? Moreover, Lu Changsheng had mastered dozens of techniques, bringing them all to perfection. He was not dreaming up ideas out of thin air; he had a solid foundation! "Let's try." Lu Changsheng closed his eyes, and bursts of inspiration began to flash across his mind. First, what kind of technique did he want? "In martial arts, speed reigns supreme. "Given my current ordinary qi and blood and average physical build, only a high-speed technique can exert the greatest effect. "And across the three stages of Body Tempering—whether Strengthening Blood, Tempering Bone, or Refining Organs—the human body cannot withstand the slice of a sharp blade. I have a dagger. If I strike at high speed, it will almost certainly be an instant kill! "And speed is divided into movement speed and striking speed. The technique I wish to create must have swift movement, and even swifter strikes..." Countless sparks of inspiration collided and converged within Lu Changsheng's mind. With a comprehension as high as 147 points, the insights in his mind seemed inexhaustible. One hour passed, then two, then three... Darkness had fallen. Gradually, an unfamiliar martial technique began taking shape in Lu Changsheng's mind. It was an assassination art. It dictated that one remained motionless until ready to strike, but when one did, it was earth-shattering—a certain kill in a single blow! It incorporated the principles of the Tiger Pounce Hand and other arts, lurking like a dormant beast before violently bursting forth to strike, unleashing every ounce of power from qi, blood, and muscle in a single fleeting moment. Lu Changsheng crouched low, gazing forward with calm, focused eyes. *Swish.* The next instant, Lu Changsheng moved. Kicking off with both feet, he darted forward like a hunting cheetah. In a flash, his hand flicked the dagger, a streak of white light flashed, and a corner of the table in the room was severed cleanly. From drawing the blade to pulling it back, it took merely an instant! "Phew..." Lu Changsheng panted heavily. That single instant of attack had drained most of his physical stamina. Fortunately, he still had his qi and blood, which kept him on his feet. "What a terrifying technique. "With such speed, a Strengthening Blood Realm martial artist would find it virtually impossible to defend against. "And that was purely bursting with physical power, without unleashing my qi and blood. Once I ignite my qi and blood, it will be even faster..." A glint of wonder flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. This technique was exceptionally well suited to his current state. Furthermore, it required a weapon to execute—typically a short weapon such as a dagger or short sword. "This technique pursues sheer speed, a sure kill in one strike, created solely for slaughter... I'll name it the Instant Kill Technique." Lu Changsheng gave the technique a name. Immediately, the attribute panel blurred and updated, showing a new martial technique: Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 147 (average talent) Instant Kill Technique: Entry-level Iron Sand Palm: Accomplished Great River Blood-Strengthening Technique: Layer Three, Perfection On the attribute panel, this Instant Kill Technique was currently only at entry-level. Though Lu Changsheng had created the Instant Kill Technique, truth be told, it had pushed him to his limits to do so. Even as its creator, bringing it to perfection would still take time and effort. Moreover, Lu Changsheng could faintly sense that the Instant Kill Technique was at least a third-tier, if not fourth-tier, martial technique. As for exactly which tier it belonged to, he would only know after perfecting it and seeing how much comprehension it added. Though the Instant Kill Technique was now born, wielding it as naturally as an extension of his own limbs would still require some practice. Lu Changsheng considered it; there was no hurry. Waiting a while before visiting the black market wouldn't hurt.