Mastery; Bai Zhou Breaks Through!

"So this is 'Qi'!" Feeling this wondrous power circulating ceaselessly within him, Bai Zhou profoundly sensed the tremendous, rebirth-like transformation he had undergone compared to the past. Sword Qi, blade Qi, the Heng and Ha breaths, indomitable spirit... all of these were "Qi"! Advancing to Level 3 Extraordinary allowed one to injure foes with exhaled breath, rendering a blade invincible within seven paces. Beyond seven paces, blade Qi made one all the more invincible! In typical adventure stories, this would mark an adventurer seasoned enough to step out of the starter village. ...Yet at its core, this Qi was simply the manifestation of the human body's internal essence. In truth, Qi had always circulated invisibly through the human body, driving bloodflow and maintaining balance. It was the product of the body united with emotion. Ordinary people simply could not control it, much less release it externally beyond the physical form. Because it was linked to emotions, the Qi of someone raging in desperate straits—or of a being with an elevated state of mind—tended to surge far more turbulently than normal. One occasionally saw news reports of a frail mother lifting a car weighing several tons to save her child, a teacher using their spine to prop up a collapsing floor during an earthquake, or a wounded soldier fighting on until reinforcements arrived... Yet after pulling off such miracles, the individuals involved often collapsed from exhaustion, even losing their lives. Such wonders of life—stepping into death to find life—were born when turbulent emotions tapped into the body's latent energy: an eruption of Qi! It was also why an Extraordinary had to temper both body and mind before mastering Qi. The body was the well of life, the mind was the firewood providing heat, and Qi was the steam rising from the well. If the well was not full, there was nothing to evaporate; if the fire burned weak, there was no heat to generate. If either fell short, releasing Qi outside the body would drain or completely hollow out the physical vessel. Back then, Van Gogh's secret technique [The Starry Night] had seemed grotesque and bizarre, defying reason... Yet it had merely been a manner of utilizing Qi once it was imbued with spirituality. Uniting body and mind to refine the flesh into Qi, and then injecting one's own spirituality to achieve control over it... stories like this were commonplace in the Extraordinary lore of the Eastern Federation. Historically, the Eastern Federation's Extraordinaries had researched Qi deeply. In ancient times, there were even legends of grand Extraordinaries who consumed Qi to congeal an elixir, demonstrating just how far down the path of Qi they had walked. Naturally, the Western Federation possessed equally profound research into Qi. They even had a school of magic dedicated to "Qi Magic," developing numerous applications for this invisible energy. If the East placed greater emphasis on internal cultivation to bolster one's own Qi in pursuit of balance, then the West excelled at acting as craftsmen of Qi through external mediums and rituals, focusing on its practical applications. Neither was superior to the other. Bai Zhou had heard Crow explain all this before. —Yet Bai Zhou had never heard of any secret technique involving Qi that could multiply one's own power several times over. What others lacked, he possessed; therein lay its rarity. Bai Zhou was already a Destined, and now he had this top-tier secret technique capable of a 1.5-times burst upon mere initiation... If the current Bai Zhou encountered an ordinary Level 4 Extraordinary like Van Gogh again, he would certainly possess the strength to fight back, never needing to flee in such a sorry state! With proper advance preparations, slaying Van Gogh under his blade was no longer out of the question! "...Still not enough!" Bai Zhou glanced down at his wristwatch. 29:35! Just the first stance had taken him five hours! In the remaining six hours, he still had two more stances to learn! Was it enough...? Bai Zhou looked up, turning his gaze back to the figures and diagrams on the wall, his eyes burning bright. Even if it wasn't enough, he had to make it enough! All beginnings were difficult, but by taking the first step, he had already crossed the hardest threshold from Level 2 to Level 3. "I can do this," Bai Zhou murmured softly, unsure of whom he was speaking to. "Someone is still waiting for me to go back!" In the empty assessment chamber, naturally only he could hear his own voice. Yet Bai Zhou lowered his head, as though speaking to the crimson last words crawling slowly across the floor. Perhaps... these quiet skeletons and last words really could hear his whisper. For at this moment, the last words that had tirelessly guided him were slowly inching closer toward him. It was as if they were all encouraging him. *Swish...* The sound of a long blade rending the air echoed once again through the chamber. *Boom! Boom, boom, boom!* These were the impacts of the blade edge against the wall. Throwing his heart and soul into it, he immersed himself in cultivation. Level 3 Adventurer Bai Zhou set out once more. *** On the surface of Blue Star. Beneath Tinghai City, Branch 36 remained brightly lit late into the night. The Major sat rigidly before his desk, his face livid. His spine was straight as a rod, hands balled into fists on his knees, obedient as an elementary schooler. A voice of harsh reprimand carried through the video call on the computer before him: "Did I not tell you that this matter didn't need your meddling?" "Do you have any idea that I had already sent Level 5 Feng Xingyuan to kill Bai Zhou?" "Yet because of your reckless antics, the commotion attracted a passing bounty hunter, drawing her attention straight to Feng Xingyuan just as he was about to make a move on Bai Zhou!" Even through the screen, Eldest Brother's chilling, imposing face carried a suffocating pressure: "Because of you, the conglomerate lost a Level 5 Extraordinary, while that Bai Zhou remains completely unharmed!" "—Aside from causing trouble, what good are you!" The Major remained silent, merely listening with his head down. The hands resting on his knees clenched so tightly that blue veins bulged across the skin, yet he could only grit his teeth and hold his tongue. Because objectively speaking... his elder brother was right. It was precisely because the female assassin he sent made a scene that Feng Xingyuan had died. There was no helping it. Both sides had dispatched people at the same time, yet neither knew what the other had done. That Feng Xingyuan had not come to blows with the female assassin and the Black Warriors already showed considerable professional restraint in discerning friend from foe. At the very least, had the Black Warriors spotted Feng Xingyuan, they definitely would have moved to silence him... "I'll say this one last time! Do not meddle in this matter again!" "Your sole task right now is to keep the Oversight Team from the Special Control Bureau mollified, and then keep your head down and cultivate your temper for a few years." Glaring with utter disgust at the silent Major, Eldest Brother grew angrier the more he looked at him: "I will dispose of that Bai Zhou cleanly." "An Extraordinary adept at rituals might be somewhat tricky upon the first encounter, but his own strength is lacking after all. The conglomerate has more than enough ways to handle him." "Remember! If you continue to act rashly, neither Second Brother nor I will look after you again. You will receive no further resources, and you can fend for yourself in the Special Control Bureau!" "...Oh, and one more thing. Do not visit the Old Master in the coming years." "The Tinghai Luo family has no need for a son who brings shame upon the family!" The Major had kept quiet and shown no reaction to everything said before. Yet upon hearing those final two sentences, his head jerked up! His eyes widened as he stared at his eldest brother on the screen, his breathing heavy and his eyes rimmed with red. Faced with the Major's reaction, Eldest Brother merely glared back: "You have an objection?" "Did I not make myself clear enough?" "...Understood." In the end, the Major gave only that muffled reply. "..." After the video call ended, the locked office plunged into a prolonged, dead silence. This time, the Major neither smashed anything nor summoned his new secretary to vent. Leaning back against the leather executive chair, the Major gently rubbed his brow, his expression turning solemn in thought. In the past, his fury had stemmed from the belief that Bai Zhou was nothing more than an insect, an insignificant nobody. To be repeatedly provoked by such a person naturally provoked wrath at the incompetence of his subordinates. Now, however, he felt he could acknowledge that Bai Zhou, with his mysterious origins, might truly warrant his attention and equal regard. Repeated encounters had proven that while Bai Zhou's personal combat prowess was unimpressive, he was indeed a capable ritualist. Such rare individuals inherently commanded no small status in the Extraordinary world. ...Yet one rose by ritualism and fell by ritualism. Every ritualist required massive resources for experimentation, and the Zijing Group lacked anything but resources. Consequently, the Zijing Group was never short on ritual masters. The counter-curse against the explosion ritual had been provided to him by one of the Zijing Group's ritual masters. Therefore, now that the Zijing Group was moving personally, all of Bai Zhou's advantages with rituals would naturally be suppressed one by one. The world of Extraordinaries was ultimately one where supreme might rested within oneself... And Bai Zhou's greatest weakness was that his personal strength was far too meager! After these past few clashes, the Major had essentially determined that Bai Zhou was, at most, a Level 3 Extraordinary. In a head-on clash, any two Black Warriors could suppress him, and a Level 4 Extraordinary could thrash him effortlessly. Clearly, this flaw was something Bai Zhou could never remedy in the short term, and it would serve as his most fatal vulnerability. "...Leave it to them, then." Though bitter, leaving Eldest Brother to handle Bai Zhou and sitting back to await good news was currently the best path available to him. When the Zijing Group acted, there was no reason for failure. Just as this time, Feng Xingyuan would not have failed either... By comparison, the Major had far more important matters to worry about right now. —The Reflected Ruin Realm! Word had it that a riot had broken out at Yuanmeng Middle School within the Reflected Ruin Realm. The Disaster Response and Investigation Agency had already cordoned off the area today, and tomorrow they intended to begin an expedition and purge. The things inside were of paramount importance to the Major, and they could under no circumstances see the light of day! Even the Zijing Group knew nothing about what was in there! Yet... Why? Why had a riot erupted so suddenly? The Major could not understand. It shouldn't have happened at this juncture. Too early... it was far too early. A string of unforeseen changes had stripped him of his sense of control over how events unfolded. After so many years, this was the first time he had felt a sense of the unknown regarding the future. There was even... a faint, unspeakable dread. This dread stemmed from the unease of being unable to grasp his own fate. A "big figure" like him loathed nothing more than the feeling of things slipping from his grasp. "It seems the plan can only be moved forward." He had no other choice. Thinking this, the Major slowly rose and walked over to the adjoining washroom. He thought of the Level 5 Extraordinary the Zijing Group had lost, as mentioned by Eldest Brother. "Level 5? Extraordinary? Heh..." He sneered dismissively. Summer insects could not fathom winter ice. None of them understood just how magnificent the grand undertaking he pursued truly was. Nor did they know what he was about to become... "Soon." *With gentle calls the deer bleat, strike the zithers, blow the pipes.* Who could know what lay in his heart? Yet... forced to advance the timetable so abruptly, how much added risk would it entail? The Major could not be certain. Heaving a faint sigh, the Major paused before the vanity. Water rushed with a splash. Cool, purified water bubbled forth as he cupped it in his hands and splashed his face. Feeling refreshed, another thought suddenly struck him. ...If he held the Tears of the Moon Goddess and gained the blessing of the Moon Goddess, that risk would surely be drastically reduced. Sometimes, the slightest reduction in risk could produce worlds of difference in the final outcome! "That auction!" The Major ground his teeth, clearly thinking again of that unidentified figure who had concealed his face and hidden away. *Gurgle...* The faucet snapped shut. Looking up, the Major gazed at himself in the mirror. The wet hair on his forehead dripped with water droplets. An invisible line sliced straight from the center of his brow down to his chin, dividing the face in the mirror into two distinct halves. One half was male and fierce, bearing the Major's own features, though sinister crimson markings crept across the cheek like an enraged demon glaring in fury. The other half was female and sacred, with a compassionate brow and gaze, deep and serene like a goddess observing the mortal realm. Half demon, half deity; half male, half female. One furious, one tranquil; one grieving, one rejoicing. A scene of boundless, eerie strangeness manifested in the mirror, locking eyes with the real Major in grotesque fashion. The female half of the mouth curved slightly, revealing the faintest compassionate smile. Her lips parted, and an ethereal, immaculate voice drifted forth softly: "You... are uneasy..." Yet in the next instant— The other, male half of the mouth opened abruptly with a low growl, a gravelly voice barking back in sharp denial, as though rising from a profane abyss: "I am merely excited!" "—Restlessly excited!" Condensation slowly slid down the mirror, blurring the sharp boundary dividing the face. *Crackle!* The lights in the office flickered and wavered without reason. In the mirror, the ferocious eye and the tranquil eye narrowed slightly at the exact same moment, as though sharing a deep, dark secret. Finally, those eyes were concealed. The Major had slipped on his sunglasses. The face in the mirror reverted back to his ordinary appearance. "If this succeeds..." He looked calmly at his reflection and spoke in a low voice: "—I will settle every score!" *** Not long after, following a report from his secretary, the Major stepped out of his office. Inside the conference room, the Oversight Team was bustling with activity, engaged in an impassioned discussion. "What! The Anomaly Investigation Bureau's bounty on the Old Toad hardly pays anything?" "They'll award a Second-Class Tinghai Model Citizen Medal? And an oral commendation?" "What use do I have for a medal!" "Indeed." The Oversight Team leader nodded solemnly, sharing her sentiment. "The Anomaly Investigation Bureau has always been stingy. Why else do you think their reputation has stayed so poor?" "Why? I don't understand—" The Gem Witch's furious questioning could be heard even outside the conference room. "What a loss! A total loss this time..." *Tap.* Having just pushed the door open, the Major paused upon hearing their discussion, wondering who this 'Old Toad' was... "Major!" Seeing the Major walk in, the Gem Witch's eyes lit up. "A wanted fugitive pursued by the Anomaly Investigation Bureau—is your Special Control Bureau interested?" "That way, the credit should count toward you, right?" "I just went out and killed a wanted criminal named Feng Xingyuan. What do you think...?" Major: "...?" Who? Feng Xingyuan?! *You killed him?!* Looking at the eager Gem Witch before him, the Major fell abruptly silent. So it turned out... the reason he had just been chewed out until his head spun was because of her? —And she had the gall to ask him for money?! *** Deep Ruin Realm. The assessment chamber within the divine temple shook incessantly. *Boom! Boom, boom, boom!* Scorched marks appeared one after another across the wall. It was clearly visible that these marks were growing steadily deeper. Bai Zhou was progressing at astonishing speed. The digits on his watch read 33:27. Barely over two hours remained until his deadline. Fortunately, the further he progressed with this secret technique, the smoother it became. Bai Zhou seemed to have grasped the knack of it, covering thousands of miles in a single bound. Coupled with the guidance left in the last words of past geniuses, Bai Zhou's growth left even himself stunned. He became thoroughly immersed in this sensation of rapid progress, losing all track of time. "Just a little more, just missing one tiny piece... what is it?" "It's..." Suddenly. Practicing relentlessly, Bai Zhou froze mid-motion, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. Yet deep within his mind, twenty-seven blazing, vibrant suns slowly merged into three sharp, fire-streaming blades. Ultimately, these three blades carrying surging flames coalesced into one. *Boom!* A white sun rose within Bai Zhou's consciousness. As the two hundred and forty-three intricate figures danced and merged deep in his mind, Bai Zhou was struck by sudden enlightenment. An obstacle that had previously seemed veiled in mist instantly became clear. A faint *bang* seemed to echo beside his ears! The final bottleneck shattered. "The first three stances of the Nine Basic Slashes..." "So three slashes are ultimately just one blade!" Complete mastery. With that, all the secret techniques carved into the wall had been fully grasped by Bai Zhou! Just as he had anticipated, upon completing them, his control over Qi had reached the pinnacle, placing him at the absolute zenith of a Level 3 Adventurer. Had there been subsequent techniques, he might even have seized the opportunity to assault Level 4 right then and there! "It's time." Bai Zhou looked at the wall before him, which he had struck hundreds, if not thousands of times. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the excitement in his chest. *Clang.* He sheathed his blade. At this moment, within the tranquil chamber, all the crimson last words ceased their writhing. The skeletons carpeting the floor seemed to gaze quietly and expectantly at Bai Zhou's back. "..." Bai Zhou looked back at the last words on the ground, and met the hollow eye sockets of the skeletons. Then, without a word, he slowly nodded, his clear eyes shining bright. Bai Zhou knew what the last words and the skeletons were anticipating. The expectations that had endured for countless years now rested upon his shoulders. Someone had to break this wall. Slowly retracting his gaze, Bai Zhou centered his focus, his eyes turning razor-sharp. Once his mind was free of distractions, his fingertips pressed against the purple-gold saber at his waist. Facing the wall, in a posture that appeared almost casual, he adjusted the cadence of his breath. A certain line of last words surfaced in Bai Zhou's mind: *Breathing may very well be the key... Gather power at the end of the breath, unleash it in an instant, focus on a single point, reach the absolute pinnacle!* Now, Bai Zhou could answer that predecessor who had once been a genius as well. His deduction had been correct. ...At least, partly correct. *Whoosh!* Following a specific breathing rhythm, the sound of a rushing river seemed to roar beside Bai Zhou's ears. That was... an unending torrent of blade Qi circulating through his body like a great river. Then, at a certain juncture in his breathing, Bai Zhou abruptly dammed the flow! *Hum—!* A muffled resonance stirred deep within Bai Zhou's body. The windbreaker he wore billowed and fluttered on its own without any wind. With the blade Qi obstructed, his aura surged violently, like floodwaters amassing against a levee. Just as his body grew bloated with agonizing strain, as though suffering a thousand cuts from a slow slicing, he shifted his breathing rhythm and smoothly drew his blade— *Clang!* And then, the floodgates opened! The mere opening stance drew forth more than half of Bai Zhou's spirituality. Finally, the full measure of his spirituality surged alongside the sweeping purple-gold saber. Focus on a single point! Reach the absolute pinnacle! Facing the wall, Bai Zhou unleashed a strike with everything he had! One wave of blade Qi slashed out, followed by a second, and a third. Each strike linked seamlessly to the next, layering without a single breath of pause. It was as though a vast river cascaded down from the heavens, surging onward without end. Yet at the river's terminus, a pure white sun leaped into the sky. "Slash!" "Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!" A strike equivalent to Bai Zhou's full-power burst stacked with an additional 4.5 times its force— crashed heavily against the indestructible wall. In the next instant, *Rumble!* The wall of the assessment chamber that had imprisoned Bai Zhou for nearly ten hours collapsed with a roar. —Bai Zhou had broken through!