Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Time passed quietly, marked by sweat and perseverance. In the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by.

This afternoon, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon a magnificent orange-red, and the light in the forest clearing grew soft and hazy.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Fang Han’s figure flickered rapidly around the clearing as he practiced the Wind Shadow Step.

His speed grew faster and faster, his footwork becoming ever more erratic and unpredictable.

At times, he was like a gentle breeze brushing willows, impossible to grasp; at others, he was like a flash of lightning, appearing and disappearing in an instant.

The Inner Qi in his body surged ceaselessly, perfectly synchronized with his Step Technique. The very airflow around him seemed to subtly change direction with his every move.

In the very instant he exerted his full strength, seamlessly connecting the eleventh technique, "Shadow Escape Thousand Miles," with the twelfth, "Wind and Shadow Following"—

HUM!

The Inner Qi in his body seemed to produce a strange resonance. Beneath his feet, the airflow suddenly became unusually responsive and tame.

A "Wind Momentum" was born from thin air.

WHOOSH—!

His figure instantly blurred. It was no longer simple speed, but possessed an ethereal and elusive quality, as if he had merged with the wind.

An afterimage, clearer and more solid than any before, remained in his original spot, while his real body appeared fifty feet away as if teleported, without stirring a single speck of dust.

Moreover, the air along his trajectory let out a low whistle.

An invisible Wind Momentum coiled around his feet, not only drastically reducing air resistance but also seemingly propelling his body forward, causing his speed to skyrocket!

’Wind Shadow Step, Minor Achievement!’

He felt the lightness and power in his feet, as well as the intimate connection with the surrounding airflow—a connection of perfect harmony and effortless control.

A look of delighted surprise erupted in Fang Han’s eyes.

He had cultivated the Wind Shadow Step, an extremely difficult Middle Grade Stepping Technique, to the Minor Achievement Level.

He carefully savored his current state.

Just as he had guessed, once this extremely difficult Middle Grade Stepping Technique reached Minor Achievement, its effects completely surpassed those of a Low Grade Step Technique at the Realm of Perfection!

The Startled Swan Step at the Perfection Level was already extremely fast and agile when changing directions, but it relied more on explosive bursts of one’s own Inner Qi and the skill of the technique itself.

The Wind Shadow Step at the Minor Achievement Level, however, was more about harnessing the "Wind Momentum" between heaven and earth for one’s own use, allowing one to move with a natural rhythm.

It consumed less energy, was faster, and was even more erratic and unpredictable.

If the Startled Swan Step at Perfection was like borrowing the wind to move, then the Wind Shadow Step at Minor Achievement was like becoming the wind itself. There was a qualitative difference between the two.

’Finally... another ace up my sleeve!’

Fang Han slowly relaxed his stance, a faint smile touching the corners of his lips.

The Wind Shadow Step at Minor Achievement had further enhanced his mobility and life-saving capabilities, becoming his new trump card.

The sun sank completely behind the western mountains, and the light in the forest quickly faded.

Fang Han stood tall in the deepening twilight, his gaze fixed on the distant True Inheritance Courtyard where the True Disciples resided. His expression was calm and determined.

’The path ahead may be difficult, but the sword in my hand and the speed of my feet will surely carve a path forward for me.’

After a long moment, Fang Han withdrew his gaze.

’It’s been half a month since I last took a mission!’

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, a thoughtful look passing deep within his eyes.

Half a month had passed since he had taken the mission to guard the mine. He had rested for long enough.

Furthermore, activating the Level 5 Talent Amplification required a full 100,000 silver. His system panel currently showed his wealth as a mere 13,230 silver, a long way from his goal.

’Is it time to take another mission?’

The thought surfaced in Fang Han’s mind, but he suppressed it after some consideration.

His Cultivation was not far from breaking through to the Eighth Grade; he had reached a critical juncture.

The right choice now was to focus wholeheartedly on his Cultivation and break through to the Eighth Grade in one fell swoop. Everything else had to be set aside.

Besides, once he successfully broke through, his strength would increase dramatically. If he took missions then, both his safety and efficiency would be on a completely different level.

At this thought, the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished.

In the days that followed, Fang Han adjusted the focus of his Cultivation.

’The Zhongfu Acupoint...’

He continued to unfailingly set aside time each day to practice the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship and Wind Shadow Step, maintaining and improving his proficiency. Beyond that, he devoted the vast majority of his time and energy to cultivating the Xunfeng Technique, making an all-out effort to break the Eighth Grade bottleneck.

Aided by his sixteen-fold Root Bone Talent, his efficiency at refining Inner Qi was extremely high. His Inner Qi grew stronger by the day, rapidly filling the Mingmen Acupoint.

After several days of arduous cultivation, the Mingmen Acupoint was completely filled. His Inner Qi surged tumultuously, spontaneously launching a fierce assault on the next acupoint—the Zhongfu Acupoint.

However, the barrier was incredibly tough. No matter how the Inner Qi crashed against it, the barrier would only tremble slightly, sending out faint ripples and showing no sign of breaking.

Fang Han took out a Peiyuan Pill and consumed it. Aided by its Medicinal Power, he guided an even more massive surge of Inner Qi to strike the barrier again and again.

A full day passed quietly in focused Cultivation.

HUUH—

It was not until evening that Fang Han slowly opened his eyes and gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The bottleneck remained firm. A full day of arduous cultivation had failed to shake it.

Fang Han had already anticipated this.

The barrier to the Eighth Grade Realm was a Great Realm barrier, far beyond what the barriers of the minor realms before it could compare to.

It was normal to have not broken through after only a single day of Cultivation.

However, the continuous, high-intensity Cultivation had inevitably fatigued his mind. He needed to find another way to relax his tense spirit.

’I should go out and get some air.’

He pushed open the door to his room, and a cool breeze washed over his face, bringing a refreshing sensation.

Fang Han picked up his Cyan Blade Sword and strolled toward the familiar forest clearing.

SHIING—

Standing in the clearing, Fang Han took a deep breath and cleared his mind of distractions. The Cyan Blade Sword suddenly left its sheath.

He executed the Nine Sword Techniques of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship one by one. Soon, he was completely immersed in his craft.

The essence of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship flowed naturally through his mind, manifesting as flashes of sharp and agile sword light.

He was not intentionally pursuing power, but simply feeling the smooth flow of Inner Qi as it surged through his meridians and infused the tip of his sword, savoring the subtle sensation of the blade cutting through the air.

Just as Fang Han was completely immersed in his swordsmanship, two slender figures appeared on the path at the edge of the clearing, unnoticed.

The one in the lead was tall and poised, clad in a True Inheritor Disciple Robe. Her face was veiled with white gauze that obscured most of her features, revealing only a pair of eyes as clear as water yet seemingly filled with starlight.

Her aura was restrained, yet she naturally exuded a captivatingly pure and noble air, like a celestial maiden under the moon, untouched by worldly dust.

Half a step behind her was a young woman in an ordinary Disciple’s Robe. Her face was covered by a purple veil, and her figure was exquisite. Her eyes held a cool detachment similar to the woman in white, but they also possessed a youthful sharpness and charm.

This purple-veiled young woman was none other than Yun Qianyue, who was currently ranked first in the Sub-Branch.

The woman in white held an even more distinguished status: she was Yun Qianyue’s older sister, the second-ranked senior sister of the Qingxuan Sect, and ranked eighteenth on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List—the "White Mist Sword," Yun Muyao.

Yun Qianyue was accompanying her sister on a stroll through the Sub-Branch, discussing some recent sect matters in low voices.

’Fang Han...’

When her gaze unintentionally swept over the clearing and landed on Fang Han practicing his sword, her steps faltered for a moment.

Beneath her veil, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a faint, serious look flashed in her eyes.

Although Fang Han’s current strength posed no threat to her, she could not ignore his incredible growth rate.

In just over half a year since joining the sect, he had skyrocketed from obscurity to fourth place in the Sub-Branch, leaving many disciples of his cohort far behind.

In her eyes, such Talent and momentum had already surpassed that of Li Feng and Huang Ling’er, making him one of her most threatening future competitors, not just in the Sub-Branch but in the entire Qingxuan Sect.

"Hm?"

Yun Muyao, walking ahead, noticed her sister’s momentary reaction. She followed her sister’s gaze, and her eyes landed on Fang Han.

Her attention was first drawn to the agile yet fierce flashes of sword light.

As a prodigy of the Sword Dao, she could tell at a glance that the Swordsmanship Fang Han practiced was highly unusual. The trajectory of his blade and the way his Inner Qi flowed all possessed a unique quality.

"Gathering Wind into Blade, Sky Splitting Gold-Breaking... Is this the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship?"

A trace of surprise flickered in Yun Muyao’s eyes.

’And judging by his proficiency, he’s likely already reached the Mastery Realm.’

She couldn’t help but feel a little surprised.

She had, of course, heard of the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship. It was one of the few Middle Grade Sword Techniques in the sect renowned for being immensely powerful and incredibly difficult to cultivate.

Even when ordinary disciples chose to cultivate it, their progress was often slow.

Yet this young man, who looked to be only about eighteen, had actually cultivated this Swordsmanship to the Mastery Level. His Talent for the Sword Dao was truly extraordinary.

"Qianyue, who is that junior brother practicing his sword?"

Yun Muyao’s voice was gentle, like the chime of a jade bell, as she inquired of her sister.

Yun Qianyue retracted her gaze and replied,

"His name is Fang Han. Like me, he’s a new disciple who joined this year. He is currently... ranked fourth in the Sub-Branch."

"Fang Han?"

Yun Muyao repeated the name softly, finding it somewhat familiar.

After a moment of thought, she remembered.

"Is he the Fang Han who had a conflict with Chu Feng?"

The news about Chu Feng clashing with a rather talented ordinary disciple was no secret within the True Inheritor circles, and Yun Muyao had heard of it as well.

She was just usually so engrossed in her Cultivation that she paid little attention to such trivial matters. Only now, upon seeing the man himself, did she finally put a face to the name.

Recalling Chu Feng’s typically arrogant and domineering personality, and his likely even more ostentatious behavior now that he had made the Celestial Pride List, a faint trace of pity appeared in Yun Muyao’s clear eyes as she looked back at the young man focused on his sword practice.

’Now that Chu Feng is on the Celestial Pride List, his status is completely different. Fang Han’s days ahead will likely be difficult.’

A thought flickered in her mind, and she suddenly changed direction, striding toward the clearing where Fang Han was practicing.

Seeing this, a flicker of confusion passed through Yun Qianyue’s eyes, wondering what her sister intended to do.

But she had always respected her older sister, so she asked no questions and simply followed silently.