In the tranquil confines of the Scripture Pavilion, Elder i Zhiyuan sat cross-legged in deep ditation, his consciousness drifting through realms of spiritual energy. The abrupt sound of shattering crystal violently yanked him back to reality. His eyes opened slowly, their depths reflecting confusion as he lifted his gaze toward the wall.
Life lamps hung there—crystalline vessels containing flickering flas that represented the living essence of key sect mbers. Each lamp maintained a mystical connection to its corresponding cultivator, extinguishing only when that person's life force ceased.
One lamp had shattered, its fragnts scattered across the floor below.
"Who has fallen?" he wondered dispassionately, scanning the wall. Then his eyes locked onto the specific location, and disbelief washed over his weathered features.
"H-how is this possible!" he exclaid, his composed deanor cracking. "How could Gu Hanming die?"
The elder rose with uncharacteristic haste, his robes swirling around him as he strode from his chamber. His footsteps echoed through the corridor as he descended to the lower floor where the main Scripture Hall resided. There, instead of finding the dean at his customary post, he discovered a re disciple occupying the position.
"Where is the dean?" he demanded, his voice laced with barely contained fury.
The young disciple leapt to his feet, face draining of color as he sensed the elder's presence. Though both the dean and Elder i were Core Formation cultivators, the pressure emanating from the elder felt incomparably more oppressive—like comparing a gentle stream to a raging ocean.
"The dean had sothing to take care of and told to look after the scriptures," the disciple stamred, sweat beading on his forehead.
Elder i's expression twisted with suspicion. "What thing?" he pressed, his tone sharpening.
"Umm... well..." The disciple hesitated, caught in an impossible position. Revealing the truth might earn the dean's wrath upon his return, yet withholding information from the elder before him seed infinitely more dangerous.
Sensing the disciple's reluctance, Elder i's aura flared nacingly, spiritual pressure crushing down like a mountain. "What is it? Speak up!"
The disciple flinched visibly, self-preservation overriding all other concerns. "The sect genius Li Yao killed his brother, so he went to ambush them after they left the sect," he blurted, words tumbling out in a panicked rush.
Upon hearing this, Elder i slamd his fist onto the table with such force that the sturdy wooden structure splintered instantly. "Dammit!"
He fixed his piercing gaze on the trembling disciple. "Go and find out if Li Yao has returned," he commanded.
The disciple bolted from the hall without hesitation, grateful for any excuse to escape the elder's suffocating presence.
Elder i lowered himself into the dean's vacant seat, his mind churning with calculations. The dean had always been impulsive, prone to emotional decisions, but this ti he had crossed a dangerous threshold. This wasn't rely a personal mistake—it was a catastrophic disruption of their carefully orchestrated plans.
While the elder held no particular affection for either the dean or his brother, losing a Core Formation cultivator represented a significant setback. After all the resources invested in elevating Gu Hanming to that cultivation level and using his influence to give him the dean position, his death constituted a substantial loss.
Ti crawled by until the disciple finally returned, slightly breathless from his investigation. "So people have reported seeing Li Yao and her senior brother returning to the pavilion yesterday," he reported.
"Dammit, Gu Hanming! You got yourself killed and couldn't even eliminate the threat," Elder i thought bitterly.
He released a heavy sigh. Though the dean's thods had been reckless, his assessnt wasn't entirely wrong—Li Yao did indeed pose a significant threat to their plans. Now that she had begun inflicting actual losses, the titable for her elimination would need acceleration before she could cause further damage.
…
In the dappled light of the training ground, Xiang Yu moved with thodical precision, his knife cutting through the air with practiced efficiency. Each swing built upon the foundations of the last, his movents fluid and economical as he refined his technique through endless repetition. The morning sun climbed higher, bathing his focused form in golden light that highlighted the sheen of perspiration on his brow.
Birds called from nearby trees, their songs providing a natural rhythm to his practice. Yet Xiang Yu remained oblivious to these ambient sounds, his consciousness narrowed to the perfect harmony between body and blade. Hours passed this way, marked only by the changing angle of shadows across the clearing.
After a brief interlude for lunch, he returned imdiately to his regin. Not a mont wasted, not a second squandered on unnecessary leisure. His dedication remained absolute, each movent executed with the singular purpose of advancent along his chosen path.
When dinner ti finally arrived, he noted Li Yao's absence with mild curiosity but no real concern. She was likely engaged in her own cultivation breakthrough—her affairs remained distinctly separate from his carefully isolated existence. Better that way. Protagonist problems belonged to protagonists, not to cautious survivors like himself.
Following the evening al, Xiang Yu implented the second phase of his training strategy, exchanging his knife for the sword gifted by Elder Guo. The weapon's weight felt different but not unfamiliar in his grip as he began executing the basic forms.
Just as he had hypothesized, the movents ca with surprising ease. The underlying principles of his knife technique transferred naturally to this similar discipline, creating foundational understanding that accelerated his progress. Each swing revealed new insights, the blade responding to his intentions with increasing harmony as practice continued into the deepening twilight.
This transferability wasn't universal, he reasoned—it functioned because both techniques shared fundantal principles. The knife and sword were kindred weapons, their differences more a matter of scale and application than foundational theory. He couldn't expect similar crossover benefits between entirely disparate disciplines.
As stars erged in the darkening sky, Xiang Yu refined his swordsmanship with unwavering focus. Each movent beca more economical, each stance more stable, each cut more precise. He practiced finding the perfect angle, the ideal force, the exact timing—maximizing effectiveness while minimizing wasted energy. The blade ceased being a separate object and began feeling like a natural extension of his will, responding to his intentions with increasing fluidity.
When midnight finally approached, the familiar blue screen materialized before his eyes:
[Calculating Settlent]
[Calculation Complete]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 2nd Layer (75/200) ( 11/200)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Major Success (5/400) ( 5/400)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Minor Success (20/200) ( 20/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Basic Sword Technique: Minor Success (20/200) → Minor Success (40/200)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Major Success (5/400) → Major Success (10/400)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 2nd Layer (75/200) → 2nd Layer (150/200)]
[Next Settlent: 23:59:59]
Xiang Yu's analytical mind imdiately dissected these results with practiced efficiency. His Mountain Heart Scripture had gained eleven points—a single point of natural progress added to the ten points already accumulated. The realization dawned quickly: after his knife technique's advancent to Major Success, the conversion rate had reverted to five-to-one.
A slight sigh escaped his lips as he contemplated the implications. Tomorrow would likely see another increase to ten-to-one as his scripture approached breakthrough. Still, progress remained progress—he wasn't about to complain about becoming stronger, regardless of efficiency fluctuations.
His attention shifted to his combat techniques. Five points gained in knife technique despite minimal dedicated practice today—particularly impressive considering the increased difficulty at Major Success level. More remarkable still were the twenty points accumulated in sword technique from just a few hours of focused training.
These accelerating returns defied conventional logic. Normally, advancent should beco progressively more difficult, yet his improvent rate seed to be increasing. A tentative hypothesis ford in his mind: perhaps the act of practicing techniques and scriptures was enhancing his fundantal comprehension abilities.
In cultivation worlds, comprehension existed as a distinct attribute from innate talents like spiritual roots—a asure of one's ability to perceive and internalize profound principles. If his comprehension was indeed improving through practice, this opened fascinating possibilities for mastering even more powerful techniques at accelerated rates.
With renewed curiosity, Xiang Yu summoned his complete status screen:
[Na: Xiang Yu]
[Realm: Body Refining 2nd Layer]
[Species: Human]
[Spiritual Root: null]
[Enlightennt: Low (1/1000)]
[Techniques: Basic Knife Technique: Major Success (10/400); Basic Sword Technique: Minor Success (40/200)]
[Scriptures: Mountain Heart Scripture: 2nd Layer (151/200)]
[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]
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