Chapter 42: Chapter 40: Breakthrough, Breakthrough, Breakthrough Again
After a deep, dreamless night’s sleep, on the third day, Zhong Ming awoke. However, he didn’t follow the plan Qi Hong and Yang Chen had arranged for him, which involved intense combat practice.
He found a stream and, following his own rhythm, began to gently move through his sword forms.
Seeing this, Qi Hong, Yang Chen, and the others... didn’t think Zhong Ming was slacking off.
Nor did they feel he was doing anything wrong.
Over the past few days of training, Zhong Ming’s rate of progress had stunned them, winning their complete admiration.
Qi Hong said, "Cultivation, Cultivation... what we cultivate is our true selves. For Cultivators like us, the further we advance, the more we need our own insights and understanding. Simply imitating others will never lead one to become truly powerful."
"Junior Brother Zhong Ming’s cultivation base may be low, but his Talent is extraordinary. It’s only logical that he’s starting to walk his own path."
Yang Chen and the others deeply agreed with this sentiment.
At this moment, their only regret and sense of loss stemmed from how little time they had to teach him.
"Sigh, what a pity. We’re still not strong enough. We can’t offer Junior Brother Zhong Ming any more guidance..."
...
Zhong Ming didn’t notice the others’ sentiments.
Immersed in his own world, he gently moved through his sword forms.
As he brandished the sword, his body moved unceasingly, just like flowing water.
And in the process, water from the stream was drawn out by his longsword, moving in tandem with its motions.
Once, twice, three times...
Slowly, as Zhong Ming wielded his sword, he seemed to break through the boundary between reality and illusion. He truly felt himself transforming into a mass of water—the gushing, leaping, flowing water of a stream.
SPLASH...
At that moment, Zhong Ming heard the flow of the stream and felt a sense of ease and freedom.
At the same time, a system notification sounded in his Sea of Consciousness.
[Ding! Your Longxi Swordsmanship has broken through. It is now at the Third Realm, Refinement. You have gained a new characteristic: Flow of Water.]
[Longxi Swordsmanship: Third Realm, Refinement (1/14800), Characteristics: ① River and Sword Convergence, ② Flow of Water]
Just like before, upon breaking through, Zhong Ming entered a minor state of epiphany, and his understanding of water deepened.
The difference was that in his previous epiphanies, Zhong Ming had comprehended the principle that ’Water has no form, hence it can take on any shape,’ as well as water’s ability to change in size.
This time, what Zhong Ming comprehended about the Flow of Water was more about whirlpools, undercurrents...
’Water has power, too. A massive whirlpool can swallow a ten-thousand-ton ship. When the vortex spins, nothing can escape. It can only be swept along, forced to go with my flow...’
BOOM...
The instant Zhong Ming comprehended this Flow of Water, an attractive force materialized from his longsword as he practiced.
The surrounding leaves, dry twigs, and even small stones were all pulled in by this force.
Naturally, this debris didn’t land on Zhong Ming. Instead, it mixed into the current of water from his sword dance, where it was swept up and began to spin rapidly.
These stones and twigs made the current Zhong Ming had summoned more powerful and heavy, more than doubling its destructive force.
’So this is the Third Realm of Longxi Swordsmanship? Without needing to make contact, just by brandishing my sword, I can generate a force that involuntarily draws an opponent’s attack toward my blade. Then, my Flow of Water can neutralize it and even borrow some of its power.’
SWOOSH...
Reaching the Third Realm in his Longxi Swordsmanship brought Zhong Ming a surge of joy.
But his concentration lapsed for only a moment before he was once again immersed in his sword dance.
This time, the display of his swordsmanship was even more magnificent.
RUMBLE...
A few breaths later, another system notification sounded in his Sea of Consciousness. Another of his Cultivation Techniques had broken through.
This time it was the Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique.
[Your Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique has broken through. It is now at the Third Realm, Refinement. You have gained a new characteristic: Flow of Water.]
[Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique: Third Realm, Refinement (1/14200), Characteristics: ① Water Attraction, ② Flow of Water]
VMMMM...
Just like the previous times, this breakthrough sent Zhong Ming into a state of epiphany.
But this time, his comprehension of Water Transformation was particularly different.
’Water is not immutable... When heated, it evaporates or boils, turning from liquid into gaseous water vapor. When this vapor rises high into the sky and cools, it gradually condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals, forming clouds.’
’When water vapor in the clouds cools near the ground, it liquefies into tiny droplets that hang suspended in the air, forming mist.’
’Condensing into water, drifting as clouds, swirling as mist... this is also a form of water’s flow, an expression of the great Dao of nature...’
VMMMM...
As Zhong Ming reached this understanding, with a wave of his longsword, the water flowing around him transformed into a thick fog that billowed out in all directions.
The fog was dense, seemingly capable of concealing everything. But Zhong Ming’s comprehension of water was so profound that while others couldn’t see, he could perceive everything within the mist.
’Another tool in my arsenal... And this transformation of water into cloud and mist isn’t just for this. If I deepen my understanding of clouds and mist later on, I could even use the Flow of Water to perform Cloud Riding and Mist Driving.’
It wasn’t just Zhong Ming who saw this dense fog; Qi Hong, Shi Yun, and the others saw it as well.
The scene left them sighing in admiration.
"The transformation of water into cloud and mist... Zhong Ming’s Water Dragon Technique has reached the Third Realm."
"Not just the Water Dragon Technique. That suction force from earlier means his Longxi Swordsmanship also reached the Third Realm. It’s too fast."
Besides the two of them, Lin Shuyu also spoke up: "Zhong Ming’s cultivation isn’t over yet. If I’m not mistaken, his Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step is also likely to reach the Third Realm."
"..."
Lin Shuyu’s words left everyone speechless.
Even though they knew Zhong Ming’s Talent was extraordinary, seeing him break through with three Cultivation Techniques in a single day still left them stunned.
...
At this moment, Zhong Ming had no time to pay attention to the outside world. Just as Lin Shuyu had predicted, after his Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique advanced, his understanding of the Flow of Water deepened. This time, without even needing to practice, a system notification sounded in his mind.
[You have gained some insight into the Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step. Your Cultivation Technique progress
19.]
[Your Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step has broken through. It is now at the Third Realm, Refinement. You have gained a new characteristic: Flow of Water.]
[Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step: Third Realm, Refinement (1/14600), Characteristics: ① Water Stepping, ② Body Like a Stream, ③ Flow of Water]
As before, the moment the advancement was complete, a wave of comprehension flooded Zhong Ming’s mind.
This time, his understanding was related to the refraction of light in water.
’When light enters water, it bends. This, too, is a kind of flow...’
As he pondered this, the Flow of Water from his Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step and the Flow of Water from his Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique began to resonate and merge.
Because of this, a special ability emerged in his mind.
VMMMM...
Acting on a sudden stroke of inspiration, Zhong Ming assumed a sword-drawing stance.
This time, Zhong Ming himself didn’t move, but with a SWISH, a figure suddenly appeared three meters away from him. This ’Zhong Ming’ then fiercely slashed its sword forward.
SWISH!
After the slash, the figure vanished, but another appeared behind Zhong Ming.
Then to his side, in front of him, in the air...
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
For a moment, figures of Zhong Ming flickered nonstop all over the area.
However, these figures could only last for a single breath.
Finally, when Zhong Ming relaxed his sword-drawing stance, only the real body standing in the very center of the area remained.
But the presence of that ’real body’ made Qi Hong and the others raise their eyebrows. They all looked in unison... to its side.
POOF...
As they watched, the version of Zhong Ming in the center of the area also dissolved into mist and vanished.
When that body disappeared, another figure slowly materialized in the spot where Qi Hong and the others were looking.
This was Zhong Ming’s true body.
’By relying on the transformations of water and mist, along with the refraction of light in water, I can create illusory bodies and even make myself invisible... a pity. These figures are just phantoms without any attack power, and my invisibility is just a visual effect. It doesn’t work against a Cultivator’s Divine Soul.’
Thinking this, Zhong Ming wasn’t too disappointed.
His cultivation base was still very weak, and his Cultivation Level was also low, which was why there were so many flaws.
Once his cultivation base grew stronger and his Cultivation Method Realm also rose, these illusory clones wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.
’No, wait. It seems I don’t have to wait for the future.’
’Right now, with just two ’Flow of Water’ characteristics resonating, I’ve gained such a mysterious ability. What if I stacked all five...’
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