The heat flow came quickly and left quickly.
After just several breaths, the heat flow completed several rapid circuits through Napoleon's body, and his constitution gradually adapted somewhat.
Although Napoleon's body temperature remained quite high, it wasn't as scalding as before.
The Ravencrest Battle Energy internal cultivation within his body also began accelerating, naturally releasing numerous threads to repair damaged meridians and organs.
After another moment.
Napoleon's skin color gradually faded, returning to its original fair complexion.
Whoosh...
Even the breath he exhaled was scorching.
Every part of his body ached—his entire muscles and bones felt as if they'd been stabbed with needles.
This was completely different from his experience with Ravencrest Method. Now he felt as if his entire body had been pummeled repeatedly with a great hammer.
"Fortunately, this period's Ravencrest Method practice had accumulated considerable internal energy. Now it's perfectly suited for healing."
Napoleon felt the Ravencrest Method beginning to heal his internal organs and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I never expected Shadow Force to be so dominating at just the initiated level. If it reaches higher levels later, that power... how strong will it be?"
He hardly dared imagine.
"Petite."
He called loudly.
"Coming, young master!"
Petite hurried over from behind, her hands still dripping with water—she must have been washing something.
"Bring me medicinal tea."
Napoleon instructed. His entire body ached everywhere, and internally he suffered from burning fire and yin deficiency, making him terribly thirsty.
Petite quickly brought the prepared medicinal tea. This tea contained many yin-nourishing medicinal ingredients like Magister Kalkstein's Vitalis essence, Southern Barbarian turtle shell, snow gardenia, winter shade... and other precious medicines unique to this world.
Drinking one cup, Napoleon immediately felt coolness slide from his throat into his stomach, then spread from his stomach in all directions throughout his body.
This coolness slightly alleviated the burning fire within.
Napoleon drank an entire pot consecutively.
One pot could serve five cups.
He even chewed and swallowed the medicinal residue, finally sighing with satisfaction though still wanting more.
After lying on the bed to rest for several hours, by the time it was nearly dark.
Napoleon's pain throughout his body had finally somewhat subsided.
Petite didn't understand what was happening. Seeing Napoleon showed no unusual signs, she assumed he had suddenly felt like drinking, took the medicine pot and ran back to the stream to wash clothes.
Napoleon rested for a while, and in the evening, carrying his sword, he went out to the courtyard, planning to test Shadow Force's power.
Shadow Force had reacted so much more intensely than Ravencrest Method, making him increasingly curious about this battle energy technique's true capabilities.
Feeling restless with curiosity and his pain somewhat relieved, Napoleon got out of bed to practice.
In the dimly lit forest.
Napoleon carried his sword and simply left the courtyard, moving away from the wooden cabin to find a quieter spot.
He began attempting to channel Shadow Force internal energy.
Shadow Force's circulation range extended from both kidneys to the lower abdomen, like wearing a belt around his waist. Very strange indeed.
This internal energy was already chopstick-thick at just the initiated level.
Napoleon tried controlling it with his mind, and indeed it differed from Ravencrest Method—he could easily command and mobilize it with just a thought.
He attempted to direct a thread of internal energy upward from his lower abdomen, quickly flowing to his right shoulder, right arm, right hand, and finally to his longsword.
The moment that thread of internal energy flowed into the blade.
Napoleon heard subtle burning sounds.
His arm felt scorching hot as an irrepressible impulse surged in his heart, causing him to swing his hand forcefully.
Slash!
The longsword suddenly struck out, landing on a tree trunk before Napoleon.
Crash!!
The tree, thick enough to require a man's full embrace, shuddered violently as numerous leaves rained down like precipitation.
Napoleon's blade had sunk deeply into the trunk.
At the same time, the edges of the trunk's wound showed obvious traces of blackening.
"Blackening?"
Napoleon forcefully pulled out his blade, frowning as he touched the blackened area.
"Like it's been roasted by fire... Is this high temperature? Or some other effect?"
After thinking, he looked around, then quickly ran out to grasp something from a patch of grass.
Squawk~~~
A colorfully plumed wild pheasant was caught in his grip by its neck. It had been hiding in the grass, thinking Napoleon couldn't see it, but was still captured.
"Let me test this. If it's truly what I think it is."
Napoleon carefully returned to the tree trunk, using his fingernail to scrape some powder from the wound's edge.
The slightly blackened powder fell into his palm, which he carefully fed to the wild pheasant.
After the pheasant consumed the powder, Napoleon waited a while and saw the bird squawk frantically before becoming somewhat listless.
He scraped more powder and fed it to the pheasant.
This time he didn't wait long. When released, the pheasant staggered a few steps before toppling over sideways.
Napoleon went over to feel it. The pheasant's body was burning hot, still breathing but completely weak and feeble, as if running a high fever.
"As I suspected! This is poison martial arts! And it should be fire-poison nature."
Napoleon's heart initially confirmed Shadow Force's nature.
He pulled out the manual he carried close to his body, carefully examining the records within.
'...Shadow Force, with scorching malevolent intent, fierce and toxic. Those struck by it, without opposing internal energy to neutralize and cleanse, will perish within three days.'
Regarding Shadow Force's power, the records contained only this simple sentence.
But Napoleon could already discern Shadow Force's true nature from this.
It was indeed the poison martial art he now mastered.
"Formidable."
Napoleon's heart filled with admiration.
This Shadow Force was truly different from Ravencrest Method and other life-nurturing techniques—it was a battle energy method created specifically for killing and combat.
The power difference was simply enormous.
He carefully sensed the Shadow Force internal energy within his body.
That single sword strike, channeling internal energy, had consumed a thread's worth. Comparing this to his remaining total internal energy.
"At the initiated level, I should be able to support about ten strikes. Any more and my internal energy would be insufficient. Shadow Force internal energy also seems to have an explosive power enhancement effect. Truly too practical."
After testing its effects, Napoleon turned back. This was merely the power at initiated level—if he advanced to higher levels, who knew what degree of power it might reach.
He felt great anticipation.
Returning to the small cabin's courtyard, he happened to see two Goldwin family guards arriving to deliver food.
Seeing Napoleon, the two men hurried forward to pay their respects.
"Master Napoleon, recent events have all been placed in the food box. Please review them at your leisure."
After greeting him briefly, the two departed hastily from the forest.
Napoleon accepted the food box and stood at the small courtyard's entrance, opening it directly. Sure enough, inside was placed a wax-sealed letter.
He entered the courtyard, handed the food box to Petite who came to receive it, then tore open the envelope himself and extracted the letter inside.
'Napoleon, the previous Thornton family massacre case in the city has been solved.
A master brought in by the authorities resolved it, arresting a large batch of people in the city and executing over ten at the market square at noon today.'
Marcus Goldwin's opening sentence immediately stunned Napoleon.
He continued reading.
It turned out this period's series of incidents had caused panic throughout the city. A few days ago, riots had even occurred, with many city residents and tenant farmers fleeing toward Beauclair.
The authorities suppressed a group of people, forcibly keeping them behind.
Afterward, to stabilize popular sentiment, the authorities arrested dozens of people at once, claiming them all to be perpetrators of the previous cases.
Only then did the populace somewhat stabilize.
After reading the letter, Napoleon's lips curved into a cold smile.
"It seems the authorities can barely hold on. Perpetrators? If perpetrators were so easily caught, it wouldn't have dragged on until now.
They must have randomly found some people as scapegoats."
Fortunately, the letter mentioned that the Bonaparte estate remained unchanged with no incidents.
Lu Chenxin and other young masters continued their usual entertainment as if completely unaffected.
The brothels and music halls in the city had seen booming business recently.
Clearly this resulted from people under extreme fear and pressure needing outlets for release.
Napoleon took a deep breath.
"This method can stabilize things temporarily. But it's merely drinking poison to quench thirst—the cases aren't truly solved. If similar incidents occur again..."
He put away the letter and composed himself.
Currently, the Bonaparte estate in Oxenfurt had no more resistance to those supernatural events than ordinary common people.
Should they truly encounter such things, the outcome was self-evident.
Therefore, his only course now was to improve himself as much as possible, becoming stronger.
Only then might he have self-protection capabilities when facing such bizarre incidents in the future!
He didn't know how strong he needed to become to adequately handle such events, so he could only do his utmost to reach his maximum potential.
After receiving the letter, Napoleon began consuming large quantities of the nourishing precious medicines he'd brought.
He had Petite brew thick medicinal soups for him after every meal.
With powerful medicinal support, in just three days the aftereffects of advancing Shadow Force to initiated level were basically eliminated.
Four days later...
"Second advancement!"
Napoleon stood before the same large tree trunk as before.
The sword cut from days earlier, about one-fifth the trunk's depth, remained in the tree trunk with dried edges.
This tree, one of the thickest in the forest, now appeared listless and dispirited.
Napoleon decided to use this spot for his second breakthrough.
He sat against the tree, arranged the medicinal soups from the food box one by one, then sat cross-legged in proper position.
Shadow Force internal energy flowed continuously along the circulation route between his lower abdomen and kidneys.
"Gold Finger."
Napoleon silently invoked.
The dark gold modifier interface appeared before him. Napoleon gazed at Shadow Force's column.
His intent pressed the modification button.
The interface flashed.
Napoleon's expression immediately became solemn.
"Advance Shadow Force one level!"
He silently commanded.
Whoosh.
Shadow Force's status had originally been "Initiated." Now, with Napoleon's mental command, the word "Initiated" quickly flashed and changed to "First Level."
Before Napoleon could feel joy, he sensed a heat flow somewhat weaker than before instantly coursing through his entire body.
His body felt as if roasted by a furnace at close range.
In just a few breaths, Napoleon was drenched in sweat, his skin reddening again.
Fortunately, this time his body seemed much more adapted, not as difficult as the first time.
In just the time for a cup of tea—about ten minutes.
Napoleon gradually recovered.
Though his body still ached everywhere—some new meridians had been opened by Shadow Force internal energy and incorporated into the circulation network, naturally requiring repair and healing time.
But his current feeling.
Was like his entire body was filled with energy, ready to explode.
"Let me test again!"
Napoleon stood up and drew his longsword from his back.
The heat flow came quickly and left quickly.
After just several breaths, the heat flow completed several rapid circuits through Napoleon's body, and his constitution gradually adapted somewhat.
Although Napoleon's body temperature remained quite high, it wasn't as scalding as before.
The Ravencrest Battle Energy internal cultivation within his body also began accelerating, naturally releasing numerous threads to repair damaged meridians and organs.
After another moment.
Napoleon's skin color gradually faded, returning to its original fair complexion.
Whoosh...
Even the breath he exhaled was scorching.
Every part of his body ached—his entire muscles and bones felt as if they'd been stabbed with needles.
This was completely different from his experience with Ravencrest Method. Now he felt as if his entire body had been pummeled repeatedly with a great hammer.
"Fortunately, this period's Ravencrest Method practice had accumulated considerable internal energy. Now it's perfectly suited for healing."
Napoleon felt the Ravencrest Method beginning to heal his internal organs and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I never expected Shadow Force to be so dominating at just the initiated level. If it reaches higher levels later, that power... how strong will it be?"
He hardly dared imagine.
"Petite."
He called loudly.
"Coming, young master!"
Petite hurried over from behind, her hands still dripping with water—she must have been washing something.
"Bring me medicinal tea."
Napoleon instructed. His entire body ached everywhere, and internally he suffered from burning fire and yin deficiency, making him terribly thirsty.
Petite quickly brought the prepared medicinal tea. This tea contained many yin-nourishing medicinal ingredients like jade dendrobium, Southern Barbarian turtle shell, snow gardenia, winter shade... and other precious medicines unique to this world.
Drinking one cup, Napoleon immediately felt coolness slide from his throat into his stomach, then spread from his stomach in all directions throughout his body.
This coolness slightly alleviated the burning fire within.
Napoleon drank an entire pot consecutively.
One pot could serve five cups.
He even chewed and swallowed the medicinal residue, finally sighing with satisfaction though still wanting more.
After lying on the bed to rest for several hours, by the time it was nearly dark.
Napoleon's pain throughout his body had finally somewhat subsided.
Petite didn't understand what was happening. Seeing Napoleon showed no unusual signs, she assumed he had suddenly felt like drinking, took the medicine pot and ran back to the stream to wash clothes.
Napoleon rested for a while, and in the evening, carrying his sword, he went out to the courtyard, planning to test Shadow Force's power.
Shadow Force had reacted so much more intensely than Ravencrest Method, making him increasingly curious about this internal technique's true capabilities.
Feeling restless with curiosity and his pain somewhat relieved, Napoleon got out of bed to practice.
In the dimly lit forest.
Napoleon carried his sword and simply left the courtyard, moving away from the wooden cabin to find a quieter spot.
He began attempting to channel Shadow Force internal energy.
Shadow Force's circulation range extended from both kidneys to the lower abdomen, like wearing a belt around his waist. Very strange indeed.
This internal energy was already chopstick-thick at just the initiated level.
Napoleon tried controlling it with his mind, and indeed it differed from Ravencrest Method—he could easily command and mobilize it with just a thought.
He attempted to direct a thread of internal energy upward from his lower abdomen, quickly flowing to his right shoulder, right arm, right hand, and finally to his longsword.
The moment that thread of internal energy flowed into the blade.
Napoleon heard subtle burning sounds.
His arm felt scorching hot as an irrepressible impulse surged in his heart, causing him to swing his hand forcefully.
Slash!
The longsword suddenly struck out, landing on a tree trunk before Napoleon.
Crash!!
The tree, thick enough to require a man's full embrace, shuddered violently as numerous leaves rained down like precipitation.
Napoleon's blade had sunk deeply into the trunk.
At the same time, the edges of the trunk's wound showed obvious traces of blackening.
"Blackening?"
Napoleon forcefully pulled out his blade, frowning as he touched the blackened area.
"Like it's been roasted by fire... Is this high temperature? Or some other effect?"
After thinking, he looked around, then quickly ran out to grasp something from a patch of grass.
Squawk~~~
A colorfully plumed wild pheasant was caught in his grip by its neck. It had been hiding in the grass, thinking Napoleon couldn't see it, but was still captured.
"Let me test this. If it's truly what I think it is."
Napoleon carefully returned to the tree trunk, using his fingernail to scrape some powder from the wound's edge.
The slightly blackened powder fell into his palm, which he carefully fed to the wild pheasant.
After the pheasant consumed the powder, Napoleon waited a while and saw the bird squawk frantically before becoming somewhat listless.
He scraped more powder and fed it to the pheasant.
This time he didn't wait long. When released, the pheasant staggered a few steps before toppling over sideways.
Napoleon went over to feel it. The pheasant's body was burning hot, still breathing but completely weak and feeble, as if running a high fever.
"As I suspected! This is poison martial arts! And it should be fire-poison nature."
Napoleon's heart initially confirmed Shadow Force's nature.
He pulled out the manual he carried close to his body, carefully examining the records within.
'...Shadow Force, with scorching malevolent intent, fierce and toxic. Those struck by it, without opposing internal energy to neutralize and cleanse, will perish within three days.'
Regarding Shadow Force's power, the records contained only this simple sentence.
But Napoleon could already discern Shadow Force's true nature from this.
It was indeed the poison martial art he now mastered.
"Formidable."
Napoleon's heart filled with admiration.
This Shadow Force was truly different from Ravencrest Method and other life-nurturing techniques—it was an internal cultivation method created specifically for killing and combat.
The power difference was simply enormous.
He carefully sensed the Shadow Force internal energy within his body.
That single sword strike, channeling internal energy, had consumed a thread's worth. Comparing this to his remaining total internal energy.
"At the initiated level, I should be able to support about ten strikes. Any more and my internal energy would be insufficient. Shadow Force internal energy also seems to have an explosive power enhancement effect. Truly too practical."
After testing its effects, Napoleon turned back. This was merely the power at initiated level—if he advanced to higher levels, who knew what degree of power it might reach.
He felt great anticipation.
Returning to the small cabin's courtyard, he happened to see two Goldwin family guards arriving to deliver food.
Seeing Napoleon, the two men hurried forward to pay their respects.
"Master Napoleon, recent events have all been placed in the food box. Please review them at your leisure."
After greeting him briefly, the two departed hastily from the forest.
Napoleon accepted the food box and stood at the small courtyard's entrance, opening it directly. Sure enough, inside was placed a wax-sealed letter.
He entered the courtyard, handed the food box to Petite who came to receive it, then tore open the envelope himself and extracted the letter inside.
'Napoleon, the previous Thornton family massacre case in the city has been solved.
A master brought in by the authorities resolved it, arresting a large batch of people in the city and executing over ten at the market square at noon today.'
Marcus Goldwin's opening sentence immediately stunned Napoleon.
He continued reading.
It turned out this period's series of incidents had caused panic throughout the city. A few days ago, riots had even occurred, with many city residents and tenant farmers fleeing toward Beauclair.
The authorities suppressed a group of people, forcibly keeping them behind.
Afterward, to stabilize popular sentiment, the authorities arrested dozens of people at once, claiming them all to be perpetrators of the previous cases.
Only then did the populace somewhat stabilize.
After reading the letter, Napoleon's lips curved into a cold smile.
"It seems the authorities can barely hold on. Perpetrators? If perpetrators were so easily caught, it wouldn't have dragged on until now.
They must have randomly found some people as scapegoats."
Fortunately, the letter mentioned that the Bonaparte estate remained unchanged with no incidents.
Lucien and other young masters continued their usual entertainment as if completely unaffected.
The brothels and music halls in the city had seen booming business recently.
Clearly this resulted from people under extreme fear and pressure needing outlets for release.
Napoleon took a deep breath.
"This method can stabilize things temporarily. But it's merely drinking poison to quench thirst—the cases aren't truly solved. If similar incidents occur again..."
He put away the letter and composed himself.
Currently, the Bonaparte estate in Oxenfurt had no more resistance to those supernatural events than ordinary common people.
Should they truly encounter such things, the outcome was self-evident.
Therefore, his only course now was to improve himself as much as possible, becoming stronger.
Only then might he have self-protection capabilities when facing such bizarre incidents in the future!
He didn't know how strong he needed to become to adequately handle such events, so he could only do his utmost to reach his maximum potential.
After receiving the letter, Napoleon began consuming large quantities of the nourishing precious medicines he'd brought.
He had Petite brew thick medicinal soups for him after every meal.
With powerful medicinal support, in just three days the aftereffects of advancing Shadow Force to initiated level were basically eliminated.
Four days later...
"Second advancement!"
Napoleon stood before the same large tree trunk as before.
The sword cut from days earlier, about one-fifth the trunk's depth, remained in the tree trunk with dried edges.
This tree, one of the thickest in the forest, now appeared listless and dispirited.
Napoleon decided to use this spot for his second breakthrough.
He sat against the tree, arranged the medicinal soups from the food box one by one, then sat cross-legged in proper position.
Shadow Force internal energy flowed continuously along the circulation route between his lower abdomen and kidneys.
"Gold Finger."
Napoleon silently invoked.
The dark gold modifier interface appeared before him. Napoleon gazed at Shadow Force's column.
His intent pressed the modification button.
The interface flashed.
Napoleon's expression immediately became solemn.
"Advance Shadow Force one level!"
He silently commanded.
Whoosh.
Shadow Force's status had originally been "Initiated." Now, with Napoleon's mental command, the word "Initiated" quickly flashed and changed to "First Level."
Before Napoleon could feel joy, he sensed a heat flow somewhat weaker than before instantly coursing through his entire body.
His body felt as if roasted by a furnace at close range.
In just a few breaths, Napoleon was drenched in sweat, his skin reddening again.
Fortunately, this time his body seemed much more adapted, not as difficult as the first time.
In just the time for a cup of tea—about ten minutes.
Napoleon gradually recovered.
Though his body still ached everywhere—some new meridians had been opened by Shadow Force internal energy and incorporated into the circulation network, naturally requiring repair and healing time.
But his current feeling.
Was like his entire body was filled with energy, ready to explode.
"Let me test again!"
Napoleon stood up and drew his longsword from his back.