In his mental space, the Reverse Destiny Pearl completely dimmed. The last copy charge had been used, and Yu Fei had obtained Ma Tianhao's purple talent.
[Iron and Steel Frame]
Before he could even check its specific attributes, Yu Fei was swarmed by his cheering friends. They were all astonished, mainly because his tactics had been outrageously daring.
While facing Ma Tianhao's attacks, the slightest misstep could have gotten him knocked out with a single blow.
But against all odds, he had seized that sliver of an almost impossible opportunity to claim victory.
The precognitive nature of his [Insight] talent had played a huge part in this. If he had relied solely on [Super Speed Reaction] to boost his neural reaction speed by seven times, he could have dodged the attack, but he wouldn't have been able to execute a perfect counter.
Yan Sea watched Yu Fei, having made up his mind.
Of all the students he had ever taught, Yu Fei's combat talent was the most outstanding. He was simply second to none.
"Incredible, Yu Fei! That last kick was awesome!"
Wang Jiale was practically dancing with excitement. He had watched nearly all of Yu Fei's matches, and almost every one ended in a clutch victory!
He was a year older than Yu Fei and even at a slightly higher martial arts realm, but he knew for a fact that if he were to face Yu Fei, he'd be knocked out cold. 'This junior is just too vicious!'
Jian Dalong walked silently to Yu Fei's side and gave him a solid thump on the chest.
"Well done!"
Jian Dalong grinned.
The blow knocked the wind out of Yu Fei. 'This brute didn't pull his punch at all. That actually hurt!'
Once the excitement died down a bit, Yu Fei found Yan Sea to tell him his plan.
"Mr. Yan, I'm planning to withdraw from the competition."
Yan Sea's face was impassive. Upon hearing Yu Fei's intention, his expression didn't so much as twitch. He simply asked in a deep voice, "State your reasons."
"To be honest, I've been taking huge risks in every match. My raw strength can only get me this far.
No matter how many matches I win in the upcoming group stage, I can't get past the two seeded contestants. One is in the Second Realm, and the other is at the fourth stage of the First Realm. They're too tough a nut to crack."
Yu Fei said calmly, possessing a clear understanding of his own limitations.
Once the Bone Pass is fully tempered, a Martial Artist's skin, flesh, sinews, and bones integrate into a single unit, drastically increasing their offensive and defensive power. With his current strength, he wouldn't even be able to break through their defense.
"Fine."
"Huh?"
Yu Fei was suspicious. 'Mr. Yan is being this agreeable?'
He eyed Yan Sea.
"?"
"..."
Finding a seat to rest, Yu Fei focused his mind inward, entering his mental space to check the information on his newly acquired talent.
[Iron and Steel Frame]
Description: Superhuman sinews and bones, unyielding will.
Effect: Increases the resilience of sinews and bones, granting greater strength and durability, and drastically increases pain tolerance!
It was a purple talent, and a constitution-type one at that—something he desperately needed. Unfortunately, all of Yu Fei's talent slots were currently full.
'Sigh... I wonder how much Refinement Energy it costs to unlock a new slot.'
He currently had eight energy points, which wasn't enough to unlock a new slot.
On top of that, the Reverse Destiny Pearl's talent-copying ability was on cooldown.
'After school starts, I'll have to find a chance to beat up Jiang Yifan. Who knows, maybe ten energy points will be enough to unlock it?'
Yu Fei mulled it over. 'It's worth a shot.'
'The kid will just have to suffer a bit!'
Having made up his mind, Yu Fei began to watch Jian Dalong's match. The big guy was about to compete.
...
"Tsk, tsk. What a mess."
On the platform, Jian Dalong was getting beaten like a rented mule.
Both of them were at the third stage, but his opponent was exceptionally agile. Jian Dalong was taking a constant beating; only his superior defense allowed him to stay on his feet.
This match made Yu Fei realize just how great an advantage those with talents had on the path of martial arts.
Take the two on the platform, for example. Jian Dalong's talent was geared toward defense, while his opponent's was geared toward speed. Both were third-stage, First-Realm Martial Artists, and both practiced the Six Harmonies Killing Fist, yet their fighting styles and performances were worlds apart.
Yu Fei really wanted a talent that increased his physical speed. Paired with [Super Speed Reaction], he could experience two seconds for every one that passed. That would make him truly invincible.
In the end, Jian Dalong lost, and he had been beaten badly. An underdeveloped tank just can't stand up to an assassin.
Jian Dalong was seriously injured and decided to withdraw from the competition as well. With that, every contestant from Nanguan Second Middle School had been eliminated.
Fortunately, there was no need to wait for the prizes awarded to those who passed the qualifiers. After Yu Fei submitted his withdrawal request, he quickly completed the paperwork and received ten Vitality Elixirs and a certificate of qualification.
That night, Yu Fei took out a Vitality Elixir. He carefully divided it into five portions and continued his cultivation.
Before reaching the Skin Pass, he had to divide a single Vitality Elixir into ten portions. Now, he only needed to divide it into five.
An increase in his realm meant his body's tolerance had grown stronger. By the time he reached the fifth stage, he would be able to absorb an entire Vitality Elixir in a single cultivation session.
With the elixirs, his cultivation once again entered the fast lane.
To cultivate the Ox Subduing Pile Skill to the level of Perfection, one had to seize a fleeting moment of inspiration to grasp the core of the Cultivation Technique. This required sufficient effort but, more importantly, a stroke of good fortune.
The core of the First Realm of martial arts lies in external tempering. There are countless external tempering techniques in the world, but the Yu Kingdom has verified that the Ox Subduing Pile Skill is the most suitable for widespread popularization, bar none.
Most external tempering techniques strengthen one or more aspects—skin, flesh, sinews, bones, or blood—but at the cost of weakening other bodily functions. These are considered the lowest-grade Cultivation Techniques. However, back in the era of the great sects, such techniques were considered secret teachings, only passed down to core disciples.
Back then, the most top-tier external tempering techniques could enhance certain abilities without weakening other bodily functions.
However, with the development and progress of modern martial arts, it was discovered that these so-called top-tier techniques, upon reaching Major Completion, could cause an imbalance in a Martial Artist's internal five elements. Only those with special constitutions could handle the strain, making them unsuitable for general practice.
The Ox Subduing Pile Skill originated from a Daoist foundational technique. After years of refinement and supplementation by the Martial Arts Academy, the Cultivation Technique's effects are now moderate and balanced, yet it possesses extremely high potential.
Using the Ox Subduing Pile Skill to build a foundation before entering the Second Realm of martial arts enhances a Martial Artist's potential and compensates for Innate deficiencies. There's even a theory that the Daoists merely collected the original version, and that the Cultivation Technique actually originates from a much more ancient time, from an era before the Great Cataclysm, though there is no evidence to prove it.
In short, while progress with the Ox Subduing Pile Skill is slow, it allows a Cultivator to build a solid martial foundation. That is why it serves as the Yu Kingdom's official introductory Cultivation Technique, and it is unrivaled in that role.
The true diversification of Cultivation Techniques begins at the Fourth Realm of martial arts, where a hundred flowers bloom, so to speak, based on an individual's unique talents and aptitude. Before that point, it is best to follow the established path step by step, unless a Grandmaster personally assesses one's bones and custom-tailors a Cultivation Technique.
Yu Fei had privately asked about it before. Reaching the Major Completion stage of the Ox Subduing Pile Skill was relatively easy.
Most talented Cultivators could achieve it within a year. Reaching the Perfection stage, however, was purely a matter of luck.
But in the time it took to do that, an ordinary martial arts genius would have already broken through the First Realm entirely. Since the Ox Subduing Pile Skill is just an introductory Cultivation Technique for training the skin, flesh, sinews, bones, and blood, the effort was often not worth the reward.
The fact that Yu Fei had brought the Ox Subduing Pile Skill to Major Completion in just under six months showed Yan Sea that not only was his combat talent extraordinary, but his comprehension was also decent. 'If he develops properly,' Yan Sea thought, 'he might truly achieve something great in the future.'