"Guidance for all sixty-four forms, including their key principles and foundational movements, is complete." The middle-aged man's voice remained as placid as ever.
"Further improvement requires diligent, unceasing practice to comprehend the spirit of the Rainbow Light. This guidance session has concluded. The student may now choose to exit or repeat the demonstration."
An option to continue appeared on the light screen.
"It's over..." Li Wen let out a long sigh of relief. The tension that had held him finally snapped, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
He wiped the sweat from his face, but a flame of excitement burned in his eyes.
'I did it!'
The first and most crucial step—laying the foundation—was complete. Relying on his heaven-defying ability, `[Perfect Recall]`, he had finally managed to fully imprint all sixty-four of the complex and esoteric forms of the `Rainbow Light Saber Skill` into his mind.
Every key point was crystal clear, waiting for him to process and internalize.
The path forward would be a long grind. He would activate `[Absolute Focus]` and, through endless repetition, whittle away at the "sixty-four mountains" lodged in his mind until the movements became second nature.
'Mastering the basics in two days?' He could already see the door of hope opening before him.
Instead of leaving immediately, Li Wen exited the guidance mode but kept the projection active, letting the figure of the middle-aged man continue its slow-motion demonstration as a reference.
He took a moment to regulate his breathing, then once again gripped the saber and attempted to practice the entire sequence from the first form, relying solely on his own memory and understanding.
His movements were slow and the transitions were stiff, but the fundamental structure and the paths for exerting force were almost flawless. This gave him a major boost in confidence.
After practicing the first few forms he had memorized several more times, the intense hunger gnawing at his stomach and his physical exhaustion finally won out over the urge to continue. He glanced at the time. It was almost past the dinner hour.
'Time to eat and head back. I need to rest up and get back to it tomorrow.'
Li Wen deftly sheathed his blade and returned the practice saber to the weapon rack. He gave one last look at the mountain-still projection, then turned and walked out of the high-tech technique comprehension room, a space brimming with potential.
The moment he stepped outside, the cold air jolted him awake.
The beads of sweat on his forehead grew cool in the night breeze. Li Wen tightened the strap of his shoulder bag and strode toward the cafeteria.
At dinner, Li Wen did something unusual and asked the cafeteria staff for an extra portion of a meat dish to replenish his depleted energy.
After wolfing down his meal, he hurried to the bus stop at the school entrance.
Seated on the bus, Li Wen closed his eyes to rest as the neon lights outside blurred past. At the same time, his mind was like a high-speed projector, quickly reviewing the key points of the sixty-four forms of the `Rainbow Light Saber Skill`.
The advantage of `[Perfect Recall]` was on full display—not a single one of the complex patterns was the least bit fuzzy.
By the time he got home, the clock already read eight in the evening.
He pushed the door open to find his parents still weren't home from work. Li Wen headed straight to his room.
The moment he entered his room, he wasted no time. With final exams approaching and the selection for the Flying Star Class just around the corner, raising his physical body's level was a pressing emergency.
Tonight was the crucial night he had planned for. He would take the precious `Qi and Blood Potion` and use `[Absolute Focus]` to make an all-out push to master the `Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill`.
He placed the Level 1 `Qi and Blood Potion`—the kind you could drink immediately by biting off the stopper—on his desk, right where he could easily reach it.
Then, he took his position in the small patch of open space in the center of his room and assumed the opening stance of the `Splitting Blade Golden Killing Skill`.
"HUUUH..." Li Wen took a deep breath, his eyes instantly becoming incredibly sharp. 'Activate—`[Absolute Focus]`!'
HUM!
His level 3 `[Absolute Focus]` skill activated instantly.
All distracting thoughts, sounds, and light were instantly blocked out. His entire world narrowed to the surging qi and blood within him and the pathways of the `Cultivation Technique` he already knew by heart.
The 30% boost to his comprehension was like installing a supercharger in his brain.
In this state of extreme focus, Li Wen felt his body begin to self-calibrate like a precision instrument.
Before, he had struggled just to maintain the standard forms; now, he was pursuing a kind of instinctual perfection.
The minute adjustments of his muscles, the correction of his joint angles, the harmony between his breathing and the frequency of his movements—everything became clear and controllable under the scrutiny of `[Absolute Focus]`.
But an even greater change was happening on the inside.
Driven by his heightened comprehension, his understanding of the `Cultivation Technique`'s essence deepened at a startling rate. The points where his qi and blood circulation had been blocked and wasteful, the nodes where it didn't flow smoothly, the inefficient energy conversion pathways—all were being analyzed and optimized at an unprecedented speed, thanks to the 30% boost.
His qi and blood no longer surged chaotically. Instead, under the precise guidance of his consciousness, its flow became more refined and orderly.
The energy conversion rate per unit of qi and blood rose at a visible pace. His body was like a ravenous black hole, efficiently absorbing the sparse energy particles from the space around him.
In this state of complete immersion, time lost all meaning.
'An hour... or maybe longer?'
Li Wen remained in the standard posture, perfectly still. His face was a mask of pain and determination, but it was as if he had completely blocked out his body's pain signals, focusing only on the torrent within him, which grew ever more optimized and efficient.
Finally!
The skill's powerful effect came to a screeching halt, as if a high-speed train had slammed into an invisible wall.
"Urk..."
Li Wen let out a muffled groan. His face instantly turned white as a sheet, and his bloodless lips took on an eerie bluish-purple hue.
His body felt as if all its bones had been pulled out. His legs gave way, and he could only keep from collapsing by bending over and bracing his hands hard against his knees.
Large beads of cold sweat poured from his forehead, temples, and back as if a floodgate had been opened.
His vision swam with black spots, and the only sound was the echo of his own heart thundering madly in his hollow chest.
Every gasp sent a searing pain through his lungs, and his throat was so dry it felt like it might crack open.
After a good three to five minutes, it felt as though his soul had just managed to struggle back into his body from some distant void.
The feeling of suffocation subsided slightly. His frantic heartbeat began to calm, and his trembling limbs regained a sliver of strength.
Li Wen struggled to raise his head, his bloodshot eyes locking onto his desk.
There, the amber-colored Level 1 `Qi and Blood Potion` was waiting silently.
His body was like a parched desert desperate for rain; every cell was issuing a silent, desperate roar.
He practically crawled over to the desk, using his hands and feet, and propped himself up against its leg.
His right hand shaking, he grabbed the vial of lifeblood.
POP—
He bit down hard, and the tough stopper flew from the vial.
Without a moment's hesitation, Li Wen tilted his head back and poured the cold, viscous liquid—with its faintly sweet and metallic, rust-like taste—directly into his mouth.
GULP! GULP! GULP!
He swallowed with all his might.
A surging, warm energy instantly slid down his throat.