Chapter 74: A Huge Surprise

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: A Huge Surprise

Lu Jingting asked himself, if he were to fight Gu Yiqiu to the death, his chances of winning would be less than forty percent. And Gu Yiqiu’s preternaturally elusive Body Technique was something he could hardly hope to match.

Yet such an expert of the Marrow Refining Realm, skilled in a Body Technique and ferocious attacks, had been killed in a direct confrontation, unable to even escape...

"This Youlin County..."

Lu Jingting’s eyes narrowed as he slowly exhaled a long breath.

...

Chen Yue slipped back into Tingzhu Pavilion in the inner courtyard of the Chen Mansion without a sound. He washed up briefly, and only after his breathing had stabilized did he sit down at the desk in his study. By the light of the oil lamp, he took out the Great Vajra Palm Secret Manual he had obtained from Gu Yiqiu.

Chen Yue focused his Heart Spirit and began to study it carefully, word by word, line by line.

The Secret Manual was not thick, but its contents were remarkably concise. It opened by expounding on the essential principles of unparalleled ferocity and all-destroying power. This was followed by detailed Palm Technique stances, Force Transmission Techniques, accompanying breathing rhythms, a secret medicinal bath formula for conditioning the palms, and more.

But the deeper he delved into it, the more Chen Yue’s brow furrowed slightly.

The cultivation philosophy and force generation method of this Great Vajra Palm were by far the most ferocious external Palm Technique he had ever seen.

But correspondingly, the physical toll it took on the Cultivator was also astonishingly high.

The Secret Manual also explicitly stated that it must be supplemented with specific medicinal baths and breathing methods to mitigate the backlash, and that one’s training progress must be gradual and not rushed.

’If I hadn’t cultivated the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, integrating my muscles, bones, organs, and Qi Blood into one, and if my defensive and force-dispersing abilities weren’t far beyond ordinary, I’m afraid just trying to circulate Qi Blood along this Palm Technique’s pathways would have damaged my meridians with a single misstep,’ Chen Yue mused.

’This Palm Technique is practically made for those Body Refinement fanatics born with Innate Divine Power.’

Gu Yiqiu had managed to cultivate it to Great Success, a testament to his extremely solid physical foundation. Unfortunately for him, he ran into Chen Yue, who had trained his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield to Great Success.

Ferocity had met even greater ferocity, one that also possessed the profound ability to vibrate and disperse force, which was why he had been so utterly defeated.

However, as his understanding of the Secret Manual deepened, a vague sense of strangeness began to creep into Chen Yue’s mind.

It didn’t stem from the difficulty of cultivating the Palm Technique, but rather... certain details of its Qi Blood circulation, especially the connections between a few key Acupoints and meridians involved in unleashing peak Palm Force, seemed to overly pursue an instantaneous, ultimate burst of power.

With Chen Yue’s current attainments in multiple Cultivation Techniques, especially his insight into the subtleties of the body after reaching Great Success in the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, he concluded that this Great Vajra Palm’s Cultivation Technique must have been deliberately modified.

Chen Yue’s gaze fell upon the end of the Secret Manual. There was no signature, only a two-line, gatha-like summary:

"An enraged Vajra glares, subduing the four demons. Where my Palm Force reaches, all evil is vanquished." The calligraphy was vigorous, yet it exuded an indescribable fanaticism.

Chen Yue suppressed the doubt in his heart and meticulously committed the Secret Manual’s contents to memory once more from beginning to end, paying special attention to the passages that felt strange to him.

Then, he closed the Secret Manual and quietly awaited midnight.

As day turned to night, the familiar ripples appeared right on time.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligently studied the Great Vajra Palm Secret Manual. Great Vajra Palm (Altered) Experience +1]

[Diligently cultivated the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield. Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield Experience +246]

[Killed a Marrow Refining Realm Martial Artist in combat. Source Point +1]

[Consumed a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. Minor Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging effect.]

...

[Skill: Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield - Great Success (5362/29103)]

[Skill: Great Vajra Palm (Altered) - Entry Level (1/1233)]

[Source Point: 1]

...

When he saw the new skill that had appeared on the panel, Chen Yue’s gaze sharpened.

[Great Vajra Palm (Altered)].

’Just as I thought!’

The panel’s assessment confirmed his suspicions. The Secret Manual was indeed flawed; it had been modified and was not the original version.

No wonder its method of force generation was so extreme, seeming to verge on overdrawing one’s potential. Gu Yiqiu hadn’t kept it on his person with good intentions.

’I wonder if I can modify it myself and then cultivate it?’ a thought surfaced in Chen Yue’s mind.

But what truly surprised Chen Yue at this moment wasn’t the Great Vajra Palm (Altered), but another line of data.

[Diligently cultivated the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield. Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield Experience +246]

That number was a bit high.

After breaking through to the Bone Forging realm, Chen Yue’s cultivation efficiency for all his techniques had indeed increased significantly. At Minor Success in the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, he could gain about 120 Experience Points a day through diligent practice, which was already double what he earned in the Refining Flesh Realm.

But today’s settlement showed that his experience gain for the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield had skyrocketed to 246 points, more than double the usual amount!

’Why did it suddenly increase so much?’

If there was anything unusual about his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield training today, the only variable was that he had consumed that precious Source Point to forcibly raise its realm from Minor Success to Great Success.

Using the Source Point today was certainly no loss. Setting aside the fact that he used it to turn the tables and kill a powerful enemy, thereby gaining another Source Point, the mechanics displayed during the process alone were quite satisfying to Chen Yue.

The Experience Points he had painstakingly accumulated at the Minor Success Realm were not wiped clean by the breakthrough. Instead, they were converted at the same ratio and added to the massive experience bar of the Great Success Realm.

This meant that none of his previous, persistent daily efforts had been in vain.

And now, a new surprise followed.

After using the point, the daily Experience Points gained for the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield had actually doubled!

It had skyrocketed from around one hundred and twenty points to two hundred and forty-six. This undoubtedly accelerated his cultivation speed and also gave Chen Yue a deeper understanding of the effect a Source Point had when enhancing a Cultivation Technique.

It wasn’t just an instantaneous infusion of experience and a realm promotion; it also seemed to have permanently optimized the compatibility between the Cultivation Technique and himself, causing a qualitative leap in his subsequent regular training efficiency.

Chen Yue’s gaze shifted to the Source Point he had just obtained, and a rare hesitation appeared in his heart.

Should he invest this Source Point into the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield as well?

A storm was brewing in Youlin County, and the situation was treacherous and unpredictable.

The Divine Flame Cult and Youquan Prefecture were watching like hungry tigers. The stronger he was, the more capital he would have to break out of this chaotic situation.

The Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was currently his strongest foundation for defense and power. If he could advance it further, it would undoubtedly enhance his survival and combat capabilities immensely.

Of course, Chen Yue could also do as he did today: save the Source Point as a trump card to be used at a critical moment of life and death, turning the tables against all odds.

The effect of time nearly stopping the moment he used the point had indeed given him ample room to think and act.

But nothing was certain. What if the next enemy he encountered possessed some bizarre Secret Technique that could directly assault his Divine Soul, causing his consciousness to go blank or fall into chaos instantly?

’At that point, I might not even have time to form a thought!’

Pinning his hopes on having enough time to use the point was, in itself, a gamble.

Chen Yue had been hoarding Source Points, reluctant to use them. His deep-seated plan was to wait until he had pushed the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield to the entry stage of the Perfection Realm, then use a Source Point to help it break through the final barrier and step into the complete Realm of Perfection.

In his view, that was the most cost-effective use: using the Source Point to leverage the greatest realm advancement, to cross the final, most terrifying stretch of the experience requirement.

But tonight’s life-and-death battle with the Marrow Refining Realm expert had taught him a profound lesson.

In this world fraught with crisis, nothing was more important than survival.