SPLASH...

Guided by Zhong Ming’s Sword Momentum, the stream’s water coiled around him, flowing like a Water Flood Dragon. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

This was no mere metaphor.

Zhong Ming could even project the water more than three feet away from his body.

SPLASH...

With a flick of his longsword, the current danced along with it. This style of swordplay didn’t just create a dazzling visual effect; it also extended the reach of Zhong Ming’s attacks.

Furthermore, using the flowing water as a medium, Zhong Ming could rely on the Flow of Water to redirect an even greater number of techniques. He could now even use the water to deflect incoming Magic Techniques from a distance.

By using the water, the power Zhong Ming built up with his Stream Swordsmanship also grew stronger.

BOOM!

Upon completing a full set of the Swordsmanship, Zhong Ming unleashed a sudden, powerful slash with his charged-up longsword. The stream dragon coiling around him followed the force of his blow, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it surged furiously forward.

RUMBLE...

In the end, Zhong Ming’s slash struck a spot over a dozen meters away.

The furious stream dragon plowed a fissure into the earth, half a meter wide and over a dozen meters long.

HUFF, HUFF, HUFF...

After that single slash, Zhong Ming was panting uncontrollably.

The attack had completely drained his Magical Power and Heart Soul.

But he couldn’t be bothered with that now. Staring at the gash in the earth before him, his face was a mask of astonishment.

’I did that? It’s so powerful.’

’This strike wasn’t any weaker than the one I performed under the influence of the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme.’

HUFF, HUFF, HUFF...

Panting as he thought it over, Zhong Ming realized it was perfectly normal for this slash to be comparable to his previous one.

He hadn’t forgotten one crucial detail: back then, even though he had triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, he was still just a Mortal.

Therefore, that slash involved no Magical Power; it was purely Zhong Ming’s Sword Draw Slash.

This current slash, however, not only had Magical Power, but he had also built his Sword Momentum to its absolute peak through uninterrupted sword practice and the True Intent of the Flow of Water.

Moreover, he was in the most suitable location to practice Longxi Swordsmanship—right beside a stream.

With all these factors combined, his slash was able to achieve such destructive power.

’One didn’t involve Magical Power, while the other did, but it also required charging up momentum and a suitable environment. It seems the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme is still superior... No, wait.’

Before he could finish his thought, Zhong Ming shook his head, his eyes suddenly shining brightly.

’The Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and my current slash don’t have to be separate things.’

’Back then, without any Magical Power, the slash I unleashed when I triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme was already that powerful.’

’Now that I’ve built the Flow of Water to its absolute limit, if I were to also trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, just how powerful would that slash be?’

The mere thought of it sent a thrill of excitement and longing through Zhong Ming.

Unfortunately, for now, he could only dream about it.

He could now easily build his Sword Momentum to its peak, but as for how to trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, he didn’t have the slightest clue.

’HUFF... No rush. The Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and the swordsmanship of Longxi Peak share the same origin. Once I practice both the Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique and Longxi Swordsmanship to the Fourth Realm, I should be able to touch upon the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme.’

’There are still over twenty days until the end of the month. That should be enough time... I think?’

...

Because that one slash had exhausted all of Zhong Ming’s Magical Power, he rested on the spot for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

Once his energy recovered, he began practicing his swordsmanship again.

This time, however, Zhong Ming’s main focus was not on the Longxi Swordsmanship or the power of its techniques.

While practicing with his sword, Zhong Ming closed his eyes and focused on the Magical Power inside his body.

He hadn’t forgotten that Magical Power was the foundation of any Cultivator.

Moreover, part of the reason for his unique training method was the hope that by combining motion and stillness, he could accelerate the rate at which he refined Magical Power.

SPLASH...

Even though he wasn’t specifically focused on the movements of his sword, his Swordsmanship had reached the Second Realm of Insight, ensuring he made no mistakes.

Furthermore, as a form of Immortal Swordsmanship, Longxi Swordsmanship placed greater emphasis on the circulation of Magical Power within the body, the True Intent of the Flow of Water, and the Breath of Heaven and Earth Stream.

The actual Sword Techniques themselves were of lesser importance.

As long as Zhong Ming’s Magical Power circulated without error, his Swordsmanship would not be weak.

SPLASH...

As Zhong Ming’s longsword danced, the water of the stream was once again drawn to him, flowing and coiling around his body like a living Flood Dragon.

What made Zhong Ming’s heart leap with joy was that as his body and sword moved, the stream, his body, and his special breathing technique created a unique resonance and rhythm.

In this special state, Zhong Ming felt as if his own body had become a mass of flowing water.

This Rhythm of Water caused a great amount of Water Spiritual Qi to surge into Zhong Ming’s body of its own accord, as if it were returning home.

Because the Spiritual Qi was entering proactively, it dissipated very slowly as it flowed through Zhong Ming’s body.

In fact, the compatibility was so perfect that the Spiritual Qi didn’t even need to complete a full circuit inside him; it only had to flow halfway before it could be imprinted by Zhong Ming and converted into his Magical Power.

This increased Zhong Ming’s refinement efficiency by a full sixty percent.

’It actually worked!’

SPLASH...

The shock to his Heart Spirit made it impossible for Zhong Ming to maintain the state of "Heaven, Man, and Sword as one."

Without that special resonance and rhythm, the stream water Zhong Ming was guiding fell to the ground with a loud SPLASH.

This turn of events left Zhong Ming feeling a little embarrassed.

’To achieve the unity of Heaven, Man, and Sword right now, I need to focus my entire Heart Spirit.’

Realizing this, Zhong Ming quickly reigned in his thoughts and wholeheartedly circulated the Longxi Breathing Technique while practicing his Longxi Swordsmanship.

[You have gained some understanding of Longxi Swordsmanship. Cultivation Technique progress +24]

[You have completed a full session of the Longxi Breathing Technique and gained some understanding. Cultivation Technique progress +3]

Having found a special training method that allowed him to practice two Cultivation Techniques at once, Zhong Ming spent all of his subsequent time cultivating in this manner.

SPLASH...

His body followed the sword, and the sword pulsed with his Magical Power. The more he practiced, the more Zhong Ming felt he was becoming the stream itself.

Eventually, he no longer needed to build momentum or prepare; Zhong Ming could guide the stream’s water from afar with a casual swing of his longsword.

Just as Zhong Ming’s proficiency with the Longxi Swordsmanship reached this level, a system notification sounded in his ear, once again shattering his special Mental Realm.

—Zhong Ming was already used to the normal notifications, and they shouldn’t have been able to shake his Mental Realm.

But this time, the notification on his attribute panel was completely unexpected.

[You have gained some understanding of Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique. Cultivation Technique progress +136]

[Your Cultivation Technique, Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique, has reached the Initiation stage.]

[You have gained some understanding of Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step. Cultivation Technique progress +152]

[Your Cultivation Technique, Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step, has reached the Initiation stage.]

[Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique: First Realm - Initiation (136/500)]

[Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step: First Realm - Initiation (152/600)]

"???"

The notifications left Zhong Ming completely baffled.

’I haven’t even looked at those two manuals yet!’

...

Reaching the Initiation stage of a Cultivation Technique without even having read the manual seemed strange, but it actually wasn’t.

It just went to show how closely intertwined the Cultivation Techniques of Longxi Peak were.

As they all shared the same origin, as long as one of them progressed and his comprehension was deep enough, he could gain insights into the other techniques without even actively studying them.

And Zhong Ming’s comprehension of Longxi Peak’s Cultivation Techniques was indeed sufficiently profound.

This turn of events made Zhong Ming’s heart soar and, for the first time, gave him immense confidence for the end-of-month assessment.

’The various Longxi Cultivation Techniques are this closely linked. It means that as long as either my Longxi Swordsmanship or my Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique advances a realm, it will pull the other Cultivation Techniques, Magic Techniques, and Stepping Techniques up with it.’

’If all my Cultivation Techniques reach the Fourth Realm of Minor Achievement, I’ll become perfectly well-rounded, with no weaknesses. At that point, even if I haven’t perfectly nurtured the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and my cultivation level hasn’t advanced, I’ll still have a good chance of winning against a mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator.’

’And if I can trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme at will, taking first place... won’t be impossible...’

The thought that after leading Longxi Peak to first place, the support he’d receive from the Seven Profound Sect might even include an upgrade to his Spiritual Root, made Zhong Ming’s heart race, unable to calm down for a long time.