C9 Second Level of Qi Refining

Zhao Yu stood before the four lifeless bodies, exhaling a heavy sigh.

Before his arrival in this realm, Zhao Yu had never taken a life, not even that of a chicken. Yet, in just over a fortnight, seven souls had perished by his hand, whether directly or indirectly.

Still, the unease he felt was faint. Having merged with this new body, he was swiftly adapting to a world ruled by the survival of the fittest.

Strength reigned supreme here, and for martial artists, mercy was a luxury that could cost them their lives.

Rifling through the belongings of the deceased, Zhao Yu discovered not only silver taels but also several healing pills. While they paled in comparison to the coveted Essence Converting Pill, they were a welcome boon nonetheless.

With his sword, he dug a grave large enough for the four, consigning their bodies to the earth. A single downpour would erase all signs of their passing. Even the formidable Yin Yang Sect couldn't scour the entirety of the Taibai Mountain Range.

Once the bodies were interred, Zhao Yu hauled the carcass of the Black Wind Tiger to a nearby cave. After a cursory clean-up, he set about processing the beast.

It took an entire afternoon, but by dusk, Zhao Yu had finished butchering the Black Wind Tiger.

He tidied up the valuable parts—the hide, the teeth—and set them aside. Then, blocking the cave entrance with a stone, he kindled a fire and began to roast the meat.

The day had been grueling, with confrontations against two separate groups leaving him both physically and mentally drained.

The Black Wind Tiger's flesh cooked, its scent tinged with a hint of blood—a detail that mattered little to the ravenous Zhao Yu. He blew on the sizzling meat and devoured it eagerly.

With each bite, a soothing warmth radiated from his stomach, coursing through his body, as comforting as a soak in a hot spring, and the weariness in his muscles ebbed away.

The meat of the formidable Demonic Beast was imbued with potent energy, a treasure trove of vitality for any martial artist.

After a hearty meal, Zhao Yu consumed two more healing pills, then snuffed out the campfire and settled into meditation.

Over the following days, Zhao Yu spent his daylight hours weaving through the forest, gathering medicinal herbs, and at night, he would retreat to his cave to meditate and rejuvenate his strength.

With Light serving as his detector and the Nether Dream Dagger as his Spirit Weapon, navigating the forest became a breeze for Zhao Yu. He discovered numerous elusive and valuable herbs.

Whenever he felt thirsty, Zhao Yu would quench his thirst with the pristine, sweet water from the mountain springs. When hunger struck, he would satisfy it with dried Black Wind Tiger meat. Along with the daily intake of pills and herbs, Zhao Yu could distinctly sense his body's ongoing recovery.

Five days flew by.

Light announced, "Master, after thorough analysis, your physical condition has been restored to its optimal state. You may resume your cultivation."

"Excellent."

Zhao Yu wasn't taken aback by the news. Over the past few days, he had felt his condition steadily improving, his genuine energy flowing freely, his body feeling thoroughly invigorated. The previous blockages in his meridians were now a thing of the past.

The martial arts prodigy, once cast down into despair, had at this moment reclaimed his vitality!

"Light, since you're capable of refining cultivation techniques, you can enhance martial skills as well, correct?" Zhao Yu inquired.

"Indeed, I can," Light replied. "Furthermore, I can fine-tune your cultivation process. If you follow my calculated regimen, you're guaranteed to achieve maximum results with minimal effort, in the shortest time possible."

"Fantastic!" Joy spread across Zhao Yu's face. The time and energy he had invested in creating the Light detector had paid off handsomely.

Light advised, "Master, your previous approach to martial skills was rather chaotic. I recommend focusing on a select few primary martial skills for cultivation. It's more beneficial to master a handful of skills than to have a superficial grasp of many."

Zhao Yu wholeheartedly concurred. He then sat down cross-legged and pondered deeply.

"In the past, I practiced a dozen martial skills, including Ten Shadow Palms, Blood Fiend Fist, Thunder Step, and Rainbow Sword Technique. Indeed, my approach was too scattered. Despite having trained in so many skills, they were all merely at an intermediate level, with none particularly outstanding."

"The best defense is a good offense. Since I need to select a martial skill, I'll start with one that's highly offensive. With that in mind, I'm going with Ten Shadow Palms."

"Offense aside, speed is crucial too. I'll pick Thunder Step for that. And of course, I can't forget my mainstay, the Nether Dream Dagger; I need a sword technique to complement it."

After some deliberation, Zhao Yu swiftly came to a decision.

Zhao Yu and Light shared a telepathic bond. Without uttering a word, Light grasped his intentions and sifted through Zhao Yu's memories to enhance several martial skills.

Minutes later, the refined skills flowed back into Zhao Yu's mind.

A miniature Zhao Yu demonstrated the techniques in his mind's eye, each move executed with precision.

Numbers flickered around the diminutive figure, indicating strength, speed, the height of jumps, and even the potential progress after a certain number of practice sessions.

Zhao Yu simply had to mimic the miniature's demonstration to train.

"Ten Shadow Palms. Your right hand should attack with 90% strength, channeling genuine energy through the Baihui acupoint. Your movement completion is at 75%."

"Your right hand lacks strength. The range of motion in your left hand is too limited."

Light persistently corrected Zhao Yu's errors as he practiced.

This was the kind of guidance warriors yearned for, beyond the capability of even the most skilled masters to rectify every mistake in their disciples' training.

Light could correct not just the physical movements but also the flow of genuine energy within his body and shifts in his mental state, tailoring the adjustments to Zhao Yu's unique condition.

Within a mere four hours, Zhao Yu felt a profound difference from before.

Previously, mastering martial skills required an immense investment of time and effort to transition from novice to adept. Despite guidance, he would have to repeatedly address his errors.

This was particularly true when facing a cultivation bottleneck, which could halt his martial progress indefinitely.

Now, however, his skill training progressed seamlessly, with tangible advancements felt continuously.

Two days later, Zhao Yu effortlessly executed four Palm Shadows.

Should he master the Ten Shadow Palms to their ultimate level, he could instantly produce ten Palm Shadows, creating a dazzling, indefensible display.

Within the entire Sky Profound Sect, not even Sect Master Zhang Daoming could manifest ten Palm Shadows.

An ordinary inner sect disciple was deemed proficient in this martial skill upon being able to project three Palm Shadows.

Previously, Zhao Yu was capable of this as well.

However, after reaching three Palm Shadows, he used to feel that he had hit his limit. But now, having released four Palm Shadows, he sensed there was still significant room for improvement.

With continued practice under Light's tutelage, he was certain the number of Palm Shadows would only increase.

The same held true for the Thunder Step and the Rainbow Sword Technique. Their potency had multiplied after Light's enhancements.

A martial artist deeply engrossed in training often loses track of time.

Before he knew it, twelve days had flown by.

In the cave, Zhao Yu completed his Qi circulation. He slowly opened his eyes, radiating vitality.

"I've finally made it back to Qi Refining Layer Two."

Feeling the robust genuine energy within him brought Zhao Yu immense joy.

He had always possessed considerable martial arts talent, yet it had taken him four years to advance to Qi Refining Layer Two.

Now, with Light's assistance in his training, he had returned to the second layer in a mere matter of days. His progress was astonishingly rapid.

His advancement was not only swift but his foundational strength was now much more solid than before. He had surpassed the capabilities of an average Qi Refining Layer Two martial artist.

Though he remained at Qi Refining Layer Two, his enhanced skills gave Zhao Yu the confidence to take on an ordinary Qi Refining Layer Three warrior.

At this moment, his strength had thoroughly eclipsed his former self.