Dragon Seed, Flying Sword

Ten days later

Half an hour before school ends

In a private martial arts classroom

"Li Xijun, Qi and Blood Level: 7.4".

Looking at the Qi and Blood levels displayed on the large screen at the front of the classroom, Li Xijun was not satisfied.

This breakthrough was achieved after he had just sacrificed more than an hour of his "Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist" practice time.

In Li Xijun's view, this was a very bad start.

If things continue like this, when he reaches level 8 in Qi and Blood cultivation, he might really have to sacrifice his progress in martial arts or spirit cultivation.

"The problem of being stuck on the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique can't be delayed any longer. Let's see if there's a solution to resolve it sooner."

Having thought this through, Li Xijun no longer hesitated and went straight upstairs to Su Nianying's private office to seek her advice.

"This kind of thing is quite common. In fact, the basic cultivation method is roughly divided into four stages."

"The first stage is when you are just starting out and often make various mistakes. The second stage is when you have mastered all the movements and stances without any errors."

"The third stage requires comprehending the true meaning of the basic cultivation method, while the fourth stage is to completely master the basic cultivation method and make the method adapt to you."

"Generally speaking, the second stage of mastery is sufficient for cultivating Qi and Blood to level 9.0."

"Most high school students cannot achieve the second stage of mastery before the college entrance examination."

Upon hearing Li Xijun's inquiry, this seemingly aloof and mature teacher provided a detailed explanation.

As Li Xijun listened, her gaze unconsciously drifted away.

At this moment, Su Nianying was not wearing that ancient-style battle outfit, but rather a classic OL (office lady) suit.

The white shirt was tucked into the skirt, making her waist look exceptionally slender. Although the skirt wasn't short, her tall, slender figure and long, shapely, fair legs made Li Xijun's eyes dazzle.

The other person seemed to sense this gaze as well, turned slightly, raised their purple eyes, and scanned Li Xijun's body, their eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Your talent is beyond my expectations. You have actually cultivated the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique to the second stage of mastery at such a young age."

"So the speed at which you increased your Qi and Blood levels by 0.1 in the previous 10 days was actually slowed down by the external martial arts technique you practiced. Otherwise, your speed of improvement should have been even faster."

"When you ask me how to break through the bottleneck of the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique, I also want to achieve both goals."

"But I should have told you before that the kind of external martial arts that used to toughen the skin, muscles, and bones in the old days didn't have much effect."

"Once your Qi and Blood level increases, the extraordinary body you achieve in university, which is beyond the reach of ordinary mortals."

"You have the ambition and aptitude to challenge the 'Two Heavens of the Imperial Capital,' so why not focus on cultivating your Qi and Blood?"

Su Nianying didn't quite understand the boy's thoughts. Her expression turned stern, and the aura she exuded seemed to freeze the surrounding air.

If it were an ordinary elite student, they would have already collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the attack.

However, Li Xijun, who had seen a similar aura of Zhang Fuhu, the Martial Saint, and possessed a strong spiritual level, was completely unaffected.

He couldn't explain how beneficial the purification process was within the Dasheng Martial Arts System, nor could he explain that he had actually spent time on the path of spiritual cultivation.

After a moment of silence, he simply pretended to ignore the other person's furrowed brows and oppressive aura, and continued:

"Hmm, that's why... However, if my Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique can break through to the third stage, it will definitely increase the speed at which I improve my Qi and Blood levels, right?"

"As long as my 'Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique' level improves, it won't affect the improvement of my Qi and Blood level. If I encounter a situation that hinders my Qi and Blood cultivation, I will prioritize it accordingly."

Seeing that his previous momentum had no effect, Li Xijun still persisted.

Su Nianying found herself in a difficult situation.

She always believed that if something could be solved with a knife, there was no need to say anything more.

But it wouldn't be right to resort to violence when faced with this exceptionally talented student.

However, as a first-time mentor, she couldn't think of any persuasive words to convince the other party to give up.

The two stared at each other in silence for a long while...

Su Nianying spoke first, saying, "The third stage of the basic cultivation method is generally broken through by students with a high degree of compatibility and awakened martial arts spirituality. However, it is not impossible for those without martial arts spirituality to break through."

"It just so happens that Nianyi is quite skilled in 'true meaning,' so I'll send her a message and have her directly teach you how to break through to the third stage."

Upon hearing this, Li Xijun, seeing the other party back down, was about to thank them, but Su Nianying quickly added:

"However, I must warn you beforehand. If your Qi and Blood levels don't keep up in the future, I will directly beat you until you realize your mistakes."

The taciturn Su Nianying gave up on using words.

He also stated that the best approach is to directly use physical force to make the other party realize their mistake.

Upon hearing this, Li Xijun suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

While calming his almost explosive temper, he nodded repeatedly and ran away.

.........................

The sun is setting in the west

In the maple forest of the school courtyard

A quiet girl with waist-length hair sat on a folding stool, meticulously painting on the canvas in front of her.

The maple tree on the drawing paper is so vivid and lifelike. Its fiery red color seems to be burning with vitality, and the refreshing autumn breeze when the maple leaves fall seems to come alive from the drawing paper and come into reality.

This made Li Xijun, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while, seem thoughtful.

The other person was not just painting; they were using their spiritual power to depict the maple tree that had reappeared before their eyes and the vibrant atmosphere within it.

"In a world without visualization techniques, this is indeed a way to cultivate mental strength."

Once the painting was finished, I put this maple forest picture into the sketchbook I always carried with me.

Su Nianyi then turned to look at Li Xijun, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, and said:

"Try this method more often in your spare time; it's good for your mental strength."

Li Xijun nodded slightly, neither refusing nor agreeing.

After Su Nianyi finished speaking, she went straight to the point:

"The key to the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Method lies in the Azure Dragon on the World Tree. The dragon is the great dragon of the spine in the cultivation method. Being able to understand the true meaning of this dragon and bring it to 'life' is to break through the third stage."

"This weekend, come with me to the Bocheng Mythical Creature Zoo. There's a sub-dragon species called Kui Mu Jiao with a diluted bloodline."

"At that time, I will guide you to 'draw' the characteristics and true meaning of the 'dragon' it represents. Although it will certainly not be as good as a proper dragon species, it is the most suitable method at present."

Su Nianyi's words made Li Xijun realize something.

Just like many martial arts styles were created by imitating animals such as tigers, cranes, and monkeys.

If you want to understand the essence of the Azure Dragon Heaven-Reaching Technique, the best way is, of course, to actually see the Azure Dragon. The next best way is to observe the mythical creatures known as "Dragons." Given the current capabilities of a small city like Bo City, the best option is to go and see the "Kui Mu Jiao," which has a thin bloodline of dragons.

Of course, the process and methods of observing these dragon-like creatures are also very important.

With the guidance of a genius like Su Nianyi, who can easily express the true meaning of things like maple trees through painting, it is naturally many times faster than figuring it out and understanding it on one's own.

"It's a pity that Bo City's educational resources are lacking. If it were the capital, I might be able to see pure-blooded dragons from the mythical world. If I could observe them every day, I might be able to break through to the third stage quickly."

After figuring this out, Li Xijun felt a sense of insatiable greed.

These words made Su Nianyi roll her eyes at the other person.

"Pureblood dragons are extremely valuable resources. Even in the capital, only top universities and powerful organizations possess them. Observing them every day... you can forget about it."

The school bell rang just then.

Li Xijun, who had originally planned to consult him,

Then he thought that the Great Sheng World also seemed to have various legends and stories about "dragons", and the Western Continent also had extraordinary creatures of the sub-dragon species, so perhaps he could gain something from it.

"Haha... Well, Teacher Su, I'll be going now."

Li Xijun thought about going back to Dasheng to see if there was anything related to dragons, which might be helpful.

Upon hearing his strange address, Su Nianyi stopped in her tracks and blinked her large, amethyst-like eyes at him.

If my older sister is Teacher Su, then she becomes Teacher Su, right?

Su Nianyi really wanted to ask him how he came up with such a nickname.

However, Li Xijun, whose mind was already preoccupied with matters concerning Dasheng, had already left quickly. Before she could even speak, all she could see was her retreating figure disappearing in a flash.

Her relentless pace made her seem like some kind of jackal or tiger.

This made the long-haired girl, who had originally looked quiet, puff out her cheeks slightly.

At the same moment,

The group of students from the elite class who had just walked out of the teaching building

Watching Li Xijun's departing figure, and then seeing the usually indifferent and unattainable number one student with that adorable expression...

The seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boys and girls automatically imagined a story full of youthful energy.

"Ahhhhh, Xiaomeng, the storyline of the top student in the grade and a genius boy is so sweet!"

"Yeah, yeah, even in the fiercely competitive senior year of high school in China, there are sweet romances too."

Girls who can "ship" anything they see are having their own imagined discussions.

The boys were also led astray and couldn't help but start discussing whether Su Nianyi, who was always unapproachable, might actually be in love.

Zhou Shenghao, who was mixed in with them, also smiled and chimed in. After making an excuse to go to the toilet, he couldn't help but keep sending text messages to "Brother Chang" to urge him on.

A moment later,

The other party's message finally arrived, albeit belatedly. Although it only contained the classic "OK" emoji, it still made him instantly excited.

Once he was back in the car that picked him up every day, his cousin Zhou Yibai, sipping an energy drink, casually asked:

"Cousin, you seem to be in a much better mood all of a sudden? I saw Brother Li and Su Nianyi downstairs earlier, and I felt like you weren't in a good mood."

"Hmm..........Yes, I'm much better. It's because you care about me, Yibai."

Zhou Shenghao glanced at his cousin a few more times, smiled, then turned and picked up the energy drink from the incubator, gulping it down in one go. He was a little impatient while drinking it, and the bottle was even slightly crushed.

........................

As autumn nights begin to fall, twilight spreads across the sky like a layer of black veil.

After passing through the bustling streets, Li Xijun walked into the somewhat old-fashioned alleyway, as usual.

The red dot on the camera at the intersection had gone out sometime ago, suggesting a malfunction.

Only the orange streetlights illuminated the road, forming circles upon circles. When the autumn wind blew, the orange lights flickered, as if the circuitry was aging.

This made the alleyway, where only one person's footsteps could be heard, feel like a scene from a horror movie.

"Snapped!"

The sudden sound made Li Xijun look over warily.

It was discovered that a black cat had run across the trash can and kicked a half-finished milk tea cup to the ground.

He breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and strode forward.

At that very moment, a hand with a bloody gash in its palm silently struck the back of the boy's head, attempting to knock him unconscious.

The boy, who had just relaxed his vigilance, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head or the ability to foresee the future, and dodged the attack of this chapter by quickly turning to the side.

At the same time, his hands rose up without anyone noticing, like wings falling, his fingertips tearing through the air, silently grabbing at the throat of the person who had come to him.

"Sizzle!"

Li Xijun felt as if he were gripping solid cement. After tearing five pieces of flesh and blood from the other person with great difficulty, he could not make any further progress.

And at that moment when the palm met the throat,

To his surprise, the opponent charged forward without any regard for his surroundings.

He struck out again with a palm, carrying terrifying power, crashing down on Li Xijun's head like a mountain pressing down. If this blow hit, his head would surely shatter into pieces like a bursting watermelon.

But for middle-aged men at this moment, it is indeed a helpless situation.

Li Xijun's performance in this battle far exceeded the stated level of 7.3 in terms of health and vitality.

The moment he was attacked by the opponent's five fingers, he could feel that the boy's body was as tough as copper and iron, and the True Martial Killing Move - Hanging Cloud Hand was terrifyingly powerful.

If he harbored the idea of ​​defeating or stunning the enemy, he would likely be delayed, which would be extremely dangerous for him as a member of the Blood God Cult.

He decided to go all the way and kill the other party, which would also win over Zhou Shenghao, the genius of his sect.

Thinking of this, his eyes turned bloodshot, and he simply let the large amount of blood and qi he had devoured run rampant again, causing the power of this "Overturning Mountain Hand" move to surge once more, far exceeding the 1000 kilograms of power of a blood and qi level 9.0.

Even if the opponent is made of iron, he will completely destroy them with this palm strike!

"Whoosh!"

In the dark alleyway lit only by dim yellow lights, a flash of red light streaked past.

The middle-aged man suddenly felt his body lighten, his vision was constantly being lifted higher, and he felt as if he had been blown into the sky by the wind.

Only when his gaze fell upon a familiar body—the corpse of a middle-aged man with a large belly, who had lost his balance and fallen to the ground, his hand raised but unable to fall—did a thought arise in his mind:

"I... am I dead...?"