Su Ying?
Staring at the graceful figure entering under the moonlight, Xiao Ye momentarily froze. Her jet-black hair was pinned up, revealing a swan-like neck, while her curvaceous figure was draped in pink gauze. Her delicate makeup framed her face like a moonlit spirit.
Su Ying was undeniably beautiful—rivaling even Liu Yiyi and Wu Meier—but she carried an air of refined elegance that the others lacked.
"Xiao Ye…" She glided forward, her breath fragrant. When she noticed his stunned expression, a sly smile played on her lips.
Cough! Xiao Ye jolted awake, clearing his throat and averting his gaze.
"Miss Su, what brings you here so late?" he asked awkwardly.
The girl offered a book with a warm smile. "This is a martial technique created for the Vein-Purifying Pool. My father asked me to deliver it."
A martial technique? Intrigued, Xiao Ye accepted it.
"A century ago, the Vein-Purifying Pool emerged west of Wutang City. Its waters refine true Qi for Posterior Heaven Realm cultivators. To help successors absorb its energy, our ancestors developed this technique." Her voice softened.
"Thank you, Miss Su." Xiao Ye sat eagerly on the bed, flipping through the pages.
Black Dragon Chronicles mentioned martial techniques—neither cultivation methods nor combat skills, yet uniquely potent. He'd never seen one up close.
Su Ying watched him dive into the text, her delicate jaw tightening. Had her meticulously prepared charm failed to captivate him?
"This…" Xiao Ye scratched his head, oblivious to her flustered frown.
"Hmph! It's your fault!" She stomped away, cheeks flushed.
"Wait, you were the one who barged in!" Xiao Ye called after her.
"Father was right—women are as inscrutable as the ocean depths!" He shook his head, returning to the book.
A fifteen-year-old boy couldn't fathom a maiden's heart.
Outside the Room
Su Ying paced the courtyard, biting her lip. Her reflection in the moonlight showed a faint blush. Why did he ignore me? Finally, she chuckled, eyes brightening like crescent moons.
The Absorption Technique
The manual outlined a method to form Qi vortices using inner energy.
"Using the Tianluo Skill to practice this… I'm uniquely suited!" Xiao Ye grinned. The twelve-meridian Tianluo Skill provided abundant Qi, perfect for generating multiple vortices. No wonder I chose this path!
The technique required forming vortices to siphon energy from the pool. Though concise, mastery demanded intense focus.
Within the Time Tower's first layer (equivalent to a month in real time), Xiao Ye trained relentlessly.
Condense!
His Qi swirled, collapsing after a fragile attempt.
Failure.
Undeterred, he tried again. After a hundred attempts, exhaustion gnawed at him—mentally, not physically. Finally, a stable vortex formed.
"It's harder than it looks!" he muttered.
By the third day, he'd carved 25 vortices—the Tianluo Skill's limit. His robes billowed as his aura swelled, threatening to engulf everything.
Meanwhile, at the Su Clan Estate
"Is Xiao Ye still meditating?" Su Meng asked Su Ying.
"Yes… He's training the Absorption Technique." Disappointment flickered in her eyes.
"He'll barely form one vortex in three days. Still, his talent might scrape by." Su Meng waved dismissively. Handing the technique to Xiao Ye was mere formality—no need to send him empty-handed.
"But… how many vortices did Gu Chen form?" Su Ying pressed.
Su Meng's expression darkened. "Eighteen."
Eighteen?! Su Ying gasped. Her cousin Su Hao had only managed thirteen.
Outside, Su Hao—a seventeen-year-old with a dull demeanor—nodded stoically as Su Meng instructed him.
Dawn at the Vein-Purifying Pool
25 vortices! Xiao Ye's eyes gleamed. Exhausted but triumphant, he stepped outside to find Su Ying waiting.
"You're up early," she said, masking her awe.
"Let's go."
On the road, she hesitated. "How… how's your training?"
"Fine."
Disappointed, she pivoted to avoid his gaze. Crowds buzzed toward the western plains, where the Vein-Purifying Pool lay.
At the site, two factions faced off. Led by a sneering middle-aged man (Gu Chen's father, Gu Chuchen), the Gu Clan flanked their prodigy, Gu Chen, who radiated lethal energy.
"Xiao Ye!" Gu Chen's voice cut through the crowd. "Come meet your end!"