After returning to his abode, Zhao Wei decided to cook something before doing anything else. His need for more nutrition seemed to have considerably escalated as his cultivation strength continues to grow. Not to mention, his body cultivation skill [Primordial Stellar Energy Body Refining Art].
After being fully satiated, Zhao Wei rested for a while and after that went to his courtyard.
"All of my skills are maxed out, grandly perfected to unprecedented levels, well, except for the body strengthening skill." Zhao Wei touched his chin in thought while comfortably assuming a lotus position.
"The efficiency at which I can use them makes them more superior than high rank martial arts and slightly closer to peak ranked ones."
"Zhao Clan don't have any Holy Martial arts but for a small clan, it's impressive that they have remnants of an incomplete holy rank martial art."
Zhao Wei knew the term "Holy Skill or Holy Path" was something that was only being used mainly by those in the lower strata. The correct way of skill categorization from the lowest to the highest was: Mortal, Spiritual, Earth, and Heaven.
The incomplete holy rank martial techniques were only comparable to sub low level Mortal rank techniques. And the so-called Holy Rank Martial Techniques can only be considered low tier Mortal Rank techniques. But even then, Mortal Rank techniques were still kind of a rarity, forget about Spiritual Rank.
It was understandable for those of Sun Feather City not to know such basic knowledge due to regional limitation and also their horizons were just within the confines of the city. There were other 11 small cities just like Sun Feather City in the Guanlu Province. And the Guanlu Province was under the leadership of the Guanjun Palace, the organization that Zhao Wei wanted to be scouted by.
Connections had to be made if he wanted to eventually enter the Broken Moon Clan - a hub of various important knowledge that could prove very helpful to him. And for that he had to stand out in the genius summit that would happen in like two days from now.
Zhao Wei didn't need to be the final winner but showcase a notable performance that would make the guy from Guanjun Corps definitely want to recruit him.
"Anyway, the techniques above the Heaven Rank weren't clearly explained but when I had been just a reader, I had made a personal speculative list. They were God Rank techniques and Ancestral Rank techniques. God Rank techniques used by those in the Heavenly Divine Realm and God Lord Realm while Ancestral Rank techniques were used by the mysterious world level entities." Zhao Wei chuckled to himself since that knowledge wasn't going to help him in any way. It was currently utterly useless to him.
"I should improve my cultivation base now. There is no need to lag behind." Zhao Wei put his hand into his right pocket and gently removed a carefully wrapped up pill.
He then unwrapped it and behold, a shiny red round pill came into view. A faint medicinal scent wafted into Zhao Wei's nose and he closed his eyes to savor it. This was the Blood Pill that only those in the top three could receive as a reward.
Without hesitation, Zhao Wei picked it up and popped into his mouth.
A herbal minty taste assaulted his taste buds as the Blood Pill slowly dissolved in his mouth before gliding down via his food pipe into his stomach.
Zhao Wei used the medicinal energies within the Blood Pill to increase his inner strength and cultivation base respectively.
His cultivation base experienced a breakthrough and increased to the Peak of the Fifth Realm while his inner strength became comparable to the sixth rank.
Feeling that it wasn't enough, Zhao Wei decided to use the Thousand Year Old Blood Plant to barely shatter the cultivation barrier between him and the sixth rank. It took all of his concentration to successfully break through to the sixth rank. His inner strength was boosted to the limit of the Sixth Rank and stayed there since an almost impenetrable gate existed between the sixth rank and the seventh rank where one could be called a Martial Master.
Zhao Wei then used that day and the next one to thoroughly consolidate his foundation.
"One's talent is put to test as one progresses further in their cultivation." Zhao Wei could already sense the diamond-like wall that would be prove very difficult for him to bulldoze through. The Seventh Rank of the Consolidated Realm was going to be a pain for him but Zhao Wei just brushed it off as something that he would have to deal with when the appropriate time arrives.
'I still haven't gone to the Martial arts library but first…' Zhao Wei stood in the middle of his courtyard like a statue.
He closed his eyes and started reliving all of his past experiences, from the Purple Lightning-clawed Phantom Panther all the way to the present. But what he put more emphasis on was his battle against the sneaky Purple Lightning-clawed Phantom Panther and Zhao Linglong's Step Shadow Movement Technique.
Although Zhao Linglong's technique was miles away from ever rivaling the Purple Lightning-clawed Phantom Panther's true shadow-like manoeuvring, it still served well as a reference.
Creating afterimages wasn't something that Zhao Wei couldn't do. With just the sheer speed of his physical body, he could easily break the sound barrier. It wasn't anything really special.
Zhao Linglong seemed to have not fully grasped the essence of his own technique and that was to be as shadow-like as possible; to be unseen by your opponent.
With his high comprehension abilities, Zhao Wei came to understand if all shadows share the same fundamental connection, then wasn't it possible for him to find a way to utilize it more?!
The Purple Lightning-clawed Phantom Panther had a special physiology that allowed it to seamlessly hide in something as intangible as a shadow. Zhao Wei's body was human and incomparable to that of such a monster but there was something that people shouldn't forget. Cultivators are beings of adaptability. They can adapt to anything through techniques.
Zhao Wei could already erase himself from the visible realm, adding another life-saving skill into his arsenal of abilities wasn't going to be without its own benefits.
Zhao Wei had already seen through the essence of the shadows. He had totally understood it; what it meant to be a shadow.
All of a sudden, Zhao Wei's figure disappeared from where he had been standing. He didn't turn invisible or use his terrifying speed to instantly accelerate.
Zhao Wei just disappeared and when he appeared again, it was several meters away from where he had been just standing.
And from whence he came from was a dark shadow cast by a mid-sized tree.
"Damn, that felt dangerous. I became Danny Phantom for a moment." Zhao Wei inspected his body very carefully with an interesting look in his dark eyes.
"So that is what it means to shadow travel. The Shadow Traversing Technique."
"Truly magnificent."
Zhao Wei grinned widely like a crazy scientist before locking his eyes on another shadow. And instantly he appeared where he put his mind to.
Then again and again, he repeated the same set of actions.
"Teleporting via shadows within my field of vision. This is a truly overpowered life preservation skill and at the same time, a good way to catch my enemies off guard."
At the same time, something clicked inside his mind.
"Why does it seem like I am fated with Assassination Dao?"
It was very true. Though it felt grand and heroic to fight your opponents head on with overwhelming confidence, Zhao Wei felt that if the situation needed be it was better to just finish off your opponents in the quickest way possible while catching them unaware.
There was no need to care about honor when it came to matters of life and death.
Honor and adhering of rules was just for brainless fools.
And Zhao Wei wasn't one to care about such trifles.
He wasn't an honorable man.
The thought of daggering someone from behind without even them knowing, appealed to him more than anything!
***
Enjoy!
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Honestly, this chapter felt short, haha.