While many people were preparing diligently for the upcoming minor examination, Jiang Yun continued his cultivation of the Nine Lai Divine Technique. With a month's time and the assistance of Body Refining Pills, Jiang Yun had already progressed to the second layer, sixth stage of the technique.
However, at this point, the cultivation method of the Nine Lai Divine Technique had transitioned from simply using spiritual energy for tempering to focusing more on the body's flexibility and coordination. This marked a departure from the traditional Body Refining techniques. In the hills, Jiang Yun had found a waterfall.
Creating a small pond as a result of the waterfall's impact, Jiang Yun was swimming against the current in this pond. Swimming could be said to be the best way to enhance the body's flexibility and coordination. Jiang Yun was currently swimming within the pond continuously.
Jiang Yun wasn't aware of how much time had passed, but the pond was turbulent due to the waterfall's impact, especially since he was swimming against the current. This demanded a high level of physical ability.
Gritting his teeth, Jiang Yun swam upward against the current. Each meter he swam forward was met with the force of the water pushing him back half a meter. Despite this, Jiang Yun persevered, his arms growing sore from the constant beating of the water, his legs starting to weaken, and his head growing dizzy from being submerged for so long.
Initially, Jiang Yun managed to swim only five meters upwards before being washed back down. Gradually, he increased it to six meters, seven meters, eight meters.
Yet, he was still far from the base of the waterfall, and Jiang Yun continued to endure. Every time he was washed back, he thought of the fierce and murderous look in Rozi's eyes, and the humiliation he suffered at the gate that day. Despite his trembling hands and his legs feeling as heavy as lead, Jiang Yun persisted.
"Ah!"
Jiang Yun let out a low roar that was muffled by the water rushing into his mouth. Coughing violently, his eyes flashed with determination. He gritted his teeth and persevered, as if the waterfall represented Rozi himself, enduring with intense resentment.
Suddenly, the spiritual energy that had been depleted in his body was rejuvenated with a new vigor. Jiang Yun felt his hands regaining strength, his legs no longer feeling as heavy. With this surge of strength propelling his body, he resumed his assault on the waterfall.
"So, this is the reaction after breaking through the limits of the Nine Lai Divine Technique."
After breaking through his limits, Jiang Yun's body was reinvigorated. This time, he managed to swim to the base of the waterfall in a single, powerful burst. Entering the space formed by the waterfall, Jiang Yun's body relaxed. From a vial tied to his arm, he retrieved a Body Refining Pill and swallowed it, emitting a contented hum.
The medicinal energy of the pill transformed into a surge of spiritual energy, which was promptly absorbed by his exhausted muscles. Jiang Yun began to sense changes in his body, with his muscles contracting at the same frequency as his breathing rate. This marked a significant advancement in his bodily coordination.
If his muscle contractions could synchronize with his breathing rate, Jiang Yun's bodily response speed would become extremely formidable. This would lead to heightened explosive power and resistance against attacks, far exceeding that of an average person.
The medicinal energy of the Body Refining Pill was soon absorbed by his eager body. Without resting, Jiang Yun continued to practice the basic movements of his sword technique while wielding the Qingping Sword, performing each movement a thousand times.
Amidst this monotonous routine, Jiang Yun was completely unaware that he had missed the monthly minor examination.
This time's minor examination also surprised many people. The first place was taken by Zhou Ziyue, which most people found acceptable. With Jiang Yun absent from this examination, the main contenders for the top spot were Zhou Ziyue and Wang Kaihai.
However, what puzzled people was that not only did Wang Kaihai fail to secure the first place, he was even pushed out of the top five. This left many feeling incredulous – could it be that in just one month, Wang Kaihai had regressed so much?
Regarding this outcome, Wang Kaihai wasn't too concerned. He left right after the examination, prompting much commentary. Previously considered exceptionally talented, Wang Kaihai had inexplicably fallen behind. This led people to wonder whether Jiang Yun's absence from the examination was due to his fear of not progressing as significantly as others had anticipated, leading to disappointment.
In truth, Wang Kaihai's fall from the top five didn't weigh heavily on him. In fact, he was somewhat surprised. He had entirely abandoned his previous style in this examination, forgoing speed altogether.
After Jiang Yun's guidance during their last encounter, Wang Kaihai had come to understand that pursuing speed alone would lead him into a dead end. He began practicing his observation skills as Jiang Yun had suggested, focusing on spotting weaknesses in others' sword techniques.
During this examination, he relied solely on skill to exploit the flaws in others' sword techniques, without leveraging his greatest speed advantage. Despite this, he still managed to secure a place in the top ten.
Given more time, once he managed to merge speed and skill, Zhou Ziyue would hardly stand a chance against him. Thinking of this, Wang Kaihai couldn't help but grow more and more impressed with Jiang Yun.
"Jiang Yun, I wonder what realm you've reached now."
Jiang Yun seemed to have disappeared completely, not appearing in public view. He was only spotted a few times when he returned to retrieve fresh clothes. However, each time he was seen, he appeared disheveled. Over time, nobody mentioned his experience in swordsmanship anymore.
In the waterfall of the back hills, Jiang Yun was currently practicing his sword technique below the cascades. After over a month of practice, swimming to the base of the waterfall was no longer a challenge for him.
From the most stable part of the water flow, he swam to the bottom of the waterfall without needing to rely on Body Refining Pills to restore his strength. In fact, he still had the energy to practice his sword technique.
His body, honed by this rigorous training, was becoming exceptionally coordinated. Jiang Yun could practically control every muscle with a mere thought. The time difference between his mental command and his body's response was less than half a second.
This was already an incredibly terrifying accomplishment. Over the past half-month, although Jiang Yun's cultivation of the Nine Lai Divine Technique had not significantly progressed, his control over it had undergone a tremendous change.
Moreover, even if Jiang Yun's sword strikes missed their target, his body could endure the recoil. It could be said that his strength had grown exponentially compared to a month ago.
Not only did Jiang Yun's physical body undergo transformation, but his mental fortitude also grew stronger. If he were to return to the state of mind he had three months ago in Qingyang Cave, he might not fall into a state of madness again.
The sealed sword power within his body also began to feel looser. It seemed that breaking through the seal was imminent. All these factors contributed to Jiang Yun's increasingly positive mood.