After the profound lesson on the dueling stage, Lin Fan's brilliant image had undoubtedly deeply impressed most of the students. However, the more perfect someone appears, the more jealousy they attract. No sooner had the duel ended than all sorts of rumors began to circulate.
Some claimed that even if a bunch of mediocre students worked hard, they could never have a promising future. They said that talent determines everything and that a common chicken can never become a phoenix.
Lin Fan scoffed at these comments, determined to prove them wrong by training these students into excellent individuals. The thirteen students had greatly benefited from his speech, feeling they had found a true mentor who understood them. After the duel, Lin Fan generously gave them a half-day off, letting them go about their business.
Reflecting on his time in the Sacred Demon Sect, Lin Fan regretted not choosing any cultivation techniques from the library. Now that he was at Tianfu Academy, he wouldn't let the opportunity slip again. He wasn't concerned about the grade of the techniques; as long as they were techniques, he could upgrade them infinitely. Even an insignificant technique like "Monkey Steals the Peach" could be upgraded to something extraordinarily powerful. There was nothing he couldn't master.
Tianfu Academy, established by powerful figures and supported by the royal family, had a library with a wide range of techniques, though not as comprehensive as the Sacred Demon Sect's collection. As Lin Fan entered the library after registering, he saw a sea of students absorbed in their chosen techniques, and he sighed deeply.
The library was vast, with shelves full of techniques, though many were incomplete, and some shelves had only a few books. It seemed that techniques were quite scarce.
As Lin Fan's fingers brushed over the books, he searched for something suitable for himself.
"System: Unranked technique 'Heavenly Cripple Kick' detected. Learn it?"
"System: Unranked technique 'Iron Crotch' detected. Learn it?"
"System: Yellow-rank low-grade technique 'Hidden Breath Technique' detected. Learn it?"
After scanning through the library, Lin Fan was somewhat disappointed with Tianfu Academy's collection, which was mostly filled with unranked techniques. How could they expect to train excellent students with such resources? However, he was delighted to find a yellow-rank low-grade technique amidst the rubbish. It was a lucky find.
The "Hidden Breath Technique" seemed intriguing just by its name. Lin Fan pulled out the book and examined it closely. The cover was worn, indicating its age. As he opened the first page, he learned that the technique was devised by a long-gone instructor at Tianfu Academy but had never been successfully practiced, except by the instructor himself.
The concept behind the "Hidden Breath Technique" was inspired by a beast with a natural ability to blend into its surroundings, theoretically becoming invisible to the naked eye. The technique was divided into three levels, each progressively more mysterious. Upon reaching the third level, one could use true energy to blend with the surroundings, theoretically becoming invisible.
However, Lin Fan couldn't help but laugh when he read further and learned that the instructor who developed the technique had been killed in battle. The instructor had used the "Hidden Breath Technique" to blend in with his surroundings, hoping to launch a surprise attack, only for his opponent to feign ignorance and then cut him down, leaving with the words, "You think I'm blind?"
The instructor's final warning was that practicing this technique required caution. "It's basically a chameleon's ability," Lin Fan chuckled, amused by the instructor's idea. However, the technique intrigued him, and with his ability to infinitely upgrade techniques, he felt confident in enhancing it to a formidable level.
"System: Congratulations, you've learned 'Hidden Breath Technique.'"
"'Hidden Breath Technique,' Level 1 (0/100)."
Lin Fan continued to browse the first floor of the library, which mainly housed unranked or yellow-rank techniques. He believed that having too many techniques wasn't as important as mastering them. Techniques like "Swift Wind Sword Technique," "Pluck Flowers Finger Technique," "Unmoving Emperor Fist," "Illusionary Step Technique," and "Black Tiger Steals Heart" were still not maxed out, so there was no need to learn more.
Seeing someone descend from an upper floor, Lin Fan was delighted to discover there were more techniques upstairs. However, as he attempted to ascend, an old man with a white beard blocked his way.
"You can't go up," the old man said, squinting at him.
"Why not? If they can go up, why can't I?" Lin Fan protested, feeling indignant.
"Only students from the second class and above are allowed upstairs. You don't qualify," the old man replied.
Lin Fan glared at the old man's crotch, silently cursing him and his ancestors. He vowed to make him pay in the future. Resigned, Lin Fan left the library and returned to his room to study the "Hidden Breath Technique."
Back in his room, Lin Fan closed the door and began practicing the "Hidden Breath Technique." Since the system couldn't upgrade this technique on its own, he had to rely on himself. As he circulated his true energy, he felt it depleting bit by bit.
"System: Congratulations, 'Hidden Breath Technique' experience +100."
"System: Congratulations, 'Hidden Breath Technique' upgraded."
"'Hidden Breath Technique,' Level 2 (0/1000)."
Lin Fan was thrilled by the rapid progress, feeling himself gradually changing. His true energy was mimicking the surrounding environment, blending him in like a chameleon. However, he knew that even the best camouflage wouldn't fool anyone with keen eyesight.
He continued practicing the "Hidden Breath Technique" while also cultivating the heaven-rank top-grade technique "Formless Heavenly Demon," which he had taken from Mo Yixuan.
"System: Congratulations, 'Formless Heavenly Demon' experience +10."
"System: Congratulations, 'Hidden Breath Technique' experience +100."
"System: Congratulations, 'Hidden Breath Technique' upgraded."
"'Hidden Breath Technique,' Level 3 (0/2000)."
The slow progress in upgrading the two heaven-rank top-grade techniques was frustrating. Each level required 100,000 experience points, but gaining experience at a rate of ten points per practice was excruciating. Additionally, the energy consumption during cultivation was significant, forcing him to take frequent breaks to recover his true energy before resuming his practice.