As I observed the spectral figure of Gaya Li murmuring an incantation I could not decipher, the surroundings began to warp, instantly filling me with a sense of foreboding.
"Am I truly to be subjected to the most grueling training course in the realm of spiritual energy? I nearly perished during the assessment; the actual training must be tenfold more brutal!" At this moment, I realized it was no longer my place to speak. This damned spiritual training card was being used for the first time, and in my panic, I found myself unable to locate the option to exit the training mode.
Thus, the harrowing ordeal commenced...
In the Wolf King's quarters, Bai Jing Zhenfu remarked oddly to his two companions, "Why hasn't Wang Lin shown up these past few days? Is he undergoing relentless training?
In the spiritual training card, time flows at tenfold the usual rate; three days equate to an entire month! The intensity will be unbearable for an ordinary person!" The Wolf King, however, did not exhibit his usual nonchalance. He adjusted his gear and retrieved the Book of Demons, replying with an air of indifference before activating the spiritual training card, "Wang Lin appears to be just an ordinary high school student, yet he likely harbors secrets beyond our comprehension. I sense he will emerge as the strongest member of our team."
Upon witnessing the Wolf King vanish from the room, Bai Jing Zhenfu turned to glance at Jack. The merciless killer merely shrugged and said, "Don't look at me; I'm quite innocent!" He too activated the spiritual training card, vanishing into thin air.
Bai Jing Zhenfu shook his head, muttering nonsensically under his breath, the meaning of which eluded him. "Alright! Training is concluded. Your latent potential is truly astonishing; should the opportunity arise, I would love to train you in person!" I found myself utterly spent, lacking even the strength to move a finger in response to Gaya Li's praise, merely twitching my nostrils to indicate that I was still breathing.
"Due to your exceptional performance, training has been completed ahead of schedule. There are still seven days until this training card becomes obsolete. Do you have any specific requests?"
"Indeed, I do! Just give me a moment!" After enduring twenty harrowing days of training, I finally learned how to maintain the flow of my unnamed martial arts technique in both daily life and combat. My relentless efforts over these days propelled my unnamed inner strength to remarkable heights; not only had my upper limit risen to 1396, but the time required for my true energy to circulate through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians was now reduced to three hours and forty-five minutes. I estimated that with another seven or eight hours of rest, I could regain some measure of combat prowess.
Ha! You wretched woman, I shall deliver you a painful lesson before I leave! You will know the true meaning of a virgin's ambitions!" As the frigid true energy coursed silently within me, my mind entered a state of meditation. When the true energy passed through the Baihui point, a portion still dissipated, reemerging at the Ancestral Aperture in my forehead. However, this new energy had long since become **mastered. Under the peculiar technique Gaya Li had taught me, it was transformed into my own unique spiritual power. Platinum Glory was one of the alchemical techniques developed to mimic holy power.
Using holy energy spells incurred a fifty percent reduction in energy expenditure. Strengthening the physical body by 120% inflicted significant damage upon undead, demon, bloodline, spiritual, dark, holy, light, and elemental entities. It also allowed for the synthesis of this technique through alternative methods, excluding the effects of alchemical transformation on the physical body.
Currently, my cultivation progress stood at 55 energy units, with 90/336 remaining. According to Gaya Li, if I were to learn alchemy, I could upgrade Platinum Glory to its complete form. The current version, however, had two major flaws: it could neither alter the physical body nor cultivate energy independently; it relied solely on the true energy generated by the unnamed martial arts technique for synthesis with spiritual power. Yet, for me, these limitations posed no significant obstacles. I had little interest in the complete version of Platinum Glory, which would allow me to transform my arms into gun barrels or my chest into a particle cannon.
In the end, a phantom is merely a phantom. While I strained to restore my combat power, it merely stood by, elegantly motionless. My spiritual energy was transformed from true energy; through my encounters with Gaya Li, I gradually discerned that while spiritual energy and true energy may share similar qualities, the potency of spiritual energy exceeds that of true energy. Though I was still a novice at mastering Platinum Glory, I had already enhanced my physical body by twenty percent and reduced the energy expenditure of holy energy spells by half.
"It should be about time!" After operating the unnamed martial arts technique for the second time, I sprang from the ground like a whirlwind, charging towards Gaya Li's phantom.
In response to my assault, this spectral figure capable of serving as a spiritual trainer adopted a cautious stance, maximizing her combat power and unleashing her signature technique of the Infinite Fighting Style.
Her fingers aligned, forming a hand blade; each strike was infused with a fine aura of energy, rendering it nearly impossible for Gaya Li to open her eyes. The tempestuous barrage of attacks filled me with exhilaration. Gaya Li's phantom possessed only fifteen percent of her actual combat power and could not withstand my fierce assault. Having never studied unarmed combat techniques, I adapted the basic swordsmanship I had learned into practical application during my confrontations with Gaya Li's phantom. "Longsword Ancient Moon, Cross Holy Gun!" Summoning both treasures almost simultaneously, my combat fervor surged.
Though Gaya Li's phantom immediately retaliated with a blast of energy, it was deflected by my holy energy shield. The Cross Holy Gun resembled a large handgun capable of chambering twenty-five refined silver demon-breaking bullets. Its power was akin to that of my Holy Light Bullet, yet its firing rate was significantly higher. I had meticulously analyzed the combat capabilities of Gaya Li's phantom, so I wasted no time in pulling the trigger to fire three bullets, blocking her retreat with a triangular formation.
"Do you think you can defeat me?"
Gaya Li's phantom, her red hair billowing wildly, shouted as she deftly leaped off the ground with her left foot, evading my sword technique executed alongside the silver demon-breaking bullets.
"You're mistaken; my aim isn't to defeat you, but to humiliate you! The torment I've endured at the hands of you, this demoness, must be repaid a hundredfold. Such suffering cannot simply be vanquished by defeat."