Chapter 74: Chapter 511: Hidden Meridian Speculation (Part 2)

That’s because it was fundamentally impossible to circulate the Inner Qi from his Meridians through the Hidden Meridian. The Inner Qi merely borrowed its path without truly flowing through.

When he executed the technique, only a weak surge of Inner Qi was fed back from the Hidden Meridian, so naturally, it generated no destructive force.

’It’s working!’

Zhao Rui’s heart leaped with joy, and he immediately began to put his idea into practice.

In cultivation, days and months cease to exist; a meditation session passes in the blink of an eye.

By the time Zhao Rui emerged from the Quiet Chamber, the outside was already pitch-black. Even the entirety of Mingcan Courtyard was dark and dim.

Only a few dim, yellow lamps at the entrance stood guard over this imitation Zen Monastery, which was full of tranquil, ancient charm.

“Crap, it’s almost twelve!”

Zhao Rui picked up his phone to check the time and was shocked.

He’d never had such a strange experience. He usually meditated and cultivated, but a few hours was his limit. His body had always retained a sense of time.

This time, however, was different. He felt completely immersed, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit all captivated by his Cultivation, making him lose all track of time.

Puzzled, Zhao Rui walked to Zhang Kui’s Quiet Chamber, only to find it empty.

He quickly gave him a call.

“Brother Zhang, when did you leave?”

“Don’t tell me you just got out now? I was only in there for two hours before I came out. It was pretty simple, wasn’t it?”

“’Simple?’” Zhao Rui faltered, then said sheepishly, “I, uh, fell asleep. Haha.”

“Ugh, I’m so done. Ever since I became a training partner, it’s just been one thing after another. I’m thinking of quitting to focus on studying for the civil service exams. It’s not like I’ll get any decent results from this anyway.”

Zhang Kui yawned and grumbled a bit more before adding, “I’m not gonna waste any more time chatting. I’m going to bed. Gotta get back to the grind tomorrow!”

With that, he hung up.

Zhao Rui stared at his lit-up phone screen, growing more and more puzzled. ’Is my aptitude really that bad?’

’This Cultivation Technique is really difficult. I only made a breakthrough because I had a sudden flash of insight and figured out the key principles.’

After thinking for a long time without figuring it out, Zhao Rui shook his head. He turned, closed the door to the training room, entered the security code, and left.

The early morning moon was cold and bright. Silken rays of light spilled through gaps in the clouds, casting a silvery glow that resembled the flames of cold fusion—mysterious and cool.

After leaving Mingcan Courtyard, Zhao Rui was overcome with a playful urge. He activated the Flying Swallow Soar he had just learned. With a few light taps of his feet, his body shot forward like a sparrow, soaring into the dense forest.

Mankind has dreamt of flying since ancient times. In his previous life, countless extreme sports enthusiasts had fearlessly leaped from airplanes just to experience the thrill of soaring through the sky.

At this moment, Zhao Rui was like a child with a new favorite toy, leaping and weaving through the dense forest, having the time of his life.

Suddenly, birds throughout the forest took flight, their startled cries noisy yet crisp in the night air.

“Lad, have you just started learning a Lightweight Skill?”

Just as Zhao Rui was reveling in his Lightweight Skill, enjoying the thrill of flight, a deep, resonant voice drifted over from the direction of Mingcan Temple.

The voice seemed both near and far, distant one moment and right by his ear the next. It was faint and intermittent, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.

Zhao Rui was so startled that his Inner Breath destabilized, and he began to plummet from mid-air.

Fortunately, his Inner Strength was profound and his reaction was swift. He twisted in mid-air, switched to the Wandering Dragon Step to regain some height, then grabbed a branch with one hand and flipped himself up onto it.

“Which master is present? I meant no offense. I will leave at once.”

Zhao Rui called out respectfully.

“You call that a Lightweight Skill? You’re barely ten feet off the ground and can only stay airborne for a few moments.”

The voice had barely faded when Zhao Rui saw a figure shoot out from the direction of Mingcan Courtyard. The form was ethereal and dream-like, a mere phantom that was impossible to see clearly in the dark of night.

The figure moved so fast that in the blink of an eye, it had reached the edge of the forest. With a wave of a sleeve that sent leaves RUSTLING, the man’s body shot straight up into the air like a rocket.

The sight made Zhao Rui’s eyes go wide. He didn’t even dare to breathe.

His body moved like a dragon leaping from the abyss—at times spiraling and hovering, at others shooting straight for the clouds. His ascent seemed to defy gravity, showing no signs of slowing.

Only after ascending fifty or sixty meters did he, like a soaring dragon, streak across the sky as a phantom image and vanish back into Mingcan Courtyard.

“Lad, *that* is what you call flying. You still have a long way to go.”

“Master!”

“I’m not affiliated with your school, so don’t bother looking for me. Seeing your enthusiasm today stirred something in me. Haha, this is for you!”

As he finished speaking, a golden light shot through the night sky. It flew against the moonlight, crossing several hundred meters in an instant to land in Zhao Rui’s hand.

“This…”

Staring at the USB drive in his hand, Zhao Rui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’Wow, senior, you’re really keeping up with the times!’

“Thank you, Master! I won’t disturb your rest any further!”

Zhao Rui quickly bowed, but heard no reply. After a brief pause, he leaped down from the branch and hurried away.

「Ten minutes later.」

With his heart still pounding, Zhao Rui pushed open the door to his home. He rushed to his computer, plugged in the USB drive, and turned it on.

’A vertical leap of fifty or sixty meters… what did that even mean?’ Zhao Rui couldn’t fathom it. ’If it wasn’t a Blinding Technique or some kind of circus trick, just how high would that person’s Power have to be?’

’A Grandmaster? No, a Grandmaster couldn’t possibly do that. Not even close.’

’This wasn’t as simple as having immense strength and launching yourself eight or ten meters into the air with a single stomp.’

’The phantom-like movements, the circulation of Inner Strength… it was all completely beyond Zhao Rui’s imagination.’

’Alright, senior, what kind of treasure did you give me? A Top-tier Technique? Is this going to be like when Zhang Wuji fell off a cliff and learned the Nine Yang Divine Skill?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep