Cultivation Nerd

After the debacle with her brother, Song Song and I settled back into our routine. Days passed without any visitors since Song San left.

Many things weighed on Song Song's mind, both from her past and her thoughts. But she didn't seem to want to talk about it. If she ever needed someone to confide in, I was here for her as any good friend would be. And if she never spoke of it, I was okay with that also.

However, as she watched me train on the newly charred ground, she certainly had plenty to say then.

"You still haven't replaced your lousy movement technique?" Song Song gasped in mock shock. "I saw you using the same technique last time, too. Please don't tell me you went to the Song Clan Library— arguably the library with the most secret techniques on this side of the world—and didn't pick up a better movement technique?"

"It's not just about picking a new movement technique," I explained. "It's also about how compatible it is with me."

Of course, we both knew I had gotten too excited and forgotten about it. I had let my emotions get the better of me, grabbed the Otherworldly Demons book, and couldn't wait to read it.

Song Song smirked knowingly, as if this was all just a fun little game for her. "Give me a better excuse."

"Well, I didn't want my hard work to go to waste, so I was looking for a technique similar to my previous one. While I might be able to learn a new technique at an acceptable level, if they aren't similar, the insights and enlightenment I had won't transfer over." I gave a long-winded explanation and stared at her like an honest man awaiting judgment.

"It was good until you started talking about 'enlightenment' and other lame things like that," Song Song shrugged, delivering her merciless verdict. "What do you think enlightenment is? Common candy or something?"

Despite the playful nature of our jokes, there was often a hint of truth in them. Song Song stood up from the wooden porch and walked toward the charred grass. A green book with brown letters appeared in her hand, and she offered it to me.

"This is a technique I learned when I was younger. It's no longer useful for me, but it should work well with your style," Song Song said.

I took the book from her and read the title, "Galloping Horse Power…"

The name rolled nicely off the tongue, but it was unusual for techniques like this. "The name is simple and self-descriptive."

"You say that like it's a bad thing?" She raised an eyebrow.

"A bit boring, if nothing else. I always expect techniques to be complicated nowadays," I smiled.

"Mhm," she rolled her eyes and returned to the porch. Before she began cultivating, she said, "You would learn it faster if you bathed in horse blood while practicing the technique."

I stopped in my tracks just as I opened the book and looked at Song Song, narrowing my gaze, trying to see if she was joking. "Actually?"

"Yes, actually," she nodded.

I shrugged and said, "Nah, I won't do that."

But just as I was about to return to my job, I asked her again, "This isn't actually a demonic technique, right?"

"If you don't use human blood, it isn't," Song Song smirked.

Was she teasing me? She looked like it. But there was a good chance this was also true. This would mean that the Galloping Horse Power might be a variant of a demonic technique.

As I read the book, I realized it was a technique very similar to Rushing Bull Steps. But instead of stomping through the ground, it was more like trotting, and I could easily change directions. Not only was it a usable movement technique, but it also strengthened the user's lower body, meaning even my kicks would become deadlier. As expected of an Earth Grade technique, it was better in every way.

"Anyway, now that I taught you one of my most valuable techniques, you should teach me your most valuable one too," Song Song smiled.

"You said it was something you didn't really use," I returned her smile. At this point, we were just messing around and having fun.

"I have this really good idea about a move like yours. I would rather learn a technique from someone with experience than from some book." Song Song shrugged and looked at me bored, as if she were talking to an insurance person.

"Sure," I sighed and swung my arm to create the wind blade. I did this to show Song Song the whole technique process and explain it to her. But every time I did it, I made sure the wind blades wouldn't hit the wall.

By the end of it, she turned toward the walls. She swung her arm and unlike mine, her wind blade was not invisible and was covered in a crimson aura. When she used it, my technique no longer resembled a wind blade; it looked more like a blood blade.

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"You can use it without swinging your arms, right?" She inquired, as she disrupted her Qi in her attack just before it landed on the wall.

She hummed before adding, "I will need to hit a trace somehow. Swinging my arms about is useless for the technique I have in mind."

"What kind of technique are you planning to make?" I asked, not bothering to hide my curiosity.

She smirked, showing her slightly elongated canines, and looked at me with a knowing gaze, "It would be different since it would cause wounds that would profusely bleed and be unable to heal."

"Kind of like a curse," I muttered.

"Exactly," Song Song nodded. "Does using sharp weapons like daggers help somehow?"

"Makes it easier to use, though not by much."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure," I moved my hands as if I were grabbing onto invisible daggers and used Dancing Jade Armour to form two daggers resembling the ones I used to have in Whitewall Town.

Without warning, Song Song took a sword from her storage ring and attacked me. But without needing to think, I parried her blade to the side. Which was a testament she was not going all out; otherwise, I would have no chance to parry an attack like that.

A clanging sound rang out as she attacked my translucent daggers, and her eyes widened slightly.

"It feels like I'm hitting metal and not something you just made with your Qi. They're pretty tough," Song Song gave a backhanded compliment. "Now begin using the technique with the daggers, and let's see how well it works."

But despite sounding like she would go easier, she went faster, making the technique difficult to use the way she wanted it to see by using my dagger. I used Dancing Jade Armour, which finally lived up to its name as I formed armor around me. When her sword hit my armor, I flew with her attack's momentum and jumped back.

"That's a good technique, extremely versatile," she complimented. "I have seen you make strings with that before. Can you heal internal damage by suturing your organs with it?"

"Not really. I don't have the anatomical knowledge for something like that," I said, swinging my daggers and releasing the invisible blade.

"Just scan your body using Qi," Song Song advised as she deflected my invisible slashes.

Ah, I could do that. Though it would take some time to get used to, it was similar to how I used Qi to scan my body to check my stats. This method would be more detailed and potentially dangerous. It wasn't a healing technique, but it was good enough to keep me together in a tough fight—a last resort kind of thing.

"I'm not going all out, but it's insulting for you to have that lost look in your eyes like you're thinking deeply. Do you think you can think like that and fight me simultaneously?" Song Song seemed more amused than anything else as she increased her speed.

One of her sword strikes went for my ear. I used Dancing Jade Armour to create strings that attached to one of the trees and pulled me back faster than my natural speed would have allowed. But when Song Song noticed that, she shot her version of Falling Moon Claw with a crimson color.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be going easy on me," I mock whined.

"You can take it," Song Song rolled her eyes as her attack reached within arm's reach in an instant. "This time, you will be my training dummy."

I shrugged. "You really need to get used to this technique; it's slow."

After saying that, I used the jade strings to pull me to the side again. Song Song then swung her sword, shooting a red flying slash and adjusting her attack. This time, it was fast enough that I couldn't dodge!

Instead of going through that effort, I dismissed my daggers and formed a translucent longsword. Grabbing the handle with both hands, I parried the attack. Song Song's gaze followed me like a hawk, indifferent to where her slash would land next as it cut through the ground like a razor.

"Ready for a new technique?" She asked with a teasing glint in her eyes, knowing just the right words to make me go along with her brand of craziness.

"Of course," I answered.

As soon as those words came out of my mouth, a chilling effect spread through my body. I felt lightheaded and like I was going to pass out as a heaviness settled on my chest.

I barely noticed that she had released her killing intent technique or that I had instinctively stopped using Dancing Jade Armor. It escaped my notice as she calmly walked toward me until she was too close for it to have been feasible in a real fight.

"Use Qi to circulate the blood in your heart and calm down. You will have to manually pump the blood," Song Song advised as I hunched over, and she patted my back.

I followed her instructions with a precision I rarely achieved in situations where my life wasn't threatened. I pushed the effect of her technique away, and my heartbeat and senses returned to normal.

After that ordeal, I was left with sweat on my forehead and breathing heavily as if preparing to get my money's worth at a buffet.

But there was a more worrying thought at the forefront of my mind. Whatever Song Song used, it was like she was forcing my blood to stop moving.

When did she fulfill the conditions to activate such a technique on me? I had no idea. But one thing was for sure: Song Song's killing intent technique was meant for mass massacres. She could kill many Qi Gathering Cultivators at once.

How many would be able to figure out how to pump blood through Qi if she didn't tell them?

We didn't have time to discuss it as we sensed someone approaching. Whatever tiredness I was feeling, I brushed it off, wiped the sweat from my forehead, and straightened my posture while sharpening my gaze.

No matter what, Song Song and I had to put up a strong front. We had only each other in the Inner Sect. Everyone else was a potential enemy.

"Can you tell who it is?" I asked her.

"No, but they're using a technique to hide their cultivation that I'm familiar with. Probably some Core Elder," Song Song glanced at me. "How confident are you in escaping if things turn hostile?"

"You know the answer to that. Also, why would you ask something like that?"

"Well, worst-case scenario, this will be our executioner as they've finally had enough of us. Clearly, you couldn't buy any time for me to escape. But I should be able to hold them back enough for you to escape. Just make sure to take revenge for me if something happens," Song Song said nonchalantly before adding, "Of course, this is assuming the worst case possible."

I didn't need to answer as a white-masked man wearing a black cloak appeared. His breathing was almost inaudible despite my keen hearing.

"Liu Feng, your information was right. Under orders from the Sect Leader, from now on, Song Song is free from her imprisonment," the masked man informed us.

Despite the tiredness, I felt from sparring with Song Song, a wave of relief washed over me, and I felt rejuvenated.

I turned toward Song Song, thinking about celebrating together. But while she had a smile, it wasn't the kind of smile someone would have when freed from confinement.

Her gaze was filled with clear murderous intent, and the aura around her promised that a massacre was about to take place. It was as if all the relative normalcy that had grown around us had exploded, turning into endless killing intent.

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