Chapter 203: Exhaustion (II)

After resting for a while and regaining some strength, Lin Zheyu took a waterskin filled with medicinal broth from his pack and gulped it down. With his powerful physique, his digestion and absorption were astonishingly fast. As the broth entered his stomach, a warm current spread through his body, quickly giving rise to faint strands of blood qi.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 23]

[Skills: Raging Wind Slash (Perfection), Boiling Blood Secret Art (Advanced Mastery: 98%), Golden Goose Technique (Tenth Stage: 100%), Hundred Refinements Treasure Manual (Third Stage: 100%), Tortoise Breath Grand Method (Third Stage: 100%)]

Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness and saw that his Origin Force had increased by another unit.

Should I enhance the Barbaric Ox Fist?

He had already accumulated 23 units of Origin Force. If he set the synergy between the Barbaric Ox Fist and its momentum as the second stage, he could continue to enhance it with Origin Force.

Forget it, this can't be rushed. It's better to wait until I've identified the core and direction of my momentum before enhancing it further with Origin Force,

Lin Zheyu murmured inwardly, setting aside the idea of using Origin Force for now.

When he used Origin Force to enhance a technique, his mind would enter a specific state, allowing progress only along the method's predetermined path. If that path proved invalid, the process would not adapt, it could only follow the existing structure of the technique.

Lin Zheyu's understanding of fist momentum was still shallow. He needed experience and insight to see its path of advancement clearly. Without a solid martial conviction, even with Origin Force, he could not condense a powerful momentum. Improving his fist momentum would not bring much immediate strength, so it would be far more effective to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art instead.

"I'll enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art first. This technique can't possibly reach Perfection without firsthand experience. Trying to devise a way to stop it before mastering it is just wishful thinking."

"I'll bring it to Perfection first. Once I do, perhaps with what I've learned lately, I can develop a second stage of the Boiling Blood Secret Art," Lin Zheyu decided on the spot.

For a technique to manifest in his consciousness, it had to be feasible. Lin Zheyu had been studying ways to freely start and stop the Boiling Blood Secret Art and had gained some insights. However, because he had yet to reach Perfection with it, his understanding remained incomplete.

Originally, he had intended to refine it gradually along the journey. But after breaking his limits just now, Lin Zheyu calmed his mind and reconsidered. He decided to use Origin Force to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art first and then devote most of his time to refining his fist momentum. That would be a more balanced approach.

Improving one's fist momentum required a wealth of life experiences and realizations to forge a personal martial conviction; it was something Origin Force could not fabricate. But the Boiling Blood Secret Art was different. It could be directly enhanced through Origin Force.

Gurgle, gurgle.

He took out his waterskin again and drank the entire contents of the medicinal broth.

The waterskin contained the medicinal strength of three sets of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction. It definitely was enough for this enhancement. The Boiling Blood Secret Art's advancement barely strained his body; the medicine's purpose was to restore the weakness caused by his earlier training.

Use 1 unit of Origin Force to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art.

As the thought spread outward, a vast tide of mysterious energy surged from the depths of his cells, drawing the medicinal power within his stomach to rapidly rejuvenate his body.

At the same time, Lin Zheyu's mind blurred, and he sank into his consciousness space. There, he began to practice the Boiling Blood Secret Art again and again, without end. The technique was only a hair's breadth away from reaching Perfection. It only lacked the firsthand experience of its true operation.

Within the consciousness space, Lin Zheyu circulated the Boiling Blood Secret Art repeatedly. His aura surged wildly as his essence, qi, and spirit ignited in fierce combustion. Agonizing pain coursed through both body and mind. His entire being felt as if it were being burned with heat as terrifying power flooded forth, and his blood qi swelled until his veins seemed ready to burst.

This was the state brought on by the Boiling Blood Secret Art: immense power accompanied by unbearable suffering. It demanded torment of both spirit and flesh. However, after countless times of breaking through his limits, Lin Zheyu's will had long grown unshakable. Physical pain meant little to him now; the agony he had endured while cultivating the Hundred Refinements Treasure Manual had been far worse than this.

Three minutes later, the effect of the Boiling Blood Secret Art faded, leaving Lin Zheyu in a state of extreme weakness. However, his body quickly recovered once more. Then he activated the Boiling Blood Secret Art again, reliving the surge of strength that came with it.

The cycle repeated, over and over again, endlessly and without pause. Lin Zheyu no longer knew how many times he had invoked the Boiling Blood Secret Art. In the consciousness space, his body could recover infinitely, but the depletion of his spirit was far harder to restore. Having just broken his physical limits, his mind was already weary.

Now he was enhancing the Boiling Blood Secret Art, a technique that consumed vast amounts of essence, qi, and spirit. His understanding of it improved rapidly, but his mental strength drained just as fast.

After a few breaths, Lin Zheyu opened his eyes. Bloodshot veins filled them, and his spirit was utterly listless. His head throbbed as if it were about to explode. It was a clear sign of mental exhaustion.

Hiss.

Lin Zheyu drew in a sharp breath.

It was his first time using Origin Force to enhance such a mentally taxing technique. Each activation drained every bit of his essence, qi, and spirit. The consciousness space was spiritual, and his body inside of it was only a projection, so it could recover infinitely, but the spirit itself was real, and its depletion was absolute.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Using too much Origin Force at once inflicted tremendous strain on the mind. He remembered the time he had used 5 units of Origin Force and nearly collapsed; his spirit had been pushed beyond its limits.

"

Hiss

... My head feels like it's going to explode."

He rubbed his temples repeatedly, the ache from overdrawn spirit unbearable. He didn't even have the will to glance at his consciousness data. Even after massaging his temples for a while, the pain showed no sign of easing.

Suddenly, Lin Zheyu recalled the soul secret art from the Seven Fiend Ghost Manual. He immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and visualized the Wrathful Vajra while chanting the Mind Purifying Chant. The visualization diagram of the Vajra, being merely a hand-drawn copy, had little effect. Yet the Mind Purifying Chant worked well. After chanting for an hour, the pain in his head eased considerably, no longer on the verge of bursting.

"

Huuh.

"

After meditating for another hour, Lin Zheyu opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath. Though still uncomfortable, he felt much better than before.

In the future, I need to be more cautious when using Origin Force to enhance techniques that heavily drain the mind, like the Boiling Blood Secret Art. At the very least, I shouldn't do it right after breaking my physical limits, when my spirit is already exhausted.

If he had been in peak mental condition, using 1 unit of Origin Force to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art would have been merely uncomfortable. There wouldn't have been the unbearable agony that made his head feel like it was splitting apart.

"Little Black, let's head back," Lin Zheyu called, forcing himself to his feet and shouting toward the distance.

At the sound of his voice, Little Black darted over, eyes wide with expectation as it waited for Lin Zheyu to strap the heavy armor onto its body. Normally, he would place part of the armor on the beast to share the burden. But today, despite his mental exhaustion from using Origin Force, his physique had fully recovered to its peak, so he didn't need Little Black's help.

"Not this time. Just carry that beast back," Lin Zheyu said, pointing at the carcass on the ground.

Before long, man and beast moved swiftly through the forest and returned to the camp.

"Uncle Zhao!" Liang Yunhui greeted with a smile. She jogged forward, deftly taking the beast from Little Black's shoulders and placing it in front of Liang Yuhan.

"Madam Liang, I'll trouble you with this," Lin Zheyu said to Liang Yuhan.

Their division of labor was clear. Little Black hunted the beasts, Liang Yuhan handled the carcasses, and together they roasted the meat. In these unfamiliar mountains, hunting beasts at night was no easy task. Most people had to make do with dry rations, and only when luck favored them could they secure fresh meat.

Only Little Black, gifted as a ferocious beast, could hunt so easily and swiftly. Of course, the men of the Guangxuan Escort Agency, with their skill and experience, also managed to bring back beasts for roasting from time to time.

"

Mm.

" Liang Yuhan responded softly, saying no more.

She drew a dagger and took out her waterskin, beginning to clean and skin the beast. After playing with Little Black for a bit, Liang Yunhui joined her mother to help. Under Lin Zheyu's command, Little Black darted into the forest again to gather firewood. Everything proceeded in order, and those around them couldn't help but cast envious glances when they saw Lin Zheyu preparing to roast fresh meat once again.