Chapter 334: Sonic Boom (II)

"You mean Lin Zheyu has also cultivated the Evernight Slumber Secret Art?" Huang Baizhong exclaimed in shock. He knew that this secret art was rather impractical for most martial artists, yet it did have its unique aspects.

"Yes. There is a trace of aura unique to those who have cultivated the Evernight Slumber Secret Art on his body. However, I have checked. The little fellow's body has not been excessively affected by secret medicines, and his foundational latent potential has not been harmed. He should merely be borrowing this secret art to use it as a concealment technique," said Elder Yang with a nod.

He had only studied the Evernight Slumber Secret Art back then and had not successfully cultivated it, so he could only roughly determine that Lin Zheyu had practiced it. He also could not discern Lin Zheyu's true level of attainment in the Evernight Slumber Secret Art. Even when he had just probed with true strength, he was unable to determine the foundation of Lin Zheyu's physique, only vaguely sensing that it was extremely powerful. However, one thing was certain. Lin Zheyu had just used the concealment techniques of the Evernight Slumber Secret Art.

"He should have cultivated the concealment portion of the Evernight Slumber Secret Art. For some reason, this child is particularly fond of hiding his strength. Could it be that he enjoys pretending to be weak to strike later? Even when I probed him with true strength just now, I could not fully grasp his background. If this level of natural talent and aptitude were applied to the Azure Tide Boundless True Technique, he would probably have already cultivated the Boundless Azure Sea Body," Elder Yang said rather speechlessly.

The last time, he had specifically reminded Lin Zheyu that after entering the Wuji Sect, there was no need to hide his abilities and that he should display whatever powerful natural talent he possessed. Yet Lin Zheyu still secretly cultivated the Evernight Slumber Secret Art. Elder Yang had also found it strange that, despite having met him several times, and despite Lin Zheyu's martial cultivation improving so greatly, he himself, once at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, had been unable to detect it. Thus, after learning Lin Zheyu's true cultivation progress just now, he could not help but personally check, and indeed discovered something amiss.

"This... Even when you probed with true strength, you still could not grasp it. Just how does this child cultivate? Doesn't the Evernight Slumber Secret Art require the cultivation of a special physique before it can possess such powerful concealment effects?" Huang Baizhong could not help but ask.

"I cannot see through it either. It seems he has also cultivated other concealment techniques. When he first entered the sect, I specifically checked, and there was no such feeling. Clearly, these concealment techniques were all cultivated after he entered the sect," Elder Yang said rather speechlessly.

"... Just how does this child cultivate? This level of comprehension is truly astonishing." Huang Baizhong was completely stunned.

In just a few months, he had not only mastered the Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art, but the Azure Tide Boundless True Technique had also progressed at astonishing speed, and he had even cultivated the Great Strength Vajra Fist concurrently. Now, Elder Yang was saying that this was not all, that he had also cultivated the Evernight Slumber Secret Art and other concealment techniques. This truly left Huang Baizhong speechless.

Other martial artists devoted themselves entirely to comprehending true intent, focusing single-mindedly on condensing true intent, yet still might not succeed. Lin Zheyu, on the other hand, cultivated several great difficulty techniques at the same time, and astonishingly succeeded in all of them, achieving considerable attainment. His attainment in concealment techniques was so powerful that even when Elder Yang probed with true strength, he could not discern his foundation. To master so many techniques in less than a year, he felt that his comprehension was incredible.

"Indeed, such terrifying comprehension is exceedingly rare in the world. Even if, at the Blood Qi realm, due to limitations in resources and techniques, he only cultivated to the eighth transformation and still has a considerable gap from a true monstrous prodigy, with such terrifying comprehension, that gap will soon be closed. After the Marrow Refining realm, while martial cultivation foundation is also important, it cannot compare to comprehension. With such powerful comprehension, why worry about failing to reach the Grandmaster realm or the Martial Innate realm?" Elder Yang said slowly.

Although his expression was calm, the shock in his heart was difficult to put into words. In all his years of life, he had only ever seen such terrifying comprehension in one person. That person's current strength had already reached a level he could not comprehend. And now, the Azure Tide Pavilion had actually taken in such a disciple.

"This matter must not be spread. It is right for Lin Zheyu to hide himself and keep a low profile. If others were to learn that he possesses such astonishing comprehension, he would likely soon face assassination attempts from hostile forces," Huang Baizhong said after a moment of thought.

"Thinking about it this way, this little fellow was actually right to constantly focus on cultivating concealment techniques and hiding himself." Elder Yang could not help but smile and shake his head.

He suddenly grew somewhat curious about Lin Zheyu's past. What kind of experiences had he gone through to make him so cautious even after joining the Wuji Sect? However, Elder Yang only thought about it briefly and did not truly investigate. At the Heart Questioning Pass, he had already seen clearly Lin Zheyu's temperament, character, and conduct, and there was no need to further probe his past.

***

Lin Zheyu was unaware of the shock in Elder Yang's and his master's hearts. After returning to his residence, he tidied up and then went out. When using Origin Force to increase his strength, there would be tremendous blood qi fluctuations. Although it lasted only a brief instant, there were many powerful experts within the Wuji Sect, and it might draw others' attention. Therefore, whenever Lin Zheyu used Origin Force to enhance himself, he did so outside the sect. In Wuling City, he had rented a courtyard, and he always carried out such enhancements there.

After leaving the sect, Lin Zheyu circled around Wuling City a few times. After confirming that no one was following him, he went to a secluded place to change his appearance. He purchased twenty sets of Blazing Flame Blood-Burning Powder and vaulted into the courtyard. As his strength increased, each unit of Origin Force required more and more Blazing Flame Blood-Burning Powder. In order to advance to the eighteenth transformation of blood qi and convert all his blood qi into higher-density golden blood qi, Lin Zheyu had already used up fifty-eight sets of Blazing Flame Blood-Burning Powder. If not for his ample prior savings, he truly could not have afforded such extravagance. He crushed the twenty sets of Blazing Flame Blood-Burning Powder into powder and poured them into a basin of water.

After making preparations, Lin Zheyu took a deep breath and began circulating the Ninefold Origin Lock Art. After circulating the Ninefold Origin Lock Art twice in succession, his face turned somewhat pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans covered his forehead.

Even though my strength has increased, circulating the Ninefold Origin Lock Art is still unbearably painful.

Lin Zheyu let out a long breath and only recovered after a short while.

He immersed both hands in the basin of water, and a thought was transmitted.

Use 2 units of Origin Force to cultivate the Azure Tide Blood Condensing Technique.

In an instant, his consciousness blurred, and his mind entered a mysterious mental space, beginning endless cultivation. From the depths of every cell in his body surged vast, mysterious energy, drawing in immense medicinal power and flooding into his body.

From his desiccated body, vast amounts of golden blood qi surged forth like a spring, mixed with a small amount of ordinary red blood qi. However, this blood qi was rapidly disappearing. Under the effects of the immense mysterious energy, the massive medicinal power continuously transformed into blood qi energy, and the remaining red blood qi energy saw its energy density rapidly increase, swiftly transforming into golden blood qi.

At the same time, Lin Zheyu's body was undergoing earth-shaking changes. Golden blood qi permeated every pore, soaking into every inch of his skin, tendon, muscle, and bone. Blood flowed rapidly through his vessels, as fresh new blood was continuously stimulated into existence, replacing the old blood. The newly generated blood even carried a faint trace of gold, though this gold vanished in an instant, quickly turning back into vivid red blood.

After several breaths, Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes, and a terrifying aura erupted from his body in an instant. The moment his eyes opened, overwhelmingly powerful blood qi surged out of control, condensing into a five-clawed golden dragon around him. Lin Zheyu quickly circulated the Tortoise Breath True Technique and the Evernight Slumber Secret Art, and the five-clawed golden dragon vanished in an instant. The aura on his body also returned to that of an ordinary person.

"My physique has undergone another transformation. So strong!" Lin Zheyu lightly clenched his fist, sensing the immense power filling his body.

Even without releasing the Ninefold Origin Lock Art, his strength had already reached an astonishing level.

"Ninefold Origin Lock Art, release! Release again!"

After releasing the Ninefold Origin Lock Art twice in succession, the vast sealed life energy poured out in surging streams. Lin Zheyu did not linger, closing his eyes again as his thoughts were transmitted once more. A few breaths later, he opened his eyes, and the five clawed golden dragon condensed around him vanished in an instant.

Puff. Crack!

Lin Zheyu lightly clenched his fist as the golden blood qi within his body erupted in an instant. His punch shot out at an unbelievable speed. The massive fist smashed into the air, and a violent explosion rang out. An invisible shockwave spread outward in all directions, centered on his fist.

"It is actually a sonic boom!" Lin Zheyu could not help but exclaim.

The speed of this punch had surpassed the speed of sound and broken the sound barrier, which was why it produced a sonic boom. To unleash a punch at sonic speed with a flesh-and-blood body and produce a sonic boom was truly unbelievable. The martial cultivation of this world was extremely powerful.

According to Lin Zheyu's understanding, it was normal for the attacks of Force Transformation realm martial artists to exceed the speed of sound at their upper limit. This was the extreme speed of an attack and did not represent the movement speed of the martial artist. They relied on powerful true strength, using its properties to minimize wind resistance as much as possible, allowing their attack speed to surpass the speed of sound. As a result, even when the attacks of Force Transformation realm martial artists exceeded the speed of sound, they would not produce a sonic boom.

Lin Zheyu was different. He had not even reached the Marrow Refining realm, let alone cultivated true strength. What he relied on was terrifying, overwhelming power. In an instant of explosive release, the immense force it generated directly pushed his attack speed beyond the speed of sound. Because there was no true strength to help cut through wind resistance, the purely speed-based surpassing of the sound barrier caused a sonic boom to erupt directly.