After a few minutes of relaxation, allowing the remarkable benefits of the spiritual food to settle throughout their bodies, Elder Huang finally circled back to the main topic that had initially excited her.
"You really reached the perfect stage? And in two techniques no less?" she asked with undisguised amazement as Xiang Yu demonstrated both his perfected knife and sword techniques.
Even Elder Guo watched from the side with surprise etched across his weathered face. Though he had long recognized Xiang Yu's genius-level comprehension, he couldn't help being impressed each time he witnessed it in action. The flawless execution, the economy of movement, the perfect balance—truly, his disciple had achieved something remarkable.
Elder Huang leaned forward eagerly. "So, did you want to choose another technique to practice?" Her enthusiasm was palpable. She had finally found a worthy test subject for her theories. If Xiang Yu could master techniques at such an astonishing rate, her experiment to unlock that special physique might actually succeed. Given a few years at this pace, he would definitely break through that legendary barrier.
But Xiang Yu's response caught her off guard.
"Actually, I wanted to pick more than one," he said, scratching his cheek with feigned casualness.
Elder Huang blinked in surprise. Had success gone to the boy's head? How could he possibly practice multiple techniques simultaneously? As his martial aunt, she needed to guide him back to the correct path. If he strayed now, he might never unlock the physique she sought.
"Martial nephew," she began carefully, "although I acknowledge your talent is extraordinary, you simply cannot practice many techniques at the same time. They will interfere with your progress." Her tone carried the weight of centuries of established cultivation wisdom.
Xiang Yu had anticipated this response. Time to deploy his first trump card.
"Martial Aunt," he explained with calculated humility, "I've actually realized that I practice techniques more easily when I'm working on several simultaneously, just like I did with the knife and sword techniques."
Elder Huang's eyebrows rose in genuine surprise. Was such a thing even possible? Throughout cultivation history, focus had always been prized above breadth. Still, skepticism lingered in her expression.
Seeing her doubtful look, Xiang Yu smoothly employed his second trump card.
"How about this," he proposed, "I'll practice them for a month, and if I can't perfect all of them, I'll give up and study just one at a time."
Elder Huang fell into contemplative silence. Xiang Yu seemed like an honest, straightforward disciple—perhaps he had simply been misled by some unconventional cultivation theory. In the grand scheme of her plans, a single month wasn't significant. Besides, after the extraordinary feast he had prepared, refusing his request seemed ungracious.
She considered that teenagers naturally rebelled against restrictions. Being too rigid might have the opposite effect, making cultivation feel like a chore rather than an opportunity. He would likely grow out of this experimental phase on his own once he faced its inevitable limitations.
"Okay," she relented with a smile, "which techniques do you want?"
"I want all the weapon techniques you have."
Elder Huang nearly toppled from her chair. She had expected him to request perhaps two additional techniques, but ALL weapon techniques? Had the boy lost his mind?
"Can't I?" Xiang Yu asked, masterfully adopting a pitiful expression that contrasted sharply with his usual stoic demeanor.
Elder Huang could only sigh in resignation. It was just a month, after all. He would inevitably abandon this folly when he discovered he couldn't handle it. She decided to begin with just the basic weapon techniques, allowing him to "play around" without risking confusion from more advanced methods. The higher-level techniques could wait until he had demonstrated proper focus and discipline.
...
"There are twenty weapons techniques in cultivation. Since you have mastered the first two, I'll give you the other eighteen," Elder Huang said with a resigned sigh, her expression a mixture of skepticism and indulgence.
Xiang Yu fought to contain his excitement. His plan had worked perfectly! With his system's exponential growth, would it even take a full month to master these techniques? And even if it did, once they were recorded in his system, he wouldn't need the physical manuals anymore. He could practice them at his leisure, steadily perfecting each one without external pressure.
In the next moment, eighteen manuals flew from Elder Huang's spatial ring, landing neatly in Xiang Yu's waiting hands. He quickly flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the content. Though he noticed they were all basic-level techniques, disappointment never crossed his mind. With this many techniques available for combination through his newly unlocked system function, he had no doubt he could forge something extraordinary.
The techniques formed an impressive array of cultivation methods:
[Basic Spear Technique], [Basic Staff Technique], [Basic Bow Technique], [Basic Whip Technique], [Basic Saber Technique], [Basic Dagger Technique], [Basic Fan Technique] [Basic Chain Technique], [Basic Axe Technique], [Basic Hammer Technique], [Basic Fist Technique], [Basic Claw Technique], [Basic Palm Technique], [Basic Kick Technique] [Basic Grappling Technique], [Basic Throwing Technique], [Basic Dart Technique], [Basic Needle Technique]
As he examined the list more carefully, Xiang Yu found himself genuinely impressed by the comprehensive collection. Some techniques particularly surprised him—it seemed that even body parts like fists and legs were considered "weapons" in the cultivation realm.
"Take this," Elder Huang interrupted his thoughts, tossing a small pouch in his direction.
Xiang Yu caught it easily, feeling the unusual weight and texture. It seemed ordinary from the outside, but he sensed something extraordinary about it.
"This is a spatial pouch," she explained, her tone softening slightly. "I've put all the weapons you'll need inside."
She spent the next few minutes patiently demonstrating how to access the space within, how to withdraw specific items, and how to secure the pouch against theft.
After the explanation was complete, the two elders finally departed, leaving the disciples alone with their newfound treasures.
Xiang Yu held the spatial pouch reverently, turning it over in his hand with wonder. Spatial treasures were exceedingly rare in this world—he never expected to acquire one so early in his cultivation journey. Despite her skepticism about his training methods, Elder Huang had been remarkably generous. He silently thanked his martial aunt in his heart, appreciating her support despite her doubts.
"Senior brother," Li Yao asked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity, "are you really going to practice all eighteen techniques at the same time?" The disbelief in her tone mirrored Elder Huang's earlier skepticism.
"Yes," Xiang Yu confirmed with unusual confidence. "With your assistance, I'll master them in no time. Then we can have another, even bigger feast to celebrate."
Li Yao's eyes immediately lit up at the mention of food. "Another feast?" she exclaimed, her previous doubts instantly forgotten. "I'll definitely help senior brother!" she shouted with childlike enthusiasm.
Xiang Yu smiled at her predictable response. His junior sister's simple motivations made her remarkably easy to manipulate. She was lucky that he wasn't a bad person otherwise...
Today marks a significant milestone in my cultivation journey. I've successfully perfected two techniques: [Basic Knife Technique] and [Basic Sword Technique]. The sensation of achieving perfection is indescribable—like reaching the purest expression of movement, where every unnecessary motion has been stripped away, leaving only flawless execution.
To celebrate this achievement, I prepared a grand feast using my newly improved culinary skills. The dishes I created seemed to have an unexpected effect on Master. Throughout the meal, I noticed tears streaming down his face. I've never seen him display such emotion before. Perhaps my cooking triggered some long-forgotten memory? Whatever the reason, it was strangely touching to see this usually stoic elder so moved.
Taking advantage of the positive atmosphere, I approached Martial Aunt about acquiring more techniques. After considerable persuasion—and likely influenced by the extraordinary meal I'd just served—she eventually relented and granted me eighteen different weapon techniques! Her skepticism was written plainly across her face, but I maintained an earnest expression.
I spent the remainder of the day practicing these new techniques with my junior sister's assistance. My approach might seem unorthodox to most cultivators—switching between weapons every few minutes rather than mastering one at a time—but my heightened battle awareness allows me to transition seamlessly without losing momentum.
An interesting discovery today: my battle intent enables me to exert nearly the same force with beginner-level techniques as I could with completion-level techniques. This unexpected synergy makes my unorthodox training method even more effective.
After tonight's reset, my Phantom Footwork technique broke through to the intermediate level, substantially increasing my movement speed. The system showed:
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Beginner (20/100)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Beginner (20/100) → Beginner (40/100)]
Day 28 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
Training continued as established, with Junior Sister helping me cycle through various weapons at regular intervals. During lunch, I noticed Master seemed somewhat dejected. Perhaps he was hoping for another extravagant feast? If he truly desires such treatment, he should offer something of value like Martial Aunt did with the techniques. Of course, I kept these thoughts to myself, offering only silent consolation in my heart.
Today's reset brought remarkable progress. All the weapon techniques I've been practicing advanced to the minor success stage. Even more impressively, my Mountain Heart Sutra advanced to level two, elevating my mind to level two as well.
The mental transformation is extraordinary—like suddenly gaining access to cognitive abilities far beyond what any human in my previous world could achieve. My thoughts flow with crystal clarity, connections forming between concepts with effortless precision. Still, I remind myself that this is merely a stepping stone, not my ultimate destination.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Beginner (60/100) (+40/100)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Beginner (60/100) → Minor Success (0/200)]
Day 29 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
Today proceeded without particular incident—just continued training with Junior Sister, cycling through the various weapon techniques as always.
After reset, my Iron Body technique reached the perfect stage, becoming the third technique I've mastered to this level. The physical changes are profound and immediate. Not only has my skin hardened beyond normal iron, but my internal organs and even blood vessels have undergone similar transformation. It feels as though I've been reforged from the inside out, becoming something fundamentally different from my original form. The durability this provides should significantly enhance my survival chances in future confrontations.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Minor Success (40/200) (+40/200)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Minor Success (40/200) → Minor Success (80/200)]
Day 30 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
Martial Aunt was absent during lunch today. I carefully preserved her portion, storing it in my spatial pouch when I noticed Master eyeing it with poorly concealed interest. I'm almost certain I heard him click his tongue in disappointment, though perhaps that was merely my imagination.
Upon Martial Aunt's return, I presented her with the saved meal. Her gratitude was so overwhelming she nearly kowtowed to me—I barely managed to catch her before she could complete the gesture, which would have made things unnecessarily complicated.
Her appreciation for my cooking is truly remarkable. Considering she's actively helping me unlock an ancient physique, I should continue prioritizing her well-being. Supporting her also means supporting Master, as there seems to be something going on between them. Perhaps I'll have a martial nephew sooner than expected?
After reset, all my weapon techniques advanced to the intermediate stage—truly impressive progress. Additionally, my body cultivation broke through to the 7th layer, substantially increasing my physical strength.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Minor Success (120/200) (+40/200)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Minor Success (120/200) → Intermediate (0/300)]
Day 31 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
Junior Sister appeared to struggle against me during today's training sessions. This is likely due to the combination of my perfect-level Iron Body technique and my advancement to the 7th layer of Body Refining. If she's finding our sparring too challenging, I wonder why she doesn't simply increase her cultivation level a bit? She's clearly holding back significantly.
After reset, my cooking finally broke through to the 6th grade. Since I so recently demonstrated my 7th grade cooking abilities, I've decided to keep this advancement secret for now, continuing to display only 7th grade techniques when preparing meals.
I've also noticed my Spirit Flame has already reached the thousands, while my Battle Instinct is now in the tens of thousands. My Enlightenment continues accelerating and will soon reach a hundred points.
It strikes me that a full month has passed since my transmigration to this world. I hope future months continue in this peaceful pattern of training with Junior Sister—minus the near-death experiences, of course.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Intermediate (50/300) (+50/300)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Intermediate (50/300) → Intermediate (100/300)]
Day 32 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
Junior Sister trained with exceptional intensity today. I struggled to match her pace, but my elevated battle intent statistics allowed me to keep up reasonably well, avoiding any embarrassment to my fellow transmigrators. The remainder of the day followed our established routine: training, cooking, more training, more cooking, and yet more training.
I've noticed Master and Martial Aunt seem increasingly close lately. Is a relationship truly developing between them? If so, I called it first! Considering my cooking played a pivotal role in bringing them together, I should rightfully claim some portion of any dowry exchanged.
After reset, my weapon techniques finally reached major success stage. While this progress is undeniably rapid, I can't help feeling it could advance even faster.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Intermediate (150/300) (+50/300)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Intermediate (150/300) → Major Success (0/400)]
Day 33 of Transmigrating to the Cultivation World:
After today's reset, my Phantom Footwork technique broke through to the completion stage, significantly enhancing my mobility. More importantly, my Battle Instinct finally reached its maximum potential, transforming to [Battle Instinct: Mortal (100,000/100,000)].
The addition of "Mortal" suggests this attribute can be further developed, though my current cultivation level likely prevents access to higher tiers. While it's somewhat disappointing that I can't begin advancing to the next level immediately, the current battle intent already provides ample advantage against any threats I might reasonably encounter at this stage. As long as an invincible being that has existed for billions of years doesn't come looking for me that is.
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Major Success (50/400) (+50/400)]
[Basic Weapon Techniques: Major Success (50/400) → Major Success (100/400)]