I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 64 - 63: "Running Technique" Breaks the Limit

Chapter 64: Chapter 63: "Running Technique" Breaks the Limit

The sun sank in the west, and a bone-chilling wind blew.

Dusk, as black as ink, spilled across the sky, leaving only a vast, desolate expanse.

On the Seven Stars Gang’s Martial Arts Arena, the piled-up snow had yet to melt, casting a faint blue glow. At its edge stood a few old trees, their withered, bone-like branches stabbing at the sky.

The world was bleak and desolate. The only sound was the wind whining through the trees, like a mournful cry.

It was in this deepening twilight that Chu Fan’s figure could be seen moving with frantic speed.

His feet pounded through the mud, the crunch of crushed ice a constant sound in his ears.

The air was freezing, but he was soaked in sweat.

The intermingling of hot and cold created an indescribable sensation.

[Art: Running Technique (Perfection) Progress (1491/1500)]

Only nine more experience points to go...

The Running Technique was on the verge of Breaking the Limit!

This tangible progress became a surging force, wringing out the last dregs of potential from his body.

Though utterly exhausted, Chu Fan’s speed only grew faster.

Today marked his forty-first day in the Seven Stars Gang.

Since the first time Breaking the Limit for the Running Technique was relatively easy, he had spent all his free time on it for the past few days.

Now, the technique was at the very pinnacle of Perfection!

At the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, Li Qingxue walked by, the Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber strapped to her back.

Seeing Chu Fan sprinting through the snow, she paused. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

’How can this be!’

She could see that Chu Fan was running much faster than he had been just a few days ago.

Even a Blood Refining Realm Martial Artist would have no hope of catching him!

’Is it that Cultivation Technique his second uncle taught him?’

’No, that’s impossible...’

Li Qingxue gently shook her head.

’If such a Technique existed, she and the disciples of the Cao Family would have been the first to learn it.’

’What kind of Cultivation Technique is he practicing to increase his speed so much in just a few days?’

Li Qingxue watched for a moment longer, but she couldn’t figure out his secret. Her fine brows furrowed slightly, and she turned to leave.

Just then, Chu Fan suddenly slowed his pace, his sprint turning into a slow walk.

[Running Technique has reached the limit of Perfection. Breaking the Limit requires 10 Spiritual Essence Points. Consume?]

’Consume 10 Spiritual Essence Points and Break the Limit!’

The thought flashed through Chu Fan’s mind.

The Spiritual Essence Points on his panel instantly dropped by ten.

In that instant, it felt as if an electric current shot through his entire body.

[Art: Running Technique (Broken Limit 1x: 1/3000) (Trait: Wind under the Feet)]

[Wind under the Feet: Your running technique has reached the pinnacle of mastery, opening the meridians in your legs and allowing Qi Blood Power to flow without obstruction. With a single thought, you can infuse your feet with Qi Blood Power, dramatically increasing your stride length and cadence. You move as if riding the wind, and your speed is thirty percent faster than before!]

"Looking" at the notification that appeared in his mind, Chu Fan was panting heavily but felt an incredible thrill.

He had already guessed what the Trait for the Running Technique would be after Breaking the Limit.

But seeing the "Wind under the Feet" Trait for real, he was still overcome with joy.

He crossed the Martial Arts Arena and headed back toward his small courtyard. Suddenly, he shot forward...

For a moment, he truly felt as if he were Light as a Feather, walking on the wind itself!

His heavy body felt much lighter...

With a light tap of his toes, he could shoot a great distance, as if at any moment he might break free from the earth’s grasp and ride away on the wind.

Even without having learned a Light Body Skill, he now dared to match speeds with a Bone Marrow Forging Martial Artist!

Chu Fan walked into the courtyard.

The fragrance of medicinal herbs drifted from the kitchen.

Mrs. Zhang was brewing a medicinal bath for him and Zhao Tianxing.

Chu Fan entered his room and, utterly exhausted, flopped onto his bed.

[Spiritual Essence: 176]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment, Second Stage, Blood Refining 92%]

[Art: Literacy (Perfection) Progress: (915/1000) (Trait: None)]

[Art: Twelve Forms Fist (Perfection) Progress: (1055/1500) (Trait: None)]

[Art: Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber (Great Success) Progress: (343/1500) (Trait: None)]

...

’The breakthrough to the Blood Refining Realm is imminent.’

’And my Literacy skill is about to Break its Limit, too.’

Chu Fan gazed at the "Literacy" art on his panel and fell into deep thought.

Progress for the Literacy art had been extremely slow.

It wasn’t that Experience Points for Literacy were hard to gain.

It was just that as his Qi Blood Power grew stronger, he spent more hours practicing the Twelve Forms Fist and the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber, which meant less time for rest.

Then, he had dedicated most of his remaining rest time to the Running Technique.

As a result, his progress in Literacy had slowed to a crawl.

’Now that the Running Technique has broken its limit once, I should spend more time on Literacy and get it to break its limit too.’

’Judging by the changes from the last time Literacy broke through, its trait after Breaking the Limit will most likely be related to Comprehension.’

’If this Comprehension can also apply to my Martial Dao cultivation...’

Chu Fan suddenly sat up, pulled a small booklet from his robes, and began to read with great relish.

[Literacy Experience Points +1]

[Literacy Experience Points +1]

He was completely engrossed...

When a familiar voice suddenly called from outside his room, "Chu Fan, are you in there?"

Chu Fan shoved open the window and said with annoyance, "What’s all the shouting for?"

He saw the short, stout youth who chopped firewood in their courtyard, panting as he ran up to the window. "They’re... they’re fighting!"

"So they’re fighting. What’s that got to do with me?" Chu Fan said coolly. "I pay no mind to the affairs of the world, focused only on reading the Scriptures of the Saints and Sages..."

The stout youth’s gaze flicked down, and he caught sight of the cover of the booklet in Chu Fan’s hands.

On it was an illustration that would make one’s blood race, and next to it were six large words...

"The Feisty Lovers’ 300-Round Battle"!

"...So *this* is the ’Scriptures of the Saints and Sages’ you read every day?" The stout youth’s mouth twitched.

"..." Chu Fan looked up at the stout youth, then back down at the booklet in his hands.

Without batting an eye, he closed the booklet and asked, "Who’s fighting?"

"Zhao Tianxing and Ling Feng are fighting!" The stout youth, suddenly remembering his purpose, raised his voice. "You’ve got to go see!"

"What?" Chu Fan was taken aback.

He had known that Zhao Tianxing and Ling Feng would have to fight eventually.

But he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

Ling Feng had been the center of attention, hailed as a genius for breaking through to the Blood Nourishing stage in only a month and a half.

But then Zhao Tianxing had shown up, and after just over ten days, he’d smugly let it be known that he was about to condense his Qi Blood Power.

Once that news got out, the former genius, Ling Feng, was instantly overshadowed.

’For the fifteen-year-old Ling Feng to have held back this long was rather impressive in itself.’

’The problem is, Tianxing never told anyone he broke through to the Blood Nourishing stage, did he?’

"Let them fight, then." Chu Fan yawned. "They can do their thing, and I’ll do mine."

"You... you’re still going to read?" The stout youth nearly rolled his eyes.

Chu Fan truly wasn’t concerned.

With Tianxing’s skills, even if he wasn’t quite a match for Ling Feng, the gap couldn’t be that large.

Even if he lost, it would only be by a hair’s breadth.

Instead of wasting time watching the spectacle, he could flip a few pages of his booklet and earn another thirty to fifty Experience Points.

Soon, Mrs. Zhang would finish preparing his herbs, and he could take a medicinal bath.

Seeing Chu Fan open his "Feisty Lovers" booklet again, the stout youth said in exasperation, "This whole thing started because of you. Are you really not going to go check it out?"

"Whether they’re sparring or brawling, what’s it got to do with me?" Chu Fan snapped the booklet shut, his expression darkening. "Fatty, you’ve always got to talk in riddles. You must have gotten beaten up a lot as a kid, right?"

The stout youth pouted. "You really do pay no mind to the affairs of the world, focused only on your ’Scriptures of the Saints and Sages’..."

"Don’t you know that everyone in the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch is talking about you?"