I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 71 - 70: Archery, Lunar Eclipse: Shatter

An incense stick’s time later, he opened his eyes again.

[Skill: Nine Blood Soul Blades (Uninitiated), Progress: (0/10), Trait: None]

Chu Fan glanced at the panel, lost in thought.

That scoundrel Huang Yu had cultivated for many years, yet he had only managed to train the Nine Blood Soul Blades to Small Success.

This wasn’t because Huang Yu’s talent was too poor.

It was simply because the Nine Blood Soul Blades, like the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber, had its own limitations.

This limitation was Evil Qi.

Practitioners of this Sword Technique had to draw Evil Qi into their bodies, fusing it with their Qi Blood.

The Blood Nourishing and Blood Refining Realms, however, were ultimately the lowest levels of cultivation. The amount of Evil Qi one’s muscles, bones, and blood could bear was extremely limited.

Therefore, despite having polished the Sword Techniques of the Nine Blood Soul Blades thousands of times, Huang Yu, who was in the Blood Refining Realm, didn’t dare take another step. He didn’t dare absorb more Evil Qi to improve his Sword Technique.

But as Chu Fan sifted through Huang Yu’s memories, his interest in the Nine Blood Soul Blades grew.

According to Master Cao, for any Cultivation Technique or Martial Arts, one had to break through the five gates of Foundation Establishment and undergo Mortal Transformation before they could absorb the Spiritual Mechanism of the world.

Before Mortal Transformation, the strongest power a Martial Artist could wield was their own Qi Blood Power.

But the Blood Saber Sect’s Nine Blood Soul Blades could actually draw Evil Qi into the body.

That Evil Qi was, in itself, a type of power from the world!

Chu Fan stood, drew his Long Saber, and began practicing the Nine Blood Soul Blades according to Huang Yu’s memories.

The air in the room gradually underwent a subtle change, seeming to grow thick and viscous.

[Nine Blood Soul Blades Experience Points +1]

[Nine Blood Soul Blades Experience Points +1]

...

「The next morning.」

Hah!

Chu Fan sheathed his saber and stood tall, the Long Saber held horizontally before his chest.

The body of the blade was completely crimson, as if it had been soaked in fresh blood.

[Skill: Nine Blood Soul Blades (Entry-Level), Progress: (19/100), Trait: None]

From last night to this morning, he had already reached Entry-Level with his Nine Blood Soul Blades, and his progress was already a fifth of the way through that stage.

He hadn’t intended to spend much time on this Sword Technique.

But the cultivation speed for this Sword Technique far exceeded his expectations, much faster than when he had practiced the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber!

The Sword Technique, refined from twenty points of Spiritual Essence, came with all of Huang Yu’s insights and experience.

Although Huang Yu’s talent was only slightly better than Zhou Ye’s, his years of insights from Sword Cultivation were a massive help for Chu Fan’s practice of the Nine Blood Soul Blades.

Furthermore, Chu Fan had already trained the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber to Great Success. His understanding of the Sword Dao was now worlds apart from when he first started.

This progress delighted him.

Chu Fan slung the Long Saber over his shoulder, said hello to Zhao Hu, and went out to buy paper and a brush, which he brought back to the Seven Stars Gang.

Placing all the paper and the brush on the table, he first took a Blood Refining Pill, then practiced the Twelve Forms Fist six times before returning to his room.

Sitting down at the table, Chu Fan took out the Mountain-Splitting Fist manual he had looted from the Huang Family’s Hospital Guard Instructor and began to copy it.

[Literacy Experience Points +1]

[Skill: Literacy (Perfection), Progress: (919/1000), Trait: None]

’If I spend a few more hours on this today, I should be able to break the limit for Literacy.’

But copying the Mountain-Splitting Fist wasn’t just to increase his Literacy experience.

Chu Fan wanted to use the Mountain-Splitting Fist as a way to get rich.

’If I copy a few more books and sell them on the black market, I should be able to earn some extra silver.’

As it neared lunchtime, he remembered that he had forgotten to chop firewood.

[You have gained a total of 45 Literacy Experience Points from reading books this session.]

Chu Fan put down his brush, ready to go complete his firewood-chopping task.

Just then, Zhao Tianxing strode into the courtyard, calling out loudly, "Old Chu, look what I brought!"

Chu Fan looked up to see Zhao Tianxing carrying a large iron bow half a man’s height on his back, looking utterly thrilled.

Zhao Tianxing quickly walked into Chu Fan’s room, picked up the iron bow, and waved it in front of him.

The body of the great iron bow was dark and heavy, gleaming with a cold, hard luster under the dim light.

The limbs of the bow were curved like a raptor’s spreading wings, and both ends were engraved with arcane Runes that flickered with a faint glow.

The bowstring seemed to be woven from three strands of Exotic Beast Tendons. Upon closer inspection, one could see Dark Gold patterns flowing within it. A light touch of a finger produced a low, heart-pounding hum.

"Where did you get this?" Chu Fan asked, his finger touching the bowstring.

Zhao Tianxing grinned. "My archery master gave it to me! It’s a hundred times stronger than my old hunting bow!"

"Come on, let’s go to the woods! I’ll show you my Moon Eclipse Arrow!" Zhao Tianxing waved his hand.

Chu Fan was about to refuse, but on second thought, Tianxing had been learning the Moon Eclipse Arrow for over twenty days. With his foundation, he might have actually made some real progress.

His expression shifted slightly as he asked, "What Realm have you reached with your Moon Eclipse Arrow?"

"I just reached Great Success today!" Zhao Tianxing said smugly. "Otherwise, why would my master give me this Bengyue Bow?"

"That fast!" Chu Fan was stunned.

Then he understood.

Zhao Tianxing had hunted with his father since he was a child. His archery was already extraordinary, and he had killed countless tigers and leopards.

With such a foundation, practicing the Moon Eclipse Arrow would naturally be twice as effective with half the effort.

"Come on, let’s go to the woods! I’ll show you my Moon Eclipse Arrow!"

Zhao Tianxing snatched the Bengyue Bow from Chu Fan’s hands and pulled him outside.

The two of them left the Seven Stars Gang and soon arrived at the forest southeast of the Sub-Branch.

In the forest, Li Qingxue was practicing with her saber.

"Seven-Star Bead Slash!"

Chu Fan’s gaze was immediately drawn to Li Qingxue.

Seeing them arrive, Li Qingxue immediately sheathed her saber.

"Senior Sister!"

Zhao Tianxing waved and said, "I’m just showing Old Chu my archery skills!"

He raised his left hand, pointed ahead, and said, "Old Chu, look at that big tree up ahead!"

Chu Fan followed his finger.

There were many large trees ahead; he had no idea which one Tianxing was pointing at.

Zhao Tianxing took a Feathered Arrow from the Quiver on his back and stared silently ahead.

Chu Fan and Li Qingxue watched him quietly.

Time ticked by...

After about thirty seconds.

Chu Fan couldn’t take it anymore and kicked him in the butt. "Are you going to shoot or not?!"

Li Qingxue shook her head, about to leave.

"I’m getting in the zone!" Zhao Tianxing said, taking a deep breath.

Chu Fan sat down on a fallen log nearby.

The air around them seemed to stagnate.

Zhao Tianxing took a half-step back with his right foot, sinking his waist and planting his stance. His left hand held the man-high Bengyue Bow as steadily as if lifting a mountain.

The Taotie Beast Head deep within the bow’s body seemed to sense something, letting out a faint hum.

The next moment, the Qi Blood in his body surged like a great river into his right arm. The muscles in his arm instantly bulged, and veins popped out like coiling dragons!

BZZZZ—CREEEAK...

The bowstring was slowly drawn back. The string, woven from Exotic Beast Tendons, let out a cringe-inducing groan like twisting metal!

The heavy limbs of the bow began to bend, and the blood-red eyes of the Taotie Beast Head on the grip suddenly lit up!

"Eclipse - Shattering!"

Zhao Tianxing let out a low roar and released his fingers from the power-laden bowstring.

BOOM—!

A deafening explosion rang out, as if a ferocious flood dragon had broken its chains and roared forth!

The specially-made iron arrow left the string, tracing a bizarre arc. Its shaft, wreathed in Qi Blood Power as thick as ink, left a crimson crescent trail in the air!

Fast!

Faster than a flash of lightning!

Like a living crescent shadow, it bypassed the obstructing branches ahead and, from an unbelievable angle, precisely devoured the hundred-year-old iron fir tree forty zhang away—a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle it!

There was no earth-shattering boom, only a dull THUMP.

The dark red, crescent-shaped glint of the arrow flashed and was gone, instantly piercing through the iron-hard tree trunk!

’Damn!’

’So fast?!’

’And it can fucking turn?!’

Chu Fan’s eyes went wide as he shot to his feet, ramrod straight!