Free Web NovelChapter 259: Chapter 217: Terrifying Efficiency and the Human Flying Sword
Even while just flying level, Sword Essence was still continuously scouring his Dao Vein.
This feeling of getting stronger just by idling, without any conscious effort, was truly captivating.
He flew like this for a tedious hour.
[Innate Sword Body Tempering Progress: +1.]
[Current Progress: 35/10000.]
A line of small text appearing in his vision stunned Han Feng for a moment.
Other than the Foundation Establishment Empowerment, this was the first time he’d ever received a notification about his Innate Sword Body progress increasing.
This notification made him realize he could improve his Innate Sword Body by practicing the Sword Control Technique while piloting the fighter jet.
However, the rate of improvement was painfully slow.
’Only one point per hour?’
And upgrading the Innate Sword Body to the Middle Level required ten thousand experience points.
In other words, he would have to fly the Hunting Falcon in the sky for ten thousand hours.
Even flying ten hours a day, that would still take three years.
The cost of aviation fuel alone would be astronomical, to say nothing of the massive amount of Spiritual Materials needed to aid the tempering process.
"The arts for the poor, martial arts for the rich. The ancients were right."
Han Feng muttered to himself.
However, that notification gave him a new idea.
The system’s description of the [Innate Sword Body] was: "Treat the body as a sword, and nourish it with energy."
The ultimate goal was to reach a state where the man is the sword, and the sword is the man.
’In other words, according to the system’s logic, my body is a Flying Sword in the process of being forged.’
And when his Sword Control Technique had advanced to the Mastery level, there was a special technique among the Skills bestowed by the system’s Empowerment: the [Sword Storage Technique].
The skill’s description was very clear: "For Nurturing and strengthening a Flying Sword, enhancing its Spiritual nature and quality."
He had only tested it on the fighter jet and the Wingsuit before, never on his own body.
’If my body is a sword, can I use the Sword Storage Technique on myself?’
’Could I even treat this newly opened Dao Vein as a Sword Embryo and Nurture it? I wonder what the effect would be?’
Han Feng was a man of action.
The moment the thought occurred to him, he couldn’t resist trying it out.
He was flying level anyway, so it wasn’t dangerous to divert some of his focus to an experiment.
He activated his Divine Sense and, following the method of the [Sword Storage Technique], rearranged the silver-white Sword Essence within his body.
The Sword Essence, originally unrivaled in its Sharpness, actually grew gentle after being transformed by the [Sword Storage Technique].
It felt like solid ice melting into the waters of spring.
This was the unique Trait of the Sword Storage Technique: Infusion.
Nourishing things silently, without a sound.
Under the precise guidance of his Divine Sense, the liquefied Sword Essence permeated every tiny fissure in the walls of the Dao Vein, repairing the hidden damage left from its initial creation.
It felt so good.
Han Feng couldn’t help but let out a soft groan.
The sensation was like sinking into a hot spring in the dead of winter, sending a shiver through his very soul.
It was a complete, all-encompassing nourishment.
Through Introspection, he saw the Dao Vein, once reddish and inflamed, rapidly becoming translucent and crystalline. Under this nourishment, its walls grew thicker and gained more tenacity.
’The effect is incredible!’
Han Feng was thrilled to discover that this specific form of "internal maintenance" was even better at strengthening the new Dao Vein than simple Sword Flight.
If Sword Flight was "working out a muscle," then the Sword Storage Technique was "taking a nutritional supplement."
The combination of the two was simply unbeatable.
However, after just half an hour, a fine layer of cold sweat beaded on Han Feng’s forehead.
He was exhausted.
So damn tired.
The operation placed a staggering drain on his Divine Sense.
Taming the rampaging Sword Essence into docile lambs and precisely controlling it to permeate down to the cellular level required his Spiritual Power to be highly focused the entire time.
It was like performing microsurgery.
The slightest mistake could cause the Sword Essence to spiral out of control, turning its gentle caress into a vicious cut.
Moreover, the rate of resource consumption was also doubling.
That bottle of "Spirit Liquid Jade Dew" he had just taken, worth five thousand Contribution Points.
It was supposed to last for two hours, but after only twenty minutes, its Medicinal Power was almost depleted.
Han Feng had no choice but to pull another bottle of Spiritual Liquid from his Void Stone and gulp it down.
GULP.
’Another five thousand Contribution Points, gone just like that.’
Han Feng felt like he wasn’t drinking a Potion, but liquid Gold.
「An hour later.」
Han Feng had no choice but to stop circulating the Sword Storage Technique. For one, as the Dao Vein’s tenacity increased, the effect of simple Nurturing was weakening.
For another, after an hour of such high-intensity exertion, his Divine Sense was reaching its limit.
Han Feng used Introspection to examine his body.
The once transparent and fragile Dao Vein was now suffused with a faint, fluorescent glow, and its thickness had increased by at least a third.
Its strength had increased by 32%.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
’Unfortunately, the Level of my Sword Storage Technique is too low.’
Han Feng looked with some regret at the text on his panel: [Sword Storage Technique (Entry Level): 18/1000].
The Entry Level Sword Storage Technique had limited Nurturing effects. To see another significant boost, he would probably have to grind it to the Proficient or even Mastery level.
In the past hour, his [Sword Storage Technique] Skill Proficiency had only increased by seven or eight points.
To get this skill to the Proficient level, even if he ground it out nonstop every day, would take about a week.
Still, this was enough for now.
After this round of "exquisite refurbishment," the Dao Vein was already sufficiently tenacious.
Han Feng tentatively pushed the control stick, circulating his Sword Control Technique to execute a slight, sharp turn.
The G-force spiked to 4G.
However, the Nurtured Dao Vein only swelled slightly, and he felt none of the usual piercing pain.
’Time to ramp up the intensity.’
Han Feng grinned.
Being able to withstand high G-forces meant he could undergo a deeper level of "forging" while using Sword Flight.
With the Sword Storage Technique providing a foundation, combined with high-intensity Sword Flight...
...the originally estimated twelve-day stabilization period could be shortened by at least a third.
Eight days.
In just eight days, he could completely master this Dao Vein and reach the Peak of the First Layer of the Meridian Passage Realm.
If word got out, that kind of speed would be enough to scare any so-called genius to death.
Feeling his weary mind and noting his depleted stock of Potions and Elixir Pills...
...Han Feng decisively ended his training session.
The fighter jet landed smoothly on the runway and taxied into the hangar.
When Han Feng jumped down from the plane, he felt a little unsteady on his feet.
It was an aftereffect of overdrawing his Spiritual Power.
Old Zhang was still awake and hurried over when he saw Han Feng get down.
"Han Feng, back so soon? Not going to fly a while longer?"
"No more flying."
Han Feng waved his hand and started walking out.
Those two hours of flying, between fuel and Potions, had burned through nearly one hundred thousand Contribution Points.
And all he had to show for it was getting one Dao Vein’s strengthening progress to around 50%.
’Cultivating in the Meridian Passage Realm is more than ten times as expensive as the Body Tempering Realm...’
As Han Feng walked out of the hangar, the cool night air blew against him, clearing his head considerably.
After liquidating the remaining resources in his Void Stone, he would, at best, have just enough to form and stabilize two Dao Veins, allowing him to enter the Second Layer of the Meridian Passage realm.
’I hope Dean Chen and the Garrison Army come through for me.’
Han Feng glanced up in the direction of the Inner City’s core, which was brightly lit.
’That Jade Scroll contained a lot of extra Array knowledge I threw in—real, high-value stuff.’
’If the reward they give me is too stingy, the next time I get my hands on something good, I’m really taking it to the Black Market.’
Han Feng tightened his collar and slipped into the hover car waiting nearby.
Now, his only hope lay with the impending "official reward."
