By the time Zhong Ming left the Longxi Peak cafeteria, the sun had already set, and the sky was growing dim.
But this did nothing to dampen Zhong Ming's determination to train.
After bringing Dong Sea to the stream, Zhong Ming first took out the Snow Jade Ointment and applied some to Dong Sea's arm.
Dong Sea said, "This is too precious, I don't need it..."
Zhong Ming replied, "Take it. It's just a material possession. Besides, the faster you can throw the stones, the more effective my training will be."
After Dong Sea's injuries were fully healed, Zhong Ming also applied some of the Snow Jade Ointment to himself.
"HISS..."
The ointment was truly miraculous. As soon as he finished applying it, a cooling sensation spread over the bruised spots on his body where the stones had hit him.
Then, in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhong Ming's injuries completely healed.
'Good stuff... I really owe Yi Yunya a favor for this.'
After this brief reflection, Zhong Ming immediately pulled Dong Sea into their special night training.
He stared forward, his eyes locked on the stones, then bent his knees and drew his sword.
"CLANG!"
One slash, two slashes, three slashes...
Beside the stream on Longxi Peak, under the moon's brilliant light, Zhong Ming drew his sword again and again.
The sharp Sword Light flickered under the moon. This elongated gleam was like a winding, flowing stream—and even more like a dormant Flood Dragon.
And as he drew his sword time after time, a unique aura slowly began to emanate from Zhong Ming's body.
A sharp, dangerous, and lethal aura.
This aura was strongest when Zhong Ming was half-crouched, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.
The one who felt it most deeply was, naturally, Dong Sea.
Even from a distance, whenever Zhong Ming assumed his sword-drawing stance, an extreme sense of danger enveloped Dong Sea from head to toe, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
At that moment, he felt as if he were being targeted by a natural predator.
This chilling sensation intensified the closer he got to Zhong Ming.
Once, while gathering stones, Dong Sea passed by Zhong Ming. The extreme chill and killing intent instantly froze his body, rendering him unable to move a muscle.
'I'll die... If Zhong Ming draws his sword, I'm a dead man for sure!'
When he was three steps away from Zhong Ming, this thought appeared with absolute clarity in his mind, making him understand just how terrifying Zhong Ming had become.
In his previous life, there was a saying: "Beyond seven paces, a gun is faster; within seven paces, the fist is faster."
But now, Zhong Ming could say that within three feet, his own sword was the fastest.
Sensing the lethal danger of his own Swordsmanship and the strength of his power, a heroic pride couldn't help but rise in Zhong Ming's heart.
The fury of a common man could spill blood for five paces.
It was the heroic pride of being unmatched within three feet.
Of course, the current Zhong Ming was nowhere near that level. His Swordsmanship hadn't reached its peak, and the experts of this world were protected by Magical Power.
A full-power strike from Zhong Ming might not even be able to break through the Magical Power shield of someone in the early stages of Qi Cultivation.
However, human emotions and imagination are the most irrational things.
A young child who finds a long stick on the road will involuntarily swing it around a few times, imagining himself as an invincible Swordsman.
Zhong Ming also had this capacity for imagination.
Right now, he imagined his Swordsmanship reaching its zenith, imagined himself capable of cutting down anyone within three steps.
'Whether they be merchants or soldiers, emperors or generals, or even Demonic Fiends, rivers or mountains—I can cleave them all with a single strike of my sword!'
Zhong Ming naturally felt this wild and unrestrained emotion, but he didn't stop it.
Drawing every sword with a devout attitude and pouring all his Heart Power into it—while Zhong Ming found such training sweet, he couldn't deny that it was also an immense drain on his Heart Spirit.
He saw no harm in indulging himself a little at this moment.
'The human spirit is like a bowstring; it can't be kept taut all the time. An occasional moment of relaxation during training is necessary.'
Holding this belief, not only did Zhong Ming not stop his rampant fantasies, but he threw himself into them completely.
In his mind, the stones arcing through the air from Dong Sea became a meteor shower summoned by a supreme expert.
"A sky full of falling stars? I can cut them all down!"
"Longxi - Sword Pulling, now!"
Completely immersed in his fantasy, Zhong Ming's heart swelled with boundless heroism. He was filled with the magnificent conviction that he could slice a falling meteor in half with a single strike.
And then, something unexpected happened.
"HUMMM!"
His total immersion in his fantasy, his spirit, and that heroic emotion had actually triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme in his Sea of Consciousness.
As Zhong Ming drew his sword, that Rhyme fused with his body and mind, surging into his blade.
"ROAR!"
The infusion of the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme made the Sword Light from this draw completely different.
At this moment, it was as if he hadn't drawn a sword, but a soaring Flood Dragon.
This special Rhyme and state of being even allowed Zhong Ming, despite having no Magical Power in his body, to unleash a sharp Qi Force.
"BOOM!"
The Qi Force, like Sword Qi, shot directly off Zhong Ming's longsword and sped past Dong Sea.
"??!"
This scene stunned the unprepared Dong Sea, leaving him petrified.
Panic, fear, the lethal killing intent, and the imposing might of a Flood Dragon—all these things combined, rendering him completely unable to move.
Zhong Ming was also astonished, but he didn't panic.
As he fully drew the sword, Zhong Ming had already sensed something was wrong. Thus, at the last moment, he flicked his wrist slightly, turning the edge of his blade.
This ensured the trajectory of his Sword Qi attack was not aimed at Dong Sea, but instead sliced past his side.
"SHIIING..."
The condensed and sharp Sword Qi flew a full ten meters.
"THUMP..."
As the Sword Qi completely vanished from his side, Dong Sea's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, his face was filled with the relief of having survived a close call.
"Zhong Ming, you..."
"Sorry... HUFF... HUFF... I didn't expect that either."
Seeing that Zhong Ming had also collapsed to the ground, looking completely drained of his Heart Spirit and utterly astonished, Dong Sea immediately understood. His friend hadn't done it on purpose; he was just as surprised by the attack.
This dispelled any thought of blaming Zhong Ming. Instead, his heart was now filled with nothing but joyful surprise.
"Zhong Ming, you're this strong?"
He was excited, but Zhong Ming was not.
"It's too early to celebrate. I'm not sure I can perform that strike again."
This wasn't the first time he had triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme. Zhong Ming hadn't forgotten that the first time he triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme was with the Longxi Breathing Method, and he still hadn't managed to do it a second time.
'But it's not like there's no chance. Unlike before, I have some direction this time for triggering the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme... The heroic pride of being unmatched within three feet, and the feeling that I can cut down all things—those two are the core of triggering the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme.'
'If I can enter that state again, there's a certain chance I can trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme once more.'
"Huff, huff, huff..."
As he caught his breath and recovered his stamina, Zhong Ming replayed the insights from that moment.
He was eager to test it again, to see if that wild, unrestrained heroic pride could trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme once more.
Especially after opening his attribute panel and seeing the changes, Zhong Ming grew even more anxious and excited for his next experiment.
[You have performed a perfect Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique practice. Skill Level +103]
'Over one hundred points from a single strike. So strong.'
'And it wasn't just my Sword-Drawing Technique that improved this time.'
[You have triggered the Dao Rhyme Dragon Flood (Fragmented) and gained new insights. The Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme has been supplemented and is now at 3.9%.]
'That strike actually supplemented the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme...'
'But that's right, I did have some insights. That wild, heroic emotion is a perfect fit for the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme.'
At this moment, Zhong Ming was truly tempted.
The power of that strike, infused with the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, was astonishing.
What Zhong Ming valued even more was the possibility that if the Dragon Flood Dragon Rhyme was supplemented to a high enough degree, he might be able to use the related Longxi Breathing Method to trigger it as well.
Triggering the latter would not only multiply his training efficiency several times over, but the progress of his Longxi Breathing Technique would also experience an explosive leap forward.
'As long as I can stabilize that wild, unrestrained thought... no, as long as I can trigger the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme once every ten times, my A-level Rating is secure!'
Thinking this, Zhong Ming naturally became extremely eager for his subsequent sword-drawing practice.
But Zhong Ming, his heart full of anticipation and anxious to recover his energy, didn't notice that when he had unleashed that strike with Sword Momentum Like a Dragon, someone had felt it and had been standing there, watching him for a long, long time.