Chapter 17: Circle

Upon returning home, Li Zhen began studying the secret technique sent by Han Wenqin.

The technique was called the Qi Concealment Art, a relatively simple method that involved controlling the spiritual energy within one’s dantian to minimize its outward manifestation.

The Qi Concealment Art had limited effectiveness; while useful in everyday situations, any significant use of spiritual energy would render it ineffective.

Of course, regardless of how poor the Qi Concealment Art might be, it remained the only cultivation technique for concealing one’s cultivation level currently available to him.

Given his current realm, attempting a more advanced technique at this stage would prove futile.

After practicing over ten times at home until his internal spiritual energy was depleted, he finally mastered the Qi Concealment Art.

However, the Qi Concealment Art could not deceive the identity bracelet, so there were no changes to the personal information displayed on it.

This concealment technique primarily aimed to thwart divination spells like Heaven’s Eye Technique, preventing other cultivators from easily discerning one’s true capabilities.

On Saturday morning, Li Zhen left home early and followed the address provided by Han Wenqin to find the location of the gathering.

He looked up at the Going Beyond Swordplay Club before him, having never been to such an establishment before.

Located on Yunxi County’s most bustling street, the lavish storefront alone indicated its extraordinary status.

“Mr. Li Zhen, Miss Han is waiting for you! Please follow me!” As soon as Li Zhen entered the Going Beyond Swordplay gates, a female attendant greeted him.

Following her lead, Li Zhen rode an elevator up to the third floor.

The “small circle” Han Wenqin had mentioned was indeed compact; including herself, there were only four people, making five with Li Zhen’s addition.

“This is Rong Honghui from second year middle school, and these are Lou Zichen and Teng Si from first-year high school!” Han Wenqin introduced them all with a smile before turning to introduce Li Zhen to everyone. “This is my classmate, Li Zhen.”

There was no need for further introduction; anyone invited here had been handpicked by Han Wenqin, possessing innate talents surpassing those of ordinary students.

“Greetings, seniors! I look forward to your guidance!” Li Zhen waved warmly at his new peers.

“We’ll train together from now on,” Lou Zichen said with a nod. “If you have any questions or don’t understand something, feel free to ask!”

Rong Honghui also smiled and nodded in welcome.

Teng Si, however, seemed less impressed. “Let’s get down to training quickly,” he said impatiently. “No more wasting time!”

His disdain stemmed from Li Zhen’s diminutive stature—short and slender compared to others.

In truth, Li Zhen had been growing rapidly over the past month, from 150 centimeters to nearly 160.

At this height, for a twelve-year-old in his previous life, he would have been considered quite tall. However, as a cultivator, with spiritual energy nourishing their bodies, they typically don’t remain short by the time their spiritual roots mature at twelve.

Moreover, after initiating Qi Channeling, cultivators experience rapid physical growth, making it rare to find someone as diminutive as Li Zhen.

In the Xian Kingdom, there was an unconfirmed belief that a cultivator’s physique directly corresponded to the quality of their spiritual roots—the higher the spiritual root, the more robust the body.

While not entirely accurate, many people, including Teng Si, subscribed to this notion.

“Li Zhen, connect your identity bracelet first and practice basic sword techniques!” Han Wenqin instructed with a wave of her hand.

She didn’t want conflict within her social circle but chose not to elaborate further at that moment. Instead, she planned to gradually address any issues through continued interaction.

As Li Zhen activated his identity bracelet, he discovered a built-in intelligent system designed to assist with practicing fundamental swordsmanship.

This revelation underscored the stark disparities between individuals. Typically, only during combat classes could ordinary students access such smart systems for sword practice. In contrast, those from affluent backgrounds had constant access to these aids, leading to ever-widening gaps in skill proficiency.

The importance of the smart training system was self-evident. When Li Zhen practiced basic sword techniques at home, he could only rely on his memory, unable to immediately identify mistakes in his practice.

But with the smart training system, it was different. He could continuously adjust during practice to improve his mastery of the basic sword techniques, making them increasingly perfect.

Li Zhen seized the opportunity, taking out a practice sword to work on his basics.

He quickly discovered that this smart training system included complete guidance for the fundamental sword techniques, unlike at school where they only learned what Mr. Zuo taught.

However, he didn’t try to learn more; instead, he focused solely on practicing what he had already studied, aiming for 100% proficiency.

Meanwhile, Han Wenqin paired up with Rong Honghui from second year, while Lou Zichen and Teng Si, both seniors, engaged in sparring matches. Notably, Han Wenqin exchanged blows evenly with Rong Honghui, showing her growing prowess.

Li Zhen glanced briefly before refocusing on his own cultivation.

He understood his limitations well. Given his background, without the dragon heart within him, he would be just an ordinary cultivator, far inferior to someone like Han Wenqin who came from such esteemed lineage.

His advantage lay in his potential, which is why Han Wenqin had invited him into this exclusive circle in the first place.

“Li Zhen, take a break!” Han Wenqin said after observing him for some time.

She was well aware of the energy required to practice basic sword techniques guided by the intelligent auxiliary system. Li Zhen had been training for over twice as long as most beginners, which concerned her; she worried he might exhaust himself and harm his body from overexertion.

However, Li Zhen didn’t feel particularly fatigued. Although his current cultivation level prevented him from fully utilizing the benefits of his dragon heart, every aspect of his physical condition far surpassed that of his peers.

“Thank you!” Li Zhen accepted the water gratefully from Han Wenqin.

As he prepared to drink, he noticed the words on the bottle—it contained a beginner-grade nutrient supplement. A single bottle cost two hundred credit points, more than enough to leave him short even for two bottles worth of such supplements.

He hesitated briefly but ultimately decided not to decline. Since he had already committed to the Going Beyond Swordplay training regimen, accepting additional beginner-grade nutrient supplements seemed inconsequential.

Taking a large gulp directly from the bottle, he felt the nutrients replenishing his expended energy as they circulated through his body.

“Li Zhen, I see you’ve grasped the fundamentals of our sword techniques,” Han Wenqin remarked with a smile. “Your talent in swordsmanship mustn’t be wasted! Keep up the good work!”

“Could you tell me what comes after mastering the basics?” Li Zhen eagerly asked.

“I’ll let Mr. Zuo explain it in class later,” Han Wenqin replied. “But briefly, swordsmanship is divided into these levels: Basics, Mastery, Minor Accomplishment, Proficiency, Major Accomplishment, and Perfection.

“For instance, if your completion rate for basic sword techniques exceeds 90%, you’ve mastered the basics.

“When your completion rate surpasses 98% and you can use them seamlessly in combat, you’ve achieved mastery.

“At the mastery level, being able to adapt and apply techniques flexibly based on different situations signifies minor accomplishment.

“With a deeper understanding, where you can precisely control the effects of your attacks, you reach proficiency.

“Mastery taken to its extreme, where you can break free from fixed usage patterns and express yourself freely, marks major accomplishment.

“As for perfection, I’ve rarely heard of anyone reaching that stage. A sword technique at the peak of perfection can unleash extraordinary power,” Han Wenqin explained meticulously.

Li Zhen felt more focused after hearing Han Wenqin’s explanation.

“Practicing together can accelerate your progress with basic sword techniques. Let’s spar using what we’ve learned so far!” Han Wenqin suggested enthusiastically.

“Many thanks!” Li Zhen knew Han Wenqin was genuinely helping him.

Given Han Wenqin’s superior swordsmanship, sparring with her would provide valuable learning opportunities that he couldn’t achieve practicing alone.

During their match, Li Zhen quickly identified his own shortcomings.

With the intelligent training system’s guidance, he could see the completion score for each of his sword moves. When practicing solo, he maintained a score above 95%. However, during sparring, he felt overwhelmed and uncoordinated.

Fortunately, Han Wenqin was incredibly patient. After several practice sessions, Li Zhen’s performance against her became somewhat respectable.

“How come Miss Han pays so much attention to that kid?” Teng Si whispered to Lou Zichen, voicing his discontent.

Teng Si had been fortunate enough to break through to the third level of Qi Refining during his first year of high school, becoming a mid-stage Qi Refiner. This achievement caught the eye of the Han family, who subsequently sponsored his cultivation.

Despite this, Han Wenqin, the young mistress of the Han family, had never shown such interest in him before. As someone at the fourth level of Qi Refining, he stood a good chance of being admitted to an elite specialist university for cultivators upon graduating from high school. Yet here she was focusing on a freshman whose potential hadn’t even begun to manifest. It didn’t make sense to him.