【Hidden Azure Dragon Completion: 80%!】
【Vital Strike!】
The sword plunged into the creature’s skull, blood gushing out in thick streams as damage numbers rose at the exact same moment.
This Hidden Azure Dragon strike had achieved an 80% completion rate along with a vital strike. Although Yin Huaichen’s critical hit rate on his stats panel was not particularly high, a vital strike was guaranteed to crit. With the 150% critical damage bonus, a massive 64 damage burst forth instantly and the wraith beast’s health bar visibly dropped by a large chunk.
ROAR!
The heavily wounded wraith beast let out a savage howl. At such close range, Yin Huaichen could clearly see the creature’s horizontally split jawbone when it opened its mouth, along with the three rows of spiraling bone spikes growing inside its maw. A foul, rancid stench rushed straight at him, making him frown instinctively.
“How long’s it been since you brushed your teeth?”
Yin Huaichen muttered under his breath.
But there was no time to think further. The wraith beast had already lunged toward him. His reactions were lightning fast, he withdrew his sword in an instant, stepping backward while twisting his waist to evade the creature’s razor sharp claws.
At the same time, he seized the opening and slashed another strike across the monster’s waist.
This slash was no ordinary attack either. It originated from the Thirteen Swords of Tianshui from the Tianshui Sword Sect of his previous life.
Afterward, Yin Huaichen had further refined it himself, combining it with the force application principles of modern ancient martial combat. The result was a sword art filled with endless variations and exquisite intricacy.
Back in his previous life, in terms of martial rank alone, the Thirteen Swords of Tianshui stood one tier above the Hidden Azure Dragon move from the Vast Abyss Sword Manual.
But because this was a game, no matter how extraordinary the strike was, its trajectory elegant, its sword intent chilling, the system still categorized it as a “normal attack” when calculating damage. In the end, it only dealt a little over ten points of damage.
After being bedridden by illness for two whole years, Yin Huaichen had not experienced such exhilarating combat in a very long time. Feeling the internal qi circulating through his body once more, both unfamiliar and nostalgic, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
Wandering Dragon Step!
The wraith beast’s attack speed was extremely fast. After missing its first strike, it immediately launched another assault at Yin Huaichen.
At that moment, Yin Huaichen’s footing had yet to stabilize, so he swiftly activated another stance skill from the Vast Abyss Sword Sect, Wandering Dragon Step.
Only “martial techniques” possessed completion rate judgments. Buff type support skills like Wandering Dragon Step were much simpler.
The moment the skill activated, Yin Huaichen felt as though his body had become feather light. It was as if currents of air surged beneath his feet, merging his entire being with the flowing wind itself.
His movements became incomparably agile. With merely a light tap of his toes against the ground, he glided forward at astonishing speed!
The wraith beast’s sharp claws sliced through empty air. Its vision blurred and the young swordsman before it vanished from sight. The next instant, a gust of wind struck from behind its head.
Yin Huaichen flipped upward into the air. Before his body had even fully descended, the sword in his hand transformed into three plum blossom like flashes, stabbing down in one smooth and seamless sequence.
23, 25, 30!
【Flood Dragon Triple Probe Completion: 75%!】
【Vital Strike!】
Three damage numbers floated up almost simultaneously, carving away another chunk of the wraith beast’s health bar.
Yin Huaichen and the wraith beast became entangled in fierce combat.
But several seconds later, as the speed enhancement from Wandering Dragon Step faded, that sensation of drifting with the wind disappeared as well. The abrupt change in speed caused Yin Huaichen to falter for the briefest moment.
The next second, the wraith beast’s claws tore across his shoulder, ripping open a bloody wound!
The little health he had left instantly dropped by two thirds. At the same time, a negative status effect appeared in his status bar:
【Wraith Corruption】
His HP began continuously draining.
Such absurd damage…
He had already inflicted so much damage upon the wraith beast yet it had only lost a quarter of its health. Meanwhile, he had merely been scratched once and was already on the verge of being sent back to spawn. Their damage output simply wasn’t on the same level at all.
The wraith beast attacked again.
This time, Yin Huaichen no longer dared to confront it head on. He quickly widened the distance between them, every nerve in his body stretched taut like a drawn bowstring. His eyes locked firmly onto the monster’s movements without blinking even once, not daring to lose focus for even a moment.
Shhk!
A cold gleam flashed before his eyes.
Yin Huaichen instantly lowered his body, narrowly avoiding the claw tips. Then he darted forward, his sword leaving another cut across the creature’s body before immediately retreating once more.
Although he no longer possessed the speed boost from Wandering Dragon Step, the incredible freedom of 《Eternal Universe》 gave him enormous room to maneuver. Even without relying on game skills, Yin Huaichen still possessed beautiful footwork and terrifyingly sharp reflexes.
Like a nimble butterfly, he weaved continuously around the wraith beast.
The monster’s attack power was terrifyingly high. Just two hits would be enough to kill him but in the end, it was still merely a normal monster. Its attack patterns were not especially complicated.
After only a few exchanges, Yin Huaichen quickly became familiar with its attack rhythm and behavioral patterns. While continuously dodging, he steadily used the Vast Abyss Sword to chip away at its health.
The damage wasn’t particularly high but little by little, it accumulated.
As time passed second by second, the wraith beast’s health steadily declined.
Aside from the earlier hit he suffered due to failing to adapt to Wandering Dragon Step’s sudden speed change, the monster never managed to touch him again.
Two minutes later, Yin Huaichen sensed that his internal qi had fully recovered.
His gaze sharpened slightly as he exhaled softly. While sidestepping another sweep of the beast’s claws, the tip of his sword trembled lightly,
Hidden Azure Dragon!
This time, Yin Huaichen made no deliberate preparations. He simply unleashed Hidden Azure Dragon naturally at the perfect timing, as though acting on pure instinct.
Yet the sword strike that emerged was incomparably sharp and swift.
It resembled the fatal blade of an assassin hidden within the darkness, beautiful and deadly at the same time.
The moment the sword thrust forward, his internal qi began circulating. Yin Huaichen once again felt that seamless, natural sensation.
It was as though this sword strike was always meant to exist exactly like this.
Even before the sword tip touched the wraith beast’s body, he already knew with absolute certainty,
This strike would take its life.
【Hidden Azure Dragon Completion: 85%!】
【Vital Strike!】
128!
The wraith beast’s movements abruptly froze.
As the strike depleted the last sliver of its HP, its massive body crashed heavily onto the ground, its roar instantly falling silent.
Yin Huaichen still maintained his sword stance, his expression slightly dazed.
85% completion… that high?
He had practiced this move countless times before and yet his completion rate had only improved marginally each time but now, it had suddenly leapt upward by such a huge margin?
While practicing earlier, he had continuously adjusted his posture, force application and muscle control in pursuit of perfection, yet he always felt as though something was missing.
But that strike just now…
He had not thought about anything at all.
He simply felt that the sword should move, so he let it move.
Mm.
Wait…?
Yin Huaichen suddenly froze.
A sharp realization surfaced in his mind.
Because the world after his rebirth lacked the existence of “internal qi,” Yin Huaichen had always instinctively used the methods of modern ancient martial combat when performing skills.
The defining trait of modern ancient martial arts was efficiency, like a precision engineered machine, striving to achieve maximum lethality with the least amount of effort.
Perhaps because everything here felt so familiar, he had unknowingly begun recovering the state he possessed in his previous life.
At the exact moment he struck with his sword earlier, the internal qi within his body had begun circulating almost instinctively.
But the circulation method was not from the Vast Abyss Sword Manual.
Rather…
The Formless Impermanence Heart Method of the Impermanence Palace.
The Formless Impermanence Heart Method was created by the first Palace Master of the Impermanence Palace. It was one of the Seven Supreme Heart Methods of his previous life, renowned as a technique that was “formless and shapeless, capable of containing all rivers.”
To put it simply, the greatest characteristic of the Formless Impermanence Heart Method…
Was that it had no characteristic at all.
There were countless martial arts in the world. Any martial art above first rate grade almost always required a corresponding heart method in order to fully unleash its power. Otherwise, it would merely possess form without substance.
But the Formless Impermanence Heart Method was the sole exception.
Despite being one of the Seven Supreme Heart Methods, it could practically adapt to any martial art in existence. It was akin to a universal key.
Because of this heart method, every Palace Master of the Impermanence Palace was known as a living museum of martial arts.
No matter how complicated or exclusive a martial technique was, once it reached the hands of someone from the Impermanence Palace, it could be turned into their own weapon.
And the Hidden Azure Dragon strike just now…
Had been unleashed using the circulation method of the Formless Impermanence Heart Method.
But according to the game’s settings, he did not possess “Formless Impermanence Heart Method” in his skill list at all. Logically speaking, the system should not recognize it.
Could it be…
That heart method circulation itself was not restricted within the game?
At that thought, excitement suddenly surged within Yin Huaichen.
Earlier, he had used the modified Thirteen Swords of Tianshui. The swordsmanship itself was exquisite, yet the damage output remained mediocre.
Ultimately, 《Eternal Universe》 was still a game.
The Thirteen Swords of Tianshui did not exist within Yin Huaichen’s skill list, so even if he used it, the system did not classify it as an actual skill.
But heart method circulation was different.
It was an internalized technique.
Could it be precisely because of this that the Formless Impermanence Heart Method had bypassed the game’s skill system entirely, allowing it to directly enhance other skills?
Yin Huaichen stared thoughtfully at the gradually fading corpse of the wraith beast.
Perhaps he should test it again.
However, the previous battle had almost completely exhausted his internal qi, so Yin Huaichen did not rush to seek another monster. Instead, he found a safe spot nearby and sat down cross legged to meditate.
Right now, he was only Level 1.
His level was far too low and his internal qi limit was a pitiful twenty points. As his level and equipment improved, his internal qi capacity would naturally increase as well.
The level system in 《Eternal Universe》 was divided into nine ranks, with every ten levels corresponding to one rank. Yin Huaichen currently belonged to the “Unranked” stage. Once he reached Level 10 and completed a special advancement quest, he would officially become a First Rank Martial Artist.
Every advancement in rank resulted in a comprehensive leap in attributes.
Several minutes later, both his HP and internal qi had fully recovered.
Yin Huaichen set his sights on another monster.
The essence of Hidden Azure Dragon lay in speed and ferocity, a thrust that condensed all force into a single point.
Rather than a killing move requiring accumulated strength, it was more akin to a hidden assassination technique, swift, concealed, impossible to guard against.
That was how it should be.
Therefore, if he wished to achieve a 100% completion rate with Hidden Azure Dragon, internal qi coordination was essential. Power had to rise from Tanzhong, flow through Tianming, Lingxu, Dique…
At that thought, Yin Huaichen slowly closed his eyes, guiding his internal qi according to the circulation method of the Formless Impermanence Heart Method.
By disabling the system’s assisted casting function, Yin Huaichen gained the ability to control the pathways of his internal qi just as one would in the real world.
The pathways of internal qi were as profound and vast as the sea itself. The slightest mistake could sever one’s meridians entirely. Even the supreme experts of his previous life would never recklessly guide their qi through unfamiliar routes.
But this…
Was precisely the domain where the Formless Impermanence Heart Method excelled.
As the internal qi flowed through his body, the corners of Yin Huaichen’s robes began fluttering faintly. Threads of subtle qi moved beneath his control,
And it actually succeeded.
That’s right.
This was the feeling.
The moment the wraith beast turned its head,
Like a fleeting shadow or a flash of light, the trajectory of the sword became almost impossible to perceive.
In the next instant, the Vast Abyss Sword swept forward like a remnant gale, silently and precisely piercing through the creature’s skull!
Fast. Ruthless. Clean.
Like a lurking flood dragon suddenly baring its fangs and tearing its prey apart in one devastating bite.
【Hidden Azure Dragon Completion: 90%!】
【Completion Rate Reached 90% , Skill Damage Increased to 260%!】
【Vital Strike!】
397!!
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Cresvynia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Remember to keep a positive moodChapter 2 · Have fun playing the gameChapter 3 · Skill completion rateChapter 4 · Strange and malevolent creatures roam outside the cityChapter 5 · 90% complete!Chapter 6 · Serving the sect is my dutyChapter 7 · First meetingChapter 8 · Fang LecangChapter 9 · A prestigious and righteous sect!Chapter 10 · Kill Chi BantuChapter 11 · Spoils of warChapter 12 · We’ve made a fortune!Chapter 13 · Thunder and fire extinguish goldChapter 14 · You found it?Chapter 15 · The so called degree of freedomChapter 16 · The secrets of life and deathChapter 17 · A minor leader of the first rank.Chapter 18 · What kind of luck do you have?Chapter 19 · Let’s Do itChapter 20 · The BOSS escapedChapter 21 · “A wound to the heart is also a wound.”Chapter 22 · Good people are always blessed.Chapter 23 · The Old Man of the Valley of BonesChapter 24 · It’s me, young master!Chapter 25 · Take it slow and steadyChapter 26 · The older they get, the stingier they becomeChapter 27 · You know this person tooChapter 28 · I saw Wei Wanzhou againChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · “Password lock” crackedChapter 31 · We’ve come to punish you!Chapter 32 · A boorish country bumpkin who knows no manners.Chapter 33 · You have crossed the lineChapter 34 · Now that we’re here, do you think we can leave?Chapter 35 · A trivial skillChapter 36 · Actually, I was just kiddingChapter 37 · Upgrade mission complete, rating: SSS!Chapter 38 · AwardChapter 39 · I have always been law-abiding and law-abidingChapter 40 · Are you coming back for dinner tonight?Chapter 41 · Purple Lightning Square Seal.Chapter 42 · A money-grubberChapter 43 · BetChapter 44 · Four Continents Chamber of CommerceChapter 45 · This was my third meeting with Wei WanzhouChapter 46 · Oh, you want to hit on me.Chapter 47 · The angry drizzle has stoppedChapter 48 · Thunder SpearChapter 49 · “Are you a devil?”Chapter 50 · The Impermanent Lord!?Chapter 51 · Loot everywhere..Chapter 52 · His identity remains a mystery.Chapter 53 · Why not show yourself?Chapter 54 · He confronted Li Mingrui.Chapter 55 · Auction