"For the next three days, don't attend classes—focus entirely on your cultivation!"
Ye Wei got up, stepped down from the wooden bed, stretched, and did a few warm-up exercises. After a quick wash, he immediately resumed his training.
"Falling Star Technique!"
Not long after, Ye Wei returned to sit cross-legged on his wooden bed. He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and gradually entered a state of complete focus—his mind empty and undistracted.
He formed a mysterious seal with his hands in front of his chest. As he activated the technique, a subtle ripple of energy began to spread from between his brows. Slowly, an invisible vortex of spiritual energy formed around him, drawing in vitality from the surrounding air.
Once his vitality had reached saturation, Ye Wei began circulating the Falling Star Technique again to refine it.
After twelve long hours, his dantian was full to the brim with raw vitality. Ye Wei opened his eyes, a faint silver glint flashing across them. He swiftly performed thirty-six hand seals, initiating the refinement process. The wild energy in his dantian began to circulate and condense.
Boom!
A thunderous sound echoed in Ye Wei's consciousness. Deep within his sea of awareness, the faint silhouette of a green mountain appeared. Countless lines etched on the mountain surface writhed like living creatures. Gradually, a translucent figure emerged from the mountain.
This figure was ethereal, almost ghostly, and its meridians—glowing green and red—were clearly visible. It sat in a meditative posture, running some unknown cultivation technique. A silvery current pulsed through its meridians with a steady rhythm.
"This is... the Falling Star Technique?!"
Ye Wei's eyes flew open in shock. The energy flow within the translucent figure's body mirrored the technique he practiced—only, it was far more refined and complex!
The traditional Ye Clan version of the Falling Star Technique used thirty-six meridians. But in the phantom figure's body, vitality coursed through 108 meridians, forming a complete and perfect cycle!
The phantom only had to circulate the energy once to refine it completely. In contrast, Ye Wei typically had to repeat the cycle nine times to fully refine the same amount of energy. Though the phantom used more meridians, it did so with such efficiency that the process was about twice as fast overall.
"My family's Falling Star Technique is a mid-tier Xuan-level method, yet this phantom's version is clearly superior. Could it be... a high-tier Xuan-level technique?"
Ye Wei's heart pounded with excitement. As a member of the Ye Clan, he understood the significance of high-tier cultivation methods. They were rare and immensely valuable—just having one could change the status of a family.
With a method three times faster than what he had now, even those with average talent could leap ahead in cultivation. It was the difference between spending three years to advance or doing it in one.
His cousin, Ye Zhong, was a four-star warrior at the age of 22. With this method, reaching five-star might only take him one year instead of three! In Qingyue City, becoming a five-star warrior at 23 would make him one of the elite among the younger generation.
There were fewer than five families in the entire city with access to high-tier Xuan-level techniques. If the Ye Clan had one, their position would rise dramatically.
As Ye Wei carefully observed the phantom, it completed the energy cycle three times. The technique's path and sequence burned into his memory with crystal clarity.
Snap!
Ye Wei, still seated on his bed, trembled slightly as his eyes opened with determination.
Snap!
His hands moved with purpose, weaving through 108 complex hand seals. The energy in his dantian responded, rapidly flowing through the newly unlocked meridian pathways.
In just an hour, he refined all of the vitality in his body—a process that used to take more than double the time!
"Legend has it our Ye Clan once produced an Emperor-level powerhouse. Many dismissed it as myth, but this… this proves some part of that legend is true!"
"At the very least, the rumors about the Falling Star Technique being incomplete were true."
"The phantom from my sea of consciousness, a gift from the ancient Green Hill, has helped me perfect the technique—elevating it to a high-tier Xuan-level method!"
Ecstatic and overwhelmed with emotion, Ye Wei clenched his fists tightly. His heart surged with gratitude, hope, and burning ambition.
Now that the Falling Star Technique had reached a higher level, both he and the Ye Clan stood to benefit immensely.
After calming himself with a few deep breaths, Ye Wei resumed cultivation.
"My body is already at the peak of a one-star apprentice. Even without another dose of YanYang Quenching Body Pill, I should be able to break through tomorrow!"
Ye Wei's heart thumped with anticipation. He redoubled his focus.
On the morning of the third day, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the dormitory window, casting a soft glow across Ye Wei's young face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, clenched his fist, and punched forward.
"Whoosh—!"
The powerful gust from his fist made the air tremble.
"I did it… Two-star apprentice!" Ye Wei whispered, his eyes brimming with tears.
He had spent three whole years at Nanxing Academy stuck at one-star level. Now, he had finally broken through.
From one to four stars, the changes in strength were mostly physical: increased speed, durability, and power. Only upon reaching five stars would a true transformation occur—skin as hard as iron, exponential growth in speed and strength.
"Father, Mother… your son has finally advanced to two-star apprentice!" Ye Wei looked toward the direction of his home, tears streaming silently down his face.
Only he could truly understand what this breakthrough meant.
"I'm going home!"
Eager to share the news with his parents and cousin who had always looked after him, Ye Wei decided he didn't care if it meant skipping another day of classes.
He quickly packed his belongings, carefully tucked the remaining nine bottles of Yang-Yang Quenching Body Pill close to his chest, and shut the dormitory door behind him.
Because it was still early morning, the campus was quiet. Most students were already in class. While Nanxing Academy had a relaxed system, most students still chose to attend diligently.
Bathed in the golden glow of morning light, Ye Wei stepped out of the academy gates and began his journey home.