Second World

Three days passed in the outside world. Inside the Space-time Chamber, it has been a month since Murong started teaching them the Nine Yin Scripture.

That day, Jack's human age reached the nineteenth month. His race skill, Ambition, increased to rank 2. When this skill was used, all damage received was reduced by 40%, movement speed was increased by 75%, became immune to mental status ailments, and cleansed ongoing mental status ailments. Its duration was increased to 60 seconds. The cooldown remained at 30 minutes.

Earlier this day, Jack and the others asked Murong to repeat the practice movement flow for the second time. They were now back to trying to understand the arts.

Jack, Leavemealone, and Grace had been practicing at different corners of the chamber. Leavemealone had always been a loner. When Murong stopped her lecture and it was time to practice, he separated away from the others and did his training.

Jack and Grace stayed close and had discussions about the training at first. As time passed, Grace noticed Jack was fully focused on trying to understand the teaching. She moved away so Jack had no distraction. She also dedicated herself fully to learning.

Whenever each of the two had a breakthrough, they communicated with one another so both of them could have a better understanding. Jack went to talk to Leavemealone when such a thing happened, but Leavemealone's response was just too cold for Jack's taste.

Grace took over to communicate with Leavemealone when they had the next breakthrough.

However, despite the seeming progress, they still couldn't completely understand the scripture nor could they perform the Nine Yin martial arts.

"You have just been sitting there for days. Have you given up?" Muilan teased Jack. "It's good if you do. You, people, are wasting your time. Master Murong has been teaching me this scripture for years. Even I have not managed to learn it. Do you think you can learn it in a few months? You have only two months left. After that, Master Murong and I will end this pretense and leave."

"Master Murong can leave later, but you can just leave now," Jack said. "Why don't you leave? No one needs you here. Go, shoo!"

Muilan's face turned red from anger. "You…! Do you not believe I will teach you a lesson?!"

"Do you not remember you lost to me already?" Jack returned.

"Muilan! Leave them alone," Murong commanded. "Otherwise, that old fool will make an excuse that his precious grandson fails because of your distraction. Come back and do your training!"

"Yes, master," Muilan said obediently. She stuck her tongue out to mock Jack before she left.

Jack returned to his training. He didn't mind the girl. She was just bored.

Murong also trained Muilan inside this chamber. With how the mana was denser inside this chamber, it was an ideal place to train. Murong might be annoyed that she had to comply with Domon's deal, but after spending time inside this chamber, she thought it might not be a bad thing for her. She also trained her martial arts while she trained Jack and the others.

Jack manipulated the mana around him. With his mana affinity talent, it was an easy feat. He was glad he got the talent before he started training here. Otherwise, the training would be that much harder.

One similar thing among the ancient arts was that they all required mana manipulation to perform. That was why ancient martial arts were generally more powerful than modern martial arts which only required movements.

This was also the reason why Murong asked Grace if she could do mana manipulation. If she could not, then there was no point for her to be here.

Hence, Jack believed that the key to learning this Nine Yin Scripture was in the flow of mana. Murong had shown them the movement to practice the arts, but those movements were not the actual method to perform the arts. That was why even though Murong memorized the movements, she still could only do one out of the three arts from the Nine Yin Scripture.

The one she had learned was the Nine Yin Abyssal Finger. During the past month, there was one day when she was feeling generous and she performed this art to them. Out of her finger, a black cold energy shot out. The energy was the opposite of the vibrant hot energy Long showed when he performed the Nine Yang Exploding Fist.

Even though the display was not as impressive as Long's ancient art, Jack's mana sense could grasp how sharp the energy from Murong's finger was. If that energy hit him, he believed it would still pierce through his excellent defenses.

From that one presentation, Jack vaguely grasped a similarity between Nine Yin Abyssal Finger and the practice movements Murong showed earlier. The similarity was not in their movements but in how the mana flow was copying the practice movements when the abyssal finger was unleashed.

Thus, he simply sat and focused on the mana flow. He had been doing hundreds of simulations on how to move his mana around his body.

Within the Nine Yin Scriptures, the three ancient arts were the Nine Yin Abyssal Finger, the Nine Yin Phantom Sword, and the Nine Yin Devouring Palm.

Out of the three, Jack focused his learning on the Nine Yin Phantom Sword. The reason was that he felt his sword's heart resonated with that art. This should help him to increase his chance of learning it.

Jack's hundred synchronous thoughts brought all his contemplations together. The mantra Murong had taught them at the start, the practice movements Murong had shown them, the mana flow following those practice movements, Murong's technique when he performed the Nine Yin Abyssal Finger, and his sword's heart.

All these thoughts were brought together and linked with one another, like pieces of puzzles that slowly formed a picture. When the last piece was inserted, the picture was clear. Enlightenment followed.

Jack opened his eyes. His mind became exceedingly clear. So clear that it might as well be empty. He was devoid of any thought. His mana moved following his instinct. He felt it building up and welling up within him. He didn't fight it. He let it flow as if it was natural.

Murong, who was not far away, sensed this unusual mana movement. She turned to where Jack was still sitting.

What she saw made her eyes turn extremely wide. She saw the space directly in front of Jack started to shimmer. The shimmering increased in intensity. The shimmering space became distorted as if something was trying to break out.

Then all of a sudden, a black thin light tore out from the shimmering air and pierced through the space beyond it.

"Nine… Nine Yin Phantom Sword…?" Murong stammered.