I will eventually become a divine being through accumulating constantly

However, the difficulty of launching a second spear immediately after the first increased exponentially.

Each spear thrust had to not only accommodate the variations of the previous one but also create its own, achieving perfect harmony and seamlessness with the previous move, without any flaws.

Therefore, with every additional spear thrust in the Impeccable technique, the progress was significant, each thrust more difficult than the last.

For an ordinary martial artist, it might take a lifetime to reach the 'Ten Needles and A Hundred Threads' level of ten spear thrusts.

This was a pure talent ceiling; if one's body was not fine-tuned enough to channel energy, or if their spirit and consciousness could not keep up with the calculations, it simply couldn't be done, no matter how much practice was put in.

It was one of the most talent-reliant streams among all martial arts schools in existence.

After 'Ten Needles and A Hundred Threads', there were still 'Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads' and 'Thousand Needles Ten Thousand Threads', and finally, the most difficult level that only one person in the Old Martial Circle has ever achieved to date—Impeccable.

The difficulty of achieving each subsequent level was not just a hundred or a thousand times that of the previous one?

That's also why it was so astonishing that Zhou Yinglin reached the 'Ten Needles and A Hundred Threads' level at the young age of sixteen or seventeen.

It was widely acknowledged in the Old Martial Circle that within ten years, he would likely reach 'Thousand Needles Ten Thousand Threads', and perhaps in twenty or thirty years, he could recreate the glory of the Gun Saint, becoming the second top martial artist to reach the Impeccable level.

As for Xue Jing...

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh—!!"

The Nine Chi Great Spear gleamed chilly and sharp; the spear thrusts were like a dragon, wildly dancing and in an instant, poking ten holes in the alloy punching post dummy, each one at a critical human body point.

"Reached the 'Ten Needles and A Hundred Threads' level on the second day... the progress is acceptable, I suppose, within expectations."

Xue Jing retracted the long spear in his hand, danced a spear flower, and murmured softly.

"Still, it feels a bit slow. At this rate, to achieve 'Hundred Needles, Thousand Threads', wouldn't it take around ten days or half a month?"

The next two days were post-competition rest periods, and the day after tomorrow the competition for the top sixteen would start, followed by another three days of rest, before the quarterfinals.

And it was very likely that he would face Zhou Yinglin in the first round of the quarterfinals.

So in the best-case scenario, he would have to face Zhou Yinglin in five days.

"Five days is not really enough, I'm afraid I might not be able to overwhelm him with the Impeccable level..."

Xue Jing stroked his chin.

"Forget it, I'll worry about it when the time comes. Just keep practicing for now."

"Maybe... I don't need to rely on overwhelming him with prowess; there's another more impressive method I could use."

Xue Jing picked up the Nine Chi Great Spear in his hand and kept thrusting it into the air, stirring up a turbulent flow of air that took the form of a wild dance of a great snake.

As he soaked up the techniques and knowledge of Impeccable like a sponge, his understanding of martial arts and combat skills also improved substantially.

His overall martial prowess was constantly rising.

Although many of his panel skills were stuck in the process of sublimation, his rate of progress still crushed that of other martial artists.

...

Around noon, Xue Jing was eating with Ning Fengwan.

Today, exceptionally, he hadn't gone to the Zhige Base canteen but had gathered many ingredients and cooked a meal in the villa's kitchen after a long hiatus.

Ning Fengwan was exceedingly happy to eat Xue Jing's cooking, which seemed almost magically delicious, so busy eating that she couldn't utter a word.

But not long after the two started their meal, the doorbell rang.

Instantly, at the sound of the doorbell's ding, Ning Fengwan felt a ding in her heart, sensing trouble.

She instantly transformed into her cat form, her body shimmering with platinum light.

Turning her head, sure enough, Ning Yuantai sheepishly walked in, rubbing the back of his head with a look of 'I'm so embarrassed', and eagerly went to the kitchen to fetch a bowl and chopsticks.

Miao Miao's mouth twitched as the Serpent Slayer Spearhead shot out uncontrollably.

Looking at the table laden with dishes like a small mountain, she felt no sense of security.

She knew all too well about martial artists' appetites...

"You know, my timing can't get any better, just happened to show up during meal time, what a coincidence, huh?"

Ning Yuantai sat down at the table and quickly picked up a large fried meatball, swallowed it after just a couple of chews, then his chopsticks darted towards another dish with extreme speed, looking as if someone had put him on fast-forward.

Miao Miao suppressed the urge to attack, calming herself by repeatedly telling herself internally, 'This man is useful to Jing... this man is useful to Jing... this man is useful to Jing...'

That was close, no cat murder incident at the Zhige Base.

She could only speed up and keep eating, but with Miao Miao's body, it really wasn't convenient, she simply couldn't outcompete.

All she could do was watch helplessly as most of the food went into Ning Yuantai's stomach.

After the meal, Ning Yuantai sat on the sofa, picking his teeth with a toothpick contentedly when he suddenly shivered and wondered,

"Xue, is the air conditioning on in this room?"

He felt a little cold.

Upon hearing this, Xue Jing laughed and offhandedly said, "No, the weather's been turning cooler lately. It's normal to feel cold."

He picked up Miao Miao, who was crouching on the dining table behind Ning Yuantai in a feline hunting stance, and gently stroked her fur, calming her restless killing intent.

As an Iron-blooded Jing, Ning Yuantai always took Xue Jing's words as gospel and immediately nodded in agreement, "That seems right, looks like I need to get some more clothes when I go back."

"By the way, Xue, there's some progress on that poison from the snake person's body last night."

Ning Yuantai said.

This was also the reason he had come to see Xue Jing at this time.

Freeloading a meal was just... incidental. Probably.

"Oh? What did the analysis find?"

Xue Jing, holding Miao Miao, sat down on the sofa and asked curiously.

Ning Yuantai noticed that the cat in Xue's arms was always watching him, with a very anthropomorphic blank expression on its face, which strangely gave off a chilly feeling, making him a bit creeped out.

Shaking his head, he cast aside the odd impression and began,

"Most of the poison's components are like regular snake venom, toxic proteins, but about 5% of the components are 'unknown substances' with no reference material."

"The lab is urgently experimenting to determine the physical properties of these components... trying to develop a corresponding antidote, but I reckon it's going to be tough."

"The abilities of the Heretical God Cult's Blessed Ones all have this mystical aspect, impossible to understand with current science. The poison is so potent largely because of this 5% of weird components."

"I don't think an antidote is going to be possible."

Xue Jing nodded and said, "I see."

To him, it didn't really matter—as the antidote was a bonus anyway.

In future encounters with that Dragon Cult member, he just needed to be cautious throughout and avoid getting poisoned.

With the Shadowflame Wrap Armor covering his whole body for protection, and 'Elementalization', an almost cheating survival skill, it'd be hard for him to get poisoned even if he tried.

His interest in the antidote was mainly considering it could be bad if people around him accidentally got hit by that kind of poison.

"By the way, Xue, you're free today, right?"

Ning Yuantai suddenly winked at Xue Jing.

Xue Jing nodded, "I am, what's up?"

"Then let me take you out for a drive, show you around. As your guide, I haven't really taken you to properly explore this area of the Inner Ring, which is a bit remiss."

Ning Yuantai stood up, full of enthusiasm.

"There's a place you might find interesting."

Xue Jing glanced at Miao Miao in his arms.

"Meow~"

Miao Miao yawned lazily, shook its fur, stretched, jumped down from Xue Jing, leapt onto the nearby sofa, and lay down.

That was her way of saying she wasn't going.

Xue Jing thought about it. He had done enough practice for the day, his spiritual power couldn't continue to be overdrawn for Consciousness Simulation, and a bit of relaxation might be good.

So he stood up and smiled, "Alright, let's go."

Ning Yuantai cheered, "Right on!"

...