The Whispering Peaks were quieter at dawn.
Mist rolled between the mountain ridges like drifting silk, glowing faintly where energy currents brushed against stone. Zhou Yuan stood at the edge of a high cliff, eyes steady, breathing slow.
But it wasn't Zhou Yuan's awareness guiding the body.
It was Zhou Jing.
Every muscle contraction, every shift of weight, every blink — fully controlled.
Below, the valley pulsed with crimson light.
The Mutant-Blood warriors had gathered.
Zhou Jing narrowed his gaze. Last night's engagement had only scratched the surface. The Blood Surge Stance blueprint was incomplete. The system had captured structure, but not instinct.
And instinct was everything in a body-based power system.
He stepped forward.
The energy currents of the Peak Martial Path brushed against Zhou Yuan's skin, reacting to his presence. He deliberately shifted posture into the partially learned Blood Surge Stance.
The air tightened.
Crimson veins flickered faintly under Zhou Yuan's skin.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Blood Surge Stance Activation: 37% Efficiency
Energy Drain: Moderate
Stability: Acceptable
Not good enough.
Across the valley, three Mutant-Blood warriors leapt upward, their bodies propelled by explosive bursts of enhanced circulation. Their veins glowed like molten metal beneath skin.
They attacked in synchronized arcs.
Zhou Jing didn't retreat.
He advanced.
He parried the first blade, twisted under the second, and drove an elbow into the third opponent's ribs. The impact triggered a violent pulse of blood energy from the warrior's body.
Zhou Jing watched closely.
There — that surge pattern.
He copied it.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Combat Observation Success: 61%
Blood Flow Pattern Recorded
Astral Points Obtained: 18
Information State Particles Obtained: 12
The second wave came harder.
This time, one warrior activated a technique — crimson mist erupted from his pores, reinforcing muscle density.
Regeneration-based amplification.
Zhou Jing allowed a shallow cut across Zhou Yuan's forearm.
Pain flared.
He didn't react.
He watched the opponent's wound close slowly from earlier damage.
Adaptation through accelerated cellular stimulation.
A grin formed on Zhou Yuan's face.
"You're helping me," Zhou Jing whispered.
He mirrored the breathing pattern.
The stance shifted.
Energy sank deeper.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Mutant-Blood Template Integration: 54%
New Sub-Skill Unlocked: Minor Regenerative Pulse (Incomplete)
Efficiency Rising…
The battle intensified.
Peak Martial currents and Mutant-Blood surges clashed in raw physical exchanges. Stone shattered under pressure. Air cracked with shockwaves.
Zhou Jing deliberately layered both systems.
Peak Martial footwork.
Blood Surge amplification.
The synchronization was rough — but promising.
A final strike.
A spinning downward kick reinforced by crimson pressure.
The ground cratered.
The warriors collapsed.
Silence returned to the peaks.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Wave Neutralized
Apostle Growth: +4 Levels
Blood Surge Stance Efficiency: 72%
Minor Regenerative Pulse: Stabilized (Low Tier)
Energy Node Resonance Increased
Zhou Jing exhaled slowly.
The Whispering Peaks weren't just about strength.
They were about harmony.
Flow and blood.
External current and internal circulation.
He looked toward the highest ridge.
There was something stronger waiting there.
But for now—
He withdrew.
Main World
Zhou Jing opened his eyes in his room.
Afternoon light filtered through the window.
His body felt slightly heavier — the after-effect of deep astral control. He flexed his fingers, checking coordination.
Stable.
Outside, voices echoed.
His friends were in the training courtyard.
He stepped out.
Lina stood in the center, sleeves rolled up, short hair tied back loosely. She held a wooden staff, surrounded by three of their friends.
"Again," she said casually.
They attacked together.
She dismantled them effortlessly.
Not through brute force.
Through precision.
Every movement was optimized.
Every angle perfect.
Zhou Jing observed quietly.
Her SSS-grade talent wasn't flashy.
It was terrifying.
She adapted mid-fight.
When one friend changed rhythm, she adjusted instantly. When another tried a feint, she anticipated it before completion.
She wasn't just strong.
She evolved in real time.
Lina finally noticed Zhou Jing watching.
"What?" she said, slightly defensive.
"Nothing," he replied, smiling faintly. "You're improving."
She scoffed.
"You're the one disappearing for days. Don't talk like you're my coach."
But there was warmth behind it.
Later, as the others left, she approached him.
"You look tired," she said quietly.
Zhou Jing hesitated.
If she knew about the Apostles… about the infinite realms…
Would she understand?
"You worry too much," she added suddenly, softer now. "You don't have to carry everything alone."
For a moment, his composure wavered.
She always sensed something.
That was her talent too.
Not just combat.
Insight.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Main Body Condition: Stable
Mutant-Blood Insight Transfer Possible (Requires 150 Astral Points)
Warning: Multi-System Integration Risk Increases After 3 Templates
Zhou Jing's eyes sharpened.
Risk.
Good.
That meant growth had consequences.
He looked at Lina again.
If he was going to stand at the top of infinite astral realms…
He couldn't afford weakness.
Not for himself.
And not for her.
Far away in the Whispering Peaks, Zhou Yuan moved under autonomous command, guarding the energy nodes and training in repetition.
The crimson and blue currents intertwined.
And at the highest ridge—
Something ancient stirred.