Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

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The method of casting the Metal-Element Impact Curse involves gathering enough True Qi from the Dantian and then following a specific meridian route, passing through the chest, shoulders, and arms, before finally shooting out Sword Qi from the fingertips.

Why can only one Curse Technique be cast at a time? It is because the meridian routes of different spells conflict with each other. For example, the Wood Bending Charm and the Earth-Element Sturdiness Curse both pass through the Spirit Platform acupoint in the chest. If you run both spells at the same time, there will be a Qi collision at the Spirit Platform acupoint.

The final point of the Impact Curse's Qi pathway is the fingertip acupoints of the middle and index fingers, which must be brought together in a gesture known as the "Sword Finger" when used.

The method of casting the Impact Curse recorded in the textbook is to raise the arm to eye level, bring up the Sword Finger, slightly bend the elbow, and align the far end, near end of the gap between the two fingers, and the eyes all in a straight line, before firing the Metal-Element's sharp energy to pierce through the target.

Because the motion resembles shooting, it is also the favorite Curse Technique of military cultivators, who refer to it as "gun shooting."

Li Weiguo, the current commanding officer of the Zhendong Army, although unable to cultivate himself due to the lack of a Spirit Root, had witnessed countless experiments by military cultivators, and he almost immediately noticed that Yan Yu's casting method was quite different from that of the troops:

This guy didn't seem to aim at all when he released the Impact Curse.

At the training ground, Su Yunjin and Lin Ning were also stunned. The former had her mouth slightly open, while the latter, despite showing no expression, instinctively clenched her fingers around her book.

Chen Lingyun stood on another side, her smile sweet and radiant, and her eyes seemed to shine.

Yan Yu's movements while casting the spell did not resemble "a soldier shooting a gun," but rather "a music conductor." His arms swung rhythmically, moving briskly left and right, up and down in front of him, without ever specifically stopping to aim.

Yet looking at the continuous "target hit 10-ring records" scrolling on the screen like a waterfall presented another, even more incredible fact.

He wasn't failing to aim; he didn't need to aim.

"Old Wang! Come take a look," Li Weiguo called out without turning his head, from inside the central command room.

Wang Changshi quickly joined the commanding officer, adjusted his reading glasses, and stared at the figure effortlessly casting spells on screen, inhaling deeply to himself.

"Strong eyesight and quick reflexes," he said, quickly regaining his composure and making a serious analysis. "He's got the standard of an active ace."

"Still not enough," Li Weiguo said gravely.

"Yes," replied Wang Changshi earnestly. "Most importantly, his rate of True Yuan circulation is very fast, with the ability to launch multiple Impact Curses in a short period of time... the speed... should be more than three times that of active personnel."

"What is the speed of casting Curse Techniques related to?" Li Weiguo asked.

"Personal physique, casting experience, True Qi control," Wang Changshi answered. "There are indeed active service cases with naturally wide meridians, whose spellcasting speed is about 50% faster than average."

An individual's physique can only enhance performance by up to 50%, yet his spellcasting speed was three times that of active personnel, meaning physique wasn't the main contributing factor.

As a university student cultivator, it's certain he didn't have much casting experience, which left only one thing: True Qi control ability.

Remarkable eyesight to quickly discern all targets' positions and trajectories; lightning-fast reflexes to calculate lead times in an instant; and… unparalleled control over True Qi, with a circulation speed more than three times that of active military cultivators, making his spell releases comparable to a machine gun pouring out bullets.

Liu Zhufu, standing next to him, leaned over and asked for instructions:

"Should we check his identity?"

Wang Changshi was about to agree when Li Weiguo suddenly raised his hand and said:

"No need for that yet."

He looked at Chen Lingyun, who stood next to Yan Yu on the screen, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"The young man belongs to our Zhendong Army, like meat in our own pot that cannot be snatched away by others. To praise him now would be to put pressure on him prematurely; it's unnecessary."

Wang Changshi immediately understood.

"This matter is a secret of our military, don't let it out," he warned the surrounding school leaders sternly.

"Yes!" all the school leaders replied in unison.

The management of the Zhendong International Academy was comprised entirely of civil servants from the Zhendong Army, so their loyalty was beyond question.

Back at the training ground, Yan Yu finally brought his hands together and then crisply clapped them clean.

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Yeah, although it's been a long time since I've practiced, this kind of basic skill really hasn't become rusty...

No sooner had he turned around than he saw Chen Lingyun looking exhilarated, Su Yunjin staring in disbelief, and only Lin Ning with a look of incredulity, asking in astonishment,

"You... you're really amazing! How did you do it?"

"Practice makes perfect," Yan Yu answered offhandedly.

"What do you mean by practice?" Lin Ning still couldn't understand and pressed on, "We all signed the enrollment agreement before realizing we were cultivators, how much time could you possibly have to practice..."

"Okay, okay~" Chen Lingyun took her arm, "The self-study time on the training ground is precious; Lin Ning, don't pester him with questions here, there will be time to figure it out later~"

Lin Ning really wanted to ask clearly, but she had to admit that Chen Lingyun was right.

Anyway... anyway, now that we're friends, there will be plenty of time to ask him later...

She quietly took out her phone, turned off the do-not-disturb mode for Yan Yu's contact, and then immediately remembered another matter.

Wait a minute! Although it was because of a joke by Chen Lingyun that she had petulantly blocked him, she had originally planned to unblock him tonight when she got back.

But now that she had discovered he was an incredible talent, wouldn't it be misconstrued as a rather utilitarian gesture if she hastily removed the block to ask him questions? From arrogance to deference, and all that...

Forget it, I'd better not ask him.

Seeing Lin Ning looking downcast, and combining that with her previous thought process and personality profiling, Chen Lingyun guessed her thoughts fairly accurately and turned to Yan Yu with a smile brimming with pleasure. It was as if to say, "Oh my, this kid is pretty fun!"

Yan Yu, of course, also noticed her dilemma, and with a simple "Lin Ning, there's no problem, you can ask me whatever you want later," he probably could have gained her goodwill instantly.

But no, I refuse!

With a girl as earnest and proud as she, it's best to tease and play with her now while we're still strangers; it won't be as fun once we get to know each other better later.

"The dorms turn the lights off at night." Yan Yu checked the time on his phone, "Aren't you going to practice?"

"I might as well give it a try," Su Yunjin said first.

Unlike Chen Lingyun and Yan Yu, this was her first time using curse techniques. Even though it was the simplest Impact Curse among the Five Spells, it took her almost twenty minutes to successfully cast it.

Lin Ning's learning efficiency was about the same, and it took her just under half an hour to finally manage the flow of breath.

"How's it going?" Watching them fumble with their spellcasting, Chen Lingyun quietly asked.

"Lin Ning is a bit rigid," Yan Yu replied, "Strictly following the textbook in a meticulous manner means she relies heavily on existing experience patterns and lacks the ability to adapt proactively. If she encounters an experienced enemy who's good at observing, her offensive patterns could be easily seen through in actual combat."

"Typical test-taker mentality," Chen Lingyun said with a smile, "But that's also quite normal. What about Su Yunjin?"

"Su Yunjin... her situation is a bit more difficult," Yan Yu frowned as he spoke, "She always pauses for a split second at the very end of casting her spell."

"Do you mean she's afraid?" Chen Lingyun immediately understood.

"An unconscious aversion to using violence or hurting others, likely tied to her upbringing and environment," Yan Yu replied indifferently, "Such ingrained values are trickier to address, not something that can be corrected overnight, you know? Being a cultivator is essentially a military profession, and her psychological readiness is way off. Lin's issue is minor in comparison."

"What about me?" Chen Lingyun pointed to herself.

"You?" Yan Yu pondered briefly before replying, "Your judgments are accurate, spellcasting stable, and as of now, I see no obvious faults to criticize. The only problem might be that your aptitude isn't great.

As the resurgence of spiritual energy deepens, you'll find that your growth will be more strenuous compared to others, and you'll need to put in more sweat and effort to ensure your cultivation doesn't fall behind. So, time is your biggest enemy."

"But aptitude isn't the only factor determining strength," Chen Lingyun said meditatively, "Awareness, experience, and technique are equally important."

"That's true," Yan Yu didn't deny this.

Speaking of aptitude, his own was even worse than Chen Lingyun's—he didn't have a Spirit Root at all.

But this didn't stop him from becoming the strongest in the world.