Chapter Thirty-Six: As Graceful as a Soaring Dragon

On Saturday morning, Gao Wu returned home to rest, as was his usual practice. Mainly, he needed to prepare for dual cultivation with Song Mingyue that night; it would be inconvenient to disturb his father by returning home too late, so he made the trip in the morning instead.

On the way, he bought some fruit and premium meat. Although his father’s health was poor, he lived frugally and could hardly bring himself to indulge in good food or clothing. Now that Gao Wu had the means, he naturally wanted to fulfill his filial duties.

After lunch, his father became interested in seeing Gao Wu's progress with the Swimming Dragon Sword. Gao Wu had no choice but to draw his sword and practice a set on the spot.

All ten Flying Mouse serums had been injected; his agility had increased to nine points. This meant his neural reaction speed was five times that of an ordinary person. Agility, one of the five fundamental attributes, encompassed not only neural response but also bodily coordination and muscle explosiveness.

Previously, Gao Wu’s constitution was strong mainly due to the development of slow-twitch muscle fibers, granting him extraordinary endurance. With the surge in agility, his fast-twitch fibers were enhanced.

Ordinarily, the human muscle mass is limited, and only one type of fiber—slow or fast-twitch—can be significantly developed. But through the serum, Gao Wu had strengthened tens of millions of skeletal muscle fibers, granting him both formidable endurance and explosive power.

Agility had always been Gao Wu’s greatest weakness. Now, at nine points, it was nearly equal to his strength, marking a substantial breakthrough in his combat abilities. Even though his strength hadn’t increased, his punch now packed a force of fifteen hundred kilograms.

Recently, he had been integrating his internal and external forces through sword practice, gradually mastering his newfound agility, and making significant progress with the Swimming Dragon Sword.

Before his father, Gao Wu restrained himself, holding back some of his power. His constitution, strength, speed, and spirit had all improved dramatically thanks to the recent serums. Every change manifested clearly in his body; he'd grown four centimeters taller and gained nearly twenty kilograms, mostly from increased muscle and bone density. His physique remained much the same, but such obvious changes couldn’t escape the notice of ordinary people, much less his observant father.

Gao Wu felt a twinge of guilt. His father had earnestly warned him, and yet he had gone ahead and injected various serums. The matter of the Infinite Merit Book was far too private to share with anyone.

The Flying Mouse serum acted directly on his nerves, causing a surge in agility and making his body somewhat difficult to control. Sword practice proved invaluable; by centering himself with his sword, he quickly adapted to his transformed physique.

Standing before his father, Gao Wu felt both the nervousness of being evaluated and the excitement of showing his accomplishments. Gripping the longsword, his mind quickly became tranquil, all stray thoughts dissipating like punctured bubbles.

His father observed Gao Wu’s steady composure and nodded slightly. The act of holding a sword naturally focused the mind; such concentration alone meant Gao Wu had already grasped the fundamentals.

He thrust the sword, its tip piercing the air with a soft whistle. Gao Wu moved with the sword, practicing the Swimming Dragon Sword in the courtyard.

After more than thirty days of intensive practice, and with Song Mingyue’s meticulous guidance, Gao Wu had reached proficiency. Though the Swimming Dragon Sword consisted of only four fundamental forms, each could evolve into sixteen variations, totaling sixty-four moves.

Now, holding back some power, his movements were agile and poised, exuding an air of ease and grace—his body like a swimming dragon, his sword stirring wind and thunder.

His father watched silently. He had seen countless masters in his life, and Gao Wu’s swordsmanship wasn’t among the highest. But Gao Wu’s muscular, agile frame gave him four or five times the strength and speed of an average person. As he wielded his sword, a glimmering light flashed.

For an ordinary person, one would see only the sword’s gleam, not the wielder. Among warriors, this level of swordsmanship was already impressive.

Feeling his father’s appreciation, Gao Wu relaxed, his sword becoming lighter and obedient. Each move flowed more naturally, and techniques he hadn’t been able to use before emerged intuitively. He entered a curious state: the sword moved with his hand, with his body, with his intent, as if man and sword were one.

After performing all sixty-four moves, Gao Wu sheathed his sword and stood upright. The light faded, the sword’s whistling ceased, but he felt clear-minded and invigorated—his sword stilled, yet his heart remained active.

Without consulting the Infinite Merit Book, Gao Wu was certain he’d advanced further, achieving mastery of the Swimming Dragon Sword.

His heart brimmed with joy; at last, he had elevated his swordsmanship through his own hard work.

“Very good,” his father said—a rare compliment, given his usual high standards.

At his father’s age, he was far inferior to Gao Wu in every respect. Gao Wu had improved too quickly, clearly using more than one serum.

His father sighed quietly. Gao Wu appeared cheerful and easy-going, but he was steadfast in his convictions. Now that he was eighteen, his father couldn’t force him to obey.

The world of warriors was cruel, and with the world connected to other realms, no one knew what the future held. Even ordinary people might not live long; possessing formidable martial power at least ensured self-preservation. He thought that peace was a blessing—perhaps a sign of his own advancing age.

The key was that Gao Wu, bursting with vitality, showed no signs of abnormal mutation from the serums and appeared in excellent health.

Some people are born with extraordinary resistance to drugs; that too is a powerful talent. Perhaps Gao Wu had truly found a path suited to him.

Gao Wu knew his transformation couldn’t be hidden from his father. He stood before him, sword sheathed, wearing a smile that betrayed a hint of guilt and awkwardness.

“I’m old now…” his father said, not criticizing, but simply lamenting.

Seeing his father’s drooping eyelids and dark age spots, Gao Wu swallowed the words of comfort that had risen to his lips.

In truth, his father had been this way four years ago, but back then Gao Wu felt only awe toward him.

Only now did Gao Wu realize his father was truly old, the straight back unable to conceal the aura of aging.

His father was only eighty, not exceptionally old for a warrior. But he had suffered serious injuries before, and his body was worse off than most healthy elders.

Gao Wu felt a pang of remorse; he had always been focused on himself, forgetting to care about his father’s condition. Once he won the Xue Tao Cup prize, he would ask Song Mingyue to help him purchase high-grade medicine for his father.

His father smiled at him. “When you get old, you lose your passion and courage, and just hope for stability.”

Before Gao Wu could respond, his father continued, “The warrior’s path is harsh, but also vibrant. Since you have made your choice, do not regret or hesitate.”

Gao Wu nodded solemnly, understanding his father’s meaning.

Injecting serums for rapid progress was a shortcut, but fraught with danger. His father had seen his issues, yet offered support, making Gao Wu both moved and ashamed.

His father said, “You’re now stronger than Qingjun was at your age, only lacking martial points. If you make the top four in the Xue Tao Cup, I’ll see about getting you into Anjing University—it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Gao Wu replied, his confidence soaring with his current physical state.

“The Xue Tao Cup will feature soldiers from the Aurora Legion. These military warriors have undergone bio-modification surgeries—nano liquid metal particles in their bones, keratinized skin scales, and so on. These enhancements greatly increase physical strength, even allowing them to withstand small-caliber rifle fire.”

His father continued, “There are other similar body enhancements that turn humans into formidable weapons. The ring allows only fists and feet; they have a huge advantage. You must be careful.”

Song Mingyue had also explained these matters and used various data to show the power of bio-modified warriors.

Gao Wu was prepared; his own constitution was robust, and with the Azure Dragon Spirit Incantation, he could rapidly recover strength, making him well-suited to counter these modified warriors.

He replied, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll handle it carefully.”

“By the way, several people have gone missing in the old city recently. I asked some friends at the Inspectorate, and it seems there have been many disappearances across nine counties and one city lately. It’s suspected that the All-Gods Cult is behind it.”

His father spoke earnestly, “The All-Gods Cult is despicable, but no one knows how many experts they have. You’re just a young warrior. If something happens, your first action should be to call the police—never act recklessly!”

“I understand,” Gao Wu agreed readily. He was well aware of his own limits, committed to doing good but not foolishly risking his life.

Besides, he spent most of his time at school and only went out during the day, making it unlikely he would encounter any of those cultists worshipping strange gods…