"Chen Guan, this doesn't mean anything, others can do it just as well, if not better than me." The veteran was still feeling a bit insecure.
"Again." Chen Guan ignored him, this time directly picking up two stones and tossing them into the air.
The veteran thought it was impossible to hit two such small, fast-flying stones consecutively, but to convince Chen Guan, he still drew his bow and shot.
Yet at the moment he released, the veteran felt an indescribable sensation, allowing him to smoothly and rapidly draw his bow twice, releasing two consecutive arrows in a single motion. He couldn't explain why, but the veteran felt these two arrows had something special, as if he had entered an extraordinary state he usually couldn't reach.
Sure enough, both arrows hit their marks, striking two stones flying in different directions at almost the same moment, knocking them down. Even the veteran himself could hardly believe it.
"Continue." This time, Chen Guan tossed four stones into the air because the veteran only had four arrows left.
The veteran instinctively drew his bow, his fingers moving like phantoms, releasing arrow after arrow that struck the flying stones from the sky with such precision that even he found it hard to believe, feeling as if he could have hit another stone if there were more.
The veteran couldn't believe it himself, staring blankly at the hand holding the bow.
"Veteran, don't underestimate yourself, you've always been excellent. Your talent as a shooter is unique; hitting the mark every time is not difficult for you. Don't limit yourself, give yourself some confidence, and you'll become the world's greatest archer." Chen Guan said, patting the veteran on the shoulder.
The Spirit of the Cheerleaders indeed works even on cultivators, and the effect is better than Chen Guan had anticipated, even enhancing shooting accuracy.
Know that shooting accurately is a very challenging task, especially with moving targets, as there are too many variables, making a perfect hit almost impossible.
Yet the encouragement from the Spirit of the Cheerleaders made the veteran's accuracy so remarkable, the potential it could unlock was quite astonishing.
"The world's... greatest... archer..." The veteran felt a rush of hot blood to his head, as if enlightened, dizzy, with a feeling of transcending the mundane world.
At this moment, the veteran felt as if he were invincible, hitting the mark every time was child's play.
Chen Guan was somewhat nervous inside; it was his first time using the Spirit of the Cheerleaders on a human and he wasn't sure if it would be discovered. If it were found out, he had already thought of some excuses, planning to reveal a weakened version of his talent.
But soon, Chen Guan realized his worries were unnecessary; the veteran hadn't even realized his sudden accuracy was due to Chen Guan's ability, thinking just as Chen Guan had said, that he simply lacked confidence, and that's why he had been off his game lately.
Of course, the main reason was that the Spirit of the Cheerleaders didn't bestow external power but only tapped into one's potential, so even those boosted by it wouldn't realize it, instead believing their current state had naturally improved.
"Chen Guan, you're right. It's my first time entering the Secret Realm, and after some setbacks, I lost myself and became unconfident, which is why my aim suffered. You woke up the true me." The veteran said excitedly, gripping Chen Guan's shoulder, "Now I've come to my senses. As long as I am confident enough, with my talent, I can become a powerful archer, making those who looked down on me regret it, making Ji Nanhong regret kicking me out of the Elite Squad..."
"Veteran, I believe you can absolutely do it; in this area, you've always been the best." Chen Guan's eyes were firm, and his voice was powerful, continuing to offer emotional support.
"Let's go, I'll take you to kill Secret Spirits to level up first, then when we're both at level ten, we'll go to Golem Valley to kill golems, and obtain Unparalleled Secret Treasures, making Ji Nanhong and the others regret." The veteran, bursting with confidence, wished he could rush off to Golem Valley right now and shoot the golems down with one arrow.
Fortunately, he retained a shred of reason, fearing his recent success was merely due to luck, wanting to verify whether his archery remained consistently accurate by leveling up.
"Chen Guan, what Secret Technique are you practicing now?" The veteran asked as they walked, wanting to know how Chen Guan could level up, since different Secret Techniques absorbed Primordial Energy in different ways to increase levels.
Right now, the veteran was using a rare Secret Technique, the "Stealth Killing Skill," borrowed from a rare Secret Spirit called the "Stealth Killer," allowing him to absorb part of the Primordial Energy leaking from Secret Spirits upon their demise. The amount he could absorb was quite small, and he could only take the spillage, unable to absorb actively, making it less effective than the Blood-sucking Technique.
By cultivating the Stealth Killing Skill, the veteran increases his Primordial Energy cap by 1.63 with each level, also providing a significant strengthening effect on his body.
"I'm still practicing the Longevity Skill, I haven't found a suitable new cultivation technique yet, still at level 1. If possible, I'd like to acquire some high-quality, unique Secret Technique to level up." Chen Guan explained his pursuit directly, which was intentional because if a Secret Technique dropped from the golems, he needed it in his hands; otherwise, collaborating with the veteran to slay golems would be meaningless.
"Chen Guan, you're too idealistic. Unique high-level Secret Techniques aren't that easily obtained. Getting hold of a rare Secret Technique or uncommon one with a growth rate of over 1.6 to practice for now is sufficient; after leveling up, you can hunt for high-quality Secret Techniques, and the difference in Primordial Energy won't be too drastic." The veteran said, taking a Secret Core from his clothing pocket and handing it to Chen Guan: "This is the rare Secret Technique 'Vajra Skill' I've collected. Like the Longevity Skill, it absorbs Heaven and Earth Elemental Energy in the Secret Realm for growth, but its absorption rate is much faster than the Longevity Skill. You can start practicing it now, and switch to more advanced Secret Techniques once we find them."
"Even if I reach level ten, my combat power itself won't be very high, so I can't help much. With the makeup of your divine shooting abilities, it's enough to annihilate the golem. Let's focus on leveling up your pet, okay?" Chen Guan paused, looking at the veteran, and said, "After we kill the golem, if Secret Skills, Secret Treasures or pets drop, you can have them. But if a Secret Technique drops, can I have it?"
"Of course, no problem, it's a deal." The veteran agreed without hesitation.
"By the way, what level is your cute rabbit pet?" The veteran asked.
"Level 2." Chen Guan replied honestly.
The veteran's eyes widened in surprise, "Level 2? It can decapitate a mutant corpse lump with one strike at level 2; that's some insane attack power! Are you sure it's only level 2?"
The veteran originally thought Chen Guan's pet would need to be at least level five to decapitate a mutant corpse lump in a sneak attack.
"Just reached level 2, no mistake." Chen Guan said.
"A unique Secret Spirit is indeed markedly stronger than ordinary Secret Spirits. Those with Secret Treasures are truly different." The veteran exclaimed with a brighter look in his eyes, "Having such a pet, maybe we really can kill that Great Black Celestial Demon Statue Secret Spirit!"
After pondering a moment, the veteran spoke again, "Your pet may be powerful, but its level is too low. Going to high-level areas isn't suitable. Let's head to Corpse Lump Forest and hunt the corpse lumps first. Normal ones are just level four or five, and the mutant one was only level six or seven. With our combined forces, we should manage, as long as we don't run into the level ten Corpse Lump Forest leader, we should be safe."
Chen Guan had no objections, leading his pet Whitey alongside the veteran, following the creek upstream. The stream wound through the mountains like a green python, with strange flowers and herbs growing along its banks, as well as various fungi and bizarre-shaped fruits, rarely seen outside the Blessed Land.
Some Heavenly and Earthly Treasures within the Blessed Land can increase one's Primordial Energy cap. The academy's study of Secret Realm botany records numerous mysterious fruits, one of which is the rare Primordial Yang Fruit, eating it can increase one's Primordial Energy cap by over a hundred overnight.
There are also many rare fruits with various miraculous effects, but these rare fruits are extremely scarce. Most of the strange flowers and herbs in the Blessed Land contain toxins and cannot be consumed at will, and many have died from accidental ingestion.