Luochuan's entire body felt as though it had been rewoven by an invisible set of hands; it was incredibly light. Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, he sensed the changes brought about by the fusion. Each breath he took felt fuller and more powerful than ever before.
> [Host: Luochuan]
> [Race: Human]
> [Rank: Shin (辛)]
> [Comprehension: High]
> [Aptitude: High]
> [Talent: Resonant Ears]
> [Skills: Bandaging (Proficient), Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash (Proficient), Second Form: Rice Spirit (Perfect), Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (Perfect), Total Concentration: Constant (Proficient)...]
>
"A two-rank jump? Is this the power of Proficient-level Total Concentration: Constant?" Luochuan was amazed looking at his rank. Not only had he skipped "Jin" (壬) to reach "Shin," but he also had a faint feeling that he wasn't far from the next rank, "Ko" (庚).
After eating over twenty rice balls to replenish his body, Luochuan returned to the courtyard with his sword, prepared to learn the remaining forms of Thunder Breathing. He had watched the old man teach Zenitsu before; although his comprehension had been too low to learn back then, he still remembered the key points of each form.
Following those memories, sparks of electricity began to appear around him. First was the Third Form: Thunder Swarm. The core of this form involved rotating at high speed around the enemy, leaving wave-like lightning trails that sounded like a swarm of mosquitoes.
Luochuan dashed forward. Rotating, leaving lightning waves, and producing the piercing sound of mosquitoes—it was all done in one smooth motion. He had successfully performed the Third Form on his very first attempt!
He stared blankly at his sword. The form he couldn't grasp no matter how hard he tried before was now learned just like that? It seemed his high proficiency in the First, Second, and Fifth forms, combined with his new aptitude, was driving his mastery of the other interconnected forms.
He moved on to the Fourth Form: Distant Thunder and the Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash. Both were mastered in a single execution, though the Sixth Form was slightly more difficult and physically taxing. By noon, he had elevated the Third and Fourth forms to "Mastery" level, while the Sixth Form required more work due to its high stamina consumption.
"Luochuan!! Come out quick, I'm dying!" Zenitsu's wailing drifted in from outside. Luochuan opened the door to find Zenitsu face-down in the dirt, covered in tears and dust.
"I'm going to kick the bucket, really! I feel like I'm dying right now!" Zenitsu wailed even louder upon seeing Luochuan. He had tried to run away to the foot of the mountain, only to be caught and beaten by the old man again.
As Luochuan turned to get ointment, Zenitsu grabbed his leg. "If I keep training like this, I'll really die... live a good life without me... marry a pretty girl... have kids... just don't forget me..."
Luochuan suppressed the urge to kick him away and limped back inside to get the medicine.
In the afternoon, both were dragged to training. While Zenitsu trained alone on the back mountain, Luochuan followed the old man to the peach grove. By the end of the day, Luochuan's proficiency in the Third and Fourth forms skyrocketed, and his Sixth Form reached "Mastery". The old man was surprised by the sudden jump but eventually brushed his doubts aside.
"The selection begins the day after tomorrow. You and Zenitsu leave tomorrow," the old man said. He warned Luochuan not to underestimate demons. Just then, Zenitsu's grumbling interrupted them from the back mountain.
"Take care of Zenitsu out there..." the old man requested. Luochuan nodded; even without being asked, he intended to look after the friend who had given him four rewards.
The old man paused, looking seriously at Luochuan. "You be careful, too." Luochuan's fingers trembled slightly as he nodded again.
Zenitsu arrived, surprised to see Luochuan there since he supposedly had no talent. He immediately clung to Luochuan, crying for a while before letting go.
"Zenitsu," the old man said softly. "No training tomorrow."
Zenitsu's face lit up instantly. "Really? That's great! No more of this rotten training!"
"The Final Selection is the day after tomorrow," the old man continued. "You leave tomorrow."
Zenitsu froze, his excitement vanishing. "Gramps, Luochuan and I can't pass that! We'll die! Luochuan hasn't even trained, he definitely won't make it!"
The old man glanced at Luochuan. If Luochuan couldn't pass the Final Selection, then no one could.