"‘Drifting Crossing’? You chose this manual?"

　　The Elder in White Robe’s brows furrowed slightly.

　　"Exactly."

　　William Bennett replied respectfully.

　　"This manual has circulated for a thousand years. Its profound mysteries far surpass even advanced techniques." At this point, The Elder in White Robe’s tone shifted: "However, only a quarter of this manual’s content is legible. More importantly, it is extremely difficult to cultivate. In the past, even some of the clan’s geniuses rarely succeeded. Even if you do succeed... it is only suitable for those below Martial Arts Level Four, with limited potential."

　　Finally, The Elder in White Robe warned, "I advise you to choose another technique. Don’t waste too much effort on this one, or you may never break through to Martial Arts Level Four and become a true martial artist."

　　"Thank you for your advice, Elder, but my mind is made up."

　　William Bennett’s expression was calm.

　　Watching William Bennett leave, The Elder in White Robe shook his head. "Young people these days, always aiming too high."

　　He didn’t believe William Bennett could master ‘Drifting Crossing’. Even if, by some miracle, he did—so what if the technique was incomplete?

　　Leaving the Xuanwu Pavilion, William Bennett returned home.

　　Sitting on his bed, he closed his eyes, and the contents of over a hundred martial arts manuals quickly flooded his mind...

Chapter 006: Choosing Martial Arts (Part 2)

　　Suddenly possessing so many martial arts manuals, William Bennett was more excited than ever before. He couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh, taking a long time to calm down.

　　In Xiangyun Country, an intermediate martial arts manual was worth several hundred taels of silver, while William Bennett’s monthly clan allowance was only ten taels.

　　Of course, he couldn’t sell the clan’s martial arts manuals to outsiders. Otherwise, according to clan rules: his cultivation would be abolished, and he’d be expelled from the family.

　　The hundred-plus martial arts manuals William Bennett "brought out" from the Xuanwu Pavilion were mostly high-grade items from the first floor, each with its own merits, making it hard for him to choose.

　　Selecting a few techniques suitable for himself from these manuals was no easy task.

　　Fortunately, the contents of these techniques were imprinted perfectly in his mind. With a turn of thought, William Bennett compared them one by one, analyzing which martial arts suited him best.

　　A single martial art could enhance strength; but combining multiple techniques could have an even greater effect, boosting cultivation.

　　In just half an hour, William Bennett filtered out four martial arts from over a hundred manuals: "Drifting Crossing," "Furious Dragon Fist," "Qi Circulation Formula," and "Meteor Chain Arrows."

　　"Drifting Crossing" was, without a doubt, the highest-level technique among them, especially since William Bennett hoped to decipher its later sections.

　　Next were "Furious Dragon Fist" and "Qi Circulation Formula," which complemented each other.

　　"Furious Dragon Fist" was a standout among intermediate martial arts, extremely powerful, able to condense and strengthen the body’s vital energy and blood, overwhelming opponents with sheer force and explosive power.

　　This was a peak intermediate fist technique, its might nearly rivaling some advanced martial arts.

　　What William Bennett valued most about "Furious Dragon Fist" was its ability to enhance the body’s vital energy and blood.

　　Because powerful vital energy and blood are the foundation and prerequisite for cultivating "martial inner strength."

　　Martial inner strength is the key to breaking through to Martial Arts Level Four, the true mark of a "martial artist."

　　Cleverly, the "Qi Circulation Formula" was a near-advanced breathing technique, moving the practitioner’s vital energy and blood, enhancing constitution, strength, and vitality. Mastering it could lead to comprehending "martial inner strength."

　　"‘Furious Dragon Fist’ and ‘Qi Circulation Formula’ are a perfect match, complementing each other and greatly increasing their power—at least comparable to advanced techniques, and they raise the chance of grasping ‘martial inner strength’."

　　William Bennett was quite pleased.

　　As for the last, "Meteor Chain Arrows," it was a near-advanced archery manual.

　　Why choose an archery manual?

　　It was related to William Bennett’s left eye ability.

　　"If I don’t cultivate an archery technique, I’d be letting down my left eye’s special power..."

　　A faint smile appeared at the corner of William Bennett’s mouth.

　　It was easy to imagine—with his left eye’s special ability, he was a born "divine archer," able to push the power of archery techniques to the limit...

　　With his techniques chosen, William Bennett began to cultivate.

　　He started with the "Qi Circulation Formula." Strong vital energy and physical strength were the foundation of cultivation. The stronger the vital energy, the more powerful the "Furious Dragon Fist," which focused on close combat.

　　Closing his eyes, William Bennett immersed his mind in the contents of the "Qi Circulation Formula."

　　After half a stick of incense, the vital energy and blood in his body began to slowly circulate and move...

　　"So easy?"

　　William Bennett was a bit surprised.

　　According to the "Qi Circulation Formula," it usually took ordinary people four or five days, or even ten days to half a month, to get their vital energy and blood circulating.

　　Could he be a legendary cultivation genius?

　　William Bennett thought for a moment, then decisively denied it. If he were a genius, breaking through to Martial Arts Level Two earlier wouldn’t have been so difficult.

　　He realized that the mysterious fusion in his left eye had greatly increased his mental power... his reaction, analytical, and comprehension abilities were several times greater than normal.

　　While cultivating the "Qi Circulation Formula," William Bennett’s left eye faintly echoed with a "thump-thump" sound.

　　At the same time, in the pitch-black space, that two-foot-long pale blue spiral halo began to spin faster.

　　Half a day later.

　　William Bennett successfully mastered the first level of the "Qi Circulation Formula," his body expelling a thin layer of foul-smelling sweat.

　　He felt his vital energy and blood were more than thirty percent stronger than before.

　　Success?