“小 friend, the baleful aura on you is even stronger than your murderous intent, and judging by the looks of it, this isn’t something that happened just recently.” The master carefully chose his words, trying not to startle the young man before him. However, he clearly underestimated Evan Parker’s nerves. Upon hearing this, Evan Parker didn’t even twitch an eyelid, simply waiting quietly for his explanation.

“The murderous aura you accumulated over years in the army is enough to keep ordinary demons at bay. For such a baleful aura to form on you, and even affect your cultivation, it can’t be the work of an ordinary demon.” The master didn’t hide anything, voicing his own speculation.

Evan Parker thought carefully for a moment, then decided to recount to the master what he had witnessed that day. As soon as Evan Parker described the scene of that person standing in midair, the master seemed to understand something, but he didn’t interrupt, quietly listening as Evan Parker narrated the entire process, even asking to see the so-called super kitchen knife Evan Parker mentioned, examining it for quite a while.

“A true master!” Even in the eyes of Evan Parker, who saw him as an accomplished monk, Edward Carter could not help but look up and sigh when he heard about that person’s cultivation: “What a pity!” His face was full of undisguised admiration and regret.

In the time that followed, Evan Parker heard for the first time the new terms “heavenly tribulation” and “transcending tribulation.” Such things that even the heavens would envy, that the heavens would use such means to test.

Evan Parker didn’t know by what means one could reach such heights, to the point that even the heavens would be jealous. But right before him was a master, whose martial skills might not be much, but whose experience and knowledge far surpassed his own. Before his injuries healed, these questions would be answered.

In the master’s eyes, the injuries were troublesome. It wasn’t that Evan Parker’s body was weak, nor that his cultivation was lacking; the key issue was the technique he practiced.

Perhaps Evan Parker’s talent was outstanding, and he had an extraordinary aptitude for such killing martial arts, but these advantages, which would make ordinary martial artists green with envy, could not make up for the flaws in the cultivation technique.

The kind of rapid mastery technique popularized in the army, which even officers above the rank of deputy general disdained to learn, could indeed allow an ordinary soldier to quickly become someone who could use inner strength to defeat enemies. However, behind this rapid progress lay irreparable flaws.

To suit the needs of the army, the designers of this technique not only made it quick to learn, but also accessible to all, regardless of talent. Of course, different aptitudes and comprehension would lead to different levels of cultivation, but aside from that, it was very suitable for large-scale promotion in the army.

However, the consequence of rapid mastery was that those who practiced such techniques could never reach the pinnacle. Not to mention the prestigious martial families and sects of the martial world—even officers with some connections in the army would not choose to practice them. Only the lowest-ranking soldiers would practice these techniques, which could greatly enhance their combat power.

As someone who started as a soldier in the army, Evan Parker, in just five years of service, relied on his extraordinary comprehension, exceptional talent, and diligent effort to reach the highest level possible for this technique in less than three years. Not only that, through his efforts, he managed to break through the limitations of the technique, reaching a realm even its creators could not describe.

Unfortunately, even at such a height, he still could not overcome the innate shortcomings of the technique, and could only go so far—unable to make any further progress.

The trouble in the master’s eyes stemmed from this. In his view, Evan Parker’s talent was almost otherworldly, but unfortunately, he not only lost his virginity in the army, but was also limited by a technique that, even to someone who never practiced martial arts, seemed useless. Such talent and comprehension were truly a pity.

Although the master did not practice martial arts, his expertise in medicine gave him a clear understanding of Evan Parker’s meridian injuries. To treat the deviations caused by the innate flaws of his technique, which were made even more troublesome by other factors, would indeed require great effort.

Fortunately, the master did not shrink back because of the trouble. Instead, he candidly explained these difficulties to Evan Parker, and frankly stated that the necessary treatment might inevitably lead to a decline in Evan Parker’s cultivation.

A decline in cultivation is an indescribable sorrow for any martial artist. For Evan Parker, it was no exception, and an expression of disappointment inevitably appeared on his face.

“To gain, one must first let go. Without letting go, how can there be gain?” Edward Carter seemed to see through Evan Parker’s thoughts. Instead of trying to comfort him directly, he used a profound saying that Evan Parker might not even understand. Who knew what he really meant.

Chapter 3: Rest and Recuperation (Part 1)