This incense seems to be toxic...

Lu Yuan suddenly realized this after spending a while alone in the room.

He had been staring at the ancient painting on the wall when he noticed the white crane depicted in it seemed to mysteriously move.

It hadn't truly moved. It seemed he was experiencing an illusion.

It's not exactly poison; it's likely some kind of hallucinogenic incense...

Lu Yuan instantly understood this after giving it some thought.

The so-called True Skill Contemplation was intended to put the practitioner into a mentally dream-like state, allowing them to better grasp the martial arts mysteries contained within the painting.

The deeper one delved into Ancient Martial Arts, the more mysterious they became.

The existence of such a process was not surprising.

This is bad...

Lu Yuan's expression turned a little grim.

He realized that his Constitution of 18 points granted him unusually high poison resistance.

During previous assessments, he had been able to neutralize most of the poison administered by the round-faced boy.

The incense lit by Master Liudao Yuan might not even be considered poison.

When Lu Yuan first smelled the incense, he felt slight hallucinatory effects, but after adapting for a while, his mind became clearer than ever.

Lu Yuan grew restless.

Although he could experience the process of releasing True Skill through the [Imaginary Enemy] and benefit from profound insights due to his high intellect, making enlightenment only a matter of time, this was clearly an excellent opportunity for a "shortcut." It would be a pity to miss it.

After some thought, Lu Yuan picked up the incense burner in front of him and brought it to his face.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke rising directly from the burner.

The pale blue smoke was entirely inhaled by Lu Yuan, none of it escaping.

Instantly, a powerful wave of dizziness struck Lu Yuan's mind.

Lu Yuan swayed slightly, squinting his eyes to look at the ancient painting on the wall again.

In the haze, the white crane in the painting began to flap its wings, flying swiftly through dense clouds.

That should do it...

Lu Yuan sighed in relief and then entered Level 3 [Absolute Focus], attentively observing the painting.

「.....」

Master Liudao Yuan stood at the entrance of the meditation room. His eyes emitted two beams of blue light directed towards his chest and abdomen.

He took a deep breath, and a faint white light seemed to flash in the darkness.

"THUMP, THUMP—"

Several quiet, muffled sounds emanated from his aged body before he coughed up a mouthful of dark red blood.

However, before the dark red substance could hit the ground, he flicked his sleeve, and it instantly evaporated into an invisible vapor, disappearing without a trace. Only a faint smell of blood remained in the air.

After doing this, he appeared somewhat drained, but he quickly recovered, his proud and aloof demeanor returning.

Time ticked by, second by second.

After an unknown amount of time, Master Liudao Yuan suddenly turned to face the meditation room.

"CREAK—"

With the soft sound of the small door being pulled open, a familiar figure appeared.

Lu Yuan calmly walked out of the meditation room.

"Master."

Master Liudao Yuan looked at him, his eyes flickering slightly as he asked, "Have you comprehended anything?"

Lu Yuan lowered his head, not speaking.

Suddenly, he lashed out.

His fingers bent, forming the shape of a crane's claw.

White light shimmered at his fingertips. The flow of energy produced a sharp, low whistle, like a crane's cry, echoing through the corridor.

The air seemed to tear, and faint, distorting ripples appeared between his fingers.

An inexplicable power instantly permeated the entire space.

A delighted expression appeared on Master Liudao Yuan's face. He flicked his sleeve, deflecting Lu Yuan's strike, then burst out laughing. The laughter was so powerful it shook dust from the corridor ceiling, which rustled down.

Lu Yuan lowered the hand he had struck with, his expression neutral, though the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Only he could see it on his [Fighter] Profession Panel.

A skill icon was dazzlingly lit.

It was the newly unlocked skill—

[Profession Sure-Kill Skill: Heaven Water Sect Crane Faction Claw Technique Esoteric True Skill—Spirit Crane Skill: Mistakenly Picked Immortal Orchid!]

「.....」

"When will you arrive?"

"I'm not sure. Yuan has changed so much. If it weren't for that lingering sense of familiarity, I'd hardly recognize him..."

"Mm, be careful on your way. Contact me when you arrive."

"....."

Lu Jing put down her phone and looked around the room. It was enormous, several times larger than her entire house.

A look of deep confusion and bewilderment crossed her delicate face.

"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK—"

A soft knock sounded at the door.

Lu Jing, looking somewhat nervous, immediately stood up from the sofa and hurried to open the door.

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man in loose-fitting practice clothes. His short ponytail was neatly tied, and he stood at the entrance with a kind, deferential smile, bowing respectfully.

"Miss Lu, would you like to have dinner now?"

Lu Jing was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Oh, yes, please."

She was indeed a bit hungry. After getting off the plane, apart from a few small snacks on the high-speed train, she hadn't eaten anything else.

Having received Lu Jing's affirmative reply, the middle-aged man with the ponytail turned and seemed to give instructions to someone.

Then, Lu Jing saw a line of servants in traditional Chinese-style uniforms walking towards her down the corridor, each carrying a dish.

For a moment, Lu Jing almost felt as if she had transmigrated into a historical court drama, like a princess or a noble lady in an imperial palace or a prince's mansion...

And all of this was because of her younger brother—the same brother who, just four months ago, had been introverted, shy, obedient, and in poor health. His academic performance was average, and he preferred to spend his days alone in his room, playing games and reading manga.

Lu Jing dazedly stepped back, making way for the staff to serve the food.

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