They chatted for a while.
Seeing that it was already past noon, Matthew took the initiative to stand up and bid his farewells.
“Instructor, focus on preparing for your breakthrough. I'll head back first.”
Calm nodded, his expression gentle yet carrying his usual composure. “Go on, and be careful.”
“By the way, when I'm ready to absorb the crystal core and attempt my breakthrough to the Silver Rank, come over and watch.”
“The entire process should be of some help to you.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Matthew responded solemnly, a flicker of anticipation and gratitude passing through his eyes.
Although he was highly confident in his own ability to break through to the Silver Rank, he still welcomed the chance to observe up close the entire process of a veteran Brass Rank Class holder absorbing a crystal core to charge for the Silver Rank.
This was undoubtedly an extremely precious learning opportunity. Its value in helping him understand the application of life energy and the mysteries of a Class holder's advancement was inestimable.
Seeing that Calm had no further instructions, Matthew bowed again, then turned and left the courtyard.
Walking on the dirt road, Matthew remained in a great mood. He had finally obtained the Blue bow he had been yearning for, and its quality was exceptionally outstanding.
As he planned to practice his archery more to quickly familiarize himself with the White Fang Bow, he mused:
“But for now, I can't enter the forest... Fortunately, getting used to a bow doesn't require any specific location. Just practicing a lot will be enough.”
Just as he was thinking, a wave of hunger hit his stomach.
Matthew put his thoughts aside. His figure gradually vanished down the dirt path between the village cottages, the afternoon sun casting a long, thin shadow behind him.
...
...
A few days flew by.
Three days had passed since Regg and his group entered the forest. The open space outside Stone Mill Village where they had camped had long since returned to its empty state, leaving only a few patches of flattened grass and scattered hoofprints that were gradually fading in the wind.
Life in the village went on as usual, with the residents working at sunrise and resting at sunset. Occasionally, some villagers would look toward the forest from afar and whisper among themselves, but no unusual disturbances had occurred.
Matthew did not slack off over the past few days. Aside from his daily physical training, he spent his time repeatedly practicing with the White Fang Bow in the instructor's backyard.
The clear, steady twang of the bowstring rang out, and each arrow became increasingly precise and fluid. His synergy with this Blue bow deepened day by day.
During this time, he had also visited Instructor Calm twice. Seeing that the instructor was still quietly adjusting his state to make the final preparations for absorbing the crystal core and charging for the Silver Rank, Matthew did not disturb him much.
In the afternoon, Matthew put away his bow to rest, wiping the light sweat from his brow.
After eating his prepared lunch, he made his way to Calm's house.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, he found it empty, save for a pile of one-handed swords set aside.
Showing no surprise at this sight, Matthew quickly walked inside until he reached a certain room.
He raised his hand and knocked on the wooden door.
“Come in.”
Matthew pushed open the door and stepped inside. He saw Instructor Calm sitting upright on the bed. On the table in front of him, the crystal core obtained from Porter, some fresh water, and a cloth were neatly arranged. His expression was serene; he was clearly fully prepared.
Matthew stepped forward, bowed, and asked softly:
“Do you not need a few more days to prepare?”
“No need,” Calm said, shaking his head slightly. His gaze fell upon the crystal core, his tone steady yet resolute.
“I have been stuck at the Brass Rank for many years, and the life energy within my body has long since accumulated to its peak. These past few days were merely to adjust my state of mind.”
He paused briefly, looking at Matthew with his usual composure and a touch of gentle expectation.
“My state is at its peak; today is the right time. Watch quietly from the side and observe carefully.”
Hearing this, Matthew said no more. He stepped back and quietly focused his gaze on Instructor Calm.
From what he knew, the amount of life energy each person's body could accommodate had a natural upper limit, which was known as “talent.”
Those with extraordinary talent had extremely high limits of life energy. They could often rely solely on their own accumulation to break through bottlenecks in one go and step directly into a higher rank.
But Instructor Calm was by no means someone with such high talent.
He had spent many years immersed in the Brass Rank, relying on the slow, grinding effort of bitter cultivation to gradually push his life energy to the limit of what his aptitude could accommodate.
Furthermore, this “limit” was merely the peak of his personal aptitude, far from the theoretical peak of the Brass Rank.
Because of this, breaking through to the Silver Rank—which had far higher aptitude requirements than the Brass Rank—seemed incredibly difficult and uncertain for him.
Fortunately, although the crystal core he held was of relatively ordinary quality, it was highly suitable for him.
At the same time, this was the only opportunity he had waited years for. There was no room for shortcuts, nor any possibility of retreat.
His only choice was to give it his all.
Just then, Instructor Calm held the crystal core in his palm, pondered for a moment, and said:
“In truth, logically speaking, it would be much safer if I had some medicine to soothe the mind and stabilize energy during such a critical moment...”
A faint, slightly self-deprecating smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he continued:
“But then again, the quality of my crystal core is ordinary to begin with, so the energy it contains is limited. The commotion from my breakthrough probably won't be that big anyway.”
“Besides, I really don't have any decent belongings here. Let's just leave it at that. Relying on myself is enough. Having prepared for so many years, this is the moment I've been waiting for.”
Matthew listened quietly. He understood Instructor Calm's current state of mind. Even though the instructor was usually composed and taciturn, when facing this once-in-a-lifetime charge, he inevitably needed to use words to organize his thoughts and soothe his deepest anxieties.
At the same time, Matthew clearly realized that his previous assumptions might have been too simplistic.
Breaking through to the Silver Rank was perhaps far from as simple as he had imagined.
Every step before him was much heavier and more complex than he had envisioned.
Having spoken, Instructor Calm said no more, nor did he hesitate any longer.
He picked up the ordinary-quality, faintly glowing crystal core, took a deep breath, and swallowed it.
The crystal core slid into his stomach, showing no abnormalities at first.
The room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Matthew held his breath, watching without blinking.
A moment later, Instructor Calm's body suddenly stiffened!
A surge of life energy—not vast, yet exceptionally fierce—burst from the crystal core, rampaging into his already-filled life energy cycle.
Matthew's heart tightened along with it.
He saw Calm's face instantly turn beet red. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck, as if scalding lava were coursing through his body.
Seeing this, Matthew immediately recalled the instructor's previous teachings. He understood right away that this was the most dangerous hurdle of breaking through to the Silver Rank—forced expansion!
Because the instructor's own life energy had long since reached the limit of his personal aptitude, solidifying into a stable, “overflowing” state.
To break through this constraint, one had to forcefully carve out a larger “capacity” within this “overflowing” pond.
And this foreign energy from the crystal core was like a violent drill, seeking to smash open that barrier.
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