Ripples of azure lightning flickered continuously around Shi Feng's body. Though the arcs of electricity were fine and threadlike, their destructive power was roughly equivalent to a Tier 2 lightning spell.
"He actually succeeded!" A trace of astonishment appeared on the Fallen Angel Sereina's exquisite features.
Learning a Forbidden Technique was extremely difficult for both players and high-intelligence NPCs alike. It required prolonged, painstaking practice and a certain level of comprehension before one could master it.
Sereina wasn't the only one shocked — even Shi Feng himself was stunned.
For a Tier 1 Class to learn even a Tier 1 Forbidden Technique was no easy feat, let alone a Tier 2 one.
The requirements for Flash Burst, a Tier 2 Forbidden Technique, were absurdly high.
Even at 100% completion — something he had never achieved even when he had reached the peak of Tier 3 as a Sword King in his previous life. That level belonged to the absolute apex of the Divine Realm's experts.
Yet in this life, he had accomplished it while still at Tier 1. It felt like a dream.
"Ninety-nine more repetitions. I need to speed up." Although the intoxication was affecting him, Shi Feng's mind remained relatively clear. Eager not to lose the sensation from before, he immediately resumed his practice.
He repeated the technique two or three more times in succession, but each time the completion fell short of 100%, the highest reaching only 97%.
Hitting 100% on Flash Burst earlier had been pure luck — Shi Feng knew that well.
But having achieved 100% even once, doing so again would be much easier.
As Shi Feng continuously recalled the sensation from before, his completion rate climbed bit by bit, quickly reaching 99%, just a hair away from 100%.
"It's not just about controlling myself. I also need to adapt to the external environment — to change along with it." While reflecting, Shi Feng didn't just recall the moment Flash Burst had hit 100% completion; he also remembered the feeling when his Slashing skill had reached 101%.
Whether it was the realm of Inner Subtlety or the deeper realm of Flowing Water, both pursued internal mastery.
In terms of movement, even Sereina — a Tier 5 Fallen Angel — had said he was already doing very well, merely lacking a certain degree of comprehension.
If comprehension meant resonance, and resonance meant adaptation, then what he needed to do was adapt to the external environment. Using the same skill in different environments naturally yielded different results.
Take high-gravity environments versus normal ones — the effect on a player's skill completion was enormous. But what about changes so subtle they were nearly imperceptible?
Perhaps it was precisely those minute environmental differences. Even if a player's movements were already near-perfect, overlooking the slightest environmental factor could prevent skill completion from ever reaching 100%.
As Shi Feng continuously swung his sword to adapt to the flow of air, the friction between blade and atmosphere generated delicate electric currents. Instantly, those currents drew out countless arcs of azure lightning that swirled around his body.
System: Flash Burst skill completion 100%.
"So mastery really does progress from the inside out. Is this the next deeper realm?" Shi Feng finally understood the direction he needed to take going forward.
Now that he had a clear sense of his path, Shi Feng stopped focusing all his attention inward. Instead, he devoted more of his awareness to the surrounding environment.
The more familiar he became with his surroundings, the higher his Flash Burst completion climbed.
Now, nearly every four times he used Flash Burst, one repetition would hit 100% completion. And as he swung his sword, Shi Feng continuously made micro-adjustments to his movements to better harmonize with the external conditions.
After over half an hour of practice, Shi Feng's improvement was striking — now nearly every two uses of Flash Burst produced one at 100% completion.
Less than an hour after drinking the three bottles of Hundred Fruit Nectar, Shi Feng finally completed 100 repetitions of Flash Burst at 100% completion.
After his hundredth perfect repetition, Shi Feng's body was activated by the electric currents, his skin taking on a faint luminosity, his muscles growing denser and more powerful throughout.
System: Player has learned Flash Burst. Gained Lightning Body (Junior).
"My body feels so much lighter." Shi Feng gazed at his form, which faintly crackled with arcs of azure lightning, stunned. He took a moment to sense the changes more carefully, then exclaimed in wonder, "This Lightning Body is truly remarkable. It hasn't boosted any of my stats, but even though the gravity should still be three times normal, this body is far less affected by it. The gravitational pressure I'm feeling now is probably comparable to what five times gravity used to be."