Chapter 58 Swimming

Looking at the stubborn young girl before him, Zhang Deshuai felt a twinge of sympathy. Thinking of his own carefree first half of life, he had no idea how to comfort her, so he hurriedly changed the subject once again.

"Don't sects all have creeds and core principles? What does the Shura Sect believe in?"

"I am not entirely sure. They are extremely mysterious, and Father is unwilling to reveal much to me," Wang Shuhan replied, shaking her head.

"Anyway, in the future, if you encounter anyone who calls themselves a follower of Shura, do not hesitate."

"Run."

"The Zhaiyu Court, the Shura Sect..."

So even a sect as imposing as the Severing Sect was merely a drop in the ocean within this world of cultivation?

Led by Wang Yan, the group walked into a courtyard featuring a pond. Wang Yan introduced it to Zhang Deshuai, "This is the training ground of our Severing Sect."

Looking at the empty training ground, Zhang Deshuai asked in confusion, "Isn't this the time for training? Why is there not a single person here?"

Wang Yan smiled faintly and pointed toward the ceiling.

Zhang Deshuai looked up and saw more than a dozen figures dressed in black, hanging upside down from the roof beams like bats, their glowing red eyes locked onto him with a chilling stare.

"Holy shit!" Startled, Zhang Deshuai lost his footing and tumbled backward into the pond behind him.

"Help! Save me! I can't swim!" Choking on several mouthfuls of water, Zhang Deshuai thrashed frantically in the pond.

"Haha, you brat! Your old man deliberately fell into this very pond back in the day, and he claimed he couldn't swim either," Wang Yan laughed heartily, looking down at Zhang Deshuai in the water.

Seeing that Zhang Deshuai showed no intention of getting out of the water, Wang Yan, as the head of the sect, began to feel a little awkward.

"Hey, hey, hey! My good nephew, that's quite enough. Don't take your Uncle Wang for a fool!"

Zhang Deshuai remained silent, his flailing movements growing weaker and weaker.

Watching his desperate struggle, Wang Yan secretly pulled Wang Jiabai closer and whispered in her ear, "I must say, this kid truly has extraordinary talent. Back in the day, even his old man couldn't act this convincingly."

A faint smile still lingering on her lips, Wang Jiabai softly replied, "Is there any possibility that he genuinely cannot swim?"

"Holy shit! Nephew, hold on!"

Seeing that Zhang Deshuai was about to sink to the bottom of the pond, Wang Yan shouted, leaped into the water with a loud splash, grabbed Zhang Deshuai, and effortlessly tossed him onto the bank.

Zhang Deshuai rolled a few times on the ground like a round ball, then lay completely motionless, twitching a couple of times like an earthworm washed onto a concrete road by a torrential rainstorm, unable to find any mud to burrow into under the scorching sun of the next day.

Noticing that Zhang Deshuai had gone completely limp, Wang Yan panicked slightly. Qi surged through his hand, and he slapped Zhang Deshuai firmly on the stomach.

"Blech!"

Lying facedown on the ground, Zhang Deshuai vomited until tears and snot streamed down his face, while Wang Yan patted his back with an expression of profound guilt.

"Ah, nephew, it's uncle's fault! Uncle thought you were just joking!"

Looking thoroughly like a drowned chicken, Zhang Deshuai spat out the last mouthful, lay weakly on the floor, and wheezed powerlessly, "Uncle Wang, please stop toying with me. Did my old man have a debt of gratitude or a blood feud with you? If it's a feud, just give me a quick death today."

"Hehe, nephew, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding," Wang Yan said awkwardly, scratching his head.

His disheveled appearance combined with Wang Yan's apologetic expression was simply too comical. The master and disciple duo, Wang Jiabai and Wang Shuhan, burst into uncontrollable laughter, and even the black-clad figures on the roof could not help snickering out loud.

As Zhang Deshuai lay on the ground, he suddenly felt an extremely powerful wave of warmth coursing through his body, endless and continuous.

Instantly re-energized, he looked at Wang Yan with a hint of admiration and couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.

"Brilliant move! Uncle Wang truly has brilliant methods. Such masterful strategy—you are indeed a true sect master!"

"Is this bastard out of his mind..." Everyone stared at the deranged youth, utterly speechless.

After making a complete fool of himself, Zhang Deshuai finally settled into the quarters arranged for him by Wang Yan.

Feeling the surging strength within his body, Zhang Deshuai pulled the two tattered books from his bosom and examined them closely.

*(Dusk Secret Manual - Strength)*
*(Dusk Secret Manual - Resilience)*
...

After a moment of thought, Zhang Deshuai casually tucked the *(Dusk Secret Manual - Strength)* back into his robes.

Between bizarre beasts, the Zhaiyu Court, and the Shura Sect, I'd better honestly max out my defense first.

Just like playing an online game, you pump all your points into defense to raise your survival rate before slowly learning offensive techniques.

Zhang Deshuai was a conservative at heart.

He opened the secret scroll and began cultivating according to the guidance within. Within a short while, he felt his entire body grow scorching hot as sweat poured off him like rain. As he stretched his limbs, his bones crackled loudly, and every muscle in his body contracted and vibrated.

"Holy shit, am I going through a growth spurt?"

Zhang Deshuai leaped off the bed, feeling as though his body had never been this light. He walked over to the mirror and inspected his physique.

"Not only did I grow taller, but my muscles have become much firmer."

Looking at his thoroughly transformed self, Zhang Deshuai felt his heart pounding wildly.

"Could it be..."

He suddenly pulled down his pants and looked inside, inspecting himself for a long while before raising his head with tears streaming down his face.

"I love you, Dad."

"What on earth is he doing?!"

Peeking through the doorway, Wang Shuhan blushed deeply and fled as if escaping for her life.

She had only wanted to catch a glimpse of the miraculous Dusk Bloodline, never expecting that instead of successfully practicing his cultivation, this shameless scoundrel would start inspecting his own little brother first.

Zhang Deshuai didn't actually dwell on his little brother for long. Feeling the boundless power coursing through him, he wasted no time, crossed his legs right where he stood, and continued to cultivate the flowing technique.

The Dusk Bloodline surged and churned within his body, remolding his tendons and bones, forging new flesh and blood!

Zhang Deshuai practiced diligently through the entire night, completely forgetting about sleep or food. Not only did he feel no fatigue whatsoever, but his spirit felt unprecedentedly vibrant.

It wasn't until noon the next day, when the sunlight streamed through the patterned curtains and fell upon Zhang Deshuai, that he finally emerged from his deep state of cultivation.

Opening his eyes, Zhang Deshuai was first hit by a pungent, fishy stench, followed by a deeply sticky sensation over his skin. Looking closely, he discovered that his entire body was covered in a thick layer of foul impurities.

"Ugh..." The smell was simply too revolting.

The acrid stench was so strong that Zhang Deshuai could barely keep his eyes open. Holding his nose, he bolted toward the bathroom, but accidentally smeared some of the filth directly onto his gums.

"Ugh........."

Nearly an hour later, Zhang Deshuai finally finished cleaning himself up. When he stepped out of the room, he saw Wang Yan holding a set of clean clothes, looking with a complex expression at the cultivation manuals scattered on the floor.