Chapter 94: Sunflower Phantom

Previously, skills like the "Rich Woman's Joy Ball" and "Stare-to-Conceive" appeared disappointing at first glance, but a closer look revealed their potential as god-tier abilities when utilized effectively.

This new one, however, seemed utterly useless no matter how he looked at it. It only prompted the target to respond with "What are you looking at?", offering neither damage nor crowd control. It felt like a completely worthless skill.

A thought suddenly struck him: could it be a taunting skill that easily provoked opponents when used? Yet, he quickly dismissed this notion. After all, merely asking "What are you looking at?" was inherently provocative, even without a specific skill. What surprised him, however, was that this skill, unlike the previous ones, didn't have a limited number of uses; it seemed infinitely repeatable.

This thought brought a slight sense of balance to Zu An, yet the realization that this skill was undoubtedly weaker than the previous ones left him conflicted, unsure whether to feel happy or disappointed.

He continued the lottery draw, but nothing different emerged after that—only "thank you for participating" messages or Vitality Fruits. This was within his expectations, as the probability of drawing two skills in one go was almost negligible.

His third formation had previously been one-third filled. After consuming and refining all the Vitality Fruits he had just drawn, this formation was now completely full. He could distinctly feel that he could now manage to summon "Great Wind" twice, whereas before, a single summon would nearly deplete all his elemental energy.

It seemed that with each level increase, his elemental energy became more abundant, and the effects were quite noticeable.

This led him to wonder what new skills might emerge once all nine formations in this layer were filled. The "Great Wind" from the first layer had been quite miraculous; surely, subsequent layers would yield even more powerful abilities?

However, the thought of the astronomical amount of rage required for future upgrades made Zu An sigh. "Never mind," he decided, "let's not dwell on such distant concerns. The immediate priority is preparing for the competition the day after tomorrow."

With his current abilities, Zu An felt confident he could defend himself against Yuan Wendong in the arena. However, he remembered the beautiful principal's words: in this world, the strong only grow stronger because they alone can secure a continuous flow of resources. Thus, constantly concealing one's true abilities was not a viable long-term strategy.

He also understood that it would be a waste not to fully leverage the significant platform provided by the Chu family. To do so, he needed the Chu family to recognize his worth.

While his own personality was a bit mischievous, he didn't fault the Chu family for their previous coldness towards him. The old Zu An had indeed been a good-for-nothing; if he were a member of the Chu family, his attitude likely wouldn't have been any different.

In contrast, leaving aside his sister-in-law, even Chu Chuyan and his father-in-law, Chu Zhongtian, had actually treated him reasonably well. Their attitudes were based on the assumption that he was useless, and given that premise, their demeanor was already quite tolerant.

Only Qin Wanru had been truly harsh towards him. *Hmph*, he thought, if only he had known, he would have given her clothes to that pervert Ji Dengtu...

Following the beautiful principal's guidance, he realized it was time to demonstrate his value to the Chu family. Ideally, he should make them increasingly reliant on him, so much so that even if Chu Chuyan were unwilling, they would actively send her to his bed...

Zu An couldn't help but grin foolishly, a pleasant image bringing a trace of drool to his lips.

On the other hand, he wasn't confident he could genuinely defeat Yuan Wendong. His opponent was, after all, a Fifth-Rank master. He had seen him manipulate weapons at school, an uncanny resemblance to the "Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin" technique. While Pei Mianman's black flames could melt his weapons, Zu An would surely be riddled with holes if he faced him head-on.

Furthermore, in an arena match, under everyone's gaze, he was reluctant to reveal all his trump cards. Showing his value was one thing, but exposing all his secret abilities would be counterproductive; he still planned to surprise people in the future.

The "Gou" culture, so prevalent in his previous life, made perfect sense: quietly amass wealth, for a tree that stands out in the forest will surely be toppled by the wind...

After much contemplation, he decided to focus on the "Thirteen Forms of Basic Swordsmanship" that Bai Susu had taught him earlier that day. Although this set of sword forms was largely impractical for most, it seemed uniquely suited to him. If mastered, it could unleash immense power. If he defeated Yuan Wendong using this widely known academy technique, no one would suspect he had any hidden trump cards.

This thought filled him with excitement. He picked up his standard academy-issued sword and began to practice. Whether it was due to his extraordinary talent or something else, he found that Bai Susu's sword movements from earlier that day were incredibly clear in his mind; every single move and stance was perfectly recalled.

Initially, he was somewhat clumsy, but after just a few repetitions, he was already performing the "Thirteen Forms of Basic Swordsmanship" with remarkable proficiency.

"Oh, I didn't realize your comprehension was so high," a chilling voice remarked. "You've mastered the academy's 'Basic Swordsmanship' in such a short time. Now, all that's lacking is true mastery."

Just then, a chilling voice reached his ears.

Startled, Zu An quickly turned towards the sound. There, standing in the garden, was a trembling, hunched figure—none other than Old Man Mi.

"When did you arrive, sir?" Zu An asked, an innocent smile on his face, though inwardly he was on high alert. He realized he needed to be far more careful in the future; exposing his trump cards would feel akin to having his underwear pulled down.

"I've been here for a while," Old Man Mi replied nonchalantly. "I heard you're likely to face Yuan Wendong in the family competition?"

"Yes," Zu An replied with a helpless expression. He was, after all, being used by the Chu family as the "inferior horse" against a "superior one."

"You intend to face Yuan Wendong relying solely on this basic swordsmanship?" Old Man Mi's beard quivered as he fixed him with an intense stare.

Zu An felt a chill. "Yes, I don't know anything else."

Old Man Mi snorted. "Virtually everyone in the academy knows this basic swordsmanship; Yuan Wendong has naturally learned it too. I hear he's already a Fifth-Rank master. Using this basic swordsmanship against him would be like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

"But I heard the academy teachers say," Zu An interjected, "that this sword technique isn't as useless as it seems. It's the foundation of all sword arts, and true masters often simplify their techniques in this very way..."

"You actually believe the academy teachers' nonsense to trick you into studying swords seriously?" Old Man Mi scoffed, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "True, when cultivation reaches a certain level, swordsmanship does return to its fundamental essence, somewhat aligning with the principles of this basic technique. But those masters rely on overwhelming speed and power. You, a mere novice, would face a swift, bewildering death if you tried to use this against a true expert!"

Zu An offered a sheepish smile. "Anyway, I'll most likely be ranked last, so my chances of actually fighting are slim."

Old Man Mi fell silent. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "I hear you have a grudge with that Yuan fellow?"

Zu An couldn't help but eye him. This old man usually stayed within the Chu family compound, looking like a frail, aging gardener, yet he seemed to know everything. "Uh, there was a minor conflict at the academy, yes."

"A minor conflict?" Old Man Mi sneered. "Why then did I hear he publicly declared he would cripple you?"

"He lost to me last time," Zu An grumbled. "He's just venting impotent rage."

"Someone else helped you last time, but who will help you in the arena the day after tomorrow?" Old Man Mi rolled his eyes, a truly unnerving gesture. "I hear the Young Lady is worried and plans to take you to provoke that Yuan fellow again tomorrow?"

"Yes... yes, that's right." Zu An suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. This topic had only been discussed among a few of them during dinner. How did Old Man Mi know everything? Did he know about his keyboard too?

"This is outrageous!" Old Man Mi exclaimed, stomping his foot in frustration. "Even if the Young Lady dislikes you, she shouldn't just push you into a deathtrap like this!"

Seeing Old Man Mi's anger, Zu An felt a warmth in his heart. "Senior, please don't worry. The Young Lady is merely employing the 'inferior horse against superior horse' strategy. Since I'm ranked last, I likely won't even need to participate."

Old Man Mi shook his head. "This time is different. The Yuan family is well-prepared, and your chances of being called up are not low. No, this is too risky. I will teach you a movement technique. That way, if you truly encounter danger in the arena, you'll at least be able to save your life."

Zu An was momentarily stunned, then spoke with deep emotion, "Senior, you're truly so kind to me!" He felt a pang of guilt for having doubted him all this time, realizing how ungrateful he had been.

Old Man Mi chuckled. "I have no further hopes for my own life; I can only rely on you to fulfill my dying wish in the future. Naturally, I wouldn't want to see you lose a limb before you've even come into your own." Zu An was the most suitable candidate he had finally chosen; he couldn't possibly allow that Yuan brat to inflict any disability upon him and ruin his perfect plan.

Zu An, unaware of Old Man Mi's underlying motives, was deeply moved. Since arriving in this world, those who treated him well were few and far between, and Old Man Mi was undoubtedly one of the kindest.

Old Man Mi cleared his throat and then continued, "This movement technique is called 'Sunflower Phantom.' It requires very little elemental energy to activate, yet its effects are among the best in the world. With sufficient aptitude, one can achieve basic mastery in about half a year. Though time is tight, using it against Yuan Wendong shouldn't be a major issue."

Zu An was puzzled. "That doesn't make sense. If this movement technique is so powerful, why does it require so little elemental energy to activate? That's illogical."

Old Man Mi chuckled. "You don't need to worry about me deceiving you. This movement technique is indeed top-tier. While it consumes very little elemental energy, there's a significant obstacle in its cultivation that most people cannot overcome. But you..." His gaze instinctively flickered towards Zu An's lower abdomen. "You don't face that particular hurdle; it's perfectly suited for you."

Zu An blinked, utterly confused.

Old Man Mi cleared his throat. "Focus your mind. I will now tell you the incantation for 'Sunflower Phantom,' along with the elemental energy circulation routes and key principles. Listen carefully..."

Approximately an hour later, observing Zu An's figure darting back and forth, left and right, across the courtyard, Old Man Mi was momentarily dumbfounded. After a long pause, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you learned 'Sunflower Phantom' before?"

Zu An shook his head, looking bewildered. "No, I haven't."

"Then how did you grasp it so quickly, even reaching basic mastery?" Old Man Mi asked, utterly perplexed.

"Perhaps it's just my natural talent for martial arts?" Zu An replied, a little shyly.