Power of Comprehension (III)

At the end of it, Deng Lun was able to increase Hong Mei's single needle attack power by approximately half a level. This was considered a substantial improvement and something that nobody else could hope to match. With only one round, he had vaulted to the top and showed why the gentle scholar was placed in the same breath as the others.

His chosen path, comprehension, was a curious thing. At a glance, it seemed like a straightforward matter. All disciples that joined an immortal sect would be measured for their comprehension ability at an early age. This usually involved comparing how quickly they could learn basic martial arts or core meditation techniques. Those that learned the fastest were naturally thought to have the best comprehension.

But this was often a false measurement. All of the participants of the Great Dao Preaching Convention were supposed to be the best of the best with comprehension ability surpassing their peers. Otherwise, their sects would not have sent them up to compete.

However, none of them dared to stand up and challenge Deng Lun at this moment. Like a pack of deer meeting a tiger, which one was superior was clear at a glance. Deng Lun's talent wasn't simply the ability to learn and absorb knowledge. That was just the most basic requirement to be a cultivator.

Learning martial arts and cultivation secrets from detailed manuals curated over centuries, studying under the painstaking guidance of experienced masters, this wasn't comprehension at all. True comprehension came into play when there was a lack of knowledge, when things were uncertain. It was a person's ability to forge a path toward the true Dao through a forest of darkness.

The other competitors didn't know enough about needle arts so they didn't dare to stand up and make a fool of themselves. Deng Lun dared because he had already achieved some insights just by seeing the art twice. With little prior knowledge, relying purely on instinct and feeling, he was able to do this and this was his talent.

With this, he would be able to learn all kinds of martial arts and secret techniques. Even without specializing, he could discern the innate truths of a variety of Daos and make them his own. And if he met a bottleneck during his ascendance towards the immortal realms, he would have the confidence to break through with much less effort than others.

This was the power of Deng Lun's comprehension.

Zhou Ziyun's eyes suddenly snapped open. A strange energy emanated from her pupils and also from every pore. She felt that she finally understood something about herself. She understood just a tiny bit of her mysterious power of the mind.

In the process, she had come up with the same two methods of improvement for that needle art as Deng Lun. But unlike him, she had also come up with two more methods on top. And out of the four total, her instincts told her that one of hers would have the best effect. She couldn't come up with a reason for this determination but she felt strongly that it would be right, almost like instinct, like a hidden voice telling her that it was true.

There was only one way to test her new discovery. She had to speak up, right now, in front of these four geniuses and one hundred thousand spectators of the metropolis.

"Ziyun, do whatever you want to do. Master will support you." Chen Wentian's voice gave her the resolve she needed.

Zhou Ziyun stood up and a round of surprised gasps.

"Sister Zhou, you…" Even Tang Liang was speechless.

Deng Lun's expression froze and he gave her a hard look, "Do you wish to challenge me and the Dao advice I have given?"

Zhou Ziyun took a few steps forward and smiled lightly, "Why not? Is there a rule that says I can't?"

"Of course, there isn't," He then lowered his voice and spoke so that only she could hear, "But there is a reason that none of the others have come up. This is a difficult topic and if you are unable to provide Dao advice that surpasses mine, you will only bring ridicule to yourself and your sect."

"Are you looking down on me?" She asked.

He shook his head, "No, I just wanted to offer you some advice."

Zhou Ziyun tilted her head and studied Deng Lun. He was still a weird person, good-looking but with strange behavior. He seemed to be interested in her but he also seemed to dislike her. He offered her advice, perhaps as a show of respect or maybe there was something underneath. She felt that he was a conflicted person underneath but she had no time or interest to bother finding out what kind of conflict it was.

She turned towards the guest and walked up, "Miss Hong Mei, my name is Zhou Ziyun from the sect Ten Thousand Flower Valley. My advice for your needle art is slightly different from what Sir Deng gave. Are you willing to try it out?"

"Greetings, Miss Zhou." Hong Mei said with a courteous bow. "I am willing to try everything to find the correct and true path for my Dao."

"Very good." Zhou Ziyun then clasped her hands behind her back in the way she always liked to do when she was lecturing her fellow sisters. "Deng Lun provided you with two methods to improve your needle art. The first was to increase the needle's weight and thus attack power. The second was to modify your throwing technique to launch several needles at the same point to achieve the same attack power increase. And of the two, he suggested the first one as the best option. But in my eyes, it is not the best option because there are two more methods, one of which should give you better results."

"Two more?" Hong Mei breathed out, incredulous.

Her sentiment was shared by many. Comprehending two methods to improve a strange art was already impressive. Coming up with two more, what did that even mean? Few could believe that this was something within the ability of a disciple at the Spirit Initiate Realm.

Zhou Ziyun nodded, "My first method is actually quite obvious. I observed that you were able to throw needles with both your right and left hands. With such skill, why can't you throw two needles at the same time at the same target to instantly double your attack power?"

"This…" Hong Mei glanced at Deng Lun whose face had turned dark, "I would still have to modify my dance routine and also my throwing motion. I can indeed throw with both hands but it is usually one after the other, not both at the same time. I would have to practice this specific change."

Zhou Ziyun waved her hand, "No need. My second method should be the best method so you don't need to bother with the first. I only mentioned it as a possibility. Anyways, the second method is also straightforward. You simply need to increase your throwing speed. Instead of increasing the weight of the needle, if the speed of the needle increases, it will effectively provide the same increase in attack power."

"Speed… speed… it does sound simple but how do I increase my throwing speed when I am already at my limit?" The older woman asked.

Zhou Ziyun smiled. She already had the answer. And it was due to the power of her comprehension.

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