Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Two Halves of an Apple

Fang Chen stopped what he was doing and gently placed the stitched leather on the table. He looked calmly at Ding Yan, who was completely shocked, even a little dazed, and asked, "Senior Sister Ding, do you think this... meets the three-month requirement you mentioned before?"

Ding Yan was snapped back to reality by his voice. She stared at Fang Chen, looking him up and down several times before saying with a complex tone, "You..."

Gathering her thoughts, she spoke with a hint of suspicion and self-deprecation, "If you hadn’t beaten me up last time, I would have suspected you were from some medical family, deliberately pretending to be a novice to mess with me, or... trying to get my attention in some special way. Hmph!"

Fang Chen’s expression remained neutral. "Perhaps... this is related to the Finger Technique I cultivate? There might be some common ground in finger stability and precise control of force."

"A Finger Technique?" Ding Yan looked thoughtful. She knew that this person possessed a Finger Technique Martial Skill; her own wound was caused by it. She wondered, "Can one really achieve such mastery by analogy to this extent?" She muttered in her heart, but still felt something wasn’t right. This speed of progress had completely exceeded the scope of learning by analogy.

She complained in her mind, "Ugh, I’m not going to think about it anymore. It’s giving me a headache!"

She shook her head, deciding to accept the reality before her. "Alright, alright," Ding Yan waved her hand, her face recovering its usual vigor. "No matter how you did it, you have indeed met—no, far exceeded—my expectations for you after three months. Now, you are qualified to learn the core technique of the Ding Family’s ’Condensing Water into a Line’."

Changing the subject, she cleared her throat. A slightly mercantile smile appeared on her face, though a hint of embarrassment lingered in her eyes. "However... there is one more requirement. I originally planned to mention it after you had laid a solid foundation, but I didn’t expect you to complete your apprenticeship so quickly."

"What requirement?" Fang Chen asked.

"Ahem, naturally, it’s... um, the tuition fee!" Ding Yan puffed out her chest, trying her best to make her tone sound righteous. "Hmph, don’t think the little medical fee you gave me last time is enough!

"That only covered the regular Medical Skill portion! Strictly speaking, my ’Condensing Water into a Line’ technique is a highly practical and unique Martial Skill!

"Moreover, it is not set in stone. As your cultivation improves and your True Essence Control strengthens, the upper limit of this technique will continuously increase, potentially evolving into even more wondrous applications. Do you know what I mean? Its value is beyond compare to ordinary Medical Skills."

Fang Chen nodded, his expression serious. "Understood, that’s only fair. Senior Sister Ding, name your price."

Ding Yan extended her right index finger and waved it in front of Fang Chen, looking at him slightly nervously.

"One million?" Fang Chen confirmed.

"Yes!" Ding Yan nodded forcefully, but then her voice dropped as if she had deflated, laced with hesitation and self-doubt. "Is... is it a bit too much? I also think... maybe I should lower it? To be honest, although my father mentioned before that if an outsider truly wanted to learn the core technique, one million would be the absolute minimum...

"But I’ve been at the academy for two years and haven’t met anyone willing to settle down and study medicine, let alone learn this. If you think it’s too expensive, how about... eight hundred thousand? Oh no, seven hundred thousand is fine too..."

Her voice grew softer as she spoke. She clearly had no experience bargaining and had made herself feel guilty first.

"One million is fine," Fang Chen interrupted her, his tone decisive.

"Huh?" Ding Yan was stunned, taking a moment to process his response.

"I think it’s worth it," Fang Chen said calmly, though he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion inwardly.

Just over a month ago, he had been worrying about the five-hundred-thousand registration fee. Now, having witnessed the tens of millions charged for Spiritual Qi in the academy and participating in the battle for a ranking tournament spot... Unknowingly, his horizons and concept of money had undergone a massive shift.

Looking at Ding Yan, he added, "Since you mentioned that this technique still has room for improvement at the High Martial Realm or even higher levels, it is essentially a precious High Martial Level Support Martial Skill. At one million... it feels like I’m the one taking advantage. I’ll go get the money for you later."

"Oh, come on! No need, no need! We’re classmates, why the rush!" Ding Yan quickly waved her hands. Her face flushed slightly, as if she were embarrassed by Fang Chen’s straightforwardness and generosity. She mumbled, "I didn’t expect... that apart from being ruthless and heavy-handed, you actually have quite a few merits... At least you have a good eye and are straightforward enough."

She cleared her throat. "Hmph, then I suppose you are my... well, my very first medical disciple! Remember, when we’re outside in the future, especially during sparring sessions, you are not allowed to hit me again! You must respect your teacher and her teachings, understand?"

Fang Chen nodded cooperatively. "Rest assured, Senior Sister Ding. Oh wait, I mean Ms. Ding."

"Pfft... Hahaha!" Ding Yan burst into laughter, her eyes curving into crescents as her earlier discomfort vanished entirely. "Good, good, that’s a good title! I like it! Hahaha!"

After laughing, her expression turned serious. "Alright, enough chitchat. Next, I will officially teach you ’Condensing Water into a Line’, which comprises the Basic Heart Method and Force Manipulation Techniques of the Rejuvenating Silk Technique."

***

After Ding Yan left, the activity room returned to silence, leaving Fang Chen alone. He closed his eyes and concentrated, digesting the core secrets of the Rejuvenating Silk Technique that Ding Yan had just taught him.

The ingenuity of this technique far exceeded the scope of ordinary Medical Skills. In essence, it was a unique Martial Skill focused on the absolute, microscopic control of Water Attribute True Essence. Its core lay in using a special Heart Method Mantra to condense True Essence or water vapor into a line that existed between a liquid and a solid state, possessing "adhesion" and "guidance" properties.

This kind of "line" could not only replace silk threads for physically suturing wounds, but it could also continuously nourish the wound surface with gentle Water Attribute True Essence, guiding cells to accelerate growth and promote healing. Once the wound healed, the True Essence within the Water Line would be exhausted or its structure would naturally dissipate, eliminating the need for suture removal and leaving almost no scars.

He thought, "It requires considerable affinity for and control over the Water Attribute... I still have Unharvested Qi, so my True Essence is currently attribute-less. I cannot perform it directly."

However, the concepts within this Cultivation Technique regarding the intricate weaving of energy, the maintenance of structural stability, and how to guide energy to facilitate the "orderly connection" of tissues rather than simple "gluing," gave him immense inspiration.

A bold idea sparked in his mind. He wondered, "Should I try that?"

He thought of his Telekinesis. The room was currently empty, making it the perfect time to give it a try. His gaze swept across the table, where an apple lay. He picked up the apple and formed his other hand into a knife-hand. With a soft SWISH, the apple was evenly split into two halves. He placed the two halves on the table and stared at them intently.

Then, he focused his attention and activated his Telekinesis, desperately visualizing the unfolding scene in his mind. He thought, "Next, these two apple halves will automatically attract each other and recover."

He imagined the two halves generating an attractive force between them, like the two poles of a magnet, slowly yet firmly pulling toward each other and drawing closer. He imagined that the moment they touched, they would emit a faint sound. And before his eyes, the apple halves were indeed merging together just as he had imagined.

Achieving this level of control was already effortless for the current Fang Chen. However, he could only ever destroy or move objects; he could never repair them. Fang Chen knew that it wasn’t because his Spiritual Power was insufficient, but because his "imagination" lacked detail! He hadn’t "imagined" the reasoning behind the repair.

Just like slicing the apple—he could imagine an invisible blade cutting it open. But to make the apple repair itself, he needed an "explanation," or rather, a "method" of restoration. He needed to add a step to his "imagination."

And this step, Fang Chen believed, was exactly what he had just learned from the Rejuvenating Silk Technique: Condensing Water into a Line!

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