[ System Message: The black spheres the host sees are locations where the host can merge with shadows and darkness. By simply thinking about going there, the host can teleport directly to that location. This is only possible due to the Darkness Merging Physique. ]

Wang Ming's eyes widened in disbelief, and he grew excited to try it out.

"Hmm, let's see," he muttered. Looking outside the room, he saw a black sphere behind Bai Lingxi and thought about teleporting there. His vision blurred—and the next moment, he found himself inside Bai Lingxi's shadow. He also realized something else: during teleportation, he could bypass physical obstacles.

"She can't see or hear me... not even spiritual sense can detect me," Wang Ming thought as he emerged from Bai Lingxi's shadow. No one noticed him, even though he had seen them scanning his room with spiritual sense. He waved his hand directly in front of her face, but she showed no reaction. Then, with a single thought, he teleported back inside the room.

---

A Few Minutes Ago

Feng Chang, Lei Ping, Jiang Hong, Shi Yu, Luo Li, and Bai Lingxi watched as Wang Ming entered the room.

"How long do you think it'll take him to comprehend the technique?" Lei Ping asked casually after seeing Wang Ming disappear into the room.

"Well, most people take months to comprehend a technique—and years for higher-rank ones—but since we know he's a freak of nature, I'd say at least a week," Jiang Hong replied, and Lei Ping nodded in agreement.

Bai Lingxi and the other girls rolled their eyes at their discussion.

"If he takes a week, I'm leaving," Bai Lingxi said, crossing her arms over her chest. Even though cultivators have long lifespans and years feel like minutes to them, Bai Lingxi wasn't like those ancient cultivators who've lived hundreds or thousands of years—she didn't have their patience and would rather go do something else if it took more than a day for Wang Ming to comprehend the technique.

"I don't think he'll take more than a day," Shi Yu said confidently. Luo Li simply shrugged her shoulders—she was more patient than the others, and if she stayed and waited, maybe she'd win some brownie points. Both Bai Lingxi and Shi Yu guessed her intention and rolled their eyes.

As the girls waited, their attention suddenly snapped to the door when they saw something emerging from the room.

Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw black mist leaking out from beneath the door, causing them to furrow their brows.

"What the hell is this? It doesn't seem like smoke," Feng Chang said with a narrowed gaze. Something about the black mist made her feel uneasy. She had the urge to go in and check what Wang Ming was doing inside, but it remained only a thought—she didn't want to disturb his cultivation.

A few minutes passed as more and more black mist continued to leak out—until it suddenly stopped completely.

"Hmm?" Bai Lingxi, for some reason, felt a chill run down her spine. She looked around but didn't see anything unusual, which left her confused.

"Looks like he won't even take an hour," Luo Li said in a speechless tone as the door finally opened, and from within the black mist, Wang Ming emerged. For a brief moment, she had thought he had failed to comprehend the technique, but judging by the mysterious black mist and the look on his face, it clearly told a different story..

"Wang Ming, have you comprehended the technique?" Feng Chang asked urgently, while everyone looked at Wang Ming intently.

"Yes, I have," Wang Ming replied with a smile, and the eyes of the other two men in the room widened.

'Why am I even surprised?' Jiang Hong thought with a stiff smile on his face.

'Tsk, as expected of a freak of nature,' Lei Ping clicked his tongue, feeling extremely envious of Wang Ming's monstrous talent. It had only been a few minutes, and he had already learned the technique—moreover, it was likely a high-rank technique since it belonged to the founder which anyone would take months and even years to learn.

"Disciple Wang Ming, what technique is it?" Feng Chang asked impatiently as she stared at Wang Ming. This was the most prized technique of her ancestor, so she was restless to know what it was.

"Hmm, it is a Heaven Rank technique called Shadow Veil," Wang Ming replied casually, and their eyes widened when they heard it was a Heaven Rank technique. Techniques of this rank were extremely scarce in the Black Bamboo Kingdom, but it made sense as it belonged to the founder.

"Shadow Veil..." Feng Chang murmured.

"What does it do?" Jiang Hong asked with a curious gleam in his eyes.

"Let me demonstrate," Wang Ming said with a smirk, then activated a weaker version of Veil of Darkness. Without using his physique, it worked exactly like the Shadow Veil technique. With a single thought, his body sank into the shadows of the room.

"What?!" Lei Ping exclaimed when he saw Wang Ming vanish into the shadows.

"This..." Jiang Hong's eyes also widened when he witnessed Wang Ming use the technique.

'Heavens, this is the perfect stealth and assassination technique,' Jiang Hong cursed inwardly as he quickly used his spiritual sense to locate Wang Ming. He managed to find him, but it was difficult—if someone wasn't focused, they could easily be caught off guard and even die from a sneak attack.

"Wang Ming, can you share this technique with us?" Feng Tian Wu asked as she pointed to herself and Jiang Hong. Lei Ping cast a glance at her, but she just snorted.

Lei Ping could only sigh, knowing that only the Sect Master was allowed to learn this.

'I could become Sect Master… but would I do it just for the technique? Heck no, too much paperwork,' Lei Ping thought.

"Sure, it was rightfully yours," Wang Ming said with a shrug, and Feng Tian Wu and Jiang Hong's eyes brightened. Wang Ming raised his finger, and two beams of light shot directly into their heads. It was a direct technique transfer and did not require them to comprehend it.