Chapter 34: Chapter 34: A Power to Yearn For
At this moment, Yang Wenqing’s Qi Sea and the Spiritual Veins throughout his body were circulating at a frantic, unprecedented speed. The muscles and bones, initially tempered by the Nine Refining Secret Skill, now displayed their advantage, providing superior resilience.
The Golden Core in his mind flared brilliantly, devouring the surrounding Spiritual Qi—which had grown chaotic and violent from the explosion—with unparalleled efficiency. After rapid conversion, it barely managed to sustain the teetering golden barrier of the Golden Light Body Protection Spell.
The light barrier distorted violently under the impact of the energy storm, looking as if it would shatter at any moment. The immense pressure made Yang Wenqing’s bones creak. Trickles of blood even began to seep from his seven orifices, and a piercing, needle-like pain shot through his Spiritual Veins. This was a sign that over-circulating his Spiritual Qi was about to damage his foundation!
Just as Yang Wenqing felt he couldn’t hold on any longer and his consciousness began to blur, a gentle yet pure power surged into his body from behind. It was Vice Director Gao!
Vice Director Gao had noticed that Yang Wenqing was at the end of his rope and that his Spiritual Veins were damaged from the overload. Without hesitation, he took out a precious "Green Wood Art" rune paper and slapped it into Yang Wenqing’s body.
A soft green radiance sank into Yang Wenqing’s back like sweet rain on parched earth. It swiftly soothed the burning pain and fine fissures in his Spiritual Veins, mended the discomfort in his internal organs caused by the shockwaves, and greatly alleviated his pressure, infusing his nearly depleted body with a burst of vitality.
With the support of this fresh force, and with his Golden Core still desperately converting energy, Yang Wenqing’s spirits were lifted. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed out the very last shred of Spiritual Power from his body and poured it unreservedly into the golden protective light.
BUZZ—
The once-flickering barrier finally stabilized somewhat. Although it was still struggling to hold on amid the energy storm, at least it didn’t shatter immediately.
This devastating energy assault lasted for over ten breaths before it finally began to subside.
When the last wisp of violent energy swept past, Yang Wenqing could no longer hold on. The moment the Golden Light Body Protection Spell collapsed, his legs gave out, and he fell to one knee. He gasped for air, drenched in sweat, his face as pale as paper.
Vice Director Gao stared at Yang Wenqing’s back, his eyes filled with shock and a complex mix of emotions. He quickly stepped forward to support the nearly exhausted Yang Wenqing and asked in a low voice, "Are you all right?"
He then added, "This was a blessing in disguise for you. In those last ten-plus seconds, you’ve already completed most of the First Refinement of the Qi Cultivation Stage!"
Wang Jianchao glanced at Yang Wenqing, confirmed he was okay, and then immediately scanned their surroundings. He reported softly to Vice Director Gao, "The other combat teams have members with injuries of varying severity. Some of our colleagues have even been killed in action."
Vice Director Gao thought quickly, then said to Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin, "We owe this to Wenqing. I originally thought the notes in his file about his powerful consciousness and abnormally fast Spiritual Qi refinement speed were just... unusual. I never expected he had this level of talent. This information stays between the three of us. Understand?"
The two were startled for a moment, then replied in unison, "Understood!"
Then they heard Vice Director Gao give another order. "Go quickly and see if there’s any good stuff. That person from before had a Cultivation of at least the Entry level. These underground Spirit Gathering Lands are the most likely places to produce Spiritual Liquid. Also, Jianchao, this was your case. You’ll need to come up with a reason to explain this to the Director."
Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin both nodded at his words and silently approached the central area.
Vice Director Gao, meanwhile, immediately used his badge to request support from the command center behind them. Just then, a terrifying echo like muffled thunder rumbled across the sky.
Yang Wenqing and Vice Director Gao both looked up. Several miles away, the sky was being forcibly torn in two by an invisible, immense power.
The sky to the left was a heart-stopping dark red, its clouds like a branding iron plunged into a furnace, a searing heat washing over them even from such a distance. The sky to the right, however, seemed to have sunk into a bottomless ocean; a heavy, lead-gray curtain of clouds hung low, emitting a bone-chilling, damp cold.
Suddenly, countless fine, fiery-red lights ignited in the dark red sky, as if molten fire was surging deep within the clouds, turning that patch of the heavens into a burning tapestry.
At the same time, the lead-gray cloud cover abruptly ruptured, unleashing a thick curtain of rain that connected heaven and earth. The violent downpour looked as if it would drown the entire world.
The next moment, the forces of extreme heat and extreme cold collided thunderously in the distant sky.
In an instant, a destructive hurricane formed beneath the clouds and then crashed down upon the earth. It was impossible to tell where it landed, but the massive boom echoing in their ears testified to its destructive power.
A few breaths later, a blast of cold wind hit them. The chill was so bone-deep it gave Yang Wenqing goosebumps all over.
But Yang Wenqing seemed not to notice. He stood rooted to the spot, staring up at the sky, his clothes whipping wildly in the fierce wind pressure.
He watched the terrifying spectacle in the distance—one side boiling the seas and incinerating the heavens, the other a torrential downpour—and felt a majestic pressure that seemed capable of crushing everything. He was profoundly aware of his own insignificance.
In the face of power that could reshape heaven and earth, his own meager Cultivation was simply not worth mentioning.
"Don’t overthink it, and don’t be discouraged. Your talent is exceptional. One day, you’ll be able to soar through the sky just like them." Vice Director Gao, who had witnessed such battles before, noticed Yang Wenqing’s mood and gently patted his shoulder.
As his words fell, an emerald-green radiance appeared at the other end of the clouds, like the purest life force of spring, instantly dispelling some of the oppressive atmosphere. Clearly, another Entry-level Cultivator from the City Defense Bureau had arrived!
The auras of the three Entry-level Cultivators intertwined in the sky. The heaven-scorching sea of fire seemed to be suppressed, and it began to churn violently.
Suddenly—
BOOM!!!
The red cloud of fire abruptly contracted inward and then exploded. A scorching radiance instantly devoured half the sky, like a blood-red sun detonating mid-air, so bright that no one could look at it directly.
Within that extreme light and heat, Yang Wenqing vaguely saw a blurry, crimson figure shoot out from the center of the explosion like a meteor in reverse. It fled toward the distant horizon at a speed that defied visual tracking, shrinking to a tiny dot in the blink of an eye.
The azure water-light and the newborn emerald radiance behind it immediately transformed into two long streaks of light and gave chase. But after only a moment, the two streaks slowly came to a halt in mid-air. Their light gradually receded, and they hovered in the sky, apparently giving up the pursuit.
Evidently, the Fire Cultivator’s desperate, all-or-nothing explosion had successfully bought them a chance at survival, allowing them to escape the battlefield.
The strange phenomena in the sky began to slowly subside. The raging hurricane also weakened, leaving only a drizzle of spiritual rain to fall, washing over the devastated land.
Vice Director Gao gazed in the direction the Fire Cultivator had disappeared and finally let out a soft sigh. "They still got away."
Yang Wenqing was silent, but his heart was in turmoil. He had personally witnessed the terrifying power of Entry-level Cultivators and seen the chase and strategy between them.
Vice Director Gao glanced at Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin, who were busy collecting something in the central area, then stood up and said to Yang Wenqing, "You stay here, meditate, and rest. I have to go treat our other colleagues."
