Chapter 402: Chapter 186: Peers
"The True Essence Realm..."
Chen Qing closed the booklet, took a deep breath, and calmed the turmoil within him.
In this world of relatively limited information, a secret manual containing insights into a higher realm was no less valuable than a peerless Martial Art. It was the kind of guidance countless Loose Cultivators and Small Sects coveted but could never obtain.
’Could it be... Master Li is at this realm?’
He suddenly recalled Li Baichuan’s unfathomable demeanor and his ability to make two Astral Force experts vanish without a trace. The thought naturally led to this speculation.
He solemnly picked up the Observation Record. After carefully searching the bookshelf again, he also pulled out several other journals detailing realm insights and the experiences of his predecessors.
’These are perhaps even more important than learning another Superior Martial Art.’
An hour later, Chen Qing put down the booklet. He then made an Imprint of the Nine Heavens Thunder Shocking Finger and left the Tingchao Armory.
After returning to his courtyard, Chen Qing began to study the Nine Heavens Thunder Shocking Finger.
A golden light appeared in his mind.
[Nine Heavens Thunder Shocking Finger: Minor Achievement (1/1000)]
He had skipped the entry-level stage entirely, advancing directly to Minor Achievement.
Chen Qing instantly understood. This was closely related to his current Martial Arts realm of Astral Force.
With his higher realm and broader perspective, many of the intricacies of this Finger Technique now fell into place naturally. His cultivation speed was far beyond what it had been back in the Embrace Pill Realm.
He focused his Heart and Spirit inward.
Within his Dantian Sea of Qi, the Cyan Wood True Gang circulated slowly, emitting both a vibrant life force and a razor-sharp aura.
His Earth True Qi was also immensely powerful, and it wouldn’t be long before it was refined into Earth True Astral.
’First, I’ll cultivate the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Technique to the Fifth Layer. Then I can focus on fusing the two types of True Astral.’
Chen Qing closed his eyes, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and began to mentally circulate the cultivation technique for the Fifth Layer of the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Technique.
At his current level, continuing to practice the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique offered limited returns. It was far better to first master the Fifth Layer of the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Technique.
Fusing the Cyan Wood True Gang and the Earth True Astral would bring a much greater boost to his power.
「Winter gave way to spring. The snow outside the window melted and tender buds began to sprout. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.」
Inside the Quiet Chamber, the aura around Chen Qing suddenly transformed!
A presence as heavy as a mountain and vast as a great peak emanated from his body. The meditation cushion beneath him and even the surrounding ground sank slightly, as if unable to bear the weight.
Within his Dantian, his vast reservoir of Earth True Qi was finally undergoing a qualitative transformation!
The Qi frantically compressed and condensed, absorbing the pure Earth Element Primordial Qi that poured in through the Heaven and Earth Bridge. Its color grew deeper and more profound, as if transforming into the very essence of the flowing earth—immeasurably heavy and overwhelmingly powerful.
The Earth True Astral was formed!
At the same time, the status of the Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Technique on his Fate Plate leaped forward.
[Eight Desolates Prison-Suppression Technique, Fifth Layer: (1/10000)]
Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes. He gently raised his left palm, where a wisp of incredibly condensed, earthen-yellow True Astral appeared. With a slight pulse, it caused the surrounding air to grow heavy.
With another thought, the Cyan Wood True Gang emerged in his right palm, a vibrant, dewy green that held both life and sharpness.
The next moment, he cautiously brought the two wisps of True Astral, with their vastly different attributes, closer together.
Thanks to his previous experience fusing True Qi, this attempt at fusing True Astral, while more difficult, was not entirely uncharted territory.
Under the harmonizing influence of the Invisible Force Field from the Earth Essence Marrow Pearl and Wood Yang Jade, the vitality of the Cyan Wood True Gang and the solidity of the Earth True Astral slowly intertwined. They permeated one another, ultimately merging into a single, strange wisp of grayish-green True Astral!
This new wisp of Fusion True Gang floated silently, possessing both the tenacity of wood and the solidness of earth. The power it contained sent a tremor of apprehension through Chen Qing himself.
’Its power has more than doubled!’
As Chen Qing carefully savored this new power, his confidence soared.
’If I were to encounter that old demon Jiangchuan Bridge right now...’
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. ’The odds of killing him would be over ninety-eight percent!’
Of course, he knew that Demon Sect experts were cunning and treacherous. As an Astral Force master, Jiangchuan Bridge almost certainly had a few life-saving trump cards up his sleeve.
If his opponent were to fight to the death, willing to pay any price, he might still have a slim chance of escaping with his life.
Letting out a long, turbid breath, Chen Qing concluded his seclusion.
His realm was consolidated, and his strength had grown immensely.
Chen Qing left his courtyard and headed to the Cyan Wood Institute.
At the Cyan Wood Institute’s Transmission Square, many disciples were gathered in heated discussion.
"...The Liu Family suffered a terrible loss this time. I heard several of their mines were destroyed..."
"Fortunately, Cold Jade Valley intervened in time. Elder Leng personally led the team. I heard they killed two Late-stage Embracing Pill experts from the Demon Sect on the spot. So satisfying!"
"The Xuanjia Sect had it even worse over in Pingyun Town half a month ago. Over a hundred people in the entire town were used in a blood sacrifice! Those goddamned Demon Sect monsters!"
"But it’s strange... for the past half-month, it seems like the Demon Sect’s top experts have suddenly gone quiet, hasn’t it?"
Chen Qing remained silent. Although he had been immersed in cultivation for the past two months, he had still been monitoring the outside world through various channels, paying close attention to the Demon Sect’s activities.
Just as the disciples had said, the Demon Sect’s recent attacks on the major families seemed to have lessened. Incidents like the assault on the Liu Family and the Pingyun Town massacre were mostly carried out by fringe members or lower-level grunts. While their methods remained cruel, the chaos they were causing seemed less significant than before.
The truly troublesome and infamous Demon Sect masters, like Zuo Feng and Blood Rakshasa, seemed to have gone dormant, and there had been far less news of their activities.
’Such an anomaly surely means trouble is brewing.’
Chen Qing thought to himself. Far from feeling relieved, he had a nagging suspicion that a much larger storm was brewing beneath this quiet surface.
