Chapter 8: 393-399
Chapter 393: Acupoint Linkage
This day would be etched into the memories of all the sects surrounding the Immortal Cloud City, or one could say, within this entire region. To them, the previously quiet Shang Wu City had made a resounding entrance, shocking the world.
Compared to when several combined aperture tempering realm cultivators besieged Shang Wu City in the past, no one could quite fathom the true strength of Master Xi Lian at that time. But today, Master Xi Lian made it clear to everyone what true fear meant.
In the vicinity of the Immortal Cloud City, besides the Primordial Sword Sect, the Sunken Water Pavilion, and the Big Dipper Tower, there were actually quite a few smaller sects and family clans. Initially, all of them had aligned themselves with the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect. Later, due to pressure from the Divine Flame Sect, some had defected.
However, today, whether they had sided with the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect or joined the Divine Flame Sect, some had suffered. Anyone sent to Shang Wu City had returned as Ghastly puppets.
Many of them were body refining realm cultivators, seemingly not making a significant impact. However, the contamination of the Ghastly puppets was incredibly powerful. If not detected, it quickly spread. Even if aperture tempering realm cultivators eventually realized something was amiss, it was already too late.
Some brave aperture tempering realm cultivators chose to sever their own limbs and escape. But in the end, some couldn't bring themselves to do it and were ultimately tainted by the Ghastly puppets, becoming their puppets.
Only those forces that hadn't dispatched anyone to Shang Wu City truly escaped unscathed. After all, these Ghastly puppets primarily targeted their original factions.
This way, they could better infiltrate and assimilate into the new forces. As for the forces bold enough to send people to Shang Wu City, they were already quite powerful, which aligned perfectly with Master Xi Lian's requirements. Sacrificing these forces in blood would provide even more power to Shang Wu City.
As for those smaller sects and factions, Master Xi Lian didn't pay them much attention. In Master Xi Lian's view, these minor forces would ultimately become his prey.
The only difference was whether they would be consumed early or later.
At the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.
Tong Zhongqiu looked at Sun Jie with slightly narrowed eyes. It was difficult for aperture tempering realm cultivators to detect the Ghastly puppets, but in front of combined aperture tempering realm experts, these Ghastly puppets couldn't hide.
Tong Zhongqiu narrowed his eyes as he looked at Sun Jie. It was difficult for cultivators at the aperture tempering realm to detect the presence of Ghastly puppets, but in the face of a cultivator at the combined aperture tempering realm, this kind of Ghastly puppet couldn't hide.
"Don't misunderstand. It's just uncomfortable to be constantly watched like this, so I decided to send the ghastly puppet back," Sun Jie's voice sounded somewhat subdued.
He looked at Tong Zhongqiu and a faint smile appeared on his face. Without waiting for Tong Zhongqiu's response, Sun Jie's body trembled slightly, and a wisp of black smoke drifted out of his sea of consciousness, then turned into ashes.
The Ghastly puppet had actually self-destructed, just to leave behind a few words.
For factions with combined aperture tempering realm experts, the Ghastly puppets were indeed weaker. They might create some chaos, but it was impossible to annihilate a combined aperture tempering realm faction. It could even provoke these Nascent Realm forces to unite in this region.
For sects with cultivators at the combined aperture tempering realm sitting in command, Ghastly puppets were still somewhat weaker. They might cause some chaos, but completely annihilating a sect with combined aperture tempering realm cultivators was an impossible task. It might even enrage these sects with combined aperture tempering realm cultivators and lead to further cooperation among them in this region.
However, the necessary warning had been given, and Master Xi Lian still maintained a degree of control. He gave face to the sects with combined aperture tempering realm cultivators while preserving his own authority. At the same time, he reaped all the benefits from the other forces that didn't have combined aperture tempering realm cultivators, strengthening himself.
He had secured both face and substance.
Tong Zhongqiu took a deep breath. At this moment, the area around Immortal Cloud City was probably in utter chaos. Even if Tong Zhongqiu were to take action, it was already too late.
The terrifying aspect of these Ghastly puppets lay precisely in this place. Without reaching a certain level of power, there was no capability to deal with them.
Yu Family Clan.
Yu Shoucheng watched his clan members fall, and with a light wave of his right hand, he sent them to the side.
Yu Shoucheng stood up and gazed in the direction of Shang Wu City. His eyes narrowed slightly, but in the end, he didn't make any move.
For this region, Yu Family was just passing through. As travelers, they didn't want to get involved in too many things. Although Yu Shoucheng felt somewhat displeased about his clan members being possessed by the Ghastly puppets, it was only a minor annoyance.
Master Xi Lian had enough strength to do such things, and in a one-on-one battle, Yu Shoucheng was indeed no match. Besides, his family members were unharmed.
Therefore, Yu Shoucheng had no reason to take any further action.
Master Xi Lian was indeed becoming increasingly powerful, but if needed, Yu Family could simply return to the Endless Sea through the mystic realm. It was a retreat plan, and when things became impossible, they could just leave.
At the Divine Flame Sect.
Jian Jinsheng watched as his disciples collapsed and the Ghastly puppets disintegrated. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly reached out with his right hand. The black smoke that should have turned into ashes was forcibly pulled into his hand.
The Ghastly puppet struggled instinctively, but Jian Jinsheng lowered his head, and his gaze met the eyes of the Ghastly puppet.
"Hum!"
The ground beneath Jian Jinsheng trembled slightly, and ripples spread out. Through the eyes of the Ghastly puppet, Jian Jinsheng seemed to have crossed thousands of miles, seeing a patch of black mist. Under the black mist, a figure was seated.
The figure seemed to sense something, and its eyes suddenly opened, meeting Jian Jinsheng's gaze.
Their gazes clashed like two forces meeting head-on, and in the eyes of both, there seemed to be boundless power. The black mist around them rolled violently, as if thunder had erupted out of thin air, causing the black mist to disperse in all directions.
"Bang!"
The Ghastly puppet in Jian Jinsheng's hand burst apart, and the distant eye contact came to an end.
The ashes of the Ghastly puppet scattered from Jian Jinsheng's palm, and he looked towards the direction of Shang Wu City in silence, his eyes constantly flickering.
The world was in chaos due to the Ghastly puppets and Master Xi Lian's countermeasures. In countless places within this kingdom, there were eerie cries and wails.
This dynasty, already in turmoil due to the rebellion, had become even more chaotic. It was the kind of disorder that was almost without order.
While there had been rebel forces before, some of the larger cities were surrounded by sects with significant power. These sects treated the cities around them as forbidden territory, and others were not allowed to interfere.
As a result, major cities rarely suffered from rebel incursions. Those who fled to the cities brought a sufficient and affordable labor force, making the cities even more prosperous.
But now, the larger the sect's power, the more likely they were to send their disciples to Shang Wu City to quickly obtain information and make decisions as soon as possible.
This strategy wasn't wrong in itself, after all, the timeliness of information was crucial for any faction. Moreover, those who went to Shang Wu City had observed from dozens of miles away.
With such a considerable distance, there shouldn't have been any issues, but unfortunately, problems arose.
When the Ghastly puppets returned to their sects, those with better luck promptly discovered the problem and could still attempt to salvage the situation. Those with worse luck only realized the issue when it was too late, resulting in the tragedy of their sect's extermination.
Once a sect was annihilated, if there was enough time, these Ghastly puppets would proceed to the nearest city for further blood sacrifices. They aimed to maximize their gains before other strong individuals arrived.
In the past, cities that had prospered under the protection of major factions were suddenly struck by catastrophic events, while smaller cities managed to escape unscathed.
This dramatic reversal left many people perplexed until their deaths, unable to understand what they had done wrong to face such a fate.
These individuals failed to comprehend that in this world of survival of the fittest, strength was power, and weakness was sometimes a mistake.
Chen Fei, understanding this principle, had devoted himself to rigorous training. From the moment he possessed the System Panel, he made time to improve his proficiency in various techniques.
His goal was to continually enhance his strength so that one day, he could control his destiny instead of being at the mercy of others.
In the vicinity of Immortal Cloud City, Big Dipper Tower was completely eradicated, and some smaller sects vanished without a trace. The Primordial Sword Sect and the Sunken Water Pavilion, on the other hand, were safe and sound.
After the incident, Qu Qingsheng shared a similar sentiment with Zhou Zixuan; that was, he felt fear. While he had anticipated a dire situation, he hadn't expected Big Dipper Tower, a faction of its size, to be completely devoured.
Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was somewhat surprised that both the Primordial Sword Sect and the Sunken Water Pavilion remained unharmed, especially when compared to Big Dipper Tower, which suffered complete devastation.
Both the Primordial Sword Sect and the Sunken Water Pavilion consciously downplayed Chen Fei's role and didn't place him at the forefront. The Primordial Sword Sect did this to protect Chen Fei, while the Sunken Water Pavilion was grateful.
At the same time, the Sunken Water Pavilion understood that this wasn't the right time for Chen Fei to gain fame.
For the Sunken Water Pavilion, which Chen Fei had helped out of a difficult situation, gratitude filled every member. Moreover, there was the relationship between Chen Fei and Chi Shuqing, placing both sides in a kind of alliance.
The outside world was in turmoil, and Chen Fei lacked the ability to resolve it. The methods of Master Xi Lian exceeded Chen Fei's capacity to cope.
The gap between the mid-stage aperture tempering realm and combined aperture tempering realm was too great, and even an average combined aperture tempering relam cultivator wasn't a match for Master Xi Lian. Chen Fei, at the mid-stage aperture tempering realm, naturally couldn't deal with Master Xi Lian.
Chen Fei couldn't afford to think about things that exceeded his capabilities; it was unrealistic. For Chen Fei, the most practical and fundamental approach was to improve his own strength.
Only by raising his cultivation realm did he have hope of solving various problems that might arise.
Take, for example, the crisis posed by the Ghastly puppets this time. Without The Star Gazing Art and the various techniques Chen Fei had cultivated, he wouldn't have had the ability to resolve it. The final outcome might have been similar to Big Dipper Tower.
Therefore, if he didn't want to face such powerlessness in the future, he needed to make every effort to enhance his own strength.
Chen Fei immersed himself entirely in his cultivation routine.
The proficiency of several techniques continued to increase, and he consumed a sufficient quantity of elixirs daily while continuously opening his acupuncture points. Chen Fei's life entered a monotonous and flavorless state.
It was only when Chi Shuqing occasionally came over that life became somewhat more interesting.
In the span of ten days, Chen Fei had opened three more acupoints, bringing the total number of his acupoints to seventy-one.
With this number of acupoints, Chen Fei began to feel the connection between the seventy-one acupoints. This was due to the mastery of the three techniques that reached great completion level and Chen Fei's cultivation having already reached the late-stage aperture tempering realm.
Compared to other cultivators who needed to open seventy-two acupoints to experience this connection, Chen Fei was undoubtedly ahead by quite a bit.
This interconnection between acupoints could even be clearly felt by Chi Shuqing when they practiced together.
Although Chi Shuqing had expected Chen Fei's rapid increase in strength, this unusual interconnection between acupoints still surprised her.
The last time Chi Shuqing had heard of Chen Fei breaking through to the mid-stage aperture tempering realm was over half a year ago.
What had happened now?
Chapter 394: Fainting
In the middle stage of the Aperture Tempering Realm, there was a sign of acupoint synergy, indicating an imminent breakthrough into the late Aperture Tempering Realm. Even though Chi Shuqing's own cultivation level was not high, she had some knowledge.
However, Chen Fei's rate of cultivation growth seemed a bit exaggerated.
From breaking through the early Aperture Tempering Realm to now, it hadn't even been four years. Four years might be considered a long time for ordinary people, and for martial cultivators in the Body Tempering Realm, it could allow for further progress.
But for those in the Aperture Tempering Realm, four years of time was probably just enough for those in the early stage to stabilize their cultivation. If the cultivation went smoothly, they might be able to open two or three acupoints, which would already be considered excellent talent.
With even better talent, perhaps they could open a few more acupoints, but that would be the limit, with no further changes expected.
However, when it came to Chen Fei, four years had been enough to go from the early stage of cultivation to breaking through to the middle stage of cultivation, which was already astonishing. And now, there were even signs of breaking through to the late stage of cultivation.
At this moment, aside from suspecting whether Chen Fei was some kind of ancient monster reincarnated, Chi Shuqing also began to wonder where her own years of cultivation had led her.
Clearly, both were on the path of martial arts, but why did Chen Fei's path seem so strange, strange enough to make people doubt its authenticity. "Occasionally, there are gains in cultivation," Chen Fei said with a soft smile when he saw Chi Shuqing's surprised expression.
"I wish I could have occasional gains too," Chi Shuqing said, clinging to Chen Fei's arm, her voice sweet.
"Your physique is a bit weaker; it's hard for me to help," Chen Fei pinched Chi Shuqing's cheek gently, feeling its delicate texture.
Hearing Chen Fei mention her weaker physique, Chi Shuqing shyly buried her head, unsure of how to respond to such words.
Chi Shuqing used to hear from her senior sisters that she should have the upper hand when practicing together. However, when it came to Chen Fei, she found that she was often the first to give in during their joint practice sessions. This was completely different from what her senior sisters had told her.
The next morning, Chen Fei arrived at Immortal Cloud City in high spirits, while Chi Shuqing was still lying weak in Chen Fei's courtyard.
Last night, Chi Shuqing seemed to have been provoked by Chen Fei's words feeling a sense of injustice. It didn't make sense that the principles that worked with her fellow sisters didn't seem to apply when it came to Chen Fei. There must be some problem in the process.
Chi Shuqing hadn't figured out which part of the process was the issue yet, but that was okay. Practice would reveal the truth. When you don't understand something, you go straight into action, and then everything becomes clear.
So, Chi Shuqing decided to challenge her own limits. She felt that surrendering too early might be one reason why she seemed weaker.
As long as she held on, she believed that in the end, it would be Chen Fei who couldn't hold on.
She had lower cultivation and less insight than Chen Fei, and there was no reason to give up in this aspect as well.
Therefore, Chi Shuqing persisted, and whether it was self-encouragement or not, she indeed held on for much longer than before, surprising even Chen Fei. However, Chen Fei was only mildly surprised. Looking at Chi Shuqing's somewhat triumphant expression, he exerted a bit more force, and the final result was self-evident.
Even though Chi Shuqing encouraged herself to persevere with all her might, some things couldn't be changed solely by willpower.
Not being able to hold on was indeed just that – not being able to hold on. Chi Shuqing's thoughts kept circling around this idea in her mind after fainting. Within Immortal Cloud City, Chen Fei continued his usual visit to Chi Defeng's residence. Chi Defeng's son was growing up, and due to good nutrition and careful care from an early age, he looked much healthier than the average child. s
Moreover, he wasn't afraid of strangers and would approach Chen Fei to say hello.
The couple, Chi Defeng and his wife, appeared somewhat worried, clearly affected by the recent events involving Master Xi Lian.
The calamity of the Ghastly puppet had already spread throughout the entire vicinity of Immortal Cloud City, and everyone knew about the events that happened ten days ago. While they were grateful for the protection of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
The strength of Shangwu City had gradually formed an impression in everyone's minds. In the past, the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was seen as an undefeatable force, but with the events of the past few years, it had undeniably weakened.
Faced with the even more powerful Divine Flame Sect, they feared there might be no better solution. When it truly became impossible to stay, the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect might be able to flee, but what about ordinary people like them? Where could they possibly run to?
This wasn't baseless worry but a real and ongoing situation. Previously, with the arrival of the Yu family, Immortal Cloud City had briefly returned to its former prosperity, even surpassing it.
However, with the occurrence of the Ghastly puppet calamity, this prosperity quickly waned, and many people no longer had the heart to enjoy it.
For the lowest members of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, after their initial concerns, they had no choice but to continue with their daily lives. They couldn't change anything and couldn't even change their own circumstances. Fretting about it would be somewhat melodramatic.
As for those who had some resources, they found that they seemed unable to change the situation either. Immortal Cloud City was already the safest place for miles around, so where else could they run?
The Imperial City?
In theory, that should be the safest place in this region. However, the distance from Immortal Cloud City to the Imperial City was at least thousands of miles Under the current circumstances, aside from cultivators in the Aperture Tempering Realm who could traverse such distances, the chances of anyone else reaching the Imperial City and surviving were slim.
Relying on his past cooperation with Chen Fei, Chi Defeng had managed to accumulate a considerable fortune. In recent years, most people didn't dare to trouble him because of his connection with Chen Fei.
So these past few years, Chi Defeng had been living quite comfortably, and he had hoped to peacefully grow old like this without regrets. However, he was now being told that having a normal and peaceful old age seemed rather difficult in the current circumstances. Anyone in his shoes would likely feel some anxiety.
Chen Fei patted Chi Defeng's shoulder and offered some comforting words which had some effect. If something truly went wrong, Chi Defeng had decided that he would follow Chen Fei, which might increase his chances of survival.
After checking on Chi Defeng, Chen Fei went to find Si Yuanhai of the Resisting Evil lineage and discussed the Strange Heart Stones Si Yuanhai had given him the last time.
Without those Strange Heart Stones, even if Chen Fei had perfected his Heart Refinement Formation, he couldn't set it up without the essential materials. Searching specifically for Strange Heart Stones within the Strange Heart Realm wasn't terribly difficult, but it did require some luck. Sometimes you could stumble upon them by chance with just a brief search, while other times, even after spending ten days or half a month inside, you might not see the slightest trace of a Strange Heart stone.
The appearance of Strange Heart Stones within the Strange Heart Realm followed no particular pattern; it was entirely random. In the physical world, you could usually track the growth of herbs or understand the conditions they required. Many spiritual materials had similar patterns. However, Strange Heart Stones were an exception; they were purely a matter of luck.
Now, with the advancement of his Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei's perception had increased significantly within the Strange Heart Realm, allowing him to find some Strange Heart Stones.
Finding Strange Heart stones wasn't as simple as searching for Strange Heart, but it was indeed easier than before.
This time, Chen Fei had brought back several Strange Heart stones to return to
Si Yuanhai. Si Yuanhai was reluctant to accept them because the debt of gratitude Chen Fei owed to their sect was far more significant than a few Strange Heart stones.
Si Yinan, on the other hand, watched the scene with a smiling face and didn't interject. Compared to their first meeting years ago, Si Yinan had grown into a graceful young lady, no longer exhibiting the mischievous behavior of her youth.
Half an hour later, Chen Fei left, unable to persuade Si Yuanhai to accept the Strange Heart stones. In the end, Chen Fei didn't insist on it.
Chen Fei strolled over to the Endless Sea Pavilion, which was his primary purpose for coming to Immortal Cloud City today – to purchase medicinal pills.
With seventy-one acupoints opened and acupoint synergy established, all that was left for Chen Fei to break through to the late Aperture Tempering Realm was to open one more acupoint. It wasn't a foregone conclusion, but it wouldn't pose too great a difficulty for him.
However, a simple breakthrough to the late Aperture Tempering Realm didn't align with Chen Fei's character.
When breaking through from the middle to late Aperture Tempering Realm, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth would surge intensely' making the absorption of spiritual energy easier than before. Furthermore, ' because the acupoints and mental power were undergoing refinement by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they would become much more sensitive and acute. During this time, if resources were sufficient, it was entirely possible to advance one's cultivation even further.
Chen Fei had come to the Endless Sea Pavilion to purchase a sufficient quantity of spiritual pills to be consumed later.
Of course, Chen Fei wouldn't buy everything from just one store; that would draw too much attention. There were many apothecaries in Immortal Cloud City selling spiritual pills, and Chen Fei planned to purchase from multiple shops.
"Chen Hall Master, it's been a while. Is there something you need?" The shopkeeper at Endless Sea Pavilion greeted Chen Fei with a slight smile.
'Td like to buy some spiritual pills to enhance my cultivation," Chen Fei replied.
"We've recently received a new batch of spiritual pills in the store. Chen Hall Master, please follow me," the shopkeeper said, leading Chen Fei upstairs with a slight gesture of his right hand.
"Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei?"
As they ascended the stairs, a figure appeared at the midway landing of the second floor. The man was nearly two meters tall, with a sturdy build and a full beard on his face. Chen Fei searched his memory for a moment and recognized who the person was.
It was Yu family's Yu Shijin, with an early cultivation level in the Aperture Tempering Realm. He was a direct member of the Yu family, known for his exceptional talent, and it was said that he had earned the favor of the Yu family's Patriarch, Yu Shoucheng, making him the pride of the Yu family.
Families like the Yu family valued both talent and family connections when allocating resources, and Yu Shijin seemed to have both in abundance. His cultivation had progressed rapidly, and he had reportedly opened over a dozen acupoints, with exceptional mastery of his cultivation technique.
"I heard you have good talent. How about a friendly match?" Yu Shijin looked at Chen Fei with a challenging expression..
Chapter 395: Breaking Through to the Advanced Stage of the Aperture Tempering Realm
Yu Shijin, gifted and from a prestigious background, was also a true combat enthusiast.
Since the Yu family arrived in Immortal Cloud City, apart from the first month of initial exploration, they had become increasingly unrestrained in their actions. It was during this time that Yu Shijin began challenging martial artists in the early stages of their cultivation from various sects.
Yu Shijin was quite the interesting character. Although he enjoyed challenging others, he didn't force anyone. Instead, he directly placed bets. If you could defeat him, you would receive a substantial reward.
Furthermore, Yu Shijin didn't require you to wager the same amount; his reward was purely one-sided. If you won against him, you could take it. As for losing, you didn't have to give anything.
Yu Shijin's own identity was somewhat unique. Winning against him came with rewards, which was why many people have agreed to his challenges.
Unfortunately, Yu Shijin had taken on over a dozen challengers in a row, and not a single one could defeat him. The best result was a draw with a member of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.
Born into the Yu family, Yu Shijin's cultivation techniques were undoubtedly top-notch, and he had mastered them exceptionally well.
Therefore, even though Yu Shijin had only recently broken through to the early stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, his combat prowess was on par with, if not stronger than, those who have been in the early stages for many years.
The name Chen Fei had crossed Yu Shijin's ears a few times, and their breakthrough times were similar. Yu Shijin has always intended to challenge him.
However, Chen Fei's daily routine either involved quietly practicing in seclusion or being absent from the sect, causing Yu Shijin to miss him several times, eventually leading to him gradually forgetting about it.
Yu Shijin didn't expect to encounter Chen Fei in his own shop today, so naturally, he extended an invitation for a challenge.
"Given my modest strength, I won't embarrass myself," Chen Fei said as he slowly ascended to the second floor, looking at Yu Shijin and gesturing politely.
Chen Fei was on the verge of breaking through to the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, and he couldn't muster any interest in challenging Yu Shijin, who was in the early stages of cultivation. Even if he were to defeat Yu Shijin, the substantial reward wouldn't hold much appeal.
If this had been a year ago when Chen Fei's own cultivation was in the early stages, and he was lacking resources, he might have considered the challenge.
A public duel, even if he managed to defeat Yu Shijin, wouldn't cause any trouble with the Yu family.
However, Chen Fei now had no shortage of resources for his cultivation, and he felt that such a contest would be a waste of time. Moreover, if they truly fought, even though he wouldn't go all out and could temporarily suppress his aura, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't reveal a hint of weakness.
If someone were to discover that Chen Fei's cultivation had already reached the mid-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, and he was at the peak of the mid-stage at that, how would he handle the situation?
He couldn't simply eliminate everyone who witnessed it.
"I've heard about your skills, and they are quite impressive. Don't underestimate yourself," Yu Shijin remarked when he saw Chen Fei gracefully concede. He didn't continue to press for a battle. Facing someone who wouldn't even dare to accept a challenge, Yu Shijin's fighting spirit waned.
Yu Shijin had heard of Chen Fei's exceptional talent before. When he was in the Visceral Tempering realm, Chen Fei had climbed his way to the second position in the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect's true lineage.
Yu Shijin, as a member of the Yu family, naturally understood the kind of combat prowess that factions like his own possessed.
Coming from a small sect, Chen Fei's achievements were quite remarkable.
However, upon seeing him today, Yu Shijin couldn't help but feel disappointed. Chen Fei seemed less impressive than those who dared to take on the challenge. Despite his remarkable talent, it seemed that Chen Fei might not go very far in the future.
Chen Fei noticed Yu Shijin's expression and couldn't help but chuckle silently. However, he didn't offer any explanation and simply made a slight bow.
Yu Shijin's enthusiasm waned, and he waved casually in Chen Fei's direction before turning and descending the stairs, leaving Endless Sea Pavilion's door.
The shopkeeper stood by, remaining silent throughout the encounter. When Chen Fei turned his gaze toward him, the shopkeeper continued to warmly guide him towards the medicine cabinet.
However, the shopkeeper's enthusiasm seemed to be lacking something compared to before, or perhaps it hadn't changed at all.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Fei had purchased a significant amount of spirit pills and left Endless Sea Pavilion. Afterward, he visited several more medicine shops, finally gathering all the required elixirs.
Chen Fei didn't linger long in Immortal Cloud City. After leaving the city gates, he activated his evasion technique, heading straight for the location of the Primordial Sword Sect.
Unexpectedly, in the wilderness, he encountered Yu Shijin again, but this time Yu Shijin had other members of the Yu family with him.
Seeing Chen Fei, Yu Shijin's expression flickered. He had been looking for Chen Fei repeatedly without success, and yet today, within one hour, he had encountered him twice.
Yu Shijin nodded in acknowledgment of Chen Fei, and Chen Fei returned the gesture before continuing on his way towards the sect.
"Isn't that Chen Fei from the Primordial Sword Sect? Jin, I heard you were looking for him recently," someone nearby observed, watching Chen Fei's disappearing figure with some confusion.
"I was looking for him. I wanted to have a match with him, but when we met just now at Endless Sea Pavilion, he conceded right away," Yu Shijin replied, shaking his head.
"He's that timid?"
"He probably realized that after you defeated so many people recently, he couldn't measure up."
"After all, he's just from a small sect. Despite his talent, there's a limit to what he can achieve."
"True, I heard that even if they reach the peak of their cultivation, the Primordial Sword Sect's techniques only open around eighty-something apertures. They have no hope of reaching the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm in their lifetime."
"That's rough. Only around eighty-something apertures at the peak?"
"All those small sects are like that. Their limits are set in stone."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
Several members of the Yu family discussed the matter, shaking their heads. Compared to the Primordial Sword Sect, the conditions the Yu family could offer were much better.
However, this was something that those from small sects couldn't envy.
"Alright, enough talking. Let's head back," Yu Shijin said, waving his hand. He suddenly felt that challenging other small sects' early-stage cultivators had become somewhat uninteresting. The only worthy opponents were from sects like the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, which had experts in the combined Aperture Tempering realm.
For the other small sects, as mentioned earlier, their lifelong limits were predetermined and difficult to change.
Chen Fei's figure flickered, and after confirming there were no other people around, he pushed his speed to the limit, returning to his sect within moments.
Chi Shuqing was still lying motionless on the bed, not wanting to move.
Chen Fei looked at her with a playful smile, pinched her cheek lightly, and said, "Still daring, are we?"
Chi Shuqing cast a flirtatious glance at Chen Fei and simply turned over, exposing her back to him. Chen Fei's heart twitched but he resisted the temptation.
He entered the secluded room in the sect's courtyard and summoned his doppelganger, instructing it to stand guard nearby.
Normally, there shouldn't be any danger within the sect at this moment. However, this cultivation breakthrough was related to his realm, so as a precaution, he decided to take extra security measures. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious.
Chen Fei waved his right hand, and bottles of pills began to appear on the ground, all the recent purchases he had made along with today's haul.
Besides the pills, there were also numerous elemental stones placed around. In case the pills weren't enough, he could use these elemental stones for direct absorption.
With a singular focus, Chen Fei opened a pill bottle, took out a pill, and placed it in his mouth.
The pill dissolved upon entering his mouth, and the vital energy started to ripple within his body. The third layer of the Primordial Sword Scripture began to operate, harmonizing the three martial techniques – Giant Spirit Sword, Zhongyuan Sword, and Soaring Heaven Technique. Under the influence of the Primordial Sword Scripture, they coexisted harmoniously.
A pill would normally take half an hour to fully refine, but in less than fifteen minutes, Chen Fei had already opened his eyes. The vital energy within the pill had been completely transformed into elemental power.
Without pause, Chen Fei continued to consume the second pill.
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. As Chen Fei's body trembled slightly, another aperture was forcefully opened, bringing the total number of apertures to seventy-two.
The moment this new aperture opened, the other seventy-one began to tremble. The sensation of them working together became clearer, as if these apertures didn't need Chen Fei's guidance and were eager to connect on their own.
"Activate!"
Chen Fei's eyes snapped open, and the method recorded in the Primordial Sword Scripture for breaking through the stage flowed within him. The seventy-two apertures trembled slightly.
When breaking through from the early to the mid-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, one needed to connect from the first aperture to the others. However, when breaking through from the mid to the late-stage, it was much simpler, as the first thirty-six apertures had already become a single entity.
Elemental power flowed through thirty-six apertures, then burst out with tremendous force, surging toward the thirty-seventh aperture. It broke through effortlessly, and the elemental power within the thirty-seventh aperture continued without pause, rushing toward the thirty-eighth.
Aperture after aperture, in the blink of an eye, sixty apertures were linked together. At this point, the speed of aperture connections would typically slow down, testing the individual's foundation.
But for Chen Fei, such a challenge was nonexistent. With his solid foundation, breaking through to the late-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm from his initial breakthrough at the early-stage was effortless. If there were still difficulties at this stage, then others would likely never break through.
Sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three!
In a flash, the number of connected apertures reached sixty-eight. At this point, there was indeed some resistance, but it was minuscule.
Chen Fei remained calm, but the mental power in his sea of consciousness suddenly shook. The mighty mental power of the late-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm surged into the apertures.
Like an erupting well, this surge of power accelerated the connection speed that had been slowing down slightly. In the face of this power, all resistance crumbled.
"Hum!"
The connection of all seventy-two apertures was completed in an instant. A brand new whole appeared within Chen Fei's body. Compared to the previous thirty-six small circulation apertures, the power of these seventy-two apertures was vastly stronger.
Advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, achieved!
But for Chen Fei, this was far from the end.
Several pill bottles in front of Chen Fei shattered, and the pills were sucked into his mouth. Simultaneously, vital energy from miles around began to agitate. In the next moment, it surged into Chen Fei's body..
Chapter 396: Enlightenment
The immense medicinal power within the elixir surged through Chen Fei's body, while external vital energy also flowed into him, exerting constant pressure on his physique.
For other cultivators, facing such a situation would likely make them feel overwhelmed.
During a breakthrough, the nearby natural energy would become restless. It was a tempering process for both the body and the mind. Most cultivators would diligently absorb this energy at this time, converting it into their own foundation and strength.
However, Chen Fei found this insufficient and directly consumed the elixir, aiming to advance his strength in a short period.
They say "greed can lead to self-destruction," but Chen Fei wasn't just anyone; he had enough power to do this. What seemed like a reckless act to other practitioners was nothing more than a step forward in Chen Fei's eyes. "Hum!"
The Suppressing Dragon Elephant trembled. The originally chaotic medicinal power and vital energy were forcibly suppressed. Following the route outlined in the Primordial Sword Scripture, they were refined into elemental force and filled into his apertures.
The seventy-second aperture was quickly filled, and in the next moment, the seventy-third aperture was opened, allowing the majestic elemental force to rush in.
At the same time, the effect of tempering the mind through the natural energy of the world began to manifest. A feeling of ethereal transcendence arose within Chen Fei's heart.
This was the sublimation of the mind, different from the growth of his mind after he had refined the Strange Heart Realm.
On the martial path, during the Body Tempering realm, cultivators refined their five viscera and six bowels in preparation for breaking through to the Aperture Tempering realm. When their cultivation reached the Aperture Tempering realm, they absorbed natural energy, continuing to refine their bodies at a deeper level.
Every time there was a breakthrough in the minor realm, the natural energy of heaven and earth would temper every aspect of a martial artist. Previously, when Chen Fei broke through from the early Aperture Tempering realm to'the mid Aperture Tempering realm, his mind had also undergone tempering, but it felt completely different from this time.
This time, Chen Fei felt that his mind had become incredibly agile and free, and the speed of his thoughts had reached an unprecedented level. Enlightenment!
A word appeared in Chen Fei's mind. It was recorded in the Primordial Sword Scripture that when a martial artist broke through to the late Aperture Tempering realm, there would be a collision of insight in their mind.
This collision of insight was elusive and unpredictable. Depending on the individual's circumstances, the duration of this insight collision varied, and even some martial artists with lesser foundations did not experience it. Or if it did occur, it was too brief to grasp.
The Great Thunder Sword!
As soon as Chen Fei felt his mind becoming more agile, he didn't hesitate at all and began to comprehend the Great Thunder Sword.
Because he knew there would be one moment of insight, Chen Fei had already planned how to make the most of this rare opportunity before his breakthrough.
Compared to other practitioners, Chen Fei's speed of comprehending martial techniques was absolutely unimaginable. However, he wouldn't give up on this opportunity that was akin to an epiphany just because he could comprehend techniques quickly.
The Soul Tempering stage of Suppressing Dragon Elephant was too profound and mysterious. He had only mastered them to a limited extent at the Proficiency Realm, and there was still a long way to go before reaching the Perfection.
Most martial techniques, without reaching a certain level, mainly accumulated quantity without providing a qualitative transformation of power. This moment of insight couldn't elevate the Soul Tempering stage of Suppressing Dragon Elephant to the Perfection.
The Great Thunder Sword, on the other hand, had already reached the Perfection, and it wasn't too far from the Great Completion. At Chen Fei's current rate of progress, it would probably take another half a year to fully cultivate the Great Thunder Sword to the Great Completion level.
A time period of half a year might not seem significant for practitioners in the Aperture Tempering realm. Chen Fei also considered it quite manageable. However, given the current tense situation, if there was a chance to shorten this half-year timeframe, Chen Fei would naturally take advantage of it.
Moreover, Chen Fei had already perfected the fourth layer of the Primordial Sword Scripture long ago and was currently cultivating the fifth layer. As soon as the Great Thunder Sword reached the Great Completion level, Chen Fei's strength would immediately experience a significant boost.
Countless insights regarding the Great Thunder Sword collided within Chen Fei's sea of consciousness. Compared to the usual gradual progress in cultivation, the profound mysteries of the Great Thunder Sword were almost entirely presented before Chen Fei at this moment.
"Sizzle!"
A faint electric light appeared on the surface of Chen Fei's body, bursting forth with great intensity. His aura at this moment was as imposing as heavenly might. However, this aura gradually receded and returned to calm.
The Great Thunder Sword, Great Completion level, achieved! Meanwhile, the collision of insights in his mind continued.
Typically, the duration of such insight collisions was not long. Many martial artists took the opportunity when breaking through to the late Aperture Tempering realm to comprehend their primary martial techniques.
By doing so, when the breakthrough concluded, martial techniques with fewer apertures to unlock could almost be fully understood. Even top-tier inheritances that could unlock over a hundred apertures could be comprehended to a significant extent.
This approach had immense benefits for both their current strength and future cultivation.
After completing the comprehension of the Great Thunder Sword, Chen Fei sensed that there was still a bit of time left in this state of insight.
Perhaps it was due to Chen Fei's mind power reaching the late Aperture Tempering realm before the breakthrough, which was crucial. After all, the collision of insight depended on the connection between the mind and the natural energy of heaven and earth.
The stronger one's mind, the longer the duration of insight collisions.
Without any delay, Chen Fei began to comprehend the Star Gazing Art. The Star Gazing Art was already very close to the Great Completion level, and with just a moment of insight, its proficiency soared. In a short while, it reached the state of Great Completion.
By this point, it was evident that the insight collision was showing signs of weakening, indicating that this enlightenment born from the breakthrough was coming to an end.
To have this kind of opportunity again, Chen Fei would have to break through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. Even reaching the peak of the Aperture Tempering realm with a full aperture cultivation of 108 would not grant such insight collisions.
At the tail end of the enlightenment, Chen Fei applied it to the Thousand Thread Technique.
This was the Alchemist Alliance's main cultivation technique, and Chen Fei had already cultivated it to the eighth level. As the enlightenment progressed, the profound mysteries of the eighth level of the Thousand Thread Technique began to unfold before Chen Fei's eyes.
However, before Chen Fei could absorb much of it, his incredibly agile mind suddenly paused, then slowly circulated. The feeling of extreme agility that he had just experienced had disappeared.
A sense of longing and loss involuntarily arose in Chen Fei's heart, but he quickly pushed it aside.
For other practitioners, the disappearance of such enlightenment would indeed be difficult to accept, even heart-wrenching. After all, compared to months or even years of fruitless attempts to comprehend a technique, the feeling of exhaustion and frustration was hard to bear.
Under the influence of this kind of insight collision, the overwhelming flood of realizations in one's sea of consciousness was too intense, making it hard to resist the temptation of immersing oneself in it.
However, Chen Fei had his panel, and with effort, he would gain rewards. Compared to other cultivators, he had been fortunate enough already. Therefore, that sense of longing and loss was merely a fleeting moment for Chen Fei.
As the insight collision ended, the natural energy from all directions gradually returned to calm.
Chen Fei let out a slow breath and slowly opened his eyes, which now had a warm and jade-like gleam.
Not only had Chen Fei's martial techniques improved, but his mind, which controlled eighty apertures, had also elevated to the position of eighty-three apertures.
Furthermore, Chen Fei's own aperture cultivation had broken through ten apertures under the infusion of elixirs and vital energy, reaching a total of eighty-two apertures.
This number of apertures surpassed the limit that the Zhongyuan Sword could unlock and exceeded the maximum number of apertures that practitioners of the entire Primordial Sword Sect could open many years ago.
Of course, now that he had regained the Primordial Sword Scripture, the potential number of apertures he could unlock had long surpassed this limit With the fourth layer of the Primordial Sword Scripture, which combined the Zhongyuan Sword, Giant Spirit Sword, Soaring Heaven Technique, and Great Thunder Sword, he could potentially open up to a hundred apertures.
Unlocking a hundred apertures was already a remarkable achievement that only top-tier techniques could accomplish.
With Chen Fei having opened eighty-two apertures, he had directly surpassed the stabilization stage of the late Aperture Tempering realm. Even now, his number of apertures was likely only a few less than that of the Sect Leader, Qu Qingsheng.
After all, Qu Qingsheng had not possessed the Primordial Sword Scripture for long, and in the past two years, he had only been able to open a few apertures due to his already high cultivation and quick comprehension of martial techniques.
Otherwise, Chen Fei would've surpassed him in terms of cultivation.
However, according to the current trend, surpassing Qu Qingsheng in terms of aperture count was inevitable and would likely occur in a very short time.
Chen Fei got up, turned to look at the entrance of the secret room, and saw Chi Shuqing standing there. At this moment, she was gazing at Chen Fei with a face full of admiration.
When Chen Fei broke through to the late Aperture Tempering realm, Chi Shuqing had sensed the agitation of vital energy because she was so close.
There were many reasons for the agitation of natural energy, with the most common being the use of techniques that tapped into it. However, Chi Shuqing's thoughts quickly turned to Chen Fei's aperture synchronization and centered on his breakthrough.
The synchronization of apertures was indeed a sign before a breakthrough, but a sign was just a sign. There was a fundamental difference between a sign and an actual breakthrough.
When the signs of a breakthrough appeared, many people would continue to accumulate their strength, solidifying their foundations to increase the success rate of the breakthrough. After all, a failed breakthrough could be profoundly detrimental, and repairing the damage and attempting another breakthrough would require more time.
According to Chi Shuqing's estimation, Chen Fei had only broken through to the mid-Aperture Tempering realm for less than a year. He should wait for some time before attempting another breakthrough, and although she couldn't predict exactly how long, several months at the very least seemed reasonable. Chi Shuqing was curious and wanted to see what Chen Fei was up to. Although she had considered the possibility of his breakthrough, it wasn't very likely, given how fast it would be.
Just yesterday, his apertures synchronized, and today he had already broken through—it seemed too exaggerated.
However, when she entered the secret room and saw Chen Fei's elevated aura the scene clearly told her the truth. Chen Fei wasn't just attempting a breakthrough; he had already succeeded. His aura clearly indicated that he had reached the advanced Aperture Tempering realm.
What's more, even after breaking through to the advanced Aperture Tempering realm, Chen Fei's aura continued to rise. This sight left Chi Shuqing in a state of confusion, struggling to find words to express her feelings..
Chapter 397: Primordial Ranked Firs
Just as signs of a breakthrough had just appeared, the very next day, it happened immediately, and the time it took for this breakthrough was unbelievably short. Moreover, it didn't end after the breakthrough; the cultivation continued to soar.
This kind of scenario was completely overturning the cultivation principles that Chi Shuqing had upheld for so many years.
The manuals clearly stated that the cultivation of the Aperture Tempering realm followed a gradual process. When cultivating the Visceral Tempering realm, there might be various methods to advance, and as long as the methods were correct, they wouldn't harm the foundation.
However, in the Aperture Tempering realm, opening each Aperture required careful attention; one couldn't afford to be careless and risk damaging the apertures. Even after opening the apertures, they needed continuous nurturing to make them even stronger.
All of this made the cultivation of the Aperture Tempering realm appear extremely slow, often taking years, or even a decade or more, to increase one's strength.
As for breaking through small realms, that required even more caution and prudence. After all, breaking through a small realm, if the foundation wasn't sufficient and one forcefully broke through, the source could be easily damaged.
In severe cases, it might even be impossible for the cultivation to progress further for a lifetime.
But here with Chen Fei, the speed of cultivation was beyond belief.
Not only did he break through realms unreasonably fast, but even after the breakthrough, his cultivation continued to rise. There was no record of such a scenario in any of the scriptures, and Chi Shuqing had never heard of anyone doing it.
Therefore, Chi Shuqing was at a loss for words to express herself, and in her heart, she held nothing but infinite admiration for Chen Fei. He was the person she had found, a genius bordering on the extraordinary.
"Zzz!"
Like the sound of thunder shattering, Chen Fei appeared in front of Chi Shuqing as if teleporting, and tiny sparks of lightning flickered over his body.
The power of the Great Thunder Sword, combined with the Soaring Heaven Technique, gave Chen Fei's speed a different kind of transformation.
"The Great Thunder Sword?" Seeing Chen Fei's appearance, Chi Shuqing snapped out of her trance and expressed her surprise.
The Great Thunder Sword had been one of the prominent techniques of the Primordial Sword Sect many years ago, far more famous than the likes of the Zhongyuan Sword.
Especially in the eyes of ordinary people, practitioners who wielded the Great Thunder Sword appeared as if they were gods of thunder, radiating a majestic divine aura that made it impossible to look directly at them.
However, at some point, the members of the Primordial Sword Sect had stopped using the Great Thunder Sword. Ordinary people were unaware of the reasons, but various sects knew that it was because the lineage of the Great Thunder Sword had been damaged.
Chi Shuqing hadn't expected to witness Chen Fei using this lost technique today. Moreover, the way he wielded it, the power was controlled in every aspect, not excessive but precise.
For a damaged lineage, achieving this level of control was impossible.
"This isn't important. Would you like to experience something different?" Chen Fei's face broke into a smile as he raised his palm, and with a slight flick of his fingers, sparks of electricity danced around.
Chi Shuqing was momentarily taken aback but then realized the meaning behind Chen Fei's words. She couldn't help but gently pat Chen Fei's shoulder with a shy expression filled with tenderness.
The next morning, Chen Fei appeared in Immortal Cloud City.
Chi Shuqing was truly weakened this time, completely devoid of strength. The sensation was too intense, and even cultivators in the Aperture Tempering realm couldn't bear it.
Within the Alchemist Alliance, Chen Fei came to exchange for the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique.
Due to the collision of insights yesterday, although it only took a short time to impart the Thousand Threads Technique, the proficiency of the eighth level had greatly improved.
In the past few months, even with ample resources, Chen Fei still came to the Alchemist Alliance to take on tasks, primarily for the sake of earning contribution points.
Chen Fei didn't exchange these contribution points for anything else; he was saving up to exchange for the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique. He had already accumulated enough contribution points for this purpose some time ago but hadn't exchanged it yet.
Now that the Thousand Threads Technique had reached this point in cultivation, to prevent any future disruptions in cultivation, Chen Fei decided it was time to exchange for the ninth level, to avoid any unexpected setbacks.
"Chen Alchemist, the Alliance Master wishes to meet you," an alliance official said to Chen Fei quietly as he waited at the counter.
"It's been many years since anyone exchanged for the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique in the Alliance. I'm quite surprised," remarked Qin Jinglan, who was standing nearby.
Chen Fei nodded slightly, not showing any unusual expression.
As the Alchemist Alliance's pinnacle technique, it was entirely normal for someone to accumulate enough contribution points to exchange for it. From Chen Fei's perspective, it made perfect sense for the Alliance Master to request a meeting.
As Qin Jinglan had mentioned, it had been many years since anyone had exchanged for the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique in the Alchemist Alliance. Besides the hefty contribution point requirement, the difficulty of cultivating the Thousand Threads Technique had kept many alchemists at bay.
"The last time we met, you hadn't even reached the Aperture Tempering realm," Wei Xingshan said, looking at Chen Fei. It was their first encounter during a union mission several years ago. At that time, Chen Fei had only been in the Visceral Tempering realm.
Fast forward a few years, and Chen Fei had already reached the Aperture Tempering realm, with alchemical talent that rivaled his martial progress. In just a few years, he had continuously taken on tasks to refine spiritual pills and hadn't failed once.
All of this was well-documented, as every contribution point expenditure was clearly recorded.
Wei Xingshan had heard reports from union officials about Chen Fei before. Someone as dedicated to alchemy as Chen Fei, who consistently produced high-quality results, was indeed a rare find within the Alliance.
Wei Xingshan had some regrets about Chen Fei's background. If Chen Fei had been part of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect instead of the Primordial Sword Sect, he might have been groomed as the successor to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect's alchemical legacy.
However, it was clear that this was no longer a possibility. Chen Fei was irrevocably tied to the Primordial Sword Sect. Wei Xingshan couldn't risk the danger of forcibly taking him into the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, as it would not only lead to internal conflicts but also face opposition from the entire sect.
For this reason, over the years, Wei Xingshan had known of Chen Fei's existence but had never summoned him, as there had been no need. It was only today, upon hearing that Chen Fei intended to exchange for the final level of the Thousand Threads Technique, that Wei Xingshan seized the opportunity to meet him.
Wei Xingshan was well aware of the difficulty of cultivating the Thousand Threads Technique. Even after reaching the late Aperture Tempering realm himself, he had spent many years without completing the ninth level of the technique.
"Greetings, Alliance Master," Chen Fei said with a respectful salute.
"How is the cultivation of the Thousand Threads Technique going? If you have any doubts, feel free to ask," Wei Xingshan said.
Chen Fei's request to exchange for the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique had surprised Wei Xingshan, but he didn't think that Chen Fei had already reached this level in his cultivation. It was more likely that Chen Fei wanted to secure the exchange ahead of time, given the current turbulent situation, which was quite reasonable.
"I have some doubts about the third level of the Thousand Threads Technique," Chen Fei said naturally, showing a hint of delight on his face. He then asked Wei Xingshan about a specific point from the third level of the technique, seeking his guidance.
When Wei Xingshan heard that it was a question about the third level of the Thousand Threads Technique, a glimmer of interest flashed in his eyes, and he patiently provided guidance.
As Wei Xingshan answered his questions, Chen Fei seized the opportunity to ask a few more, making Wei Xingshan feel like a mentor once again. After nearly half an hour, Chen Fei left the study.
Watching Chen Fei's departing figure, Wei Xingshan couldn't help but feel regret. Such a talented individual, yet not a disciple of the Alchemist Peak; it left Wei Xingshan with a sense of disappointment.
Chen Fei left Immortal Cloud City with the ninth level of the Thousand Threads Technique and returned to the Primordial Sword Sect.
Over the next month, Chen Fei stayed within his own courtyard, not going anywhere, and continually pondering the intricacies of the late Aperture Tempering realm.
During this time, Chen Fei made a trip to the Strange Heart Realm.
With his cultivation now in the late Aperture Tempering realm, there was no longer a significant gap between his spiritual power and his cultivation. Naturally, Chen Fei wanted to continue elevating his spiritual power.
The higher his spiritual power, the more effective he would be in controlling his own strength.
After three hours of hunting down dozens of first-stage Evils, Chen Fei finally stopped increasing his spiritual power when it reached the control of eighty-eight apertures.
Chen Fei attempted to kill more than a dozen first-stage Evils to confirm that there was no further benefit to his spiritual power.
For Chen Fei, the Strange Heart Realm was the simplest and easiest way to increase his spiritual power, and he had finally reached a point of diminishing returns.
Chen Fei wasn't disappointed; after all, the effectiveness of killing first-stage Evils had been diminishing before, and with his breakthrough to the late Aperture Tempering realm, the diminishing returns had become even more pronounced.
It was clear that the essence within the first-stage Evils was too low-level for Chen Fei now.
Activating the Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei found a nearby second-stage Strange Heart. Under the influence of the Star Gazing Art, this second-stage Strange Heart didn't have a very strong aura, roughly equivalent to a martial artist in the early Aperture Tempering realm.
Killing the second-stage Evil took Chen Fei some time, as they were undoubtedly much stronger than the first-stage ones. However, due to the significant gap between Chen Fei and the Evil, he still managed to kill it forcibly.
He extracted the essence and injected it into the Heart Refinement Formation.
The Fourth-tier Heart Refinement Formation marked another advancement in Chen Fei's Heart Refinement Formation after he officially broke through to the late Aperture Tempering realm.
Despite becoming even more polluted and frenetic under the influence of the Fourth-tier Heart Refinement Formation, this second-stage Evil was ultimately refined into a pure source.
After Chen Fei absorbed it, his stagnant spiritual power once again experienced significant growth, and it was quite noticeable.
However, a strange sensation also surfaced in Chen Fei's spiritual sense. An intangible hostility seemed to be projecting onto him from all directions, and an eerie chill crept into his heart, as if an impending disaster were about to occur.
With caution in mind, Chen Fei immediately left the Strange Heart Realm. For the next ten days or so, he didn't venture into the realm again. Instead, he decided to explore a different place, farther away, and then re-enter the Strange Heart Realm to investigate further.
Back at the main peak of the Primordial Sword Sect…
"You're going to the Sword Return Tower? For what reason?" Qu Qingsheng asked in surprise when he saw Chen Fei.
"To retrieve our heritage," Chen Fei replied.
"But with our current strength, we still can't…" Qu Qingsheng's words were cut off as he suddenly noticed a change in Chen Fei's aura. It steadily rose, transitioning from the early to the middle Aperture Tempering realm.
This wasn't too surprising, as Qu Qingsheng had already been aware of Chen Fei's breakthrough to the middle Aperture Tempering realm.
However, just a breath later, Qu Qingsheng's eyes widened involuntarily.
Chen Fei's aura had now reached the advanced Aperture Tempering realm, identical to his own..
Chapter 398: Cutting Through Thorns
At this moment, Qu Qingsheng began to doubt if he had fallen into some kind of illusion.
Wasn't Chen Fei just in the middle stage of the Aperture Tempering realm a few months ago? How come he's already in the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm now? Qu Qingsheng understood that some cultivators progressed rapidly, but this seemed too exaggerated.
The path of martial arts was inherently unfair. Some people seemed born to walk this path, while others didn't even qualify to step through the door.
But was Chen Fei's cultivation speed too extreme?
"My comprehension of martial techniques is a bit faster. As long as I have enough resources, I can advance quickly," Chen Fei explained, looking at Qu Qingsheng's expression.
A bit faster? Qu Qingsheng really wanted to say this, but considering his own identity, he swallowed the words forcefully. As the Sect Master, he needed to maintain some decorum.
"The Sword Return Tower also has advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, not to mention their defensive formations. It's difficult to breach their defenses," Qu Qingsheng pondered for a moment and said solemnly.
A sect always dedicated significant effort to protect its sect grounds. It was akin to the dynamics of attacking and defending a city. Without overwhelming strength, the losses could be devastating.
The same applied when attacking other sects. If your strength was insufficient, you could easily be bogged down, and the outcome would become uncertain.
With Chen Fei, the Primordial Sword Sect now had a total of three advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, making them quite formidable in the vicinity of Immortal Cloud City. However, Zhou Zixuan's lifespan was coming to an end, and his strength had greatly declined.
The three of them launching an attack on the Sword Return Tower, with Zhou Zixuan's aggressive temperament, could potentially lead to self-destruction if they made even a slight mistake.
As the Sect Master of the Primordial Sword Sect, Qu Qingsheng hoped more than anyone else for the downfall of the Sword Return Tower. After all, their inherited martial techniques were in the hands of others, and this situation was unacceptable.
However, when their strength was still lacking, Qu Qingsheng leaned towards caution. Given the current unstable situation in the world, every advanced Aperture Tempering realm martial force was extremely precious to the sect.
Provoking the Sword Return Tower might be tempting, but the survival of the sect should take precedence.
Just like the situation with the Big Dipper Tower earlier, despite establishing the sect for so many years, it had now crumbled, leaving only a few disciples. It was a sight that deeply troubled Qu Qingsheng.
Whenever he thought about this, his mindset became extremely rational. In the current situation, the main focus should be on safeguarding the sect, with other matters taking a back seat.
"Master, for this mission, I can go alone," Chen Fei said, observing Qu Qingsheng's expression and understanding his concerns.
Chen Fei had just broken through, and coming to display his strength in front of Qu Qingsheng was to give him confidence. In his heart, Chen Fei had a deep attachment to the Primordial Sword Sect, and he hoped it would continue to thrive and become even more glorious in the future.
That's why he had kept his progress secret from others but had not hidden it from Qu Qingsheng. He didn't want to regret neglecting Chen Fei when the sect needed his strength the most.
However, Chen Fei had never considered having Qu Qingsheng and Zhou Zixuan accompany him to the Sword Return Tower on this mission. With the rapidly changing situation, if another crisis like the Ghastly Puppet were to arise, it would be unthinkable for the sect to be without an advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivator to oversee things.
During such times, it was imperative for the Primordial Sword Sect to have an advanced Aperture Tempering realm presence within the sect, and they couldn't afford to leave easily.
"You alone? No, it's too dangerous!" Qu Qingsheng decisively shook his head in refusal upon hearing Chen Fei's proposal.
In such a short time, Chen Fei had elevated his cultivation to the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm. With only the Primordial Sword Body left to attain, Chen Fei had a very high chance of breaking through to the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm in the near future. Moreover, Qu Qingsheng harbored another hope in his heart: what would happen if Chen Fei broke through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm? That would be an extraordinary scenario.
In Qu Qingsheng's lifetime, he wished to see the Primordial Sword Sect return to its former glory. He had managed the sect for so many years, always striving for the advancement of the sect, but his own limited talent had kept the Primordial Sword Sect from truly flourishing.
Now, Qu Qingsheng saw in Chen Fei the opportunity for the sect to reach its peak. In such circumstances, how could Qu Qingsheng possibly allow Chen Fei to take such a risk alone?
"Clang!"
The Qianyuan Sword landed in Chen Fei's hand, emitting a clear clang. Qu Qingsheng looked at Chen Fei with some confusion and then noticed a hint of the Qianyuan Sword's aura transforming into the Zhongyuan Sword.
The sword's aura was thick and heavy, and as Chen Fei displayed the atmosphere of the Zhongyuan Sword, it seemed as if it could completely crush a person with no room for reversal.
Qu Qingsheng himself had specialized in the Zhongyuan Sword in the past, so he immediately recognized that Chen Fei's Zhongyuan Sword had reached the pinnacle, matching his own mastery.
But that alone was far from enough.
Just as Qu Qingsheng was about to speak, he suddenly saw a slight change in the aura on the Qianyuan Sword. A tremendous and overpowering force spread in all directions. Building upon the foundation of the Zhongyuan Sword, it resembled the collapse of heaven itself, making it feel as if one were facing an apocalyptic scenario.
The Giant Spirit Sword!
As the Sect Master of the Primordial Sword Sect, Qu Qingsheng was naturally familiar with the Giant Spirit Sword because Zhou Zixuan cultivated it, and he was the only one within the sect who had mastered the Giant Spirit Sword to its pinnacle.
Zhou Zixuan had even hoped to forge his own path with the Giant Spirit Sword, but unfortunately, time did not allow, and his talent fell a bit short. He had not succeeded in this endeavor.
Now, the combination of the Zhongyuan Sword and the Giant Spirit Sword on the Qianyuan Sword was astonishing.
Qu Qingsheng looked at Chen Fei in amazement. Chen Fei had claimed to have a faster comprehension of martial techniques, and this was indeed quite fast. Qu Qingsheng had not even brought the Giant Spirit Sword to this level, and yet Chen Fei had already fused it.
Back when Qu Qingsheng needed proficiency in martial techniques like Chen Fei's, he couldn't have imagined Sword Return Tower's Xing Xinzhao escaping from the dense forest.
The Primordial Sword Scripture, after the fusion of martial techniques, had a much greater power than the average Aperture Tempering realm martial technique, making it superior in terms of offense.
This was precisely why the difficulty of cultivation was relatively high. The founder of the Primordial Sword Sect had divided the Primordial Sword Scripture into seven sections to facilitate disciples' learning. With a sufficiently high talent, one could attempt to fuse the seven sections and achieve the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm.
If one truly achieved the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm with the Primordial Sword Scripture, they would be an immensely powerful presence within that level, greatly aiding in their subsequent breakthrough to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
"If it were a one-on-one situation, your level of cultivation would indeed be sufficient. However, it's difficult to lure them out like this. They won't stray too far from their sect," Qu Qingsheng patiently advised. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed another change in the aura of the Qianyuan Sword in Chen Fei's hand.
This time, a slightly more spirited aura infused into the Qianyuan Sword, causing the deep black sword energy on the Qianyuan Sword to begin circulating. This rapid transformation added another layer to the sword energy's momentum.
Soaring Heaven Technique!
Equally, the Soaring Heaven Technique technique had reached its pinnacle state, and it was evident that Chen Fei had already mastered the third level of the Primordial Sword Scripture to be able to integrate Soaring Heaven Technique so seamlessly.
Three martial techniques, three pinnacles, and the Primordial Sword Scripture had reached the pinnacle of its third level.
Qu Qingsheng suddenly didn't know what to say. He had been amazed by Chen Fei's breakthrough to the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm earlier, but now, seeing the progress in mastering these martial techniques, it seemed almost inevitable that Chen Fei would reach this stage. As Chen Fei had said, with sufficient resources, one could indeed forcibly elevate their cultivation to this level.
"I think we should reconsider…"
"Sizzle!"
Electric sparks danced on the Qianyuan Sword, and while the initial sound was quite soft, in the blink of an eye, it resembled the roar of thunder, echoing throughout the main hall.
Qu Qingsheng watched the thunder on the Qianyuan Sword, his expression somewhat trance-like. It wasn't just because of Chen Fei's awe-inspiring aura at this moment but also because of the Great Thunder Sword.
How many years had it been? It had been many years since anyone in the sect had mastered the Great Thunder Sword.
Although he knew that one day he might hear the roar of the Great Thunder Sword after successfully recovering its martial technique, Qu Qingsheng had never expected it to come so soon.
Suddenly, Qu Qingsheng snapped out of his thoughts amidst the roar of the Great Thunder Sword. Was Chen Fei's mastery of the Great Thunder Sword also at its pinnacle? Hadn't it been less than a year since the Great Thunder Sword's martial technique had been recovered?
With mastery of all four martial techniques at their pinnacles and the perfect fusion with the Primordial Sword Scripture, along with advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivation, this level of power wasn't just about being the number one in the Primordial Sword Sect. Most advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators would likely not be a match for Chen Fei.
As mentioned earlier, the Primordial Sword Scripture's offensive power far surpassed martial techniques of the same level. While the Sword Return Tower's martial techniques were decent, they were undoubtedly inferior to the Primordial Sword Scripture.
Xing Xinzhao and the others could never rapidly master various martial techniques to their pinnacles as Chen Fei had shown. With the combat strength he was displaying now, it was indeed possible for him to conquer the Sword Return Tower. Even if unforeseen circumstances arose and he couldn't conquer it, Chen Fei would undoubtedly be able to leave without being stopped by the Sword Return Tower.
In other words, Chen Fei's journey to the Sword Return Tower didn't pose a life-threatening risk.
Qu Qingsheng's expression was somewhat distant. Just a few years ago, Chen Fei had clearly been in the Body Tempering realm, and now he had grown to this extent. There was a sense of satisfaction knowing that the sect had produced a genius like Chen Fei, and there was also a strange sense of loneliness.
The satisfaction came from having a prodigy like Chen Fei in the sect, who would undoubtedly lead the Primordial Sword Sect to greater heights in the future. The loneliness, on the other hand, stemmed from the fact that the Primordial Sword Sect would no longer solely rely on Qu Qingsheng.
Now, within the sect, there was someone even more formidable who stood at the forefront of the Primordial Sword Sect, shielding it from the storm and overcoming obstacles.
"Then take care of yourself, and don't be careless," Qu Qingsheng said, looking at the aura emanating from the Qianyuan Sword. There was indeed nothing to worry about now, but he still gave a word of caution.
"I understand." Chen Fei retracted the sword energy from the Qianyuan Sword, and a smile appeared on his face.
After returning to the Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei rested for two days, mainly to exchange some of the remaining elemental stones for elixirs that he could use for cultivation when needed.
However, the quantity of elixirs was not large; there were only a few. Breaking through to the advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm and forcefully opening a cultivation aperture had consumed a significant amount of resources.
Almost all of the resources he had recently obtained had been used up. Only a small amount remained, which would not be enough for several days of cultivation..
Chapter 399: World Hostile
With Chen Fei's current cultivation level, following a systematic and gradual practice approach is entirely feasible. After all, Chen Fei is still around thirty years old, with plenty of time for cultivation.
Even if there is a shortage of elixirs, at the rate of opening one acupoint per year, Chen Fei can reach the peak of the Aperture Tempering realm in just over twenty years.
In twenty-plus years, even with painstaking effort, Chen Fei estimates that he can identify the positions of the two missing acupoints in the Primordial Sword Scripture and completely restore the missing parts.
However, twenty-plus years is quite a long time. Considering how much time Chen Fei has spent on his current cultivation, which is less than ten years, the prospect of spending over twenty years slowly refining his cultivation is hard to accept.
Then there's the matter of the Qianyuan Sword, which is currently only a mid-grade spiritual sword. For a cultivator in the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, a mid-grade spiritual sword offers limited enhancement, making it no different from an ordinary blade.
Only a high-grade spiritual sword can provide significant enhancement to Chen Fei's current abilities, ensuring that he doesn't fall behind when facing peers of the same level.
Since the Sword Return Tower has a vendetta with the Primordial Sword Sect, and Chen Fei's strength is now sufficient, there's no reason not to pay them a visit. This journey is necessary for both the Primordial Sword Sect and Chen Fei himself.
After practicing together with Chi Shuqing for a night, Chen Fei left the Primordial Sword Sect early the next morning.
"Zi!"
With a flicker of electric light, Chen Fei's speed increased further as he activated the Great Thunder Sword. Even the distance he could traverse while airborne increased significantly.
Chen Fei suspected that if he could increase his speed a bit more, he might actually be able to fly completely.
However, this type of flight was not very controllable and made it difficult to use leverage in the air. Unlike the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, where practitioners could fully harness the elemental energy of the heavens and earth and move freely without constraints.
After running for over a thousand miles, completely distancing himself from the Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei stopped in a remote area where few people had treaded.
His clone stepped out, holding the Qianyuan Sword, remaining vigilant.
At this moment, Chen Fei's clone had undergone a significant change in aura compared to the past. Initially, Chen Fei had always believed that the strength of the Phantom of the Soaring Heaven Technique wouldn't increase once his own strength reached a certain level.
Now, Chen Fei had discovered that the basic strength of the Phantom of the Soaring Heaven Technique could be augmented by the Primordial Sword Scripture. After all, the Phantom of the Soaring Heaven Technique was separated from the Primordial Sword Scripture, and they shared the same origin.
With the foundation of cultivation coupled with mental techniques, the strength of the clone at this moment was much stronger than the majority of early Aperture Tempering realm cultivators. It could even contend with mid-stage Aperture Tempering realm practitioners to some extent without falling behind.
Chen Fei lightly tapped the ground with his right foot, and the Suppressing Dragon Elephant spread out, enveloping him.
In the next moment, Chen Fei formed hand seals, slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world had turned gray, and Chen Fei had entered the Strange Heart Realm.
Inside the Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei had slain a second-stage Evil and absorbed its origin. The sensation of the Strange Heart Realm had become somewhat different for Chen Fei.
Chen Fei wasn't sure if it was accidental, so far from the Primordial Sword Sect, that he entered the Strange Heart Realm again to investigate.
Whispering voices echoed in Chen Fei's ears, and it had been a long time since he had heard such clear and manic whispering voices. Especially since Chen Fei had broken through to the Aperture Tempering realm, the whispering voices had almost disappeared.
However, today, these whispering voices had become increasingly distinct.
Not only the whispering voices but also that inexplicable hostility. After Chen Fei appeared in the Strange Heart Realm, the inexplicable hostility began to manifest in Chen Fei's perception once again.
At first, Chen Fei thought that this hostility came from some higher-level Evil. After all, he had killed many first-stage Evils in a certain area, and it was quite possible that higher-level Evils had taken an interest in him.
That's why Chen Fei had deliberately crossed a distance of over a thousand miles to come to a new place.
Although the Strange Heart Realm was not a one-to-one reflection of the real world, the distance in the Strange Heart Realm should not be significantly smaller than that in the real world, even if the two were not entirely proportional.
Despite the considerable distance separating them, if the hostility were truly caused by a higher-level Evil, it should have dissipated by now due to the distance. However, the hostility arrived promptly as Chen Fei entered the Strange Heart Realm, without any delay.
Chen Fei looked up at the sky, and a speculation formed in his mind.
What if the hostility wasn't coming from a specific Evil but rather from this Strange Heart Realm itself?
The idea of an entire world harboring hostility toward you was enough to send shivers down one's spine. It meant that the entire world was rejecting you.
While they say "Man proposes, God disposes," if the world is against you, there's hardly a chance of success because all fortune favors your adversaries, and everything is working against you.
Perhaps even taking a sip of water could lead to choking, and a single cough could be fatal. Objects from the sky could fall inexplicably and strike you, people you encountered on the street might look at you with disdain.
Or it could be the clashes of high-level martial artists that you couldn't avoid, directly causing you harm from the aftershocks.
If you were exceptionally unlucky, natural disasters like landslides and tsunamis might head your way, leaving you with no escape!
Of course, all of the above would only happen in the most severe cases of the world's hostility. Creating an environment where the entire world is hostile to you is not something an ordinary person can achieve.
The heavens and earth are impartial to all, and generally, a world treats everyone equally. Only some incredibly fortunate individuals become the pride of the heavens.
The existence of something that hates the heavens and despises the earth is not something Chen Fei had come across in his readings.
The Strange Heart Realm might not be a complete world, but if it genuinely harbored hostility toward Chen Fei, he would encounter significant difficulties.
It wouldn't necessarily affect the real world, but it would make it extremely challenging for Chen Fei to freely draw on the Evil's origin here.
Chen Fei had slain numerous first-stage Evils without any reaction from the Strange Heart Realm. However, after killing a second-stage Evil and refining its essence, the Strange Heart Realm's response had emerged.
In Chen Fei's mind, he suddenly thought of that mysterious school. Could it be that the school had perished because they couldn't withstand the hostility of the Strange Heart Realm due to killing and refining Evils excessively?
If the Strange Heart Realm indeed had severe hostility, it didn't need cataclysmic events like landslides and tsunamis. Simply making nearby higher-level Evils hostile towards you could be extremely dangerous.
Chen Fei furrowed his brow, sensing the hostility emanating from his surroundings. Upon careful perception, he noticed that this hostility had actually weakened a bit compared to a month ago.
In other words, as time passed, this hostility could be gradually diminished. As long as Chen Fei refrained from continuing to kill and refine second-stage Evils during this period, the hostility would dissipate.
However, if it took a month just to reduce the hostility by this small amount, it might take several years for it to completely disappear.
"I only have the Star Gazing Art and the Heart-Refining Formation."
Chen Fei thought about that mysterious school, which must have had methods to conceal this hostility. Unfortunately, Chen Fei hadn't obtained these methods.
The Star Gazing Art was acquired because his character panel was strong enough to simplify and refine it; otherwise, Chen Fei wouldn't even have it. "Let's try it again!"
Chen Fei activated the Star Gazing Art, and a faint gleam flashed in his eyes. In the next moment, Chen Fei's figure disappeared from where he stood.
Fifteen minutes later, a pitch-black Origin Essence appeared in Chen Fei's hand, extracted from a second-stage Evil.
However, simply killing the Evil did not intensify the surrounding hostility. It was only when refining it on the spot that the hostility grew deeper.
Chen Fei stared at the Evil's Origin Essence in his hand, his brow furrowed. Without refining it, the purpose of coming to the Strange Heart Realm would be significantly diminished. But if he did refine it, he suspected that after only a few refinements, the surrounding hostility would become overwhelming.
If the hostility were to reach a critical level, Chen Fei might be targeted by higher-level Evils as soon as he entered the Strange Heart Realm, and they would easily eliminate him.
Inside this Strange Heart Realm, high-level Evils were not in short supply, and Chen Fei would occasionally sense that spine-chilling aura from afar.
A third-stage Evil was already equivalent to a Cultivator in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. If a fourth-stage Evil were to appear, wouldn't that be comparable to a Mountain Sea Realm Cultivator? Killing Chen Fei would probably be as easy as a sneeze for a being of that level.
"What if I drag this Origin Essence back to the real world and refine it there? Would it be better?"
An idea popped into Chen Fei's mind. The problem now was how to transport it back to the real world. The Origin Essence was highly contaminated and couldn't be directly touched by Chen Fei's consciousness.
However, without contact with his consciousness, nothing from the Strange Heart Realm could be brought out.
"Perhaps if I perfect the Ninth Layer of the Thousand Thread Technique, there might be a new feature, 'Sever and Connect'?"
Chen Fei looked at the Evil's Origin Essence, stepped forward with his right foot, and the Heart-Refining Formation appeared layer by layer, quickly forming into a four-layer Heart-Refining Formation.
Chen Fei placed the Evil's Origin Essence into it, and as soon as he began refining it, the hostility from all directions started to increase.
Indeed, even refining wasn't working. He hadn't noticed it last time, probably because the hostility was so light when he first refined it that he only realized after absorbing it. Now, with his full attention on this matter, he immediately noticed the abnormality.
Chen Fei's hand movements didn't slow down but accelerated.
After a moment, an Origin Essence appeared, and Chen Fei grabbed it with one hand, disappearing within the Strange Heart Realm.
In the real world, Chen Fei opened his eyes, deep in thought. The second refinement of a second-stage Evil had significantly deepened the Strange Heart Realm's hostility towards him. It wasn't a simple accumulation but had multiplied several times.
If Chen Fei dared to refine a third second-stage Evil within the Strange Heart Realm, the hostility surrounding him would likely attract the attention of higher-level Evils.
"Thousand Thread Technique!"
Chen Fei stood up, his figure flashing, heading in the direction of West Cloud City.
Several hours later, Chen Fei appeared on a mountain peak outside the Sword Return Tower, where he could see the main peak of the pavilion.
A long bow was held in Chen Fei's hand, and the iron arrows, entirely made of metal, were placed on the bowstring, aimed at the main peak of the Sword Return Tower.
"Sizzle!"
Electric currents crackled, turning both the long bow and the arrows entirely black. Beyond the black, thunder raged.
Chen Fei's aura began to rise, and the power attached to the arrows began to gradually increase..
Weekly Power Status
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