Chapter 214 - 182: Insight in the Rock Crevice, Black Heaven’s Progress

Chapter 214: Chapter 182: Insight in the Rock Crevice, Black Heaven’s Progress

On one side of Cloud Mountain stood a sheer cliff, thousands of feet high and impassable even for apes.

Under the moonlight, a faint shadow traversed the cliff face—it was Xie Yuan.

He approached from the opposite direction of the Half-Mountain Flower Valley’s guest courtyard, heading for a location he had memorized.

The cliff face was a mesh of countless crevices, but few were wide enough for a person to pass through. However, Martial Artists cultivated both internally and externally. With their sharp senses and clear minds, one who made an effort to remember a path was unlikely to lose their way.

Executing the Cloud Dragon Step, Xie Yuan leaped across the cliff face as if flying, treating it like level ground. Before long, he arrived at the mouth of the crevice.

He observed it quietly for a moment. The crevice seemed to have entered a period of calm; besides the occasional puff of a gentle breeze, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

However, wind doesn’t just appear from nowhere. A keen observer would realize there must be a whole other space inside.

’Looking at the marks around the entrance... the force hasn’t exceeded what it was before.’

Xie Yuan nodded, his mind at ease, and slipped directly inside.

The previous tide of swords had left both him and Situ Qin with some lingering fear.

Thus, even though Xie Yuan felt this place was a treasure trove for him, he had waited until he broke through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm and his strength had greatly increased before daring to explore it a second time.

Once inside the crevice, he walked forward at a steady pace. When the moonlight began to fade, he stirred his Qi and Blood, and a faint golden light emanated from his body.

A thin, golden barrier of light materialized over his skin, enveloping his entire body.

Projecting Qi outward, no fist could reach his body.

The 4th Layer of the Golden Bell Shield could now manifest outside the body. Though it was nearly transparent and almost imperceptible, it was like a nascent golden bell inverted over him, offering flawless protection. This was a qualitative leap from before.

The signature of the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm was that once one’s Qi and Blood reached its peak, various cultivation techniques would begin to manifest effects outside the body. They gradually revealed strange properties that exceeded the bounds of human ability.

Furthermore, within the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, each "transformation" was a genuine metamorphosis, creating vast differences in strength.

Upon reaching the Qi Blood Third Transformation, one would have pushed their physical body to its absolute limit. The power of their cultivation techniques, their martial forms, and even their every movement would be beyond all comparison to their previous state.

Though Xie Yuan’s Golden Bell Shield was only in its nascent form, it gave off a majestic golden glow bright enough to illuminate the cave, saving him the trouble of a flint and tinder.

He ventured deeper into the cave. Gusts of sword-wind brushed against him several times, but they were all deflected by the Golden Bell Shield. Aside from sensing the energy, he felt nothing—a far cry from before, when the impacts, though unable to break his defense, still carried the sharp sting of Sword Qi.

’If you’re afraid of pain, train in hardening techniques. It really is the right choice.’

Starting my Martial Dao journey by practicing iron-body techniques was truly a sound decision.

As Xie Yuan thought this, he conveniently forgot that he had simply been broke at the time. To put it nicely, he’d had no other options.

He finally neared the heart of the mountain. Just a short distance ahead was the point where the passage turned upward. Xie Yuan halted.

Here, the cave had widened considerably. The sword-wind was powerful, often carrying pebbles that pelted him like a rain of deadly hidden weapons. The Sword Intent was piercing, far stronger than in the Back Hall of the main peak.

’This should be the place.’

He sat down cross-legged in the middle of the passage and deactivated his Golden Bell Shield.

The cave plunged into darkness and silence.

Suddenly, the wind howled. A gust of sword-wind slammed into him, stabbing mercilessly at his body.

His brow furrowed slightly. He focused on the sharp intent battering his body, silently absorbing the experience.

Even without activating the Golden Bell Shield, the dual breakthroughs in his cultivation technique and physical constitution had made his natural defenses far greater than before. He no longer feared direct contact with the sword-wind.

’After all, I specialize in hardening techniques. My Defense Power should truly surpass Situ Qin’s now.’

’Facing the sword-wind head-on should yield the best results for my training.’

However, while his body could take the punishment, his clothes could not. Before long, they were reduced to tattered rags.

’I forgot about that... Next time, I should take my clothes off first.’

As Xie Yuan mused to himself, his thoughts suddenly halted.

[Black Celestial Book: (145/200)]

The progress number before his eyes ticked up by one.

A slight smile touched his lips. He then refocused his mind, concentrating fully on comprehending the piercing Sword Intent within the wind.

After two hours, a thought stirred in Xie Yuan’s mind. He rose and started walking out.

He emerged from the crevice to find the silver moon setting in the west and a faint whiteness appearing in the east. Dawn was breaking.

Though he couldn’t see the sky in the cave, Xie Yuan’s cultivation level was high enough that he didn’t lose his perception of time’s passage. His estimate had been extremely accurate.

’I’d better get back early today, so no one sees me in this state...’

[Black Celestial Book: (148/200)]

Xie Yuan glanced at the panel before him and nodded lightly, a pleased look on his face.

This rate of progress in a single night was nearly as fast as when he was fiddling with the Eight Trigrams Lotus!

’This really is a good place.’

He took one last look back, then quickly made his way off the cliff face, deliberately choosing a direction away from the guest courtyard on the mountainside.

「For some time after that, Xie Yuan’s cultivation life fell back into a routine.」

Mornings were spent at the main peak, and afternoons at the guest courtyard. Even though the guest was gone, the place had become his territory, and he fulfilled the duties of its caretaker and handyman.

However, even though he was alone in the guest courtyard during the afternoons, he no longer dared to practice his other cultivation techniques for fear of being discovered by the ever-vigilant head disciple. Instead, he focused solely on his sword practice.

At night, Xie Yuan would rest for a couple of hours. Once the other handymen were sound asleep, exhausted from the day’s labor, he would feign a trip to the latrine and slip away to the cliffside crevice to gain insights for the Black Celestial Book.

Later, he found a larger cave on the cliff. It didn’t connect to the mountain’s interior, but it was an excellent spot for training, allowing him to practice his other cultivation techniques. This took away some of his time for comprehending the Black Celestial Book, but it allowed for well-rounded development and kept him from falling behind. After all, compared to the Black Celestial Book, his fundamental internal and external techniques were still more important.

He would then rush back to the handyman courtyard before sunrise, waking up with the others as the sky lightened, as if nothing had happened, and begin a new day.

Through this highly efficient training regimen, in addition to making progress on the Black Celestial Book, Xie Yuan also rapidly assimilated the cultivation insights of Grandmasters like Aunt Hong and Li Tai. These were secrets he had learned from Situ Qin, some of which she had even used his mouth to transmit to others.

Though these insights didn’t necessarily show up on his progress panel, they were immensely helpful for increasing his strength and combat experience. It was like being personally mentored by Grandmasters, a benefit that would prove profound in the long run.

He also gradually familiarized himself with the changes in his power after breaking through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, stabilizing his foundation and steadily advancing his cultivation.

And so, under the moonlit nights on Cloud Mountain, Xie Yuan grew stronger at a rapid pace.

One day, Xie Yuan returned at noon. After finishing his lunch, he smacked his lips and thought to himself:

’I wonder when Situ Qin is coming back up? I’m getting sick of this handyman food.’

The Sword Sect’s meals for disciples were certainly filling and nutritious, but "delicious" wasn’t a guarantee. This was especially true for the "big pot rice" served in the dining hall; even if it tasted good, eating the same thing every day grew tiresome.

Having spent so much time with Situ Qin and eaten his share of delicacies, Xie Yuan was finding it hard to go from lavishness back to austerity. He seemed to have forgotten the hungry days in his small village, when even a wild pheasant was cause for long-lasting excitement.

Just as he was about to rest for a moment before starting his afternoon chores, a graceful figure approached.

"Junior Brother Zhang! Wait a moment."

Xie Yuan turned to find the visitor was someone he hadn’t seen in a long time: Miss Lin Zhen of the Lin family.

A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes.

Lin Zhen’s Qi and Blood was surging; she appeared to have made a breakthrough recently.

Xie Yuan could clearly sense that she was at the Third Training level.

He was astonished. ’She’s been on the mountain for less than half a year, hasn’t she? Hmm, she arrived at the end of spring, and it’s just the beginning of autumn now. That’s only three or four months at most. She went from being a complete novice to the Third Training? In that case, her Cloud Mountain Sword Form must have reached the Mastery level as well.’

[Cloud Mountain Sword Form · Mastery: (588/700)]

Xie Yuan himself was also at the Mastery level. Although his own mastery was close to reaching Minor Success, and he had only started training later than her, her ability to reach the same realm as him was proof of her exceptional talent. No wonder Cui Zhi had accepted her so decisively.

’Manor Head Lin wanted to be a saber master his whole life, but ended up fathering a natural-born swordsman.’

’Reaching the Third Training in four months... that’s not much slower than my own pace back then...’

Of course, the resources the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect provided its disciples were far beyond what a Loose Cultivator like him could compare to. In the eyes of a Major Sect, the four stages of External Training were merely for laying a foundation. Even Outer Sect disciples were given an introductory Inner Power cultivation technique like the Cloud Mountain Sword Qi Skill to assist them from the very beginning. While it wasn’t a profound art and they only received the first few layers, the difference between having an Inner Power technique and not having one was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

Down in the wider world, powerful local figures like Shen Longteng would desperately seek an Inner Power technique to no avail.

This was the legacy of a lineage. This was a Sect.

To be inside the gate versus outside it was to live in two different worlds.

Therefore, it wasn’t unheard of for a talented disciple to reach the Fourth Training within a year. But Lin Zhen’s speed was truly impressive, especially since she had started with no foundation whatsoever. ’She must be highly praised by the Outer Sect elders,’ he mused.

Xie Yuan took all this in with a single glance, then lowered his head slightly and bowed.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Lin! How may I be of service?"

His etiquette was impeccable. Though they were both in the Outer Courtyard, there was a world of difference between an official Outer Sect disciple from the "upstream" residences and a handyman "disciple" from the "downstream" common yard.

Lin Zhen gave a small wave, pursed her lips, and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Zhang, have you corresponded with Junior Sister Chen recently?"

Xie Yuan realized what this was about. ’So Lin Zhen is still thinking about her dear Junior Sister Chen.’

’I wonder what kind of spell Mu Chaoyun cast on her to make her so attached... ’

Xie Yuan bowed once more and said, "There was a family emergency for Junior Sister Chen. A close relative is gravely ill. Our Sect values filial piety, so she likely won’t be returning to the mountain anytime soon."

’Miss Lin, just focus on your training. Stop trying to get your ’big sister’ to look after you... ’

Lin Zhen’s expression clearly fell upon hearing this.

"Is that so... Junior Sister Chen is so calm and knowledgeable. I might be going down the mountain for my trial soon, and I was hoping to ask for her advice."

’So she’s already leaving the mountain. That was fast.’

The first time disciples of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect leave the mountain, they are expected to draw blood. ’No wonder Lin Zhen is a little nervous.’

Xie Yuan nodded to himself. ’Too bad she’s not coming. She’s really not coming back.’

’Speaking of which, I wonder how her brother, Lin Cheng, is doing with his training? Probably not as smoothly as her.’

He was about to take his leave when Lin Zhen suddenly reached out to stop him.

"Wait! By the way, you’re from Jinshan County, right? Which town exactly? Since I’ll be heading down the mountain anyway, I could stop by for a visit."

Xie Yuan’s scalp prickled. He hastily replied, "No, no, we couldn’t possibly impose!"

But Lin Zhen insisted, "Junior Sister Chen and I were like old friends from the moment we met. Since her family is in trouble, I must go and see if I can offer some small assistance."

’What do you mean, "old friends"? If you actually go, forget meeting a Junior Sister Chen who doesn’t recognize you—what happens if you run into Zhang Shan, who’s supposed to be me, perfectly fine at home?’

Xie Yuan quickly said, "There’s really no need! Um... Junior Sister Chen’s family has some peculiar customs. They don’t like visitors... Yes, that’s it! Her family is a reclusive clan!"

"A reclusive... clan? A reclusive clan in a town?"

Lin Zhen asked, her face full of suspicion.

"Yes, in our town, her family members are practically hermits. Even though she and I are very close—childhood sweethearts, you could say—it’s not even guaranteed that I could get through their door. Ai, the tempers of those elders... ai..."

Xie Yuan sighed, his expression utterly serious.

It all sounded rather strange to Lin Zhen, but seeing the honest, sincere look on Xie Yuan’s simple face, her own trusting nature kept her from suspecting anything. She could only let out a dejected sigh.

"I see. Then never mind... It seems things aren’t easy for you two."

"Yes, yes."

Xie Yuan nodded along as he watched Lin Zhen walk away.

’This is what you call a messy entanglement...’

He didn’t dwell on the minor interruption. As he continued toward the guest courtyard, he scanned the panel in his vision, assessing his progress.

[Black Celestial Book: (196/200)]

Xie Yuan felt a surge of anticipation. ’Tonight, I should be able to max out the Black Celestial Book’s progress. I wonder what kind of reward I’ll get?’