Chapter 35: Their Agreement

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Their Agreement

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. With a serious expression, Ye Xuan tried to explain to Qingyu what was really happening.

"About those mysterious black pouches appearing out of nowhere... they’re actually part of one of my abilities," Ye Xuan replied.

[What ability?]

"The ability to give gifts, to be precise. Whenever I give you a gift that you want, I receive the same item in return, multiplied many times over," Ye Xuan explained.

Ye Xuan wasn’t sure how to explain it. He was worried that mentioning investments or returns might offend her.

What he had just told her was different, but the concept remained the same. He had simply phrased it in a sweeter and safer way.

[Really? There’s actually an ability like that? I’ve never heard of it before.]

"The mysteries of the heavens are vast and boundless. At first, I didn’t believe it either, but after I gave you a gift, the ability actually worked."

[So, you give me a gift, and you receive a reward in the form of the same item, but in a different quantity. Am I right?]

"Yes."

"Are you angry that I did that?" Ye Xuan asked.

[Of course not. Why would I be angry? I should be happy about it, especially since you’ve been honest with me.]

"B-But doesn’t that mean I’m taking advantage of you? I mean, with an ability like this, I can obtain large quantities of items."

[That’s true. I was also worried that you might be taking advantage of me. But have you ever done that?]

"What do you mean?"

[Since I’ve been with you, you’ve never forced me to use any particular item, have you? I’m the one who asks you for things, and you simply agree to give them to me.]

[As far as I’m concerned, that’s not taking advantage of me. You’re multiplying the items I need because I want them, and that will help me tremendously in the future.]

Qingyu’s attention remained fixed on the hundreds of black pouches floating in the air, which had yet to be stored in Ye Xuan’s bag of holding.

[Some of the items in those pouches must be Minor Thundergrass, right?]

[It’s not like you can consume those spiritual herbs yourself, which means your ability benefits me as well.]

[So, you don’t need to worry. As long as you use me for something worthwhile, I don’t mind.]

[But you still mustn’t force me to use items I don’t want!]

Ye Xuan was deeply moved by Qingyu’s words. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before glancing to the side and looking closely into the serpent’s eyes.

His fears had not come true. The worries and uneasiness in his heart faded as he saw Qingyu’s reaction.

He was glad that his white serpent understood his ability.

"Thank you, Qingyu," Ye Xuan said. "I promise I’ll use my ability wisely."

Qingyu responded with a slight nod before turning her attention forward again. Ye Xuan extended his hand and stored all the items in his bag of holding.

"Do you want to cultivate some more?"

[No. I want to rest for a while.]

Ye Xuan looked at Qingyu and nodded. The issue surrounding the Infinite Return System had now been resolved peacefully, without any conflict.

His attention shifted to other matters: combat techniques and formations.

Previously, Ye Xuan had studied the Ninefold Lightning Scripture and successfully unlocked its first level.

Its ability was the Silver Lightning Armor Transformation, which made his body as tough as steel and his movements as fast as lightning. It could even temporarily increase his cultivation base.

However, that alone wasn’t enough. Ye Xuan needed other abilities to complement the transformation.

He patted his bag of holding, bringing out two red combat technique scrolls and a formation scroll.

Learning formations will take a long time. I should focus on these two Yellow-Grade combat techniques first.

He raised his hand and unrolled one of the combat technique scrolls.

Ye Xuan hoped that learning these two fire-element combat techniques wouldn’t be as difficult as comprehending the Ninefold Lightning Scripture.

However, since they were Yellow-Grade techniques, they were naturally more challenging to learn than Mortal-Grade techniques.

Ye Xuan had plenty of time, and he wasn’t in a hurry to accomplish anything.

He would take his time learning both techniques properly and let time help him complete his training.

All right. It’s time to train my ability to comprehend these techniques!

Ye Xuan formed a hand seal and activated his Basic Comprehension Technique.

He directed his spiritual qi toward one of the combat technique scrolls in front of him: Mystic Flame Finger.

The essence of the combat technique flowed into Ye Xuan’s forehead before reaching the sea within his dantian, where he began to comprehend it.

No qi turbulence occurred, and he suffered no injuries while trying to understand the technique.

Compared to the Ninefold Lightning Scripture, Ye Xuan found that he could comprehend the essence of Mystic Flame Finger much faster, including how to manifest its power through fire.

In less than three hours, the entire essence of the technique had been fully absorbed into Ye Xuan’s consciousness.

A burst of qi spread throughout the chamber, startling Qingyu, who had been sleeping around Ye Xuan’s neck.

Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes and stored the Mystic Flame Finger combat technique back in his bag of holding.

[Did you manage to learn that technique?]

"Yes. It was faster and safer than the Ninefold Lightning Scripture."

Ye Xuan stood up and began forming hand seals with both hands. Magical runes appeared in front of him, and he pointed one finger forward.

A mystical finger wreathed in blazing flames shot out from within the magical runes.

Mystic Flame Finger exploded the moment it struck the wall of the altar chamber.

The explosion was powerful enough to shake the ceiling, making Ye Xuan worry that the roof might collapse from the impact.

He looked up and examined the ceiling carefully. Fortunately, it had suffered no significant damage, and there were no signs of an imminent collapse.

[You should try your new technique outside. I’m afraid this place won’t be able to withstand its power.]

"You’re right," Ye Xuan said. "This is a little concerning."

"I should finish learning the remaining technique and formation first. Then I’ll go outside and test them against some monsters."

He turned his attention back to the combat technique scroll. Ye Xuan absorbed its essence once more and allowed his consciousness to comprehend the technique.

He followed the exact same process he had used to learn Mystic Flame Finger.

The only difference was that this time, he was learning the combat technique Ten Fire Sword Dance.

With intense concentration, Ye Xuan successfully mastered it in the same amount of time it had taken him to learn Mystic Flame Finger.

A burst of qi occurred every time he successfully learned a technique, but this time, Qingyu wasn’t startled because she had already awakened from the previous disturbance.

However, following Qingyu’s advice, Ye Xuan decided to test his new techniques later, after leaving the altar chamber at the bottom of the chasm.

For now, he only had one last task: learning the Elemental-Breaking Formation that Senior Wang had given him.

Ye Xuan attempted to follow the same process he had used to learn the combat techniques.

However, after some time, he realized that comprehending the formation presented its own difficulties.

He tried several times, but he still couldn’t understand how the formation worked. It was as though an important part of its essence was missing.

"I can’t understand this without someone guiding me," Ye Xuan said.

[I’m not very good at formations or arrays either.]

"It seems I have no choice but to visit Senior Wang again. Maybe he can help me."