Chapter 140 - 139: Reached Perfection This Easily?

Chapter 140: Chapter 139: Reached Perfection This Easily?

At dawn the next day, the light was faint and the mountain mist had yet to disperse. Beneath the pale azure sky, the Panshi Sect was but a hazy silhouette.

In his courtyard, Chen Yue had already risen, standing on a patch of open ground that had been packed firm by his footsteps.

The morning breeze, carrying the crisp, clean scent of mountain vegetation, swept past, causing the hem of his Inner Sect Disciple’s Robe to stir.

He slowly adjusted his breathing, his gaze calm as he focused his Heart Spirit on his legs and feet.

The essential Heart Method of the Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step, which he had integrated yesterday, flowed clearly through his mind. Chen Yue took a step forward with his left foot.

As if light itself had been strangely refracted, eight blurry afterimages instantly appeared directly in front of him.

These afterimages were not static. They maintained the exact same posture and spirit as his real body at the moment he stepped, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the illusory, as if eight bronze mirrors were reflecting his figure simultaneously.

In the next breath, before the eight afterimages could completely fade, Chen Yue moved again.

He didn’t charge forward in a straight line. Instead, his figure flickered. It was as if he were treading on invisible stairs or stepping on nodes of fluctuating airflow. He transformed into an elusive cyan shadow, darting rapidly around the not-so-spacious courtyard.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Within the courtyard, cyan shadows flickered everywhere!

Just as a solid figure appeared on the left, two overlapping afterimages materialized simultaneously in the corner by the right wall.

The entire courtyard was filled with Chen Yue’s figures—some standing still, some dashing, some turning, some leaping. They overlapped and separated, fragmenting the space of the courtyard into pieces.

The sound of the wind was torn apart, producing sharp, short whistles as imperceptible air currents kicked up dust from the ground.

However, this bewildering spectacle lasted for only about three breaths.

After three breaths, like a receding tide, all the afterimages in the courtyard abruptly turned transparent at once before bursting and vanishing without a trace.

The wind stopped, the dust settled, and Chen Yue’s figure stood steadily right where he had started. His breathing was even and long, and there wasn’t even a trace of sweat on his brow.

Chen Yue slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

’The Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step generates the illusory from the real, guided by the flow of qi. When facing an enemy, whether for dodging and weaving in close combat or for surprise attacks and maneuvering at mid-range, its effects are far superior to the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step.’

Chen Yue looked at his panel. The words [Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step] had already vanished, replaced by the brand-new [Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step (Perfection 13566/35633)].

The profound foundation of the Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step, after merging with the higher-level Soaring Void Nine Transformations Profound Meaning, had directly pushed this new Body Technique onto the cultivation track of the Perfection Realm.

The experience cap was 35,633 points, which was significantly higher than the current experience cap for his Vast Heart Rock Skill.

Based on Chen Yue’s experience cultivating multiple Cultivation Techniques, this usually meant that the Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step was on a slightly higher tier, or had greater potential, than the Vast Heart Rock Skill.

’Another Cultivation Technique that will require a great deal of time to polish.’

Chen Yue didn’t feel daunted. Instead, he felt a sense of fulfillment.

He lightly brushed the wrinkles from his robes, calming the slight fluctuations in his Qi Blood from testing the Body Technique, and then walked toward Dan Peak’s Hundred Herbs Pavilion under the rising sun.

His on-hand Contribution Points had bottomed out after yesterday’s exchange for the Heart-Burning Record and his daily consumption of Elixirs.

To support his more efficient cultivation, especially since he planned to try taking one and a half Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day, Chen Yue had to find a new source of income.

Therefore, he prepared to concoct one more furnace of Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills than usual today.

Arriving at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, he was greeted by the same familiar, mixed aroma of medicinal herbs.

As usual, Chen Yue exchanged simple greetings with Zhao Weiyuan, who was on duty, and then went straight to exchange for four sets of ingredients for the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill.

He paid no mind to the gazes, both overt and subtle, from his surroundings, immersing himself in his own rhythm.

Starting the fire, warming the furnace, processing the herbs, adding them in, controlling the flame, melting the ingredients, Solidifying the Pill...

This series of steps had long since become ingrained as muscle memory in Chen Yue’s hands.

Compared to his first few days, his movements had gained an indescribable smoothness. His perception of the flame’s intensity and his timing for merging the Medicinal Powers seemed to have reached a new, more exquisite level.

His luck seemed good today. Or perhaps, his skill with this particular Elixir was indeed approaching a critical point.

First furnace: one pill formed, high quality.

Second furnace: one pill formed, high quality.

Third furnace. When Chen Yue lifted the furnace lid, an even richer medicinal fragrance than before wafted out.

He looked closely and saw two Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills, their luster gentle and warm, lying quietly at the bottom of the Pill Furnace, complementing each other’s radiance.

The expressions on the faces of the Dan Peak disciples who had been secretly watching his Alchemy were now a sight to behold.

Shock, envy, and even a thread of deeply hidden jealousy were all intertwined.

"He produced two pills again? Isn’t his luck a little too good?"

"He just relied on this to get promoted to the Inner Sect a few days ago! How long has it been? Not only is his Pill Formation rate so stable, but he can even produce two at once?"

"There are a few senior brothers and sisters in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion who can concoct the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, but which of them didn’t spend years of painstaking effort just to go from consistently making one to occasionally making two?"

"Truly exceptional Talent. Looking at his technique, he’s indeed extremely skilled..."

While everyone complained inwardly, Chen Yue’s almost brutish rate of progress left them all speechless.

Chen Yue acted as if he hadn’t heard the surrounding discussion. After exchanging his pills for Contribution Points, he used a portion of them to redeem two Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining Pills for today’s cultivation, then left the Hundred Herbs Pavilion and returned directly to his courtyard.

The still-unrepaired courtyard gate hung askew. Chen Yue turned sideways to enter.

After becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, he had the right to choose a larger, independent courtyard within Dan Peak, but he hadn’t applied for a change.

Although this place was simple, it was secluded and rarely disturbed. He was already familiar with every plant and tree.

More importantly, he didn’t want to waste time moving and adapting to a new environment. For a cultivator, a residence was merely a place to shelter. What need was there for luxury?

As long as it could provide shelter from the elements and a peaceful place to cultivate, it was enough.

Back in his room, Chen Yue began his formal cultivation for the day.

He first consumed a whole Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill. As the Elixir entered his stomach, it transformed into a cool, mellow, warm current. Chen Yue immediately focused his Heart Spirit and began to circulate the Fifth Layer Heart Method of the Vast Heart Rock Skill.

Unlike the Fourth Layer, which focused on the initial synergy between Qi Blood and Heart Spirit, Chen Yue could clearly perceive a qualitative improvement when circulating the Fifth Layer of the Cultivation Technique.

The speed at which the Medicinal Power was absorbed and transformed was astonishing, as if his Qi Blood itself had an extremely strong affinity for this pure energy.

Even more noticeable was the tempering effect on his Heart Spirit. As the technique circulated, his Sea of Consciousness felt as if it were being cleansed by a clear spring, becoming more limpid and transparent. Even his thoughts seemed to move faster.

His perception of the minute details of his own body and his faint grasp of the external qi were much stronger than before.

If the previous Heart Nourishing Technique was like a silent, nourishing trickle, then the Heart Spirit tempering from the Fifth Layer of the Vast Heart Rock Skill was like a gathering stream.

After one Circulation of the Celestial Cycle was complete, Chen Yue slowly withdrew his power, his eyes shining with a brilliant light.

Chen Yue didn’t relax, because the truly arduous daily cultivation tasks were next.

The Vast Heart Rock Skill was his foundation and a daily requirement, that much was a given.

The Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield and the Great Vajra Palm were core to tempering his Physique and increasing his combat power; he had to practice them diligently without pause.

The newly acquired Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step required a significant investment of time to polish into a true means of self-preservation and defeating enemies.

He needed to attempt to cultivate the Heart-Burning Record to verify its effects and risks.

Then there was the Celestial Demon Dissolution, his last resort, which could not be used lightly. Although he might never need it, he still had to cultivate it, just in case.

This was his checklist for Cultivation Technique training, and every item on it required time and mental energy.

As for the Alchemy Dao, he had finished concocting the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills for the day. The experience gained from four furnaces was enough to boost his proficiency.

But there was a new goal: the Nourishing Spirit Pill. He had only reached the Entry Level by studying the Pill Formula yesterday and was still a long way from actually being able to concoct it.

Chen Yue needed to repeatedly ponder its medicinal properties, combinations, and the more subtle changes in heat control in his mind, which would also take up a great deal of his time.

Chen Yue took a light breath. There was no fatigue in his eyes, only a quiet focus and sense of purpose.

For a Martial Artist, a day’s twelve hours truly passed in the blink of an eye.

When night once again fell upon the Panshi Sect, most of Dan Peak grew quiet, save for the flickering light of firewood from a few Alchemy Rooms and the scattered lamps of the Night Patrol Disciples.

Inside the courtyard, Chen Yue sat cross-legged on a cushion, palms facing the heavens, his eyelids lowered.

Guided by the Vast Heart Rock Skill, the Qi Blood throughout his body surged through his meridians like a great river, emitting a low, powerful roar.

As the boundary between midnight and dawn silently crossed the sky, the familiar fluctuation arrived right on schedule.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligent cultivation. Cultivation +49]

[Diligent cultivation of Vast Heart Rock Skill. Experience Points +215]

[Diligent cultivation of Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step. Experience Points +207]

[Diligent cultivation of Heart-Burning Record. Experience Points +378]

...

[Heart-Burning Record (Great Success 77/300)]

...

Chen Yue’s closed eyelids slowly opened, a sharp light contained within his pupils. His gaze immediately fell on the increase in his Cultivation and the experience he had gained in several key Cultivation Techniques.

’My Cultivation increased by 49 points!’

Compared to yesterday’s 42 points, he had gained an additional 7 points today. On one hand, this was because the Vast Heart Rock Skill had successfully advanced to the Fifth Layer, making its circulation more efficient.

On the other hand, he had replaced the half a Dan Yang Pill he took daily with a Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill. The dual optimization of his cultivation technique and resources had produced immediate results.

As for the Experience Points gained for the Vast Heart Rock Skill and the Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step, 215 and 207 respectively, both were within Chen Yue’s expectations.

Both of these Cultivation Techniques were of a fairly high level and difficult to practice. Gaining over two hundred points per day was already a rapid pace.

What truly surprised Chen Yue was the Heart-Burning Record!

’378 Experience Points!’

Just one day of preliminary attempts and comprehension had increased his proficiency by an amount that surpassed what he’d gained from either the Vast Heart Rock Skill or the Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step.

More critically, the experience cap to go from Entry Level to Minor Success was likely only around 200 points. Yet in a single day, he had leaped past both Entry Level and Minor Success, stepping directly over the threshold into the Great Success Realm.

Extrapolating from this terrifying rate of progress, in two more days at most, the Heart-Burning Record—a technique that had made countless disciples shrink back in fear—would likely reach complete Perfection in his hands!