Chapter 153 - 151: Domineering

Chapter 153: Chapter 151: Domineering

The on-duty disciple presented the secret manual to Chen Yue and said solemnly,

"Junior Brother Chen, this is the complete manuscript for All Things Return to the Source. This cultivation technique is exceedingly difficult to practice and carries significant risk. I urge you to be cautious."

"Thank you for the warning." Chen Yue nodded and accepted the heavy secret manual.

Chen Yue placed All Things Return to the Source into his storage ring as well. He gave the on-duty disciple a slight nod, then turned and left the Hidden Skills Pavilion without another moment’s delay.

The on-duty disciple watched Chen Yue’s departing back, remaining silent for a long time.

Back in front of his courtyard, its gate still broken, Chen Yue passed through the gaping hole, opened the door to his room, and stepped inside.

Inside, he sat down cross-legged and placed the two secret manuals he had just acquired side by side in front of him.

Chen Yue first picked up the Hidden Blade Technique and meticulously read it from cover to cover, not missing a single word.

An hour later, he put down the Hidden Blade Technique, picked up the even thicker All Things Return to the Source, and once again became engrossed in its contents.

More than an hour passed.

As sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting long shadows across the room, Chen Yue finally finished reading All Things Return to the Source.

He closed his eyes and began to mentally review and cross-reference the core tenets, cultivation hurdles, and critical warnings of the two techniques.

The Hidden Blade Technique emphasized intent over form. It used one’s Heart Spirit to nurture Sword Intent, allowing a strike to slay the spirit before the body. This was a perfect match for his current Heart Spirit cultivation.

All Things Return to the Source was all-encompassing. It treated the body as a furnace, absorbing all of creation to temper the physique and return it to its primordial state.

When cultivated to the stage of Great Success, its defensive power was peerless. However, achieving even the Entry Level was exceedingly difficult, and the requirements for one’s foundational physique were absurdly high.

’These two techniques... one for offense, one for defense; one sharp, one solid. Once I’ve mastered them, my strength is bound to take another huge leap forward,’ Chen Yue thought.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Yue put away the secret manuals, took out a Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, and swallowed it.

A cool, gentle medicinal power dissolved and spread through him, nourishing his slightly depleted Heart Spirit.

Immediately after, he circulated the Heart-Burning Record, separating a wisp of Heart Fire to envelop his Dantian. He simultaneously activated the Vast Heart Rock Skill to begin his daily cultivation routine.

「Half an hour later.」

Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise in their depths.

’Back when I was in the Bone Forging Realm, it would take almost a full hour to completely digest and absorb the medicinal power. Now that I’ve broken through to the Marrow Refining Realm, I’ve refined it completely in just half an hour.’

The medicinal power had transformed into pure Qi Force, fusing with his entire body and his Sea of Consciousness.

’So after a cultivation breakthrough, the body’s efficiency at absorbing elixirs really does increase dramatically.’

Chen Yue sensed the state of his Qi Blood and Heart Spirit. Without the slightest hesitation, he took another Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill from the jade bottle and swallowed it.

This time, he also intensified the Heart Fire from his Heart-Burning Record ever so slightly.

He wanted to test the limits of his body’s tolerance now that he was in the Marrow Refining Realm. Just how much of the dual load—the elixir’s power catalyzed by the Heart Fire—could he withstand?

As the immense medicinal power of the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill dissolved, catalyzed by the Heart Fire, it surged into his meridians like a raging river.

Chen Yue calmed his mind and focused his spirit, circulating the Vast Heart Rock Skill with all his might to guide this torrent through one efficient cycle of circulation after another.

Within the Quiet Chamber, the only sounds were his long, powerful breaths and the low rumbling of his coursing Qi Blood, like the surge of a great river.

Night deepened. The chirping of insects outside the window rose and fell, weaving together with the occasional cries of distant night birds.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes. A sharp light seemed to flash in the depths of his pupils before they returned to their usual calm.

He gently let out a long breath. Sensing the ceaseless torrent of Qi Blood and Power within his body, a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

For three full hours, Chen Yue had almost unceasingly circulated the Heart-Burning Record and the Vast Heart Rock Skill, refining and absorbing the medicinal power of one Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill after another.

The first pill was refined smoothly, the second with stability. By the third and fourth, his meridians began to feel a faint sense of pressure and distention.

Only when the medicinal power of the fifth Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill was completely refined and fused into his body did he clearly feel that he had reached a state of saturation.

Five pills!

Compared to his previous limit in the Bone Forging Realm—a maximum of three Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills per day—this number had increased significantly since his breakthrough to the Marrow Refining Realm.

His Dantian was filled to the brim with Qi Force, creating a faint sense of pressure. Forcibly refining a sixth pill would likely place immense strain on his Dantian’s walls.

After three consecutive hours of high-speed circulation, his meridians, though still resilient, were beginning to ache with a subtle strain.

His Power of Heart and Spirit, which was repeatedly seared by the Heart-Burning Record and then restored, had not diminished in total volume. In fact, this cycle of destruction and rebirth had made it even more condensed.

However, the sense of fatigue originating from the depths of his spirit was undeniably real.

Continuing to burn his Heart Spirit might allow him to squeeze out a little more potential, but the price would likely be damage to its very Origin—a cost that far outweighed the gain.

’Once my realm has consolidated further, or my physique and Heart Spirit improve again, perhaps I can try pushing for six pills.’

Chen Yue stood up and stretched his stiff limbs, and a series of soft pops and cracks echoed from his bones.

He glanced out the window. Dusk had settled, and the first stars were beginning to appear.

’So much time has passed without me even realizing it.’

’Just refining the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills takes more than three hours every day,’ Chen Yue thought, his brow furrowed slightly.

Adding the hours needed to perform alchemy on the Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills each day, plus cultivating the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, Great Vajra Palm, and Soaring Void Thousand Layer Step... there truly wasn’t a single moment to waste.

Alchemy was his only source of Contribution Points, so he couldn’t skimp on it.

Consuming and refining elixirs was the foundation of his cultivation growth, and that was even more non-negotiable.

These two major commitments consumed almost half of his time each day.

’I’ll just have to make time,’ Chen Yue decided, not dwelling on the issue.

He was long accustomed to this high-intensity training pace. It was how he had gotten this far, ever since his time in Youlin County.

Now that his circumstances had improved, he had even less reason to slack off.

Chen Yue took a deep breath, cast the stray thoughts from his mind, walked to the center of the courtyard, and sank into a horse stance. He began to practice the Great Vajra Palm.

The wind from his palms whistled, his Power heavy and condensed. Each strike carried the force to shatter steles and crack boulders, yet he remained in perfect control, containing the Power without unleashing it.

In the instant just before the power would have fully erupted, he would skillfully retract and transform it, channeling it into the next move.

This was a display of an extremely high level of mastery over his power.

After finishing one set of the Great Vajra Palm, Chen Yue didn’t pause to rest, but transitioned smoothly into cultivating the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield.

His Qi Blood surged, a faint luster appearing beneath his skin. His bones emitted a low, metallic tone, making him seem like a figure of metal forged and tempered a thousand times over.

Even as he cultivated the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, Chen Yue’s mind was hard at work.

He was devising a way to fuse the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield with the newly acquired All Things Return to the Source.

His decision to spend a full two hundred Contribution Points to exchange for this technique—reputed to be the strongest Body Refining Technique Below Innate in the Panshi Sect—was no mere impulse.

Besides having just enough Contribution Points, the more important reason was that he had his eye on this technique from the very beginning.

The Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was strong, but it ultimately had a ceiling.

In contrast, All Things Return to the Source served as the Panshi Sect’s touchstone for advancing to the Innate True Inheritance. Its conceptual scope, foundational depth, and vast potential were likely all a cut above the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield.

More importantly, within the Panshi Sect’s system of Innate Techniques, there was an exceptionally profound Body Refining Technique that was the direct successor to All Things Return to the Source.

It was an Innate Technique that the Panshi Sect’s founders had created based on All Things Return to the Source.

By first cultivating All Things Return to the Source to a certain stage in the Marrow Refining Realm, he would lay a solid foundation. In the future, when he broke through to the Innate Acupoint Refining Realm, the difficulty of cultivating that advanced technique would be greatly reduced, allowing him to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

After practicing the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield twice, beads of sweat had formed on Chen Yue’s forehead.

He returned to the Quiet Chamber, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes. In his mind, he began to explore ways to fuse the Hidden Blade Technique with the Furious Wave Saber Technique.

Although the Furious Wave Saber Technique was of a lower grade, its core concept—a continuous and relentless Sword Momentum—was not without merit.

If he used the foundation of the Furious Wave Saber Technique to merge with the Hidden Blade Technique, he at least wouldn’t have to start cultivating the resulting new technique from scratch.

After a few moments of contemplation, Chen Yue set aside his thoughts on the saber technique and began to mentally simulate the refinement process for the Nourishing Spirit Pill.

From the order in which he processed the ingredients, to the subtle changes in heat control, to every single step of the Solidifying Pill phase—he rehearsed it all repeatedly in his mind.

For Chen Yue, what others called "rest" was simply a shift from physical cultivation to mental simulation.

Analyzing pill formulas, devising cultivation techniques, and exploring fusion possibilities—this was his form of relaxation.

While Chen Yue cultivated, the discussions within the Panshi Sect about the daytime battle did not die down with the setting sun. On the contrary, they only grew more intense.

"Did you hear? There hasn’t been a peep from the Mutual Aid Association all day. Lin Junshi’s courtyard gate is shut tight; he’s not seeing anyone."

"No kidding! After a humiliation that huge, how could he possibly have the nerve to show his face? You didn’t see him outside Panshi Lane today. His expression was as black as the bottom of a wok!"

"What about Cheng Fengjun? How badly was he hurt?"

"I heard he was covered in blood when they carried him back. I doubt he’ll be getting out of bed for at least six months."

"Tsk, tsk. Chen Yue sure is ruthless!"

"What are you talking about? The Mutual Aid Association made it clear they were going to cripple him, and you expected him to show mercy? If you ask me, they got what they deserved! The Association has been running roughshod over everyone for so long, it’s about time someone put them in their place!"

"Still, that last line from Chen Yue... ’Still want the Life and Death Platform?’ So damn dominant! Lin Junshi didn’t dare make a peep. The Mutual Aid Association’s reputation has been thoroughly trampled into the dust."

"Heh heh, now we’ve got a good show to watch. Knowing Lin Junshi’s temperament, there’s no way he’ll be able to swallow this insult. But the problem is, so what if he can’t? He can’t beat Chen Yue in a fight!"

The discussions were a mix of gloating, glee, and all sorts of speculation about what would happen next.

「The night grew deep and silent.」

In Chen Yue’s courtyard, he sat cross-legged.

The Vast Heart Rock Skill circulated slowly, guiding the Qi Force within his body through a steady cycle of circulation.

Today, not only had the number of Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills he consumed increased from three to five, but even the quantity of Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining Pills had risen from the previous two to three.