Chapter 488 - 170: Dumbfounded (Part 2)

She couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ’I really shouldn’t have said I was preparing for my breakthrough. If I’d agreed to have dinner with him, we could have spent a little more time together.’

But the words were already out, and taking them back now would seem too forced.

Sun Ningxiang could only suppress her frustration. Waving to Yang Jing, she said, "Take care, Junior Brother."

Yang Jing smiled, nodded, and turned to walk down the winding mountain path from Yunxi Peak.

The evening breeze swept through the mountain forest, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees and causing the hem of his robes to flutter gently.

Once he reached the foot of the peak, he quickened his pace toward Lingxi Peak.

He hadn’t gone far when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a tall, slender figure emerging from a fork in the path and heading up toward Yunxi Peak.

Night was falling, and the moonlight stretched the shadows of the trees along the path. In the dim light, Yang Jing couldn’t make out the person’s face. He could only tell that the figure stood as straight as a pine, their steady gait carrying an indescribable aura that, for some reason, felt faintly familiar.

Yang Jing frowned. He couldn’t place the person, so he didn’t give it any more thought and continued on his way to Lingxi Peak.

By the time he reached the foot of Lingxi Peak and set foot on the stone steps leading to the mid-peak area, it suddenly dawned on him who that person was. That silhouette... it was unmistakably Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak, the top-ranked disciple on the Hidden Dragon List!

Yang Jing had very little contact with Chu Yunhai; in fact, their paths had never crossed. He had only seen him once from a distance during the Cyan Qilin Battle.

But Chu Yunhai was simply too brilliant. His cultivation was unfathomable, and his presence far surpassed that of his peers. Even that one distant glimpse had left a profound impression on Yang Jing.

Yang Jing was a little puzzled. ’Why would Chu Yunhai be on Yunxi Peak this late?’

But on second thought, he decided not to dwell on it.

’After all, wasn’t he, a disciple from Lingxi Peak, also running over to Yunxi Peak to see someone in the middle of the night?’

Visits between sect disciples were perfectly normal. Perhaps Chu Yunhai was also there to see a friend.

With that, Yang Jing put the matter out of his mind and hurried back to Qing No. 4 Courtyard.

He pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard. He had barely begun to rest when a kitchen servant arrived with his dinner in a food container.

Warm Spirit Rice Porridge was served with two exquisite side dishes and two pounds of Rare Exotic Beast Meat. The fragrant aroma whetted his appetite, and he quickly polished off every last bite.

After dinner, Yang Jing didn’t rush to cultivate. Instead, he moved a bamboo chair into the courtyard and sat down.

A flawless white moon hung high in the night sky, its clear light bathing the courtyard. The distant mountains were hazy silhouettes, and the rising and falling chorus of insects only served to deepen the night’s tranquility.

Yang Jing gazed up at the moon, his mind seriously contemplating the next steps of his cultivation.

’For the time being, my training will still focus on the Mountain-Breaking Seal. I need to keep advancing my mastery of this martial art and unlock more of its power.’

’But at the same time, I’ll have to dedicate some of my energy to mastering the Indestructible True Skill so I can break through to the Qi Eating Realm with that Cultivation Technique as well before the Fushan Grand Competition starts.’

Yang Jing knew full well that while his primary technique, the Mountain-Breaking Seal, was only a Mid-grade True Skill, the power it could unleash was comparable to that of a Top-grade True Skill.

That alone put him ahead of the vast majority of Qi Eating Realm disciples in the Xuanzhen Sect.

So, even though he had only recently broken through to the Qi Eating Realm and his foundation wasn’t deep, his actual combat strength was in no way inferior to that of veteran disciples who had been immersed in the realm for years.

And if he could also cultivate the Indestructible True Skill to the Qi Eating Realm, that would be a whole different story.

The mere thought of it made Yang Jing’s heart swell with anticipation.

After all, the Mountain-Breaking Seal’s power was merely *comparable* to a Top-grade True Skill, whereas the Indestructible True Skill *was* a genuine Top-grade True Skill!

By then, he would be simultaneously cultivating two martial arts at the level of Top-grade True Skills, both of which would have reached the Qi Eating Realm.

Yang Jing didn’t dare claim he would be invincible against others in the same realm, but he was confident that even against the top disciples at the Peak of the Qi Eating Realm, he wouldn’t be far behind. He would absolutely be able to put up a fight!

Yang Jing clenched his fists, his eyes shining with a brilliant light. He found himself looking forward to the Fushan Grand Competition in a month’s time more than ever.

...

In the days that followed, Yang Jing poured nearly all of his energy into cultivation.

Every day at the crack of dawn, he would take his Token and head straight for a Level C Training Room, where he would stay for the entire day.

He would return to Qing No. 4 Courtyard in the evening, rest for a short while, and then continue cultivating in the courtyard by moonlight, not stopping until late into the night.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye amidst this grueling, round-the-clock training.

「In the Training Room area on Lingxi Peak’s mountainside.」

The stone door of a Level C Training Room was shut tight, sealing it off from the noise of the outside world.

Yang Jing stood in the center of the stone room, his feet planted firmly on the ground. He sank into his stance, fists clenched, as the Inner Qi in his body circulated rapidly according to the Heart Method of the Mountain-Breaking Seal, gathering over his knuckles in a faint white glow.

With a sudden, deep shout, he threw a punch. His fist tore through the air with a low, thunderous roar, churning the air within the stone room into a violent gale.

The punch was fierce and domineering, carrying enough force to shatter mountains and crack stone. Yet as it landed on empty air, the energy did not disperse in the slightest; his control over his Inner Qi was perfect.

Immediately after, he spun, striking out with alternating fists. He moved like a hawk pouncing on a rabbit—swift and sharp. Each and every move carried immense force, bringing the full essence of the Mountain-Breaking Seal to bear.

The force of his punches kicked up the dust on the floor, a testament to their incredible power.

Two hours later, Yang Jing abruptly pulled back his fist and let out a long, turbid breath. The Inner Qi circulating around him slowly receded into his Dantian.