Chapter 128 - 53 Direct Confrontation !
Chapter 128: Chapter 53 Direct Confrontation !
Upon seeing the manual of “Elemental Qi Fusion Method of Heaven and Earth” for the first time, Shen Yuan made up his mind to obtain it.
Because this was the first manual related to Qi of Heaven and Earth that Shen Yuan had ever seen.
Even among the tens of thousands of manuals on the cultivation forum, there were merely a handful that mentioned Qi of Heaven and Earth. The majority required some kind of Qi of Heaven and Earth during the cultivation of their secret cult-suppression techniques.
There were almost no details on how to obtain the Qi of Heaven and Earth, nor how to condense it. Even the rare mentions would only say something along the lines of ‘Great Cultivators at the Qi Training Stage can refine the Qi of Heaven and Earth for their own use.’
Shen Yuan suspected that this was due to the editing by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and various sect forces. They did not want to leak any information about the Qi of Heaven and Earth to the outside world.
This may involve some tricks to ascend following the Qi Training Stage, but with Shen Yuan’s limited knowledge of the subject, he could not be sure.
As he briefly sifted through the manual, Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up.
The content of the “Heaven and Earth Elemental Qi Smelting Technique” was not extensive. Mainly, it expounded on how one can smelt the Qi of Heaven and Earth from certain special spirit objects, ores, and even from sacrifices of flesh and blood, or naturally occurring spiritual lands.
The conditions for this were quite stringent. Especially concerning the spirit objects related to Qi of Heaven and Earth, such as Tai Geng Golden Essence, Stone of Scorching Sun, and other such spirit objects. Shen Yuan had never even heard of them before, let alone managing to find them in the early period of Spirit Energy Tidal Surge when resources are scarce.
Nevertheless, this gave Shen Yuan a very important inspiration. As long as he could secure the spirit objects recorded in the manual, Shen Yuan would have the opportunity to acquire the Qi of Heaven and Earth and complete the union of the sword and Elemental Qi for Earth Fiend Sword Art.
For Shen Yuan who had mastered the Earth Fiend Sword Art, this was an invaluable treasure that no amount of gold could buy.
Previously, when facing the Muddy Water True Dragon, Shen Yuan had already felt that the Earth Fiend Sword Art had a strong offensive, but possessed certain restrictions.
After he failed to kill the Black Wind Mountain God with a single sword strike a few days ago, Shen Yuan realized that the Earth Fiend Sword Art had a disadvantage when facing local deities that could command the powers of mountains and rivers, as they easily negated his techniques with their ability to harness nature’s forces.
This was just the scenario when facing the Black Wind Mountain God, who was at the peak of the Qi Transformation Stage. If he subsequently encountered stronger Mountain or Earth Deities, the Earth Fiend Sword Art might likely fail just as it had against the Muddy Water True Dragon.
Therefore, Shen Yuan began searching for a solution.
The simplest idea was to further enhance his current Earth Fiend Sword Art, crossing directly into the Reaching Inner Hall Induction Level.
The second stage, the Primordial Spirit Sword Control Method, could even slay Spirit Transmutation beings, let alone local deities who merely harnessed the power of mountains and rivers.
However, at least for the current Shen Yuan, this was still too difficult.
Shen Yuan’s training in the Earth Fiend Sword Art had already reached a bottleneck. This was not due to his lack of talent, but because of the limitation of his false primordial spirit.
Shen Yuan’s cultivation of the Earth Fiend Sword Art with his false primordial spirit had already been a risky move. To cultivate the Earth Fiend Sword Art up to the First Peek Basic Access Level was already pushing it to its limit.
Unless Shen Yuan was immediately able to refine his false primordial spirit into a Yin God, it would be impossible for the Earth Fiend Sword Art to break through to the Reaching Inner Hall induction level.
Given these circumstances, the only thing Shen Yuan could do was to integrate his Earth Fiend Sword Art with the sword Elemental Qi, thereby augmenting the Earth Fiend Sword Art with the properties of the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
If he were to acquire powerful Qi of Heaven and Earth, the blessings brought about by the union of the sword and Elemental Qi might even surpass the enhancement brought forth by reaching the next stage.
Although the remnants of Morning Glow Purple Qi he had saved did provide some benefits, the Morning Glow Purple Qi was among the weakest of the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Furthermore, due to the short duration of his cultivation, the condensed Morning Glow Purple Qi was too sparse for a true union of the sword and Elemental Qi.
Meanwhile, the manual before his eyes presented Shen Yuan with a brand-new opportunity.
After briefly glancing over it, Shen Yuan was preparing to pack up the “Elemental Qi Fusion Method of Heaven and Earth”, but then the contents of the last page caught the corner of his eye, and he paused.
Then, a look of surprise flashed across Shen Yuan’s eyes.
Kuang Tianjie, controlling a body named Lin Ran, walked out of the inn. His somewhat rigid movements attracted a few puzzled gazes.
However, he had not walked more than a few steps before Kuang Tianjie quickly adapted to this weak body, briskly leaving the street.
Kuang Tianjie’s eyes were filled with dark shadows, as he cursed in his heart:
“Damn it, who would’ve thought that a mere Qi Transformation Stage cultivator would turn out to be from the Talisman Sword Sect.
The Talisman Sword Sect prohibits practicing other techniques once a talisman method has started. Those true techniques from the Demon Path won’t tempt him at all.”
“And after realizing he was manipulated into killing another guy by me, his first thought was to turn me in to his sect?
What an unmitigated idiot, forcing me to waste my last opportunity to use the Soul Control Soul Stealing Technique.”
“Now all my trump cards have been used up, only a single Blood Transformation Divine Sword remains. I must find a suitable body.”
Thinking of this, Kuang Tianjie instantly thought of that figure in white. Regret filled his heart.
“If I had known that so many things would happen, I would’ve tried to seize that body first.
A foundation exceeding the limit of perfection, mastering Earthly Destroyer Divine Power, and possessing an unrealized Immortal Sword, it’s the most suitable target.”
Although full of regret in his heart, Kuang Tianjie was acutely aware that Aman was just an ordinary person at the time, and acting rashly might not have allowed him complete control of Shen Yuan’s body.
Now, by controlling this current body through the Soul Control Soul Stealing Technique, he might be able to find an opportunity.
As long as Shen Yuan comes into contact with the Blood Sea Ring, Kuang Tianjie is confident that with his powerful Spirit Soul, he would surely be able to seize Shen Yuan’s body.
Greed continously sprouted in his heart. Kuang Tianjie, wandering across the market, suddenly halted in his tracks. His pupils contracted dramatically, and his face was filled with boundless joy.
“It’s his Qi!”
Kuang Tianjie resolutely turned and walked toward the square, unconsciously revealing a cold smile on his rigid face.
In the square, in front of Shen Yuan’s stall, a cultivator shook his head regretfully and left.
In front of Shen Yuan, the stall was neatly arranged with more than ten medicine bottles. On a wooden board were clearly written a few large characters.
“Flood Dragon Blood Pill, exchange for talisman paper, spirit brush, any suitable scripts or peculiar objects.”
At the beginning of the stall, the name of the Flood Dragon Blood Pill attracted many onlookers. Everyone crowded around to see if it was a new type of Dan Medicine.
But when these cultivators confirmed that it was ordinary blood vitality pill, made using the flesh and blood of a Qi Training Stage flood dragon, all cultivators immediately turned to leave, even afraid to inquire about the price.
The flesh and blood of a Class 3 flood dragon could be considered a treasure anywhere. Its description as a violently wasteful treasure could not even describe the process of refining it into a blood vitality pill.
Such a blood vitality pill indeed held a concentration of Qi much denser than ordinary Dan Medicine and even contains a trace of the transformative power of the flood dragon, making it a treasure pill.
But the issue was, blood vitality pills were used by cultivators in the Essence Refining Stage as a base. Even after entering the middle stage of Essence Refining and completing the initial condensation of the Essence Element, the effect of the blood vitality pill was not significant.
And in order to gain that trace of flood dragon power, one must consume a large amount of Flood Dragon Blood Pills.
Even if it was the noble and aristocratic families of the Imperial Capital, no one was rich enough to spend a massive amount of Qi Training Stage flood dragon flesh and blood to create basic Dan Medicine for the disciples in their clan to strengthen their vitality.
The number of major family disciples and Qi Transformation Stage cultivators in Yunfu Street’s market were not few, but very few could afford Flood Dragon Blood Pills, let alone purchase it to probably not make use of it.
Watching the departing figures with regret, Shen Yuan was having a headache.
“You guys could at least ask the price. Maybe I would have agreed if you negotiated.”
These Flood Dragon Blood Pills were supposed to be practice works. Shen Yuan put them up at the stall to see if there were similar scriptures to the “Heaven and Earth Elemental Qi Smelting Technique”, and also collect talisman paper and spirit brush to complete the introductory task of the talisman.
Who would have thought that these cultivators didn’t even have the nerve to ask the price? Shen Yuan’s stall was empty, and there wasn’t a soul in sight.
After waiting for a while, just when Shen Yuan was considering whether he should lower the price somewhat, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the stall and reached out to pick up a bottle of Flood Dragon Blood Pill.
Shen Yuan looked up, and at one glance, he recognized that the youth in front of him was the cultivator in the Qi Transformation Stage who had taken away the Blood Sea Ring earlier.
His heart was greatly moved, but Shen Yuan’s face remained calm.
Before him, Kuang Tianjie opened the medicinal bottle, and the rich blood vitality almost turned into a red fog, and with his breathing, it slowly entered his body.
“Good pill!”
Kuang Tianjie couldn’t help but praise; he glanced at the content on the wooden board and said with a satisfied smile.
“I’ll take all of your Dan Medicine!”
With the arrival of Kuang Tianjie, Bai Xue, who had been squatting on the stall and looking around, had already shrunk behind Shen Yuan, her little body trembling continuously.
Shen Yuan stretched out his palm to soothe her, his gaze unconsciously glanced at the Blood Sea Ring on Kuang Tianjie’s index finger, and his tone was chilly as he said:
“What price can you offer?”
Although he asked, Shen Yuan didn’t believe that Kuang Tianjie had come to his stall by chance, just for a few Flood Dragon Blood Pills.
While the Flood Dragon Blood Pills might be considered nice treasure pills to others, Kuang Tianjie was a powerful demon who had survived the Spirit Energy depletion period. For them, refining human pills would be effortless, so how could they be interested in such Dan Medicine?
Shen Yuan believed, Kuang Tianjie must have ulterior motives.
“Could it be… he targeted me?” This thought suddenly flashed through Shen Yuan’s mind.
Kuang Tianjie unabashedly claimed Lin Rail’s identity: “It seems you are gathering spirit paper and spirit brush, undoubtedly for learning to make talismans.
I am a disciple who received master’s personal coaching from the Talisman Sword Sect of Cang Province, possessing the most orthodox inheritance of the Talisman Sword Sect. I have the spirit paper and spirit brush you want.”
As he spoke, Kuang Tianjie took out a thick stack of spirit paper from his bosom, most of which were bright yellow, with a small part in purple.
Two spirit brushes were slowly opened from the box, the silver hair at the tip of the brush shone with the lustre of spirit essence.
Shen Yuan could tell at a glance that this spirit paper and spirit brush were unusual, but compared with these dozen bottles of Flood Dragon Blood Pills, they still fell short.
“Not enough!”
Kuang Tianjie’s smile didn’t change, and he continued to draw out a “Sword Manual for Drawing Talismans.”
“This is a true scripture of my Talisman Sword Sect, you can take a look.”
Shen Yuan glanced at the scripture nonchalantly, maintaining the same tone:
“Not enough!”
The smile on Kuang Tianjie’s face disappeared, seeming to reveal a struggling expression.
After hesitating for a while, Kuang Tianjie slowly took off a blood-colored treasure ring from his right index finger.
“Plus this Blood Sea Ring, I suppose it can be enough for your pills.”
As he spoke, Kuang Tianjie handed over the Blood Sea Ring in his hand to Shen Yuan.