No longer could he let go, yet some things had to be released. The path of life lay in the balance of acquisition and sacrifice.
Qian Ye devised a method where similar tasks were temporarily stored together, and dealt with in bulk every ten days. Though it slowed down efficiency, it finally allowed him for the first time to have an entire night to attempt the complete Tai Xuan Bing Fa Jue.
Entering the cultivation chamber, he ordered the force array to be activated, both to gather original force and to protect the surroundings. Then, he took out Zhang Boqian’s manuscript, reading it carefully once more. After reading, he put the manuscript away cautiously and sat in silent contemplation.
The words in the manuscript were few, but Qian Ye had long memorized them by heart, well-versed in the paths and methods of original force circulation. Recalling all the cultivation techniques in his mind, Qian Ye began to slowly circulate his original force, initiating his cultivation.
The Ancestor of Martial Arts’ Tai Xuan Bing Fa Jue was a method that used one’s own original force to drive the void original force, forming an original force vortex, which cultivated at an extremely fast speed and with great power. However, its drawbacks were equally prominent; the strain on the body was enormous, and it was prone to losing control.
If not for Qian Ye, whose physical strength rivaled that of the ancient blood races, cultivating this would be tantamount to suicide. It was known that over the years, only Wuwei Wang and Zhang Boqian had touched upon this realm, and even they did not continue, switching to other cultivation methods as soon as they reached this level.
Zhang Boqian’s additions to the Tai Xuan Bing Fa Jue made numerous changes. Qian Ye immediately noticed that expanding his perception into the void became much easier, with many more methods to control the void original force. The process of condensing the original force vortex inevitably slowed down, but it was more controllable, and the impact on his body was also reduced.
After a while, a massive void vortex gradually formed, smaller than the vortex created by the Ancestor of Martial Arts’ original version, but running far more smoothly.
Even though it was stable, the pressure gradually increased. Finally, a sound like breaking glass was heard, and the space could no longer withstand the pressure, developing a crack. The void original force, like threads, continuously fell, being drawn into the vortex.
The difference in Zhang Boqian’s method was that, within the center of the vortex, there was a smaller vortex, rotating in the opposite direction. The two vortices, large and small, worked like a natural grinding wheel. When the void original force from the core of the larger vortex was thrown into the smaller one, it was instantly torn and ground, separating many impurities, which were then expelled, leaving behind the essence, which Qian Ye absorbed.
This design was extremely ingenious, subtly echoing the effects of the Song Clan’s ancient scroll. The original force cultivated through this method was purer than that of the Ancestor of Martial Arts’ version, making further refinement much easier. Although the current stage of cultivation was slower than the Ancestor of Martial Arts’ version, if considering the refinement process of the Song Clan’s ancient scroll, it was much faster.
However, such modifications were still not for everyone, requiring extremely high levels of original force control, making the cultivation difficulty even higher.
The threshold of the Ancestor of Martial Arts’ method was the almost impossible-to-achieve superhuman physique, while Zhang Boqian slightly lowered this threshold but required nearly perfect original force control. The combination of these two thresholds made it almost impossible for anyone to cultivate the Tai Xuan Bing Fa Jue.
With years of experience cultivating the Song Clan’s ancient scroll, Qian Ye was not unfamiliar with the new method, and he quickly adapted. However, as he cultivated, Qian Ye realized that Zhang Boqian’s method seemed tailor-made for him. For others, this version increased the difficulty. Finding rare treasures or other methods to forge and protect their bodies might be possible, but perfect original force control was solely dependent on individual effort.
Qian Ye immersed himself in cultivation, absorbing the purified original force, free of impurities, bit by bit. During his cultivation, he faintly sensed some disturbance outside, but the intoxication of cultivation made him unwilling to pay attention.
At this moment, a clear, melodious chime sounded in Qian Ye’s ears, gently awakening him from his cultivation without affecting the flow of original force.
It was the wake-up bell, specifically designed to rouse those in seclusion. This small bell was brought by Song Zining, a top-tier item that could alert without disturbing the mind. In the past, there were similar bells in the training camp, but none as good as this one.
Upon hearing the bell, Qian Ye knew something was wrong outside; otherwise, the bell would not have been rung.
At this point, Qian Ye’s control over original force was already at a level where he could release and retract it effortlessly. He immediately stopped the cultivation, allowing the original force vortex to dissipate on its own, and stood up. The original force vortex, now uncontrolled, would disperse in a short while.
Exiting the cultivation room, he saw several generals standing outside, some still in disarray, clearly having rushed here from their sleep.
“What happened?” Qian Ye asked.
A general hesitated before saying, “Sir, you should come and see for yourself.”
Qian Ye walked to the terrace and looked out, instantly stunned.
The entire sky above Nanqing City was covered by a massive rotating cloud vortex. The center of the vortex was deeply sunken, almost touching the roof of Dark Flame. The vortex slowly rotated, exuding an invisible pressure that made the heart race, unsure whether it was the sky or the earth moving.
The clouds contained a strong presence of void original force, and there was a chilling, dangerous feeling, especially for those with greater cultivation. Among the fearless mercenary generals present, none dared to venture into the clouds. Such a clear and intense sense of danger meant one thing: approaching was certain death.
Lightning flickered within the clouds, and purple lightning bolts shot out from the vortex’s center. Before Qian Ye, a long streak of purple lightning struck the command building of Dark Flame. Amid the thunderous roar, half of the building collapsed!
Faced with this scene, reminiscent of a natural disaster, Nanqing City had already descended into chaos. Cries and wails rose and fell, as countless people fled from their homes towards the city’s outskirts. The Dark Flame Mercenary Corps remained relatively calm, with officers and generals shouting to maintain order, preventing the new recruits from panicking.
Behind Qian Ye, a mercenary general spat, “These young whelps, we need to train them harder! A little commotion and they’re already panicking. We’ve survived worse in White City, what else is there to fear?”
Most of the generals agreed. Compared to the life-and-death struggles they had faced in White City, a little natural disaster was nothing.
However, Qian Ye’s expression was different. He said calmly, “There’s nothing to worry about; it should dissipate soon. Check if anyone in the building is injured and get them treated. Also, send some people to maintain order in the city.”
A mercenary general, noticing Qian Ye’s tone, and seeing his expression, suddenly said, “Sir, could it be…”
Qian Ye feigned nonchalance, saying, “Well, it might have something to do with my recent cultivation… just a bit…”
His words were laced with uncertainty, and the generals slowly gaped, speechless.
After a while, someone finally said, “Sir, you really are… in the future, if you’re going to cultivate, please let us know beforehand.”
The generals nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I understand.”
The generals dispersed, each going about their duties. Qian Ye looked at the cloud vortex in the sky, shaking his head helplessly. The Qingyang Wang truly was of royal caliber, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and the weather to change with his cultivation. But how could he continue to cultivate with such disturbances? No wonder the noble families and clans in the imperial capital built their cultivation places so extravagantly, as if they were constructed directly from original crystals.
As Qian Ye was troubled, in the city lord’s mansion, Ji Rui and Guan Zhongliu were sitting and drinking. Ji Rui, who had been holding a cup, dropped it, shattering it on the ground, still unaware and staring at the cloud vortex in shock.
Guan Zhongliu called out several times before waking Ji Rui. Asked about the reason, Ji Rui sighed, “Old, old…”
Guan Zhongliu had a vague guess, looking up at the cloud vortex with hidden astonishment.
As the cloud vortex dissipated, Nanqing City gradually calmed. The command building of Dark Flame was destroyed by the purple lightning, but fortunately, there were few people inside during the late hours, only a few night-shift patrollers were injured. The only trouble was the need to rebuild.
In the following days, Qian Ye was extra cautious in his cultivation. Since he couldn’t afford to build a specialized cultivation chamber like the major clans, he had to rely on his own abilities to control the scale and range of the original force vortex. Although the wind and clouds stirred nightly, at least there were no more disasters like the first day.
The results were satisfactory, but the cultivation speed was still slowed. Seeing that the initial recruitment for Dark Flame was completed, and the next phase of recruiting free mercenaries could not be rushed, he set aside his affairs and prepared a high-speed escort ship to head north.
The northern continent, sparsely populated and vast, was perfect for cultivation. Additionally, Qian Ye hadn’t checked on the construction there in a long time.
Known for their speed, the imperial escort ships reached the northern continent in less than half a day. Out of caution, Qian Ye ordered the ship to fly along the edge of the Eastern Sea, not daring to venture deeper. The mysterious existence beneath the Eastern Sea was still unknown to Qian Ye, but he certainly didn’t want a repeat of the previous experience.
As the ship approached the northern continent, Qian Ye suddenly felt a colossal, indescribable consciousness envelop him. Instantly, his body stiffened, making even the slightest movement difficult. If he was affected, the other crew members fared even worse. The escort ship abruptly lost power, plummeting toward the ground.
Then, the ship was held aloft by an invisible force field, suspended in mid-air.
Qian Ye felt a pair of eyes slowly opening in the distance, looking at him. Being observed by those eyes, it seemed as if he was transparent, unable to hide any secrets. This feeling of being seen through was familiar, but he hadn’t expected to feel so helpless in front of this mysterious existence, even after his considerable improvement in strength.
No wonder, whether it was the Wolf King or Zhang Buzhou, the Blood Throne, all spoke of the Eastern Sea with such reluctance. Despite the size of the Eastern Sea, there seemed to be little interest in exploring it, with few records of anyone truly venturing there.
The unseen eyes closed swiftly, and the overwhelming consciousness receded like a tide, showing no interest in the current Qian Ye and no intention of further communication.
The escort ship, supported by the invisible force, slowly landed. After a while, the crew members gradually regained their ability to move. The captain rushed to Qian Ye’s cabin, exclaiming, “Sir Qian Ye! Just now…”
“It’s fine now. Let everyone recover and prepare to continue.”
Seeing Qian Ye’s calm, the captain steadied himself and left to carry out the order. The escort ship took off again, heading for the northern continent.
Sitting in the ship, Qian Ye recalled his underwater experience, realizing that the mysterious entity in the depths must have deemed his current strength insufficient for any important task.
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