Chapter 59: The Fifty Rounds of the Bingfa Jue

Nan Qingcheng was now bustling with prosperity. With the participation of a large number of mercenary powerhouses, the construction progress was incredibly swift, almost changing by the day. Even with all the major merchants transporting materials at full capacity, they struggled to keep up with the rapid pace.

With such construction, the city became even more vibrant. Mercenaries needed food, traveling caravans required lodging, and new workshops meant an increased demand for craftsmen. From top to bottom, everyone seemed very happy. Even Ji Rui, who had been hiding in the city lord’s mansion and rarely ventured out, had a renewed light and smile on his plump face.

The shrewd fatty discovered that although it seemed he had lost much of his authority as the city lord after Darkflame’s establishment, the tax revenue had actually doubled in a short time. If this trend continued, once Song Zining’s plans were fully realized, the gold flowing into his pocket would be three times the previous amount.

Faced with the solid gold, Ji Rui had to admit that Song Zining’s management skills far surpassed his own. Moreover, he suddenly found this life quite enjoyable. He no longer had to worry about the myriad small matters within the city or cautiously navigate the various factions; he could simply lie back and collect money, enjoying a significant amount of free time. He even had the leisure to feed birds.

However, despite the relaxation, a shadow still lingered in Ji Rui’s heart: how would the surrounding forces, especially the Wolf King, react to Darkflame and Nan Qingcheng?

This was a clear and present threat, but the three young founders of Darkflame seemed oblivious to it, continuing with their individual tasks as if nothing were amiss. Qian Ye, in particular, was completely engrossed in manual labor, neglecting his cultivation. Did he think he could fend off the Wolf King just by moving steel beams?

Ji Rui was not the only one with such doubts.

At this moment, Qian Ye held a steel beam horizontally, preparing to place it on the roof. This was the final beam of the entire framework, and once the structure was completed, the rest of the work would proceed quickly. However, accurately placing a ten-meter-long, several-ton steel beam was no easy task. Usually, it took four or five skilled warriors a long time to accomplish this.

But for Qian Ye, this difficult task became surprisingly simple. With a shake and a push, the beam clicked neatly into place. The next step would be handled by specialists for fixing and welding, so Qian Ye’s work was done.

After placing the beam, Qian Ye dusted himself off, and a pair of combat boots appeared in front of him. Looking up, he saw Ji Tianqing, arms crossed, looking down at him.

“Is doing this kind of work fun?” she asked.

Qian Ye shook his head. “Not really.”

“Then why do you focus on this instead of cultivating or managing the regiment? Do you think this is your life from now on?” Ji Tianqing blocked Qian Ye’s path, her questions sharp and persistent.

“At least for now, it helps me not think about some things and makes me feel better.”

Ji Tianqing’s follow-up questions died in her throat, replaced by a tightness in her chest. She felt an inexplicable discomfort.

“Is it worth it?” Ji Tianqing finally blurted out.

A look of confusion flashed in Qian Ye’s eyes, and he shook his head, saying, “I don’t know, really.”

“You still want to…” Ji Tianqing started, but then stopped herself.

Qian Ye looked at her and said, “You’re still young, you wouldn’t understand.”

Ji Tianqing seemed pleased with being called “young,” but the second part annoyed her. “What do you mean, I wouldn’t understand? What don’t I understand?”

Qian Ye walked to a water pipe, chuckled, and ignored her, turning on the water. The powerful stream instantly washed away the mud and grime. The cold water invigorated him, and his mood brightened slightly.

As the crimson-gold flame flickered, the water on Qian Ye’s body evaporated, revealing his radiant, sunny appearance.

Just as he was about to put the hose back, Ji Tianqing grabbed his wrist. The young lady refused to let go, demanding, “Explain to me, what don’t I understand?”

Qian Ye looked at Ji Tianqing and smiled, gradually increasing the pressure on her hand.

Ji Tianqing glared back, her hand rock-solid, exerting an extraordinary force that was far beyond her size, clearly a high-rank secret technique.

Yet Qian Ye did not retreat. He kept increasing the pressure, wave after wave of terrifying force surging against Ji Tianqing, seemingly endless.

Each wave of force was stronger than the last, like waves stacking higher and higher.

In a blink, Ji Tianqing’s face turned pale, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on her nose. Since appearing by Qian Ye’s side, this was the first time she had shown her limits.

Even the most sophisticated secret techniques require original force to sustain them. Ji Tianqing’s cultivation, while advanced, was not limitless. Under Qian Ye’s relentless assault, she was forced to release her grip.

As she let go, Qian Ye’s body trembled, and faint thunder rumbled in the air, followed by the sound of crashing waves. A moment later, everything settled. He gently returned the hose to its place, as if nothing had happened.

Ji Tianqing, however, was not calm. The strange phenomenon was caused by Qian Ye releasing his stored power, but the sheer physical force had triggered a void thunder. How strong was that? If she had held on, she might have been injured.

“What secret technique did you use?”

“Secret technique?” Qian Ye paused, then said, “Bingfa Jue.”

“Bingfa Jue? Are you kidding me? Just say if you don’t want to!” Ji Tianqing was furious, roaring.

“Really, it’s Bingfa Jue.”

Ji Tianqing didn’t believe him at first, but seeing Qian Ye’s serious expression, she recalled that the layered, wave-like force indeed resembled Bingfa Jue.

But the similarity was superficial. For example, if someone had infinite strength, they could move mountains and fill seas. But how could a human have such power?

Qian Ye’s layers of powerful force shattered Ji Tianqing’s supreme secret technique. Such power was overwhelming. Even if Qian Ye’s original force was far from a Divine General, and even if it were a Divine General, they could not withstand such a backlash without being severely injured. As for ordinary war generals, they would likely explode within a few breaths.

Attempting to move a mountain with human strength would result in the person being crushed to dust.

So Ji Tianqing refused to believe it was Bingfa Jue. She had used one of the Ji family’s supreme secret techniques, which comprehensively enhanced a user’s abilities, equivalent to boosting their cultivation by at least three levels temporarily, with no drawbacks. Such a technique was fearsome, yet it had lost to a common Bingfa Jue. If this were known, not just Ji Tianqing, but no one in the Empire would believe it.

However, Qian Ye had performed too many miracles, and Ji Tianqing hesitated to dismiss his claim. Moreover, Qian Ye had never lied to her. If he didn’t want to say something, he would say so, rather than fabricate a lie. So she couldn’t help but wonder, “Could it really be Bingfa Jue?”

Thinking of Bingfa Jue, Ji Tianqing suddenly asked, “How many rounds of Bingfa Jue have you cultivated?”

This question touched on a core secret for every cultivator. Qian Ye hesitated before answering, “Fifty rounds.”

“Fifty rounds?!” Even Ji Tianqing, with her extensive knowledge, nearly gasped. She composed herself and, suppressing her shock, said, “Doesn’t that mean you’ve reached the level of Wuwei Wang and Qingyang Wang?”

“Just like they were, back then.”

Ji Tianqing looked at Qian Ye with a complex gaze, inwardly sighing with regret.

She sighed because of Qian Ye’s talent, lamenting that such a genius was forced out of the Empire. Also, Bingfa Jue had limitations. Both Wuwei Wang and Qingyang Wang, Zhang Boqian, had changed their primary cultivation methods after reaching fifty rounds.

Both Wuwei Wang and Qingyang Wang came from illustrious families with deep roots and numerous high-rank secret techniques. Finding a suitable primary method was easy. But for Qian Ye, who was young and exiled, finding a suitable method was extremely difficult. In the past months, his cultivation had been largely delayed.

This explained Qian Ye’s focus on manual labor and neglect of cultivation. At fifty rounds of Bingfa Jue, what else could he cultivate? No matter how talented Qian Ye was, without a pure enough original force, he could make no further progress.

Thinking this, Ji Tianqing’s gaze softened towards Qian Ye.

Ji Tianqing had seen countless geniuses and considered most so-called talents beneath her notice. Among the Empire’s young elites, only a few names stood out: Zhao Jundu, Zhao Ruoxi, Li Kuanglan, and Song Zining. Even Wei Po Tian could not occupy a place in her heart.

As for people like Nan Gong and Xu Lang, she would ignore them even if they stood before her.

Because of her high standards, she valued each person she remembered even more. For Qian Ye, with his talent, to be forced to waste time due to a lack of methods, was, in her view, a terrible waste.

With this thought, her gaze became even softer, making Qian Ye’s cheeks redden, growing more pronounced.

Qian Ye felt uneasy. He had indeed only reached fifty rounds of Bingfa Jue, but he had not stopped there. He had advanced to the Tai Shang Bingfa Jue left by the Martial Ancestor.

While he had not lied about reaching fifty rounds, the deliberate omission was perhaps more misleading. Qian Ye was not good at this, and Ji Tianqing’s gaze made him feel guilty.

However, the Tai Xuan Bingfa Jue was a legacy of the Martial Ancestor, and its importance could not be overstated, even in its incomplete form. Qian Ye, no matter how simple-minded, knew that if this information leaked, it would cause a bigger stir than the Blackwing Monarch’s inheritance, and the imperial family would surely seize it. He and Ji Tianqing were not close enough to share such secrets.

Unexpectedly, Ji Tianqing patted Qian Ye’s shoulder and said, “Don’t be sad. It’s just a matter of finding a suitable method after Bingfa Jue. Leave it to me.”

Qian Ye opened his mouth, wanting to say that he could still cultivate Bingfa Jue for many years.