AST 1095 – Nine Yang Golden Body, Force of the Skeleton
Even though the Gold-Silver Colored b.u.t.terfly and Jade Emperor Queen Bee absorbed Dragon Qi, they still have not reached the level of Martial Emperor. However, Qing Shui believed that it would be possible for the Jade Emperor Queen Bee to evolve into the Jade Emperor Dragon Bee.
The Gold-Silver Colored b.u.t.terfly had no change. It simply transformed into scenery within the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal.
As for the hundreds of normal Jade Emperor Bees that have absorbed Dragon Qi, their strength sudden surged. Compared to the current Jade Emperor Queen Bee, there was still a huge margin, but their body sizes have expanded quite a bit. This lead Qing Shui to believe that there was potential, perhaps the change would be in the Bee Nectar.
Seeing everything related to him undergo these tremendous changes. These beasts, in particular, were his best aids, therefore his success would be extraordinary in the future. Alongside his women and their beasts, their overall combined strength was a force to be reckoned with.
In addition, there was the life-saving Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring.
Up until now, Qing Shui finally recalled that he had absorbed a lot of Dragon Qi. It was comparable to the amount taken in by the Golden Scaled Dragon Elephant. Moreover, he remembered his spiritual sense telling him that his Nine Yang Golden Body had reached the small success stage.
"Nine Yang Golden Body? Does that mean the bones become a pale golden color?" Qing Shui entered his consciousness with curiosity and looked at the message within his spiritual sense. He was antic.i.p.ating a surge to his strength.
Nine Yang Golden Body, small success stage! Skeletal strength becomes as strong as boulders. With Force of the Skeleton, the body"s various functions, toughness, and vitality all increased by onefold.
Just those few words left Qing Shui ecstatic. He had already sensed it, but he was not certain. He felt his physical strength increase by approximately 10,000 stars, similar to the original increase on Nine Continents Mountain. This power came from the bones and skeletons, however, since it was the Force of the Skeleton.
When Qing Shui cultivated the Ancient Strengthening Technique in the past, he had discovered faint, golden sparkles of light on his bones. The higher the realm, the more sparkles there were. After he had absorbed Dragon Qi, his skeleton had completely turned a slight golden color.
It was an undoubted fact that the Ancient Strengthening Technique had the ability to turn his body into the Nine Yang Golden Body, especially with the huge boost after absorbing Dragon Qi. Had it not been for the Dragon Qi, Qing Shui figures it would take a very long time to reach Nine Yang Golden Body.
His physical strength had increased one fold, just above 22,000 stars…
Just as Qing Shui was stunned, more surprises appeared spontaneously. Upon feeling the power move violently within his body, he immediately began to use Skywalk and Taichi Fist.
He had just received huge rewards in the Ancient Ruins, he did not expect to receive another huge surprise coming out. It was not inferior to the benefit received within the Ancient Ruins.
Single Whip!
Cloudhand!
Qing Shui closed his eyes while suspended in midair. He did not excessively use all of the power within his body. Moreover, he was breathing, stretching, and tempering while continuously circulating his Taichi Fist. This allows for the power within his body to better integrate with his bones and skeleton.
Once he started, he spent the next three days practicing. Luckily, Qing Shui was inside the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, therefore it was easy for him to enter a clear state of mind. His entire body and mind were completely devoted to practice. His efficiency was amazing.
The Seventh Layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique had finally reached its peak. Another step and Qing Shui would breakthrough to the Eighth Layer realm. Even though Qing Shui knew that it was one step away, he felt as though it was far beyond the horizon. It were as if the distance was light years away.
After resting and eating, he continued to cultivate. He had familiarized himself with the sudden surge of power. Qing Shui"s strength had increased by onefold from its original foundation. His spirit energy attack could reach a frightening 2.4 million stars……
His physical body, however, was limited by the Laws of Heaven and Earth. Thus, his strength was greatly reduced. On the other hand, the Nine Continent Mountain"s power can be fully utilized now. Even with his physical body on the five continents, he was still a top-tier existence.
Even with the restriction of the Laws of Heaven and Earth on his physical strength, he could still reach 180,000 stars. This was because the Nine Continent Mountain was a twofold multiplier that allowed him to reach approximately 360,000 stars. Qing Shui felt that, with his physical body alone, he could rampage about the five continents.
Qing Shui had spent the last several days crafting rings from the Sacred Jade Divine Stone. The piece of Sacred Jade Divine Stone was not very big, but it could be used to create many Sacred Jade Divine Stone rings. Though he could not make one for every member of the Qing Clan, he could make enough for members that needed a ring.
The next day, Qing Shui woke up early and began practicing his Fists. However, he was the latest to wake up because he knew that the women had not rested at all. All of them had continued to cultivate throughout the night, familiarizing themselves with their increase in strength. They could not stay inside the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal like Qing Shui could.
After getting up, Qing Shui greeted them and found an open area to continue practicing his Taichi Fists. The morning sun rose on the east, and during this auspicious hour, it was crucial for Qing Shui to cultivate. In the morning, there is a critical hour to cultivate that could match more than half of a day"s worth of cultivating. There were indirect benefits for cultivating during this hour as well, therefore this was a crucial time during the day that he never wanted to waste.
Qing Shui stopped and went to make breakfast as it was almost time. He had already cultivated during the most important time and, after seeing that the women needed some time, went ahead and to make breakfast himself without asking them to.
It was only very late that night that everyone finally stopped. A full night of cultivating had left each of them revitalized. At dinnertime, everyone ate a lot. They all seemed to have a great appet.i.te, or perhaps they were just in a good mood.
Several of the women"s strength increased by a lot after one night. Qing Shui discovered that they had grown stronger by about twofold that of their previous strength, although it was only strength. After the restriction from the Laws of Heaven and Earth, there was not much strength remaining.
This night was crucial. It was for the same purpose Qing Shui had spent the last three days in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, the integration and absorption of the Dragon Qi within the body. In the future, their cultivation speed would be much faster than before.
Qing Shui was not in a rush to leave, but instead, fed them attacks and let them practice attacking Qing Shui. Using this method of realistic combat would better enable them to familiarize themselves with their own power.
When darkness fell, he would use Nine Continents Step just like before. Then, he would set up camp and continue to cultivate by himself, followed by some rest…
This time they had felt the benefit and strength of Nine Continents Step. Many of them needed time to cultivate. If they were only concerned about hurrying along the path, they would lose too much cultivation time. After all, they had absorbed Dragon Qi. If they did not have Nine Continents Steps, then they would find a place to retreat and quietly cultivate.
Along the way, it was very calm. Although there were the occasional beasts, they were all scared off by the beasts that were with them!
Time past unknowingly and the strengths of the women as well as Fattie have settled down. Seeing their strength increase made Qing Shui throb. Should he bring them to the other four continents?
After returning to the big yard where Yiye Tian was, everyone was exceptionally happy. Yiye Tian and his wife were happy after they saw Yiye Jiange, Qing Shui, and Luanluan return unscathed.
Lin Zhanhan was also happy seeing Qing Shui and them. Qing Shui was smiling as he approached him to talk about something. Yiye Jiange, Luan Luan, and Yiye Tian were also talking.
"Qing Shui, how was the gains from the Ancient Ruins?" Lin Zhanhan and Qing Shui discussed over some tea.
They were at a stone table. In the village where conditions were not considered luxurious, it was comparably quiet and calming. This was a type of serenity that a typical city did not have.
"Very good, it can be regarded as a huge advantage. That"s right, Grandpa Lin, let us go outside. I have a small present for you." Qing Shui stood up and pullied gramps along as they stepped outside.
This place was not far from the mountains. They had found an open s.p.a.ce, whereupon Qing Shui retrieved a Demonic Beast Token with a beast sealed within. He released a Shadow Demonic Panther that had been caught the other day. He had three in total, and now, he still had two left.
Qing Shui did not have to use his hands to control the Shadow Demonic Panther!
Lin Zhanhan was looking at Qing Shui with astonishment. Seeing the Shadow Demonic Panther, he opened his mouth but could not form any words.
"Grandpa Lin, this is a gift for you. This is a bottle of Medicinal Pills. The small ones are for you to eat, while the large ones are for the Shadow Demonic Panther. From now on, it will become your mount." Qing Shui said with a smile.
"Eh, Qing Shui, Grandpa Lin is getting old, these things are of no use anymore. Leave them for Qing Clan"s younger generation." Lin Zhanhan shook his head as spoke to Qing Shui, smiling with joy.
"Grandpa Lin, I don"t want the younger generation of the Qing Clan to have this sort of dependence. This would make them lose their motivation to become stronger. I may leave not long from now, and this will ensure your safety, as well as the safety of Qing Clan." Qing Shui said with a smile.
"Then, how come you did not tame one for your grandfather?" Lin Zhanhan said after some thought.
"Grandfather has one and so does mother. This one is for you. The one I have saved for grandfather and the one I have saved for you are the same. When the time comes, they could also be partners." Qing Shui said with a smile.
Lin Zhanhan did not hesitate anymore after this, successfully taming the beast. Qing Shui could feel Lin Zhanhan"s body changing. Qing Shui noticed that he had completely used up the effects of the low grade Sacred Beast Pill.
Lin Zhanhan"s power was much weaker compared to Qing Shui and the women. There was a chance for failure, so Qing Shui had prepared the Gold Needles in advance. He would immediately act if there was an accident, but everything had gone smoothly.
Lin Zhanhan was very happy that he tamed such a formidable beast. From time to time, he would touch it here and pet it elsewhere, as if he was in a dream. He had never known the Shadow Demonic Panther"s original strength. Now that he was capable in communicating with the Shadow Demonic Panther, he was shaken after discovering its strength.
Qing Shui had originally prepared one for Yiye Tian, but Yiye Jiange told him not to. Her brother was not very old, and if he had given him such a formidable beast, it would not benefit him at all. They were better off giving him Medicinal Pills for cultivating or techniques and whatnot.
Qing Shui thought for a bit and went with her suggestion. Not to mention, Yiye Jiange and Luan Luan were already quite formidable. They were more than powerful enough to give pointers to Yiye Tian. Yiye Tian was a beast tamer, as well, therefore he probably knew quite a bit as a part of the Yiye clan.
Qing Shui intended to leave the low grade Sacred Beast Pill used for taming beasts to the elderly or members of the family that would no longer be able to breakthrough.
This time, dinner was particularly sumptuous. With many people at the table, it was especially boisterous. Yiye Tong seemed to like clinging to Luan Luan and Yiye Jiange. Yiye Tong sat between Yiye Jiange and Luan Luan, talking nonstop.
Yiye Tian and his wife were the happiest. Not only were they able to find their long-lost daughter, they also met up with their sister. Moreover, they could enter the Lion King"s Ridge and seek revenge for the bloodbath that happened years ago.
AST 1096 – Heading to Lion King’s Ridge, Northern Sea City
They spent a lot of time to finish this meal. Since it was still early after they finished their meal, Yiye Jiange got Qing Shui to go out for a walk with her as well as discuss some stuff.
Qing Shui followed Yiye Jiange out of the courtyard and into the village. He was very calm now. With his great power, there weren’t many people who could cause him to feel troubled in the Five Continents.
With a fairy-like lady like her next to him, he felt very at peace. Qing Shui had long since treated her as an existence which he would never allow others to taint. Although they haven"t had any physical progress, they both knew what their future was going to be like.
The Lion King’s Ridge was going to be their challenge. Only after the matter with Lion King’s Ridge was settled would Yiye Jiange be able to walk out of her trauma. Or rather, it could be said that only after eliminating Lion King’s Ridge would she truly be able to feel happy. Then the burden in her heart would also be released.
“Wife, you must be in a good mood!” Qing Shui looked at Yiye Jiange who was smiling and couldn’t help but tease her a little.
“You’re not allowed to call me that. Be serious.” Yiye Jiange smiled and said calmly. She even gave Qing Shui a chiding glance. However, her expression held a hint of seduction due to the smile on her face.
“This is not being serious? Shall I call you Jiange baby?” Qing Shui teased and said with a grin.
“You’re so disgusting…” Yiye Jiange pretended as if she couldn’t take this anymore. Her rare submissive expression made even Qing Shui fall into a daze.
Qing Shui grinned and picked up Yiye Jiange’s soft hands, filtering what she had just said and asked, “Then what should I call you? Master?”
“You’re on this again. You’re not allowed to call me that.” Yiye Jiange said angrily, her face flushed red. This was something she had always been concerned about, the matter of a Master becoming man and wife with her own disciple. Although she had never really admitted to their master-disciple relations.h.i.+p and had never taught Qing Shui any martial arts, this was still something she was very concerned about.
“Alright, alright. Since my wife says that I’m not allowed to call her that, I won’t.” Qing Shui quickly said.
Yiye Jiange smiled helplessly and didn’t insist. Even she had no way of dealing with him when he was being a rascal. She didn’t even know when she had started to get used to him taking her hand.
Qing Shui took Yiye Jiange’s hand, feeling satisfied. They walked on as the sun gradually set. Qing Shui’s heart was calm like water and everything was progressing well.
“Qing Shui, I’ve already told elder brother and sister-in-law that we’re going to Lion King’s Ridge. They want to come with us, even Little Tong. Brother didn’t stop him either.” When Yiye Jiange said this, her heart felt very heavy.
Qing Shui knew what she was worried about. He smiled and looked at her, “What are your plans? Are you confident in your husband?”
Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui’s smiling expression which didn’t seem like he was joking and sighed. “If I didn’t have confidence in you, I wouldn’t allow you to head to Lion King’s Ridge. However, I’m still a bit uneasy. It might be because I’m agitated or because I’m afraid to lose everything that I have now. It’s no wonder that the more people gained, the more afraid they are of losing things.”
“Jiange, with my abilities now, I have absolute confidence in wiping out Lion King’s Ridge. It probably won’t work even if you were to say that you won’t let your elder brother go. However, I still hope that sister-in-law and Little Tong can remain behind.” Qing Shui was afraid that accidents might happen.
Moreover, the few ladies with Qing Shui also insisted on going with him, refusing to stay behind. This gave Qing Shui a headache. His earlier plan was only to bring Yiye Jiange, Luan Luan, as well as Lin Zhanhan, to head toward Lion King’s Ridge. He hadn’t expected to encounter Yiye Tian and his family. This could be considered a huge surprise for Luan Luan, since she was reunited with her family. This also took a lot of stress off Yiye Jiange. After all, she now had an elder brother to share the burden with her.
“Alright, I’ll do my best to persuade brother to let sister-in-law and Little Tong stay behind.” Yiye Jiange smiled and said.
“I’ve originally only planned for myself, you, Luan Luan, and Grandfather Lin to head there. However, your brother should go. Sister Yu, Sister Qing and the others want to go as well.” Qing Shui said calmly. Even he wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.
Yiye Jiange fell silent. She had stayed with Qing Clan for very long and knew their relations.h.i.+ps with Qing Shui. Thinking of this, she looked at Qing Shui with a weird expression.
Qing Shui suddenly felt very uneasy, as if he wasn’t wearing any clothes at all. There seemed to be a tint of embarra.s.sment on his face, “Jiange, don’t look at me like that. I told you that I’ll get you to undress me and take the initiative on the night of our wedding. If you can’t wait till then, I’ll give you what you wish for tonight…”
“We were indebted to you in our previous lives and we continue to be indebted to you in this life. However, we have to start repaying our debt from this life.” Yiye Jiange looked at Qing Shui’s uneasy expression and said with a smile.
Qing Shui calmed down and said, “I’m the one who"s indebted to you guys. There are some things which can never be fully repaid. Therefore, the Heaven has kept you next to me, so that I can continue to repay you in this life, in my next life, and in my life after the next.”
Yiye Jiange’s eyes lit up and smiled as she looked at Qing Shui, “To think that you know how to say something so nice. Did you manage to get your hands on them with the same method?”
Qing Shui rubbed his nose, “This is the first time I’ve said this. Even I find it a little mushy. It’s just that I didn’t feel anything when I was saying it previously…”
Yiye Jiange was very happy to see Qing Shui having this expression but she didn’t show it on her face. Earlier, she felt that Qing Shui had said those words from the bottom of his heart and it wasn’t just some mushy words.
“Qing Shui, will they be in any danger if they were to go?” Yiye Jiange was in fact very happy. Other than being related to Qing Shui, they were as close to her as if they were sisters related by blood.
“There’s no danger. The Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring is sufficient for you guys to protect yourselves. Oh, right. I’ve also prepared one for elder brother. You can pa.s.s it to him later. This will allow him to keep his life if something were to happen.” Qing Shui smiled and said.
“Thank you!”
Yiye Jiange spoke with great sincerity. She knew well how precious this Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring was, he had treated everything she loved as well as he had loved her. The reason he was treating her brother so well was all for her sake.
“Jiange baby, you seemed to have forgotten what your husband had said before.”
Qing Shui’s other hand grabbed her well-developed bosom, causing her to be unable to hold back a tremble. He said, “Should I just touch, or should I hit it?”
Qing Shui smiled and held back his urges as he looked at the flushed red lady.
“Let me off this once!” Yiye Jiange said, slightly stiffly. Her soft voice was stiff but seductive. Her expression was equally so.
Qing Shui knew that half of it was her trying to play along with him.
He felt very happy and said, “Then call me husband!”
“You must keep to your words and not hit me after I’ve called you that.” Yiye Jiange lowered her head slightly and said. Qing Shui’s hand hadn’t left that spot which made her heart leap.
“Husband, Jiange likes you!”
That unearthly voice caused Qing Shui to fall into a daze. Looking at this beautiful lady, he knew that she really exists here. Earlier, he was still planning to hit her b.u.t.t once no matter if she had called him or not. He felt that her well-developed b.u.t.t must feel very good to the touch. However, he hadn’t expected that Yiye Jiange would really call him that and even added on another line at the back.
Qing Shui’s mind blanked out and he hugged her tightly, as if he was hugging the most precious gift in the world.
Yiye Jiange smiled, reaching out her arms around Qing Shui’s back.
Qing Shui hugged Yiye Jiange and only lifted his head to look at this intelligent and graceful lady after a long time. Although she was right before his eyes, he felt as if he couldn’t do anything. She was like a holy and pure existence that couldn’t be tainted.
When they returned, it was already dark. Qing Shui handed Yiye Jiange a Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring and told her to pa.s.s it to Yiye Tian. He also told her to persuade Yiye Tian to let his wife and Yiye Tong stay behind.
Qing Shui, on the other hand, stayed in the hall together with the ladies, Little Fatty, and Lin Zhanhan. Qing Shui didn’t wish to bring the ladies along with him and wanted to have another discussion.
However, after discussing for very long, not a single one of them agreed. They smiled and looked at Qing Shui. In the end, Qing Shui could only nod and agree for everyone to head there together. Only then did the ladies feel happy.
Qing Shui knew that it would come to this. They had already talked about this once. He understood their feelings, and the reason he didn’t wish for them to come along was for their good. However, it would only make them feel sad. Moreover, they already had the abilities to protect themselves and also provide quite a lot of help.
If they would be a burden to Qing Shui, even if he were to let them join him, they wouldn’t do so.
Yiye Jiange had finished her discussion. Yiye Tian’s wife and Yiye Tong agreed to stay behind. This beautiful lady also understood that if she were to go, she would only be a burden and caused the others to be distracted. This was why she had agreed to stay behind.
Two days later, they continued on their way. This time, they headed north, where Lion King’s Ridge was located. It was said that the place was sealed in ice for 10,000 years and even the cities there were like snow cities.
They continued to only travel using the Nine Continents Steps. They would occasionally travel on demonic beasts for half a day as well but they rarely did so. It was only during these few days did Yiye Tian understood that Qing Shui was the mainstay here and how terrifyingly powerful he was. Even these few ladies of unparalleled beauties were his women. Although Yu Ruyan wasn’t introduced as such, Yiye Tian could still tell that there was something going on between them.
The few ladies continued to put in hard work when cultivating. The same went for Yiye Tian. Only Lin Zhanhan and Qing Shui acted leisurely, drinking wine or even going around the vicinity on demonic beast to see if there were any treasures. If they were to come across any rivers or lakes, they would also do some fis.h.i.+ng with the Pure Gold Fis.h.i.+ng Rod.
Qing Shui was very free and thus he would cook as well. He did this so that they could have more time with their cultivation. After all, cooking was not a big deal to Qing Shui and it was even faster with Lin Zhanhan helping him.
Traveling was something very boring but the few ladies, Yiye Tian, and Little Fatty were focused on their cultivation while Qing Shui and Lin Zhanhan would check out the vicinity as if they were on a tour. For most of the time, Qing Shui would also be cultivating or giving guidance on the others’ cultivation.
Northern Sea City!
They pa.s.sed by many cities on the way but they didn’t stay for long. Neither did the cities leave any impression on Qing Shui’s mind. However, this city which they had just arrived in gave him a very strong impression and he planned to stay here for a few days.
The Northern Sea City was truly a sea city, facing the huge Northern Sea. If one wished to head to Lion King’s Ridge, they must travel across the Northern Sea City. The Northern Sea City was already considered the arctic region. There were many hidden influences there and even the Ancient Great Formation that was linked to the other Four Continents was also in this arctic region.