Chapter 628: Forging the Foundation of Mountain and Sea
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Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
On the morning of the third day, Chen Fei had already mastered the Formless Technique directly to perfection.
Directly striking the enemy’s body with attacks was undoubtedly a good idea, but the power of this Formless Technique was too low. Therefore, after simplifying the interface, the difficulty of practicing it was also very low.
It took Chen Fei just over an hour to master it and then he stopped.
Chen Fei originally thought that this level of proficiency would be enough to pa.s.s a test. However, looking at the interface showing the Formless Technique at the solitary level of mastery, with others at least at perfection, he couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied.
If he were to leave it like this without further practice, this Formless Technique would probably remain at the mastery level forever.
Driven partly by a touch of OCD, Chen Fei decided to spend a day directly refining the Formless Technique to perfection. Because it was just part of a certain inheritance, the highest level attainable was only perfection.
Only then did Chen Fei’s mind clear up a bit.
Chen Fei didn’t immediately seek out Zhang Qiuming. Given that the Thousand Feathers Alliance had given him ten days, pa.s.sing in just three days would be somewhat conspicuous.
No matter how outstanding Chen Fei’s performance was, it was impossible for him to become a disciple of Min Yanlu immediately. Such disciples must have a deep understanding of the fundamentals from an early age, which would then foster a strong emotional bond, making the mentor willing to impart knowledge generously in the future.
Chen Fei had suddenly emerged halfway, but no matter how brightly his talent shone, it proved ineffective. Instead, it might have invited additional troubles.
Furthermore, Chen Fei’s ability to conceal his cultivation was suitable for occasional encounters with those in the Mountain Sea Realm. However, prolonged exposure would inevitably reveal some clues.
Being discovered in the late stages of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm would have been akin to subjecting oneself to scrutiny.
It was best not to test human nature, as it rarely withstood such tests. The optimal strategy was to avoid detection altogether.
For the pursuit of martial arts, the Mountain Sea Realm, to some extent, was no different from the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. The only distinction lay in the greater strength of the former.
Within Thousand Feathers City, there was also a Task Hall, operating on a model quite similar to Chen Fei’s time in Sea Dominion City. The main tasks issued there were all related to sea monsters.
Completing tasks also earned contribution points, which could be used to exchange for elixirs and treasures.
Chen Fei refrained from taking on any tasks. Apart from wandering around Thousand Feathers City for a few laps, the rest of his time was spent practicing martial arts in the courtyard.
At one point, Chen Fei changed his aura and partic.i.p.ated in a small-scale market where everyone was in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. They all brought out items to exchange for what they needed.
Elemental stones were instead secondary; most Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators who came here were more interested in exchanging for what they needed. Unless they were offered a considerable amount of elemental stones, transactions were mostly conducted through bartering goods.
Chen Fei brought out the three iron hammers of the Wu brothers to prevent any a.s.sociation with the Death Shadow Sect. When he arrived, Chen Fei deliberately changed his aura and appearance while revealing his mid-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivation.
Moreover, during his time in the Sea Peak City, Chen Fei had spent a few days learning some rudimentary forging techniques in his spare time.
The birth of the Qianyuan Sword was the result of Chen Fei’s own nurturing.
The forging technique he learned wasn’t overly complicated, and Chen Fei had no intention of becoming a full-fledged blacksmith. His sole purpose was to make slight modifications to already-formed treasures, giving them a different appearance from their original state.
The forging technique Chen Fei specifically chose was straightforward but effective.
Chen Fei directly used the remaining spiritual essence within the Qianyuan Sword to forcefully impact the three iron hammers. Then, without damaging their spiritual nature or only causing minor damage, he slightly altered the aura and appearance of the treasures.
Many treasures often had a similar appearance, and with Chen Fei’s modifications, it became even more difficult for anyone to recognize their original form.
Chen Fei now had an abundance of various elixirs and treasures, but it was the elemental stones that were in high demand, leading to significant consumption. Thus, selling the three iron hammers directly for elemental stones resulted in a final gain of six thousand three hundred pieces of medium-grade elemental stones, much more than expected.
After selling these three iron hammers, Chen Fei mainly listened as various Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators took the stage to promote their treasures and seek items they needed.
Chen Fei didn’t buy much; his primary purpose was to gain some insights. If something he truly needed appeared, he would consider acquiring it. However, by the end, nothing suitable had appeared for Chen Fei’s needs.
With Chen Fei’s current cultivation level, ordinary treasures and resources no longer satisfied him.
It was precisely because of this that there were so many spies within the Thousand Feathers Alliance during the sea monster invasion. Besides the lucrative benefits offered by the sea monsters, another reason was that the sea monsters could provide treasures that were otherwise unattainable through conventional means.
Thus, cultivators like Shi Yuanmin, who were in the later stages of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, were willing to risk their lives to engage in such activities.
On the ninth afternoon, Chen Fei appeared alone on the second floor of the Sutra Library.
“Have you learned it?” Zhang Qiuming asked as he looked at Chen Fei.
Chen Fei’s arrival was almost as expected by Zhang Qiuming. Zhang Qiuming didn’t doubt Chen Fei’s ability to learn; after all, breaking through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm at such a young age was self-evident of his talent.
Zhang Qiuming had even expected Chen Fei to appear a few days earlier, so his arrival today left Zhang Qiuming slightly disappointed.
“Thank you for waiting, senior,” Chen Fei said, bowing.
Then forming a sword gesture with his right hand and pointing it forward.
Ripples spread out from the point where Chen Fei’s finger touched, causing the void to ripple and fold upon itself. After a moment, this phenomenon slowly dissipated.
“Not bad.”
Zhang Qiuming nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face as he watched the ripples dissipate.
“May I enter the third floor, senior?” Chen Fei asked in a low voice.
“Naturally, you may. Go ahead,” Zhang Qiuming waved his right hand, and the restriction on the third floor trembled slightly, revealing a pa.s.sage.
“Thankyou, senior!”
Chen Fei bowed and then turned to ascend the stairs leading to the third floor.
On the second floor, some Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators watched Chen Fei’s figure, their eyes carrying a hint of envy. They had naturally attempted the same test, but very few had managed to pa.s.s.
Moreover, Zhang Qiuming’s tests varied for each Individual. While it was possible to learn in advance through other channels, it could also be a waste of effort.
As the purpose of the Thousand Feathers Alliance suggested, if one’s talent was truly insufficient and they delved too deeply into overly intricate techniques, it might not bode well for many Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators.
Sometimes, what suits oneself best may indeed be the best choice.
As Chen Fei stepped onto the third floor, he noticed that there were fewer jade slips containing martial techniques here. At a glance, there were only fifty-three of them.
With a hint of antic.i.p.ation, Chen Fei approached and picked up the first jade slip, then delved his consciousness into it.
After a quarter of an hour, Chen Fei set the jade slip down.
The Nine Swords Yin Yang Technique!
Master nine sword techniques, forge nine magic swords, and form the Yin Yang Sword Formation!
This Nine Swords Yin Yang Technique was extremely profound, ranking just below the inheritances of the top ten forces. For Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators not born into those top forces, this technique could be considered the best choice.
However, for Chen Fei, who already possessed the Profound Heavenly Sword, this Nine Swords Yin Yang Technique seemed too weak. With Chen Fei’s current perspective, its flaws were also quite apparent.
Nevertheless, despite its imperfections, if this Nine Swords Yin Yang Technique could be cultivated to its peak, the probability of reaching the top-grade Combined Aperture Tempering realm was very high.
Chen Fei picked up another jade slip and continued reading. After a quarter of an hour, he set it down and picked up another one.
Compared to the first and second floors, even just skimming through these martial techniques on the third floor required much more time for each jade slip.
Five hours later, Chen Fei held a jade slip in his hand, his expression subtly changing as he looked at the martial technique recorded within. In the depths of his eyes, which were originally calm like an ancient well, a hint of a smile involuntarily emerged.
Almost having flipped through the entire Sutra Library, Chen Fei had thought he wouldn’t find the secret technique he needed here. It wasn’t until he held this particular jade slip in his hand that Chen Fei finally felt at ease.
The Unfettered Matrix Technique!
Neither impurity nor delusion, all worldly ups and downs are but illusions!
This Unfettered Matrix Technique shared some similarities with the Three Flowers Technique Chen Fei had obtained before, but there were also significant differences in some subtle aspects.
Condensing the three flowers allowed the refinement of the elemental energy and spirit that were difficult to cultivate for those in the later stages of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, enabling them to expand exponentially.
The amount of elemental energy and spirit contained within the three flowers determined how much foundation one could burn through when breaking through to the Mountain Sea Realm, buying oneself some extra time to control one’s soul.
This might only extend the time marginally, but when breaking through to the Mountain Sea Realm, it could potentially be the crucial factor determining success or failure.
Therefore, condensing the three flowers wasn’t just a step forward in cultivation; it was also preparation for breaking through to the Mountain Sea Realm.
Unlike the Three Flowers Technique, which completely disregarded the future, the principle of the Unfettered Matrix Technique was to extract special powers from other natural treasures to achieve one’s own three flowers.
This extraction process occurred at extremely subtle levels, unlike the typical consumption of elixirs. Therefore, one had to comprehend the Unfettered Matrix Technique to a sufficient degree to accomplish this extraction and transfer it to one’s own Combined Aperture.
Because the extraction was performed using one’s own Combined Aperture, the pressure was immense. Therefore, to practice the Unfettered Matrix Technique, having a top-grade Combined Aperture as a foundation was essential, and even then, there might be some deficiencies. Only a supreme-grade Combined Aperture was the best choice.
“If I cultivated the Unfettered Matrix Technique, it wouldn’t just accelerate the speed of condensing the three flowers. Due to the relationship with my Combined Aperture, the three flowers I could condense would be more powerful than those of others!”
The thicker the foundation, the higher the building.
Chen Fei’s excessively high-grade Combined Aperture was more than capable of bearing the additional power of the three flowers, making it an ideal match for practicing the Unfettered Matrix Technique.
With patience, Chen Fei thoroughly read through the Unfettered Matrix Technique and then set the jade slip down.
Chen Fei didn’t leave immediately but continued to read the remaining jade slips. Since he was already there, it would have been a pity not to read through all of them.
Two hours later, Chen Fei left the third floor of the Sutra Library.
The dozen or so martial techniques behind were also extraordinary, but in terms of the help they could provide to Chen Fei, there wasn’t much. However, Chen Fei was prepared for this. Obtaining the Unfettered Matrix Technique had already satisfied him.
“Would you like to simplify the Unfettered Matrix Technique for eighty pieces of medium-grade elemental stones?”
“Simplifying the Unfettered Matrix Technique… Simplification successful…. Unfettered Matrix Technique —> Suck Water!”