Chapter 496: Treating Human Lives Like Gra.s.s
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The warrior diligently cultivates, sometimes for extended periods, such as ten days to half a month, which is quite normal. However, it rarely exceeds a few months.
Progress in cultivation requires hardship, but simply enduring hardships doesn’t necessarily lead to rapid advancement in one’s abilities. If hardship alone could continually enhance one’s cultivation, most warriors would be ascetics.
Unless it’s for the purpose of breaking through to a higher realm, engaging in closed-door cultivation, acc.u.mulating strength gradually, most pract.i.tioners take breaks from training after a certain period, either to engage in activities or exchange martial insights with peers of the same level.
The path of martial arts lies in the balance between stillness and motion. Only by maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two can one’s cultivation progress steadily. Fixating on one at the expense of the other can be counterproductive.
When Duan Muxiao took on this mission, he initially thought there would be results within two or three months, whether it was a successful a.s.sa.s.sination or a failure, at least there would be progress.
After all, according to the information he had, Chen Fei had only broken through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm for a little over a year, and it was impossible for him to stay in seclusion indefinitely.
However, to his surprise, Chen Fei could actually stay within the sect for almost half a year without coming out, and according to the information he obtained from the undercover agent in the Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei rarely left his own peak.
This type of rigorous cultivation method was something Duan Muxiao hadn’t encountered in many years, especially not in a young Combined Aperture Tempering realm warrior like Chen Fei.
With Chen Fei staying within the Primordial Sword Sect and rarely leaving his peak, Duan Muxiao had had no opportunity for close observation, let alone probing.
The Death Shadow Sect had collected a lot of information about Chen Fei, and his combat a.s.sessment was currently at the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. The fact that he could one-on-one eliminate Miao Wanhong and Hu Yanwu already proved his strength.
To achieve such power right after breaking through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm was a testament to Chen Pel’s extraordinary talent.
Duan Muxiao himself was also at the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, but what sets him apart from other Combined Aperture Tempering realm pract.i.tioners was that his entire cultivation revolves around the art of killing.
Or one could say that within the Death Shadow Sect, everyone’s cultivation was solely for the purpose of slaughter. They focus on techniques with high lethality, and anything that could improve the success rate of a.s.sa.s.sinations was practiced diligently.
They practice the art of concealing themselves, restraining their breath, and launching surprise attacks; anything that could enhance the success rate of a.s.sa.s.sination, they would diligently cultivate.
Therefore, even though Chen Fei’s combat strength was a.s.sessed as the second stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm, and Duan Muxiao was also at the second stage, there was still a reason why Duan Muxiao dared to undertake this mission.
Murder, unlike conventional combat, became quite common when the timing was right, especially when dealing with warriors of the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
However, what vexed Duan Muxiao now was that he had no idea when Chen Fei will leave the Primordial Sword Sect.
Waiting for half a year without any action might seem reasonable for a.s.sa.s.sinating a Combined Aperture Tempering realm pract.i.tioner. After all, a.s.sa.s.sinating someone at that level was no easy feat.
But information remains just that – information. To accurately a.s.sess the target’s strength, one ultimately relied on their own eyes. Duan Muxiao preferred to trust what he saw with his own eyes.
Yet, Chen Fei remained hidden within the Primordial Sword Sect, not giving him any chance to observe. This had stirred some unease in Duan Muxiao’s mindset.
The crucial point was that Duan Muxiao didn’t know when Chen Fei would be willing to leave the sect and how much longer he would have to wait.
This significantly affected his ability to take on other a.s.sa.s.sination missions and his personal cultivation.
Duan Muxiao had considered whether he should act against Chen Fei’s fellow disciples to force him out of the sect. However, this carried the risk of alerting the target and making him more vigilant, which would not be conducive to the a.s.sa.s.sination.
After all, the Primordial Sword Sect currently enjoyed a strong reputation in this region, and almost n.o.body dared to provoke them.
As for infiltrating the Primordial Sword Sect and directly a.s.sa.s.sinating Chen Fei within their ranks, Duan Muxiao generally refrained from such actions unless absolutely necessary.
This could easily lead to retaliation from the Thousand Feathers Alliance. According to the Death Shadow Sect’s rules, if such an action caused problems, the Death Shadow Sect wouldn’t offer protection.
Moreover, a sect at the Combined Aperture Tempering realm level had considerable power, and launching a direct attack on their home territory to a.s.sa.s.sinate someone could lead to unforeseen complications, making escape difficult.
Duan Muxiao valued human life lightly, but he is extremely cautious about his own survival. It was this caution that had allowed him to practice for so many years without any harm.
Even now, as a second-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm pract.i.tioner, he had no intention of giving up this profession.
The money came in quickly, and Duan Muxiao had grown accustomed to this method of resource acquisition. He believed he could continue to cultivate by relying on this method.
Duan Muxiao looked in the direction of the Primordial Sword Sect, gritted his teeth, and sat back down in meditation.
This a.s.sa.s.sination mission was, in its simplest form, to send a mid-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert, and success was almost guaranteed.
However, the Death Shadow Sect operated on a task acceptance basis rather than delegation. Tasks were posted, and individuals voluntarily took them on.
The commission for a.s.sa.s.sinating Chen Fei was quite high, but it hadn’t reached the level that would satisfy a mid-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm pract.i.tioner. Each stage of warriors had different financial expectations, and this commission could only satisfy someone at the early stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
That was why Duan Muxiao was here and not another mid-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert.
The Primordial Sword Sect.
Chen Fei sat cross-legged in the courtyard, and in his sea of consciousness, insights into the Primordial Profound Technique continued to emerge.
As his proficiency with the Primordial Profound Technique approached Great Completion, the characteristics of the elemental energy within Chen Fei’s body were undergoing constant changes.
It became more refined, simultaneously stimulating the growth of his Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
Chen Fei had only been in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm for less than two years since his breakthrough, and it was challenging to make significant leaps in cultivation in such a short time.
For most pract.i.tioners in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, progress in cultivation occurred on an annual basis, and this was especially true for the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
Of course, with sufficient high-grade elemental stones, abundant third-grade spiritual herbs, and a good understanding of martial techniques, one could still experience rapid cultivation progress.
However, whether it was elemental stones or spiritual herbs, they were somewhat lacking for Chen Fei at this point. Even the current Primordial Sword Sect couldn’t provide the support he needed.
As for the Third Grade Secret Realm he acquired less than a year ago, many spiritual herbs had just started to sprout, and even with Baka’s help, the progress wasn’t exceptionally fast.
Unless Baka managed to break through, becoming a third-stage demon, the rate of producing spiritual herbs won’t increase significantly.
Unfortunately, Baka was still just a second-stage demon, and it was not something that could be achieved in a short period to reach the third stage.
In theory, Chen Fei should be going out to find other resources to accelerate his cultivation. While the Primordial Profound Technique at the Great Great Completion stage absorbed the natural elemental energy quite well, it was still slower compared to the use of elixirs and mid-grade elemental stones.
However, Chen Fei remained within the Primordial Sword Sect without taking any action, solely focused on perfecting the Primordial Profound Technique.
This was because, within the Primordial Profound Technique, there was a secret technique that could only be performed at the Great Completion stage. Once successfully executed, it could directly elevate Chen Fei’s cultivation to the first stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.
This secret technique might seem formidable, but within the Primordial Profound Technique, it was considered somewhat mediocre.
After all, being able to cultivate the Primordial Profound Technique to its Great Completion stage meant that Chen Fei’s cultivation level had long surpa.s.sed the first stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. Before reaching the first stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, it was nearly impossible to bring the Primordial Profound Technique to this level.
This situation was akin to having something valuable that couldn’t be used by those who should, while those who could use it have already surpa.s.sed its usefulness. Until Chen Fei, who defied common sense, appeared.
The months pa.s.sed by, and another month elapsed.
*Buzzl*
A sudden surge of energy emanated from Chen Fei’s courtyard, and in the next moment, a powerful sword Intent rose into the sky, stirring the clouds.
In the courtyard, the Qianyuan Sword hovered in mid-air, and the sword’s intent emanated from it.
After nearly two years of nurturing, the Qianyuan Sword had finally transformed from a top-grade spiritual weapon to the level of a low-grade magical treasure, completing a true metamorphosis.
Chen Fei stood by, looking at the Qianyuan Sword, a smile forming on his face.
From its beginnings as the embryonic form crafted from Gold Sky Stone, to now becoming a low-grade magical treasure, the Qianyuan Sword’s advancement was a testament to its remarkable transformation.
After all, for a spiritual material of the caliber of Gold Sky Stone, even becoming a mid-grade spiritual weapon was an extremely challenging feat. Yet, Chen Fei managed to elevate it to the status of a low-grade magical treasure.
Chen Fei’s right hand made a slight gesture, and the Qianyuan Sword fell into his grasp, emitting a palpable sense of joy within its blade. Compared to a spiritual weapon, a magical treasure undoubtedly contains a significantly higher level of spiritual essence.
Chen Fei caressed the sword’s blade, looking at the sword element within the spatial grid.
With a low-grade magical treasure in hand, it was undeniable that the sword element within the spatial grid could be replaced once again. However, leaving it unused would be a waste.
“How about slaying a sea monster?” a thought crossed Chen Fei’s mind.
In the vast and boundless Boundless Sea, humans weren’t the dominant force; it was the sea monsters. In that endless expanse of the sea, countless beasts dwell.
Just like humans, these demons vary in strength. Some were weak and didn’t even reach the realm, while the powerful ones could surpa.s.s the Mountain Sea Realm.
This was why the Thousand Feathers Alliance recruited members from various factions to patrol and hunt sea monsters that crossed the borders.
According to the information Chen Fei received, the location of the Thousand Feathers Alliance was relatively remote within the Boundless Sea, and the powerful sea monsters had no interest in that region.
In the Boundless Sea’s center, where the elemental energy was more concentrated and there was an abundance of natural treasures, it was a true battleground, with countless battles taking place daily.
However, if one’s strength was sufficient, it was also the fastest place to advance one’s cultivation.
The Thousand Feathers Alliance was vast, and its defense lines were extensive. It was impossible to guard every inch of territory. They typically prioritize defending major areas while allowing smaller breaches. As a result, there were still quite a few foreign beasts and sea monsters within the Thousand Feathers Alliance, some of which had grown within its borders.
Compared to the enigmatic sea monsters, the value of beasts could sometimes be higher. Whether it was the edible monster meat or other items obtained from them, it could greatly benefit a warrior’s cultivation.
If Chen Fei could manage to slay a third-stage early-phase sea monster and sell its parts, he could potentially acquire a substantial amount of elemental stones.
This was a path chosen by many solo pract.i.tioners, involving the unpredictable challenge of battling sea monsters.
However, one must be cautious, as it was easy to meet a tragic end if one were not careful in these encounters..