Chapter 1759 (Raw 1771): Holding a Flower with a Smile
Xiao Chen casually settled down in the courtyard that he rented in the northern city.
Then, he started cultivating the Ice Feather Divine Incantation.
This Ice Feather Divine Incantation was a Medial Earth Grade Cultivation Technique, a rare and precious Cultivation Technique that a Rank 5 sect true inheritor would find hard to obtain.
It had a total of six layers. Supposedly, a person with an astonis.h.i.+ng level of comprehension ability could merge the six layers into one and comprehend the hidden seventh layer of the Ice Feather Divine Incantation.
Inside the cultivation room of the courtyard, Xiao Chen took out Medial Grade Spirit Jades and placed them in the nodes of the Spirit Gathering Formation.
After filling up the nodes, he sat cross-legged on the prayer mat in the center of the formation. Then, following the circulation method for the Ice Feather Divine Incantation, he slowly circulated his energy.
He closed his eyes and held his hands together around the position of his dantian. Sometimes, he crisscrossed them; sometimes, he placed one hand on top of the other.
As the Ice Feather Divine Incantation slowly circulated, the Spiritual Energy gathered by the formation rushed into Xiao Chen"s body, endlessly flowing through his meridians.
Originally, there was only a purple whirlpool from the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation at the center of Xiao Chen"s dantian.
However, after the Ice Feather Divine Incantation completed a minor cycle, countless strands of pure Spiritual Energy, looking like pure-white feathers, fell like a heavy snowstorm.
The white feathers then formed a white whirlpool around the purple whirlpool.
From today on, Xiao Chen formally cultivated an ice-attribute Cultivation Technique, walking the Ice Thunder Dao.
The initially scattered will of ice in his body flowed in the circulation method for the Ice Feather Divine Incantation, coalescing slowly.
Xiao Chen, who had never practiced an ice-attribute Cultivation Technique before, progressed exceptionally fast in this Ice Feather Divine Incantation.
"Phew…"
Xiao Chen opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of turbid air.
When he looked around, he saw that the cultivation room had frosted over. Spa.r.s.e snow slowly fell.
When the snow landed on Xiao Chen"s white robes, it gave him a certain poetic feeling like a tree standing proudly in the midst of winter.
Several white strands appeared among his scattered hair—the sign of successfully cultivating the first layer.
"I managed to cultivate the first layer in half a day. This should be because the will of ice allowed me to cultivate it this fast."
Xiao Chen was very satisfied with his cultivation speed. However, he was also very calm about it.
The main reason he could cultivate so quickly was still his good foundation. More importantly, he had just started; this was just the Ice Feather Divine Incantation"s first layer.
A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.
"Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+"
Strong auras came from outside the courtyard, rus.h.i.+ng over.
Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows and revealed a smile. "Someone finally came. Let"s see who it is."
There was no need to guess. These people definitely came for the so-called ancient Dragon Race totem and the Faux G.o.d Flame.
Xiao Chen was not trying to hide his location at all. As long as one put in the effort, anyone could find him.
The most important thing was that Xiao Chen had purposely leaked his location in the first place.
His figure flashed as he flew out of the cultivation room and landed on the roof of his courtyard.
Xiao Chen looked up slightly and saw Huangpu Qi leading the Snow Sword Palace disciples, Senior Ma, and Senior Liu right outside his courtyard. This was a group of "old friends."
Then, these people charged in with surging murderous intent.
"Bang!"
Huangpu Qi kicked hard and pulverized the courtyard doors. Then, the entire group rushed inside fearlessly.
When this group looked up, they saw a white-clad Xiao Chen on the roof, smiling at them with a saber in his hand.
Xiao Chen now had a few white hairs on his head. As he stood on the roof, he was like a lone tree standing amid the winter snow and wind, looking extraordinary.
Huangpu Qi felt slightly startled. He smiled. "Xiao Chen, it looks like you antic.i.p.ated that I, Huangpu Qi, would come for you. You are just a Rank 4 sect disciple and yet—"
"There is no point in talking. In Dragon Flame City, sect does not matter, nor does your background. Strength reigns. The winner is right, and the loser is wrong. Defeat the saber in my hand, and you can gain everything you want; I will give it all to you."
Two Dao disks appeared behind Xiao Chen as his fighting spirit blazed in him. His aura reached its peak in an instant.
Huangpu Qi felt stifled. He did not expect Xiao Chen to be so direct.
"Senior Brother, there is no need to be polite with him. We"ll just attack together. He encountered a great fortuitous encounter and will find it hard to escape death anyway. Why the need to go to all that trouble?" a Snow Sword Palace disciple whispered into Huangpu Qi"s ear after stepping forward.
"Indeed. Brother Huangpu, he is just a Rank 4 sect disciple after all. How can he measure up to you in n.o.bility?" Senior Ma, who was at the side, said seriously as he gave Xiao Chen a sinister look.
Anger welled up in Huangpu Qi"s heart. Livid, he demanded, "Could it be that you think I, Huangpu Qi, am no match for him? I am a Snow Sword Palace true inheritor, an early-stage Star Venerate. Do I need your help to deal with one Rank 4 sect disciple?"
Huangpu Qi looked up and said, "As long as you don"t use that Puppet Technique from that day, I, Huangpu Qi, am not afraid to fight you."
As a Rank 5 sect disciple, Huangpu Qi naturally had pride in his heart. From the very beginning, he had never treated Xiao Chen as his opponent.
Back then, after Huangpu Qi was forced to leave, he had brooded over it, thinking that Xiao Chen just used an unorthodox skill.
Huangpu Qi had rage bottled up in his heart since then. Now, he wanted to fight Xiao Chen alone.
This proposition suited Xiao Chen"s intent.
Xiao Chen said softly, "Don"t worry. The skill from that day has very stringent requirements and wastes a lot of energy. I definitely will not use it when fighting with you."
"Then, you can go die."
Huangpu Qi radiated murderous intent as he shot forward, charging over.
"Whoos.h.!.+"
Snow started falling from the sky, and boundless cold Qi spread out. Frost instantly covered the entire courtyard, turning it into an ice palace.
The moment Huangpu Qi drew his sword, it radiated a boundless sword light.
Then, his figure vanished, merging into the snow in the air.
"Exquisite!"
The many Dragon Flame City experts watching from hiding and the Snow Sword Palace disciples could not help praising when they saw Huangpu Qi"s sword strike.
"Huangpu Qi truly lives up to being a Snow Sword Palace true inheritor. The merger of his Sword Dao and Ice Dao is at a level that many of the senior generation cannot achieve."
"It is truly indescribably exquisite. The moment the sword was drawn, the flying snow and the sword light merged. Is the falling snow just snow or sword light? It is hard to differentiate them, almost like an illusion."
"I heard that the founder of the Snow Sword Palace comprehended the Snowflake Divine Sword from the great snow. Then, he created the Rank 5 Snow Sword Palace. The Snow Sword Palace"s high-leveled Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques are all derived from the Snowflake Divine Sword. This Huangpu Qi has indeed figured out a trace of its true meaning, truly admirable."
On the roof, Xiao Chen immediately made out the merits of this move as he looked at the snow filling the air.
It had to be said that Huangpu Qi"s sword strike was indeed eye-opening.
It was not just purely cultivation. Huangpu Qi was also very accomplished in the Ice Dao and Sword Dao, someone worth studying.
As the snow flew about, it had a dream-like beauty. It was like shattered jade, as clear as crystal, yet like the vast sea, rising and falling with hidden currents.
This was Huangpu Qi"s true strength. It was also the reason why he thought highly of himself and looked down on Xiao Chen.
How should I break this move?
Should I search for Huangpu Qi"s true body among the snow filling the air, differentiating the sword light from the snow?
If I did that, then I would have fallen for Huangpu Qi"s trick, defeated after one move.
The spring snow arrived in the air; flowers bloomed everywhere. Of all the trees in the garden, which one was the true plum tree?
Snow is everywhere, sword light is everywhere. With one wrong look, the place becomes filled with danger.
However, why must I look?
Flowers will wilt, snow will melt; there is nothing eternal in this world.
However, I have resolved the mundane, stepping out from it. True or false depends on my thought.
If I want it to be true, the flowers will bloom, never wilting eternally.
If I want it to be false, the snow will fly, never melting eternally.
Wind and snow filled the garden as Xiao Chen"s mind wandered.
In a thought, he comprehended many things from Huangpu Qi"s move.
Invisibly, the Mahāmāyā Abstinence Violation Saber Technique"s Resolving the Mundane improved further. Xiao Chen also gained the confidence to break this move.
Xiao Chen"s energy circulated in the manner for the Mahāmāyā Abstinence Violation Saber Technique. However, he did not draw his saber, only using the true meaning of Resolving the Mundane.
Xiao Chen extended a finger, and that white whirlpool in his dantian started spinning wildly.
All the ice-attributed Veritable Essence Energy in Xiao Chen"s body poured out. Then, he gently tapped the flying snow.
Suddenly, the wind and snow filling the garden froze in place.
All the snowflakes started blooming in the air. One petal…two petals…three petals…until seven-petaled flowers were formed.
The snow filling the air all froze and turned into flowers in an instant.
The courtyard, the snow, the house, and the white-clad bladesman formed a poetic scene.
Huangpu Qi, who had merged with the snow, was forced out of the scene that he created.
When Huangpu Qi looked up and met Xiao Chen"s eyes, he saw Xiao Chen standing alone on the roof, smiling while holding a flower between his fingers.
This shocked Huangpu Qi, prompting him to retreat hastily.