Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 737 – Facing Head On, The Prowess of ‘Petal Rain Under the Skies’

Chi chi!

After stabbing them with the two Coldsteel Needles, Qing Shui no longer attacked them but launched a Shield attack toward the elder who had suffered from damage earlier.

Boom!

Everything was over. All four had died!

Qing Shui recalled that he had already killed 15 Peak Martial Saint level cultivators from the Zuoshi Clan. Four of them at the Qing Clan, seven at the Zuoshi Clan, and the four from earlier.

This should be about half of Zuoshi Clan’s strength. Qing Clan gradually landed on the valley and collected the Golden Lion Eagle’s hide, core, blood and bones. The materials from mutated beasts of such a level were quite rate. In the future, he could use them individually in alchemy and let his demonic beasts take the pills to increase their cultivation level. It could even allow them to comprehend special battle skills and and abilities.

After killing these four cultivators from the Zuoshi Clan, Qing Shui felt happy for a moment. Now, he had even more confidence in dealing with the last wave from the Zuoshi Clan.

In the three occasions he had killed the fifteen people, his opponents were stronger each time, especially the last four he met who were either close to two stars or had exceeded two stars in strength. If not for his domineering Emperor’s Qi and Fiery Golden Eyes, he would probably not be able to even walk out of the Qing Clan, let alone winning them.

Another thing was his Divinity Protection. This technique could be only used once a day. However, giving how heaven-defying it was, having such a restriction was perfectly normal.

The Heavenly Thunder Slash, Cloudmist Steps and the Divinity Protection he had learned from the Heavenly Palace were all very practical skills he could put to use. The [Heavenly Palace Sword Art] was the only one that he had yet to discover its greatness.

However, Qing Shui decided to still practice it in the future. After all, it had the words Heavenly Palace in it and the Heavenly Palace Sword Art was also known as the Falling Thunder Sword Art. It was just that he had no idea when he would be able to reach the stage of “Falling Thunder”.

Looking at the sky, Qing Shui decided to take action the next day. Thinking of what the Zuoshi Clan’s goals were in Greencloud City, they should be heading back soon.

He stood at the top of the mountain where the cold wind blew. The wind at the peak of the mountain would always be very strong and cold. However, to a cultivator, this was nothing.

There was less than a month to the new year. He hoped to be able to end this battle on a good note and have a good new year. After that, it would be Yuchang’s coming of age ceremony.

Thinking of these, Qing Shui smiled. He could still remember Luan Luan’s coming of age ceremony. It hasn’t been long and now Yuchang has also ‘come of age’. Looking at how they’re growing up happily, he felt very satisfied. In this world, an individual would only be considered an adult after the coming of age ceremony. Prior to this, they would only be considered a child.

…

“Old Ancestor, we’ve looked around the vicinity and even dug to a depth of three feet deep.” Zuoshi Yanlang looked toward Zuoshi Ziyan and said respectfully.

“A sect with a long legacy is truly different. Although there aren’t any strong experts, they had once been strong before. To think that they still can find a place to reside. I’ve always felt that things are not as simple as they seem. Inform everyone to head back immediately.” Zuoshi Ziyan gave it some thought and said.

“Yes!”

Zuoshi Ziyan’s words were not something anyone in the Zuoshi Clan could go against. Zuoshi Yanlang gathered everyone from the Zuoshi Clan before getting on the Golden Eagles after taking a look at the horrible damage done to the Heavenly Palace.

With this havoc, one-third of the people had left the Heavenly Palace while over 100,000 people went home. The locations of the remaining one-third were unknown and many of the reputable clans in Heavenly Palace were massacred…

Many members of the Jin Clan had also been killed. However, just like how the important characters in the Heavenly Palace’s nine halls had kept themselves hidden, although those who were killed were direct descendents, it wouldn’t obstruct their family’s development.

It was just that no one knew if this havoc was good or bad. More than half the population in the Heavenly Palace were gone, leaving only some executives behind to wreck their brains. They didn’t even understand why things had come to this.

通云山！

This was a long mountain range, and was also a relatively huge stretch of mountains in the entire Greencloud Continent. Those who wished to enter or exit Greencloud City would need to pass through this stretch of mountains. It was just that this mountain was barren to the extent that there were no powerful demonic beasts here. Most places in this world were renowned for either being overly dangerous or were filled with heavenly and earthly treasures. If it didn’t had either, it was hard for the place to become well known. It wasn’t sufficient for it to be just a huge stretch of mountains since there were too many of such places in the entire World of the Nine Continents.

Qing Shui was now standing at the highest point in the area and looking toward the direction of Greencloud City. He knew that right now, the people from the Zuoshi Clan were there.

The four he had killed the day before had all rushed over from Greencloud City. Qing Shui had the feeling that the others would be coming soon since they should know that he was in Pingyang Country.

This would be his final battle with the Zuoshi Clan, and the toughest one he had come across in the past years. Qing Shui stood there, deep in thought. He couldn’t afford to lose, he could only win.

The opponents should have at least one expert with a strength of three stars, or even exceeding three stars. However, he had the feeling that it should not exceed a strength of four stars.

If it was only three stars, Qing Shui would be able to defeat them by himself. However, if they were close to four stars, he would be put in a tight spot. It would be all over if he was held back by his opponents. Afterall, there were over ten of them and he felt that they would probably be at least at two stars or above. If there were two at three stars or higher… Qing Shui was worried.

Time passed by and soon it was noon. Qing Shui planned to wait here for a while and set off for Greencloud City before the sky had turned dark.

In the late afternoon, Qing Shui lifted his head to look into the distance. His blood started to boil as he saw a few flying beasts, appearing to be very small from afar. However, Qing Shui felt that it was them. The final battle was about to take place, but Qing Shui suddenly felt very much at peace.

Seeing the flying beasts getting increasingly closer, Qing Shui summoned all his powers to their limits. This time around, he couldn’t afford to be careless at all. He called out the Diamond Gigantic Elephant and found the best spot to conceal himself.

When dealing with a clan like this, Qing Shui felt that it was especially justified for him to launch sneak attacks.

Qing Shui held a bunch of Coldsteel Needles which had been previously tempered with poison. There were at least thirty of them. On his left hand, he was holding onto a Frosted Iron Ball. He then just waited for the flying beasts which were getting closer and closer.

He was located on a high spot with his back facing the sun. Hence, Qing Shui and the Diamond Gigantic Elephant were completed concealed. Moreover, the surfaces were slanted, so even if the opponents were to fly past them, they wouldn’t be able to see Qing Shui.

Qing Shui gradually closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He merely used his sharp spiritual sense to observe the surroundings, right down to the mere rustle of the leaves in the wind…

Qing Shui suddenly opened both eyes abruptly in joy. His spiritual sense had attained a breakthrough. Earlier, the feeling was very blurred, but now, the senses were very clear. The clarity was like a pair of omnipresent eyes, able to see in all directions with great clarity.

Presently, Qing Shui was even more confident. The spiritual sense was very important. If it was powerful enough, it could make up for a slight difference in abilities. Qing Shui’s Minute Subtlety was also tightly connected to the power of his spiritual sense.

Just like now, his spiritual sense’s prowess allowed the entire environment to be reflected clearly in Qing Shui’s mind. The spiritual sense gave him the strongest sense of reality.

Suddenly, five Golden Eagles appeared in Qing Shui’s spiritual sense with great clarity. Their distance and angles were completely reflected to Qing Shui through his spiritual sense.

His spiritual sense’s level had truly increased, and it was at the most crucial phase.

Qing Shui’s hold on the Coldsteel Needles tightened and his own existence suddenly appeared in the spiritual sense. Qing Shui was stunned for a moment before he broke into a smile.

At this level of his spiritual sense, he could totally afford to close his eyes completely since the spiritual sense was much stronger than his own eyes!

Ning!

A crisp eagle cry rang out.

Qing Shui could sense even the people on the Golden Eagles. Their appearances were exactly the same as the ones reflected in Qing Shui’s spiritual sense. In fact, what Qing Shui had seen was an actual image. It was just that another method was used to replace the eyes.

They’re close!

They’re close!

…

Qing Shui was waiting for them to enter his attacking range. His body seemed to be trembling slightly due to the excitement. Suddenly, Qing Shui saw the eyes an old man dressed in yellow garment twitch. It was then that he also quickly opened his eyes.

The Diamond Gigantic Elephant he was riding released an Instantaneous Diamond Evasion. They cunningly went into a tricky corner thanks to the prowess of the spiritual sense which allowed him to find the best view. It was then did Qing Shui shoot out the tens of Coldsteel Needles he was holding.

Petal Rain Under the Skies！

This was the strongest area of effect attack in his Hidden Weapon Technique. Its speed and accuracy was unrivalled. Back then, Qing Shui had spent a lot of effort to practise his killing move.

“You’re courting death!”

The old man dressed in yellow glared furiously and waved out his wide sleeves, creating a strong gale. He was hoping to blow away Qing Shui’s Coldsteel Needles but he quickly found out that it was a wrong decision.

“Pu pu!”

This time around, Qing Shui had paid a great price too. That was half the total amount of Coldsteel Needles he had soaked in poison. And because he didn’t have sufficient Coldsteel Needles, his Petal Rain Under the Skies could only be used once too.

Pu pu…

Qing Shui was very happy with the results as he watched on the Diamond Gigantic Elephant. There were twenty one of them and five Golden Eagles, but to think that eleven of them and four Golden Eagles were hit.

At the start, Qing Shui felt that he would be able to hit about five of them, but definitely not more than seven. He even thought of the possibility that he might only hit two to three people. However, after his spiritual sense had attained a breakthrough, Qing Shui felt that this result was very normal. Of course, he was very satisfied too and was impressed by the great combination of the Hidden Weapon Technique and poison weapons. They formed a great killing weapon.

In that instant, those who had been hit by the Coldsteel Needles died. The Golden Eagles also let out a terrible cry and fell. Instantly, there were only ten out of the twenty one people left…

“You’re a Poison Master?” the old man’s face which had been through the vicissitudes of life was filled with fury, but he still kept him calm as he stood there in the air, looking at Qing Shui.

Over ten people’s deaths caused the remaining people be on tenterhooks. Only Zuoshi Ziyan and two other old men remained unperturbed. However, their eyes were fixed on Qing Shui.

Qing Shui looked at the three old men before him. He could sense the level of two of them. What that had astonished Qing Shui was that they were at three stars. And after Qing Shui sensed the level of the old man dressed in yellow who was standing in the middle, his heart skipped a beat.

To think that he could sense his level. This was only something Qing Shui could do after his spiritual sense had gotten stronger. Although it was not at four stars yet, it was just a tad away…

The quiet looking old man took out a white porcelain bottle and gave some medicinal pills to other people. “This might not be able to serve as a prevention. Everyone be on the alert.”

“Yes!”

Qing Shui felt a bit stumped as he gradually took out the Big Dipper Sword and Thunder God, but the additional 50% increment in strength was nullified. However, what Qing Shui wanted wasn’t that 50% increment. He wanted the effect of the Seven Star Armored Vest.

Only then would he be able to fend off the attacks from the opponent who was about four stars in strength, as well as the attacks from the other people.It was only recently that Qing Shui had thought of the idea of holding two different weapons at once. In the past, he was too restrained and didn’t know that he could use the Thunder God and Big Dipper Sword concurrently.