Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 446: Shadow Abyss Sect

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

The sword body of the Qianyuan Sword trembled slightly, as if it was also rejoicing at its advancement in grade. After all, it’s too difficult for a practitioner at the Aperture Tempering realm to nurture a supreme grade spiritual weapon.

Only those strong beyond the Aperture Tempering realm can quickly promote a superior spiritual weapon to the level of a top-grade one through their own strength.

However, practitioners at the Aperture Tempering realm can only benefit from their own strength when using magical treasures to enhance their combat power. Spiritual weapons in the hands of Aperture Tempering realm practitioners are of no assistance, even top-grade ones.

Chen Fei took out a token from his sleeve, which was the Haiyue Token. In one year, the Haiyue Cave Mansion would open, and Chen Fei would definitely go on this journey.

The main goal is to obtain breakthrough elixirs or spiritual materials.

Of course, there are other treasures within the Haiyue Cave Mansion, but for now, Chen Fei has prioritized them at the bottom of his list. Only by improving his own strength can those other things become more meaningful.

If Chen Fei doesn’t obtain breakthrough elixirs or spiritual materials in the Haiyue Cave Mansion, he might have to attempt a direct breakthrough later.

Without breakthrough elixirs or spiritual materials, he can still forcibly break through, but the success rate will inevitably decrease. That’s an unavoidable fact.

Just like in everyday cultivation, even without consuming elixirs, one’s cultivation will slowly increase, but in terms of efficiency, it can’t compare to the effects of using elixirs.

Breaking through realms is no different in this regard.

The Qianyuan Sword’s blade quivered slightly, as if it too celebrated its upgrade in quality. Indeed, for a Aperture Tempering realm practitioner, cultivating a high-grade spiritual weapon posed a daunting challenge.

Only those at a higher stage than the Aperture Tempering realm could rapidly elevate a superior spiritual weapon to the status of a top-grade one through their innate power.

Nonetheless, Aperture Tempering realm cultivators could only tap into their innate power when using magical treasures to enhance their combat prowess. Even with a top-grade spiritual weapon in their hands, Aperture Tempering realm practitioners received no assistance.

From his sleeve, Chen Fei retrieved a token—the Haiyue Token. In a year’s time, the Haiyue Cave Mansion would open, and Chen Fei was determined to embark on this journey.

His primary objective was to acquire breakthrough elixirs or spiritual materials.

Undoubtedly, the Haiyue Cave Mansion held other treasures, but for now, Chen Fei placed them at the bottom of his priorities. Only by enhancing his own strength could those other items gain significance.

If, within the Haiyue Cave Mansion, Chen Fei failed to secure breakthrough elixirs or spiritual materials, he might have to contemplate a direct breakthrough later.

Lacking these vital resources, he could still forcefully break through, albeit with a diminished success rate—an inescapable reality.

Similar to daily cultivation, even without partaking in elixirs, one’s cultivation would gradually advance, yet in terms of efficiency, it paled in comparison to elixir usage.

Breaking through realms followed the same principles.

Subsequent battles further confirmed some of Chen Fei’s suspicions. The eerie roars of that Snow Evil concealed the same kind of frenzied chaos found in the Strange Heart Realm.

Compared to the dynasty from earlier, it was apparent that the people from the Boundless Sea had delved much deeper into the exploration of the Strange Heart Realm.

The Strange Heart Realm was undoubtedly a massive treasure trove. Thanks to his acquisition of the Heart Refinement Formation, Chen Fei’s mental power had rapidly reached the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm.

Otherwise, with the resources Chen Fei had obtained himself, purchasing elixirs that could aid his mental power would likely deplete his elemental stones immediately. And if he wanted to buy elixirs for cultivating elemental power, he would be left with no resources.

Half an hour later, Chen Fei appeared in a shop in Haiyan City.

At this moment, Chen Fei’s aura had weakened to the level of mid-Aperture Tempering realm, and his appearance had changed slightly. This image and aura had no connection to the Chen Fei on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking.

Therefore, entering Haiyan City, Chen Fei went unnoticed. Being at the mid-Aperture Tempering realm in the entire Haiyan City was not considered a particularly special existence.

“Sir, here is the information you requested. Please have a look,” the shopkeeper said with a friendly smile as he handed a paper to Chen Fei.

Chen Fei took the paper and started reading it slowly. After a moment, he raised his head, his eyes filled with contemplation.

This was an information trading shop, a type of establishment that could be found in almost every city and was typically operated by local powers.

Naturally, what Chen Fei purchased was information about Sheng Lanping.

Just as Chen Fei had suspected, Sheng Lanping indeed hailed from one of the major forces within the Thousand Feathers Alliance—the Shadow Abyss Sect!

The Shadow Abyss Sect was one of the top ten sects within the Thousand Feathers Alliance. Among these ten sects, each had a Combined Aperture Tempering realm peak powerhouse overseeing them, along with several other Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators within the sect.

In the former dynasty’s territory, Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators were considered dominant. While they didn’t hold the same status in the Boundless Sea, they were still a force to be reckoned with.

In particular, Combined Aperture Tempering realm peak cultivators, who were just a step away from reaching the Mountain Sea realm, were formidable. It could be imagined how vast and influential these ten sects were with such powerhouses at their helm.

Sheng Lanping’s background within such a sect meant she had no need to conceal her identity information when ranking on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking. In fact, she had to showcase her talents to the fullest extent in order to thrive within the Shadow Abyss Sect.

Therefore, in this shop, Chen Fei easily acquired information about Sheng Lanping. It wasn’t just about Sheng Lanping; he also learned some details about the Shadow Abyss Sect.

Chen Fei had previously suspected a connection between Sheng Lanping’s cultivation technique and the Strange Heart Realm, and it seemed his hunch was correct.

While the name of the Shadow Abyss Sect might sound sinister, its disciples never engaged in blood rituals or similar practices. Their daily cultivation took place within the Strange Heart Realm.

The Shadow Abyss Sect had never concealed this fact. In fact, disciples of the Shadow Abyss Sect often invited individuals from other sects to explore the Strange Heart Realm together.

The Strange Heart Realm was vast, almost like an integral part of the world itself, with the Shadow Abyss Sect, while powerful, still being a mere speck within it.

However, in terms of understanding the Strange Heart Realm, the Shadow Abyss Sect was indeed the strongest presence within the entire Thousand Feathers Alliance.

“The Shadow Abyss Sect.”

Chen Fei folded the paper in his hand and contemplated paying a visit to the Shadow Abyss Sect. Not to join their sect, but with the intention of entering the Strange Heart Realm in a location close to the sect.

He wanted to observe how the disciples of the Shadow Abyss Sect dealt with the Evils.

Moreover, Chen Fei wondered if there might be some subtle connections between the Shadow Abyss Sect and the mysterious force that once possessed the Heart Refinement Formation.

Chen Fei had been bothered by the fragmented cultivation techniques recorded on the dilapidated walls within the Strange Heart Realm. Unfortunately, no matter how much he lamented, the fragmented records remained inscrutable. Despite spending days or even weeks in the Enlightenment Tower, he couldn’t decipher anything from those disjointed writings.

“Safe travels, sir,” the shopkeeper said with a smile as he collected the silver notes left by Chen Fei on the table.

Chen Fei nodded and left the shop. He looked around and decided to sell the high-grade spiritual sword he had obtained from the Imperial City.

At this moment, Chen Fei’s remaining elemental stones were quite scarce. Although there was a certain amount still stored on the panel, these elemental stones could only be stored and not withdrawn.

Having no money in his pockets felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Chen Fei’s figure flickered, and he disappeared from his original location. When he turned into an alley, his appearance changed slightly, and his aura rose to the level of advanced Aperture Tempering realm.

Selling a high-grade spiritual sword at mid-Aperture Tempering realm might pose some trouble or might not. However, the probability of encountering trouble when selling it at late Aperture Tempering realm was almost negligible.

Chen Fei passed through several streets and arrived at the largest shop in Haiyan City, Haiyan Pavilion.

Using the city’s name as the shop’s name indicated the background of Haiyan Pavilion. Such shops typically bought and sold even top-grade spiritual weapons, and in their eyes, high-grade spiritual weapons were just valuable commodities.

Unlike his experience in the Imperial City, Chen Fei didn’t have to wait for several days to find a buyer here. Within Haiyan Pavilion, he directly sold the high-grade spiritual sword for 2,300 low-grade elemental stones.

Compared to the Primordial Sealing Mirror he had sold before, this high-grade spiritual sword fetched an even higher price. Apart from its better quality, a spiritual sword, being a warrior’s primary weapon, was slightly more valuable than special spiritual artifacts like the Primordial Sealing Mirror.

Of course, it could also be because acquiring elemental stones was easier in the Boundless Sea compared to the Imperial City. After all, the elemental energy in the air here was much denser, increasing the probability of finding elemental stone veins by a significant margin.

The most obvious difference was that in the Immortal Cloud City, elemental stones were just elemental stones, without distinctions of low, mid, or high grades. However, in the Boundless Sea, all the elemental stones Chen Fei had acquired were of low-grade quality.

There was a hundredfold difference in grade between each elemental stone. A mid-grade elemental stone could directly exchange for a hundred low-grade elemental stones, making the conversion rate quite extravagant.

Mid-grade elemental stones were generally not used by mid-Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, and it was almost a waste to use mid-grade elemental stones for cultivation at that level. However, there were rumors that advanced Aperture Tempering realm cultivators might benefit slightly from using mid-grade elemental stones to expand their mental power, which could aid in breaking through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

In the end, Chen Fei chose to keep ten mid-grade elemental stones, while the rest were still low-grade elemental stones.

As he walked out of Haiyan Pavilion, Chen Fei was contemplating whether to find a place to use the mid-grade elemental stones for cultivation and give it a try. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and he took out a piece of jade from his pocket, which was now emitting a faint red glow.

This message had been entrusted to Chen Fei by the sect leader, Qu Qingsheng. The faint red color indicated that the sect was currently facing a threat from an Aperture Tempering realm peak powerhouse, and Qu Qingsheng advised Chen Fei not to return for the time being.

Initially, Qu Qingsheng had considered not sending this message, but he was afraid that if Chen Fei suddenly returned, the danger to Chen Fei would be even greater. Faced with an Aperture Tempering realm peak powerhouse, having Chen Fei might provide some assistance, but it was more likely that the entire sect would be wiped out.

Hundreds of miles away, on the Primordial Water Island, two figures moved confidently, stepping on the steps of the Primordial Sword Sect as if they owned the place. They were heading towards the main peak of the Primordial Sword Sect..