Chapter 236 - 217: The Limit

Chapter 236: Chapter 217: The Limit

Chen Yue knew that if he were to sort through these insights himself, not only would it take an eternity, but with his current perspective and knowledge, it would also be nearly impossible to accurately judge the validity of each one.

’But perhaps the panel can sort and filter them directly, culling the erroneous and useless information, retaining only the most refined and correct parts to feed back to me.’

Chen Yue had no absolute certainty that this was the case.

But it was only a day’s trial. When the midnight settlement came, he would know for sure if the method worked.

It was just like his attempt to deduce the Pill Formula for the Qi Yuan Pill a few days ago; though he hadn’t been completely confident, he had ultimately succeeded.

Time trickled by in the Wenda Corridor. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the roof tiles, creeping slowly across the ground. It moved from the east side to the west, then gradually dimmed as evening fell.

The Nourishing Spirit Pills in Chen Yue’s Storage Ring were being consumed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Each Nourishing Spirit Pill he swallowed allowed the Heart Spirit consumed by the Celestial Demon Burning Technique to rapidly recover, enabling him to maintain this state of spiritual excitation and continue his cultivation.

It had to be said, the Nourishing Spirit Pill was worthy of being one of the most expensive elixirs for the Refining Organ Realm. Though pricey, its effects were certainly worth the cost.

Without the support of the Nourishing Spirit Pills, Chen Yue would be utterly unable to maintain such a high-intensity training method.

After several straight hours of practicing the Furious Wave Saber Intent, Chen Yue finally felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

He slowly sat cross-legged on the ground, gasping for breath. Even with his deep reserves, such high-intensity cultivation was becoming difficult to endure.

His Qi Blood surged within his body, and his Heart Spirit felt waves of exhaustion.

He closed his eyes and circulated the Pan Yuan Infinite Skill, slowly restoring his depleted Qi Blood and Heart Spirit.

The Pan Yuan Infinite Skill had already reached complete Perfection. It required no special attention from him, as the Cultivation Technique would operate on its own, as naturally as breathing.

Therefore, Chen Yue simply let the Cultivation Technique run on its own and began mentally rehearsing the refinement process for the Qi Yuan Pill.

It was a way of giving his mind a change of pace, a way to relax.

One hour later, Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes.

The fatigue in his body had mostly subsided, and the automatic circulation of the Pan Yuan Infinite Skill had restored his Qi Blood to a stable state.

He stood up, stretched his body, and then settled into a martial stance in the Wenda Corridor, beginning to practice the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell.

His movements were gentle and steady. As he extended into the forms, the surrounding air seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, emitting a low, resonant hum.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in the Wenda Corridor slowly permeated his flesh and blood, nourishing his body, which was exhausted from the high-intensity training.

Upon completing one set of the forms, Chen Yue slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling refreshed all over.

He steadied himself, took a deep breath, and once more activated the Celestial Demon Burning Technique, burning a sliver of his Heart Spirit and Qi Blood. Then, he raised his hand, using it as a saber, and began to hack forward again.

Vast, fragmented insights into the Furious Wave Saber Intent once again flooded his Sea of Consciousness like a tidal wave.

He no longer tried to discern the validity of these insights, simply accepting them all and leaving them for the panel to process.

Train. Rest. Train.

Chen Yue practically forgot the passage of time. This somewhat frenzied training regimen made him feel, in a trance, as if he had returned to his days in Youlin County.

Back then, he had carried the mark of the Mountain Monarch. His life had hung by a thread, and every day could have been his last.

He had survived by using this almost masochistic method, training day and night, and had made it to where he was today, one step at a time.

Now, though his circumstances were completely different from before, that same spirit of doing whatever it took to grow stronger had never changed.

The night was deep, and the Wenda Corridor was silent. Only a few strands of moonlight filtering through the roof tiles cast mottled shadows on the ground.

Chen Yue had just finished a round of cultivation and was sitting cross-legged on the ground, regulating his breathing.

Suddenly, a familiar golden ripple appeared before his eyes.

Chen Yue was slightly taken aback. ’Has midnight arrived?’

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligent training, Cultivation +391]

[Diligent training of Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell, EXP +13353]

[Diligent training of Furious Wave Saber Intent, EXP +13373]

...

[Furious Wave Saber Intent (Perfection 65678/91258)]

[Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell (Limit Break 277532/473435)]

...

Looking at the information on the panel, Chen Yue took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

’The attempt was a success.’

The EXP gained for the Furious Wave Saber Intent had skyrocketed from over three thousand the last time he was in the Wenda Corridor to more than thirteen thousand—an increase of more than fourfold!

Although his Cultivation and the EXP for the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell were much lower than last time, he was already mentally prepared for this.

After all, he had spent less time on those two aspects today, investing most of his energy into practicing the Furious Wave Saber Intent.

Chen Yue closed his eyes. The next moment, the massive amount of insights, having been processed by the panel, flowed into his Sea of Consciousness like a gentle, orderly stream.

The fragmented insights he had absorbed during the day had now been sifted by the panel, which had separated the wheat from the chaff. The refined, correct portions were then rapidly absorbed and digested by him, transforming into bodily instinct.

He could clearly feel his understanding of the Furious Wave Saber Intent deepening at a tangible, visible rate.

On the second day, Chen Yue maintained a training regimen similar to the first.

However, learning from the first day’s experience, he adjusted his rhythm slightly, lowering the burn rate of the Celestial Demon Burning Technique to make things a little easier on himself.

After all, cultivation was a long-term endeavor. If he damaged the Origin of his Heart Spirit in pursuit of temporary speed, the loss would far outweigh the gain.

The adjusted approach worked well. At the second day’s settlement, the EXP for his Furious Wave Saber Intent increased by 12,123 points.

On the third day, Chen Yue slowed his training pace even further.

The information on his panel now read [Furious Wave Saber Intent (Perfection 77801/91258)]. He was less than fourteen thousand experience points away from complete Perfection.

Even if he couldn’t reach complete Perfection today, he could easily finish it over the next few days at a normal training speed.

Cultivation often demanded one to advance bravely against the current, but with only a day or two left, Chen Yue didn’t need to be so ruthlessly eager for quick results.

A steady and solid approach was the key to long-term success.

The third day’s midnight settlement arrived as expected: Furious Wave Saber Intent EXP +10757.

[Furious Wave Saber Intent (Perfection 88558/91258)]

He only needed another two thousand seven hundred points for complete Perfection.

「On the morning of the fourth day.」

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the Wenda Corridor’s tiled roof, spilling onto the ground.

Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes and got to his feet.

He straightened his robes and turned to leave the Wenda Corridor.

This time, Zhao Chengwu did not open his eyes. He remained sitting cross-legged like a statue, immersed in his silent meditation.

It was unclear if it was because his own Saber Intent was on the verge of a metamorphosis, but Chen Yue could now faintly sense a wondrous resonance between Zhao Chengwu’s body and the surrounding world.

It was as if he himself were a part of the mountain, the stone, the very world itself.

Chen Yue did not disturb him. He simply offered a respectful salute, then turned and walked down the mountain path toward his own courtyard.

The morning light on the mountain path was pleasant, but Chen Yue noticed that the atmosphere today felt different than usual.

Most of the disciples he passed had grave expressions. They walked with hurried steps, lacking their usual leisurely and composed demeanor.

Some had weapons at their waists, others carried packs on their backs, all looking as if they were about to embark on a long journey.

Chen Yue had intended to return directly to his courtyard, but upon seeing this scene, he paused and changed direction, heading toward the Affairs Hall.

The main hall of the Affairs Hall was bustling with people, far more crowded than usual.

Long lines had formed before several counters as disciples turned in missions or exchanged for supplies, a sense of urgency etched on their faces.

When the On-Duty Disciple saw Chen Yue enter, he quickly stood up and greeted him, "Senior Brother Chen!"

Chen Yue nodded. Without exchanging pleasantries, he asked directly, "Has something happened in the last few days?"

The On-Duty Disciple was momentarily surprised, but then he remembered that Chen Yue had been in seclusion at the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform and the Wenda Corridor for the past few days. It was normal for him to be unaware of outside events.

He quickly explained, "You may not be aware, Senior Brother Chen, but in the last few days, ghost disasters have broken out simultaneously in several locations around Celestial State Prefecture, and they seem to be spreading toward the Prefecture City."

"The Sect has issued a large number of extermination missions. Many senior brothers have accepted them and are heading out to slay those Ghostly Objects."

Chen Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. ’A ghost disaster!’

He recalled what Meng Yu Jin had mentioned when he came to say his goodbyes a few days ago—the Ghostly Object impersonating the Yin Department.

’It seems the situation is even more severe than Meng Yu Jin described.’

’It’s not just an issue with that one Ghost Realm; ghost disasters are erupting in multiple locations at once.’

Recently, whenever Chen Yue activated the Celestial Demon Burning Technique, he could faintly perceive an elusive, strange aura within the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

He wasn’t even in the Innate Realm, and the range of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi he could sense was pitifully narrow, extending just beyond the surface of his skin. Yet, even with that, he could detect that something was wrong.

One could only imagine the extent of the changes happening to the entire world.

Chen Yue looked up. "Then is the Celestial State Prefecture Grand Tournament still on for six days from now? Or has it been canceled?"

The On-Duty Disciple shook his head. "The Celestial State Grand Tournament is proceeding as scheduled; it hasn’t been canceled. However, I’ve heard that some new events have been added, though the specific details haven’t been announced yet."

Chen Yue nodded at his words and didn’t press for more information.

He turned, left the Affairs Hall, and followed the mountain path toward Dan Peak.

As he approached his courtyard on Dan Peak, Chen Yue suddenly stopped. A familiar figure was standing at his gate, head bowed, seemingly lost in troubled thought.

"Senior Sister?" Chen Yue asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Hearing Chen Yue’s voice, Liu Wenying jerked her head around.

The moment she saw him, a smile bloomed on her face out of reflex, but it vanished just as quickly.

Liu Wenying’s eyes were slightly red, and her voice was quieter than usual as she looked up at Chen Yue. "Junior Brother... Master and the others... they’re injured."