Chapter 240 - 220: Pseudo-Innate

Chapter 240: Chapter 220: Pseudo-Innate

The predecessor to the Celestial Demon Burning Technique was Celestial Demon Dissolution. That Cultivation Technique was a desperate, self-destructive Secret Technique—a pure "if I’m going down, you’re coming with me" gambit that burned away all the Origin within one’s flesh, blood, and internal organs.

Right now, although he wasn’t using it to fight for his life, the core concept of burning Qi Blood in exchange for greater power was the same.

As night deepened, steam filled Chen Yue’s courtyard. He stood in the center, his skin glowing with a faint red light.

The air around him warped slightly from the intense heat radiating from his body, as if an invisible flame burned within him.

Sweat evaporated the moment it seeped from his skin, turning into wisps of white steam that swirled around his body.

Chen Yue increased the intensity of the Celestial Demon Burning Technique. This time, he still only burned his Qi Blood, leaving his Heart Spirit untouched.

As the intensity of the burning increased, the Qi Blood in his body began to seethe, like a pot of oil heated to its limit.

Blood rushed through his veins, creating a low rumble like a torrential river. His heart beat several times faster than usual, each pump as strong and powerful as a war drum.

And as his Qi Blood roiled, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi that was originally difficult to refine quickly was now rapidly broken down, fused, and condensed within the high-temperature Qi Blood.

Chen Yue used his Sword Intent to carefully observe the changes within his Qi Blood. He saw the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, enveloped and refined by his Qi Blood, gradually coalesce into a strange state.

They were no longer free-floating energy particles but had deeply fused with his Qi Blood to form a special kind of energy that glowed with a faint red light.

The form of this energy reminded Chen Yue of a term: Blood Essence.

This was the power found within an Innate Physique. Its nature was similar to the Primordial Power within the bodies of today’s Innate Realm experts, but the way it was circulated and used was completely different.

Primordial Power was stimulated through Innate Acupoints, drawing upon the external Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to create a resonance between the inside and outside.

Blood Essence, however, relied entirely on the body’s Qi Blood, erupting from within before resonating with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

Neither could be said to be superior or inferior; they were simply different paths.

Chen Yue maintained the boxing stance of the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell, practicing it over and over again.

His movements grew slower and slower, but every punch, every palm, and every kick carried a momentum as heavy as a mountain.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, as if drawn by some powerful force, poured ceaselessly into his body. It was refined by his boiling Qi Blood and transformed, strand by strand, into Blood Essence, which was then stored deep within his flesh.

Half an hour later, Chen Yue stopped.

He was tired, and his Sword Intent couldn’t take it anymore.

Continuously operating his Sword Intent at high intensity for half an hour to draw in Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was an immense burden on his recently transformed Sword Intent.

If he forced himself to continue, he would likely damage his Sword Intent.

At the same time, the Blood Essence condensed within his Qi Blood had also reached a saturation point.

The strength of his Physique and Qi Blood were only at the level of the Refining Organ Realm. It was already quite an achievement to be able to store any Blood Essence at all; he couldn’t store too much.

If he continued to refine more, the overabundance of Blood Essence would place a severe and dangerous strain on his body.

In fact, Chen Yue could already feel his body growing heavy, a complete departure from the light and agile feeling he was used to.

Chen Yue slowly relaxed his stance, closed his eyes, and looked inward at the Blood Essence condensed within his Qi Blood.

This Blood Essence was like red stars scattered throughout the ocean of his Qi Blood. Although not numerous, each strand contained immense power.

He could clearly sense that in an extreme situation, he could directly detonate the power contained within this Blood Essence.

Combined with his Sword Intent and other methods, he could erupt with a combat strength far exceeding his own realm for a short period.

In a way, Chen Yue could now be considered a pseudo-Innate Physique cultivator.

「The night passed in the blink of an eye.」

The morning sun spilled over the courtyard walls, bathing the yard in light.

Chen Yue was sitting cross-legged on a stone bench in the yard, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing and consolidated the Blood Essence he had condensed the previous night.

Suddenly, his ears twitched. A set of footsteps, approaching from a distance, was heading toward his courtyard. The footsteps stopped outside his gate, followed by a knock.

"Is Senior Brother Chen in? I’m a disciple from the Affairs Hall."

Chen Yue opened his eyes, rose, and walked to the gate to open it.

A young disciple in the standard uniform of the Affairs Hall stood outside. Seeing Chen Yue open the door, he immediately broke into a smile and cupped his fist.

"Good morning, Senior Brother Chen! This junior brother has come to confirm, will you be participating in the Celestial State Prefecture Grand Competition? I need to finalize the registration list."

Chen Yue nodded without hesitation. "I’ll be participating."

Hearing this, the Affairs Hall disciple’s smile widened. He quickly took out a register from his robes, made a few notes with a brush, and then looked up.

"Alright, I’ve registered you, Senior Brother. By the way, on Elder Feng’s orders, all disciples participating in the Celestial State Prefecture Grand Competition are to gather at the Celestial Pillar Hall on Celestial Pillar Peak in an hour. There’s an important announcement."

Chen Yue’s brow twitched slightly. He nodded. "Alright. Thank you for informing me, Senior Brother."

The Affairs Hall disciple quickly waved his hands. "Senior Brother, you mustn’t call me that! I’m not worthy! I’ll take my leave now, I still have to notify the other Senior Brothers!"

After speaking, he cupped his fist toward Chen Yue again, then turned and hurried away.

Chen Yue stood at his gate, his gaze flickering as he watched the Affairs Hall disciple’s retreating figure.

’The Celestial State Prefecture Grand Competition is finally about to begin.’

A little over half an hour later, Chen Yue ascended the mountain path of Celestial Pillar Peak.

He rounded a bend in the path, and the view ahead suddenly opened up. An imposing, magnificent hall appeared in his sights—the Celestial Pillar Hall.

The hall sat at the highest point of Celestial Pillar Peak. With its green tiles, upturned eaves, vermilion pillars, and carved beams, it looked solemn and majestic under the morning sun. A dozen or so figures were already standing on the wide, flat bluestone plaza in front of the hall.

Chen Yue’s gaze swept over the figures, and among them, he saw a familiar face: Lu Jingxing.

Dressed in a white martial arts uniform, he was talking with several people beside him.

Hearing the commotion from behind, the people in the plaza all turned their heads. When they saw it was Chen Yue, their expressions all grew a bit more serious.

They all recognized him. After all, within the Panshi Sect right now, Chen Yue’s fame was practically unparalleled.

The tale of him single-handedly defeating the entire Sword Heart Ranking of the Liuyun Sword Sect had already spread to every corner of the Sect.

"Junior Brother Chen, you’re here!" Lu Jingxing smiled and stepped out from the crowd to greet him.

Chen Yue looked at Lu Jingxing and cupped his fist. "Senior Brother Lu."

Lu Jingxing waved his hand and chuckled. "No need to be so formal."

As he spoke, he turned to the others present and announced loudly, "Everyone, this is Junior Brother Chen Yue. I’m sure you’ve all heard about how he single-handedly defeated the Liuyun Sword Sect’s entire Sword Heart Ranking."

A female disciple in a pale cyan dress stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face. She cupped her fist toward Chen Yue and said:

"Senior Brother Chen, I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been wanting to find an opportunity to visit, but I was worried I’d disturb your cultivation. It’s wonderful to finally meet you today." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, her demeanor graceful and poised.

Chen Yue returned the salute. "Senior Sister Wang, you’re too kind. I should have been the one to visit you first."

He recognized this female disciple: Wang Danfeng, fifth on the Cyan Cloud Ranking. Her Swordsmanship was extremely exquisite, and she had held a top position on the Cyan Cloud Ranking for many years.

Hearing Chen Yue’s words, Wang Danfeng’s smile widened, clearly pleased by his humble attitude.

The others also came forward one by one to cup their fists in greeting, and Chen Yue returned each salute.

Finally, a female disciple with a gentle and graceful disposition stepped up.

She smiled and cupped her fist at Chen Yue. "For Junior Brother Chen to topple the Sword Heart Ranking all by himself is truly inspiring. It’s just a pity I wasn’t there to witness your prowess firsthand."

He Qingjing, second on the Cyan Cloud Ranking. It was rumored that her strength was extremely close to Jiang Wenda’s, and that she could challenge for the top spot at any moment.

Chen Yue smiled humbly. "Senior Sister He, you praise me too much. I was forced by the circumstances and acted a bit recklessly. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you."

"With strength, you can naturally do as you please. There’s nothing reckless about it. I wanted to do the same, but I didn’t dare."

A steady voice came from the side. Chen Yue turned to see a man with a resolute face looking at him. His gaze was somewhat appraising, but it held more approval than anything else.

Jiang Wenda, first on the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

Standing in the crowd, he naturally exuded an imposing aura without being angry—a confidence and composure built from a long time at the top of the ranking.

Chen Yue cupped his fist. "Senior Brother Jiang, you’re being too modest."

Jiang Wenda just shook his head at his words and said no more.

He knew his own limits. He could challenge He Linxi, the top of the Sword Heart Ranking, but he couldn’t make He Linxi too afraid to even accept the challenge.

Nor could he fight one against three, simultaneously facing three of the top prodigies on the Sword Heart Ranking.

But Chen Yue had not only done it all, he had done so in what was essentially a gauntlet, fighting three consecutive matches and winning each one in a crushing fashion.

One only had to think about it for a moment to understand just how terrifying Chen Yue’s strength was.

It was precisely because these top disciples of the Cyan Cloud Ranking clearly understood the terrifying strength required to defeat the entire Sword Heart Ranking that they were so courteous when Chen Yue arrived.

There was no so-called hostility, no so-called exclusion, mainly because the gap in strength between them was just too great.

More importantly, Chen Yue hadn’t infringed upon their interests.

Chen Yue hadn’t specifically challenged anyone, nor had he tried to compete for a spot on the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

His presence, while dazzling, was not glaring.

A moment later, a figure descended from the sky, landing on the plaza before the Celestial Pillar Hall. The newcomer was none other than Feng Hansheng.

Today, he wore a dark gray Elder’s Brocade Robe. His gaze was serene as it swept over the twelve disciples chatting and laughing, a faint smile on his face.

Feng Hansheng didn’t bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"I won’t waste time with unnecessary words. In the Celestial State Prefecture Grand Competition, everyone will strike heavily. A single moment of carelessness could lead to severe injury. Since you’ve decided to participate, you must be mentally prepared for this."

Hearing this, the twelve disciples present all sobered up, their smiles vanishing as they nodded seriously.

They were all well aware of this fact.

The Celestial State Prefecture Grand Competition gathered the most elite Refining Organ Realm disciples from all the Major Sects around the Celestial State Prefecture. The winners would receive abundant Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as rewards, so naturally, everyone would go all out.

This wasn’t a sparring match between fellow sect members. No one would hold back.

Feng Hansheng paused, then continued, "If you find you’re outmatched, concede as early as possible. There’s no shame in it. It’s better than being bedridden with serious injuries, or worse, suffering permanent, hidden wounds.

Alright, that’s all I’ll say. In a little while, each of you should go to the Affairs Hall to collect your Elixirs. The Sect has prepared a good amount of Healing Medicine and Calm Spirit Pills for you this time."

After he finished speaking, his gaze slowly swept over every disciple present, lingering for an extra moment on Chen Yue. His look held a hint of expectation, as well as a silent reminder.

Then, with a flicker, Feng Hansheng’s figure shot into the sky, disappearing over the horizon in an instant.

"We respectfully send off Elder Feng!" the disciples chorused, cupping their fists in a uniform salute.

After watching Feng Hansheng leave, the group headed to the Affairs Hall together.