Chapter 558 - 189: Great Surge of Inner Qi

「Lingxi Peak, inside the Training Room.」

Yang Jing held his breath in concentration, once again performing the Martial Arts Steps as he continued to practice the River-Crossing Art.

His figure darted back and forth across the bluestone-paved floor. He changed direction with a light twist of his waist, his movements exceptionally agile. The force of his passage stirred a wind that made the candlelight on the Training Room walls flicker violently.

Inner Qi surged through his meridians, flowing along the paths of the Body Technique. Each dodge and shift grew increasingly fluid, free of any sluggishness.

In a flash, Yang Jing felt a faint sound from within his body. A moment later, his entire being felt weightless, and his speed suddenly exploded.

His speed was now leagues faster than before, and he even left faint afterimages in his wake.

Joy surged in Yang Jing’s heart.

’I’ve finally broken through with the River-Crossing Art and reached the Qi Eating Realm!’

At the same time, he could clearly feel a brand new strand of Inner Qi appear in his Dantian, in addition to the dense Inner Qi from the Indestructible True Skill and the tyrannical Inner Qi from the Mountain-Breaking Seal.

This new Inner Qi was utterly unique. It felt light and nimble, and its circulation was like a gentle spring breeze, completely distinct from the other two.

Yang Jing didn’t stop. Instead, he struck while the iron was hot, continuing to practice the movements of the River-Crossing Art over and over.

After the breakthrough, his Body Technique was even more profound. His speed was significantly faster, his movements as nimble as a willow seed on the wind, yet without sacrificing stability. It was on a completely different level from before.

After another hour, Yang Jing finally came to a stop. He closed his eyes and focused, sensing the changes the breakthrough had brought to his body.

The three strands of Inner Qi in his Dantian were like three separate streams, each surging on its own yet faintly resonating with the others, making his total reserves of Inner Qi all the more vast and dense.

With a thought, Yang Jing prompted the three strands of Inner Qi in his Dantian to begin fusing.

First, the Inner Qi from the Indestructible True Skill and the Mountain-Breaking Seal merged, transforming into a force of peerless might. Then, the light, nimble Inner Qi slowly merged into it as well.

The three strands of Inner Qi intertwined, finally condensing into a single, exceptionally thick, dense, and pure stream of Inner Qi that ebbed and flowed slowly within his Dantian.

Yang Jing could clearly feel that this fused Inner Qi was significantly stronger than the previous fusion of two, its power having skyrocketed.

He immediately used the Heart Method of the Mountain-Breaking Seal to channel this Inner Qi. The immense energy surged toward his fists like a tidal wave, covering their surface with a faint glow.

Yang Jing sank into a low stance and began to practice inside the Training Room.

He threw a punch. His fist cut through the air, creating a powerful gust and a WHOOSHING sound, as if it could tear the very atmosphere apart.

With a Mountain-Breaking Fist, the blow was as heavy and solid as a mountain. Though it struck only empty air, it seemed to carry an immense force, causing the bluestone floor slabs to tremble faintly.

His punches were as fast as lightning, leaving overlapping afterimages as they swept out with unparalleled might.

Each punch landed with surging, immense power. The Training Room echoed with the whistling of his fists, shaking the candlelight until it flickered erratically. Even the talismans on the walls began to emit a faint glow.

After completing a full set of the Mountain-Breaking Seal, Yang Jing slowly lowered his fists. He savored the astonishing power that had coursed through them, his heart filled with excitement and exhilaration.

He was now drenched in sweat from head to toe, his clothes soaked through and clinging to his skin. Yet he didn’t feel the slightest bit of fatigue. Instead, his body felt charged with inexhaustible energy, and the Inner Qi surging through his meridians was utterly exhilarating.

Yang Jing walked over to a nearby cushion and sat down. With a flicker of his will, a panel materialized before his eyes—

[Mountain-Breaking Seal: Lesser Mastery (789/2000)]

[Indestructible True Skill, Second Layer: Lesser Mastery (135/2000)]

[River-Crossing Art: Lesser Mastery (2/2000)]

Yang Jing nodded slightly.

’Now that I’ve also brought the River-Crossing Art to the Qi Eating Realm, I need to focus all my energy back on my main technique, the Mountain-Breaking Seal.’

’Once the Mountain-Breaking Seal breaks through to the Qi Absorption Realm, my training efficiency for the other two arts will naturally increase a great deal.’

He took a moment to regulate his breathing. Once it had calmed, he rose and pushed open the door to the Training Room.

Outside the Training Room, the sky had gradually darkened.

Night had fallen. A few sparse stars dotted the inky blue sky, and the mountain breeze of Lingxi Peak carried a slight chill.

Yang Jing walked slowly along the mountain path as it sank into darkness, heading toward the Inner Sect Disciple living quarters nearby.

The grass and trees on either side of the path swayed gently in the evening breeze. The chirping of insects rose and fell, and the crisp mountain air, unique to Lingxi Peak, washed away the lingering heat from his training.

Along the way, he occasionally encountered other disciples from Lingxi Peak.

Upon seeing Yang Jing, they all stopped, bowed respectfully, and greeted him, "Senior Brother Yang."

Right now, Yang Jing was arguably the most prominent disciple on Lingxi Peak.

His fourth-place finish in the Fushan Grand Tournament was a feat sufficient to make the entire sect take notice.

In terms of raw strength, among all the disciples of Lingxi Peak, Yang Jing was now second only to the Senior Sister, Si Jiawen. The only exceptions were two or three senior disciples who were constantly away on training expeditions and had long ago broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm.

To the ordinary disciples still struggling within the Inner Strength Realm, Yang Jing was already a lofty, almost unreachable figure.

Yang Jing nodded to each of them in turn. His expression was placid, without a hint of arrogance. Soon, he arrived before Qing No. 4 Courtyard.

He paused, noticing that while the bronze lock on the courtyard gate was hanging in place, it wasn’t fastened. The two wooden doors were ajar, leaving a narrow gap.

Clearly, someone had already unlocked it.

A thought struck Yang Jing, and an unconscious smile touched his lips. He knew Senior Sister Ning Xiang had arrived.