Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Clang!”

Chen Fei drew the Qianyuan Sword from its sheath, and the sword emitted a resounding clang as if celebrating its rebirth. A faint gleam extended from the hilt of the Qianyuan Sword all the way to its tip.

With his right hand holding the sword and his left hand lightly caressing the blade, Chen Fei sensed the subtle spiritual essence of the Qianyuan Sword.

Compared to its overflowing nascent spirituality before taking shape, the current Qianyuan Sword had undoubtedly become much purer. The previous spirituality it possessed was inherent to the forging materials, chaotic and unorganized.

Now, the spirituality of the Qianyuan Sword remained consistent. Although it had become weaker, the feeling it gave off was surprisingly much stronger.

Sturdy! This was the most important characteristic of the Qianyuan Sword. As battles grew more intense, the lack of sturdiness could easily lead to damage.

Chen Fei did not want to find himself in a situation where he had to pull out multiple swords from his spatial grid during a battle again. Sometimes, battles changed in the blink of an eye, and the moment a sword broke could be the decisive moment.

In addition to sturdiness, when using the Sword Essence Technique, Chen Fei had imbued the Qianyuan Sword with a second characteristic: weightiness. And this weightiness could be increased as Chen Fei’s internal energy was infused, making the entire sword even heavier.

Without the sharpness attribute, Chen Fei’s current martial arts system, as well as the true transmission of the Primordial Sword Sect, all followed the path of overpowering opponents with strength.

Whether it was the immense strength granted by the Origin Connection Technique, the Giant Spirit Sword within the true transmission, or the Zhongyuan Sword, all of them focused on strength.

However, the current Qianyuan Sword, being only a half-spirit sword, had its limitations with this weightiness attribute. It couldn’t endlessly increase its weight.

“Hum!”

As the Zhongyuan Sword Technique circulated, a force field descended upon the courtyard. Dust that was originally carried by the wind suddenly got pressed onto the ground. Flowers and plants on the ground also shattered and cracked under this gravitational force.

Chen Fei controlled the force field to contract, and the blade of the Qianyuan Sword gradually turned black. With thick force continuously injected by Chen Fei, the Qianyuan Sword became increasingly heavy.

Sensing the power contained within the Qianyuan Sword, a smile unconsciously appeared on Chen Fei’s face. The mere presence of the Qianyuan Sword meant that the power of this sword technique could be increased by at least twenty percent.

A twenty percent increase in a martial artist’s strength was already quite significant. It was precisely due to this that many people were willing to go through the arduous process of forging half-spirit tools.

And once it reached the level of spiritual tools, their might would continue to rise.

Chen Fei’s direction in nurturing the Qianyuan Sword remained as it was sturdy and weighty, both attributes held in balance. Unless more powerful spiritual materials appeared in the future, like the rare Gengjin material, there would certainly be a need to add a sharpness attribute.

Unfortunately, materials like Gengjin are quickly seized upon appearance, ultimately falling into the hands of the powerful. The possibility of Chen Fei obtaining such a spiritual material is exceedingly slim.

Dissipating the power within the Qianyuan Sword, the color of the sword’s blade gradually returned, and the overwhelming aura around it dissipated.

Capable of gathering and dispersing, this was the level at which the Zhongyuan Sword was currently being showcased by Chen Fei. The subtle manipulation of techniques was a sign that the mastery of the Zhongyuan Sword was nearing completion.

On this day, Chen Fei experimented a bit with the power of the Qianyuan Sword, and for the remaining time, he continued to diligently cultivate. However, on the third day, Chen Fei visited the Sutra Library, intending to exchange for the Heart Locking Technique.

During the last exchange for the Sword Essence Technique, Chen Fei had actually considered whether to exchange for the Heart Locking Technique as well.

However, in the end, Chen Fei dismissed this idea. The Heart Locking Technique was a bit expensive, and at the time, Chen Fei felt that the Thousand Origin Technique was sufficient. It seemed better to save the contribution points and exchange for the Clear Frost Pill to boost his cultivation first.

He could wait a little longer for the Heart Locking Technique.

Now ranked tenth in the true transmission list, the monthly allocation of Clear Frost Pills had increased considerably, filling many gaps required for advancement to the later stages of the Visceral Tempering realm.

Furthermore, the recent feedback from his training in the Strange Heart Realm and the refinement of his mental power had given Chen Fei a very clear sense. In the end, he decided to exchange for the Heart Locking Technique as well.

The effects of the Heart Locking Technique would certainly not be as immediate as those in the Strange Heart Realm; it couldn’t produce instant results. However, a gradual and steady improvement was also a good thing.

“Free?”

In the Sutra Library, just as Chen Fei was about to present his waist badge to deduct contribution points, the words of the disciple steward left him momentarily stunned.

“The top ten in the true transmission disciples can exchange for a technique with less than 10,000 contribution points annually. Alternatively, you can continue to accumulate for two years and exchange for a technique with less than 20,000 contribution points.”

The disciple steward smiled, explaining the privileges of the top ten true transmission disciples. Considering that cultivating techniques required time, the sect had extended the period to one year.

For most martial artists, mastering a technique to a profound level within a year was already considered a very fast pace.

The sect was willing to provide more techniques, but they were wary of overwhelming practitioners with excessive options. It was better to fix the exchange period at one year to prevent unnecessary choices.

Chen Fei hadn’t anticipated this level of treatment, but now that he knew, it was a timely revelation. He didn’t particularly need other techniques at the moment, so exchanging for the Heart Locking Technique was quite fitting.

Returning to the True Transmission Peak, Chen Fei fused the Heart Locking Technique with the Thousand Origin Technique, creating the Thousand Origin Heart Locking Technique. The name grew longer, and the effects became even more enriched.

From the Tranquil Heart Technique obtained in Pingyin County to the current Thousand Origin Heart Locking Technique, this technique incorporated various methodologies, greatly enhancing its functions and capabilities.

If other people could practice this technique, even without the benefit of spirit materials that enhanced their mental power, they could gradually refine and strengthen their mental power step by step.

However, the cultivation of mental techniques had always been a challenge for martial artists, and that’s precisely why those spirit materials that aided mental power were so precious.

And this Thousand Origin Heart Locking Technique was even more challenging. Chen Fei had relied on the interface panel, multiple fusions, and repeated practice to reach this level.

Even an ordinary practitioner in the Visceral Tempering realm, if they were to acquire this technique, might need an extensive amount of time just to grasp the basics, not to mention further cultivation.

There were still over twenty days until the grand ceremony of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect. Recently, more true disciples began visiting Chen Fei, and he gradually learned the details of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s event.

“The Immortal Cloud Sword Sect is truly powerful, not only in terms of having more top-tier experts, but even their disciples far surpass those of our four sects.”

Yan Shijin sat opposite Chen Fei, lifted his tea cup, and took a sip before speaking.

“How many times have you been there, Senior Brother Yan?” Chen Fei asked with a smile.

Yan Shijin, ranked third among the true disciples, had come to visit Chen Fei shortly after he moved to this courtyard. Over time, they had become quite familiar through their interactions.

Yan Shijin was a refined individual who loved reading miscellaneous books. As a result, he could engage in conversations with Chen Fei quite fluently. However, Yan Shijin only maintained this attitude toward people of similar strength.

Despite being talkative, Yan Shijin actually didn’t have many friends, and his circle of acquaintances was rather narrow.

“This kind of ceremony at the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect occurs only once every few years, so I’ve been there once. 1 was greatly motivated after that visit and pushed myself to cultivate tirelessly when 1 returned.”

Yan Shijin shook his head with a bitter smile and continued, “Unfortunately, my limited talent still hindered me. Even with dedicated practice, my progress in technique cultivation remains unsatisfactory. Unlike you, Chen Junior Brother, who managed to comprehend the Zhongyuan Sword to this level in just a few months.”

Yan Shijin envied Chen Fei, and he didn’t hide it.

In fact, not just Yan Shijin, anyone who had witnessed Chen Fei’s bout with Zeng Zaiwen had been dazzled by Chen Fei’s final strike. Especially those who practiced the Zhongyuan Sword could understand what level of mastery was required to execute a strike like Chen Fei’s.

Just a few months… Many people couldn’t fathom how Chen Fei managed to achieve it.

Yan Shijin couldn’t quite grasp it either. Could the disparity between individuals really be this vast?

Ranked third among the true disciples, Yan Shijin didn’t feel weaker than the first-ranked true disciple.

Yet, when he looked at Chen Fei, he saw an immense gap.

Over a month ago, Chen Fei was already capable of executing that kind of strike, and now that so much time has passed, has he progressed even further with the Zhongyuan Sword?

For other true disciples, a few months at most would lead to a slight refinement of their techniques. Even many true disciples remain stagnant, as comprehending true transmission techniques is truly difficult.

“Senior Brother Yan, you’re giving me too much credit.” Chen Fei waved his hand, deflecting the praise.

Yan Shijin smiled faintly and didn’t dwell on the topic. He continued discussing matters related to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.

“We’ll be attending the ceremony to witness contests among the true disciples of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect. During the event, they’ll determine the top ten true disciples on the spot.”

“After watching the event, do we just come back?” Chen Fei inquired.

“No, the ceremony is only halfway through by then.”

Yan Shijin shook his head and continued with a serious tone, “The Immortal

Cloud Sword Sect has invited us to the ceremony not only to showcase their disciples’ strength but also for us to experience it firsthand.”

Chen Fei’s eyebrows twitched. Experience it firsthand? Did that mean he would have to face off against disciples of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect in a fight again?

“Yes, the disciples of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect will challenge us!

Seeing Chen Fei’s expression, Yan Shijin understood that Chen Fei had already figured it out and directly confirmed his thoughts.

“Can these challenges be declined?” Chen Fei furrowed his brows slightly.

“Of course, the challenges are not mandatory. However, the way the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s true disciples speak and their attitude during the event won’t be very pleasant.”

Yan Shijin recalled the scene from previous years and said in a low voice, “Peers among martial artists, all representing their respective sects’ true transmissions – how can they endure this kind of provocation? And if you defeat a true disciple of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, they will reward you.

“What kind of reward?”

The Receival Bead.” Yan Shijin chuckled.

The Receival Bead?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Chen Fei’s mouth. This reward wasn’t bad, as it was a half-spirit tool that could aid in absorbing elemental energy. For many martial artists, it was a rare treasure.

But for Chen Fei, he already had two Receival Beads. Receiving this reward again could help him accelerate his practice of the Suppressing Dragon Elephant. However, relatively speaking, it wasn’t as enticing.

“Know your shortcomings and then strive for excellence. Don’t stay complacent in your comfort zone. That’s not true strength. Just don’t let it damage your confidence,” Yan Shijin shook his head.

“Is it the tenth-ranked true disciple of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect who’s challenging us?” Chen Fei inquired further.

“Yes, it starts from their tenth-ranked true disciple. Their strength is formidable. During the time 1 went there, their eighth-ranked true disciple defeated the top-ranked disciples of two sects before finally being defeated by the top-ranked disciple of the Long Rainbow Sect..”