Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 188: Pulling Back a Shocking Strength

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Awake now, young man. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

“Should be alright now. Fortunately, the speed of the car wasn’t fast just now, otherwise it wouldn’t be this simple.”

“Who said it wasn’t? Thankfully, you don’t seem to be seriously injured.”

The noisy sounds of the surroundings entered Chen Fei’s ears. He looked at the clothes of the people around him, the mobile phone, and the distant tall buildings—a surreal feeling reached his heart.

A familiar scene, yet also a blurry one.

Everything around, for a long time initially, lingered in Chen Fei’s mind, but as time passed, it gradually dissipated from his heart.

Chen Fei stood up, gazing around, a touch of sorrow on his face.

“Young man, lie down first, the ambulance is coming,” someone anxiously said as Chen Fei stood up.

Chen Fei didn’t reply, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.

“What I’ve been yearning for all along, now that it’s here, many details have already been forgotten.”

Chen Fei murmured to himself. At this moment, in Chen Fei’s eyes, those distant tall buildings only retained some outlines, and as for the people around, their faces were even more blurred.

All of this is a dream, an illusion, a mirage!

Perhaps Chen Fei’s mental strength far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators. In response to this illusion tailored for ordinary cultivators, Chen Fei only felt confused for a moment before realizing what was happening.

And this confusion was mostly due to the sudden sight of things from his past life, causing a disturbance in Chen Fei’s mind.

“Break!”

With a low shout, the anxious people around and the distant tall buildings suddenly paused, then shattered, in the darkness, a strong suction came, pulling Chen Fei into it.

The next moment, Chen Fei opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the rear courtyard of the Hall of True Transmission. The palm of his right hand had already left the Refining Spirit Sphere.

But the calm Refining Spirit Sphere was emitting a faint light now, forming a halo around Chen Fei’s body, and then the Refining Spirit Sphere gradually calmed down.

“Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen, for passing the test of character!”

The disciple in charge looked at Chen Fei somewhat unexpectedly. It’s not common to pass the test so quickly. However, considering what has been happening to Chen Fei recently, a swift character test isn’t a big deal.

The Refining Spirit Sphere can see the deepest secrets in one’s heart. As long as the secret isn’t detrimental to the Primordial Sword Sect, everything else is inconsequential. Thus, Chen Fei smoothly passed the assessment.

And this test of the Refining Spirit Sphere will also be recorded and serve as proof that Chen Fei underwent the test.

“So, am I considered a true disciple now?”

Chen Fei gathered his mental focus, returning from the sensations of seeing scenes from his past life.

“Of course, allow me to report the results. Later, the Hall Master will come to handle the subsequent matters.” The disciple in charge nodded and his eyes held a hint of envy.

Any inner disciple couldn’t help but envy true disciples. Being a true disciple represented not only status but also the potential for achievements in the future.

Compared to ordinary inner disciples, the possibility of true disciples becoming powerful cultivators in the Aperture Tempering realm is undoubtedly much higher. Only those in the Aperture Tempering realm are the true backbone of the sect.

Chen Fei waited in the Hall of True Transmission for half an hour, finally seeing the Hall Master of the Hall of True Transmission, Zhou Cunshan.

“Are you Chen Fei? Come with me.”

Zhou Cunshan looked at Chen Fei, a smile appearing on his face. Recently, Chen Fei’s name had been ringing in his ears quite often, and Zhou Cunshan had been wondering when Chen Fei would come. He didn’t expect it to be today.

Chen Fei bowed in respect and followed behind Zhou Cunshan. The two passed through the rear courtyard, went deeper, and finally entered a tunnel, heading towards an underground location.

Along the way, Chen Fei could sense many fluctuations. These were formations and restrictions. It was likely that there would be a big surprise waiting for anyone who entered without permission.

After less than fifteen minutes, the two arrived in a massive cave. Chen Fei looked around curiously and his gaze was drawn to several stone steles.

“These are the cultivation techniques of the true disciples.”

Leading Chen Fei, Zhou Cunshan came to one of the stone steles. His eyes carried a slight hint of emotion as he said, “Our Primordial Sword Sect once had four peaks and three veins, which should have had seven sets of true inheritance. But unfortunately, only three complete sets have survived to this day.”

Chen Fei nodded slightly. When he first entered the Primordial Sword Sect, the disciple in charge had introduced this. If the techniques of the four peaks and three veins were combined, they would form the Primordial Sword Canon that once suppressed all directions.

However, clearly, the Primordial Sword Canon couldn’t be found anymore, as only three complete inheritances remained today.

“Let me introduce the three sets of inheritances. You can choose one to study.”

After his brief emotional moment, Zhou Cunshan pointed at the first stone stele and said, “Giant Spirit Sword, harness the power of the giant to shake the heavens. Cultivate eighty acupoints. You can come and experience it.”

Zhou Cunshan motioned for Chen Fei to step forward and place his hand on the stone stele. Chen Fei nodded and placed his palm on it.

The next moment, a scene appeared in Chen Fei’s mind. Unlike the way the Refining Spirit Sphere dragged someone directly into an illusion, this stone stele was more like watching a three-dimensional movie from a third-person perspective.

A solitary cliff by the sea, a figure stood atop the cliff.

Suddenly, a fierce wind blew from all directions, and the figure leaped into the air. A massive sword radiance burst forth from their hand, just as a gigantic beast leaped out of the sea, colliding with the sword radiance.

The tremendous momentum impacted Chen Fei’s spiritual senses. In a daze, Chen Fei saw numerous points of light emanating from the figure, linking together to form the massive sword radiance.

“Boom!”

Amidst a resounding blast, Chen Fei’s head lifted slightly, and he involuntarily took a step back. His hand left the stone stele, and the scene in his mind vanished.

“Your mental strength is quite good.”

Zhou Cunshan’s eyes brightened as he saw Chen Fei’s performance. The images retained in the stone stele were actually driven by Chen Fei’s mental strength.

The stronger the mental strength, the more details one could see and the longer one could sustain the images. Zhou Cunshan estimated that Chen Fei had probably watched the entire retained image sequence.

Among the true disciples Zhou Cunshan had recently brought, this was not common. Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to fully judge Chen Fei’s mental strength and its exact level.

In any case, he was no less than a peak Aperture Tempering realm cultivator.

“Elder Zhou, what does ‘cultivate eighty acupoints’ mean?”

Shaken from the impact just now, Chen Fei woke up and asked about the doubt he had in mind. The Giant Spirit Sword was undoubtedly powerful, and the points of light he had seen at the end should be the acupoints, totaling eighty.

“In the Aperture Tempering realm, cultivation focuses on acupoints. Whether it is one or ten aperture points, you’re considered to be in the Aperture Tempering realm. Naturally, the more acupoints one cultivates, the stronger they become. When this Giant Spirit Sword technique is cultivated to its peak, it can open eighty acupoints, reaching the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm.”

Zhou Cunshan explained with a smile. This was common knowledge in the Aperture Tempering realm. However, practitioners in the Body Tempering realm rarely encountered this or found it useful. It could even lead to unnecessary troubles.

Now that Chen Fei was a true disciple, his future goal was to reach the Aperture Tempering realm, so it was natural for him to become familiar with this.

“How is the Aperture Tempering realm divided into specific stages?” Chen Fei, seeing that Zhou Cunshan was willing to explain, quickly asked.

“It’s divided by thirty-six acupoints.”

“But for the peak of the Aperture Tempering realm, shouldn’t there be a total of one hundred and eight acupoints?” Chen Fei questioned.

“Yes, indeed. To be considered at the peak of the Aperture Tempering realm, one must have one hundred and eight acupoints.”

Zhou Cunshan let out a faint sigh, his expression tinged with melancholy as he continued, “By refining all seven parts of the Primordial Sword Canon one can cultivate all one hundred and eight acupoints. But unfortunately, we can’t do that anymore.”

Chen Fei suddenly understood, but he still had some doubts. “For techniques like the Giant Spirit Sword, which cultivates eighty acupoints and reaches the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, what should one do if they want to continue breaking through? Should they seek other techniques to cultivate?”

“No need.”

Zhou Cunshan shook his head, explaining, “For stages above the Aperture Tempering realm, as long as your cultivation reaches the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, you can start breaking through. The difference lies mainly in the probability of success.”

“Can these three techniques be cultivated simultaneously? Will the opened acupoints be more numerous as a result?”

“They will be a bit more numerous, but without the Primordial Sword Canon’s harmonizing effect, these three techniques will conflict with each other. So, trying to cultivate all three at the same time won’t enhance your combat power, and it could even harm your body and waste time.”

Zhou Cunshan said in a serious tone. Seeing that Chen Fei didn’t quite understand, he continued, “In the Aperture Tempering realm, techniques are not just about opening acupoints; it’s also about the order in which acupoints are connected. With the same eighty acupoints, you can form many techniques. But if the sequence of acupoints is incorrect, it won’t be beneficial; instead, it could rupture your acupoints.”

Zhou Cunshan looked at Chen Fei and said earnestly, “So without proper guidance from techniques, practicing haphazardly is dangerous. You could even experience demonic possession or explode from an incorrect sequence. Remember this!”

Chen Fei took a deep breath. The concept of acupoints now sounded more and more like a powder keg. Correct ignition sequence yields potent power, while an incorrect sequence leads to a direct explosion, becoming a human bomb.

However, up to this point, Chen Fei had gained some insight into cultivating in the Aperture Tempering realm. Without techniques, reckless practice was dangerous—it might lead to an explosion.

“You’ve already understood the Giant Spirit Sword. Now, take a look at the other two techniques.”

Zhou Cunshan led Chen Fei to another stone stele and said, “This is Soaring Heaven Technique. If you’ve been to the Sutra Library, you might have seen two manuals: Spatial Travel and Sky Travel. They derive from the Soaring Heaven Technique.”

Zhou Cunshan paused slightly and continued, “Open seventy-five acupoints. Although the acupoint count is fewer than the Giant Spirit Sword, these two techniques take different paths of advancement. Thus, if your energy is sufficient, you can cultivate Soaring Heaven Technique alongside Giant Spirit Sword.”

After Zhou Cunshan finished speaking, Chen Fei placed his palm on the stone stele.

Once again, the figure appeared in his mind. This time, however, the figure wasn’t wielding a sword but seemed to dissolve into invisibility. Faint traces of a figure flickered by, almost like an illusion.

In the end, the figure solidified, and to Chen Fei’s surprise, two figures appeared.

“The Soaring Heaven Technique not only possesses unrivaled speed but also, when cultivated to perfection, can condense a doppelganger. The doppelganger’s strength is roughly about thirty percent of your main body’s.”

Seeing Chen Fei open his eyes, Zhou Cunshan smiled.

Chen Fei’s eyes brightened. This technique’s mobility was impressive; it aligned with his preferences and, moreover, allowed for doppelganger cultivation.

“Don’t think about cultivating both simultaneously. Only when you truly break through to the Aperture Tempering realm might the sect permit you to do so. For now, you can only choose one.”

Seemingly aware of Chen Fei’s thoughts, Zhou Cunshan smiled.

Chen Fei grinned and looked at the last stone stele.

Compared to the previous two, this stone stele before him gave him a sense of weightiness..