Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 395: Breaking Through to the Advanced Stage of the Aperture Tempering Realm

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Yu Shijin, gifted and from a prestigious background, was also a true combat enthusiast.

Since the Yu family arrived in Immortal Cloud City, apart from the first month of initial exploration, they had become increasingly unrestrained in their actions. It was during this time that Yu Shijin began challenging martial artists in the early stages of their cultivation from various sects.

Yu Shijin was quite the interesting character. Although he enjoyed challenging others, he didn’t force anyone. Instead, he directly placed bets. If you could defeat him, you would receive a substantial reward.

Furthermore, Yu Shijin didn’t require you to wager the same amount; his reward was purely one-sided. If you won against him, you could take it. As for losing, you didn’t have to give anything.

Yu Shijin’s own identity was somewhat unique. Winning against him came with rewards, which was why many people have agreed to his challenges.

Unfortunately, Yu Shijin had taken on over a dozen challengers in a row, and not a single one could defeat him. The best result was a draw with a member of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.

Born into the Yu family, Yu Shijin’s cultivation techniques were undoubtedly top-notch, and he had mastered them exceptionally well.

Therefore, even though Yu Shijin had only recently broken through to the early stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, his combat prowess was on par with, if not stronger than, those who have been in the early stages for many years.

The name Chen Fei had crossed Yu Shijin’s ears a few times, and their breakthrough times were similar. Yu Shijin has always intended to challenge him.

However, Chen Fei’s daily routine either involved quietly practicing in seclusion or being absent from the sect, causing Yu Shijin to miss him several times, eventually leading to him gradually forgetting about it.

Yu Shijin didn’t expect to encounter Chen Fei in his own shop today, so naturally, he extended an invitation for a challenge.

“Given my modest strength, I won’t embarrass myself,” Chen Fei said as he slowly ascended to the second floor, looking at Yu Shijin and gesturing politely.

Chen Fei was on the verge of breaking through to the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, and he couldn’t muster any interest in challenging Yu Shijin, who was in the early stages of cultivation. Even if he were to defeat Yu Shijin, the substantial reward wouldn’t hold much appeal.

If this had been a year ago when Chen Fei’s own cultivation was in the early stages, and he was lacking resources, he might have considered the challenge.

A public duel, even if he managed to defeat Yu Shijin, wouldn’t cause any trouble with the Yu family.

However, Chen Fei now had no shortage of resources for his cultivation, and he felt that such a contest would be a waste of time. Moreover, if they truly fought, even though he wouldn’t go all out and could temporarily suppress his aura, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t reveal a hint of weakness.

If someone were to discover that Chen Fei’s cultivation had already reached the mid-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, and he was at the peak of the mid-stage at that, how would he handle the situation?

He couldn’t simply eliminate everyone who witnessed it.

“I’ve heard about your skills, and they are quite impressive. Don’t underestimate yourself,” Yu Shijin remarked when he saw Chen Fei gracefully concede. He didn’t continue to press for a battle. Facing someone who wouldn’t even dare to accept a challenge, Yu Shijin’s fighting spirit waned.

Yu Shijin had heard of Chen Fei’s exceptional talent before. When he was in the Visceral Tempering realm, Chen Fei had climbed his way to the second position in the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s true lineage.

Yu Shijin, as a member of the Yu family, naturally understood the kind of combat prowess that factions like his own possessed.

Coming from a small sect, Chen Fei’s achievements were quite remarkable.

However, upon seeing him today, Yu Shijin couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Chen Fei seemed less impressive than those who dared to take on the challenge. Despite his remarkable talent, it seemed that Chen Fei might not go very far in the future.

Chen Fei noticed Yu Shijin’s expression and couldn’t help but chuckle silently. However, he didn’t offer any explanation and simply made a slight bow.

Yu Shijin’s enthusiasm waned, and he waved casually in Chen Fei’s direction before turning and descending the stairs, leaving Endless Sea Pavilion’s door.

The shopkeeper stood by, remaining silent throughout the encounter. When Chen Fei turned his gaze toward him, the shopkeeper continued to warmly guide him towards the medicine cabinet.

However, the shopkeeper’s enthusiasm seemed to be lacking something compared to before, or perhaps it hadn’t changed at all.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Fei had purchased a significant amount of spirit pills and left Endless Sea Pavilion. Afterward, he visited several more medicine shops, finally gathering all the required elixirs.

Chen Fei didn’t linger long in Immortal Cloud City. After leaving the city gates, he activated his evasion technique, heading straight for the location of the Primordial Sword Sect.

Unexpectedly, in the wilderness, he encountered Yu Shijin again, but this time Yu Shijin had other members of the Yu family with him.

Seeing Chen Fei, Yu Shijin’s expression flickered. He had been looking for Chen Fei repeatedly without success, and yet today, within one hour, he had encountered him twice.

Yu Shijin nodded in acknowledgment of Chen Fei, and Chen Fei returned the gesture before continuing on his way towards the sect.

“Isn’t that Chen Fei from the Primordial Sword Sect? Jin, I heard you were looking for him recently,” someone nearby observed, watching Chen Fei’s disappearing figure with some confusion.

“I was looking for him. I wanted to have a match with him, but when we met just now at Endless Sea Pavilion, he conceded right away,” Yu Shijin replied, shaking his head.

“He’s that timid?”

“He probably realized that after you defeated so many people recently, he couldn’t measure up.”

“After all, he’s just from a small sect. Despite his talent, there’s a limit to what he can achieve.”

“True, I heard that even if they reach the peak of their cultivation, the Primordial Sword Sect’s techniques only open around eighty-something apertures. They have no hope of reaching the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm in their lifetime.”

“That’s rough. Only around eighty-something apertures at the peak?”

“All those small sects are like that. Their limits are set in stone.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Several members of the Yu family discussed the matter, shaking their heads. Compared to the Primordial Sword Sect, the conditions the Yu family could offer were much better.

However, this was something that those from small sects couldn’t envy.

“Alright, enough talking. Let’s head back,” Yu Shijin said, waving his hand. He suddenly felt that challenging other small sects’ early-stage cultivators had become somewhat uninteresting. The only worthy opponents were from sects like the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, which had experts in the combined Aperture Tempering realm.

For the other small sects, as mentioned earlier, their lifelong limits were predetermined and difficult to change.

Chen Fei’s figure flickered, and after confirming there were no other people around, he pushed his speed to the limit, returning to his sect within moments.

Chi Shuqing was still lying motionless on the bed, not wanting to move.

Chen Fei looked at her with a playful smile, pinched her cheek lightly, and said, “Still daring, are we?”

Chi Shuqing cast a flirtatious glance at Chen Fei and simply turned over, exposing her back to him. Chen Fei’s heart twitched but he resisted the temptation.

He entered the secluded room in the sect’s courtyard and summoned his doppelganger, instructing it to stand guard nearby.

Normally, there shouldn’t be any danger within the sect at this moment. However, this cultivation breakthrough was related to his realm, so as a precaution, he decided to take extra security measures. It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

Chen Fei waved his right hand, and bottles of pills began to appear on the ground, all the recent purchases he had made along with today’s haul.

Besides the pills, there were also numerous elemental stones placed around. In case the pills weren’t enough, he could use these elemental stones for direct absorption.

With a singular focus, Chen Fei opened a pill bottle, took out a pill, and placed it in his mouth.

The pill dissolved upon entering his mouth, and the vital energy started to ripple within his body. The third layer of the Primordial Sword Scripture began to operate, harmonizing the three martial techniques – Giant Spirit Sword, Zhongyuan Sword, and Soaring Heaven Technique. Under the influence of the Primordial Sword Scripture, they coexisted harmoniously.

A pill would normally take half an hour to fully refine, but in less than fifteen minutes, Chen Fei had already opened his eyes. The vital energy within the pill had been completely transformed into elemental power.

Without pause, Chen Fei continued to consume the second pill.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. As Chen Fei’s body trembled slightly, another aperture was forcefully opened, bringing the total number of apertures to seventy-two.

The moment this new aperture opened, the other seventy-one began to tremble. The sensation of them working together became clearer, as if these apertures didn’t need Chen Fei’s guidance and were eager to connect on their own.

“Activate!”

Chen Fei’s eyes snapped open, and the method recorded in the Primordial Sword Scripture for breaking through the stage flowed within him. The seventy-two apertures trembled slightly.

When breaking through from the early to the mid-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, one needed to connect from the first aperture to the others. However, when breaking through from the mid to the late-stage, it was much simpler, as the first thirty-six apertures had already become a single entity.

Elemental power flowed through thirty-six apertures, then burst out with tremendous force, surging toward the thirty-seventh aperture. It broke through effortlessly, and the elemental power within the thirty-seventh aperture continued without pause, rushing toward the thirty-eighth.

Aperture after aperture, in the blink of an eye, sixty apertures were linked together. At this point, the speed of aperture connections would typically slow down, testing the individual’s foundation.

But for Chen Fei, such a challenge was nonexistent. With his solid foundation, breaking through to the late-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm from his initial breakthrough at the early-stage was effortless. If there were still difficulties at this stage, then others would likely never break through.

Sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three!

In a flash, the number of connected apertures reached sixty-eight. At this point, there was indeed some resistance, but it was minuscule.

Chen Fei remained calm, but the mental power in his sea of consciousness suddenly shook. The mighty mental power of the late-stage of the Aperture Tempering realm surged into the apertures.

Like an erupting well, this surge of power accelerated the connection speed that had been slowing down slightly. In the face of this power, all resistance crumbled.

“Hum!”

The connection of all seventy-two apertures was completed in an instant. A brand new whole appeared within Chen Fei’s body. Compared to the previous thirty-six small circulation apertures, the power of these seventy-two apertures was vastly stronger.

Advanced stage of the Aperture Tempering realm, achieved!

But for Chen Fei, this was far from the end.

Several pill bottles in front of Chen Fei shattered, and the pills were sucked into his mouth. Simultaneously, vital energy from miles around began to agitate. In the next moment, it surged into Chen Fei’s body..