Chapter 100 - 99: The Marvel of the Qi Sea
Yang Shen had just broken through, and his Qi Sea was not yet full. It was continuously absorbing Spiritual Qi at a fast rate.
But he could still sense its approximate size and recovery speed.
He formed another Finger Technique and pointed forward.
A Ganlin Curse, with a far greater range and smoother execution than before, quickly condensed into a cloud of mist the size of a tabletop. The raindrops it contained, rich with Spiritual Power, were quite dense.
This was a complete waste, but Yang Shen needed to test his Qi Sea’s capacity and recovery rate.
The range, intensity, and casting distance of the Ganlin Curse had all clearly improved, and the flow of the Magic was much smoother.
’Other Magic spells have probably improved too... like the Exorcism Spell, which has been surprisingly effective in a few battles.’
Previously, due to his greater physical strength, he could cast Magic faster than an average second-level Qi Cultivation cultivator. This was an inference based on the limited general knowledge section in the Qi Cultivation Guiding Technique.
’And now, this feeling is even more pronounced... In fact... my Qi Sea feels much larger than what the general knowledge describes for someone who has just entered the third level of Qi Cultivation!’
A rough calculation showed it was equivalent to the total amount from consuming 50 points of Qi and Blood Value...
Before he had a Qi Sea, consuming 50 points of Qi and Blood Value would have sent Yang Shen straight to the hospital; he might not have had enough even if he burned all his Essence Blood!
But now, he possessed such a massive, self-recharging pool of energy!
Looking at the Spiritual Power swirling around his fingertip, Yang Shen thought to himself, ’As I thought, Martial Arts and Cultivation don’t operate independently. They complement each other...’
’A strong physical body provides a stronger "foundation," which naturally enhances survival and combat abilities as well...’
He was much stronger than others in the initial stage of the Marrow Refining Realm. By the same logic, he should also be much stronger than others at the third level of Qi Cultivation.
’Sigh... It’s a shame Cyan Blue doesn’t have a Cultivation Realm. Otherwise, I’d be really curious to see how much stronger I am than an average third-level Qi Cultivation practitioner... How many could I kill?’
’Huh? Have I been talking about killing a lot lately?’
’Of course, that’s assuming the opponent is only at the third level of Qi Cultivation and doesn’t suddenly pull out some Magical Artifacts, talismans, rewards from their master, or Sect-bestowed treasures, before saying something like, "I’m not accustomed to being refused."’
’After all, on the Cultivation Side, just like on the Martial Arts Side... financial power is basically equivalent to actual strength...’
’Still, this is pretty good.’
’To be the number one Cultivator on Cyan Blue.’
’To lead the sole cultivation lineage family on Cyan Blue.’
’This path is difficult, but it also offers more freedom.’
---
After reaching the third level of Qi Cultivation and gaining a Qi Sea, Yang Shen’s daily Cultivation routine underwent a fundamental change.
The total capacity of his Qi Sea was roughly equivalent to 50 points of Qi and Blood Value, and it would naturally recover to full in about a day.
Even accounting for emergencies, like the needs of combat, he could keep at least half in reserve and still have 25 points to spend freely.
’I can’t spend it all... I just can’t spend it all...’
His concern now was the opposite: he had nowhere to use it, and not spending it was a waste!
Currently, besides scheduling "Magic practice," the only other outlets were Spirit Plants and Spirit Insects.
This was especially true for the Sun Worms. The special insect feed obtained from the "Wild Backpack" had been determined to be harmless after long-term testing.
The single Sun Worm that had been tested on had an increasingly tough carapace. It felt as hard as iron in his hand, and even Yang Shen, at his Marrow Refining stage, couldn’t harm it with his bare hands without using tools.
Its mouthparts had become sharper, and its flight speed had increased in tandem. Combined with its bright yellow carapace, it seemed to leave a yellow trail when it flew, moving at extreme speed.
Initially, Yang Shen was worried that feeding them the special bait would alter the Sun Worms’ temperament, since it came from an enemy, but there seemed to be no such risk so far.
These guys were still very lazy.
’It makes sense, really. It probably follows the laws of nature: an insect with such high defensive power that also has a size advantage in its ecological niche—of course it’s going to be lazy!’
All they thought about was eating.
Next, Yang Shen planned to feed the special bait to all six worms and increase their daily exposure to Spiritual Qi Infection in hopes of inducing a more thorough transformation.
Finally, he would try to breed them.
Insect reproduction is heavily influenced by the seasons, but the Bee Control Technique could make them "go into heat" with a single command.
Before, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control too many of them, since commanding them consumed Qi and Blood Value every time. But now, things were different!
A Cultivator who had mastered a Spirit Plant Inheritance could actually do a lot by controlling a swarm of bees. They were excellent helpers for Cultivators tending to their Spirit Fields, the workhorses of the Insect Realm. They were so useful, in fact, that a specific Magic spell was invented just for them.
It was just that Yang Shen himself had been too weak before, with too few Spirit Plants.
For the sake of long-term development, the Sun Worms needed to be bred proactively to prepare for the future layout of his family’s foundation.
Similarly, with a Qi Sea, the area of the Spirit Field Yang Shen could "manage" had also greatly increased. His windowsill was already full, but there was still space on the Celestial Platform.
He planned to visit the medicinal herb market this weekend to select some varieties different from Jade Marrow Grass and Jade Pendants to cultivate anew.
Always selling just these two items, especially at such high ages, was risky. Eventually, he wouldn’t be able to get a good price for them either.
The Spirit Plant side of things would depend on the scale, but as for the Sun Worms...
Before, he spent less than 0.5 points of Qi and Blood Value on the Sun Worms each day. In the future, he could increase that to around 10 points.
’Huge quantities! I’ll pump them full until they’re like cream puffs!’
---
Throughout the entire school day, Yang Shen was busy planning around the new implications of his breakthrough.
There was a lot to do, and he had to tackle it one step at a time.
Of course, he didn’t forget to keep an eye on the side quest in his system to check the distance to the "Exotic Treasure."
The Exotic Treasure was still on the move.
Yang Shen felt that either the thing itself was hyperactive, or its owner lacked a stable means of storing it and was in a complete panic...
During PE class that afternoon, Huo Jun once again took Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo to the basement. This time, he didn’t have the ten-person group brawl with each other, but simply taught them some combat techniques.
Xu Bamboo had also brought her sword.
After the session ended, however, Yang Shen, intending to show some goodwill, gave the ten-person group a few pointers. Compared to yesterday, they were actually willing to listen now.
He had beaten them into submission, after all.
In the basement, Yang Shen was instructing Tian Zihan, "You need to Exert Force from your hips forward, not your waist. Here, try again."
Tian Zihan tried for a moment, but only felt a void at the end of the motion.
The ten-person group had their own dedicated PE teacher, but he didn’t interfere with Yang Shen stepping in, seeming to tacitly grant him similar authority in the basement.
After all, Yang Shen’s mastery of the Sixth Set of Initial Realm Body Refining Fist truly surpassed the teacher’s.
If it were them, they might not necessarily be able to achieve a level 8 rating.
Nor had they ever been on the news... or become the "young hero" on everyone’s lips.
Tian Zihan adjusted for a while before he gradually found a tiny point of force exertion amidst the void. He said with feeling, "Yang, I have to say, even though you’re not in the top ten of our grade, you’re still exceptional in some areas."
Yang Shen just smiled, unconcerned. ’This guy is pretty simple-minded.’
’Just a simple grade-chaser.’
’He got his ass kicked and he’s still hung up on being in the top ten...’
At some point, Cao Wei had also come over. She looked at the ground and said, "Yang... could you give me some guidance too..."
Yang Shen’s original intention was to establish a de facto "master-disciple" relationship to create the conditions for a nominal one later. Although Cao Wei was a bit strange, he didn’t refuse.
So, he had Cao Wei perform a run-through of the Sixth Set.
During school PE classes, students mostly wore loose-fitting school uniforms, but the ten-person group trained separately and wore their own athletic clothes, which were more form-fitting.
Cao Wei, for example, was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Her straight legs were in a pair of white sneakers, and as is typical for those in the Marrow Refining Realm, her skin was in excellent condition. Her fair, long legs were almost dazzling.
Having just finished exercising, her body still radiated a bit of heat and a pleasant scent.
Girls at the Marrow Refining stage all smelled nice; that wasn’t a trait unique to Xu Bamboo.
After watching Cao Wei’s routine, Yang Shen thought for a moment and said, "A little stiff... What was your score on Subject Four before?"
Cao Wei said hesitantly, "81..."
Yang Shen was a bit puzzled. He thought, ’81 isn’t a low score. Her rating should be at least a 6 or 7, just slightly weaker than Zhuzi before the Training Camp.’
’How can she be so stiff when she performs?’
’Did she bribe the examiner?’
Though suspicious, he patiently pointed out a few areas for improvement. But as a result, Cao Wei got stiffer with each attempt... His guidance was actually making her worse!
’Wait... are you even listening? You’re regressing right in front of me? Aren’t you ruining my reputation?’
Cao Wei lowered her head and said in a small voice, "Yang... would you mind... getting hands-on...?"
Yang Shen asked, "Hands-on with what?"
Cao Wei bit her lip, her palms sweating and her face blushing scarlet.
"If you don’t mind... you can use your hands to guide me... I... I’m okay with anything."
Yang Shen: ...
’Can I just slap you? I feel like that would be more efficient...’
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