Chapter 285 - 283: Emperor’s Gaze Steals Heavenly Secrets
What is the most formidable technique of a Martial Arts Grandmaster in the Primordial Pill Realm? Naturally, it is the Primordial Pill they have painstakingly condensed.
Gongsun Shao also cultivated the Sun-Piercing Heart Scripture, passed down by the Sun-piercing Alliance. Nearly ninety percent of the Martial Artists who practiced this technique condensed a Sun-Piercing Golden Core.
The attributes of this Primordial Pill were incredibly harsh, condensing the Power of the Sun within it. On a daily basis, it also required powerful Yang Qi to nourish it.
When unleashed against an enemy, it was like a sun-piercing rainbow, capable of erupting with exceptionally powerful force in an instant.
However, because the power contained within this Primordial Pill was too immense, most Primordial Pill Realm Grandmasters from the Sun-piercing Alliance would only draw upon about thirty percent of their Primordial Pill’s power in normal situations.
Otherwise, if this harsh power were to be fully unleashed, it could easily damage their own Dantian and Meridians.
Now, forced into a corner, Gongsun Shao unhesitatingly unleashed the power of his Sun-Piercing Golden Core.
His Golden Core flared, and Gongsun Shao’s entire body was bathed in a golden solar radiance.
He executed a Sword Pointing, and the boundless golden light coalesced into a sword. Like a blazing sun falling from the sky, it shot toward Chen Yuan!
The power and sharpness of this strike had nearly reached their peak, and a solemn look appeared in Chen Yuan’s eyes.
He instinctively wanted to use his Celestial Blood Eye to meet it head-on, but just as his fingers touched the space between his brows and the Blood Qi began to gather, Chen Yuan suddenly dispersed it.
It was because, within that Sun-piercing Sword, he seemed to see something different.
Within that sword strike, the Fiery Sun Power circulated, violent True Qi surged, and there was also the Power of the Primordial Pill, fueled by Gongsun Shao burning his Qi Blood.
In Chen Yuan’s eyes, these powers appeared like lines, pieced and woven together to form this one sword strike. Though its might was immense, he could clearly perceive the conflicts created where these lines clashed in their assembly.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through Chen Yuan’s mind, and he abruptly realized what he was doing.
He had instinctively used the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill to see the changes in his opponent’s power!
The Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill was meant for observing the heavens and earth, the mountains and lakes, the winds and clouds—to observe the world and make it one’s own, to steal celestial secrets and enlighten the self.
Humans themselves are a part of this world; a Martial Artist’s power originates from within, but also from the world itself.
The Inner Vision God Observation Method looked inward, controlling the microcosm of the human body.
The Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill observed the phenomena of the world, looking at the macrocosm of the outside world.
Under the gaze of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill, all power seemed to return to its fundamental source in the world.
The Power of Li Yan Blood Fiend around Chen Yuan erupted, his Qi Blood surging as it boiled and burned.
Blood flames threatened to incinerate the heavens. This power, imbued with a fundamental essence, was the purest, most ultimate, and most perfect power within Chen Yuan’s body.
He executed a Sword Pointing. From his perspective, the surging Blood Fiend Qi transformed into innumerable fine threads. They probed into Gongsun Shao’s Sun-piercing Sword from every conceivable angle, continuously disrupting the chaotic lines within its power, dismantling and dissolving the coalesced force.
Gongsun Shao’s strike, erupting with the Power of the Primordial Pill, had originally been majestic and powerful, but now he was horrified to discover he seemed to have completely lost control of this power. His sword strike was beginning to crumble at a speed visible to the naked eye!
𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
’Although this Chen Yuan’s Blood Fiend Power is tyrannical, this is the all-out strike of a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster! It even uses the power of the Sun-Piercing Golden Core! How could it be torn apart so easily?’
The next moment, the golden light shattered. The power of the Sun-piercing Sword exploded in mid-air, yet the Li Yan Blood Fiend that Chen Yuan had unleashed was not yet depleted.
The remaining Blood Fiend Power converged. In Chen Yuan’s eyes, dense and boundless threads merged, forming an utterly pure Blood Fiend Longsword that instantly pierced through Gongsun Shao’s chest!
A great gout of blood flowed from Gongsun Shao’s mouth. This Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster, so loyal to the Sun-piercing Alliance, crashed to the ground, all signs of life extinguished.
Chen Yuan had slain Gongsun Shao in a single strike, but he suddenly felt his vision turn blood-red.
He instinctively touched his eyes, only to feel his hand become slick with something warm and bloody.
At some unknown point, copious amounts of blood had begun to pour from his eye sockets. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through his mind.
This excruciating pain, which seemed to pierce both bone and soul, forced a muffled grunt from Chen Yuan, his expression twisting into a grimace.
After several dozen breaths, the intense pain began to recede. At the same time, the blood stopped pouring from his eye sockets, and his vision cleared.
Wiping the blood from his face, Chen Yuan let out a long breath.
The might of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill was beyond his imagination. He had originally thought that, like the Inner Vision God Observation Method, it was a Dharma Gate for self-cultivation.
But now it seemed that was not the case. The power of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill was simply beyond comprehension.
Emperor’s Gaze, observing the world, stealing celestial secrets.
It could deconstruct all power into its most fundamental state, thereby allowing one to dismantle an opponent’s attack with minimal force.
Take Gongsun Shao’s last attack, for example. The core of its power was a fusion of several different forces. Gongsun Shao himself saw no issue with it, but from the perspective of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill, it was riddled with flaws and gaps. This was enough for Chen Yuan to break it without using any Secret Techniques, relying only on his pure Blood Fiend Power.
Moreover, this was only the most basic application of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill.
When cultivated to its peak, the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill could genuinely be used to observe the changes between heaven and earth.
For instance, by seeing a wisp of wind blow past, you could deduce that in ten breaths, this wisp of wind would blow a leaf off a tree, which would then fall upon a group of ants on the ground, causing the ant colony’s path to change.
This already transcended the concept of Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts. To be precise, its fundamental core was the Power of Cause and Effect!
Of course, the current Chen Yuan didn’t dare to even think about such a Realm.
Just now, he had instinctively activated the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill for merely a dozen or so breaths, and his Spiritual Power was completely drained, causing his eye sockets to bleed and his Divine Soul to ache with excruciating pain.
This was only because his physical body was powerful and his Spiritual Power was not too weak.
Otherwise, in that brief moment, his eyeballs might have completely exploded. He would have been forced to live as a blind man, perhaps even earning a moniker like "the Blind Blademaster" or "the Sightless Swordsman."
Rubbing his head, Chen Yuan was still somewhat puzzled. How exactly had he managed to use the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill?
After Zuo Xinglie had told him about the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill, Chen Yuan had indeed committed it to memory.
But he had only committed it to memory; he hadn’t actually begun to cultivate it.
This Cultivation Technique was as complex and profound as the Valley Spirit Scripture. When Chen Yuan had tried to briefly study it before, he had quickly felt dizzy and overwhelmed.
Therefore, he couldn’t even be considered a beginner. So why was he able to instinctively and successfully use the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill now?
One must remember that Zuo Xinglie had possessed the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill for many years but was completely unable to cultivate it.
’And yet, when it came to me, I could use it just by memorizing it?’
Chen Yuan knew the Martial Dao Talent of this body was excellent, but for it to be this good was truly heaven-defying.
Besides, Chen Yuan’s progress was only this exaggerated with the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill. His progress with other Cultivation Techniques was still normal.
Take the Valley Spirit Scripture, for example. It was equally profound, obscure, and difficult to understand. Chen Yuan would only dare say he had barely crossed the threshold of a beginner and was still far from comprehending his own exclusive Dao Essence.
After thinking it over, Chen Yuan could only come to one conclusion: it had to be related to the Inner Vision God Observation Method.
Of these two Cultivation Techniques, one focused on the external, observing the phenomena of the world and its myriad changes for one’s own use.
The other focused on the internal, observing the divine within one’s inner landscape to develop the body’s profound mysteries and transformations.
One internal, one external; cultivating the inner and outer worlds in tandem. When combined, the two could break through the profound gate of life and death, allowing one to achieve an indestructible spiritual form.
It could be said that these two Cultivation Techniques were inherently complementary. Since he had already made some achievements with the Inner Vision God Observation Method, it made sense that he would naturally and directly grasp the basics of the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill.
Chen Yuan pondered for a long while but couldn’t figure it out completely, so he decided to drop it.
He rested on the spot for a moment, recovering some of his spent spiritual energy, then walked straight to the Central Hall and pushed open the Bronze Gate.
The moment he stepped inside, a sinister, evil, and bizarre aura washed over him. It was almost identical to the aura Guan Tianming had carried.
The entire hall was covered in Arrays, but they weren’t for attack. Rather, they were Arrays for refining something.
On the floor were some metal fragments. Among them was something that looked very much like a sword hilt, upon which was inscribed ’Residual Cloud’ in ancient seal script.
Guan Tianming’s Residual Cloud Sword was an Ancient Celestial Soldier, and could even be said to be one of the most powerful among all Celestial Soldiers. It was extremely famous in the Jianghu.
But now, Guan Tianming was wielding a Spine Sword. His Residual Cloud Sword, however, had become a broken weapon, its fragments scattered here.
Besides these Arrays, thousands of manuals were piled up around the hall, all of them copied by Elder Qi and now scattered about.
Chen Yuan casually picked one up and flipped through it, but his brow immediately furrowed.
Because these Cultivation Technique Manuals were all completely blank.
Before being thrown into the underground prison, Elder Qi had been conscientiously copying these manuals without the slightest bit of negligence. Besides, he wouldn’t have dared to fool Guan Tianming with blank manuals.
’How is it that here, all these manuals have become blank?’
Chen Yuan’s gaze swept across the area. All the scattered manuals were just blank paper, without a single trace of writing on them.
But when Chen Yuan’s gaze focused on the depths of the hall, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
On an altar table in the depths of the hall rested a book. It was the only book in the entire hall that had writing in it.
Its material was like human skin, fine and smooth. On it, line after line of twisted script was written in a dark-red ink, the color of dried blood.
Chen Yuan didn’t recognize the script; it seemed to be some kind of ancient writing.
But under Chen Yuan’s gaze, the characters seemed to come alive, twisting and squirming.
Chen Yuan instantly realized what it was. This had to be the book Elder Qi had spoken of—the book Guan Tianming had brought back, the exceedingly strange Human Skin Evil Book!
And at that moment, the Human Skin Evil Book seemed to sense Chen Yuan’s gaze. The characters on it twisted and changed, and though they remained the same script, Chen Yuan could now bizarrely understand a line of text.
The meaning of the words on the Human Skin Evil Book was: Chen Yuan, you’ve finally come!