Chapter 459 - 162: The Confused Peak Master Zhenyue
「The next day.」
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and a light mist still lingered in the mountain forests of Lingxi Peak.
The sporadic chirping of insects and calls of birds broke the morning silence.
Yang Jing’s eyes opened right on time. A good night’s sleep had left him feeling refreshed, and the Inner Qi within his body had grown even more condensed.
He rolled out of bed and bent down to pull a wooden box from underneath.
Opening it, he found a pair of brand-new cloth shoes lying quietly inside.
The uppers were made of coarse, grayish-blue cloth, and the densely stitched soles revealed delicate needlework.
Senior Sister Ning Xiang had personally sewn and gifted these shoes to him.
After the last Cyan Qilin Battle, Senior Sister Ning Xiang had noticed the soles of his old shoes were worn through. She had secretly measured his size and stayed up for several nights to finish them.
Yang Jing reached out and touched the uppers. They felt soft. He put them on; they were a perfect fit, not too big or too small. Walking in them felt light and comfortable.
He walked around the room in the new shoes, a smile creeping onto his lips. His mind couldn’t help but picture Sun Ningxiang’s reaction last night when she learned he had broken through to the Qi Eating Realm.
Her round eyes had gone wide, her face a mask of disbelief. Her mouth hung open, so wide you could fit an egg in it, and it took her a long moment to snap out of her stupor.
Then she had grabbed him and bombarded him with questions. Thinking back on her shocked yet delighted expression, he found it quite amusing.
Yang Jing quickly washed up, splashing his face with cold water, which instantly banished the last vestiges of sleepiness.
He walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. The tabletop, still damp with last night’s dew, felt cool to the touch.
Then, he took out the subsequent manual for the Mountain-Breaking Seal from his robes, spread it open on the stone table, and began to study it with focused attention.
The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves overhead, casting dappled patterns on the yellowed pages. The characters written upon them were bold and powerful, recording the essence of each move and the methods for circulating energy.
Although the Mountain-Breaking Seal was a Mid-grade True Skill, its fist techniques were fierce and domineering. Its offensive power was comparable to that of a Top-grade True Skill. Cultivated to its peak, a single punch could shatter a mountain—its might was boundless.
Yang Jing mulled over the text word by word, sometimes frowning in deep thought, other times raising a hand to practice the fist forms, committing the obscure chants to memory.
After an unknown amount of time, Yang Jing closed the final volume of the manual and let out a long sigh, his heart filled with emotion.
’The Mountain-Breaking Seal truly lives up to its reputation of having power comparable to a Top-grade True Skill. These later moves are even more profound, and the methods for circulating Inner Qi are far more abstruse. It really is extraordinary.’
Just then, another Cultivation Technique flashed through Yang Jing’s mind—the Indestructible True Skill.
That was a genuine Top-grade True Skill, a Body Refining Technique that could be called second to none.
During the Cyan Qilin Battle, the Indestructible True Skill had been a massive help, allowing him to defeat powerful opponents one after another and withstand their ferocious attacks.
Unfortunately, he currently only possessed the first volume of the Indestructible True Skill.
As far as he knew, the second volume of the Indestructible True Skill should be stored on the fourth floor of the Talent Pavilion, where the sect kept its Top-grade True Skill manuals.
Yang Jing stroked his chin, pondering to himself. ’Once I’ve stabilized my cultivation of the Mountain-Breaking Seal and built a solid foundation, I can look for a chance to go to the Talent Pavilion and redeem the second volume of the Indestructible True Skill.’
However, it wouldn’t be that easy.
He didn’t have the authority to enter the fourth floor of the Talent Pavilion yet.
Getting his hands on that second volume would likely involve some complications.
’When the time comes, I could ask Senior Sister Si Jiawen for help. As the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, her status is respected, and she surely has the authority to enter the fourth floor of the Talent Pavilion.’
At this thought, Yang Jing shook his head helplessly.
Aside from the problem of authority, the more critical issue was that he was running low on contribution points.
Yang Jing took stock of his assets. At the absolute most, even if he converted all his silver notes into contribution points, he would only have a little over eighty thousand.
In the Xuanzhen Sect, that amount of contribution points was practically nothing.
After all, the price to redeem a Mid-grade True Skill in the sect was often over a hundred thousand contribution points.
And the value of a Top-grade True Skill was far greater than a Mid-grade one, reaching astronomical figures.
Although the Indestructible True Skill in the Talent Pavilion was only the second volume—an incomplete version—it was still a genuine Top-grade True Skill. Even without the first volume, its value was definitely comparable to a complete Mid-grade True Skill.
’By that calculation, the contribution points I have on hand are most likely far from enough.’
Yang Jing sighed softly, then shook his head again, temporarily pushing these thoughts aside.
For now, he had to focus his main energy on the Mountain-Breaking Seal.
Besides, he hadn’t even mastered the first volume of the Indestructible True Skill that he possessed.
’I’ll wait a bit longer,’ Yang Jing thought to himself. ’In a while, after I complete some sect missions and find a chance to save up more silver notes and contribution points, I might just be able to redeem the second volume of the Indestructible True Skill from the Talent Pavilion.’
Just then, a disciple from the kitchens delivered his breakfast on schedule.
He opened the food box. Inside were two catties of neatly sliced, high-quality Exotic Beast Meat. The meat was firm and glistened with a light sheen of fat. Alongside it was a plate of stir-fried green vegetables and a bowl of warm multigrain congee.
Yang Jing devoured the breakfast in just a few bites, but when he rubbed his stomach, he still felt a little hungry.
He gave a helpless smile, took a Rejuvenation Pill from his robes, and swallowed it.
Once the Elixir entered his stomach, it quickly transformed into a warm stream of energy that flowed throughout his body. Only then did a solid feeling of fullness settle in his belly.
Yang Jing mused to himself, ’After I’m done with business on Zhenyue Peak with the Peak Master today, I’ll have to make another trip to the kitchens.’