Chapter 452 - 160: The Bet’s Outcome, a Serendipitous Fortune
Yang Jing slowly brought his practice forms to a halt.
The roiling heat emanating from his body gradually subsided, but a pleasant warmth still lingered in his Dantian.
He raised his right hand, palm open and facing upward. With a mere thought, the Inner Qi in his Dantian was drawn out. It surged forth in fine wisps, eventually converging into a single strand of pale white energy that floated silently above his palm.
The wisp of Inner Qi was clear and pure, without a trace of impurity. It looked like the most lustrous jade, lying dormant and unassuming.
Yet Yang Jing could clearly sense the terrifying power concealed within this seemingly placid stream of energy.
It was like a tightly bound bundle of dynamite—unassuming in ordinary times, but capable of unleashing heaven-shattering power once detonated.
Yang Jing stared at it for a long moment, his eyes filled with awe.
He could perceive the fundamental difference between Inner Qi and his previous Inner Strength. Inner Strength was forged from one’s own vitality and blood, while Inner Qi was a product of merging with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. The power of the two was simply worlds apart.
After a moment, Yang Jing exhaled softly, and the wisp of Inner Qi in his palm slowly dissipated.
He closed his eyes and began to fully immerse himself in the comprehensive changes his body had undergone after breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm.
His hearing grew sharper; the faint rustle of wind and grass outside the stone house was crystal clear.
His sense of smell became more acute. Within the aroma of the Exotic Beast Musk inside the stone house, he could now even distinguish the subtle notes of plants and minerals.
His strength had skyrocketed. The surging power from his earlier punches still reverberated through his entire body.
Moreover, a thin layer of grayish-black impurities had appeared on the surface of his skin at some point.
It was the deep-seated grime from his bone marrow and meridians, expelled from his body by the Inner Qi during his breakthrough. It had now solidified on his skin, emitting a faint, foul odor.
Yang Jing lifted his hands and vigorously rubbed his palms, then wiped his cheeks and neck. He rubbed the exposed grayish-black impurities into grimy rolls that fell to the ground with a soft rustle.
As for the areas covered by his clothes, he would just have to wait until he got back to wash them clean in a proper bath.
After rubbing the impurities from his hands, Yang Jing clenched his fists and felt a solid, powerful sensation in his palms.
He could clearly feel that beneath that layer of grayish-black grime lay a physique nourished and strengthened by Inner Qi, grown far more formidable than before.
Even without using a single shred of Inner Qi, his physical strength alone was enough to crush any Inner Strength Realm Martial Artist. A Huajin Martial Artist wouldn’t stand a chance.
Yang Jing was completely stunned.
Before his breakthrough, he could hardly have imagined the gap between the Qi Eating Realm and the Inner Strength Realm.
Now that he had personally set foot in this new realm, he was struck by a sudden realization. ’This isn’t just a simple promotion to a higher realm, it’s a world of difference!’
The two were as different as heaven and earth.
Amid his joy and excitement, Yang Jing slowly calmed himself.
Now that he had reached the Qi Eating Realm, the introductory volume of the Mountain-Breaking Seal was no longer sufficient for his cultivation. He had to go to the Talent Pavilion to obtain the subsequent manuals for the Cultivation Technique.
He glanced at the sky outside. The sun had not yet sunk too far to the west. He had only used his access to the Grade B Training Room for a little over half the day.
Yang Jing reckoned that if he hurried to the Talent Pavilion on the Main Peak and back, he should still have about an hour left to train.
Wasting no more time, Yang Jing turned and walked toward the stone door, his hand closing around the cold door ring.
He pulled with a bit of force, opening a crack in the stone door. As he lifted his foot to step out, he nearly collided with someone standing right outside.
Yang Jing instinctively halted. He took a closer look, and his pupils contracted slightly.
Standing outside Training Room B-3 was none other than the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, Si Jiawen, her slender figure clad in a simple white robe.
Yang Jing jumped back in surprise, a flicker of astonishment crossing his mind.
’I was cultivating inside the stone house, and my hearing improved dramatically after I broke through to the Qi Eating Realm. How did I not notice anyone approaching? I have no idea when Si Jiawen even got here.’
He quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully to Si Jiawen. "Greetings, Senior Sister."
Si Jiawen nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Yang Jing.
At first, her expression held its usual calm indifference. But in the next moment, that calm shattered like the surface of a lake struck by a stone, ripples of change spreading across her face.
First, her brow furrowed slightly. Then, her expression grew increasingly grave. Her usually placid eyes widened bit by bit, and her mouth slowly fell open, wide enough to fit an egg.
After a long pause, she raised a hand in disbelief. Her fingertip trembled as she pointed at Yang Jing, her voice laced with astonishment. "You... you’ve broken through to the Qi Eating Realm?"
Yang Jing had only just broken through, so his aura hadn’t completely stabilized. It was inevitable that some of the uniquely pure energy characteristic of the Qi Eating Realm would leak out.
This energy, unlike the volatile nature of the Inner Strength Realm, possessed a gentle quality that was one with the heavens and the earth, yet it concealed a power that could not be underestimated.
Si Jiawen was already a master in the Qi Absorption Realm, a level above the Qi Eating Realm. She was all too familiar with this type of aura and could, of course, detect it with ease.
At first, she thought she was mistaken. But upon focusing her senses, the presence of that energy became increasingly distinct—it was no illusion.
Meeting Si Jiawen’s shocked gaze, Yang Jing nodded lightly and replied humbly, "It was a fortunate breakthrough."
Si Jiawen found it utterly incredible. A storm of shock raged in her heart.
As the Senior Sister of Lingxi Peak, she had witnessed the cultivation journeys of countless disciples.
So many talented Inner Sect Disciples had been stuck at the threshold of the Qi Eating Realm for three, five, or even ten years, unable to make the slightest progress, ultimately forced to give up in disappointment.