Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Profound Light Third Realm

CLACK!

A chess piece landed on the board.

The white-bearded old man’s eyes crinkled with a smile, the wrinkles on his face shifting.

"Little Friend Jing, it seems this old man has won this round." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Your chess skills are superb, Senior. I am truly impressed." The middle-aged man in the blue robe, seated across from him, sighed. Seeing the outcome was decided, he conceded the game.

"Haha..." The old man laughed heartily.

"Your skills are not bad either. You were just a bit distracted. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy for this old man to win."

"Indeed," Jing Feng nodded.

"To have achieved proficiency in External Training and reached the Micro realm in his Palm Technique at not even twenty years of age... If nothing unexpected happens, a person like that is certain to reach the Innate realm before forty and has a high chance of successfully joining an Immortal Sect to cultivate the True Dharma."

"Elders Zhu and Ye have found a worthy successor. Wouldn’t you agree, Elder Luo?"

Although the two in the stone pavilion were focused on their game and hadn’t moved an inch, they had heard every word Wan Shuai said earlier.

Like Xiao Gongdu, they were both Elders of San Fen Hall. With strength no less than the Inner Qi External Release Realm, their hearing and senses were naturally sharp.

"Indeed."

Elder Luo sighed softly, his voice tinged with emotion.

"New talents emerge in the Martial World with every generation, the new replacing the old. This old man is getting on in years, and you are no longer young yourself."

"Yes," Jing Feng’s expression was complex, but he let out a soft chuckle.

"But young geniuses are as common as carp crossing the river. There are plenty every year, yet those who can successfully leap the dragon gate are rare. Our own futures are just as uncertain."

"I just never expected that Elder Ye’s Breaking Army Armor would end up in the hands of this junior."

"Speaking of Ye Chongshan..." Elder Luo paused.

"Did you hear? A while back, Ye Chongshan’s grave was desecrated. The Ye Family went to Vice Hall Master Wan, crying and making a huge scene about it."

"What?" Jing Feng’s expression changed dramatically upon hearing this.

"Something like that actually happened? Who would do such a thing? To dig up a grave... that’s utterly depraved! Why would anyone go so far?"

"I don’t know." Elder Luo shook his head.

"The coffin was smashed and the body had decomposed. It looked like an act of vengeance, probably by an old enemy of Ye Chongshan."

"The person didn’t dare take revenge while Ye Chongshan was alive, so they desecrated his grave after his death. Truly despicable."

"Hmph!"

"If we find who did it, they will be punished severely!"

As a man with one foot in the grave himself, he found the act of desecrating graves absolutely intolerable.

"I still remember how I served under Elder Ye for several years. The past remains as clear as day," Jing Feng said, his eyes narrowing.

"To think he would suffer such a humiliation after his death!"

Desecrating his grave?

Of course he knew!

Because he was the one who did it!

However, the item he was looking for wasn’t in Ye Chongshan’s tomb or coffin. And after a thorough investigation, he determined it hadn’t been left with the Ye Family either.

That Immortal Sect Token...

It must be on that young man from earlier, the one named Zhu Ju.

’Oh, Ye Chongshan, Ye Chongshan... You thought no one knew what happened back then, but you were wrong. There are no perfect secrets in this world, and I just so happened to find out.’

’A token that grants entry to an Immortal Sect... I followed you for so many years, yet you chose some junior over me.’

’In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless!’

"Senior," Jing Feng said, gathering the chess pieces.

"Another round?"

"Still not ready to admit defeat?" Boss Luo laughed heartily.

"Then today, this old man will beat you until you do."

*

*

*

「Zhu Mansion.」

「The Quiet Chamber.」

Zhu Ju was now basically certain that he was a genius when it came to cultivating Magic—an extremely rare one at that.

Just now, on his very first attempt to Illuminate the Profound Light, he had succeeded instantly.

He hadn’t felt any of the so-called difficulty whatsoever!

’Actually, when I think about it, this is perfectly normal. I transmigrated and merged with the original owner of this body, and then the Blood-Stealing Curse took Dugu Wuwang’s talent. In terms of my Divine Soul alone, I’m the equivalent of three people combined.’

’Besides, all three of us must have had a decent talent for cultivation techniques.’

’The original owner was skilled in the medical arts by age fourteen. Even if he wasn’t cut out for martial arts, there’s no denying his natural intelligence. I myself come from an age of information overload, so my consciousness perceives things differently now that I’ve transmigrated. And Dugu Wuwang’s talent goes without saying—he could master extremely complex martial arts techniques with ease. How could his Divine Soul be weak?’

’With the three of us combined, it’s only natural that I’d be a genius at Magic. In fact, it would be weird if I wasn’t.’

It wasn’t just his shocking talent for cultivating Magic; comprehending a Martial Arts Realm also helped strengthen his Divine Soul.

That was the reason for his rapid progress!

Within Zhu Ju’s Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, a halo of light, imperceptible to the naked eye but sensed by the mind, flickered faintly.

Profound Light!

The three levels of Profound Light: Profound Light Like a Bean, Profound Light Like a Candle, and Profound Light Like Fire.

Once one cultivated to the ’Profound Light Like Fire’ Realm, they could use the Profound Light to break through their Ancestral Acupoint and step into the realm of a Mage.

Having only just stepped into the Profound Light Realm, Zhu Ju was naturally at the ’Profound Light Like a Bean’ stage. His Profound Light was extremely faint, looking as if it might extinguish at any moment.

Even so, the benefits were numerous.

"By Illuminating the Profound Light, one can sense the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi and then use Divine Thought to cast various kinds of Magic."

"In other words, a Magician!"

Inside the Quiet Chamber.

Zhu Ju slowly closed his eyes.

Instantly, he felt the environment around him quietly change.

To be precise, his terrifying Perception Power could now detect details he had never been able to perceive before.

Ants crawling in the corner, a spider weaving its web, the gentle breeze slipping through the crack in the door and making the candlelight flicker.

He could even hear the movements outside the room with perfect clarity.

Within one zhang, he knew every minute detail; within three zhang, he could clearly discern the flight path of a mosquito.

For an Inner Qi Martial Artist, one would have to reach the Transformation Realm in their Inner Qi Cultivation to possess such an ability. Even ordinary experts at the Qi Circulation stage might not have mastered it.

And yet, he had only just entered the Inner Qi External Release Realm!

And that was not all.

Illuminating the Profound Light not only greatly enhanced his Perception Power, but it also allowed him to ’observe’ the Power of Heaven and Earth.

That Invisible Power saturated the Heaven and Earth Qi, rising and falling like the tides, vast and boundless, a truly shocking sight.

Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi!

Compared to the Power of Heaven and Earth, how insignificant was the strength of a mere human?

SWISH!

Zhu Ju’s eyes snapped open. He raised his hands, and a surge of Invisible Power erupted from his body, actually merging with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

Mixed Element Without Extremity!

A Mental Realm!

A Martial Arts Realm!

Hate that the heavens have no ring, hate that the earth has no handle!

Hate that one cannot rip this world asunder and remake the firmament!

Hate!

Hate!

Hate!

Extreme hatred roiled in his Sea of Consciousness, finally pouring into his Palm Technique and merging his Inner Qi with the Celestial Qi.

WHOOSH!

A fierce gale suddenly erupted in the space several zhang before him. An Invisible Power rampaged wildly, destroying everything in its path.

Even Refined Gold and steel would likely be ground to dust within a few breaths if caught in the Palm Force, let alone a mortal body, which would be pulverized into fine powder.

HISS...

Zhu Ju retracted his palm, unable to stop himself from sucking in a sharp breath at the sight.

’No wonder comprehending a Martial Arts Realm is so crucial for a Martial Artist. Is the difference in power really this vast?’

’Empowered by a Martial Arts Realm, drawing upon the gathered Power of Heaven and Earth... the might of my Palm Technique is far more than just doubled.’

’It’s a difference of several times, maybe even ten times. Fighting above one’s rank would be easy. No wonder the old man became an Elder of San Fen Hall back in the day and had such high hopes placed on him.’

If Zhu Ju had put his full power into that last palm strike, even someone at the Qi Circulation stage would not have dared to face it head-on.

It was terrifying!

’But while it’s powerful, the consumption is also huge. With my Inner Power Cultivation, I can only use a move like that three or four times.’

’Hmm...’

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed.

’Besides consuming Inner Qi, using a Martial Arts Realm also drains my spirit. I’d be exhausted after just a few uses. But now that I’ve Illuminated the Profound Light, my Divine Soul Power has soared, so I’m much better off than an ordinary Martial Artist.’

’What’s more...’

’Divine Summoning Skill!’

As he activated the Spell, an Invisible Power descended from his Sea of Consciousness, and Zhu Ju’s expression turned focused.

All distracting thoughts and turbulent emotions vanished, leaving only absolute rationality and supreme control.

As the easiest of the three Magic arts to get started with, he had naturally mastered the Divine Summoning Skill long ago.

He just never had the chance to use it before Illuminating the Profound Light.

’The Divine Summoning Skill allows me to perform at my absolute peak. Compared to my normal state, I’m thirty to forty percent stronger.’

’I can even manage one more palm strike empowered by my Martial Arts Will.’

’Duration...’

’Half an incense stick!’

Deactivating the Divine Summoning Skill, Zhu Ju didn’t get up to go back to his room and rest. Instead, he propped his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.

Right now, his Cultivation had reached the Inner Qi External Release Realm, he had mastered a Martial Arts Realm, and he had gained an Entry Level understanding of Magic.

If he put on the Breaking Army Armor, he wouldn’t fear even an expert at the Qi Circulation stage.

But...

’Something’s not right!’

The situation in the county town was becoming more and more chaotic. The Patrol Teams were on duty day and night, but they couldn’t stop the rising number of deaths.

The atmosphere in the entire county town grew increasingly tense.

And yet, the people from San Fen Hall were just watching it happen, completely indifferent.

’According to Wan Shuai, besides San Fen Hall, people from the Celestial Yu Gang have also arrived in Leping County.’

’If the Celestial Yu Gang has the same kind of lineup as San Fen Hall, they probably have an Innate Qi Refiner with them as well.’

’Neither of the two Innate experts are making a move. They’re either wary of something or have some other motive. Even though my strength has grown, I’m still no match for beings at that level.’

Looking at the sky outside, Zhu Ju gently rubbed his brow.

’Looks like I’ll have to make a trip after all.’

...

「Yidu.」

The night was hazy.

In the South City of this city, there was a place called the Ten Thousand Burial Pit. At night, it was filled with jagged Ghost Fire, a place the living dared not enter. In reality, however, it was a Marketplace.

A Marketplace built specifically for the likes of Magicians and Mages.

Zhu Ju, cloaked in a black robe, appeared at the entrance to the Marketplace and was stopped by two masked individuals.

"Entrance fee: ten taels of silver!"

’Ten taels?’

’That’s quite expensive.’

Shaking his head slightly, Zhu Ju said nothing and produced ten taels of silver, handing it over.

"Once inside the Marketplace, no shouting and no private duels. If you have a problem that needs solving, find the Evil Guards."

"That’s us!"

The guard at the entrance pointed to his uniform.

"If you fight privately, the Evil Guards have the authority to kill any troublemakers. Don’t think you can get away with it using some kind of Magic. This Marketplace is overseen by a Great Mage, and nothing that happens here escapes his notice."

"Understood."

Zhu Ju acknowledged and, as he was about to step forward, asked casually,

"Do you two know if there’s a place in the Marketplace that sells Demon Beast Flesh?"

"Demon Beast Flesh?" one of them asked, pointing behind him.

"The shops run by the Celestial Capital Sect, the Government Office, and the Demon Catchers sometimes sell Demon Beast Flesh. Depends on your luck."

"Thank you."

Beneath his hood, a smile touched Zhu Ju’s lips.