Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Great Increase in Strength

"You’re saying that even though Zong Ziqi has completely lost his cultivation, he still has the strength of the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage, and he’s even started recruiting subordinates?"

Yan Chunyu listened with astonishment to his subordinate’s report.

"Yes, President. This is information I happened to pick up, and it’s most likely accurate."

Inside the Jade Heart Association, an Outer Disciple was reporting the information he had gathered to Yan Chunyu.

"Then who is this subordinate he recruited?"

"Just a new disciple who entered the Outer Sect on the same day as Zong Ziqi. According to our intelligence, he was previously a Servant Disciple who grew Spirit Rice. He barely managed to get promoted after his five-year term was up."

Yan Chunyu had an odd expression on his face.

’What’s with Zong Ziqi? He was an Inner Sect Disciple, after all. Even if he’s fallen on hard times, he can’t be this indiscriminate, can he? To take in a farmer like that...’

The Outer Disciple making the report had actually felt the same as Yan Chunyu; when he first heard the news, he was completely bewildered.

When Yan Chunyu saw he had nothing more to report, he waved his hand.

"Alright, you can go claim your reward."

A look of joy appeared on the Outer Disciple’s face as he respectfully withdrew.

Yan Chunyu bowed his head in thought.

’I did hear that Zong Ziqi bought a Body Cultivation Technique and a fair amount of supplementary medicinal liquids. It looks like he plans to specialize as a Body Cultivator from now on.’

’But aside from that, there’s been no other news. I don’t know where this information today came from, or if it’s even true.’

After only a moment of thought, Yan Chunyu raised his head again, his eyes filled with excitement.

’Good! I was originally so disappointed. You fell from your divine pedestal before I could even get my revenge. There was no joy in my heart. In fact, my hatred for you only deepened, because I want to destroy you at your peak, not some mortal!’

’But now, you want to start over, to return to your peak—this is exactly what I wished for! The day you make your comeback will be the day we fight once more. And when that time comes, it’ll be you or me!’

’Heh heh, I won’t stand in your way. I might even help you!’

However, Yan Chunyu suddenly thought of the "subordinate" Zong Ziqi had recruited and was left rather speechless.

’Recruiting a farmer as a subordinate... What are you thinking...?’

Yan Chunyu didn’t quite know what to say.

’Could it be that farmer is actually special in some way? Or maybe Zong Ziqi just wants to eat some fresh vegetables?’

’Perhaps I can test him out a bit during the next mission.’

...

「One month later.」

Jiang Xu opened his status panel.

[Name]: Jiang Xu

[Lifespan]: 19/100 years

[Realm]: Qi Cultivation Third Layer: 11/100

[Cultivation Technique]: Cangmu Skill (Mastery): 192/400

[Skills]:

Talisman Dao: Dust-removal Talisman (Beginner): 15/100; Cold Ice Talisman (Skilled): 49/200

Magic: Spirit Rain Technique (Skilled): 79/200; Small Cotton Needle Technique (Mastery): 400/400; Light Body Spell (Mastery): 232/400; Concealing Breath Spell (Mastery): 400/400; Golden Light Spell (Skilled): 200/200; Spiritual Eye Technique (Mastery): 14/400; Healing Technique (Skilled): 200/200; Giant Strength Technique (Skilled): 200/200

Martial Dao: Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill (Skilled): 187/200; Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship (Mastery): 12/400

[Limit-Breaking Points]: 0.476

After a month of hard work, Jiang Xu had raised his Cangmu Skill, Concealing Breath Spell, Spiritual Eye Technique, and Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship to Mastery.

His other skills had pretty much all reached the Skilled Level.

It was worth noting that because he had received guidance from Zong Ziqi for his Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship, he didn’t need to use any Limit-Breaking Points when he broke through.

This made Jiang Xu realize something.

If a skill was stuck at a bottleneck, he could actually break through without using Limit-Breaking Points by cultivating and comprehending it on his own.

It was just that the difficulty of doing so was immense.

After all, the Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship was just a mortal technique, and he had the guidance of Zong Ziqi, a Sword Cultivator who had comprehended Sword Intent.

If it were another kind of magic, Jiang Xu estimated it would take him at least several years, or perhaps even a decade or more.

Compared to only having to wait ten days for Limit-Breaking Points, the difference was self-evident.

After the Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship reached Mastery, it faintly exuded a power that transcended the mortal realm. Even Zong Ziqi praised it profusely and even pulled Jiang Xu into a sparring match.

The kind where they didn’t use any cultivation and competed only in swordsmanship.

Needless to say, the match ended in Jiang Xu’s defeat. However, it wasn’t a complete rout; he managed to exchange at least a dozen blows.

Although this was partly because his opponent wanted to test the Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship, lasting for a dozen blows against a Sword Cultivator who had comprehended Sword Intent was still an incredible feat.

Besides, Jiang Xu had also been holding back.

Because he hadn’t used his Spiritual Eye Technique.

After the Spiritual Eye Technique reached the Master Level, it didn’t just show an opponent’s Mana Cultivation; it could also greatly enhance his own dynamic vision.

For sword techniques that once looked like nothing but afterimages, all their movement trajectories would become crystal clear the moment he used the Spiritual Eye Technique.

Furthermore, the Spiritual Eye Technique could roughly identify the weak points in the magical power of an opponent’s spells. This was extremely important in Magical Combat and could almost decide the victor.

Skills that reached the Master Level all saw a substantial improvement.

The same was true for the Cangmu Skill and Concealing Breath Spell, in addition to the Spiritual Eye Technique and Wind and Thunder Swordsmanship.

The Cangmu Skill was raised to the Master Level.

Jiang Xu’s lifespan increased by a full four years!

At the same time, his cultivation speed increased by more than fifty percent. Combined with being on a Spirit Vein, his current cultivation speed was now double what it was before!

The Cultivation Technique’s healing ability also improved significantly.

Jiang Xu had once steeled himself and slashed his own thigh. The wound was deep enough to reveal bone, a gruesome sight.

But with the combined effects of the Cultivation Technique and the Healing Technique, the wound healed completely in under ten seconds without even leaving a scar. The results were astonishing.

After the Concealing Breath Spell reached the Master Level, its effects were equally astonishing.

Upon reaching Mastery, his Concealing Breath Ability was further enhanced. Now, it could even conceal things like tracking scents that had been placed on him.

While the Concealing Breath Spell was active, any magic he cast would also be concealed, making it silent and traceless—like a phantom.

Now, when he used the Small Cotton Needle Technique, there was no longer even the sound of it cutting through the air. It had truly become a divine assassination skill.

’My strength has finally reached the point where I have some ability to protect myself. I can take on a Qi Cultivation Middle Stage cultivator with my own power, and I should be able to escape from a Qi Cultivation Late Stage one.’

Although he was confident he could handle weaker cultivators, the safest approach was still to avoid conflict whenever possible. He couldn’t just go around provoking people.

Who knew if his opponent was some Foundation Establishment expert "pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger," or someone with powerful elders, or someone who possessed a strange and powerful Magical Artifact?

Such things were all too common, and any Tribulation Cultivator had to be prepared for the tables to be turned on them.

’Take me, for example. On the surface, I’m just an ordinary Junior Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. But secretly, I’m holding nearly twenty Cold Ice Talismans. Even a Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivator would tremble in the face of so many!’

That’s right!

Jiang Xu now had seventeen Cold Ice Talismans.