Talisman Emperor-Chapter 14: Cultivating

The Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique was divided into seven levels.

The first level: Refining the skin with metal — The Seventh Goldstar baleful qi is drawn upon to temper the skin.

The second level: Toughening the bones with fire — The Blazing Firestar baleful qi is drawn upon to toughen the bone.

The third level: Kneading the tendons with water — The Flexible Waterstar baleful qi is drawn upon to knead the tendons.

The fourth level: Tempering the muscles with earth — The Thick Earthstar baleful qi is drawn upon to temper the flesh and blood.

The fifth level: Molding the body with wood — The Pure Woodstar baleful qi is drawn upon to remold the physique.

Up until here, the body refinement for the Postnatal Realm had attained perfection.

“It’s formidable as expected. Able to cultivate to perfection within the Congenital Realm just by tempering the entire body through the baleful qi of stars with the five elements. It’s far more concise and explicit than a qi refinement technique.”

Chen Xi exclaimed in admiration, then frowned and muttered. “However, simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. Body refining methods were originally extremely difficult, and one who doesn’t have great perseverance and great willpower is utterly unable to endure the pain brought about from body refinement. This Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique comes from the master of the Manor and can even be traced back to the Primordial Era of a million years ago. Cultivating it will probably be even more difficult than an ordinary body refinement technique.”

Chen Xi’s mind calmed down a great deal when he thought of this, and he continued to read downwards.

The sixth level was the Congenital Realm of body refinement. Once one arrived at this level, the vital energy and blood of the entire body would rise like steam, the qi and vital energy would run through the body like a rainbow, and one would possess tremendous strength capable of moving mountains.

The seventh level was the Violet Palace Realm of body refinement. Once one arrives at this level, a terrifying mysterious energy would flow out from between the flesh, blood, and periosteum — Shaman Energy! Relying on Shaman Energy, one could cultivate secret arts, divine abilities, and techniques unique to body refiners. For example, the Mountain Transforming Fist, Heavenly Transformation, Immovable Gold Body, etc.

“Shaman Energy? Could it be that it’s similar to the True Essence cultivated by qi refiners? What are divine abilities and techniques? Unfortunately, I have very little knowledge in the field of body refining. I must find a chance to figure all of this out, otherwise, there’ll surely be some stagnation when cultivating it.”

Chen Xi silently pondered, then abruptly thought of another problem. “This Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique is from the master of the Manor, and would surely exceed these. Could it be that the more profound stages are still within the grasps of Senior Ji Yu?”

“Never mind, it’s useless to think any more, I should quickly attain the Violet Palace Realm. Then when I enter the Manor again, so long as I’m able to pass the 1st level of the Heavenpeak of Trials, Senior Ji Yu ought to pass down the later content of the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique to me.”

…

Chen Xi stood up and went out of his house.

The night sky was pitch black, and stars that were like bright pearls flickered atop the curtain of night, sprinkling down chilly starlight that was enchanting and profound.

Chen Xi raised his head and silently thought over the cultivation technique for the first level of the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique as he gazed upon the myriad stars in the sky. After a long time, his eyebrows knit into a frown as he muttered. “It’s so difficult!”

The Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique had a few great barriers, and initiation was one of them.

If one wanted to draw upon the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi to refine one’s physique, the first step would require sensing Venus, the star that was filled with Seventh Goldstar baleful qi. The second step would be to form a connection with Venus, with one’s body as the center. Only then could one successfully attract and draw up the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi to temper the skin.

Among the myriad of stars, Venus was the brightest, and if one were to carefully identify it, it wouldn’t take long to find it. As for using the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi to temper the skin, it wasn’t considered to be too difficult, and only needed to cultivate according to the cultivation technique.

The most difficult was the second step, sensing Venus and forming a connection with it.

Luckily, a detailed method of sensing Venus was record within the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique, and even though the method was complicated, it resolved Chen Xi’s urgent need.

“Success or not, it’s never wrong to try…” Chen Xi took a deep breath, and only until his state of mind maintained utmost tranquillity did he slowly close his eyes. He sat cross-legged on the courtyard floor, and lightly raised his head to face the brightest star in the faraway horizon.

He then weakly supported his hands before his chest, his fingers twisted like vines to form dense amounts of ancient seals which had a faint sense of mysteriousness and profundity.

One by one, hand seals were born and destroyed like the rising and falling of the tide, seeming to have no end.

After seven minutes, Chen Xi suddenly stopped, his right palm held the heavens, and his left palm took in the earth. He wasn’t moving anymore, like a silent stone carving that emitted an unusual tranquillity.

Ding!

A noise like a camel bell faintly echoing out from the faraway desert, bringing along a trace of tranquil energy that cleansed the soul, resounded throughout Chen Xi’s sea of consciousness.

“He started cultivating?” Within the Manor, Ji Yu raised his head from the surging river, seeming to be listening to something, His deep gaze filled with life experience revealed a trace of an unusual expression, seeming excited, but also sentimental…

Chen Xi felt like he’d grown wings and flown up into the heavens, rushing towards the deep reaches of the night sky, not knowing exhaustion nor knowing the end of the sky.

Flying past dazzling stars that fluttered and floated in the sky, one by one.

Flying past deep and quiet black holes that caused a lingering fear in one’s heart, one by one.

Flying past groups of meteor showers that were like blooming fireworks, one by one.

In the end, he stopped in an expanse of boundless space, and there was only one star here, an enormous star that emitted millions upon millions of gold lights.

The gold light was sharp like a sword, and the entire star seemed as if it was filled with countless swords that emitted a sharp cold aura which surged strongly as it gushed out, causing one to dare not look closely at it.

That dense gold light is the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi?

Chen Xi’s mind was enlightened at the moment fortune approached, and he sat cross-legged in space with a tranquil expressions as he silently closed his eyes.

Right at this moment, a strand of chilly and fluid starlight poured down from above the star filled night sky, like a silent drizzle that was continuous and dense, descending into the courtyard and sprinkling all around Chen Xi’s body.

The scene was extremely novel, as if a bridge of light that was thin like a towline had been built between the heavens and the earth, connecting Chen Xi with Venus!

Eh?

Seeming to have noticed something, thousands of extremely shocking and terrifying auras emerged from the vast and boundless southern territory, and gaze after gaze shot faraway into the south with expressions of bewilderment, shock, perplexion, etc.

Who exactly is it that’s actually able to communicate with the energy of the stars?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Within Pine Mist City, figures rose up from the ground in various places across the city and stood in mid-air as their gazes shot towards the same place in unison — The commoners district.

Starlight descending onto the ground? Why would such a strange phenomenon appear here? What sort of omen was this?

However, when everyone desired to investigate to the end, they noticed in astonishment that the night sky was ink black and everything had returned to normal. They weren’t able to sense that strange energy that suddenly emerged, as if nothing had happened all along.

Could it have been an illusion?

No!

It surely occurred.

No one doubted what they sensed earlier. They searched over and over in reluctance, but they didn’t have a shred of discovery anymore, and could only return with bewilderment and without accomplishing anything.

…

“Haha, my Master awaited and finally obtained a disciple that’s able to inherit his mantle with great difficulty, how could I allow all of you to make trouble?” Within the Manor, Ji Yu looked up into the heavens as he burst into laughter, his mood unspeakably joyous.

After a long time, Ji Yu’s expression returned calm, and he muttered. “Kid, work hard. A true expert doesn’t need the protection of anyone. I won’t make an exception and help you anymore in the future. Unless… You can pass all the trials of the Heavenpeak!”

Chen Xi was entirely unaware of this.

Beside him, innumerable starlights fluttered, and the color of the starlight slowly changed to a pure and eye piercing gold.

“Success!” Chen Xi opened his eyes and gazed at the specks of golden light that lightly fluttered by his body like fireflies and muttered. “This is the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi?”

He was extremely excited in his heart, and circulated the first level of the Universe Starslayer Body Forging Technique mental cultivation technique without the slightest hesitation!

Hiss! Hiss!

Suddenly, the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi that fluttered in the surrounding abruptly stopped for a moment, then transformed into sharp gold lights that were thin like hairs to suddenly fuse into the skin on Chen Xi’s entire body.

Pain!

Pain that penetrated the bone!

Even though he’d already prepared himself, when the Seventh Goldstar baleful qi came into contact with his body, it still hurt until Chen Xi was nearly unable to control his body. It felt as if thousands of sharp silver needles were fiercely piercing his body simultaneously and his entire body trembled ceaselessly.

The Seventh Goldstar baleful qi contained the sharp qi that the stars condensed as they revolved, and it was incomparably pure, thus it naturally was extremely painful when used to temper the skin of the body.

Persevere!

If I can’t even endure past the first barrier, how can I think of getting revenge?

The veins on Chen Xi’s forehead bulged explosively and he looked extraordinarily savage as he clenched his teeth tightly, trying hard to maintain the last thread of consciousness in his head as he slowly circulated his cultivation technique.

The pain was like a tide, each wave fiercer than the other. Strands of dark red blood spilt out of the skin and pores on Chen Xi’s entire body and he quickly became covered in blood.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Xi slowly ceased circulating his cultivation technique. His mind had been tortured by the pain, to the point that it was completely without a shred of consciousness. He originally desired to stand up, but he felt his entire body lacking even a shred of strength. Only boundless pain and exhaustion remained, making him unable to even stand.

“Just the first barrier of initiation has already tortured me to this state. Looks like what Senior Ji Yu said is true, my body is indeed too frail…”

Chen Xi didn’t become dejected, as this fact caused him to understand a lot, and also allowed him to clearly recognize the condition of his body.

After meditating for a moment and waiting for his body to recover a sliver of strength, he once again clenched his teeth tightly as he used his arms to slowly prop his body up. He eventually stood, but he’d already sweated profusely from the pain.

He staggered step by step to walk into the house, then used cold water to wash off the blood covering his body before sitting cross-legged on his bed while breathing heavily.

Even if he felt pain and exhaustion to the utmost limit, Chen Xi still didn’t waste a moment before starting to cultivate the Violet Sky Arts.

His way of thinking was extremely simple, containing only two words: Become strong!

Without firm convictions and persistent actions, he would never know how strong he is in the end, right?

Chen Xi was working hard silently and firmly.

…

Early in the morning the next day, Chen Xi woke up on time.

After he cultivated the Violet Sky Arts last night, he sat cross-legged in meditation within his sea of consciousness and visualized the True Body Brand left behind by the master of the Manor according to the instructions of Ji Yu. He only fell into a deep slumber right before dawn.

So even though his complexion was unusually pale, his spirit was extremely well.

Huh?

Chen Xi suddenly noticed that his six senses1 seemed to have become unusually sensitive overnight.

The leaves on the tree outside the courtyard gently swayed as they emitted strands of sounds that were like a heavenly flute; Rows of ants marching in the crevices at the corner, laboriously transporting food; Under the eaves of the house, a butterfly fluttered on the spot as it bathed in the morning sun with a graceful and lively bearing…

Everything was so full of vigor, and it all caused Chen Xi to feel novel and wonder.

“It’s surely because of visualizing that Fuxi Divine Statue that my soul has become stronger!”

In almost an instant, Chen Xi understood everything, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. “It actually caused my soul to attain this state in a mere night, the True Body Brand that Senior Fuxi left behind is indeed extraordinary!”

1. Six senses refers to the usual five senses and the added sense of the consciousness.