Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 210 – There’s still something beyond the Great Perfection Stage?

“After we eat and rest for awhile, I will get Yueyue to bring you to look around. I won’t join you guys, since all of you are youngsters.” The woman compassionately said.

“Oh ya, later Yueyue will help Qing Shui and Huoyun Liu-li find rooms to stay in.” The woman added.

After eating, Canghai Mingyue brought Qing Shui and Huoyun to the courtyard. There were many independent pavilions for them to find a room for their lodgings.

“Master…”

“Sister Mingyue…”

Qing Shui snickered as Huoyun stuttered. Even he also felt uncomfortable hearing that!

In the end, Qing Shui stayed in a small pavilion, while Huoyun Liu-Li and Canghai Mingyue went in another.

“How? Do you wanna go tour this place today?” Canghai Mingyue inquired as she looked at Qing Shui.

“Forget it, let’s go tomorrow morning instead. It’s already quite late now. Anyways, Huoyun needs rest after so many days of traveling.” Qing Shui looked at Canghai Mingyue as he replied. How strange fate and destiny were. How on earth did he end up being tangled with her? Although now, they could barely be considered friends. During the first time he saw her atop the Golden Winged Thunder Condor, he was already mesmerised by her beauty. Qing Shui never expected that he would have a chance to interact with her.

The world of the nine continents was extremely vast, so meeting a stranger twice was almost impossible. That was why Qing Shui had never thought that he would have the chance to see her again. Thus, he stored his memory of her in his mind so he could slowly admire her.

“That’s fine as well. Let’s go, I will tidy the room for you.” Canghai Mingyue pulled Huoyun Liu-Li along, and walked in the direction of his pavilion.

After being stunned for awhile, Qing Shui followed them up. There were two levels to this pavilion. The first level consisted of the living room, while the second level was the bedroom. Upon entering, he noticed the place was very clean and Canghai Mingyue was currently carrying a blanket and making the bed.

Although it was just some simple tidying up, when Qing Shui gazed at that graceful and beautiful silhouette, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart. Qing Shui wished to marry such a woman. In the future, he also wanted an angelic daughter like Luan Luan, so he could dote on her everyday. How blissful would that be?

What a pity. Qing Shui knew that this lifestyle wouldn’t be possible, or at least for now. The matter of the Yan Clan was still heavy in his heart. Ever since he met the stubborn girl that was supposed to be his elder sister, his heart couldn’t calm down. He could only use cultivation as a way to make himself forget. Every time his mind went blank, thoughts about his sister would appear in Qing Shui’s mind.

He coincidentally met her in Yan City. Could this be the machinations of fate? Qing Shui unknowingly lapsed into his imagination again, as he dumbly stared at Canghai Mingyue.

After tidying up, the two women only saw Qing Shui standing there dumbfoundedly. His eyes didn’t have the slightest bit of light. They knew that Qing Shui was currently thinking of some depressing memories, as the unsightly expression on his face revealed everything.

“Don’t think so much, everything will be fine. Believe in yourself. What’s the use of tormenting yourself this way? You will only feel more frustration. Although I’m not sure what the story exactly is, but I still believe in you.” Canghai Mingyue sighed.

“Qing Shui, sleep well and just try your best to temporarily forget it.” Huoyun persuaded him with a touch of worry in her tone.

Qing Shui sighed in his heart. After sending them back, he laid on that comfortable bed and gazed at the ceiling.

Seeing how the night was still young, Qing Shui decided to enter into his spatial realm. In these two months, he had already achieved the 75th cycle of circulation. More than two months of cultivating inside the spatial realm was equivalent to about three years of cultivation on the outside.

Three years of assiduous cultivation could increase five more cycles of circulated Qi. This made Qing Shui unsure whether he should be happy or sad. The Ancient Strengthening Technique was too perverse – an increment of five cycles boosted his power by a lot. Especially after 70 cycles, each and every time he broke through an additional cycle after the 70th, he could feel the difficulty increasing. Qing Shui speculated that he would break through to the 5th Heavenly Layer when the number of cycled circulations increased from 98 to 99.

Now, the journey to the peak of the 4th Heavenly Layer (98 cycles) still needed about 23 cycles. Based on his calculations, even with the aid of the spatial realm, he would still need twelve more years.

With only two years left for him and taking into account the time ratio, he would have about 25 years of time. After all, he could only spend four hours inside the spatial realm everyday.

Qing Shui was pondering. There was no problem cultivating to the peak of the 4th layer, but the problems would come when he tries to breakthrough to the 5th layer. He took about seven years to step into the 4th layer. Although the 4th layer was a crucial point and breaking through to the 5th layer should be easier, Qing Shui felt that even three to five years were agonizing, not to mention seven years.

The frustrated Qing Shui once again entered the spatial realm and started his cultivation. Only when he immersed himself fully in cultivation did he become able to temporarily forget all his troubles. He would forget about the pressure to succeed, the many people behind him, how he cannot afford to lose, his sister in the Yan Clan, and his mother Qing Yi.

Other than spending a huge amount of time on his Ancient Strengthening Technique, Qing Shui also practiced his alchemy. He hoped that he would unlocked recipes within these two years that may prove to be of aid to him.

When he had some free time, he would practice his primordial needle techniques. Qing Shui knew that this golden needle was going to be his trump card, especially after combining it with the primordial flames.

As for the Nine Waves Great Golden Buddha Palm, he was already proficient in it. Back in that Thousand Buddha Cave, Qing Shui’s Thousand Buddha Palm Imprint was already at quite a high level. He discovered that the Thousand Buddha Palm Imprint itself was a type of dual handed attack technique, and was tremendously powerful.

This was also something which Qing Shui found out later. After all, the Nine Waves Great Golden Buddha Palm itself was a type of aura power. It didn’t have any stance. Instead, it used the perversely monstrous aura to attack. It could be used to complement any attack technique, which would lead to doubling the effects with only half the effort.

Qing Shui had always highly regarded speed. Thus, he would practice the Deer Cantering technique everyday. What made Qing Shui happy was that the Deer Cantering technique had already reached the Great Perfection Stage, so his speed doubled. However, Qing Shui still continued to practice it as he discovered his speed was still increasing, albeit at a much slower pace compared to before.

Qing Shui had always wondered. There should be no boundaries to martial arts, so what was after the Great Perfection Stage? Just like a Martial Warrior suddenly becoming a Martial Commander, all the way to Xiantian, and to the Divine Realm. What’s after the Divine Realm?

Convinced by his theory, Qing Shui continued to practice the Deer Cantering Technique. As long as he could feel improvement, no matter how slight, he would relentlessly practice it. Humans may have a limit, but at the same time, they are also limitless!

On the second day, Qing Shui woke up punctually. The skies had already brightened, and it had been a long time since Qing Shui had slept on such a comfortable bed.

After performing his ablutions, he went down to exercise his bones and muscles. Taiji Fist, Solitary Rapid Fist, Thousand Buddha Palm Imprint. Qing Shui displayed the full set of movements of each technique with varying speed from extremely fast to extremely slow, and vice versa. It caused those who saw him to feel that this set of movements were incomparably smooth and profound, especially the dazzling Thousand Buddha Palm Imprints matching together with the slow Taiji Fist.

“Sister Mingyue, with your experience, do you know what are those weird techniques he used?”

Nearby, Canghai and Huoyun, the two peerless beauties, were watching Qing Shui practicing his fist techniques from a window.

“No idea. He’s one of the most inconceivable person I’ve ever come across. I don’t have a clue about him.” Canghai Mingyue laughed as she looked at Huoyun.

“Huoyun, tell sister. How far has the relationship between you and this brat progressed to?” Canghai Mingyue smiled.

Huoyun reddened, “Actually, we are just friends. Our relationship could be considered as close friends, that’s all.”

“No relationship between both of you, yet he let you drink that vat of Tigerbone Yang Amplification, Beauty Purification Wine?”

“Seriously, there’s nothing between us. He never said he wanted to pursue me before. Maybe just a little accident…” Huoyun Liu-Li blushed.

“Tell me, tell sister about it. I will think of some ideas for you.”

“He… gave me a present and personally placed it around my neck,” Huoyun Liu-Li retrieved the golden pendant in front of her chest.

“Is this the reason why you fell in love with him?” Canghai asked, as a bizarre look appeared on her face.

“Actually even now, I don’t know what’s going on with me, I will think of him and want to see him. I don’t wish him to be sad, and want him to humor and amuse me.”

Canghai Mingyue was lost as she heard Huoyun’s words! She had never felt such emotions towards a guy before. Other than her own father, if one day some other guy caused such emotions to be invoked in her, would she pursue him?

Huoyun understood the feelings that the ‘lost’ Canghai Mingyue was going through. It was similar to hers – the time she just fell in love with him. At this moment, she felt more certain about her own emotions.

After breakfast, the three of them went to the streets.

“Indeed, we are a family of immortals!” Qing Shui laughed.

“Hmph!”

Canghai Mingyue snorted with her nose!

“Today, I will bring you guys to the Southern Ancient Pass. That place was the foundations of all the major clans and families, and is also the most prosperous region around here.”

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Author Note: Thank you to all the brothers and sisters for giving monthly votes to me even though I didn’t request for them. Thank you. I want to say a simple thank you to all of your support that has allowed me to continue writing. I’m not a good speaker, but all of your actions have deeply touched and motivated me. Thank you for the large amount of monthly votes. Thank you…