Chapter 270: Battle on the Path of Cultivation
In a small house in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, on the other side of the mountain outside the window, some disciples were cultivating. The shouts from practicing their swordsmanship and the discussion after their sparring could be heard through the gaps in the walls of the house.
Now, the disciples in the sect felt a greater sense of urgency. This place had vaguely begun to resemble a holy land for martial arts in Jiangnan province and the neighboring provinces. Especially after the newly added monthly, seasonal, and annual assessments, the disciples were filled with a sense of competitiveness.
This competitiveness was not due to a need to fight to the death, but because a small group of people who had the slowest improvement would lose the chance to cultivate in the sect after a certain time.
Chen Yiming and Ye Jianyuan sat opposite each other at a tea table. On the table was a steaming teapot. The tea leaves didn’t come from the blue planet, but from a plant that the exploration team had discovered in the otherworld.
This plant had a magical effect. It could slightly restore the vitality of the cells, and when made into tea leaves and brewed for a long time, it could extend one’s lifespan.
As the two of them sipped their tea, Ye Jianyuan told Chen Yiming, “The higher-ups of Jiangnan province have sent over the first half of a breathing technique to discuss a further collaboration with the Myriad Phenomena Sect.”
With that, he placed a box made of special materials on the tea table.
Chen Yiming reached out and took the box. There was a special coating between the lid and the box. Once it was opened, there would be traces left behind.
He opened the lid of the box. Inside was a piece of beast skin. The blood at the edge was bright red, and the hair on the surface was glowing. The entire skin seemed to have been peeled off just a moment ago.
Ye Jianyuan said, “The breathing technique comes from creatures from the otherworld above the master realm. It’s said that those at that level have an unbelievable amount of vitality. From the looks of it, it’s true.”
...
Chen Yiming touched the surface of the beast skin and sensed that it was from the body part used as an anchor. Even without any conscious control, it still used its breathing technique instinctively.
Of course, this level of circulation could not be compared to when one took the initiative to cultivate. A light breath could only maintain the activity of the cells, which was equivalent to maintaining a balance between the loss and replenishment of one’s vitality.
At the same time, his consciousness fused with the figure in his mind and entered the beast skin from his fingertips.
Chen Yiming’s consciousness saw that the surrounding blood vessels and cells were still doing their respective jobs. They looked no different from when they were alive. The image of a strange creature was displayed in the middle.
Its entire body was snow-white, and its form was similar to that of a wolf. The difference was that it had a long tail in the shape of a chain, which was much longer than its entire body, and was coiled around its side several times.
As this creature breathed, an invisible natural energy flowed through the beast skin, and a trace of energy was left behind in the process.
The figure in his mind walked straight over. As it approached, the other party started to react. A pressure like that of a tsunami, a thunderstorm, or a sandstorm assaulted his senses.
The figure in his mind was not affected at all. It leaped onto the back of the creature. The other party continued to emit a sense of oppression, but in reality, it was being brought under control.
The flow of invisible natural energy did not stop. It was as if the creature’s image was a program that could only operate according to the established rules.
Not long after, the true appearance of the breathing technique was revealed by the figure in his mind.
Natural energy was a mixed category, and had all kinds of attributes. How to connect with natural energy of a certain attribute was the core content of this half of the breathing technique.
After the figure in his mind deciphered the creature’s image, he obtained a method of absorbing energy from the moonlight. This was a type of energy that was more gentle.
Chen Yiming was very familiar with it. It was similar to the silver vortex in the ring, but the absorption efficiency was worlds apart.
“The essence of the concept diagram is to transform the body’s energy. The essence of the breathing technique is to absorb natural energy. The body’s energy belongs to the body, and natural energy belongs to the outside world. The principle of cultivation is similar, but the difficulty of mastering it is not on the same level.”
Chen Yiming keenly sensed the connection between the cultivation of the warrior realm and the master realm.
He recalled his battles with the willow tree king and the barbarian sorcerer. His opponents had the ability to mobilize the power of nature, and he deduced the other half of the breathing technique that was missing.
Chen Yiming’s consciousness returned to his body and he smiled.
Receiving the breathing technique now was really timely. The current him did not dare to enter the ring easily. Although the efficiency of tempering his spiritual power might be greatly reduced, he still had a cultivation technique to use.
Seeing this, Ye Jianyuan’s eyes lit up with hope.
He would never be able to reach the threshold of cultivating the breathing technique himself. However, as Chen Yiming became stronger and stronger, just because he couldn’t resolve the problem on the blue planet didn’t mean that he couldn’t overcome it in the otherworld.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, he felt energized, as if he had instantly returned to his younger self from 20 years ago.
Ye Jianyuan took out the first draft of the terms of their alliance that he had discussed with the 12 inner court heads.
Chen Yiming gave it a quick read. It mainly described the conditions of having no service fees for the exchange of contribution points from the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the territory to be obtained for free in the stronghold in the otherworld, and a strategic alliance with the military to explore the otherworld.
The first half of the breathing technique was given to Chen Yiming for his personal benefit. The first two conditions were for the benefit of the Myriad Phenomena Sect. The last condition was to further improve the relationship for both sides. It could also be said that Chen Yiming was being tied down to the task of exploring the otherworld.
“I have no objections. Let’s go with this.”
Other than the other half of the breathing technique, everything else was inconsequential to Chen Yiming. It made no difference whether they got more or less.
…
Ye Jianyuan put away the document carefully and said with a serious expression, “Since yesterday, something big has happened in Jiangnan province. There were even reports that the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Sect were harmed.”
Chen Yiming frowned and asked, “Who is so bold as to attack a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect in Jiangnan province?”
Ye Jianyuan explained, “The disciple who got into trouble might have been accidentally injured, or it could have been a test for you. It could also have been a plot to hinder Jiangnan province’s exploration of the otherworld. Among the people who have gone missing, there is also someone who has mastered the transformation of internal force.”
Hearing this, Chen Yiming was a little surprised.
In the wilderness, ordinary warriors could already enter and leave most of the areas at will, let alone those who had mastered the transformation of internal force.
Those who could attack without leaving a trace had to be at least at the peak of the warrior realm, and those at the peak of the warrior realm had always been the target of surveillance. They were usually placed under restrictions and prevented from making any moves freely.
Ye Jianyuan continued, “The province has just sent out a message that there are bloodline warriors in the same batch of missing people. This matter might be an attack from corporations in the Western countries.
These corporations have always been dedicated to the research of bloodline warriors. In the past, they often carried out crazy human experiments. As more and more successful cases of bloodline warriors appear, their strength has also become stronger and stronger. Now, they have control over most of the countries in the west.”
Chen Yiming asked in surprise, “Although things in Jiangnan province are in a mess now, our overall strength is unprecedentedly strong. Can these corporations really smuggle in people at the peak of the warrior realm?”
Ye Jianyuan told him that bloodline warriors also seemed to be divided into different levels. The temptation of changing one’s martial arts talent after birth was unimaginable. He guessed that some of the people who held power in Jiangnan province had been bribed with this temptation.
Chen Yiming felt a headache coming on. It was very troublesome to have a mole working inside an organization. The enemy could know your movements, but you didn’t know the enemy’s situation.
In a world where superpowers appeared, it was easier for the higher-ups to keep it a secret that would not be easily discovered by others.
“By the way, who is in charge of investigating this disappearance?”
Ye Jianyuan said, “I heard that a guardian from Jiangnan City took over. The specific investigation is temporarily handled by the provincial martial arts bureau. The security bureau needs to deal with the radioactive creature incident from earlier. This matter itself is beyond the ability of the security bureau, so…”
Chen Yiming nodded his head.
He was not familiar with the guardians of Jiangnan City, and he did not know anyone from the martial arts bureau. He could only take things one step at a time.
…
In an abandoned factory, the surroundings were overgrown with weeds, and the abandoned equipment was covered in rust. The ground was also tattered, and mud and puddles of dirty water could be seen everywhere.
A man stood with his hands behind his back. Behind him were five people who had fallen unconscious. These people were clearly martial arts practitioners, but their faces were sallow and their bodies were very weak. They did not have the vigorous vitality that they should have.
“Tap! Tap!”
As the sound of footsteps rang out, the man smiled and pulled off the human skin mask on his face, revealing the face of a Westerner.
“Why did you make such a big matter out of it this time? Do you want me to die?”
The person who had arrived was a middle-aged man with a dignified aura. Before he arrived in front of the other party, he had already started to question him.
The Westerner didn’t think much of it and smiled. “Don’t worry, Bureau Chief. When we attack, we have the protection of the special ability users. We won’t be discovered.”
The veins on the middle-aged man’s forehead bulged as he said, “It’s fine if you captured some disciples from the disciple realm just like in the past. Why did you attack those above the warrior realm this time? You caused such a huge commotion, I can’t help you anymore.”
The Westerner chuckled. “Isn’t this a rare opportunity? If we miss this opportunity, where will we find so many warriors rushing to one place?
Moreover, Bureau Chief, do you think that you can let go of what you have done in the past so easily? The higher-ups asked us to pass on a message to you. You have to capture as many people above the warrior realm as possible for this operation. Otherwise, you know the consequences…”
His unrestrained laughter echoed in the quiet abandoned factory. It pierced the middle-aged man’s heart, causing his expression to turn ugly.
The Westerner glanced at the five people who were lying unconscious on the ground and continued, “The higher-ups also asked me to pass on a message that the new martial master in the Daxia Kingdom is an imposter.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Sam Nation has set up a trap for that person. You just need to cooperate with us obediently. After this, we’ll reward you based on the amount of contribution you made. At best, you’ll get a slot to be among the first generation.”
The middle-aged man’s eyes widened, and he almost lost control of his internal energy.
The reason why he had worked so hard to become the bureau chief was because he had received a bribe that was attractive enough to cause him to commit treason.
The slots for the first generation had never been enough even for the descendants of the corporations in the western countries to split among themselves. He had been on tenterhooks and helping the corporations with a lot of their dirty work, but what was it all for? He had been waiting to hear this sentence.
In the battle between pure martial artists and bloodline warriors, from a scientific point of view, human talent had its limits. By relying on cultivation that improved from generation to generation, one could naturally evolve. This kind of improvement was too slow, and the threat of the otherworld was still present. It was unknown when the creatures from the otherworld would completely invade and destroy the blue planet.
As for bloodline warriors, they originated from the otherworld. Although countless problems were encountered during the process, in theory, their abilities could be replicated.
In fact, most of the scientific research institutes around the world believed that this was the hope of spreading superpowers to all of humanity. Martial arts was only a tool that humans could temporarily use to study bloodline warriors.
The Westerner smoothed down his hair, which had been turned into a mess by the wind, and smiled contemptuously.
In terms of status, he was just a lackey in a corporation. The bureau chief opposite him had both status and power. The two of them could not be compared at all.
However, at this moment, the other party was at his mercy. Even if he made unreasonable requests, the other party would probably grit his teeth and agree.
The middle-aged man looked at the other party’s expression and said doubtfully, “You don’t have the right to decide such a big matter. Are you trying to trick me?”
He suddenly recalled that he was from the Daxia Kingdom. In terms of status, he was undoubtedly at a disadvantage. If the other party just disappeared after this, he would have no way to get back at him.
But if he did not cooperate, he would not even have a verbal promise for a slot in the first generation.
The Westerner smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. “I’m just a messenger. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. You can only think of a way to contact the higher-ups to confirm it.”
The middle-aged man clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers cracked. He hated himself for not being born in the Sam Nation, where the largest and most well-funded research institutions on the blue planet were located.
The path of pure martial arts was simply too difficult. Every person who had reached a bottleneck in their cultivation would feel despair when they got stuck. Some people would accept their fate and give up on their pursuit of martial arts.
Some people chose to explore the otherworld. In a better cultivation environment and under the pressure of facing a life and death situation at any time, they tried to squeeze out all their potential to break through.
There were also some people who tried to use external forces, such as the sacrificial spirits that were popular in Japan, or most commonly, the bloodline warriors.
…
At night, in East Lake City, people were coming and going on the streets. A large number of carts selling snacks were parked by the roadside, creating a bustling scene.
With the trial operation of the base city, a large number of martial arts practitioners had left the city. However, there were still countless ordinary families moving over from other cities.
This was especially true after the news of the East Lake Martial Arts Academy spread. It caused the families who were still hesitating to make up their minds and try their best to move over as soon as possible.
With a stable city environment and superior education, everyone was willing to give it their all for the sake of the next generation.
Currently, East Lake City did not restrict the entry of outsiders with normal statuses. No one knew when restrictions would be imposed in the future. It was better to go earlier than later.
East Lake City was undergoing rapid development. The construction sites only needed to provide meals and a small salary, and many people would be fighting for these jobs.
For a family that had just moved to a strange city, nothing was more important than a stable job.
In the living room of the Chen family’s house,
Chen Yiming was sitting on the sofa. On his left was Father Chen, and on his right was Mother Chen, who was peeling fruits. Chen Yingying had returned to her room to continue cultivating the concept diagram.
There was a huge television hanging on the wall, and a beautiful host in a suit was reporting the news from Jiangnan province.
“The base city of Jiangnan province is operating well. The train that was damaged by the attacks of the mutant beasts has been restored to normal after emergency repairs. Those who are interested in entering the otherworld, please head to Jiangdu City to buy a ticket.”
The scene changed to the scene at the train station in Jiangdu City. Many people were queuing up to buy tickets, and many people were squeezing their way into the station.
“A few days ago, there were several murders outside Jiangdu City. At the moment, the exact reason is still being investigated. It’s best for those who want to go to Jiangdu City to travel in groups. Try your best to avoid traveling at night.”
The scene changed to the scene of the disappearance. A female reporter led the camera to record the shoes, rags, and other miscellaneous items that were left behind, as well as traces of a fight.
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