Complete one practice method every day

Chapter 96 The Pinnacle

Chen Yue practiced the many variations of the Cloud-Soaring Steps repeatedly until he understood them perfectly before slowly stopping.

He calmed his slightly rapid breathing caused by the high-speed movement, then sat down cross-legged again, with his palms facing upwards, and began to circulate the Vast and Firm Essence Technique.

This cultivation method, which focuses on internal energy cultivation and strengthening the foundation, is also about to reach the end of its current stage (Perfection 5633/6211).

Chen Yue could feel that the warm and mellow energy in his dantian was becoming more refined and pure, and the speed of circulating his qi was also slightly faster than before.

The effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pill remained stable, reducing his cultivation level cap requirement by 3 points daily and solidly expanding his martial arts foundation.

As the Haoran Guyuan Technique is nearing complete perfection, the cultivation efficiency of the technique itself is also increasing. The number of cultivation points it can provide to Chen Yue each day has increased from 15 to 17!

With the added effect of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, Chen Yue's daily cultivation points reached a staggering 20.

This speed, if placed in Youlin County, would be enough to leave any martial artist of the same age speechless.

"I wonder how much cultivation I can gain each day after the Haoran Guyuan Technique is fully perfected?" Chen Yue wondered.

The perfection of a cultivation technique often means the complete unlocking of its potential. This is crucial for him to break through to the Marrow Refinement stage as soon as possible, and even higher realms in the future.

As night deepened and all was quiet, only the faint crackling of the campfire and the distant whispers of the watchmen at the caravan camp broke the silence. As the hours passed and midnight arrived, the familiar ripples of sleep returned.

Daily Settlement

[Striving to master the Cloud-Soaring Thousand-Layer Step, experience +40]

[Striving to cultivate the Vast and Firm Essence Technique, experience +211]

[Skill: Cloud-Soaring Steps (Perfect)]

[Skill: Vast and Firm Essence Technique (Perfect 5843/6211)]

Numerous insights, like a gentle stream, flowed into the depths of Chen Yue's consciousness, especially regarding all the mysteries of the perfected state of the Thousand Layers of Clouds Step.

How to perfectly harmonize breath with footwork, how to unleash maximum speed within a limited space, how to utilize the environment to aid movement, and how to minimize the consumption of internal energy —

These insights quickly settled and transformed, becoming an ingrained bodily instinct. Just like this exquisite movement technique, which he had diligently cultivated for decades, today he finally achieved perfect results, a natural and effortless accomplishment.

After a moment, the torrent of insights gradually subsided.

Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a clear and bright inner light.

He felt something and looked up at a withered tree several feet away, whose leaves had almost all fallen off.

Just then, a withered yellow leaf, gently blown by the night breeze, detached from the branch, twirled, and slowly drifted down.

Chen Yue stepped forward with his right foot, taking a casual step.

The next instant, his figure vanished from his spot and appeared almost simultaneously in mid-air beneath the withered tree.

With his fingers slightly spread, Chen Yue deftly caught the fallen leaf in his palm.

The entire movement was fluid and fast, exceeding the limits of what the naked eye could perceive, yet it carried a sense of effortless ease, as if he was meant to be there, catching that leaf destined to fall.

Chen Yue caught the leaf without falling, and lightly touched a thin, dry branch that was sticking out to the side with his right foot.

The withered branch trembled slightly, and Chen Yue's figure floated back to his original position like a weightless feather, sitting cross-legged as if he had never left.

Chen Yue looked down at the withered yellow leaf with slightly curled edges in his palm, and a satisfied smile appeared in his eyes.

"His movement technique is really different now," Chen Yue thought to himself.

Previously, his movement technique was already among the best in the Marrow Refining Realm.

Whether it was Gu Yiqiu and Chen Xuanli he encountered in Youlin County, or Yin Moli of the Divine Flame Sect, they were all inferior to him in terms of pure movement speed and agility.

But Chen Yue himself knew that his speed at that time largely relied on the terrifying physical strength and explosive power brought by the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Cover.

With enough strength, the force of pushing off the ground is strong, and the speed is naturally fast. This is a kind of almost brute force that makes bricks fly.

Now, the Thousand Layers of Clouds Step has been completely perfected. Its exquisite methods of energy transfer, breath transformation, and borrowing of environmental forces have become instincts in Chen Yue's body.

The movement at this moment is a perfect combination of skillful technique and brute force.

Not only is it faster and more agile, but it also possesses an indescribable rhythm, as if it can sense subtle changes in airflow and space in advance, and find an opening to enter at the last possible moment.

Chen Yue estimated that his current speed and agility had improved by at least 20% to 30% compared to before!

It vaguely resembled the speed with which the alchemy ghost appeared and disappeared in the ghostly mist that day.

Of course, the alchemy ghost is a ghost with extraordinary talent, and may still have an advantage in short-range bursts of speed and concealment, but when it comes to long-distance raids and traversing complex terrain, Chen Yue is confident that he is no less capable.

After sitting cross-legged again, Chen Yue began to circulate the Haoran Guyuan Technique once more, nourishing his qi and blood while simultaneously examining his own body.

Currently, the only cultivation techniques that are not yet fully perfected are: the Vast and Firm Foundation Technique, the Roaring Tiger Golden Bell Cover, the Mighty Vajra Palm, the Mind Nourishing Technique, and the newly acquired Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique.

Once the Haoran Guyuan Technique is fully perfected, he will be able to free up more time and energy to focus on cultivating other techniques.

Chen Yue calmed his mind, stopped thinking, and immersed himself in deep breathing exercises and understanding the final hurdle of the Haoran Guyuan Technique.

Time slipped away quietly during the tedious journey, and seven days had passed in the blink of an eye.

At the end of the road ahead, the outline of a town much larger than Youlin County finally came into view.

Banners were faintly visible on the city wall, and soldiers were guarding the city gate. Although the flow of people was sparse, it was still lively enough.

The caravan ahead paused for a long time, presumably to conduct a search, before speeding up and heading towards the city gate.

Clearly, they also urgently needed to enter the city to replenish supplies and rest their troops. Seeing this, Chen Yue and his three companions moved closer and followed the flow of people into the town called Pinggu County.

Pinggu City was clearly not targeted by the cult. Order was still maintained in the city, and all the shops on both sides of the street were open for business. Although it was not prosperous, it exuded a rare sense of stability in the midst of chaos.

However, the pedestrians also showed a hint of fear and vigilance. Something must have happened on the day of the solar eclipse, but ultimately—

Unlike Youlin County, it was not completely overwhelmed by ghosts and turned into a dead land.

After entering the city, Chen Yue and his three companions immediately began to replenish their supplies.

With the magical storage weapon, the Small Alchemy Furnace, Chen Yue was much more at ease during this procurement.

He not only replenished his stock with plenty of dry rations and dried meat that could be stored for a long time, but also purchased a lot of better quality salt, sugar, tinder, and other necessities.

In a corner where no one was watching, Chen Yue quietly stored all his belongings into his alchemy furnace space with a thought, leaving only a small package on his person as a cover.

The supplies for unforeseen circumstances suddenly became much more plentiful.

When shopping in the city, it is inevitable to encounter caravans.

When the caravan members saw Chen Yue and his group, although they still kept their distance, the wariness and coldness in their eyes had lessened considerably compared to the first few days.

For the past few days, Chen Yue and his group have maintained their distance, not getting close, not spying, and not causing trouble. This sensible behavior has clearly made the caravan less wary.

Occasionally, a guard's gaze would sweep over, but it was merely a routine glance, no longer carrying any obvious hostility.

However, the caravan still showed no intention of accepting Chen Yue and his group of four, and the two sides remained clearly separated.

Chen Yue and his companions were happy with this arrangement, neither inquiring about the caravan's destination nor trying to strike up a conversation or make connections.

Everyone tacitly agreed that if it was along the same route, they would follow. If the routes diverged later, they would go their own way and not bother each other.

This tacit understanding is the most worry-free and safest choice for both parties.

While Shen Dujiang and Hu Shaoyu were active in the city, they also privately inquired with some local innkeepers about whether there were any other caravans or travelers heading to Tianzhou Prefecture. It would be even better if they could travel together.

But after making inquiries, most of the answers were vague or simply a shake of the head.

Clearly, under such circumstances, very few caravans dared to undertake long-distance trade, especially to major cities and prefectures. Even if they did, their movements were extremely secretive and would not be easily revealed.

The two had no choice but to give up, and it seemed they would have to continue to rely on the caravan ahead for the time being.

During the rest period, Lin Quan looked at the relatively peaceful scene in Pinggu City and couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

"Chen Yue, Boss Shen, look at Pinggu City. It's bigger than Youlin County, and it seems peaceful. Should we rest here for a while?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. For an alchemist like him, who had no martial arts skills, the continuous exposure to the elements and trekking through the wilderness was indeed extremely arduous, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.

Upon hearing this, Shen Dujiang and Hu Shaoyu exchanged a glance but both shook their heads.

Shen Dujiang pondered for a moment and said, "Master Lin, we understand your idea, but it is still safer to go to Tianzhou Prefecture."

With this cult operating so rampantly and using such bizarre methods, who can guarantee that Pinggu City will remain peaceful forever? Think of Youlin County; wasn't it a picture of tranquility before the incident?

Hu Shaoyu chimed in, "Boss Shen is right. Instead of living in constant fear that this city might one day suffer the same fate as Youlin County, we should go directly to Tianzhou Prefecture."

Tianzhou Prefecture is the seat of the state, teeming with powerful experts and boasting a formidable government. It's also rumored to be protected by a powerful array. If a major upheaval were to occur in the world, such a large city would likely be the last to suffer.

Listening to their discussion, Chen Yue had already made up his mind: "I also tend to go to Tianzhou Prefecture. Whether it's because I'm unfamiliar with the place and need to start over, or because I'm seeking stability and resources, Tianzhou Prefecture is a better choice."

He paused, looked at Lin Quan, and said in a calm yet firm tone, "Just as Boss Shen and Brother Hu said, it's good to take shelter under a big tree."

In fact, during these past few days of travel, Chen Yue, with the keen perception of the Nourishing Heart Technique, could clearly feel that the cold and yin energy between heaven and earth was more intense than ever before.

This may be partly due to the lingering effects of the solar eclipse, but it is more likely that some unknown balance in the universe is undergoing a change.

Against this backdrop, choosing a larger city with a more stable order is undoubtedly a wiser decision.

Seeing that the three of them agreed and made sense, Lin Quan, though exhausted, knew that what they said was true and did not mention staying any longer.

However, in Pinggu City, the four of them did one thing: they spent some silver to buy a fairly sturdy two-wheeled covered carriage and equipped it with a sturdy old horse.

Traveling on foot is not only tiring, but also limits the amount of supplies one can carry. With this carriage, most of the problems are solved.

Lin Quan and some supplies can be placed in the car, with Hu Shaoyu and Shen Dujiang taking turns driving. Chen Yue can also meditate and cultivate in the car, which will greatly improve the efficiency and comfort of the journey.

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