Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 331 Unexpected Breakthrough, 5th Heavenly Layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique

Fei Wuji was standing below the arena, pale-faced. He sent someone off, and after a while, he sent a second person away!

"Brother Long Ying, Brother Qian Li, since your sect's member has broken the regulation of the arena battle and has even volunteered to accept the 2nd rule, then I won't say much. Can we proceed to start with it now?" One of the two old men, the one who had not spoken up all this while suddenly spoke up, with a poker face.

"Senior Ying Kong, Senior Xue, could you allow him to go retrieve his weapon first?" Fei Wuji anxiously bowed and asked the two elderly from the Sword Tower.

"Oh, it's Wuji. Alright, I'll trust you, but it must not exceed thirty minutes." It was the elderly Xue Guo who had not been speaking previously.

"Qing Shui, go get your weapon!"

Qing Shui also thought that if he were to bring out his weapons on the spot, others might find it weird, too. Therefore, he nodded and left the arena with Canghai Mingyue.

The chatterings under the arena got even noisier since it had been some time since such a situation had occurred. Everyone could guess what would happen for one to be challenging nine top notch warriors of this level alone.

"This is someone from Starmoon Hall who could possibly rise up in the competition between the various palaces next year! It's such a pity!

"Is our Starmoon Hall's spring doomed to be so short?" A young man from Starmoon Hall mumbled.

"Qing Shui, you'll forever live in our hearts..."

...

"Old Master, I have urgent news to report!" An ordinary looking middle-aged man came to Cang Wuya's residence, bowed and said.

"Come in. Tell me quickly!" Cang Wuya's voice sounded very calm.

At the same time, in another area which was filled with simple stone houses, another ordinary looking middle-aged man bowed and said in a low voice, "Old Ancestor, Young Master Fei has an urgent message to pass to you."

"Speak!" A low and simple voice rang out, giving out a desolate aura.

The middle-aged man shared the situation at the arena before continuing, "Qing Shui is Supreme Elder Cang's disciple, Canghai's only son-in-law, and he has unparalleled talent. Young Master Fei hopes that you would be able to step forth to help him."

The room turned silent, and the middle-aged man who was standing outside was drenched in perspiration, even feeling as if he was going to collapse soon. Only then, a sigh was heard from the room.

"Go back and tell him, what I owe him, I'll return it to him in folds. However, this is a grave issue. I don't wish for Heavenly Palace to be left with an ill name. Didn't he say that the chap's talent is quite good? Since he dared to do such a thing, he must be held responsible for his own rashness. To blindly act rash without thinking through thoroughly is just courting death. I can help him today, but what about tomorrow? I'm not invincible,” the old sounding voice said.

"Then Old Ancestor..."

"Pass my words to him as it is. Having not experienced thunderstorms, nor life and death situations, how would he ever be able to grow? A general builds his success on ten thousand bleaching bones. Which warrior did not rise from stepping on top of other's dead bodies?"

Qing Shui returned to him room and took out his Big Dipper Sword as well as the Heaven Shaking Hammer. He also put on a suit of armor which he had forged again. Just as he was prepared to head back, he suddenly entered the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal .

Thirty minutes in real life was equivalent to about over two days in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. At this crucial time, Qing Shui did not say anything, but took out the Beauty Pellet which he had yet to take.

Without hesitation, he took the pill which he had kept aside for himself. During this crucial stage, each and every additional increase to his powers was important. After swallowing it, he quickly circulated his Ancient Strengthening Technique.

In just a moment, Qing Shui felt a stream of cooling energy rising, dispersing throughout his entire body. It was an amazing feeling as if ten thousand of ants were crawling all over him, but it was bearable.

At the same time, a strong surge of energy from his Dan Tian flowed through his meridian channels, expanding the channels as it passed by. The liquid in the Dan Tian also swirled very quickly, and the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique gushed through his entire body very strongly.

That originally weak nature energy also grew a lot stronger than before, and merged together with the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique and the Frenzied Bull's Strength, these three strong forces gradually combined into one, and flowed through the meridian channels like galloping horses!

1st cycle, 2nd cycle, 3rd cycle...

As Qing Shui circulated the Ancient Strengthening Technique, he noticed that the strength of the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique got increasingly stronger, and the image in his consciousness continued to change. From his birth, to knowing his mother's troubles, being unable to cultivate, and the depressed feelings of being treated like a useless bum...

Qing Shui did not know that when he was thinking about this, the strength of the Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique go tincreasingly stronger, and it circulated increasingly faster!

The images in his consciousness also switched at a very fast pace. The joy he felt when he knew that he could cultivate, when he knew of his mother's dejection and hope, and when he decided to fulfil his mother's wish.

Therefore, he put in even more effort than anybody else, and especially when he uncovered the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, he gained even more confidence and also made great progress, from the useless bum who could not cultivate to becoming the genius character he was today. With the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, if he could not be amongst the top, he would really be a useless bum.

Thinking of this, an unrelenting energy rose from his spirit, and his Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique circulated even faster, even stronger. It was just that everything seemed to be no longer within Qing Shui's control, but yet at the same time seemed to be controlled by Qing Shui's emotions.

50th cycle, 51st cycle...

Compared to how it was before, the speed was faster, and the powers much stronger. But now, Qing Shui was totally drowned in his memories, thinking of Wenren Wu-shuang, Shi Qingzhuang, Yiye Jiange.

Only after he managed to help Yiye Jiange head to the Lion King's Ridge would he then feel that he would be able to pay back the debt to her.

97th cycle, 98th cycle...

Qing Shui suddenly recalled the scene he saw when they passed by Yan City, recalled seeing that stubborn back view. Thinking of the tough life she had been leading in Yan City for the past few years, how she was his mother's worry, the person closest to him in blood other than his mother. They were bonded by blood, because she was someone his mother had given birth to after spending ten months in her womb.

"I cannot die, I definitely cannot die!"

Qing Shui bellowed out loud in his heart! The aura throughout his body instantaneously surged, reaching a height like never before.

99th cycle!

Just then the Ancient Strengthening Technique which had reached the 99th cycle did not stop. Accompanied with an immense aura, in conjunction with the moment Qing Shui had bellowed out loud,

"Crack!"

It was as if he had broke through some barrier. Qing Shui opened his eyes, dazedly appreciating the immense surge of energy which was rising in his body like an explosion. However, he no longer cared about that amazing feeling.

Qing Shui only knew that he had achieved a breakthrough. It had even appeared so suddenly that he did not even had enough time to react to his surprise!

Ancient Strengthening Technique's 5th Heavenly Layer!

Qing Shui had the urge to cry. To think that he had managed to achieve a breakthrough at this crucial point!

Qing Shui stood there for very long time, not moving, his mind completely blank. When one hears of grief news, their minds would blank out. But one could also be completely blanked out when overwhelmed by a great surprise and felt at a loss.

"Hahaha!"

Qing Shui suddenly broke into an uproarious laughter, to the extent that he started tearing. This time, he laughed till he was hysterical, unable to express the extreme joy he was feeling and could only laugh so maniacally to vent out his feelings.

From the beginning till now, half a day had passed in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Qing Shui stopped laughing when his voice turned hoarse, and then he slowly shut his eyes and felt the changes in his body.

The golden "liquid" in his Dan Tian which was the size of a cherry changed into the size of an egg. It looked even more compact and condensed than when he was at the 4th Heavenly Layer.

His meridian channels expanded by a third of its original size. His bones, muscles, organs, spirit energy...all increased by about one fold.

He increased the speed of circulation of his Qi of Ancient Strengthening Technique which had been automatically circulating all this while. A surge of strong energy rose up, as if a heavy mountain, or as if ten thousand horses galloping at once.

Qing Shui smiled. His abilities from when he was at the pinnacle of the 4th Heavenly Layer had increased by over one fold.

Qing Shui started to familiarize with the immense powers he just received after attaining the breakthrough. After all, Qing Shui could stay in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal for five days.

He performed each of the techniques he knew, each time at full power. Qing Shui's goal was to stabilize the immense powers he received for the past two days.

A person with great strength would be able to defeat ten people who knew martial arts. From the start, most of his martial techniques had already reached an incredible level, having reached the Obscure Realm. Coupled with the breakthrough he had achieved, his strength, speed and defence all improved tremendously.

This was a raise in level, just like how he had broke through to the Martial King from Xiantian. It was not something simple like reaching Xiantian grade 1 to 2.

After the breakthrough, Qing Shui's conclusion was that regardless if it was Taichi or the Thousand Hammer Technique when used with his Heaven Shaking Hammer, or even if it was his strongest technique, the Basic Sword Techniques, they all underwent a delicate change.

“A Hegemonic Aura, formed naturally!”

“False Heaven Stage”

Qing Shui knew that this was the stage before the 'One with Heaven', which meant that he was just one step away from 'One with Heaven'. However, this step was also as wide as the the pinnacle of Houtian from Xiantian. Breaking through required an opportunity.

However, False Heaven Stage was after all, the pinnacle of the Obscure Realm. Even most of the warriors who were at the pinnacle of Martial King would be stuck around at this stage.

One day, two days passed by. Qing Shui was like a "beast" which did not know what fatigue was, wasting away the powers he just received. Qing Shui was very satisfied with the results of the past two days of hard work. Now, even if he did not have much chance against Canghai when he was alive, in a life and death battle, he might not necessarily lose out.

Canghai was at the pinnacle of the 6th grade Martial King.

Qing Shui felt that he was at max at the beginning phase of the 6th grade Martial King. However, against the other nine people, as long as he was careful, it should not be a very big problem.

Qing Shui was very satisfied with his progress. He was now at the 100th cycle. When it increased to the 6th Heavenly Layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique,it would probably breakthrough to the 200th cycle.

The increase from 100th cycle to 200th cycle, up until he reached the pinnacle of 5th Heavenly Layer, how much stronger could he get? Would he be able to be the pinnacle amongst the Martial Saints?

The strongest Martial Saint in the entire Greencloud Continent!