Chapter 68: Chen Tai's Fighting Strength

  The second update!

  No freedom, no style!

  Chen Xuan's mind was immersed in a profound and mysterious realm, where the Tao existed in the infinite years between heaven and earth. The way of the wind existed everywhere, in mountains, rivers, green grass, and rocks... it was omnipresent.

  The wind blows over the mountain ridge, and the scattered clouds are its shadow. The wind blows over the lotus leaves, and the swaying posture is its trace. This is the rhyme of Tao, the meaning of Tao!

  Chen Yao sat quietly in a lotus position at the mountain peak, with a serene expression on her delicate face. Her spirit followed the heavens and earth, and chased after the wind that danced in the void.

  Enlightenment!

  Ji Yu stood in the distance, his large sleeves fluttering, his clothes rustling, his eyes shining brightly like lightning, and his gaze towards Chen Tang was filled with a hint of joy and delight.

  The way can be encountered but cannot be sought, it must exist at the time of thick accumulation and thin emission. Without prior diligent practice, even if there is an opportunity to touch a thread of truth, it is difficult to grasp.

  Only after accumulating a wealth of experience can one, at the moment when good fortune arrives, fully harmonize their mind and spirit with heaven and earth, and thus discern the existence of the Way amidst the obscure and chaotic state.

  The Dipper changes its position, the bright moon rises, and the sun sets in the west.

  As time passed, wisps of wind began to gather around Chen Tai's seated figure, blowing against his hair and caressing his cheeks with the gentleness of a long-separated lover.

  "Keh!" A bald eagle flew in from afar, its sharp eyes fixed on the young man at the edge of the cliff, as if it had spotted a delicious meal.

  As a bird of prey with unopened spiritual wisdom, it did not feel any dangerous aura from Chen Tai. It was very hungry, having been starving for a long time, to the point where it couldn't consider anything else. With a swoop, it swiftly dived down, opening its sharp claws and fiercely clawing at the young man.

  Just as it was still ten zhang away from Chen Yu's body.

  Hiss!

  Like a gust of wind that appears out of thin air, the fierce and unmatched traces of the wind contain the power of heaven and earth, instantly turning this bald eagle into fragments. Because the wind marks are too dense and too sharp, the splashing blood is also crushed into clusters of bloody mist, which is then blown away by the wind, disappearing without a trace. From start to finish, not a single hint of bloodiness escaped, it's simply impossible to reach such a terrifying speed!

  "He's made a breakthrough, his strength has undergone a metamorphosis, and I'm afraid it won't be long before he can pass through the first trial of Tianfeng. And as for me...I'm afraid I'll have a hard time leaving this cave in the future."

  Ji Yu's expression was complex, with a hint of daze, but it was immediately replaced by a determined look: "I've helped him enough, now with his strength and wisdom, he can already stand on his own, if I stay by his side any longer, I'll only hinder his path to greatness..."

  Seven days later, at dawn, the sun rises, shining on the world.

  Chen Xiao sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff, his eyes open, and a rare smile appeared on his lips.

  Splash!

  The next moment, Chen Tai's figure had appeared in mid-air, with a pair of wings condensed from whirlwinds seeming to have emerged out of thin air behind him. In an instant, he streaked across the sky, soaring freely in the air, his shadow darting about like lightning, breaking open countless waves of air in the cloud layer. Under the illumination of the morning light, it seemed as if he was a dream or an illusion.

  Wind!

  Freedom!

  Chen Yao's figure became even more swift and free, like a fleeting wind, with an elusive trail, her shadow was hard to find.

  ——

  ——

  In the mountains, there is no one with the same surname; flowers fall without knowing the year.

  Three months have passed in a flash, and Mu Kui's mood has also changed from the initial anxiety to calmness.

  The Black Ape King has not appeared for a long time, which makes Mu Kui even more convinced that Xiong Pi is deceiving himself and Chen Yu, the fierce tiger is not the confidant of the Black Ape King. If the Black Ape King is vengeful, how could he tolerate Chen Yu for three months?

  One mountain can't hold two tigers? Nonsense!

  Mugui carried a wine jug and lay comfortably in front of the cave, drinking freely.

  He likes such days, quiet and peaceful. With Chen Tang's senior sitting on the mountain, he doesn't have to worry about other big demons coming to disturb him and swallow his territory.

  Splash!

  A figure suddenly appeared out of thin air, moving at a speed as if teleporting, which frightened Mu Kui's body to stiffen, and the wine jug in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. He fixed his eyes on it, and to his surprise, it was actually Chen Xuan, his senior.

  Mu Kui couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, he must be in a pretty awkward situation right now. However... Senior Chen Xiao's speed was just too fast, appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye, who wouldn't be scared half to death?

  "Help me prepare a pen and an ink slab." Chen Quan said, then immediately entered the cave.

  "Oh, okay, senior, please wait a moment." Mu Kui quickly scrambled to his feet and rushed off to prepare, but in his heart he was secretly wondering what Chen Tang wanted to do.

  ——

  In the cave, Chen Tang took out a book from his storage ring, which was not a cultivation technique, but some insights and experiences he had gained since he started cultivating.

  After a long time of contemplation in his mind, Chen Xiao picked up his pen and dipped it in ink, writing down the experiences and new paths he had gained during this period.

  "The brushwork is elegant and free, but the spirit is strong and sharp, every word is a pearl, seeing the words is like seeing the person, your progress in this period of time is indeed very great." After Chen Xiao finished writing, Ji Yu appeared with a fluttering sound, nodding his head to comment.

  Chen Tuo didn't even lift his head, took out a piece of paper, brushed and wrote another line quickly, and handed it to Ji Yu.

  From the day he practiced body techniques and sword techniques, Ji Yu asked him to take out one day every month to reflect on his own, understand the changes in his strength and summarize his combat experience.

  This paper of introspection was called "A Record of Self-Reflection" by Chen Xuan.

  "Don't write this kind of thing again in the future."

  Ji Yu looked at it and handed the paper back to Chen Tai, "Self-reflection is for urging you to make progress and avoid going astray. Now that you have laid the foundation of Tao, truly entering the path, writing these things has no meaning anymore. What you need to do is to embody the heavenly way at all times and adhere to your original heart."

  "Follow the heavenly way above, and carefully guard your original heart..."

  Chen Xiao repeated it in his mouth, as if he was thinking deeply, and only came back to his senses after a while. He thought of a question that had been puzzling him at the moment and asked, "Senior, may I ask what my current strength is like, and how does it compare to other Zifu cultivators?"

  "What do you think yourself?" Ji Yu asked back.

  Chen Xiao thought for a moment, shaking his head: "I've only fought against Li Hua from the Zi Fu realm, and at that time I was still in the Xian Tian Yuan Man boundary. In this regard, it's really impossible to make an accurate judgment."

  Chen Xiao indeed couldn't judge his own combat strength. After all, he had two ways of fighting: one was the Divine Demon Cultivation Method, which relied on physical strength for close combat; and the other was the Cultivation Method, which, after days of bitter cultivation, could already display the realm of swordsmanship and body techniques that embodied the Way. However, due to a lack of battles with cultivators at the Zi Fu Realm, his combat strength was sometimes strong and sometimes weak, making it difficult for him to draw conclusions.

  "Killing a Zǐ Fǔ Xiū Shì is like killing a chicken or slaughtering a monkey!" Ji Yu's words shocked everyone.

  Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment, even if he had mentally prepared himself. Was he really so formidable that he could kill chickens and monkeys?

  "Very surprised? You should know that your swordsmanship has already contained a hint of Taoist intention. Generally, the Purple Mansion realm is also the realm of unity between heaven and man. Just talking about swordsmanship, your strength has surpassed most Purple Mansion cultivators."

  "Let's talk about cultivation."

  "In terms of refining Qi, you already have the attainment of one star in the Purple Mansion. The 'Ice Crane Manual' is a rare and precious Qi-refining technique that participates in the creation of the universe. In my opinion, it's a pity that it only records the ninefold method for cultivating the Purple Mansion realm. Nevertheless, your true yuan, whether in terms of power or quantity, far surpasses what ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators can match."

  Ji Yu spoke enthusiastically, but soon revealed a hint of regret: "Unfortunately, during this period of diligent martial arts practice, you have neglected to cultivate your body. If you could bring your physical cultivation to the Purple Mansion realm and condense the Witching Star Chart, your strength would increase by at least 20%."

  "Of course, with your current spiritual soul power, you are already qualified to practice the 'Phantom God' technique of spiritual soul attack. If you can master it thoroughly, your winning rate against enemies will also increase greatly."

  Ji Yu quickly recovered and continued to analyze Chen Tang's combat power, "In short, your current strength should be able to contend with the five-star cultivators of the Purple Mansion."

  "Zifu Wuxing? Spanning four heavy realms?" Chen Tai opened his mouth, somewhat disbelieving.

  "But don't underestimate the Zifu cultivators, crossing from the Xiantian realm to Zifu is a fundamental leap, and they can already use entry-level treasure artifacts. These guys have many means at their disposal, and are skilled in various different attack methods - formations, puppets, spiritual fire, spells... In the hands of these Zifu cultivators, all of these can unleash overwhelming power."

  "In short, all you need to remember is that the Zifu practitioners also have their strengths and weaknesses. A one-star Zifu can kill a nine-star Zifu, and there are many such cases. There are even some Zifu practitioners who can behead Huangting practitioners!"

  Chen Xiao took a deep breath in reverse, and suddenly felt that after listening to Ji Yu's explanation, he became even more confused.

  "What's surprising, didn't you also kill a Violet Mansion cultivator back in the Pre-Heaven realm? At that time, you hadn't even established your Dao foundation, couldn't fly or manipulate magical artifacts."

  Ji Yu smiled and said, "I've said so much just to remind you that you should never underestimate any enemy, but also don't be afraid of fighting. If you can't win, then run away, it's not a big deal. Some strong people are actually grown up by being chased and killed one by one, and finally they destroy the ones who were chasing them."

  "That guy's escape skills must be exceptionally fierce, otherwise he would have been surrounded and killed long ago." Chen Xiao's heart felt a little lighter, and she couldn't help but tease him with a sentence.

  "It's true, I remember that strong person was surnamed Han and had the nickname 'Han Pao Pao', unfortunately he was a figure from before the ancient times."

  Ji Yu's eyes revealed a nostalgic color, and he let out a sigh before changing the subject. "I suggest you focus your mind on cultivating your body and spiritual soul from today onwards. Once you've cultivated your body to the Purple Mansion realm, you should be able to pass through the first trial of the Heavenly Peak."

  Tianfeng's First Re-Refining Trial?

  Chen Xiao looked down at his palm, and under the skin and flesh, a jade pendant pattern was faintly visible.

  One by one, the scenes flashed through his mind: the spiritual mark left behind by his mother, Lü Xue; the Starry Secret Realm; the rolling river where Ji Yu had hidden himself; and the towering, dark peak that pierced the clouds in the center of the great river...

  PS: Writing this chapter, listening to Xu Wei's song as free as the wind, I remembered my infatuation with "Ordinary People" many years ago, and Han Lu Lu... Now time flies, I've also been writing for two or three years, it's really sigh-worthy.