Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

“It’s been canceled.”

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Chen Fei’s mouth. He had thought he would need to find another time to kill someone to make them realize the truth.

Unexpectedly, with the death of Mo Shiyi, they immediately removed the task hanging over the Death Shadow Sect. Clearly, they wanted to prove their submission through this move.

As for the fifty medium-grade elemental stones from the Death Shadow Sect, Chen Fei wasn’t in a hurry to collect them. He wasn’t even in a rush to engage in the remaining three sects’ battles.

Those three sects were not going anywhere; they couldn’t escape.

In another month or two, after conveying the message that he had recovered from his injuries to the outside world, it wouldn’t be too late to challenge them.

What Chen Fei was more inclined to do now was to cultivate various techniques and improve his own cultivation level.

Inside Mo Shiyi’s Qiankun Bag, there were some jade slips containing techniques, but they were all relatively ordinary, not as impressive as Zhu Guannu’s. Moreover, they didn’t contain the sect’s foundational techniques like those of the Drifting Cloud Sect, which made Chen Fei feel a bit regretful.

However, Chen Fei now had some spare money, and if he really finished practicing all the techniques in his possession, he could go buy a few more.

And who knows, when he’s in need of a technique, maybe a kind-hearted Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert will give him one, just like the Qiankun Bag.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and Chen Fei had cultivated the Transmutation Art and the Heart-Breaking Technique to the realm of Great Completion.

To avoid wasting the sword energy within the spatial grid, Chen Fei deliberately took some time to go to the outer sea.

It was said that there were many evils in the outer sea, but it took Chen Fei five days to find a peak-level Third-Tier Evil.

Just like when he had killed Mo Shiyi, Chen Fei used the Blood Ignition Technique and the Aperture-Cracking Technique in conjunction with the explosive sword energy within the spatial grid to severely wound the octopus-like evil with a single strike.

It was said that evils carried valuable parts, especially Third-Tier Evils, whose parts could fetch a good price in the market.

However, true Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts who made a living by slaughtering evils were still relatively rare.

This was because evils had incredibly strong vitality, far superior to humans of the same level.

The sword strike Chen Fei had just executed had already reached the attack power of the mid-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm, and hardly any early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm martial artists could withstand it.

Even if they had defensive treasures, it would be a challenge unless the quality of the treasure was top-notch.

But how many early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts possessed top-notch treasures?

For evils, although Chen Fei’s strike was terrifying, the number of evils that could withstand it was well over ninety percent. Only a small portion of them, with inherently weak physical constitutions, would be killed with a single strike.

Furthermore, this evil became even more dangerous after being severely wounded.

The saying “a cornered beast fights the hardest” was particularly true at this moment; evils often became more frenzied in such situations.

Without hesitation, Chen Fei gave the octopus-like evil a second strike, completely killing it, and also clearing two strands of sword energy from the spatial grid in the process.

This octopus-like evil was tens of meters long, and when Chen Fei brought it back to the Primordial Sword Sect, the entire sect was in an uproar.

Because no one in the Primordial Sword Sect had ever seen a evil with such cultivation, and in the territory of Immortal Cloud City, evils were already rare, let alone third-stage ones.

Moreover, within the Boundless Sea, this level of evil wouldn’t appear, and even the Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts from various sects rarely took such risks.

As for how to deal with this third-stage octopus-like evil, Chen Fei handed it over to the sect leader, Qu Qingsheng, and the others, while he returned to his Tingfeng Pavilion, preparing to accumulate new sword energy in the spatial grid.

Blood Ignition Technique! Transmutation Art! Heart-Breaking Technique!! Aperture-Cracking Technique!

The four forbidden techniques were simultaneously unleashed, and each one had reached the realm of Great Completion. Compared to two months ago, Chen Fei’s aura had increased further at this moment. However, he also realized that he couldn’t gather any more power.

The burden on the physique from the four forbidden techniques was too heavy. If Chen Fei gathered more power, it would cause irreversible damage to his physical body, leaving behind some lasting effects, just like the results of other Combined Aperture Tempering realm practitioners using forbidden techniques.

As a result, the direct consequence was that the power of the techniques Chen Fei unleashed in this state was almost the same as those stored in the spatial grid from before.

In other words, Chen Fei’s deliberate release of those two strands of sword energy was equivalent to a wasted effort. Of course, at least he gained a third-stage octopus-like evil, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

One piece of good news was that Chen Fei could now have the same explosive power in actual combat as the sword energy stored in the spatial grid, albeit only for one or two strikes.

However, even that was quite remarkable.

How many early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm practitioners could possess such formidable strength without relying on powerful treasures?

But because the outcome of battles was unpredictable, if Chen Fei were to use the four forbidden techniques in actual combat, the injuries and lasting effects he would suffer would be much greater than they are now.

Wanting to recover safely like this after an explosive burst in real combat was impossible.

In other words, the four forbidden techniques were only suitable for use in desperate situations.

In regular situations, it was still best to rely on the Blood Ignition Technique and the Aperture-Cracking Technique for combat. This way, Chen Fei wouldn’t suffer any lasting effects or burdens.

While Chen Fei was storing sword energy in the spatial grid, the news of his single-handed slaying of a Third-Tier Evil spread in the vicinity.

This further spread Chen Fei’s reputation and boosted the Primordial Sword Sect’s prestige.

Qin Haishan and the others even came to the Primordial Sword Sect, wanting to purchase some octopus-like evil flesh and blood from Chen Fei.

Fresh evil flesh and blood were excellent cultivation resources for martial artists, especially for those below the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, where the effects were even more outstanding.

Within the Sea Peak City, there were hardly any Combined Aperture Tempering realm practitioners who would specifically hunt down Third-Tier Evils, and each time it was a team effort. The evils that were eventually divided up rarely made it to the market.

Qin Haishan and the others had their own sects and seldom engaged in hunting evils because the risks of getting injured or even severely injured were not worth the potential gains.

Chen Fei had initially wanted to give them as a gift, but Qin Haishan and the others refused and insisted on purchasing the items from him at market prices.

Even in an alliance, sometimes things had to be settled clearly, especially considering Chen Fei’s current position, which seemed to be that of a leader within the alliance.

The death of Mo Shiyi, even if the Drifting Cloud Sect had wanted to keep it a secret, couldn’t be concealed for long. It had been two months since then, and the news had already spread throughout the entire Sea Peak City.

Overnight, the Drifting Cloud Sect had fallen from a fourth-tier power to a fifth-tier one, and the influence of the entire sect had significantly regressed.

Regarding Mo Shiyi’s death, there were various opinions within the Sea Peak City, but many people felt that it might be related to Chen Fei.

Of course, such things without evidence could only be discussed privately, but that’s how most people felt.

The Drifting Cloud Sect also held this view, but they didn’t dare to take any action against Chen Fei or say anything more.

At this point, trying to provoke Chen Fei again would be like hastening their own sect’s destruction if it hadn’t already crumbled.

The victims themselves remained silent, and naturally, others couldn’t say much.

Qin Haishan and the others also suspected that Mo Shiyi’s death might be related to Chen Fei, but no one asked because it was an uncomfortable topic, and asking wouldn’t serve any purpose.

Continuously strengthening the alliance’s relationship was the next step to take. As long as Chen Fei remained within the alliance, they would undoubtedly reap various direct or indirect benefits in the future.

Another month passed, and Chen Fei challenged Hu Yanwu.

Unsurprisingly, Hu Yanwu immediately conceded and, under the witness of Bi Zhongxun, handed over five hundred medium-grade elemental stones to Chen Fei.

The wait for Chen Fei to issue a challenge had been quite agonizing for Hu Yanwu and his group. Especially after Chen Fei single-handedly killed a peak-level Third-Tier Evil, their anxiety had reached its peak.

They were afraid that Chen Fei might not let them go and would consider assassinating them one day to eliminate the threat.

Now, the Blood Battle had finally come, and Hu Yanwu, in the presence of Bi Zhongxun, showed complete surrender, lowering his attitude to an extreme degree, expressing a thorough submission.

“I acknowledge defeat, I was wrong, please spare me!”

The outcome of this Blood Battle quickly spread throughout the Sea Peak City. However, everyone had mentally prepared for it, and not many people expected Hu Yanwu to stubbornly resist to the end.

One’s life was their own responsibility.

Without pausing, Chen Fei continued to challenge the other two sects, and the results were self-evident. He gained another one thousand medium-grade elemental stones.

The enthusiasm among the young people in the entire Sea Peak City to join the Primordial Sword Sect had grown significantly. The Primordial Sword Sect’s influence in the Sea Peak City had reached its peak, overshadowing all other sects and forces.

Interestingly, there was no discontent among any of the other sects.

This was the result of strength—impressive strength that left no room for complaints.

After the three Blood Battles, Chen Fei immersed himself completely in the process of cultivation.

Except for occasional fluctuations in the natural energy around the Tingfeng Pavilion, accompanied by faint, coquettish whispers, the Tingfeng Pavilion remained calm for the most part.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed, and Chen Fei had cultivated the Light Slicing Shadow Sword, his primary cultivation technique, to the realm of perfection.

He also seamlessly integrated the Azure Sky Technique into it. The mastery of this combined technique, which now incorporated three different martial arts, only dropped to half of its perfection.

It was clear that the Azure Sky Technique, a common Combined Aperture Tempering realm technique, provided diminishing benefits to the Light Slicing Shadow Sword.

In addition to martial arts, Chen Fei’s cultivation had advanced significantly. With nearly a year of intense consumption of elixirs, he was now approaching the second stage of Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

In a short time, he would likely be ready to break through.

It had only been a little over three years since Chen Fei broke through to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, which was quite a rapid advancement.

Early in the morning, as the sun rose in the east, Tong Zhongqiu appeared at the Primordial Sword Sect.

“The passage has been discovered?” Chen Fei asked with some surprise.

“Yes, that mysterious city disappeared at some point, revealing the passage. Now, many people from the Boundless Sea have gone to Immortal Cloud City,” Tong Zhongqiu nodded.

Chen Fei contemplated the situation. The discovery of the passage was inevitable.

People from the Boundless Sea who ventured to Immortal Cloud City would likely return soon, as the spiritual energy there was much thinner compared to the Boundless Sea.

It was detrimental to their cultivation and martial progress.

Two more months passed, and Chen Fei’s cultivation reached the pinnacle of the first stage, with a breakthrough to the second stage imminent..