Nine Astra Skies

Elsewhere in the Sunken Jade Tower, Qiu Ying, Liu Kan, and Liu Xun were maneuvering their way through a boulder cluster. No words could describe the misfortunes they had encountered throughout their journey thus far. After leaving the river, they had been wandering around the first floor of the Sunken Jade Tower for a long time but did not stumble upon any valuable or special item. Instead, they managed to collect a lot of metal scraps, which they might be able to use to smelt and cast into a weapon or two when they went back. Aside from that, they also found two Heaven-Earth Pouches left behind by two combatants who had just died. However, these two pouches contained only some Chi-amassing Pills and a few Chi Deposition Pills – all of which were of no value to Qiu Ying and his companions.

Compared to the losses they had suffered, these gains were too negligible. Since Qiu Ying, Liu Kan, and Liu Xun did not have a map, they kept getting lost and besieged by groups of spirits and demons until the last of their protectors were killed. In the end, the three of them were left trying to escape from this place. They had each suffered some injuries while their clothes were torn and tattered like a beggar’s.

The bloodstains on their bodies had attracted many spirits and demons to trail behind them. Those spirits and demons looked like stray dogs that had caught the scent of meat as they would not stop following the three men. This caused Liu Xun and the others to feel very gloomy since they did not even dare to stop and get some rest. Fortunately, all three of them were Tenth Level combatants so they could look out for one another and would unlikely be stranded to death in this place because of these spirits and demons.

Initially, Liu Xun and his companions were under the impression that they would probably arrive at the Chi-amassing Formation after wandering around for an hour or two. However, after suffering so many setbacks, the thought of giving up began entering their minds. Indeed, Qiu Ying, Liu Kan, and Liu Xun had always lived a comfortable and luxurious lives. Moreover, ever since they had attained their high positions, they never had to go on dangerous adventures like this anymore. Thus, the three of them turned around and retraced their steps.

Qiu Ying and his companions felt somewhat annoyed as they realized that they should have just entered the Sunken Jade Tower along with the Three Major Sects or any other big group of people.

Previously, when they were preparing to enter the Sunken Jade Tower, Qiu Ying and the other two men had been engrossed in calculating their petty interests as they thought about how they would be in a disadvantageous position if they came in here with the Three Major Sects. The three men were worried that if they found any treasure along the way, they would be no match for those from the Three Major Sects so they would not be able to keep much of the treasure for themselves. Thus, it would be better for them to explore this place by themselves. However, after entering the Sunken Jade Tower, Liu Xun and his companions noticed that danger lurked in every corner. Unlike what was claimed by the rumors they had heard, this place was not filled with treasures! As they recalled all the misfortunes they had encountered throughout their journey so far, they became overwhelmed with regret!

Every time the Sunken Jade Tower revealed its entrance, people from the Three Major Sects would come with detailed maps of the tower’s first three floors. These maps were the most confidential documents of the Three Major Sects, which had been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, and had never been divulged to outsiders. The Sunken Jade Tower would open its doors once every fifty years, so an ordinary person could never enter it more than once or twice. Naturally, not many people in the world knew much about the Sunken Jade Tower. The Three Major Sects were able to find their way around easily every time they entered the tower because of these maps they possessed. As for those who decided to venture into this place on their own or with a separate group, such people would usually end up dead or severely injured.

Although the Three Major Sects were located in the Xiwu Empire’s territory, they had lived independently from the outside world and rarely came into contact with any outsider. Thus, outsiders could hardly receive any news or information about the Three Major Sects. While Qiu Ying and his companions held high positions in the Xiwu Empire, they did not know much about the Three Major Sects either.

If the three men wanted to get out of this tower, they would have to go through numerous hardships once again. They might have to endure the same amount of suffering on their way back!

It could be said that Qiu Ying, Liu Kan, and Liu Xun had embarked on this journey in vain as they had encountered many difficulties and complications throughout their journey. Unlike their torturous experience, Ye Chen had a rather smooth sailing journey even though he had taken roughly the same routes as them. However, all spirits and demons would hastily move away from Ye Chen the moment he externalized his Astral Body. One could even say that Ye Chen had not been dragged into any fights or battles at all after entering the Sunken Jade Tower! The three men would probably be extremely peeved if they found out that Ye Chen had made such a smooth progress and was already sitting at the center of the Chi-amassing Formation while enhancing his cultivation base, so much so that his capabilities had become comparable to that of Liu Kan in just a few hours.

While Qiu Ying and his companions were finding their way out of the tower, the battles around the Chi-amassing Formation were still raging intensely. At the same time, Ye Chen continued to cultivate without stopping for even a moment.

As Ye Chen sat in silence in the formation, he reflected upon all the secret discourses of various cultivation systems and martial arts techniques he had read before. Countless words swirled around in his head and his heart was struck by a sudden inspiration which allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of his martial arts techniques.

Ye Chen abruptly rose to his feet and circulated the Celestial Chi in his body. Thus, his chi kept rhythmically flowing inside him.

Fury of Shattering Earth!

Ye Chen performed the Fury of Shattering Earth martial arts technique and swung his palm like a blade. A stream of Metal-type Celestial Chi surged out of his palm as he slashed it down like a giant ax that was razor-sharp and powerful to split a mountain. The immense attack power of the Metal-styled cultivation system was unleashed to the greatest extent when he performed Fury of Shattering Earth this time.

Indeed, Ye Chen’s strike was as mighty as thunder and filled with majestic power!

When Ye Chen swung his palm down, he had achieved the True Advance attainment level in his Fury of Shattering Earth!

Ye Chen experienced a feeling that was too wonderful for words while he was cultivating his martial arts technique at the center of this golden round plate in the Chi-amassing Formation. When he performed his martial arts technique, the slightest chi agitation in his body would be magnified until it became exceptionally clear to him. As a result, Ye Chen had easily identified the problems and mistakes in his cultivation. Therefore, he would be able to take note of all his mistakes and understand how he should cultivate a martial arts technique by performing it right the first time.

Ye Chen exhaled sharply and performed Fury of Shattering Earth again. As Ye Chen swung his palm down like a blade, the might of his strike was slightly more powerful than the first time he had performed this technique.

When Ye Chen performed it the second time, he had gained a deeper comprehension of this technique and achieved the True Adroitness level in his Fury of Shattering Earth. If he wished to attain the True Arete attainment level, he would have to depend on his luck.

As expected, this was a wonderful place for practicing martial arts techniques!

Ye Chen’s mind was filled with excitement as he took the “Palms Puncturing the Cosmos” book out of the Heaven-Earth Pouch and flipped it open to the third page.

The third form of Palms Puncturing the Cosmos — Kunlun Sundering the Mountains!

Kunlun Sundering the Mountains was a mid-Seventh Tier kicking technique that consisted mainly of a low kick and a downward kick. It combined Metal-styled and Fire-styled fighting forms to produce sharp and precise Metal-styled attacks that also contained the lethality of Fire-styled techniques. Ye Chen carefully understood the technique and then began to perform it repeatedly by imitation.

The Kunlun Sundering the Mountains discourse was written in great detail so as Ye Chen started practicing the technique according to its cultivation system, he could identify where he made a mistake based on the changes in his chi flow before making slight adjustments to the way he was practicing the technique. Since this was a mid-Seventh Tier martial arts technique, it was naturally more difficult to master. Even geniuses at cultivation would struggle to practice this technique without studying it for some time. It could be said that Ye Chen had been endowed with favorable natural conditions given his current situation. It was as though this Chi-amassing Formation had been specially set up here to cultivate martial arts techniques. As long as he put in a little more effort, he would certainly be able to master Kunlun Sundering the Mountains in two to three days.

If anyone else were to take his place at the center of the Chi-amassing Formation, the person would be reluctant to leave as well. Ye Chen continued to immerse himself completely in his martial arts cultivation.

It would be rather upsetting if someone were to snatch away Ye Chen’s place since he might have to engage the person in a battle. Nonetheless, Ye Chen was happy that no one had managed to come in yet. Fortunately, no Earth-rank or Heaven-rank Venerable One Rank powerhouses showed up. Otherwise, those six evil spirits in the sky would not be able to ward off powerhouses of such ranks.

What Ye Chen did not know was that this particular Chi-amassing Formation was located in a huge restricted area that was off-limits to Earth-rank or Heaven-rank Venerable One Rank powerhouses, so the most powerful people who could enter this area were top Tenth Level combatants. If not, those six evil spirits above the Chi-amassing Formation would have been defeated by such powerhouses already.

As for those top Tenth Level combatants, they could only keep whining in annoyance as they were unable to enter the formation and enjoy the rich Celestial Chi in it. This indeed was a truly huge torment to them.

There was no indication of night and day in the Sunken Jade Tower. As it was always dimly lit, after having entered into a cultivation state, Ye Chen had no idea how much time had passed as the days went by.