Chapter 1820 - 164: Methods! Strategies! (2)

"I hope Brother Jiang won’t hold it against me!" Ji Minghao cupped his hands to Jiang Ning again as he said the last sentence.

"You’re too polite, Your Majesty. Please." Jiang Ning said.

"I’ll take my leave." Ji Minghao cupped his hands to Jiang Ning, then turned and departed.

Jiang Ning watched Ji Minghao’s back disappear around the corner before finally withdrawing his gaze.

The thoughtful look in his eyes faded along with it.

Then he looked toward the direction of the island palace on Li River.

In that great battle two days ago, the place that took the greatest collateral damage was that island in the center of Li River.

And after this battle, he felt even more convinced of the choice he’d made before.

If that Heavenly Soldier had come knocking at his own mansion two days ago, what would have happened?

The aftershocks of the fight alone could have caused devastating collateral damage.

Not only would the residence be destroyed, it would also mean his family, those he cared about, would be hurt, even killed.

"I still need to keep pushing my strength. The central island of the Li River palace really is a good spot." The thought flashed through his heart; his figure flickered and vanished into the corridor.

The next instant.

He appeared at the center of the island palace.

In that great battle two days ago, this central island had been affected the most.

Under the sweep of his Heart Spirit’s perception, he could clearly see that the island’s area had been reduced by half by the battle’s aftershocks.

On the remaining island, rocks had shattered, trees were broken, buildings had collapsed—wreckage everywhere, like a true scene of the apocalypse.

His Heart Spirit swept across the entire island once, then he withdrew his perception and looked to the panel.

[Source Points]: 396.8

[Skill]: Black Dragon Swallowing Whale Skill (Nine times limit-breaking 68756/100000) (trait: Whale Swallowing (deep gold) Dan Sea (light purple) Dragon Tendon (light gold) Dragon Body (deep gold) Innate Spiritual Light (light gold))

The Experience Value accumulation of the Black Dragon Swallowing Whale Skill was not far off from Perfection, but he had less than four hundred Source Points, far from enough to support the next Break Limit advancement of the Black Dragon Swallowing Whale Skill.

By his estimation, the next breakthrough of the Black Dragon Swallowing Whale Skill would require a full one thousand Source Points.

For him as he was now, that amount was an astronomical figure.

If he wanted to amass a thousand Source Points, he’d basically need another two Silver Armored Heavenly Soldiers to show up for him to kill; otherwise the difficulty was far too high in his view.

The thought flashed through his mind, and his gaze shifted downward to fall upon the Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method.

[Skill]: Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method (Seven times limit-breaking 6/80000) (trait: True Self Only (deep gold)...)

This cultivation technique concerned the intensity of his spiritual power.

And in his eyes, this cultivation technique was extremely extraordinary.

Because this cultivation technique strengthened the True Spirit.

And the True Spirit is the true Origin existence of a person.

It is the Origin that concerns past and present lives.

The strengthening of the True Spirit is intimately tied to aptitude, comprehension.

He had even, by relying on this cultivation technique, brushed against the existence of the river of time, truly entering the river of time.

At the same time, in his view, if he wanted to reach those eight words the Martial Saint had spoken of—

"Body boundless, spirit unshackled"—it would inevitably be inseparable from this cultivation technique.

Counting across his entire body, cultivation techniques that could affect the intensity of his spiritual power and strengthen his spirit were few and far between.

And the Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method was, without doubt, the most worthwhile cultivation technique to improve.

Though he still had no clear path forward, he knew his direction was not wrong.

Countless thoughts flashed quickly through his heart, and his gaze once more focused, landing on this cultivation technique.

"The next breakthrough requires two hundred Source Points. Right now, I have just enough."

"As for direction, as long as it’s not wrong, then I need only walk it with unwavering determination."

"Spirit, body—endlessly raised, endlessly strengthened—I will eventually touch that brand-new world the Martial Saint spoke of."

Looking at the current panel, he murmured inwardly.

After sorting through his thoughts, he closed the panel.

Then he took a deep breath.

His inner heart gradually became empty and clear, all stray thoughts wiped away.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his Heart Spirit sank into the depths of the Spirit Platform.

That Primordial Spirit identical to him sat cross-legged in the void, faint black-and-white mysterious light coiling around it.

At present, Yin and Yang were still in a balanced state.

The next moment, his consciousness once again merged as one with the Primordial Spirit.

Boom——

The familiar rumble exploded in the depths of the Spirit Platform.

That illusory, majestic river of time once again surfaced within his perception.

The river water surged, flowing ceaselessly; countless fine fragments of True Spirit floated up and down in the dim waters like fireflies, shining with a faint glow.

This time, compared to the shock of the previous times, what he felt in his heart was more steadiness.

With a slight move of thought, his own existence was like a lamp being lit in the dim long river.

The light was not dazzling, yet carried a kind of moth-to-flame attraction.

In an instant, the drifting True Spirit fragments in all directions were like countless moths drawn by this lamp; like a hundred rivers converging into the sea, they all surged toward him, pouring directly into him.

Along the inflow of True Spirit fragments, they strengthened the True Spirit essence at the depths of his Spirit Platform.

He could clearly feel his spiritual power beginning to slowly rise, slowly grow, like grass and trees under a nourishing spring rain—the process slow, yet extremely firm.

[Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method Experience Value +135]

[Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method Experience Value +142]

[Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method Experience Value +128]

[...]

One notification after another flashed continuously before his eyes.

Each notification increased his Experience Value accumulation by a bit, and his own spiritual intensity was also slowly growing.

He let his mind be free of distractions, fully immersed in this wondrous cultivation state.

All things in the outside world, the passage of time—at this moment, it was as if none of it had anything to do with him anymore.

As the setting sun sank, a clear bright moon rose.

Moonlight spilled over the lake’s surface; the night breeze blew gently, setting ten thousand silver scales rippling across the lake.

As time went by, the bright moon overhead slowly rose to the zenith, and only then did Jiang Ning slowly open his eyes.

Whoosh——

He lightly exhaled a mouthful of impure energy; his breath was like a sword, whipping up a clear surge on the lake’s surface.

[Skill]: Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method (Seven times limit-breaking 36773/80000) (trait: True Self Only (deep gold)...)

"The progress has passed halfway. With tomorrow’s accumulation, this cultivation technique can advance further. It’s just that getting Source Points from now on is going to be troublesome."

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but knit his brows.

The Source Points he needed now were getting more and more outrageous.

Every time it was several hundred points just to bring about a noticeable improvement in his strength.

And he knew very well that a few hundred points still weren’t enough to let him touch that great human secret the Martial Saint spoke of—that so-called brand-new world.

On the path of the body, even though in these two days the Black Dragon Swallowing Whale Skill had broken limits again and again, dramatically boosting his physique, particularly his strength which had multiplied several times over.

Even with such dramatically obvious improvement, he still hadn’t discovered the great human secret, not to mention that the Spirit Platform Cave-Illumination True Self Method had only reached this level.

It had merely completed seventy percent of the limit-breaks on top of Perfection.

"Spirit, body, Source Points..." he muttered in his heart.

Then he stood up.

The next instant, he lifted his head and glanced at the position of the bright moon overhead, then moved.

In a flash he turned into an inconspicuous streak of flowing light, silently skimming across the surface of Li River’s waters, returning to Dongling Marquis Mansion in an instant.

It was already the deep hours of midnight.

The mansion was utterly quiet, only a few lamps under the corridors swaying in the wind.

And that cold moonlight pouring onto the cobblestone-paved path, providing a bit of light.

He walked along the cobbled path toward Lin Qingyi’s courtyard.

A short while later.

Creeeak——

The sound of a window opening echoed in the night.

"Who?!" Lin Qingyi’s cold low shout rang out in the pitch-black room.

"It’s me." Jiang Ning’s voice sounded in response.

At the same time.

Lin Qingyi smelled that familiar scent—extremely pleasant, a scent that set her heart at ease.

Her taut body instantly softened.

"What are you sneaking into my room so late at night for?" she lightly snorted.

"For serious business, of course." Jiang Ning gave a faint smile.

A short while later.

The moon slipped into the clouds, and soft, lilting moans sounded in the room.