Chapter 394 - 206: Golden Fire Skill, a Killing Magic

Chapter 394: Chapter 206: Golden Fire Skill, a Killing Magic

As he spoke, he took a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Wenqing. "These are Five Yang Qi Gathering Pills. They are refined with five types of supplementary herbs of a warm, yang nature. While not as effective as directly absorbing the world’s essence, they are gentle and stable. They can quickly replenish depleted Five Yang Qi and are particularly suited to your innate talent. Whenever you feel your energy waning, just take one and meditate for a short while."

"Thank you for the pills, Master." Yang Wenqing accepted them respectfully and put them away with care.

"Come. Follow me and let’s take a look at the scenery of our founder’s sanctuary." Qin Huaiming was in high spirits and took the lead, strolling leisurely along the path beside the mountain stream.

Yang Wenqing and Lan Ying followed close behind. For the rest of the afternoon, the three of them strolled about the paradise that was Jade Chime Island.

They passed through the Sun-facing Valley, where shores of soft, white sand met a mist formed from pure Spiritual Qi. There, Yang Wenqing practiced sensing and gathering the active fire qi, working on stabilizing its fusion with metal qi.

They stopped before a rugged, shaded cliff face where strange, metallic-looking moss grew. Here, Yang Wenqing captured metal qi, practicing the precision of its compression and control.

They climbed to a cliffside platform that offered a wide view of the sea. Under his master’s protection, Yang Wenqing practiced rapidly guiding and unleashing his magic in the howling wind.

They even passed through a strange hollow where a geothermal hot spring coexisted with a cold-iron ore vein. The metal and fire qi there were exceptionally active and clashed violently. It was here that Yang Wenqing undertook his most difficult training, practicing how to resist interference and maintain balance. He nearly lost control several times.

Each time Yang Wenqing cast his magic, he consumed a great deal of Five Yang Qi. Whenever he felt its circulation within him grow sluggish, he would take a Five Yang Qi Gathering Pill, find a quiet spot, and sit cross-legged to meditate for a while.

Lan Ying, meanwhile, was like a happy blue sprite, flitting cheerfully around the master and his disciple. At times, she would soar high into the sky to gaze down at the magnificent island and sea. At others, she would skim over treetops and flowerbeds, startling glowing petals and insects into flight. Then she would land on Yang Wenqing’s shoulder or a nearby branch, her little head tilted as she watched, completely engrossed, while he cast his magic time and time again.

Before they knew it, the sun had sunk low in the west, dyeing the sea of clouds on the horizon and the vast, azure waves a brilliant golden-red.

Qin Huaiming stopped on a high slope overlooking most of the island and the distant sunset. He gazed at his disciple, who was slightly weary but had bright eyes, and at the still-energetic Lan Ying beside him, a satisfied smile gracing his face.

"That is all for today. Go back, rest, and recover your energy. Reflect on and internalize everything you learned today. Your Elder Gu You should be returning to the island tomorrow." Qin Huaiming’s voice seemed to carry far on the sea breeze.

Yang Wenqing gazed at the enormous setting sun on the horizon. He could feel the Five Yang Qi within him; though much of it was spent, it now circulated with greater fluidity and ease. A faint, keen sensitivity to metal and fire qi lingered at his fingertips. His heart filled with a sense of confidence and anticipation.

Upon returning to the grand, empty pavilion, he stepped into the Quiet Chamber on the second floor, which faced the sea. Outside, twilight had replaced the daylight, and the illumination runes inlaid in the room’s walls automatically lit up with a soft glow.

However, Yang Wenqing did not immediately begin cultivating as he usually would. He walked over to the wide cloud bed and simply fell backward onto it. The bed was soft and springy, and he couldn’t help but relax.

The room was exceptionally quiet, the only sounds being the faint crash of waves outside the high window and the sparse calls of night birds returning to their nests in the distant forest. The air was filled with Jade Chime Island’s unique Five Yang Five Qi, which seeped into his body and mind like invisible, all-pervading warm water.

Yang Wenqing closed his eyes, letting his body sink into the softness of the cloud bed as every muscle loosened.

"Qingqing, are you tired?" Lan Ying landed on the edge of the cloud bed with a flutter of its wings. It tilted its little head, looking at the supine Yang Wenqing, its sapphire-blue eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah, a little," Yang Wenqing replied in his Spirit Sea, his voice tinged with languor. "But it feels really good to just lie here. You seemed to have a lot of fun today."

Lan Ying immediately perked up, its little wings fluttering. "This place is so big and beautiful, and it feels so good to fly! It’s just..." It paused, a bit embarrassed. "It’s just, watching you practice that shiny magic all day, Qingqing... you look so tired, and I can’t do anything to help."

"You’ve already helped me a lot," Yang Wenqing responded.

Lan Ying seemed a bit bashful. It scratched the surface of the cloud bed with its little claws, making a faint rustling sound. Then, copying Yang Wenqing, it found a comfortable spot near his pillow, curled into a blue ball of fluff, and closed its eyes.

The man and the owl lay there in silence, no longer communicating.

However, Yang Wenqing was not one to indulge in leisure. After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, most of his physical fatigue had faded and his mental grogginess was gone. A drive, born from his very instincts as a cultivator, began to quietly stir within him.

He shook off the last vestiges of languor that made him long to stay in bed and opened his eyes. He then sat up and settled into a standard meditative posture on the cloud bed.

He began with the most fundamental form of Qi Cultivation, guiding the Spiritual Qi of the Grand Circulation within him. He let it flow at a gentle, natural rhythm through his Spiritual Veins, completing one basic cycle after another.

While in this state of basic Qi Cultivation, he also took the time to carefully reflect on and internalize his daytime practice of the Golden Fire Skill, recalling the physical sensation of casting the magic.

This was the cultivation of ’stillness.’ While it appeared to be without progress, it was in fact strengthening his very foundation, harmonizing his body and mind, and accumulating a deeper well of power for the next ’action.’

Lan Ying sensed the change in Yang Wenqing’s state. She didn’t disturb him, only shifting her position slightly to get more comfortable as she continued her silent vigil.

The night of quiet cultivation passed quickly. Yang Wenqing awoke from his deep meditation the moment the first rays of dawn pierced through the high window.

He opened his eyes. The fatigue and depletion from the previous day’s magic practice were completely gone. His Five Yang Qi had been fully replenished by the autonomous circulation of the Yuqing Secret Skill, and it was even a touch purer and more condensed than before.

He got out of bed and cast a Dust Clearing Skill on himself and the still-sleeping Lan Ying. Then, he ambled out of the Quiet Chamber and down the spiral staircase to the grand, empty hall below.

Morning light slanted in through the enormous windows on the side of the room. Yang Wenqing stood in the center of the hall, feeling the faint, residual sensitivity to metal and fire qi at his fingertips—a physical memory left by his repeated practice of the Golden Fire Skill the day before.

The sensation gave him an irresistible urge to try condensing the metal and fire qi again and practice his new magic. He walked to a large, open window. Just as he was about to raise his hand and sense the two types of qi, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he made a peculiar connection.

He thought of ’concealment’—the core principle of the Sword Control Technique he had worked so hard to master.

’So, what about the Golden Fire Skill? What if I could conceal its sharp edge behind a simple facade, then look for the right moment to deliver a single, fatal blow?’

This idea sent a thrill through Yang Wenqing. He knew it would be difficult, but the path of cultivation required one to develop their own understanding and innovations while adhering to the fundamental principles of the Great Dao.

Besides, he had the absolute control granted by the projection of his Golden Core World.

’It’s worth a try!’

Having made his decision, Yang Wenqing wasted no time. He turned and walked to a more open area in the hall. With utmost caution, he mobilized a wisp of Five Yang Qi to construct a stable Five Yang Qi Field near the center of his right palm.

Then, he carefully sensed for the metal and fire qi. This time, he wasn’t aiming for speed. He drew wisps of metal qi and fire qi into the tiny Five Yang Qi Field in his palm.

Inside the field, he attempted to bring these two faint but conflicting energies into initial contact, trying to harmonize them right against his palm.

At some point, Lan Ying had flown down. It perched quietly on a roof beam, watching the focused Yang Wenqing.

Yang Wenqing was completely focused. The metal and fire qi were like two irritable little snakes, converging under the soothing restraint of the Five Yang Qi. Making them converge was easy, but concealing their sharp potency was incredibly difficult.

The first attempt was a failure. The second was a failure. The third attempt also ended in failure. Yet he was not discouraged, quickly analyzing what went wrong after each attempt.