Chapter 491 - 487: Perfection of Thousand-Mile Soul-Locking

Chapter 491: Chapter 487: Perfection of Thousand-Mile Soul-Locking

The seventh day, the eighth day, the ninth day.

The threshold was now so thin it was almost nonexistent.

The tenth day.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, sandalwood smoke curled in the air.

Fang Han sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his eyes slightly closed. The aura around him was as still as water.

The technique for the Thousand-Mile Soul Lock flowed through his mind. A mysterious energy circulated between his nasal passages and meridians, each cycle smoother and more harmonious than the last.

Suddenly—

HUMMM...

A faint hum that only he could perceive resonated from deep within his body.

The sound was so faint it was nearly imperceptible, yet it seemed to have opened an invisible door.

In that instant, his world of perception underwent a world-shaking transformation.

The auras that were already clear and discernible now became even more layered, more detailed, and more microscopic in their precision.

The faint traces of aura from a month ago, so faded they were almost gone, were now as clear in his senses as if they had been left yesterday.

He could grasp the source, direction, and strength of every single wisp of aura.

And his perceptive range expanded outwards explosively.

From five li, to six li, to seven li, to eight li—

It continued to stretch until it reached a full ten li before stopping.

Within a ten-li radius, the rustle of wind in the grass, the crawling of insects, the scurrying of birds and beasts—he perceived the auras of all.

"Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, Perfection."

Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, a trace of undisguised joy flashing within them.

After ten days of Cultivation, the Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, a Top-grade Secret Technique, had finally reached Perfection.

HUMMM—

Getting to his feet, he activated the Tracking Secret Technique, which had already reached the Realm of Perfection, with a mere thought.

The mysterious energy surged from his nostrils and spread out in all directions.

Within ten li, the auras of all things were under his control.

Everything was clear, discernible, and layered.

"At the Great Success stage, I could already perceive Grandmaster Powerhouses who were hiding their aura."

"Now that I’ve reached Perfection, even a Grandmaster Powerhouse who has cultivated a Breath Concealment Secret Technique would probably find it difficult to evade my senses."

Fang Han muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly in the silent Quiet Chamber.

Within a ten-li radius, the rustle of wind in the grass, the crawling of insects, the scurrying of birds and beasts—he perceived the auras of all.

The disciples walking on the mountain path exuded auras of varying strength—some were steady, some were weak, some were sharp, and some were tranquil.

He could grasp the source, direction, and strength of every single wisp of aura.

The sensation was wonderful.

’That Grandmaster Demon is skilled at concealing its aura. Even the Elders from the Seven Sects who specialize in Tracking failed to find its trail. But as long as I can find a recent trace...’

Fang Han was confident that with his Thousand-Mile Soul Lock at the Realm of Perfection, his tracking ability had certainly surpassed that of the Seven Sects’ tracking Elders.

As long as he could find a recent trace left by the Grandmaster Demon, he couldn’t be absolutely certain, but he was highly confident he could track it.

"Secret Techniques are very useful after all!"

Fang Han said, deeply moved.

In terms of importance, Secret Techniques might not compare to Inner Qi Cultivation Techniques, Body Hardening Techniques, Swordsmanship, or Body Techniques, but they were sometimes incredibly useful.

He knew this from deep personal experience.

If his Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill hadn’t reached Perfection, he likely would have been exposed long ago when he was plundering the Netherworld Pavilion’s assets.

If not for his breakthrough in the Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, he wouldn’t have even been able to detect the presence of Supreme Elder Gu Changqing.

’My Top Grade Breath Concealment Secret Technique and Top-Grade Tracking Secret Technique have both reached Perfection. There’s no room for further improvement...’

Fang Han mused to himself.

’Both my Top Grade Breath Concealment Secret Technique and Top-Grade Tracking Secret Technique are at Perfection. I should find some time to visit the Library Pavilion and see if there are any higher-level tracking and breath concealment techniques.’

’If I can obtain higher-level breath concealment and tracking techniques, my abilities in these two areas will undoubtedly rise to another level.’

’By then, my chances of tracking that Grandmaster Demon will be even greater.’

CRACKLE-POP—

Fang Han stood up and stretched his body, which had grown stiff from sitting for so long. His joints let out a series of soft crackles.

He was in excellent condition.

In ten days, not only had his Thousand-Mile Soul Lock broken through to Perfection, but his injuries had also completely healed.

’Even with my recovery speed as an Upper Three Grades Martial Artist, plus a precious Healing Elixir, it still took ten days to recover. That just shows how severe my injuries were.’

Fang Han glanced down at his left shoulder, the spot where Xue Yuanlang’s Palm Wind had struck him.

In his battle with Xue Yuanlang, he had given it his all and suffered extremely severe injuries.

’That old bastard may have lost an arm and been seriously wounded, but the foundation of a First Grade Martial Artist was still there.’

’If he hadn’t first been gravely injured in a sneak attack by Chen Wanjun, and then had an arm severed by my own sneak attack, I would have had no chance of winning.’

’I can’t wait to start my Swordsmanship cultivation.’

Fang Han took a deep breath, barely able to contain his anticipation.

Ten days without practicing his sword, ten days without cultivating his Body Technique—for a Martial Artist accustomed to daily Cultivation, it was sheer torture.

Now that his injuries were healed, he wanted to experience for himself just how fast his Swordsmanship Cultivation could be after consuming the three stalks of Sword-shaped Grass.

He turned and pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber.

The afternoon sun washed over him, carrying the unique warmth and brightness of early summer.

The bamboo grove in the courtyard was a lush, vibrant green, rustling in the gentle breeze. A few bamboo leaves spiraled down, tracing graceful arcs through the light.

Fang Han crossed the courtyard and headed toward the backyard.

The backyard was more spacious than the front, and it was where Fang Han usually practiced his Swordsmanship and Body Technique.

The ground was paved with smooth, flat bluestone.

A few clumps of green bamboo were planted around the perimeter, casting mottled shadows in the afternoon sun.

Fang Han stopped in the center of the open space, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

His right hand rested on his sword’s hilt.

SHING—

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath.

The dark cyan blade shimmered with a restrained light under the sun. Wherever its edge pointed, the air itself seemed to stagnate slightly.

He didn’t immediately execute any Sword Techniques. Instead, he stood holding his sword, his eyes closed in concentration.

In his mind, the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique began to flow.

The Sword Technique transformations and methods for circulating Inner Qi, which he had long since memorized, now played out in his mind with an unprecedented smoothness.

The feeling of fluency was like stumbling along a muddy path and suddenly stepping onto a wide, flat road.

Every step was steadier and faster than before.

’Just as I thought...’

Fang Han opened his eyes, an undisguised flash of joy in their depths.

Without delay, he slowly thrust the Cloud Splitting Sword forward.

The thrust was very slow.

It was so slow that every inch of movement was clearly visible, so slow that as the tip cut through the air, you could even see the faint ripples it created as it pushed the air aside.

But the moment the thrust was complete—

A very faint ripple appeared in the air.

The ripple was more solid and lasted longer than before his injury, as if space itself had been slightly shaken by the blow.

Fang Han withdrew his sword and thrust again.

The second thrust was a bit faster than the first.

The third, faster still.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...

His sword moved faster and faster. Its gleam flickered in the courtyard, sometimes gentle and silent like a caress of wind, other times as sharp and peerless as a sudden clap of thunder.

But this "speed" was not one of hasty impatience, but of effortless grace.

It was as if every thrust was perfectly under his control, each one executed just right.

’The Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, a Grandmaster Swordsmanship renowned for its profundity, is no longer profound to me.’

As he cultivated, beads of sweat formed on Fang Han’s brow, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.

He now felt less like he was cultivating a Grandmaster Swordsmanship and more like he was cultivating a top-level Swordsmanship.

The difficulty had been drastically reduced.

The finer points were now clear and easy to comprehend, like clouds parting to reveal the sun.

Circulating his Inner Qi was natural and effortless.

The transformations of the Sword Techniques, the circulation of Inner Qi, the fusion of the Wind Realm and Sword Momentum—

Everything had become unprecedentedly clear.

’The reason for this change is obviously the Swordsmanship Talent boost from the three stalks of Sword-shaped Grass, combined with the effect of my 256x Swordsmanship Talent Amplification.’

Fang Han understood clearly in his heart.

The three stalks of Sword-shaped Grass had raised his innate Swordsmanship Talent from five times the base talent to eleven times.

For any other Martial Artist, this sixfold increase in base talent would be an improvement, but it would be far from exaggerated.

In his hands, however, it received a 256x amplification, resulting in a Swordsmanship enhancement that far surpassed a mere "sixfold increase in base talent."

Under this absurd enhancement, the difficulty of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique was naturally reduced by a large margin.

’I’ll keep going.’

Fang Han took a deep breath and thrust the Cloud Splitting Sword forward again.

This thrust was faster and fiercer than before.

The gleam of the sword was like a bolt of silk, streaking across the courtyard in a condensed cyan arc.

In the air, the faint ripple grew clearer and more persistent.

He performed the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique over and over, and with each repetition, it became a fraction more harmonious, a fraction more fluid.

His progress was visible to the naked eye.

He could feel his understanding of this Swordsmanship deepening at an astonishing rate.

The transformations of the Sword Techniques, the circulation of Inner Qi, the fusion of the Wind Realm and Sword Momentum—

Everything became clearer and more transparent than ever before.

’At this rate of Cultivation, reaching Mastery won’t take long at all!’

Fang Han believed that with his current Swordsmanship Talent, it definitely wouldn’t take long to cultivate the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique to Mastery.

Four hours passed quietly amidst the crisscrossing flashes of the sword.

The bluestone ground of the courtyard was now scarred with shallow marks plowed by invisible Sword Qi, and many of the leaves and branches on the bamboo clumps had been lopped off.

Fang Han sheathed his sword and stood still, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air. Sweat beaded on his temples, but his eyes were brighter than ever.

After four hours of non-stop practice, his understanding of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique had deepened yet again.

The circulation of Sword Intent that had once required conscious effort now gradually became instinctual. As soon as the thought arose, the Sword Intent would follow.

Even he was surprised by this rate of progress.

"The effects of the three stalks of Sword-shaped Grass certainly weren’t wasted."

Fang Han murmured to himself, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.

He returned the Cloud Splitting Sword to its sheath and stretched his slightly sore right arm. Instead of going back inside to rest, he turned, walked back to the center of the open space, and closed his eyes to focus his mind.

The Heart Method for the Wind God Step flowed through his mind.