Chapter 207 - 196: Unbelievable

Chapter 207: Chapter 196: Unbelievable

Chen Yue arrived at the doorway and, at a glance, saw the gaunt figure staring at him with eyes as tranquil as an ancient well.

Chen Yue was slightly taken aback, then quickly cupped his hands in a salute. "Greetings, Elder Zhao!"

Zhao Chengwu looked at Chen Yue, and a faint smile actually appeared on the face that was mostly hidden by his hair and beard.

"Focused and diligent. You’re quite impressive."

His voice was hoarse and deep, like someone who hadn’t spoken in a long time, each word scraping out with a dry, grating sound.

Chen Yue hadn’t expected Elder Zhao to take the initiative to praise him. Hearing his words, he quickly cupped his hands. "You flatter me, Elder Zhao. I just didn’t want to waste my time in the Wenda Corridor."

Zhao Chengwu nodded and said no more. His eyes slowly closed like two heavy stone gates swinging shut, and the aura around him dissipated once more, his breathing becoming inaudible.

He seemed to turn back into a statue, blending in with the pillars and stone platform of the corridor.

Chen Yue turned to Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu. He strode forward and cupped his hands in a salute. "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Elder Mo!"

His voice was a bit more cheerful than before. After completing three days of high-intensity cultivation, he naturally felt a sense of ease upon seeing familiar people.

Meng Yu Jin looked at Chen Yue, sensing his spiritual state from his aura. A gentle smile bloomed on her usually placid face, like a warm breeze in the morning light.

"How did your training go? Did you gain anything from your three days in the Wenda Corridor?"

Mo Ciqiu, standing to the side, also smiled. "Are you confident you can slay that Guan Duhai now?"

Her tone was light, but her words were quite serious. It would be a terrible shame if a disciple with such Talent were to actually die.

A smile spread across Chen Yue’s face. He didn’t answer. Instead, he took a single step to the side. The instant his foot landed, nine phantoms appeared on the platform outside the corridor.

Each phantom held a different pose, like a nine-panel scroll unfurling all at once.

The folds of their robes and the texture of the fabric were clearly visible, each phantom gleaming in the morning light with the same luster as his real body.

There was no need to hide his abilities from the two people in the Sect he was closest to. If there was strength to be shown, he would show it.

Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu were both Innate Realm experts. With their level of insight, they could naturally tell which one was Chen Yue’s real body at a glance.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was that nine phantoms existed simultaneously, and each one possessed the same substance and detail as his true self.

This meant that Chen Yue’s control over his Inner Strength, coordination of his aura, and command of his Heart Spirit had all reached a state of perfect harmony when executing the Soaring Void Nine Transitions.

As Meng Yu Jin watched the nine phantoms slowly dissipate, the gentle warmth in her eyes deepened into a broader smile.

’How long has it been since I taught him the Soaring Void Nine Transitions?’

’Chen Yue has already mastered it. With such Talent, how can I not be overjoyed?’ This feeling, this warm sense of fulfillment, was even greater than what she had felt when she broke through to the Innate Realm herself.

Mo Ciqiu watched Chen Yue, the light in her spring-clear eyes shimmering under the morning sun.

’The idea of taking him as a disciple, which had started to fade over the past three days, suddenly resurfaced.’

’The Soaring Void Nine Transitions... Even for me, it took a considerable amount of time to master back in the day.’

Mo Ciqiu had a special constitution that allowed her to sense the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi early, while still in the Marrow Refining Realm. This advantage put her far ahead of her peers in tempering her Heart Spirit and understanding the Heaven and Earth Power.

But innate physical Talent and Talent for comprehending Cultivation Techniques are two different things. She could easily do what others could not, but that didn’t mean she could master every technique at the ultimate speed.

’And Chen Yue, when it comes to learning Cultivation Techniques, is clearly even better than I am.’

Meng Yu Jin nodded, but just as she was about to speak, Chen Yue leaped into the air.

The leap wasn’t particularly high—perhaps thirty feet—but in the next moment, Chen Yue was standing in mid-air, holding a perfectly natural posture.

This sight made the words catch in Meng Yu Jin’s throat. Even Mo Ciqiu, who had been preoccupied with the thought of taking him as a disciple, was left stunned.

Standing in mid-air is nothing for an Innate Realm expert. At such a low altitude, they could use their Primordial Qi Control Power to stand there all day.

But Chen Yue was in the Refining Organ Realm. The power in his body was still Inner Strength, not Primordial Qi. He had no Innate Acupoints to support him, nor Divine Sense to guide him. To stand in the air, even for a brief moment, was an extraordinary feat.

Chen Yue remained in the air for a breath’s time before slowly descending and landing smoothly on the ground.

He looked at Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu, his eyes filled with the joy of sharing his achievement. "Master, Elder Mo, I’ve had some insights into my Body Technique."

Hearing Chen Yue’s words, Meng Yu Jin blinked. She composed herself, shaking off her momentary stupor and regaining the calm and steady demeanor a master should have before her disciple.

She looked at Chen Yue seriously, thought for a moment, and said,

"You’ve trained well, but don’t grow arrogant. A Body Technique is only one part of combat, not the whole."

"Yes, Master!" Chen Yue said with a smile.

Hearing Meng Yu Jin’s words, Mo Ciqiu couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her.

She turned to Chen Yue, her tone much more enthusiastic than Meng Yu Jin’s. "That wasn’t just ’well,’ that was incredible! I’m suddenly confident about that ’Horse Treading Sword Heart Ranking’ goal you mentioned!"

Chen Yue cupped his hands in response. "You flatter me, Elder Mo. I still have a lot of room for improvement."

Mo Ciqiu chuckled at his words, a short, crisp laugh.

’I really want to ask him right now if he’s willing to become my disciple.’

The thought kept bubbling to the surface, but she forced it back down.

’I already brought it up once on the mountain path, and he’s already politely turned me down.’

’Even though I asked in a half-joking manner, his response made his stance perfectly clear.’

’If I ask again now and he refuses me a second time, what will become of my pride?’

’I have a reputation to maintain, after all!’

So, despite the impulse welling up inside her, Mo Ciqiu forced herself to hold her tongue.

’I have to work on Meng Yu Jin first, get her to put in a good word for me.’

’If Meng Yu Jin shows her support in front of him, he’ll be much less likely to refuse when I ask again.’

The three of them walked for a while along the mountain path of True Inheritance Peak. Morning light filtered through the forest, casting dappled shadows on their robes.

From the bushes lining the path, birds were occasionally startled by their footsteps, flying up into the higher canopies with a FLUTTER of wings.

After a short walk, Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu stopped at a fork in the path. They turned toward Mo Ciqiu’s courtyard, as they still had much to discuss that day.

Chen Yue bid them farewell at the fork and headed toward the Hidden Skills Pavilion.

Chen Yue walked along the main peak’s path, past the foot of Dan Peak, and across the stone bridge to the Hidden Skills Pavilion. Many disciples he passed along the way recognized him and greeted him with a respectful salute.

Then, as some of these disciples saluted, they sensed the aura radiating from Chen Yue—the distinct aura of the Refining Organ Realm.

The polite expressions on many of their faces shifted to stunned surprise.

They all remembered that it hadn’t been long since Chen Yue had broken through to the Marrow Refining Realm.

After all, right after his breakthrough to the Marrow Refining Realm, he had gone straight to Panshi Lane and grievously wounded Cheng Fengjun on the Guardian Platform.

That scene was still as clear as yesterday in the memories of many.

’How much time has passed since then? A little over a month?’

’And Chen Yue has already broken through to the Refining Organ Realm?’

A disciple standing by the stone steps opened his mouth as if to speak, but the words died in his throat.

The disciple next to him glanced at Chen Yue’s departing back and muttered under his breath, "What kind of cultivation speed is that... What kind of Talent is this..."

His voice was so soft it was nearly lost in the wind, but the shock and disbelief in his tone were unmistakable.

Chen Yue entered the Hidden Skills Pavilion. Disciples stood in twos and threes between the towering wooden shelves, browsing through Cultivation Techniques.

When Chen Yue pushed open the door and walked in, a few disciples near the entrance glanced up at him. Then, like a ripple, a wave of disbelief spread from the doorway throughout the entire hall.

Their gazes fell upon Chen Yue, sensing the distinct fluctuations of Inner Strength unique to the Refining Organ Realm. Their faces were masks of unconcealable shock.

’Reaching the Refining Organ Realm in just over a month... that speed is just ridiculous. Did he consume some kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?’

Many disciples suddenly recalled a recent rumor: in a little over twenty days, Chen Yue was set to face Guan Duhai of the Liuyun Sword Sect in a Life and Death Decision.

The news had initially circulated only within a small circle, and most disciples hadn’t believed it. The gap between the two combatants was simply too vast.

One was in the Marrow Refining Realm, while the other was at the peak of the Refining Organ Realm and ranked eighth on the Sword Heart Ranking.

They didn’t deny Chen Yue’s power—climbing the Cyan Cloud Ranking as a Marrow Refining Realm cultivator was proof that his strength far surpassed his peers. But in the eyes of the Sect’s disciples, that wasn’t nearly enough to warrant a Life and Death Decision against Guan Duhai.

But now, Chen Yue had suddenly broken through to the Refining Organ Realm.

Furthermore, there had been no recent news of him continuing his challenges on the Cyan Cloud Ranking, a stark contrast to his previous pattern of immediately challenging the next opponent after a victory.

Just a few days ago, his fight against Hua Guanzhi had seemed quite effortless. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell he hadn’t used his full strength. Chen Yue clearly had the ability to keep climbing the ranks.

With his strength, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had broken into the top sixty, or even the top fifty, of the Cyan Cloud Ranking. Yet, he had stopped, submitting no new challenges.

If he truly intended to fight Guan Duhai in a Life and Death Decision, his sudden breakthrough to the Refining Organ Realm made everything start to click into place.

Chen Yue had likely been in seclusion for the past few days. As for places within the Panshi Sect that could provide such a significant boost to one’s Cultivation in a short period, some people’s minds went to the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform and the Wenda Corridor.

Some Inner Sect Disciples within the Panshi Sect knew of these two places. In particular, some of the disciples in the Refining Organ Realm dreamed of the day they could save up enough Contribution Points to enter one of them and train.