Chapter 215 - 202: Innate Peak

Chapter 215: Chapter 202: Innate Peak

Chen Yue’s smile didn’t falter upon hearing this. He fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Senior Brother Lu, you have a keen eye. I possess the Copper Skin Iron Bones Talent. In addition, I had an insight while cultivating the Mixed Element Skill and Infinite Skill. I fused the essence of the two cultivation techniques and created a Secret Technique."

As he spoke, Chen Yue raised his right hand and slowly pushed his palm forward.

The palm strike wasn’t fast; in fact, it was almost slow.

But Lu Jingxing’s gaze was instantly captivated.

He could clearly sense the air in front of Chen Yue’s palm vibrating like ripples on water. It was a concussive force capable of penetrating defenses.

"Stacking Force?" Lu Jingxing blurted out, raising an eyebrow.

Chen Yue nodded and retracted his palm. "Precisely. Stacking Force. I call this Secret Technique ’Mixed Element Infinite.’ When I use it, my Inner Strength splits into two streams—one yin, one yang. When my body is struck, I can easily deflect and resist the force."

’His words were half-truths. The Talent was real, and so was Mixed Element Infinite, but Chen Yue hadn’t used either.’

’He had even held back a portion of the power from his Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell, let alone used the Celestial Demon Burning Technique or the Furious Wave Saber Intent. He hadn’t even fully utilized the advantages of his Violent Star Soaring Void Step body technique.’

’But there was no need to explain all this to Lu Jingxing in such detail.’

After hearing Chen Yue’s explanation, Lu Jingxing fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

Stacking Force wasn’t a particularly rare technique.

But the feeling he got from Chen Yue’s Stacking Force was completely different from the ordinary kind.

Ordinary Stacking Force often had a noticeable interval, a fault between the first and second waves of Power. This created a gap that could be detected and exploited.

But Chen Yue’s was extremely compact. There was almost no gap between the two waves of Power, as if they were innately a single entity.

’Mixed Element Skill and Infinite Skill...’

Lu Jingxing, of course, knew of these two cultivation techniques. He had even acquired them himself and attempted to cultivate them. But ultimately, he had chosen to pour all his energy into cultivating All Things Return to the Source.

He understood better than anyone that a person’s energy is finite; it was the classic lesson of biting off more than one can chew.

And yet, in such a short time, Chen Yue had not only cultivated these two techniques to a profound level but had also derived such an exquisite Secret Technique from them...

Lu Jingxing’s gaze toward Chen Yue instantly filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He had always considered himself exceptionally talented. Otherwise, he never could have reached the third spot on the Cyan Cloud Ranking at his age.

But now, compared to Chen Yue, he suddenly felt that his own Talent paled in comparison.

Lu Jingxing was silent for a moment, his silence finally breaking with a wry smile. "Junior Brother Chen, your Talent... It truly leaves me speechless. I am humbled."

Chen Yue simply smiled, not responding to the comment.

The two walked on side-by-side for a while longer. At a fork in the mountain path, Lu Jingxing stopped and gave a cupped-fist salute.

"Junior Brother Chen, this is as far as I’ll go. You’re heading to the Liuyun Sword Sect the day after tomorrow, so you should rest early and conserve your energy. I won’t disturb you any further."

Chen Yue also stopped and returned the salute. "Thank you for your guidance today, Senior Brother Lu. I learned a great deal. Until we meet again."

Lu Jingxing nodded, gave Chen Yue one last, deep look, then turned and strode quickly away down another mountain path.

Chen Yue watched until Lu Jingxing’s figure disappeared from sight before looking away and continuing along the path toward his courtyard.

He hadn’t gone far before he saw three figures standing by the path ahead, apparently waiting for him.

It was Meng Yu Jin, Mo Ciqiu, and Liu Zhengyi.

The three had clearly been waiting for some time. When Meng Yu Jin saw Chen Yue approach, a gentle smile graced her face. She took a couple of steps forward and looked him up and down.

"You weren’t injured during your spar with Lu Jingxing just now, were you?"

Chen Yue shook his head. "Don’t worry, Master. It was just a spar. I’m not hurt."

Meng Yu Jin nodded, then added a reminder. "That’s good. You’re heading to the Liuyun Sword Sect the day after tomorrow, so don’t push yourself too hard with your cultivation for the next two days. Rest well and get yourself in peak condition.

"Guan Duhai is no pushover, but with the strength you displayed today, victory will be yours as long as you don’t underestimate him or get careless."

Mo Ciqiu chimed in with a laugh from the side. "Little fellow, fight hard. I, your Elder Mo, have put money on you to win. Don’t make me lose it, alright?"

Chen Yue, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, gave a cupped-fist salute. "I will do my best."

Liu Zhengyi, cradling his purple-clay teapot, took a sip and said with a grin, "Alright, alright, let’s not just stand around here. Let Chen Yue go back and rest. We should get going, too."

After speaking, Liu Zhengyi grinned, bent his knees slightly, and in the next instant, shot into the sky like a great bird, flying toward his courtyard and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Meng Yu Jin and Mo Ciqiu left one after the other as well.

Only Chen Yue remained on the mountain path.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, like sand slipping through one’s fingers.

For those two days, Chen Yue didn’t train as frantically as before. Instead, he followed the advice of his master and the elders, slowing his pace.

Even so, his Cultivation and his mastery of his Cultivation Techniques continued to advance at a rapid pace.

After all, what Chen Yue considered "slowing down" was still seen as an insane pace by others.

On the third morning, the sky was faintly lit by dawn, and the mountain mist was as fine as gauze.

Chen Yue changed into a clean, cyan disciple’s uniform and pushed open his courtyard gate.

The morning air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees and the faint smell of dew, was invigorating to breathe in.

He walked along the mountain path at an unhurried pace, heading for the dining hall.

Along the way, the disciples he encountered all looked at him with strange expressions.

Some looked like they wanted to speak but held their tongues. Others stopped from a distance to offer a cupped-fist salute. Still others whispered amongst themselves.

They all knew that today, Chen Yue was going to the Liuyun Sword Sect.

As for the outcome of this trip to the Liuyun Sword Sect, no one could say for certain.

Some disciples, who had never even interacted with Chen Yue, sighed to themselves, thinking it likely that such an exceptionally talented young man would be going to his death.

Chen Yue seemed oblivious to the stares and whispers.

He walked calmly into the dining hall and found a seat by the window.

After finishing breakfast, Chen Yue wiped his mouth with his sleeve, rose, and walked toward Cloud-Gazing Hall.

As Chen Yue stepped onto the wide, bluestone plaza before Cloud-Gazing Hall, he saw several familiar figures already waiting there.

Meng Yu Jin stood in the morning light, dressed in a moon-white gown. Her expression was calm, but her eyes held a trace of barely perceptible concern.

Beside her, Mo Ciqiu had his usual playful demeanor. He held a round fan, waving it gently. Seeing Chen Yue approach, he nodded slightly and gave a smile.

Liu Zhengyi was leaning against a pillar in front of the hall, cradling his purple-clay teapot. He grinned at Chen Yue, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.

Liu Wenying was also standing to one side. Today, she wore a sharp-looking martial arts uniform with a short sword hanging at her waist, giving her a heroic and valiant air.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Chen Yue. She immediately strode over, looked him up and down, then patted his shoulder and said with a grin, "Little Junior Brother, it’s all on you today! I’ll be in the crowd cheering you on!"

Seeing her look even more nervous and excited than he was, Chen Yue couldn’t help but smile. He offered a cupped-fist salute and said, "Then I’ll be counting on you, Senior Sister."

Liu Wenying burst out laughing at his words.

Chen Yue walked to the front and bowed with a cupped-fist salute to Meng Yu Jin, Mo Ciqiu, and Liu Zhengyi in turn. "Disciple Chen Yue greets Master, Elder Mo, and Elder Liu."

Meng Yu Jin nodded. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and after confirming that his aura was stable and he was in excellent spirits, the last vestiges of her worry subsided.

She didn’t say much more, simply asking softly, "Are you ready?"

Chen Yue nodded. "I’m ready."

Just then, a clear voice called out from the plaza’s entrance. "Junior Brother Chen, I’m coming along to watch the fun."

Chen Yue turned to see a figure striding toward them in the morning light. It was Lu Jingxing.

Chen Yue was a little surprised. Although they had sparred once, they weren’t close. He hadn’t expected Lu Jingxing to come see him off.

He gave a cupped-fist salute. "Senior Brother Lu, thank you!"

Lu Jingxing walked up and laughed. "Nothing to thank me for. I’ve never liked those people from the Liuyun Sword Sect anyway."

A smile couldn’t help but appear on Chen Yue’s face at his words.

The morning light grew brighter, and the mountain mist began to dissipate. In the distance, the outlines of the peaks grew sharper under the rising sun.

About a quarter of an hour later, the sound of three pairs of steady footsteps came from the mountain path to the side of Cloud-Gazing Hall.

Chen Yue and the others turned their heads to see three figures emerge side-by-side from around a bend in the path.

On the far left was Feng Hansheng. He wore a formal, dark gray Elder’s Brocade Robe today. His gaze was serene, but his every step carried an effortless air of authority.

On the far right was Zheng Tongchen, dressed in a simple cyan cloth robe that was faded from many washings, his hands clasped behind his back.

And walking between them was a man who appeared quite elderly.

He was thin, with a slightly hunched back, and dressed in a worn-out robe. His hair was sparse and gray, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by a knife.

His eyes seemed clouded, but with an occasional blink, a startlingly sharp glint would flash through them.

Chen Yue and the others bowed respectfully to the three Elders.

Feng Hansheng gave a slight nod, then turned to the side and gestured to the aged man beside him. "This is Song Mingke, Elder Song."

Song Mingke’s gaze swept slowly over everyone present before finally settling on Chen Yue.

"You are Chen Yue?"

Chen Yue took a step forward and offered another cupped-fist salute, his tone respectful. "Disciple Chen Yue, I greet you, Elder Song!"

Song Mingke nodded, his eyes scanning Chen Yue from head to toe. His face was expressionless, but his tone held a rare gentleness.

"These two have already told me about your situation. Fight well today. Don’t hold anything back."

He spoke calmly, but the unshakeable confidence and authority in his words sent a shiver through everyone present.

For a Peak Innate Realm Powerhouse whose life was nearing its end to say such a thing meant he was prepared to pay any price.

A warmth spread through Chen Yue’s heart. He bowed again with cupped fists. "Yes, Elder Song! I will not fail you!"

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Feng Hansheng wasted no more time. His gaze swept over the group as he said in a deep voice, "Let’s go."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he took the lead, arriving at the edge of the plaza. With a light tap of his right foot, he shot into the sky like a great roc spreading its wings. His robes billowed in the morning wind as he sped off in the direction of the Liuyun Sword Sect.

Immediately after, Zheng Tongchen and Song Mingke also activated their body techniques and followed suit. The three figures traced three graceful arcs across the dawn sky, vanishing into the distance in an instant.

Liu Zhengyi walked over to Chen Yue and Lu Jingxing and grinned. "I’ll give you two a ride."

Before either of them could react, he grabbed one by the shoulder with each hand and shot into the sky as well.

The wind howled in their ears, their robes whipping wildly around them. Below, the mountains, trees, and buildings shrank rapidly, transforming into a magnificent, sprawling landscape.