The surging Primordial Qi filled every limb and bone, seemingly possessing an endless power, yet Yu Ci showed no hint of joy.
The Life Death Talisman's efficiency in converting external spiritual energy was increasing, even though its rate of progress had slowed. Yet, the rhythm of its input of Primordial Qi was terrifyingly stable. Such a continuous flow, little by little, had accumulated a significant amount. When forcibly exerting power underground, massive energy was consumed to maintain balance. But now, this "balance" was clearly being disrupted, placing a considerable burden on him.
Throughout his journey, Yu Ci even felt his body swelling, his bones and muscles soaking in the vast Primordial Qi. They were quivering at a rate barely visible to the naked eye. Despite this, the transformation of the Life Death Talisman showed no signs of stopping.
Yu Ci once cherished the idea of "endless life," but now he wished it would "rest" for once. However, if he were asked to control the Life Death Talisman and halt this conversion process, he would be unwilling. Until now, the evolution of the Life Death Talisman had been natural and full of spirituality. Even a fool would know how rare such an opportunity was.
The best solution, of course, would be to find a secluded place to meditate. But where could he find the time right now?
Yu Ci shook his head, thinking he might have to wield the Xi Guang Sword, transforming into a sword mist, and use Sword Control to travel. He would have to treat short-distance methods as if they were for long distances, forcing himself to be extravagant to alleviate the internal and external pressure.
Sword Energy soared through the sky. To outsiders, it appeared like a thin mist, almost completely blending into the perennial fog of the sword garden. Yu Ci, controlling the Sword aura from within, was uncertain whether to feel worried or relieved. Since he had learned the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent, due to his limited Cultivation Level, releasing five swords in a short time had been his limit. Now, for the first time, he was experiencing the "extravagance" of flying with a continuous stream of Sword Energy, barely touching the ground.
Through constant practice, the essence of the Sword Way, which he had overlooked, revealed itself. However, after sustaining this for a while, he began to feel discomfort in his muscles, joints, and internal organs. He knew this was the pressure exerted on his flesh body from the long-term operation of Sword Energy.
Elder Jie Liang had once mentioned that the nature of his Primordial Qi was infinitely close to a Cultivator's Golden Elixir True Sha. However, the strength of his flesh body was far inferior, which made him lack the ability for prolonged fights. It also put him in a dilemma: without using the sword, the massive Primordial Qi would accumulate, and his flesh body would be overwhelmed. If he used the sword too much, the rushing Primordial Qi would be too fierce, and his flesh body would still not withstand the pressure.
In the hands of another, the only option at this moment would be to first convert the Primordial Qi of the Life Death Talisman to gain control – the root cause of all current troubles. However, this would disrupt the natural evolution of the Life Death Talisman, equivalent to missing out on a golden opportunity.
Life and death, success and failure, all hang in the balance of a single thought.
The Xi Guang Sword hums lightly, its resonance with the Sword aura within never ceasing. Yu Ci, not one to rigidly adhere to convention, minutely adjusts his Sword Control. Within a few breaths, he has transformed the Sword Energy into the strongest defensive technique he knows:
The Flawless Sword Circle!
Recall Meng Wei, the senior sister known for her "Flawless Sword" due to this technique, and you will understand its extraordinary nature. The essence of this sword technique is nothing more than a single character: "Circle". It requires one to embody a sense of "completeness" throughout the body, transforming the Physical Spirit into a circle, where every point evenly distributes forces, just like a ball. Regardless of how it is hit or thrown, it will not break but instead will rebound the force.
Back in the Sky Rift Valley, Yu Ci was under the intense oppression of Tu Du, running nearly forty miles along the cliff edge. The pressure he accumulated then was no less than what he faces today. Yet, in the critical moment, he intuitively understood the essence of transforming the Sword aura into a circle. Instead of being crushed, he used the force to counterattack, inflicting a sword wound on Tu Du and gaining the upper hand.
In fact, this is the essence of the Flawless Sword Circle. Yu Ci's quick mastery of it has much to do with this. By using this technique at this moment, he aims to reduce the pressure on his body to the minimum.
As his Sword aura evolves, the surrounding air vibrates and is pushed far away. At this moment, a shockwave suddenly emanates from a point within his body, naturally forming a circle. Everywhere it reaches, every bone, blood, flesh, tendon, and internal organ vibrates in unison, naturally exerting force towards "completeness". He feels as if his entire body has transformed into a solid sphere. Simultaneously, an almost flawless Rounded Sword Mist appears. Some of it may slightly overflow, but upon closer inspection, it perfectly embodies the concept of "completeness", adding a touch of agility.
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Of course, the rise and fall of external and internal forces are ultimately different. If he were facing an enemy at this moment, Yu Ci would distribute all pressure evenly on the outer layer of the sword circle, rotating a few times to dissipate the external force. But since it's an internal pressure, he must adapt:
With a slight thought, after the formation of the sword circle, Yu Ci's intention leads the intense pressure throughout his body, suddenly directing it towards the point where the shockwave originated. Coincidentally, this point is located in the Lower Dantian.
This place served as the central core. Meng Wei, a woman, had once referenced the theory of a certain sage from the School of Learning while explaining the Flawless Sword Circle. She asserted that this core, occupying the central position, was as fine as dust, a point of infinite concentration, yet it could accommodate all forces without harm, embodying profound mysteries. If all external forces could be drawn into it and naturally digested, the Flawless Sword Circle would be an invincible defensive art, unyielding to any force. However, this remained a theory.
External forces acting here had to pass through muscles, fascia, bones, and blood, intercepted layer by layer. Full digestion seemed to only be theoretical. However, the internal pressure was different, originating from the same source. It only needed a slight guiding thought to converge here.
Therefore, this point fell within the Dantian Organ, giving it a slightly heavy aura. But when the Sword aura became a circle, the subtleties within were hundreds, even thousands of times deeper than any superficial skill.
Suddenly, Yu Ci, a man, felt lighter, and the Dantian Organ swelled again, but it still held up. Due to the push of the Sword aura, the immense sword pressure was constantly acting here. Because he accurately grasped that point of Aura, the Primordial Qi entwined in the periphery naturally formed a circle. The constantly increasing pressure, however, was undergoing inexplicable changes at its core. No matter how much power went in, they counteracted and dissolved each other, disappearing without a trace, leaving only a little pure Aura, which had a wonderful interaction with the central core.
"Strange, strange... but truly interesting."
Yu Ci knew he was on the right path. The internal pressure suddenly decreased. Just as he was about to sense it carefully, a message came from the Fish-Dragon. His heart tightened, temporarily putting aside the changes in his body, and his Heart-Mind fell on the Fish-Dragon, taking over its perspective.
"Xiao Fuyun!"
In fact, he didn't see Xiao Fuyun. However, on a relatively calm stone platform, a complex Rune Array was engraved. In the center of the Rune Array, a cluster of blood-red flames flickered silently, vaguely resembling burning bones and blood. Outside the Rune Array, Xiao Fuyun's usual Sword Weapon was placed.
"Is he using the power of the Rune Array to sustain his Divine Soul Vitality, reducing the damage from the Demonic Self-Sacrifice Technique?" Yu Ci frowned, then scanned the surroundings with the Fish-Dragon Perspective. Seeing no one else around, he increased his speed and rushed over.
Xiao Fuyun's array was set up on a cliff, hidden by clouds and fog. However, under the Fish-Dragon Perspective, it was completely exposed. Yu Ci crossed mountains and rivers, walking in a straight line. Seeing that the distance was only about half a mile, and just over the hill, he suddenly stopped, his face solemn.
In the moment when he paused, someone on the hill ahead of him exclaimed in surprise, "The youngster reacts quickly!"
As the voice fell, around Yu Ci, six fierce auras emerged from behind the surrounding rocks, swirling and converging in the air. Judging by their movements, if Yu Ci were to advance another twenty or so feet, he would fall right into the focal point of the converging auras. At that moment, with the combined attack of the six, Yu Ci would likely be blasted into pulp.
The man on the hill praised his reaction, the meaning clear in his words.
Yu Ci's eyes were slightly cold. He didn't care about the ambush prepared with such concentrated power. What truly bothered him was that he had been completely oblivious to the setup here. His Fish-Dragon had circled around a few times, yet such a significant oversight had occurred. The people's Art of Concealing Shape and Trace was truly remarkable.
Who were they? They seemed to be serving as a Patronus for Xiao Fuyun.
Before he could find an answer to his question, the man on the hill asked first, "Which family's youngster are you, and what are you doing here?"
The man's tone was arrogant, his airs grand. He sat stably on the hill, with the place where Xiao Fuyun was healing his injuries about thirty feet below him. Yu Ci secretly maneuvered the Fish-Dragon, circled around, and discovered a strong distortion of light around the man, like a shadow shield blocking the outside. Combined with the shadow cast by the huge rocks on the hill, this was his appearance after he no longer deliberately concealed himself. The earlier setup was even more exquisite and hard to find.
"This method, where have I heard of it?"
Before Yu Ci could figure it out, the man on the hill became impatient and coldly said, "I don't care whose family you are from. Now that you've intruded into my territory, you should show some respect. I'm in a good mood today and don't want your life. Leave a few valuable items for my six children, bow three times, and then scram."
The man didn't seem to be deliberately making things difficult, but he truly regarded Yu Ci as an insignificant ant, casually handling him, which was the most infuriating.
How could Yu Ci bear it? Even if he knew the man ahead was much stronger than him, it was the same.
"The man on the hill, his Cultivation Level is extremely high, even higher than Xiao Fuyun's. I'm not his match. However, the six people below have uneven Cultivation Levels, with two of them at the Transcendent Level. I'll kill one of them first, then plan my escape!"
As his killing intent surged, the man on the hill sensed it and laughed, "There are too many youngsters who don't know the meaning of death these days. I won't make a move. I'll let my Substitute Puppets take care of you. It should be entertaining."
Yu Ci gritted his teeth and smiled, about to retort, but a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, "These Substitute Puppets... Could they be from Light Demon Sect's Di She?"
"Haha, you're only realizing now? Too late!"
The man on the hill laughed heartily. In his laughter, the auras closed in from all sides...
...