From Can Mouye's former spatial ring, Cao Yun took out a high spirit stone. Given his current cultivation, only that kind of spirit stone could be useful to him, the other ones were just too low in both density and quality. A bit afraid that the Qi extracted could be absorbed by the vortex in the sky, Cao Yun still gave it a try. Recovering his energy through absorption was always a better option than with pills. Granted, pills could be very useful as they could fully recharge someone in a few minutes. But they always had some form of toxins, even in the most perfect pills.
Overtime, those toxins could lead to more and more problems. There were always ways to mediate that, but this was really not the optimal approach. Moreover, working on absorbing Qi was also a form a cultivation. Besides, it also allowed the body to adapt itself to the changes and grow stronger with the process. On the other hand, a pill would force the body to recover faster and could also prevent growth. This would be like healing all the stress put on muscles after a workout session. Pain and stress would disappear but so would the benefits of them.
In the spatial ring, Matriarch Huang Yufeng had left many gifts for Cao Yun. But she had probably taken much more. For example, there were not that many demonic beast parts. For a beast tamer like Can Mouye, that was not very likely. Hence, the Huang family had probably taken them for themselves. But that didn't really disturb Cao Yun. After all, he had not survived alone. Without Huang Liyue's assistance he would have died. And what he had received was significant for a Mortal Warrior.
By sending a surge of Qi in the spatial ring, he could see the general shape of what was within. It almost looked like a shadow of the real world. And just by focusing his intent on specific items, they would appear and he just had to control the Qi around to put them where he wanted. Thankfully, the vortex did not prevent him from doing so. And it did not prevent him from absorbing the Qi from the high spirit stone.
Apparently, it was only preventing him from manifesting his Qi. Before, he had only guesses, but now he was sure. This test was clearly designed to force him to develop his understanding of the spear, his martial arts and maybe his Martial Aura. The armor was faster and stronger than him. Those were not things he could exceed in a short amount of time. Even if he were to break through two grades, he wasn't sure whether he would be able to best it. So in a year, this was impossible. However, he could improve his technique. The armor was not so strong and fast that he was powerless against it.
For example, against a Spirit Warrior, Cao Yun would be reduced to dust before he could even react. He had literally seen it happen when his father had broken through. With a single palm, he had killed several Mortal Warriors in a cloud of blood. So long as the difference of power was not overwhelming, technique could help a weaker cultivator prevail though. Hence, this was the only logical conclusion. That being said, Cao Yun was still unsure of what was the best way to pass this test, or even any way for that matter. Did he have to destroy the armor? Did he have to destroy the spears around them one by one? Did he just have to best it in a duel?
For the time being though, Cao Yun decided to take advantage of the breather he had been given. While a small part of his mind was still focused on his surroundings, waiting for the armor to act, he absorbed the Qi from the high spirit stone.
In the fight, he had tried to save up as much Qi as possible, and because he could not even use Qi Manifestation, his loss was minimal. While the armor was sitting with his rear on its heels, Cao Yun sat cross-legged. His soles and his palms were both facing upward. And in front of his chest, he was holding the high spirit stone. It was floating in the air by the effect of his Wei Qi, not disrupted by the blue vortex. That way, he could not only recover but also work on his cultivation.
His main goal right now was to solidify his Five Prodigious Gates, starting with the two Earthly Springs and the two Labor Palaces. Sending surges of Qi through those four gates was a great way to temper them. At the same time, Cao Yun was focusing his full intent on them, including the intent from the Drop of Wrath. Ever so slightly, he could feel his acupoints get a bit sturdier. Being able to literally feel the cells around the acupoints and the cell forming these acupoints was of course incredibly useful.
When he was done recovering, he decided not to cultivate his Qi. This wasn't the moment. What he needed to cultivate was his martial arts. As such, using the respite offered to him, he sent a part of his mind into his sea of consciousness. Although it would lessen his focus, Cao Yun still kept a small part of his attention outside to monitor the armor that had still not moved for now.
While in his sea of consciousness, Cao Yun replayed the entire fight using his 'Shen Visualization'. Then, he could identify everything he should have done better. Thanks to the attacks and defenses of his opponent, he could clearly see the flaws in his techniques. Sadly, some were already known to him but just difficult to palliate. But others were completely new to the young man. This fight was really eye-opening. Each time, Cao Yun tried to infer new ways to best every move from the armor while imagining what it could have done to counter it itself.
After some time, he stopped and put his mind to other uses. Mulling over the same fight over and over again would not be very useful. With each modification, the new fight he would imagine would deviate from what would happen more and more. It was better to not let himself imagine too many things that may not turn out that way at all in reality. At the end of the day, Cao Yun could only imagine what a spearman like himself would do, not how the armor or a better fighter than him would act. Maybe his new alternatives were in fact worse than the moves he had used. Unless he tried it, he could never be sure.
Thus, Cao Yun decided to focus on two things, the six stars in the sky and the only Insight Writing he had. His Spear Aura came entirely from this single Insight Writing. In it was not a specific technique but a part of his own intuition about the spear that he wasn't even aware of yet. The only way to make this intuition really his was to study it and try to apply it in real life. That way, he could compare his intuition with his experience and he would not be lead astray.
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In the sky, the first six stars were fully formed. And the seventh one was the Winnowing Basket Star. For now, he had no real idea of what it would look like, but he could vaguely see a strange orange cloud where it was supposed to shine. With his energized Chamber of Splendor, he had an even better intuition when it came to this constellation. Even without the last star, he could almost picture the full shape of the Azure Dragon. And he still had to turn the stars into constellations and the constellations into mansions to admire the full glory of the legendary beast.
This star was related to blunt attacks with the butt or the shaft of the spear instead of the blade. It wasn't that different from the Tail Star which consisted of sweeping attacks. But this seventh star seemed to focus on using the end part of the spear in order to increase the focus of the force in a single point, like 'The Son of Heaven's Cavalry'. In a way, that would be like using the spear like a staff or even a light mace.
As Cao Yun was absorbed in his meditation, he completely forgot the flow of time but there was still a small part of him ready to act when the armor would move, or something else would happen.
-
In the same dim-lit room they were always meeting, Mo Tian was talking with Mo Zi, also known as Meng Hanyi who was now a fourth-year. When he had left the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, he had been a 9th-grade Mortal. But now, he had clearly been able to break through to become a 1st-grade Mortal Warrior.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Master. We've been able to set up all the array formations you've requested. We'll be able to put our plans in action as soon as you order it."
"We'll wait for now. The old fool is repairing his defenses, unaware that the real threat is already within. It has always been within his sect without none of those so-called experts being able to see through it. In fact, the only real problem for us would be Xiao Xuefeng. That woman has always been annoying. But I've been able to observe her during her long stay with us. I know how to deal with her. Still, it would have been better if we hadn't have been forced to bring her attention to the Wubei Sect..."
"Was it really necessary?"
"Are you questioning my decisions?"
Mo Zi immediately understood he had been too brazen. His recent breakthrough had made him a bit too complacent.
"Master, please forgive my insolence."
"Tsk... We needed to get her away from the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute so that we could get a fruit of the Heavenly Silver Peach Tree. Besides, it was better for her to be close to me so that I could observe her weaknesses. She's always been our most dangerous opponents. In a fight she's nowhere near the old fool, but her senses are always a danger to our plans. As long as we're not ready for open war, she's our worst enemy. Then, we'll kill her without any problem.
"We'll wait some more for the chief elders to lower their guards. After all, we don't need to act right away. Gu Song is already preparing the peach for the Demon King. In the worst case scenario, we could still postpone our operation to seven years later. But from what we've seen, the demons are almost ready to wage war. Although this could be a great diversion, this would also be one more threat to deal with. Fighting both the Emperor and the Empyrean Asura at the same time would be almost impossible.
"If worse comes to worst, we could still navigate the situation. But our best bet is to succeed this year. All of the Hongchen Kingdom will realize that our means are the way to become stronger and vanquish the demons. After those millenniums of oppression, the Demon King will dominate all under the sky, and beyond. That means that if you fail, your crime shall be unimaginable."
In the last sentence, Mo Zi felt a powerful killing intent converge on him. Because of him, his master had already been forced to alter his plans once. This year, he could not fail at all.
"Thanks to this pathetic Luduo Bu, we've learned a bit about the 'Blood Runes' method. Here are some more tips that should be of use to you."
As jade slip flew toward Mo Zi.
"Thank you, Master."
"Get as strong as possible, as fast as possible. When you all enter the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, nothing can get in your way. But do not underestimate Chen Guo. This brat has survived Can Mouye. Even I have to admit that he was the best - maybe the only - achievement of that Xiong Nixie. Yes, the Huang family helped him, but there is something I don't like about this boy. If you encounter him, don't forget that he's somehow been able to erase the blood runes from Luduo Bu. Remember, your goal is not to kill those disciples. You must focus on getting the key. If Chen Guo is an obstacle, try to buy some time and avoid him. As soon as you've got it, we'll be able to throw away all pretenses and reveal our true strength to the world. After we've killed the old fool and the hypocritical Emperor, the entire Hongchen Kingdom will be forced to accept us and our new ways."
"I understand, Master."
"Good, do not disappoint me in this mission. After more than a hundred years of planning, I'll finally be able to draw my weapon. And the Wubei Sect itself will shake in fear and awe."
Mo Tian's voice disappeared and Mo Zi found himself alone in the room. Without hesitation, he sent his Qi in the jade slip. By following the lines carved inside of it with his own Qi, Mo Zi was able to read the content of it. And he was astonished. If that jade slip was to be trusted, he could improve his cultivation at an alarming rate. But he would be completely discovered as a demonic cultivator. Anyway, this was the last year of hiding for them.
Once this mission was a success, they would be able to be proud of their achievements. Sacrificing weak humans to get a strength allowing humanity to prosper was a small price to pay. The whole kingdom would understand it once humans would dominate the entire Piaolu planet.
But the face of Cao Yun was very vivid in Mo Zi's mind. This brat had turned out to be a real problem. He had not yet become a Mortal Warrior but he was getting very close. Maybe he would already be a 1st-grade Mortal Warrior by the time they would activate their plan. For now, Mo Zi had to increase his strength as much as possible. Many mortals would die in the process, but it was worth it. And with the recent stampede, it would almost go unnoticed.
-
Back in the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, Cao Yun had spent several hours meditating when finally he heard a sound.
The armor rose once more. It stood up and raised its hand. Just like before, one of the spears stabbed in the ground flew straight into its hand. But this time it was not an old rusted spear. There was rust on it alright, but its blade was completely spared from such a fate. And gold was still shining through all over the shaft. That spear was very long, with some red clothe at both ends. And it seemed to be extremely supple.