How do cultivators sense each other?
That was the question Li Lang had to ask when he got started with developing his own concealment art. From the few methods available to him, he found that the most common method was to detect the fluctuations in the ambient Qi that were caused by cultivators’ autonomic process of absorbing and releasing Qi.
There was a constant intake and outtake of energy, whether they did so consciously or not. It flowed in and out like a person breathing. It differed from cultivation, where the energy was used to expand the human container to increase capacity rather than simply flowing through.
This meant the most straightforward method to avoid detection was to stop this flow of Qi entirely. However, the constant use of their Qi muscles, otherwise known as spiritual roots, to suppress these fluctuations would tire the user before long. Thankfully, Li Lang didn’t have any great ambitions to create such a technique that perfectly avoided detection. Instead, he pursued the direction of weakening the energy levels, so the user would appear at a lower realm than what they really were.
Li Lang would normally not be ready to create his own techniques. It was a difficult discipline and required many long years of experience and understanding. The only reason he became confident about tackling this endeavor was because of all the work he had done with the Ascension Technique.
The Ascension Technique wasn’t one specific set of movements, but many of them that had to be choreographed in a certain way that fit the specific user. It was like the technique was made up of different modules that had to be assembled together in a different way each time. The very nature of these modules was to invoke the flow of Qi inside a practitioner’s meridians in a specific way.
If you placed this concept toward the outermost part of the meridian channels, you could technically control the strength at which the Qi enters the body. The lowered levels of input would naturally decrease the output as well. It was only a conjecture, so the next step was naturally to put it to the test.
With Foundation Establishment Realm helpers with him, Li Lang could freely make adjustments to refine his results. Day by day, he got closer to his goal.
At first, the technique created unstable fluctuations. As it stabilized, the problem soon became the Ascension Technique itself. It required the user to transition into different stances. It was almost like a strange dance. A technique that concealed your true cultivation but made you do eccentric poses was only good in the wilderness, where no one was watching. Otherwise, anyone who witnessed it would one hundred percent be suspicious of the practitioner.
There were a few ways to remedy the issue.
One was to abandon physical poses entirely and create a new set of techniques that required no movements. It had the worst short-term offerings but solved a lot of the issues. The time it took was also too long and uncertain.
Next.
A second way to go about it was to use another technique to prevent anyone from seeing the strange movements. These were techniques like his Veiling Shroud art that produced a smokescreen. Li Lang didn’t need to think long about it before forgoing this option. That just increased the upkeep and convoluted things too much.
Next.
A third method was to try to improve the Ascension Technique further, allowing for the same effect but with more subtle movements. This way, the user could hide beneath a loose cloak while they executed the technique.
It was worth considering, but there were also plenty of other avenues to pursue as well. However, this seemed to be the most plausible solution because the effect of weakening the flow of energy required a lot less force than trying to provoke the qualitative change that the Ascension Technique was made to do. It meant there was a high chance of being able to reduce the range of motion of the technique required.
Regardless, it would take some time and effort to put these theories to the test.
Faced with the new challenge of developing new techniques, time passed by faster than normal. Before long, there was only a month left before the Dark Sea Arena!
“Has everyone made their decision? Long Yi asked.
A few people simply stared his way and nodded.
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Several disciples had recently broken through their bottleneck. It consisted purely of the disciples with grade-two aptitude.
With this new batch of Foundation Establishment cultivators, it wasn’t easy to decide who would venture to the Dark Sea Arena or not. They couldn’t afford to leave this place entirely devoid of anyone. Many of the students wanted to stay, so they could continue cultivating, while an equal amount of people wanted to tag along to broaden their horizons.
“I should be able to go! I’ll surely be able to catch up in all the areas I’m inadequate in,” the girl, Shi Yan, proclaimed.
“No, it should be based on the order of seniority. I broke through first, so I should have priority.”
“Enough,” Li Lang’s voice suddenly rang out across the room, silencing the crowd. “I can’t let all of you participate, but we’ll all go.”
“Huh? I thought you said it would be too suspicious if our entire group left just like that,” Long Yi said as he turned to the new entrant.
“Yes, but things are different now. I can move the entire pocket realm. It’s time to reveal this trick. Nightmoon Valley should be able to come up with a plausible explanation or just hide the truth if anyone asks. As for me, I’ll make sure to keep the Crucible out of sight.
Li Lang didn’t say this just to be nice. He recognized many of his students were lacking in many areas due to being forced to focus on speed above all else. They could barely make use of all their newfound powers. That’s why he believed taking them along to broaden their horizons was the most beneficial choice.
It didn’t matter if some of them didn’t want to travel. With the Crucible now moveable, they could remain inside, where they could continue to cultivate undisturbed.
Li Lang hoped that the experience of spectating all these Foundation Establishment fights would be enough of an inspiration for those like Wei Ping to cross the last threshold of mortality. All the students with grade-two aptitude had broken through already. It lit a fire under Wei Ping, but he hadn’t succeeded yet in the past few months. He wanted to do all he could to help his friend.
“You guys wait here first,” Li Lang suggested. “Let me communicate with Nightmoon Valley about our intentions.”
He quickly donned a thick cloak around his body and, with a snap of the finger, Blue teleported Li Lang straight out of the pocket realm. Once outside, he was tempted to test out the ability to move the Crucible right away, but he knew better. It would only alert the people from Nightmoon Valley for no reason. He reined in his urge and went to talk to the other party first.
He made his way to the teahouse that had now been repurposed into their lodging. He didn’t need to call out before the people stationed there noticed his arrival. One man and one woman came out to greet him while holding hands. Judging from their appearance, they were in their thirties. Li Lang was unfamiliar with them, but he still politely clasped his fist toward them.
“Seniors, I am Li Lang.”
The man appeared as if he didn’t hear him. His glances darted in every direction, unable to stay still. Saying he was on guard was an understatement. Only the woman acknowledged Li Lang’s existence, nodding at him with appreciation.
“Yes, it’s the first time we’ve met, but we’ve been informed about you. I am Zhu Yi, and this is Ma Kong. Is there something you need?”
“I’ll be direct, seniors. We plan to attend the Dark Sea Arena.”
“No problem. We’ve been informed of such a possibility. There’s no need to worry. We will faithfully stand guard here. No trouble will come to the people you leave behind,” the woman assured.
“We don’t plan on leaving anyone behind.”
“What? You want to bring over a dozen people with you? I warn you, the distance from here to Sword Saint Isle is not short. There will inevitably be perils along your journey, so I do not believe it is a good idea to bring so many young mortals with you.”
“We’ll be fine.” Li Lang defended while looking troubled. “Umm, how should I put this? All my students will be safe. They won’t have to leave the pocket realm.”
“Won’t have to leave? I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at. What do you mean they won’t leave the pocket realm, but will follow you to Sword Saint Isle?”
Li Lang smiled sheepishly in response. He knew he would have to come clean if he were to leave with the Crucible in tow. Nightmoon Valley wouldn’t let him run away with it unattended. That was because they already promised quotas to other organizations for access to it. Li Lang’s safety and the Spirit-grade artifact were both something they had to protect for the sake of their credibility.
If he hadn’t approached them openly like this, he was sure they would’ve secretly deployed a few cultivators to protect him from the shadows. Now that he confronted them, he gave them a chance to openly do so.
While it was restricting to have others follow him, Li Lang didn’t mind it too much for now. He didn’t think they would completely limit his movements, but it would just intrude on his privacy a little. It wasn’t that bad, considering they couldn’t peer into the situation within the pocket realm. It was a worthwhile tradeoff for the protection of the premier demonic organization from the entirety of Violet Isle.
With that in mind, he dropped the bombshell on the couple. He did so by casting off his cloak, revealing the aura he had been suppressing with his new technique. His actions even made the unattentive Ma Kong peer his way. Their eyes widened as they realized the young man standing before them had reached the same realm as them!
“Seniors, through some luck, I’ve recently managed to break through. It seems that has allowed me to gain greater control of the pocket realm. I should now be able to bring it along with me wherever I go.”
His words left Zhu Yi speechless, her mouth opening slightly as if to respond, but no sound emerged.