AST 517 - After two years, restoring the strength! One hundred and ninety-ninth circulated cycles of qi
As she stepped on the snow and neared him, she looked like an immortal goddess from the heavens.
Her beauty was forever indisputable. Her beauty had reached an unprecedented realm and the extraordinarily outstanding aura that exuded from her, caused others to feel inferiority.
Canghai Mingyue’s magnanimity also possessed a similar kind of aura. The only difference was her lofty and unyielding attitude which caused her to exude an aura that felt more arrogant.
Huoyun Liu-Li’s beauty laid in her extreme charmingness. She was the kind of girl that you could tell was untamable with just a look. The way she her attitude would change was exactly like that Di Qing. Di Qing’s beauty laid between her charms and her extraordinary beautiful. She resembled a woman that belonged in fantasy, making people felt indiscernible.
“There is yet another breakthrough!” A faint smiling expression appeared in Di Chen’s profound and beautiful eyes.
The Fire Bird in the sky orbited around the world of ice and snow whereas the Diamond Gigantic Elephant was running quickly in the distance. During the day, Qing Shui would release both the Fire Bird and the Diamond Gigantic Elephant for them to relieve their boredom.
Initially, back at the time when Qing Shui returned, he didn’t really plan on letting Di Chen and Di Qing tag along. Because if he did, the number of people who harbored bad intentions towards them would be too much for the Diamond Gigantic Elephant to “stomp” on.
“Not bad!” Qing Shui smiled gently. The girls stood together. Apart from Di Chen, the other girls were all wearing fox fur coats.
For someone at Di Chen’s cultivation level, they would no longer fear the cold and the heat. Even Huoyun Liu-Li, who was at the advanced level of Xiantian Realm, and Canghai Mingyue, who was at Martial King level didn’t fear the cold weather.
Qing Qing was the only one whose cultivation was still quite low. She needed warm clothes.
But during winter, women that were strong and intelligent would often wear fox fur coats. Not only did it look good and feel comfortable, it was also a representation of classiness.
“If I managed to recover my strength, I will make you the best fox fur coat.” Qing Shui said softly as if he was muttering to himself. But Di Chen could hear what he was saying.
Di Chen smiled. She didn’t say anything.
“Let’s go back. Auntie has been waiting for a long time!” Di Chen told Qing Shui and the girls. It was only ten days away from the New Year.
Qing Shui nodded his head. He summoned back the Diamond Gigantic Elephant and rode on the Fire Bird. Even though the back of the Fire Bird could be considered wide, its wings couldn’t stand the weight of a human. Hence, everyone stood on the back of the Fire Bird.
The party stood closely to one another with snowflakes floating in their surroundings. The speed of the Fire Bird was very slow. Along the way, everyone was silent, yet they all felt unusually good.
“Qing Shui, the cinnabar between your eyebrows are looking clearer and clearer.” Said Qing Qing as she stood on Qing Shui’s left side and pulled his sleeves.
Qing Shui touched the scarlet red mark between his eyebrows. It was the size of a soybean and it was a scar left behind from opening the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. During this period of time, it suddenly turned scarlet red, even Qing Shui had no idea what was going on.
If it was about the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal being upgraded, he already felt it was a miracle that it was still there after he lost his cultivations and was crippled. As for upgrading the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, he didn’t really ponder too much on it. For now, he was only thinking about how to recover his strength.
“It would be great if you could give me this mark just like Sister Gelou.” said Huoyun Liu-Li as she looked at Qing Shui with a smile.
There was also a mark between Mingyue Gelou’s eyebrows. It was also a scarlet red in color. Her pure and dignified appearance, added on with a bit of flirtatious look, it made Qing Shui feel particularly thrilled and excited when he was having fun with her.
“Do you want me to draw one for you?” Qing Shui smiled and said.
“No! I want it to be natural!”
“Actually, you would look better without this.”
“Why?” Huoyun Liu-Li looked at Qing Shui with her sexy, long and narrow pupils.
“For now, the men are already unable to hold themselves together whenever they see you. If you were to go out for a walk now, there will be a lot of souls tailing you. If you were to have that cinnabar, I don’t think there will be any man left who can stand it.” Qing Shui chuckled.
In front of the girls, Qing Qing in particular, and also Di Chen, Huoyun Liu-Li’s face got a bit hot. From the way Qing Shui put it, he meant that she was captivating.
……
Unknowingly, yet another year had passed. After celebrating the New Year, Qing Shui was already twenty-three years old. As he turned around and looked, he realized that he has already walked a really long path. Slowly advancing, step by step, he passed across many obstacles along the way.
The Qing village was still a few miles away from them. The party got down from the Fire Bird and walked towards Qing Village. They were already able to feel the New Year atmosphere from far away.
Pi-pa!
From time to time, there would also be the noises of firecrackers. Occasionally, noises of children giggling would also be heard. To Qing Shui, all of these felt really comfortable.
As soon as he entered the Qing Village, he was already at the Qing Clan Main Residence. After all, when they left, they left from the western side, and the Qing Clan Main Residence was located on the most western side of the village.
When Qing Shui went back to the Qing Clan, he realized that other than the Qing He married couple who remained at Hundred Miles City, the rest of the Qing Clan member had come back. The Qing Clan’s courtyard was still there. Each of the members would stay in their respective courtyard. For now, Qing Yi and Qing Shui’s courtyards had become the turned out to be the most crowded one.
Last year when the Qing Clan celebrated the New Year, Qing Shui didn’t come back. Qing Yi has visited him a few times but only managed to see him once. However, Qing Shui could see his mother watching him from afar by accident. During the New Year, his mother would visit him once almost every day, but that time was the most crucial time for Qing Shui. Or else, he wouldn’t have minded taking a break for a few days.
As Qing Yi looked at Qing Shui who was getting thinner and thinner, she felt sad.
When Qing Shui saw his mother’s expression, he already knew what she was thinking. He smiled as he held up Qing Yi’s hand: “Mother, son has been happy, really happy.”
……
After staying for a night in Qing Village, Qing Shui left once again. He also informed them to not wait for him to celebrate the New Year. All the extra things that Qing Shui did this year, all the hardships that he went through, were something that everyone had witnessed. This also motivated the three generations of the Qing Clan to train even harder.
Very quickly, the next day would already be the New Year. The entire Qing Village was filled with a strong New Year atmosphere.
“Mother, will Qing Shui come back?” Qing Qing asked Qing Yi.
“I hope so!” Qing Yi smiled reluctantly.
“Qing Shui… He really has suffered a lot……” Qing Qing said softly. It was a kind of voice that came deep from the heart.
……
Time was fleeting like a white steed flitting past a crack.
Peng!
Just like usual, Qing Shui practiced his fists. Halfway through the practice, he would stop many times to meditate. But there were many more times when he would tire himself out from practicing. But he would clench his teeth and try his best to continue on. One after another, Qing Shui kept on throwing out his punches.
There were many times when he would get so tired that he leaned on a floating board. Otherwise, he would have sunk down the water and drowned to death.
But Qing Shui hadn’t improved since nine months ago when he achieved this cultivation state. He knew that all along, he hadn’t triggered the greatest potential hidden in his body.
Qing Shui stood in the middle of the water as he racked his brain. Suddenly, he thought of a scene. He realized that inside the picture, the man had created an enormous water hollow. The seawater there seemed to be really deep.
Qing Shui clenched his teeth. After that, he slowly walked towards the center of the puddle. Very quickly, the water had already concealed Qing Shui’s head. But Qing Shui didn’t stop because of this.
He continued to move forward. The water was getting deeper and deeper. Water pressure began to press against Qing Shui, but he still didn’t stop. He held onto both of his fists tightly. Every step that he took was incomparably firm.
At present, the already formidable ‘Qi of Life’ was also revolving vigorously to help relieve Qing Shui’s fatigue.
Qing Shui who had lost his Qi of the Ancient Strengthening Technique could only force himself to stop breathing. If it weren’t for Qing Shui’s ‘Qi of Life’, he would have very likely died already.
However, he was still feeling more and more uncomfortable. His brain was getting dizzier and dizzier, and his body was getting weaker and weaker. Qing Shui vigorously revolved the cloud of ‘Qi of Life’ within his dantian to make it even stronger as it spread out around his body. Qing Shui had already torn his lips. A trace of a red line began rising inside the water.
Qing Shui repressed himself. At this moment, a formidable strength that was restrained inside his body started to rise up slowly. He felt really resentful and irritated.
The blood vessels on both of his arms were bulging like small snakes. His chest had collapsed and it was already starting to curve inwards. His entire body was slightly bent and looked as tight as a bow.
Qing Shui has finally came to a stop. His entire body was still tensing up slowly. The extent of which his body bent was also getting more and more significant.
Suddenly, Qing Shui felt extremely dizzy. Simultaneously, the blood in his body felt like it was burning up.
He abruptly bit his lips. Even though he was in the water, Qing Shui opened up both of his eyes widely. At that instant, both of his eyes had a bright and sharp look.
Pu!
Qing Shui suddenly opened his mouth and screamed out loudly. The scream caused the water in a few meters radius to spurt out and suddenly turn into a vacuum. At the same time, Qing Shui’s body also tightened up abruptly.
He threw out a single punch!
The clouds of ‘Qi of Life’ within his dantian gave out a bright light. But it burst as soon as Qing Shui threw out the punch. Countless bits of silver colored lights got scattered everywhere in his body.
A mysterious and formidable strength seemingly came out from his sea of consciousness, yet it also felt like it came out from every part of his body, even more so, it was coming out from the deepest part of his body, a mysterious strength that originated from his soul.
It spread out.
All of these happened at almost the same time.
He felt an indescribable feeling which resembled that of ascending to a graceful immortal. The familiar golden light within his dantian shone brilliantly. Meanwhile, the meridians within his body also began to moisten at an unbelievable rate.
At the moment his dantian gave out that immense golden light, the Yin-Yang Image inside his sea of consciousness also started to give out a simple and unadorned light. The speed at which it revolved also became faster and faster.
His six organs that had long since been cured, were strengthened further. His five visceras also begun to recover. At this moment, Qing Shui felt as if he his entire being was being reborn!
Beng!
Qing Shui threw out one punch.
All of these happened in an instant!
The water in the entire pool got blasted away by Qing Shui. He fixed his sight on the enormous water screen in front of him, the shape of it in particular.
It was already starting to form into a draconic shape!
Bang! It exploded!
The powerful impact immediately blasted open the surrounding stone walls. An enormous water screen covered up the entire valley floor. The dust mixed together with the misty fog in the air and dropped down one after another.
Some Flying-type Demonic Beasts either got crushed to death by the enormous stones or got blasted away by the Qi Force.
The entire pool almost disappeared. The area was filled with large stones, half of the waterfall even collapsed because of the shockwave.
All of these were nothing compared to how happy Qing Shui felt after recovering his strength. The feeling of getting back what he had lost was indescribable. Qing Shui couldn’t hold his feelings and took a peek at his body.
The Qi of the Ancient Strengthening Technique started to revolve slowly on its own again.
The liquid Qi of the Ancient Strengthening Technique had become even more condensed. It had even increased a bit in size. The cloud of ‘Qi of Life’ may have disappeared, but Qing Shui could still feel it dispersed around his body.
Not only had his meridians recovered, it seemed like they have also become even more tenacious and strong. As for his organs, before Qing Shui managed to take a peek at it, he felt his body jerk.
“Pa!”
The Ancient Strengthening Technique broke through to its one hundred and eighty-sixth cycle.
Qing Shui felt a formidable strength emerging from the deepest part of his body, the increase in strength this time felt a lot more significant compared to those before. In the past, a cycle possessed roughly fifty-hundred thousand jins of strength. But now, it had achieved a strength as great as seventy-five hundred thousand jin!
Pa!
Qing Shui was still lost in his emotions. He was unable to think this through, he had guessed the cycles later on would also give him a similarly significant boost in strength. At this exact moment, the Ancient Strengthening Technique once again made a breakthrough!
Pa!
……
Qing Shui stopped thinking about it. He controlled the Qi of the Ancient Strengthening Technique and let it wander around his body. When it revolved, it was very powerful and vigorous!
He fused his Spirit, Essence, and Qi to the maximum level.
Qing Shui attempted to raise his Nature Energy!
It was successful!
He instantly felt that the power level within his body has increased by thirty percent.
Thirty percent?
A breakthrough?
Qing Shui, was no longer surprised. After all, all of his strength had more than recovered by now. Furthermore, the Ancient Strengthening Technique had also broken through a few cycles. Considering that the Nature Energy hadn’t been making any breakthrough for a long time, it wouldn’t be weird for it to happen now.
Frenzied Bull’s Strength!
Successful!
There weren’t any more changes to the Frenzied Bull’s Strength after gaining a forty percent power boost. But Qing Shui didn’t feel disappointed with it. He already felt really happy that it was still there.
Heavenly Thunder Slash!
The familiar power started returning to his body.
Immovable Mountains!
A powerful and steady aura rose up, it even possessed a ten percent boost in strength!
Diamond Qi!
The fifty percent boost in strength had caused Qing Shui to give out an indescribable smile at the corner of his mouth. In short, not only has all of his strength recovered, some of it had even been upgraded.
Pa!
The Ancient Strengthening Technique once again broke through to yet another cycle!
Shield Attack!
A Qi Force that was clearly stronger than in the past began to spread all over his body.
One hundred and ninety-nine cycles!
He barely broke through to the one hundred and ninety-ninth cycle.
Qing Shui was stunned. He actually broke through to the one hundred and ninety-ninth cycle. Even though he only barely made it through, but this was enough to make Qing Shui frozen in shock.
…
His physical strength and defense were immediately doubled.
At present, Qing Shui’s physical strength was already worth five countries. His defense on the other hand, it was equivalent to seven countries…...
Excluding the ‘Men Elephant Unison’ of the Diamond Gigantic Elephant, with the Heavenly Talisman and the Violet Gold Divine Shield as well as the Big Dipper Sword along with its additional technique, Qing Shui’s power level at present, had already reached a terrifying amount equivalent to twenty-five countries worth of strength.
Twenty-five countries worth…...
But why hadn’t his strength advanced into the Martial Saint Realm? Why wasn’t he achieved a strength which surpassed nature and achieved a level where he could fly in the sky?
Could it be that he really needed a catalyst to break through to the Martial Saint Grade? Did he really need to find the Earth Fruit? Wasn’t it said that one would be able to advance into the Martial Saint Grade if they achieved a strength of ten countries?
Could it be ten countries worth of raw physical strength?
Ten countries worth of strength, defense, and speed…...
Qing Shui stared into space. It seemed that advancing into the Martial Saint Realm wasn’t something that could be done so easily. In Green Cloud Continent, there weren’t any honorable Martial Saint warriors. Even the Heavenly Palace Old Ancestor and Lin Zhanhan only had superficial knowledge on the topic. If it required one’s physical body to achieve a strength of ten countries, even Qing Shui couldn’t help but feel speechless.
Qing Shui thought about the day long ago when the Martial Saint made his move. He didn’t know if his opponent went all out. However, his strength was truly terrifying.
During that time, the Violet Gold Divine Shield blocked half of the damage, leaving Qing Shui and the Diamond Gigantic Elephant to suffer the other half of it. And that had already dealt such a heavy damage to Qing Shui. Furthermore, Qing Shui was in the state of ‘Men Elephant Unison’ when he got hurt, which meant he possessed ten countries worth of strength and defense…...
Qing Shui shook his head. He stopped thinking about it. The only thing that he knew at the moment was that he has finally been reborn.
Roar!
Qing Shui looked up to the sky and let out an enormous tiger howl!
The noise oscillated for hundred of miles.
Lin Zhanhan trembled. After that, he looked towards the direction where Qing Shui was with joy.
“Brother Luo, congratulations!”
Qing Luo’s eyes were a bit watery. He looked towards Lin Zhanhan: “ We are lifelong brothers, my grandson is your grandson.”