The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 576 - Qing Shui's current terrifying power, Back to Qing Residence

Qing Shui laughed bitterly when he realized that he still had not broken through to Martial Saint. He inspected his power and realized that he had gained the strength of 20 countries, totalling to the strength of 32 countries altogether. His defense had totalled to the strength of 35 countries, while his speed had also increased considerably. His vital organs, meridians, and dantian had experienced an astronomical change.

Even so, he still had not broken through to Martial Saint, nor had he reached the Sixth Heavenly Layer of Ancient Strengthening Technique. He thought, did he need to completely relax before he could experience a breakthrough….?

Qing Shui was undeniably at the very bottleneck of his breakthrough. If he was unable to break through to Martial Saint or reach the Sixth Heavenly Layer, his strength would not continue to improve any longer.

Qing Shui also analyzed the strength of his Diamond Gigantic Elephant and found that it had the strength of 120 countries combined. The beast's strength was also doubled under the influence of the Diamond Qi, Diamond Protection, and Diamond Crossing Rivers, which led to the total strength of 240 countries.

Terrifying and monstrous; this was the strength of a Martial Saint who had just broken through. After a demonic beast had a breakthrough, they would have a period of growth which should last for a short while.

The Diamond Gigantic Elephant had already become a Grade One Martial Saint demonic beast. The techniques it used such as Mighty Elephant's Recklessness, Ferocious Diamond Attack, and Mighty Elephant Stomp had reached power so great that it was able to surpass the power of a human Grade Two Peak Martial Saint. In that sense, the Diamond Gigantic Elephant could easily kill a Grade One Martial Saint instantly. Just like last time, the Three-Headed Dark Cloud Armored Beast was severely wounded because it wasn't able to withstand against the Diamond Gigantic Elephant's Ferocious Diamond Attack.

Qing Shui felt that the difference between the strength of a human martial warrior and the strength of a demonic beast was only by one level. Nian Feng's grandfather had also said the same thing. A human Grade Five Xiantian warrior would be on par with a Grade Four Xiantian demonic beast. Similarly, a human Grade Four Martial King would be on par with a Grade Three Martial King demonic beast, whereas a human Grade Two Martial Saint could barely fight against a Grade One Martial Saint demonic beast.

If Qing Shui were to perform his martial techniques with all his might, he would reach a power of 150 countries combined. With the weakening effects from the Emperor's Qi and his Diamond Gigantic Elephant, as well as the effects from the Heavenly Talismans, the next fight was bound to be much more interesting.

Great power would surely bring forth a greater confidence!

"Mm!" Qing Shui was surprised to see that he had reeled in a snow white jade bottle from the Stellar Horse Lake. He was filled with excitement as he walked towards the bottle in order to retrieve it. Qing Shui bent over to pick up the bottle and inspect its contents.

The bottle was cold to the touch, therefore, he opened the porcelain item in a conscientious manner. The item he saw was a snow white medicinal pill with the size of a walnut. Emanating from the translucent and crystal-like pill, was strong Spiritual Qi and faint cooling aura.

Qing Shui stopped inspecting and closed the opening of the bottle. Whatever it the medicinal pill was, Qing Shui could not afford to find out by consuming it. Otherwise it would not be effective, given his current condition. Medicinal pills have been cultivating the strength of countless martial warriors for centuries despite its nature as a recovery supplement. Most importantly, the pills would still require the consumer's own ability to activate its effect. Essentially, the human body would act like a cauldron; if the cauldron was in poor condition, the medicinal pills would be ineffective. However, unlike a cauldron, the human body had more resistance to the drug's effects the more they consumed the pills.

It was almost time to leave! He put away the seemingly precious porcelain bottle into his inventory. This was the biggest harvest he had ever reaped from the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Not only did he manage to acquire the strength of a Martial Saint, he also had a Martial Saint level demonic beast as well.

He kept the Diamond Gigantic Elephant within the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal because he did not want his demonic beast to use its Skywalk ability. After all, it could be used as a trump card for dire situations.

He rode on Fire Bird and shuttled through the stars-studded sky with unbelievable speed. The sounds were also becoming even more clearer, however, Qing Shui still was unable to tell what the source of it was.

At present, Qing Shui was confident that he could easily defeat a Grade One Martial Saint or even a Grade One Peak Martial Saint with his current power. If he managed to break through to the Sixth Heavenly Layer of Ancient Strengthening Technique, his strength would be increased by multiple folds.

Finally, Qing Shui had also believed in the turning point to Martial Saint. If he could not break through it, he would never reach Martial Saint no matter how hard he tried. Moreover, Qing Shui had a hunch that there was a type of link in the breakthrough of both Martial Saint and the Sixth Heavenly Layer of Ancient Strengthening Technique.

He decided to return home and observe his condition. If he was still unable to reach a breakthrough, then he would keep the Diamond Gigantic Elephant within the Qing Residence. If anything, Luan Luan and Yiye Jiange would be able to protect the Qing Clan from danger. Perhaps he would be able to completely relax if he had followed these thoughts.

In a blink of an eye, one month had already passed!

Qing Shui was able to see the outline of the Greencloud Continent from afar. He was on his way home by riding on the back of his Fire Bird.

As he was about to reach the Qing Residence, he quickly withdrew the Fire Bird and slowly walked towards the front door of the residence. He had only left the clan for about six months, which was the shortest amount of time that he had been away from his family.

The beginning of winter had arrived. The people walking in the streets of the Greencloud Continent all wore robes made of fox and marten furs to keep themselves warm. The big streets were beautifully decorated with magnificent robes and beast carriages of all sizes. The picturesque scenery was somehow harmonious and pleasant.

Qing Shui knew that all of these were deeply connected with the great advancement of his strength. There was no one in the Greencloud Continent who could threaten him any longer.

Qing Shui was proud at the thought that he had single-handedly conquered the entire Greencloud Continent. Although the Greencloud Continent was significantly weaker than the other continents in the World of Nine Continents, Qing Shui could not help but wonder why Greencloud Continent was not compared in any other aspects. It was unusually strange in his opinion.

As he was about to reach the front door to the Qing Residence, Luan Luan and Yuchang were already walking out from the residence, seemingly on their way out to the streets. The moment they laid eyes on Qing Shui, an elated expression appeared on their face. Their big eyes were squinted into crescent shapes as they brightly smiled.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

As they called out to Qing Shui, the girls leaped into his arms without hesitation. Qing Shui held the both of them with one arm and hugged them tightly. The girls were getting older, especially Luan Luan, who would become a full-fledged adult within the next two years. Both of them have grown up to be lovely pretty girls.

"Why is daddy back so fast this time?" Luan Luan laughed heartily as she pinched Qing Shui's nose softly.

Qing Shui continued to allow her to pinch his nose as he laughed, "I came back because I missed you two." Qing Shui walked into the Qing Residence as he held them in his arms.

"Daddy, you liar! Hmph! Daddy isn't the type to come running back home just for us." Luan Luan complained with a cute voice as she tickled his cheeks.

"Grandma! Daddy is back!" At this moment, Yuchang told Qing Yi who was nearby the front door.

Qing Yi wasn't paying attention at first because her back was facing the front door. But after hearing Yuchang's screaming voice from afar, her body jolted in surprise. She swiftly turned around and saw Qing Shui holding the two girls in his arms while walking towards her direction.

"Mother!"

That word was an embodiment of a wanderer who had terribly missed his mother. It was a word filled with sincere warmth and tenderness.

"You are back! It's good that you are back!" Qing Yi extended her arms and rubbed Qing Shui's head happily. It was the same when he was younger - she still needed to stand on the tips of her toes in order to touch his head.

Qing Yi wasn't exactly old. Her appearance still appeared to be youthful because she had become a Xiantian warrior, and also because of the Beauty Pellet she had consumed. She still had a shred of vicissitude and benevolence in her expression due to the hardships she had endured over years.

Luan Luan and Yuchang jumped down from Qing Shui's arms and said, "Daddy, we'll go tell the others that you are back."

Without waiting for Qing Shui's reply, both of them swiftly ran away to call everyone!

Qing Yi pulled Qing Shui inside the residence and smiled, "Mingyue's pregnant. It's been six months already."

Qing Shui was shocked. He stared blankly at his mother and promptly recalled the time he was called out telepathically. Could it be….

Luan Luan and Yuchang returned quickly with the other members of the Qing Clan. Most of the members resided within the Qing Residence, except for a few in the Heavenly Palace. When Canghai Mingyue appeared, Qing Shui then realized that the one who called out to him telepathically was the child in her belly.

……..

The whole family passed the time together happily!

"Qing Shui, elder sister was pregnant for six month while you were out in the world. Go and accompany her! Be good to her!" Huoyun Liu-Li giggled as she placed Canghai Mingyue's hands on Qing Shui's hands.

At that moment, Qing Shui felt wonderful as he gazed at Canghai Mingyue who emanated a gentle aura around her. She was also emanating an extra dainty womanly aura on top of her usual alluring air.

Most importantly, Qing Shui seemed to have found a way for him to completely relax his mind and body. As he held Canghai Mingyue's hand, he felt that he had slowly eased up a little.

Everyone were looking enviously at the two of them, especially when Qing Shui held Canghai Mingyue by her hands gently while walking around the residence. The two of them seemed dazzling as they stood next to each other.

With one hand holding her hand, and the other supporting her waist, Qing Shui reminded in a caring tone, "Walk slowly, be careful!"

Canghai Mingyue gazed at the man supporting her body with a gentle expression. She didn't realize that he had already become a man of fearlessness. She couldn't hold in her laughter and said, "It's just six months. I am not that squeamish."

"Mingyue, if I knew you were pregnant, I wouldn't have left." Qing Shui held Canghai Mingyue carefully by her hands and walked slowly.

Canghai Mingyue smiled and shook her head gently: "You had an important task to do. Everyone knew how difficult it was. I, for one, knew very well about your hardship. This is what I like about you. You have a certain tenacious spirit and persistence."

"Hehe, what I am proud of isn't my cultivation, but to be able to hold such a beauty like you in my arms. This is my greatest pride." Qing Shui chuckled.

Canghai Mingyue stared at Qing Shui for a second, and soon after, she bursted into laughter!

"You have a beautiful laugh. The moment I first saw you, I would have never thought you would become the mother to my child." Qing Shui gazed at her beautiful expression with a satisfying smile.

"What are you saying!?" Canghai Mingyue blushed. She remembered how Qing Shui wanted to find Huoyun Liu-Li that night, but mistakenly came to her room instead. Due to his mistake, they were able to establish a deeper connection in their relationship.

"Let's go there and have a seat!"

Canghai Mingyue nodded, and the two of them stopped at a nearby pavilion to have a seat. Although it was the beginning of winter, the sun was still shining brightly in the sky. The warmth from the sun was comfortable.

"Let me hear what my child is doing now." Qing Shui knelt in front of Canghai Mingyue while she sat on a wooden stool inside the pavilion.

Her face flushed with deep red once again. Canghai Mingyue watched silently as Qing Shui put his ear on her belly to listen for his child's movements. For her, this was a moment of bliss. She was extremely happy.

"Qing Shui, do you wish for our child to be a boy or a girl?" Canghai Mingyue asked as she leaned sideways and gazed at Qing Shui.

"I would still love the child regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl!"

"If you have to choose between one, what would it be?" Canghai Mingyue smiled. It was quite rare to see this gentle side of Qing Shui.

"If it's you who will give birth to the child, the gender doesn't matter!"

…...

Qing Shui rode on Fire Bird to the Heavenly Palace around late afternoon. He was able to track Elder Ge within Heavenly Palace by using his Spiritual Sense.

Everyone greeted Qing Shui when they saw him. A lot of people had a puzzled look when they saw him in the Heavenly Palace, but most of them still expressed their respect and admiration towards Qing Shui as they greeted him.

After all, he was the youngest Patriarch of Heavenly Palace - the pillar of Heavenly Palace!

When Qing Shui found Elder Ge, he was looking through some sort of scrolls or scriptures. Elder Ge stopped looking at the scrolls when he heard movements shifting in front of him. He looked up to see who it was, and was elated to know that it was Qing Shui.

"Elder Ge!"

"When did you return?" Elder Ge placed the scrolls down and walked towards Qing Shui to greet him.

Qing Shui was now able to sense Elder Ge's current strength with absolute clarity. Elder Ge had the strength of 30 countries combined!

This amount of strength was normal considering that Elder Ge had recently became a Martial Saint. Moreover, the amount of strength was inclusive of the stat increment from some of his mastery techniques, armors, and accessories. After all, Elder Ge had just entered the realm of Martial Saint not long ago after he had slipped by his prime many years ago.

The realm of Martial Saint would be the longest phase experienced by a martial warrior in the World of Nine Continents. The disparity in strength between each Grade was considerable as well. For example, the weakest Grade One Martial Saint would only have the strength of a dozen countries, whereas the strength of the strongest Grade One Martial Saint would overcome the weakest Martial Saint easily with the strength of 200 countries combined. The difference was like that of the Heaven and Earth.

The benefit of breaking through to Martial Saint was the level coercion. Those who had a higher cultivation base would be able to coerce those who have a lower cultivation base, just like how a Xiantian would be instantly powerless in the presence of a Martial King. However, whether a Xiantian could go against a Martial King would still depend on their differences in level of mastery techniques.

Long ago, Qing Shui would be able to feel suppressed by the opponents of greater strength. However, ever since he had acquired the Emperor's Qi and upgraded his Nature Energy to the third level, Qing Shui had stopped feeling suppressed.

"I had just returned home for a while!"

"How long are you going to stay in the Qing Residence this time?" asked Elder Ge with a sincere smile on his face.

"The shortest will be six months, while the longest I will stay would be two to three years." Qing Shui wanted to be there during his child's birth. He had also planned to break through to the Sixth Heavenly Layer of Ancient Strengthening Technique within this two to three years time.

He thought he might as well increase the strength of his family members by another level within that time as well!

"Hmm, Qing Shui, are you a Martial Saint yet?" Elder Ge asked Qing Shui as he stared at Qing Shui with bright curious eyes.

"No!"

Elder Ge's eyes gleamed brighter when he heard Qing Shui's reply. He kept nodding his head and said: "Qing Shui, I may be a low-levelled Martial Saint, perhaps even the lowest in the grades of Martial Saint, but I am still quite knowledgeable about breaking through to Martial Saint." Upon hearing his words, Qing Shui's heart jolted for a brief moment. Those who were able to breakthrough to Martial Saints were considered a talented genius of all men, which also meant they all had an outstanding ability of their own. Qing Shui looked at Elder Ge with hopeful eyes and said: "Elder Ge, please guide me."

"Then I will tell you about it. Please listen carefully. I hope the information I am about to give you will help you in a way."

Elder Ge paused for a while and continued: "Everyone has a different turning point to surpass Martial Saint. However, there is one point that remains the same, and that is the thing you like the most. It must be the thing you like doing the most, or you feel like doing the most. As long as you are able to feel extremely satisfied and extremely relaxed after you have finished doing whatever it is, only then will you have the hope of breaking through Martial Saint. When I said 'relaxed', I didn't mean physically, but emotionally."

His words were more or less the same as the words spoken by Nian Feng's grandfather. He felt as though he needed to let loose as soon as possible, but it was quite difficult for him to do so.

If Qing Shui decided to leave the Diamond Gigantic Elephant at Qing Residence so that he could go outside to relax, his action would be a contradiction to his intention. Because of that, he chose to stay at the Qing Residence for the time being. When he saw Canghai Mingyue in her pregnancy stage, he felt more at ease than he was before. He might be able to completely relax if he stayed with his family for a longer period of time. Moreover, he had more understanding towards a lot of things with a peaceful mindset. His change in attitude and demeanor had a lot to do with the breakthrough of the 'Thousand Buddha Palm Imprint' as well.

"You should also do something that will make you delve into it thoroughly. Maybe that will help!" Elder Ge chuckled.