The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 935 - Roc's Might, Departure, Ancient Legends

That emerald colored poison Qi seemed to have sensed how terrifying the Nature Energy was, but the Nature Energy which had been through a breakthrough wasn't something that could be compared with what it was previously. In the past, it was like a small stream, but right now it was like a great river. The Nature Energy caught up very quickly and like a big fish devouring a small one, swallowed up that emerald colored poison Qi.

The remaining half of the emerald poison Qi couldn't even do anything and was dissolved. The difference of the Nature Energy before and after it had leveled up was too great. A Grade Seven Nature Energy was much more powerful than the Grade Six Nature Energy.

After repeated checks to make sure that the emerald colored poison Qi had already disappeared, Qing Shui was now relieved. He then started to sense the Nature Energy which had leveled up, which gave it a stronger air of oppression.

Oppressing with aura!

Qing Shui tried to bring up his Qi, gathering up all his aura together through the Nature Energy. It was only after it had reached the Niwan Palace and mixed with his spirit energy before they started to surge out.

"Mmm, very powerful!" Qing Shui sensed the changes to the aura, but kept having a feeling that something was wrong. It wasn't a smooth feeling and just felt like many things put together randomly.

It might be because this was the first time he was using it!

Qing Shui then made a few more attempts and his mastery increased. Oppressing with aura, using Nature Energy to draw out the Qi of Heaven and Earth, allowing his aura to borrow the help of Heaven and Earth to oppress the opponent.

This was the ability that only the Grade Seven Nature Energy had.

Once the opponent's aura was suppressed, his Qi's activity would be suppressed and his abilities would suffer a huge setback. What was most commonly seen was powerful martial arts cultivators suppressing low level ones. Spiritual Confinement was also, in a way, using pressure to oppress the opponent. When the pressure reached a certain limit, one could use aura alone to kill the opponent.

It could be used for confinement and could cause the opponent to lose the motivation to continue the battle.

What Qing Shui needed to cultivate right now was the "Roc's Might", using Nature Energy to guide the powerful spirit energy to act as a foundation, applying pressure and oppressing opponents who were of the same level or even higher.

Gradually, he became more and more familiar with the mastery. Now, he had the means of using the "Roc's Might". This was a battle technique from the Roc form which had appeared after Qing Shui attained a breakthrough to the Martial Emperor level. It was only after the Nature Energy had attained a breakthrough to the Seventh Grade that Qing Shui felt that he was able to cultivate it.

Soaring vertically upward 90,000 li into the skies [1]... The legendary roc was said to be able to travel 90,000 li each time it flapped its wings. The normal flying speed of the roc was comparable to Qing Shui's Nine Continents Steps before it had leveled up.

Wherever Qing Shui's eyes focused, there would be a wave which appeared to be like a spatial ripple. This was pressure, something which ordinary people wouldn't be able to see. It was the movement of spirit energy and had a similar effect as the Heart Toxin Talisman, but yet they weren't completely the same.

His grasp of the skill got better and better. The Roc's Might was best used against people with weak spirit energy, willpower and minds. However, no matter if one was strong or not, they would be affected.

Unknowingly, he had already spent half the time he could remain in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. He could be considered to be able to use the Roc's Might now. However, he would still need some time before he could get it to the Small Success Stage. Such pressure wouldn't be able to increase his abilities and it would only be a feeling. As for how much it could weaken his opponents, it would also be dependent on how strong the opponent was.

Tempering!

The Soulshake Bell had reached quite a high grade and was on the verge of attaining a breakthrough for quite a while, yet he had not been able to succeed. However, Qing Shui didn't let it get to him and only persisted with the daily tempering. As for whether he'd attain a breakthrough or not, he didn't think too much about it.

The Spirit Channeling Jade had attained a breakthrough from the first grade to the third, reaching the Intuition Realm. This was quite a great breakthrough. The advancement of the Spirit Channeling Jade was the slowest, but the great power it brought with its level up was undeniably strong.

The Spirit Gathering Lamp was still on the verge of leveling up. The advancement of these items grew increasingly slower toward the end and it was even possible for there to be no breakthrough, even after a very long period of time.

The Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb had leveled up by one grade, reaching grade five, the Heaven's Mysteries Realm. Qing Shui saw that the realms of the various treasures were all different, but he didn't think too much into it. He only cared about which grade they were at and if it was sufficient to know that the Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb was at grade five, one grade higher than before.

The Demon Binding Ropes had also increased by one grade, reaching grade seven. It looked two times thicker than before and its color had turned deeper. He could sense that the spiritual energy on it had grown increasingly strong. This was a good item and it was now at grade seven, the Realm of Subduing Dragons and Taming Tigers. It had caught up to the Soulshake Bell, but the latter was on the verge of leveling up to grade eight.

After attaining a breakthrough to become a Martial Emperor, Qing Shui realized that the treasures he had in the past had temporarily become pretty weak and were not effective for serious situations, unless they were put to use with careful timing. It was just like how the Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb and the Five-Headed Demonic Spider's Corrosive Poison Web had been used together. If the Blackjade Poisonous Spiderweb was used just by itself, he had no idea if it would have any effect.

Thank goodness it had now increased by one grade. Its abilities should be greater now and it should be better able to absorb poison. After a period of time, Qing Shui would soak it in poison, allowing it to absorb the poison.

In the interim, when Qing Shui was practicing the Roc's Might, he would attempt to add in Emperor's Qi, only to find that it went against the Nature Energy and the two domineering Qis were not able to merge at all. He then dismissed the thought of attempting to merge them together.

When Qing Shui went out, it was already noon. He walked out of his room and saw that Mu Qing was sitting at the pavilion downstairs. When Qing Shui saw her, she seemed to have sensed something and turned her head.

She broke into a light smile and her expression made Qing Shui feel as if the entire world was much brighter than before.

Qing Shui went down and sat opposite her.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to get some food?" Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui and asked, smiling.

"Eating one less meal isn't a big deal to a cultivator. When I see you, no matter how hungry I felt, I won't feel hungry anymore." Qing Shui held Mu Qing's hand over the stone table and smiled.

"The blockhead only knows how to cheer me up when he's about to leave." Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui, not blinking. Although she was smiling, Qing Shui could sense that she was very disappointed.

"Qing`er or do you want to follow me back?" Qing Shui gave it some thought and said.

"I'm already very satisfied to be able to meet you. Moreover, I'm already your wife and I can still go to look for you in the future. Right now, I can't abandon the Mu Clan. Promise me, if you come to the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, you must come and look for me." Mu Qing lowered her head. She didn't want to let Qing Shui see her weak and fragile expression.

"You're my wife. Even if I don't have to come to the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, I'll still come to look for you." Qing Shui couldn't bear to part with her either, but he still had things he had to do. In a few years...

"With these words from you, Qing`er is satisfied," Mu Qing lifted her head, her eyes slightly moist, as she smiled and said.

"We're already married, but Qing`er has yet to call me husband. I'm going to be leaving soon, come, let me hear you call me that." Qing Shui propped the weight of his upper body with his elbows on the stone table, as he leaned in smiling.

"I'm not going to!" Mu Qing chided shyly.

"Oh, then I'll give way. You can call me dear elder brother." Qing Shui smiled and continued saying.

"I'm older than you... You rascal..." Mu Qing ponded Qing Shui angrily, but soon broke into a smile. Unknowingly, Qing Shui was already sitting right next to her.

"You must choose either one today, else your husband is going to pleasure you here." Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing, whose face was flushed red.

"Ah, you dare..."

"You're doubting me?" Smiling, Qing Shui's left hand skillfully reached in under her clothes.

...

Two days passed by very quickly.

Today, many people from the Mu Clan were around and there were also quite a number of people from the Godly Sword Clan. Dong Yan and Sun Yan were around as well. Qing Shui and Mu Qing stood together. Today was the day Qing Shui was leaving.

"Qing Shui, be careful on the way. You must remember to think of me," Mu Qing let Qing Shui hold her hand and said.

"I will. I'll think of you everyday. You must be careful as well. Practice formations whenever you're free and the steps as well. That is very important," Qing Shui repeated once again.

"I know, don't worry. Sister Yu is here," Mu Qing put up a forced smile and said.

A huge snow-white bird flew toward them, with Yu He on it. It arrived above the Mu Clan very quickly and then slowly descended. That charming figure and her dignified disposition made her seem to be like a fairy from the heavens. Many people fell into a daze.

They exchanged a few polite words and Qing Shui gave Mu Qing a tight hug before letting her go and waving to the others. Dong Yan and Sun Yan had wanted to send him off, but were rejected by Qing Shui.

They would eventually have to part, so why was there a need to feel unhappy for a second time.

Qing Shui called out the Fire Bird, waved to the others and then he quickly flew out of everyone's sight together with Yu He.

The Fire Bird and Yu He's huge snow-white bird flew next to each other. When the two beasts were flying next to each other, they looked like a large stretch of flat land.

Thinking that he was going to be returning home, Qing Shui felt very agitated. Just as he was thinking of his family, a fragrant scent drifted over and he turned his head to find that Yu He was standing behind him, smiling.

"I'd like to chat with you." Yu He smiled and looked at Qing Shui.

"I was just about to call Sister Yu here." Qing Shui rubbed his nose.

"Whenever you rub your nose, it means that you're not saying the truth. You're still not able to change your habit." Yu He suddenly felt very close to Qing Shui, as if she had found the feeling from the past.

Qing Shui was stunned for a while before smiling, "I'm speaking the truth."

"Sister Yu, do you think that something major will really be happening to the five continents?" Qing Shui gave it some thought and said.

"The five continents have not been at peace all along. It has always been a case of the strong holding supreme and powerful sects and aristocratic clans would monopolize a large part of the resources in an area and wield absolute power. However, there's more than one powerful sect and there's no way that they can always remain powerful. Therefore, it's very normal for there to be endless killings happening everyday," Yu He shook her head and said.

"Then why are there rumors that a great chaos will be happening across the five continents soon? There might even be great, powerful experts who would be taking part in it." Qing Shui frowned. After all, they were but rumors and the land across the five continents was vast and he felt that it was hard for such an event to happen.

"Rumors are but rumors. However, a site of ancient ruins has been found in the Northern Sacred Lu Continent. It was just that it had been sealed up. The estimation was that that three years later, the seal will weaken and the experts from the five continents may gather there," Yu He gave it some thought and said.

"Ancient ruins?"

Qing Shui was astonished. This was something which many people knew or had heard of. Deity statues were already amazing enough, but when compared to ancient ruins, it was only like a drop in the ocean.

The pressure near the deity statues would be very strong, but the ancient ruins from the legend would be even more plagued with dangers. However, the benefits it brought were also tremendous. The place would be filled with opportunities and dangers, as well as endless heavenly and earthly treasures, Spirit Beasts, divine weapons and treasures. With just a little luck or if one was able to leave the place, their lives might change forever.

[1] Extract from a Chinese poem by Tang Dynasty poet, Li Bai.

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