The Eternal Heart - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Advancement to the Connective Meridian Stage

Translator: Alsey

Editor: Chrissy

The outer sect encampment.

Chen Yu returned to his own house and retrieved the two martial arts skills, [Fiendish Cloud Fist] and [Bronze Statue Technique], with unmasked excitement on his face.

In the past, it was greatly difficult for him to obtain a mid-ranked martial arts skill if he wanted to.

But this time, he actually managed to exchange two high-ranked martial arts skills all at once, and they weren’t ordinary high-ranked martial arts skills either.

Included in the [Fiendish Cloud Fist] was a branch technique of the sect’s key technique, [Divine Fiendish Yuan Technique]. Based on the description given by that old man with the reddened face, the origin of the [Bronze Statue Technique] wasn’t a simple one either.

He opened the [Bronze Statue Technique] first and started flipping through it. The reason why he chose this martial arts skill was greatly attributed to him feeling bad if he rejected the old man with the reddened face.

Chen Yu looked somewhat uncomfortable as he looked over all of it in a hurry.

“[Bronze Statue Technique]: Part one of the Bronze Statue Technique. An ancient body tempering martial arts technique that focuses on tempering the soul and strengthening the body. When part one is cultivated to perfection, it will be as though one’s skin resembles bronze, whereas one’s bones resemble metal. One’s entire body will be impervious to swords or spears, apart from their vital spots. Moreover, one will possess extraordinary strength and look like a bronze person or statue. One can also go on a rampage against those at the Qi Transformation stage and below without the use of Inner Breath.”

Chen Yu roughly looked over it once through.

Based on the description of this martial arts technique, it actually resembled an external defensive-type technique. It didn’t mention the Connective Meridian stage at all and it didn’t even mention mental techniques corresponding to attacking the Connective Meridian stage.

What made him feel more speechless was that this was part one of the [Bronze Statue Technique].

Chen Yu’s original intention for choosing a main cultivation technique was to access his meridians, so that his fundamental strength would be even stronger after he was connected to his meridians and wouldn’t lose to those inner sect disciples.

Bang!

Chen Yu seemed rather unlucky as he threw the [Bronze Statue Technique] to one side.

He took out the [Fiendish Cloud Fist] very quickly after that, and started collating and examining it critically in detail. Soon enough, he had a smile on his face.

As a branch technique of the sect’s key technique, the [Fiendish Cloud Fist] didn’t disappoint Chen Yu. This martial arts technique embodied the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique” and the “Cloud Fiendish Boxing Technique”.

Included in the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique” was the technique to cultivate Inner Breath, and even the method to breakthrough to the Connective Meridian stage.

“Not bad.”

There was a smile on Chen Yu’s face as he took the initiative and started cultivating the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique”.

It was reasonable to say that his foundation at the Body Tempering stage was extremely stable, so the conditions for advancing to the Connective Meridian stage were incomparably mature.

Under such circumstances, he could attack the Connective Meridian stage as long as the mental technique was compatible with him.

However, Chen Yu was circulating the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique” and attempted to condense the qi and blood in his body. When he released the “Inner Breath” born from the coalescence of qi and blood, it appeared to be very strenuous on him.

There simply wasn’t that much of a reaction within his meridians.

Based on the teachings of a few older disciples, this was a lack of the “feeling of qi”.

The first day.

Chen Yu practically didn’t make headway in the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique”. The qi and blood in his body were rich and powerful enough, but he still couldn’t produce Inner Breath and didn’t have the so-called “feeling of qi”.

There was no change on the second day.

There was slight progress on day three, but he still couldn’t produce Inner Breath from within.

At this moment, Chen Yu finally was a little flustered, even doubting his own aptitude.

If one were to say that other people were unable to condense their Inner Breath due to an inadequate foundation in their physical constitution, that would be a good explanation and he could understand that.

However, even that senior, the old man with the reddened face, was very shocked by Chen Yu’s foundation.

Chen Yu couldn’t help but recall that old man with the reddened face all of a sudden. At that time, he seemed to feel sorry for Chen Yu when he assessed the latter party’s aptitude.

Could it be that it really was like what the other party said? Was his aptitude in cultivating martial arts very common?

“That’s also right. If I have a very common aptitude, the Connective Meridian stage really is a bottleneck. It’s very normal for one to spend several months before making a breakthrough.”

Chen Yu finally came to a conclusion.

The conclusion was that he wasn’t a genius.

A few days ago, it was as though he had the help of a deity when he practiced the [Metal Plow Fist] after going through the transformation of the mysterious heart. As such, he thought that his aptitude could be compared to a few of the geniuses in the sect.

If he wasn’t a genius, this degree of progress was all too normal.

Based on the accounts given by a few old outer sect disciples, it normally took about two months to attack the Connective Meridian stage, produce the feeling of qi, and condense Inner Breath.

But alas, Chen Yu didn’t have two months.

There was still a month and a half left. If he couldn’t breakthrough to the Connective Meridian stage, he would be driven out of the sect.

“Calm down.”

Chen Yu took a deep breath and started to contemplate.

If he were to say that his aptitude was normal, why was it as though he had the help of a deity when he was practicing the [Metal Plow Fist]?

His thoughts reached this point.

He placed the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique” down and started reading the “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique” within the [Fiendish Cloud Fist].

As a high ranked martial arts skill, the profoundness of this “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique” naturally triumphed over the [Metal Plow Fist], so the requirements it had towards one’s physical constitution was even higher as well.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Chen Yu brandished his fists and practiced the “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique”. Every punch was brimming with might, and it was much easier than he imagined.

Even though he had not comprehended the true meaning of “fiendish”, Chen Yu had easily learned the “form” of the boxing technique and even comprehended a little bit of the fiendish might in the boxing technique.

Half a day later, Chen Yu was startled because the “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique” he practiced had progressed at lightning speed.

That kind of smooth and unhindered feeling made it seem as though he had returned to the recent days when he had been practicing the [Metal Plow Fist].

Three days later.

“Fiendish Cloud Fist!”

Chen Yu punched out, and it seemed as though a surge of fiendish qi was produced amongst the graceful grandeur. It was similar to the vicious beast he encountered in Yunyue Mountain Range that day.

It was as though there was a gale or a vicious beast roaring angrily in the boxing technique, which made one’s qi and blood unstable.

Based on might alone, this punch alone practically surpassed the perfect [Metal Plow Fist].

The basic form of the Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique!

Chen Yu paused where he was and uttered in amazement, “I’m a genius?”

That was because based on what was written in the rare book, the average person needed a number of months to half a year at the very least to achieve the basic form of the “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique”. Conversely, geniuses were another story.

However, Chen Yu felt somewhat discouraged again when he remembered that he had faced a bottleneck in the mental technique.

Even if he was a genius, he was an incomplete one.

Chen Yu continued cultivating for a number of days after achieving the basic form of his Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique, still making significant progress.

He felt that it was as though a deity seemed to be helping his body. He could achieve all styles supernaturally. His body was one step ahead in achieving perfection, yet its charm and grace appeared little by little.

Another ten days passed.

Chen Yu’s “Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique” was closing in to the realm of its initial form. At this moment in time, he encountered a bottleneck as his progress slowed down.

On the one hand, this boxing technique could only exhibit its greatest might when paired with the Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique. On the other hand, it was only easy to make progress in martial arts techniques through accumulating fiendish qi by engaging in a certain number of combats involving slaughter.

“I’ll try the ‘Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique’ again.”

Chen Yu took a deep breath and returned to studying his mental technique.

After the Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique closed in to its initial form, the foundation of his body, and even his strength had reached a terrifying pinnacle. Even inner sect disciples wouldn’t have it in the abundance that he did.

There was something unexpected that happened as he started.

This time, Chen Yu felt something when he cultivated the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique”.

Not only were his qi, blood and spirit more powerful than they ever were, but some of the connotations of the Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique had also even affected them faintly.

In no more than half a day, Chen Yu faintly felt an “aura” in his qi and blood that had a bit of the distinct style similar to the Fiendish Cloud Boxing Technique.

That aura was emitting an ice-cold bloody fiendish qi that made Chen Yu’s body and mind go cold.

Thump, thump! Thump, thump!

There was suddenly a pulsation that was as heavy as a mountain in his heart. The aura that affected his mind turned formless in an instant.

As time passed, that formless fiendish aura was getting stronger and stronger in his qi and blood. It had a kind of tyrannical and unruly feeling to it.

“There is a clear feeling of qi now!”

Chen Yu was ecstatic in his heart as he continued to circulate the “Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique.”

In the absolute depths of the night.

Chen Yu spread his arms out. Faint malevolent green lines appeared as the meridians and veins on his body swelled. An ice-cold netherworldly and fiendish aura sprung up around his entire body.

Whoosh, whoosh!

That surge of air was getting stronger and stronger, to the point where a ring of airflow even took shape in his surroundings.

“Tai!”

Chen Yu shouted as the malevolent green lines on his body bulged while brandishing his fist.

Whoosh, poof!

A surge of overbearingly cold “aura” of Yin nature vibrated on his fist. Pff, chi! The paper window not too far away inexplicably exploded and split open under a powerful gale.

“It’s done!”

Chen Yu’s heart was roused as he felt a surge of cold Yin Inner Breath and access to his meridians rushing forth from his fist.

“This is Inner Breath?”

He took a deep breath and circulated the Fiendish Cloud Mental Technique. A piercing hiss came from his palm and that formless “Inner Breath” was overbearingly cold and of Yin nature. It resembled a vicious beast that was currently baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

The condensed Inner Breath martial artists released at the Connective Meridian stage still couldn’t leave their bodies to attack, unless the individual ascended to the Visceral Tempering stage.

Even so, there was a difference in quality with respect to formidable might for an attack that had Inner Breath attached to it.

Besides, there was a difference between the intensity of the condensed Inner Breath released from martial arts techniques of different ranks.

Chen Yu felt that the Fiendish Cloud Inner Breath he had condensed was much stronger than Ding Jiuhui’s “Willow Nether Finger”.

Since then, Chen Yu spent half a month to condense his Inner Breath and broke through to the Connective Meridian stage in one go!

“I can finally establish myself in the sect.”

Chen Yu heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He had always regarded this as his goal in these past three years.

Establishing himself in the sect was considered to be taking the first step in having the initial qualifications to walk on the path of a powerhouse in martial arts.

Only when he became stronger could his parents have a better life. Only then could his clan’s position be more secure, possibly even reaching the point of prosperity.

“It’s been a long time since I went home. I can go back in the near future and convey this news to my parents.”

A hint of a smile broke open from the corner of Chen Yu’s lips.

At this moment, he seemed to be able to see how his parents felt pleased and pleasantly surprised once they learned of such news.

Two days later, Chen Yu’s cultivation, as well as his Inner Breath, had stabilized.

Due to the fact that his foundation before he made a breakthrough was incomparably solid, his state after he made a breakthrough was very stable as well.

Early in the morning on this day.

Chen Yu got up and headed for the outer sect’s Central Hall. He came here to settle two matters.

Firstly, it was to establish his official qualifications as an outer sect disciple.

Secondly, he wanted to make a trip home, so he wanted to make an application for it in passing.

In a side hall in the Central Hall.

“Reveal your main cultivation technique,” said a middle-aged attendant absent-mindedly.

Chen Yu nodded and released a punch.

Whoosh, crash!

In the instant he brandished his Fiendish Cloud Fist, a faintly tyrannical gale that was accompanied by the shuddering and whistling of his fist made people’s hearts throb.

“What… [Divine Fiendish Yuan Technique]?! No, this is [Fiendish Cloud Fist]!”

The middle-aged attendant stood up with a thump.

The slacked expression on his face no longer existed as he became solemn all of a sudden. His gaze was like a torch as he was in the process of assessing Chen Yu.