Chapter 169 – Upgrades
Jun De settled into his favourite chair in his courtyard as the late-morning sun filtered through the leaves of the surrounding trees in soft, warm patches. A gentle breeze carried the scent of herbs from his small, modest garden to rustle his blue robes.
The jade slips that Elder Zhen Ronghai had given him were arranged on the stone table before him. They came in different shapes and colours, with some dull and unassuming, while others shimmered faintly with inner light.
Then there was the jade slip that shone brilliantly like a captured sun. This golden jade slip was luminous even in the daylight, pulsing with a strong spiritual energy that responded to Jun De’s touch with eagerness.
“I wonder what the Sect Master prepared for me.” Jun De muttered to himself as he reached for the bright gold jade slip first.
The moment his fingers closed around the smooth, warm surface, the glow intensified so much so that it shone between the gaps in his fingers. Taking a steadying breath, Jun De raised the slip to his forehead and sent a thread of spiritual sense into it.
The world around him blurred as the jade slip’s contents unfolded in his mind like a scroll formed of clouds and sunlight. Symbols and diagrams flowed together, combining with words into a cohesive whole.
The information wasn't esoteric nor hard to understand, like every other technique and cultivation method he had seen before. Instead, it opened itself up to him as though it had been written just for Jun De, catered to his needs and level of understanding.
Jun De exhaled sharply in surprise.
“This isn’t complicated at all!”
The structure of the method was elegant, with profound concepts written in a manner that could be easily grasped by him. His Foundation resonated faintly as he read, as though acknowledging the cultivation method that he was studying.
The title of this Cultivation method appeared in radiant characters in his mind.
“The Celestial Luminance Sutra.”
It was a cultivation method based on internal brilliance, of refining Qi through purity, clarity and inner light. It emphasized the natural illumination of the Dantian by condensing spiritual energy to form ‘pillars’ of Qi atop his foundation that would eventually contain his Core.
As Jun De read further, a piece of science fiction from Earth came to mind.
“A Dyson Sphere.” Jun De muttered.
The cultivation method described a Dyson Sphere, a method to contain the energy of the sun in an object. In science fiction, this was a piece of technology that would surround a star and not allow any of its energy to go to waste.
This cultivation spoke of something similar, with the ‘sun’ being his Core. Foundation Establishment would be dedicated to forming the ‘cage’ in preparation for the formation of his Core to be placed inside of it.
He doubted that someone from Earth had written this, but he figured it was a case of ‘great minds thinking alike.’ Still, the more he read, the more Jun De thought that this Cultivation Method was perfect for him!
It even contained breathing techniques that synchronized with the natural cycles of the sun, with the best effect coming at sunrise. There were Qi circulation patterns and a number of other techniques that would be effective until Core Formation.
“It’s unfortunate that this technique can’t be used after reaching Core Formation.” Jun De observed. Once the ‘Dyson Sphere’ was complete, the method didn’t go further into how to expand his Core and reach higher stages of Core Formation.
Jun De lowered the jade slip and stared at it in silence for a few moments before placing it gently on the table.
“If this is only the cultivation method, then what kind of other techniques did the Sect Master prepare for me?”
He looked at the remaining jade slips on the table before reaching over and grabbing the next one. It was a cloudy white jade, and its surface sparkled slightly. Unlike the radiant gold of the cultivation method, this one felt more subdued.
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But the moment Jun De’s spiritual senses brushed against its surface, that calm feeling evaporated and was replaced with impatient, silver light. It was swift and cutting, almost blinding as words and diagrams unfolded at incredible speed.
There were footwork patterns drawn like streaks of lightning, and diagrams showing rapid Qi circulation while silhouettes blurred and split into twin images.
The name appeared, etched in bold, flowing characters.
Dazzling Stream-Light Step.
This was a movement art designed to ignite a cultivator’s Qi in a sudden, explosive surge to propel them forward in a near-instantaneous burst. This was far faster than the Luminous Step, but it was clearly related to it in some way.
While the Luminous Step was fast, it was still only a Qi Condensation technique, while the Dazzling Stream-Light Step would elevate Jun De’s speed to an entirely different level.
But what caught his attention the most was the final line.
“Each burst leaves behind a Qi-formed afterimage, identical in form and aura for a breath’s time, deceiving enemy perception.”
“Incredible! Not only is it a movement technique, it can be used defensively as well.” Jun De marvelled as he placed the jade slip next to the golden one.
Curious about what other techniques the Sect Master had assigned him, Jun De moved on to the next one. This jade slip was darker than the rest, with a surface that was nearly as black as good ink. The moment Jun De’s fingers brushed against it, a faint shiver of killing intent seeped out, sharp enough to prick across his skin.
Jun De carefully pressed it to his forehead and sent his spiritual sense inside.
A heavy, oppressive pressure engulfed him immediately. Violent power churned at the center of the technique’s structure, like a sealed battlefield spirit that roared in its eagerness to be unleashed.
It was a palm art, and while it had some similarities to the Falling Star Palm, they were far apart in terms of their power. The Falling Star Art was a Qi Condensation technique with the power to shatter stone or crush bone.
But, at the end of the day, it was relatively weak when compared to the Heaven Piercing Starfall Sword Art.
This palm art was raw, domineering and brutal, with its only purpose to crush and destroy everything in its path.
“The Rending War Seal.”
It focused spiritual energy into a condensed layer around the palm, folding it over itself again and again until it reached a density that strained the limits of the user. When released, it would strike with a force that would tear, shatter and rupture anything caught within its path.
Unlike the other techniques, this one included a bit of the history of its creation. It was an original technique of the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s Founder, back before he formed the Sect and was involved in a great war that consumed the entire world.
The Founder had taken all the techniques he had learned throughout that terrible conflict and condensed their knowledge into hundreds of jade slips, with the Rending War Seal being the only one suitable for the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Once they were complete, he passed them onto his Disciples to store in the Sect’s Scripture Hall while vowing to never take a life again.
Jun De took a deep breath and pulled his spiritual sense back out from the slip.
He hadn’t known the Sect’s founder was such a formidable cultivator! Not only had he formed the Tranquil Mountain Sect and eventually ascended to immortality, but he had also developed such a powerful technique when he was only in the Foundation Establishment Stage!
“Best yet, he is someone to admire. Taking a vow of peace and spending your days in tranquillity sounds like a path to emulate!”
Jun De placed the dark jade slip carefully on the table, as though it might harm him if he handled it carelessly.
His hand hovered over the final jade slip; this one was a darker bronze colour that hummed with energy. Jun De lifted it carefully and sent his spiritual sense into it, unsure of what he would find.
Unlike the others, the title of this technique appeared immediately in his mind’s eye.
The Sovereign Morning-Star Metamorphosis.
As Jun De absorbed the technique, he felt the Dawnheart Flame within him stir and respond to the method’s instructions. It hovered in his Dantian, nesting on his newly formed crystallized Sea of Qi, radiating warmth and power.
This was a transformation technique, and, as the name suggested, a metamorphosis for the tiny Dawnheart Flame inside his Dantian.
Again, this technique seemed tailor-made for him. Its requirements were extreme, but not from Jun De but from the Dawnheart Flame. It would need him to feed rare resources and a variety of other Flames into it, increasing its power exponentially.
In return, Jun De would be able to imbue his body and other techniques with the presence of the Dawnheart Flame, eventually transforming entirely when using it.
The downside was that it would beggar even the richest of cultivators. Jun De didn’t recognize any of the resources listed in the jade slip, let alone the Flames that could be devoured by the Dawnheart Flame.
“Well, at least this one is easy to understand.” Jun De muttered as he set it down on the table with a soft click.
Jun De leaned back in his favourite chair and studied the jade slips. Apart from the transformation technique, the rest were more complicated than any he had studied before. Each required intricate movements and precise control of Qi.
He knew that he wasn’t particularly talented when it came to comprehending the Dao, cultivation, or techniques. Jun De was pretty good when it came to Pill Refining, but that was because it was easy to study and follow the recipes.
This would require a level of understanding that he wasn’t sure he could achieve. Elder Zhen’s words echoed in his mind, and Jun De said them aloud.
“You will not be allowed to study any other technique. These are the ones you must master.”
For a long time, Jun De simply stared at the jade slips as the afternoon sun glinted off their surfaces.
