pertwk Chapter 62 The Method of Breaking the Restriction, Refining Mystic Arts
Chapter 62 The Method of Breaking the Restriction, Refining Mystic Arts
Chapter 62 The Method to Break the Restriction, Refining Mystic Arts (Three Chapters Combined for a Bonus Update)
The Crimson Flame Sparrow, dragging its injured wing, landed on the window frame of the quiet room, its feathers still damp with the chilly moisture brought from the lake bottom.
Chen Yi glanced at its cowering appearance and said, "No need to play the victim. If you have the skills, you'll get food here."
Chen Yi took out a few scraps of array materials and set up a basin-sized [Turtle Breath Spirit Gathering Array] in a corner of the secret room.
"Go inside to heal your wounds and cultivate. Don't come out without my permission."
The Crimson Flame Sparrow stumbled and flew into the formation, its flames hissing as they receded back into its body.
To its astonishment, it discovered that there was pure second-tier spiritual energy here. After resting, even the broken part of its feather root began to itch and heal.
"Chirp...chirp chirp!" It kowtowed three times with its head touching the ground, its tail feathers flapping out in a fan shape—a fawning salute to Chen Yi.
The entire Lake and Sea Market was thrown into chaos.
"Splash!" "Splash!"
On the street, many Qi Refining cultivators collapsed to the ground without warning, bleeding from their seven orifices and fainting on the spot.
Some early Foundation Establishment cultivators were also pale-faced, staggering and leaning against the wall, their foreheads covered in cold sweat, clearly indicating that their souls had been severely damaged.
However, after a brief period of chaos, the cultivators quickly discovered that the destructive power of this spiritual attack was not as terrifying as they had imagined.
When tallying the casualties, everyone was surprised to find that only a dozen or so Qi Refining cultivators who were in the lake had actually perished. Their souls were shattered by the sudden attack of divine sense, and they died on the spot.
Most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the lake only suffered minor injuries, except for one who was more seriously injured due to a weaker spiritual defense and needed to recuperate for half a year to recover.
As for the cultivators in the market, most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators only stumbled around and were fine after resting for half a day, while the Qi Refining cultivators only needed a few days of recuperation to recover.
"So this divine sense array is nothing special after all!"
Some people breathed a sigh of relief, then a glint of greed flashed in their eyes. Such a good thing, once it wasn't so dangerous, then...
After the news spread, the cultivators did not flee; instead, they flocked to Lake Sea Market even more frantically.
After all, even if it's just an external opportunity, a cave dwelling that appears to be left behind by a Core Formation cultivator is enough to make someone take a risk.
Soon, the major forces in the market set a rule: those who went underwater to explore must have a cultivation level of at least the ninth level of Qi Refining, otherwise they would be responsible for their own lives!
The formation of that cave dwelling fell silent again after unleashing a divine sense attack, as if the powerful attack just now was merely an illusion.
The cultivators of the Jade Dragon Sect dared not make any further rash moves.
They gathered around the lake, their expressions grave, and whispered amongst themselves, discussing their next move.
"We must deal with this divine sense attack formation first, otherwise a rash attack will only increase casualties," a late-stage Foundation Establishment formation master said in a deep voice.
The Jade Dragon Sect's fake Dan elder nodded and began to gather array masters to go underwater, mainly to study arrays.
This place has been sealed off by the Jade Dragon Sect, and other major sects in the surrounding area can only negotiate from the outside and are temporarily unable to enter.
On that day, after the large-scale attack of divine sense...
Qin Chengcheng hurriedly pushed open Chen Yi's door, her white dress fluttering, her brows furrowed with anxiety.
She was worried that Chen Yi would be injured or killed by this spiritual attack, which would affect her grand plan to unseal her soul.
"Chen Yi! Are you alright—?"
Inside the room, Chen Yi was sitting calmly on a futon, his brow furrowed in thought, showing none of the signs of other Qi Refining cultivators bleeding from their seven orifices or unconscious.
Qin Chengcheng narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing him closely:
"Such a spiritual attack would cause even Foundation Establishment cultivators some trouble, yet you are completely unharmed?"
She approached slowly, spreading her divine sense to examine Chen Yi's condition.
"The quality of your soul is far beyond that of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators."
"You wouldn't happen to be the reincarnation of some powerful being, would you?"
By the end, even Qin Chengcheng himself was somewhat incredulous.
"You jest, fairy."
Chen Yi looked up, a humble smile on his lips.
"If I, Chen, were some powerful being reincarnated, how could I have been a mortal servant for decades? I was just lucky; the room's protective array was activated just as the attack came, blocking most of its power."
He lightly tapped the array plate with his fingertips, and several spiritual patterns flickered, as if to corroborate his statement.
Qin Chengcheng pursed her red lips slightly, clearly not believing this excuse.
She flicked her wide sleeves and sat down beside the table: "Alright, it's good that you're alright, let's not talk about this."
She changed the subject, "What are your thoughts on the divine sense array at the bottom of the lake?"
"What do you mean by 'how'?"
"Of course, the farther away the better. I was already dizzy from the shockwave even from miles away, were I really going to go and die?"
Chen Yi said decisively.
"I mean, didn't you ever consider that this large-scale spiritual attack technique might be related to healing the restrictions on my soul?"
A strange light shone in her eyes:
"Look, they are all spiritual needle attacks, but the formation at the bottom of the lake can release thousands of needles at once, accurately attacking each cultivator."
The problem with my soul restriction is that the most basic restriction is intertwined with my soul. If I forcibly remove it, it will probably mess up my sea of consciousness as well. If I survive, I'll be an idiot.
But have you considered that our previous solution was to use a spiritual needle to prick and unlock each restriction node one by one? This would inevitably cause the most damage.
However, if you apply the principle of the spatial support points of the formation and restriction you researched, and simultaneously use multiple spiritual needles to dismantle all those support points, and replace the support points with spiritual needles...
This will minimize the damage to my soul.
"In that case, wouldn't the biggest problem with my soul restriction be solved?"
As Qin Chengcheng finished speaking, excitement shone in his eyes.
Chen Yi's brow twitched: "What are you talking about, Fairy? The lowest level of your restriction has at least eighteen support points connecting to your soul."
I'm currently at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and being able to condense one Divine Sense Needle is already considered excellent. You want me to get eighteen needles?
"If I had that ability, I would at least be at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in terms of spiritual cultivation. If I had that strength, would the fairy dare to ask me to help you?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Chengcheng looked up at the moonlight flowing like water outside the window, and sighed softly, her voice like pearls falling onto a jade plate:
"Chen Yi, do you know why I chose you?"
Before he could answer, she continued, "As the direct descendant of the Wonderful Sound Pavilion, I am proficient in music and possess the top-tier dual cultivation method of Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens. In the eyes of Foundation Establishment and above cultivators, I am nothing short of a treasure."
I have many suitors, not because they genuinely like me or want to be with me.
Rather, it is through obtaining me that they can be helped in their spiritual practice, especially the first time.
Her voice trailed off, her face flushed slightly, and she moved on beyond those few words.
"The reason I chose you at the beginning was because you were just a minor cultivator in the Qi Refining stage. Even if I let you into my sea of consciousness, if you dared to make any moves, I could crush you with a flick of my wrist."
Chen Yi lowered his eyes and remained silent, his face calm, looking into Qin Chengcheng's eyes, waiting for her to continue.
"What a pity," Qin Chengcheng sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the teacup.
"This restriction in my sea of consciousness is far more troublesome than I imagined. It can only be broken by those with Foundation Establishment divine sense, and also requires a mastery of formations and the Dao of the Divine Soul."
She looked out the window. "My time is running out. Now that I've chosen you, there's no going back."
The moonlight cast dappled shadows on her beautiful face, and she suddenly smiled: "However, spending time with you these past few days has made me realize—you are actually a good person."
"A good person?" Chen Yi's expression shifted as he looked at Qin Chengcheng.
"You saved Huo Sanniang from such a predicament time and again." Qin Chengcheng's eyes flickered. "Even though she knew your secret, you didn't silence her. In this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation... such actions are rare."
Chen Yi remained silent. His rescue of Huo Sanniang was solely due to the circumstances—
When they first met in the forest, the Dong family cultivator, who was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, had almost exhausted his mana and was being countered by Huo San Niang on her deathbed. This was the perfect opportunity for Chen Yi to launch a sneak attack. The Dong family cultivators wanted to silence all of them, so Chen Yi had no choice but to take action.
The second move was to prevent Li Wusheng from following the clues and finding him.
The third time was also because Dong Chang'an knew his secret, and he was trying to silence him.
So-called rescue is nothing more than going with the flow.
Chen Yi was never a chivalrous person; all he wanted was to live.
just
He looked up at the inky black night outside the window.
In this world of cultivation where killing and plundering are commonplace, not taking human lives is considered being a "good person".
At this moment, Qin Chengcheng smiled at Chen Yi and said:
"If you can treat Huo Sanniang like this, then all these years, you've eaten my food, lived in my house, learned my formations, and even used my name to gather so many demonic beasts. You must have broken through in body refinement by now, right?"
I don't need you to return these things, as long as you don't have any selfish motives when helping me remove the soul restriction. I choose to trust you.
Chen Yi did not believe that Qin Cheng would completely entrust herself to Chen Yi, as she had said.
but,
He wouldn't harm people indiscriminately.
They would not seek out heretical cultivation methods to take advantage of the situation and place new restrictions on Qin Chengcheng's soul, thus making her their own possession.
Of course, Chen Yi had another concern.
"Fairy, now that things have come to this, allow me to ask one more question. Where did the restriction on your soul originate?"
Chen Yi asked in a low voice.
"Why are you asking this?" Qin Chengcheng asked warily.
"By now, we also know that the grade of the restriction in your soul is not low, at least a high-grade second rank, close to the third rank."
Do you think the person who placed this kind of restriction on you wouldn't have some ulterior motives?
Who knows if helping you solve it might cause you trouble?
When Qin Chengcheng was willing to open up, Chen Yi expressed his concerns, which would determine whether and how he would ultimately help her.
"Ha, you've got a long way to go. If you can help me get rid of this, I'm confident I can protect you."
However, since you asked, I will tell you.
Qin Chengcheng looked wistfully towards the candlelight and sighed.
"Alas, actually, I don't know the origin of this restriction either."
I've been cultivating at Miaoyinfang since I was a child. As a child, I often had headaches, but after I started practicing Qi cultivation, my spiritual awareness became stronger than others.
After developing divine sense in the later stages of Qi Refining, my divine sense grew significantly, far surpassing that of others. When I reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, my divine sense broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
At that time, divine consciousness also underwent a qualitative change.
Then I discovered the restriction within my soul.
That restriction usually doesn't cause any reaction; it even helps improve my spiritual power.
But when my cultivation reached the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and my divine sense gradually grew to the late-Foundation Establishment stage, I sensed a bottleneck.
I had the opportunity to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage long ago, but each time my soul sent a warning message.
If my soul and magical power were to experience another major breakthrough, it would likely self-destruct, shattering my soul and causing my death.
My master, who is also Lin Xiaoyu's father, is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. A few years ago, he advanced to Core Formation. However, I have never heard of him having any array formation skills in the past few decades. If someone is behind this, it shouldn't be him.
As for the others, I really don't know. Over the years, no one has asked me to do anything because of the soul restriction. I truly don't know if there's a conspiracy behind this.
Chen Yi frowned and analyzed, "On the surface, the person who placed the restriction on you wants you to grow rapidly in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, but doesn't want you to break through to the Core Formation stage."
Perhaps he's watching you from afar, never expecting that you, with only a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level, have already raised your divine sense to the late-Foundation Establishment stage, which is why he hasn't been in a hurry to come find you.
In that case, what you just said cannot rule out the possibility of a conspiracy.
The good news is that he's probably not at the Core Formation stage yet, because he's afraid you'll reach Core Formation and get out of his control.
Therefore, the worst-case scenario is that the one in question is likely a fake elixir, waiting for you to mature so it can be harvested at the last minute.
Of course, I am still analyzing this from a conspiracy perspective.
There's another possibility: this restriction was placed on you by your family, who wanted to make your cultivation process smoother. They plan to remove the restriction once you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
"It's just that something might have happened to your family; they haven't shown up for so many years."
Chen Yi analyzed two results,
Qin Chengcheng nodded silently, her eyes filled with complex emotions. In either case, she was powerless to change her situation.
Actually, given these two causes and effects, Chen Yi was quite reluctant to provoke them.
He can't escape now. Although he has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he only has a chance to launch a close-range sneak attack against a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In terms of escaping and ranged attacks, he is far inferior.
As Qin Chengcheng said, everything he ate, drank, and used for cultivation over the years was provided by others. Although he was afraid of death, he couldn't bring himself to betray her or launch a close-quarters attack.
Moreover, this was the first time Chen Yi had heard that Qin Chengcheng's divine sense had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage; she must have already seen through his body refinement cultivation level.
The two often studied formations together, so did the other really have no precautions at all?
You must know that she is a very famous fairy in the Foundation Establishment stage, with cultivation resources that are beyond the imagination of even independent cultivators. How could she not have treasures to protect her?
Chen Yi dismissed these unrealistic ideas and steered the conversation back to how to lift the restriction:
"Fairy, the idea of simultaneously dispelling multiple spiritual needles is a solution, but it places too high a demand on my soul, which I am far from capable of."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chengcheng smiled and took out a jade slip from her storage bag:
"Therefore, some time ago, I asked Lin Xiaoyu to obtain a cultivation technique specifically for cultivating divine sense."
Normally, one needs to be at the Foundation Establishment stage to cultivate, but there's no other way now. Why don't you give it a try?
"Within three years, your divine sense must at least reach the Foundation Establishment stage, and you must condense at least nine divine sense needles; otherwise, I am doomed."
"This cultivation technique is said to have a remarkable origin, but it has high requirements for physical strength. It just happens to be suitable for you, so you can give it a try."
"A technique to enhance spiritual awareness? Why would she take out something so precious?"
"Hmph, she took my top-grade magic artifact, the Scorched Tail Qin, a while ago. She owes me a big debt."
I made her many promises, such as that she would cook spiritual food for me for free if she asked me to, before I asked her father to find this cultivation method.
So that's how it is. I didn't expect you to have gotten me so confused. But Chen Yi didn't dwell on the matter of becoming a chef.
Compared to cultivation techniques that can nurture divine consciousness, preparing a few spiritual meals is nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
Chen Yi took the jade slip, simply placed it on his forehead, and after briefly understanding it, his expression changed slightly.
[Refining Spirit Technique]
I recalled a special spiritual cultivation technique practiced by the protagonist of a famous online novel in my past life.
It really does resemble that cultivation technique somewhat.
The principle behind this technique is to use a special pathway for the circulation of spiritual consciousness to open up other acupoints related to the ancestral aperture, allowing the spiritual consciousness to not be confined to the ancestral aperture at the center of the forehead, but to be refined in other acupoints, such as the Niwan Palace, the Third Eye, and the Jade Pillow, among others.
However, this places extremely high demands on the cultivator's physical body, because these acupoints are difficult to open due to their excessive dependence on the physical body and their inherent instability.
If not controlled properly, it can easily explode.
The locations of these acupoints are extremely critical; if any one of them explodes, the cultivator is likely to explode and die.
Therefore, before cultivating this technique, there are strict requirements for the cultivator's physical body, and each step of advancement places even stricter requirements on the physical body.
On the positive side, once this Spirit Refining Technique is practiced, the cultivator's spiritual sense will double with each newly opened acupoint. In the later stages of cultivation, this will naturally far surpass those of others at the same level.
The benefits are self-evident.
Another advantage is that this Refining Spirit Technique is a modified version of the cultivation method, and there is no rule that says you can't stop once you start practicing it.
If Chen Yi finds that any acupoint is unable to withstand the pressure, he can stop at any time and continue cultivating after his physical strength has improved.
With Chen Yi's current state of bone refining, his entire skeleton has reached the level of refined iron, which is just enough to cultivate the first level of this technique.
With this in mind, Chen Yi was already inclined to accept and give it a try.
The importance of spiritual consciousness surpasses that of physical body and magical power, making this Spirit Refining Technique a true lifesaver for Chen Yi.
Of course, agreeing outright wasn't Chen Yi's style; he still had to complain a little.
"Fairy, you overestimate my abilities when it comes to this cultivation technique. Not only does it consume a vast amount of spiritual resources, but it also places extremely high demands on the physical body and is far too dangerous."
"Chen, a man who fears death, is probably not capable of enjoying this."
"Hmph, I knew you were like this all along."
These are three leaves from a thousand-year-old soul-nourishing tree, enough for your initial learning.
In addition, this is a Soul-Protecting Pill, which you can take during cultivation to protect your divine aperture.
Use this pill carefully; I only have two in total.
Chen Yi silently accepted it. He understood that Qin Chengcheng wanted to save the other one for when dealing with the restrictions on her soul, to protect her own soul.
Seeing that the other party was like this, Chen Yi felt embarrassed to refuse any longer.
Actually, there was another reason why he was confident he could successfully cultivate this technique after receiving it.
Even when he was attacked by the divine sense array at the bottom of the lake today, his divine sense not only increased,
Furthermore, after absorbing the same source of divine sense needles, his own ability to perform divine sense needles was also slightly enhanced.
With his current abilities, he is already able to separate two divine sense needles.
In the foreseeable future, when his divine sense breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage, forming a qualitative change similar to the transformation from vaporization to atomization, the number of divine sense needles will definitely increase significantly.
After two years of researching the soul restriction, the two have finally found a preliminary solution today.
Seeing that Chen Yi accepted, Qin Chengcheng breathed a sigh of relief:
"Zhao Tieshan already suspected us before, so there might be fewer second-tier demonic beasts later on. Just focus on cultivating this Refining Spirit Technique."
Three years from now, when I've broken the restriction on my soul, I'll make it up to you properly. You can have any kind of demonic beast you want.
Even if you fail to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, I can still guarantee you a life of luxury for the next few decades!
"Then thank you very much, fairy. I will do my best."
"By the way, fairy, there's one more small question."
When the fairy asked Fairy Lin for this cultivation technique, did she mention my name?
Chen Yi was worried that he had made a bad impression on Lin Xiaoyu, who was also someone not to be trifled with, so he naturally didn't want to attract too much trouble.
"Don't worry, I didn't mention you."
However, that girl was incredibly shrewd. Even without asking, she could guess that the person practicing this technique must also be cultivating body refinement. Furthermore, there were rumors in our market about a body refinement technique that the Jade Dragon Sect had missed.
Anyway, you should be more careful in the future.
This cultivation technique was obtained by her father, my master, from a distant Nascent Soul sect.
Currently, there are very few people here who are capable of cultivation, and every time it is mentioned, it is recorded.
If it weren't for its demanding cultivation conditions and the extremely limited number of body cultivators at the third level or above, it would be very difficult for anyone to cultivate this technique to the second level or above.
He won't let it out.
You'd better continue your cultivation. Just don't tarnish my reputation if your secret is ever exposed.
Chen Yi nodded to indicate that he understood.
He actually wanted to say that Qin Chengcheng's approach wasn't stable enough; they should at least come up with another reason and a more plausible cultivator to justify practicing this technique.
It's still easy to expose his presence now.
However, he thought about it and let it go. Not everyone in the cultivation world is as secretive as him.
Qin Chengcheng is currently in dire straits herself; it's already quite an achievement that she managed to obtain this soul cultivation technique for him.
Although she was thinking of herself, Chen Yi also had to acknowledge the kindness of passing on the Dharma.
Even though this kind of spirit-refining technique has extremely harsh cultivation conditions, and the cultivator may die suddenly, it still requires a high level of skill and skill.
Once it appears in the cultivation world, it will inevitably be fiercely sought after, and may even lead to bloodshed!
Chen Yi received the three leaves of the Soul Nourishing Tree and a Soul Protecting Pill, but he was in no hurry to use them.
He knew that, with the system's help, these external aids would be of great benefit to him.
However, the true foundation of cultivating a skill, especially in the early stages, relies on one's own comprehension, which is the most important process for understanding the skill and cannot be replaced by a system.
He first cultivated the "Refining God Technique" on his own, attempting to open the aperture of his divine consciousness with his own power, and then quickly replenished it with external objects later.
A month later, on the night of the full moon.
Chen Yi sat cross-legged on a futon in the room, his mind sinking into the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows.
He could sense a slight loosening coming from the Niwan Palace, as if an invisible barrier was about to be broken through.
However, at this moment,
"Buzz—"
From the depths of the lake, another violent surge of divine consciousness erupted!
Just like last time, the entire market town instantly descended into chaos.
The Qi Refining cultivators clutched their heads and screamed in agony, while the Foundation Establishment cultivators were deathly pale and barely managed to hold on.
There were sounds of pain outside.
in the secret room,
Chen Yi was also caught off guard by the divine sense, but having had experience before, he did not panic.
After enduring excruciating pain, as if a thousand needles were piercing his mind,
His internal system quietly activated, devouring and refining the violent fluctuations of divine consciousness!
In an instant, the Niwan Palace behind his ancestral aperture between his eyebrows suddenly trembled, and a wisp of golden light emerged from the chaos, slowly condensing into a small green sprout!
Although the green sprout was small, it contained a vibrant life force and was the embodiment of divine consciousness!
Chen Yi felt a slight warmth between his brows, as if an invisible gate had been pushed open, and a cool and vast power flowed from his ancestral aperture to his Niwan Palace.
The two complement each other.
The Niwan Palace officially became Chen Yi's second acupoint to accommodate his divine consciousness, and he had entered the first stage of the [Refining Spirit Technique].
After a long while, he closed his eyes.
Yet, I can clearly feel that my range of perception is expanding and my thinking is becoming more acute.
The range of his divine sense expanded from forty-one zhang to forty-five zhang!
This is only the initial stage of opening the Niwan Palace, and it hasn't even used Soul Nourishing Leaves or Soul Protecting Pills yet.
He believed that before long, after the Niwan Palace was fully developed, the divine sense power in his second divine aperture might be even stronger than the divine sense in his ancestral aperture.
After studying the Refining Spirit Technique for a month, Chen Yi discovered that the version Qin Chengcheng presented was likely a censored version.
Because he could sense that once the two divine apertures were opened, their divine sense could be combined and used together to research and develop various secret techniques and supernatural abilities related to divine sense.
However, there was no record of it in the Refining God Technique. He did not believe that the great power who developed the Refining God Technique would not be able to create such a secret technique or supernatural power.
It's unclear whether Lin Xiaoyu edited the text when she gave it to Qin Cheng, or whether Lin Xiaoyu's father, Master Lin, had already edited it when he obtained the technique from a distant Nascent Soul sect.
Of course, these kinds of secret techniques and supernatural powers related to divine sense were merely an intuition Chen Yi developed after opening his Niwan Palace.
He currently lacks the ability and energy to research in this direction.
In the future, when I absorb spirituality related to the power of the soul, I may be able to temporarily enhance my comprehension and make a breakthrough.
Now he needs to consider the divine sense array at the bottom of the lake.
"Tonight is a full moon. Was the eruption of the divine sense array at the bottom of the lake a coincidence, or something else?"
"If it happens once every full moon from now on..."
Chen Yi pondered. The first two attacks were unexpected. If he had been prepared in advance, his gains on each full moon night might have been much greater.
(End of this chapter)