boyutpedia Chapter 4 Qingzhou City
Chapter 4 Qingzhou City
Three days later, at dawn.
A simple carriage sat quietly in front of the Ling family's gate.
Ling Chen, carrying a simple bag, walked out the gate hand in hand with Ling Xue. Very few people from the clan came to see him off; only the First Elder, Ling Tiefeng, stood with his hands behind his back on the steps, his expression indifferent.
"Think carefully before you go to Qingzhou." Ling Tiefeng handed over a cloth bag. "There are thirty low-grade spirit stones inside. Use them sparingly."
Ling Chen took the cloth bag and bowed deeply.
For the past three days, the Grand Elder has remained silent about the ambush that night, while internally he has swiftly dealt with Ling Tieshan's faction. Ling Chen didn't know what the old man was after, but he remembered this favor.
"Take care, Elder."
"Go."
The carriage moved slowly, its wheels creaking as they rolled over the cobblestones.
Ling Xue lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the Ling family mansion receding into the distance, and suddenly asked softly, "Brother, will we ever come back?"
Ling Chen remained silent for a moment.
"Yes."
He patted his sister's head.
"When we come back, no one will dare to bully us again."
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Qingzhou City is one of the thirty-six main cities in the Eastern Wilderness.
The city wall stands majestically, reaching a height of ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), constructed from single blocks of bluestone, enduring a thousand years of wind and rain without collapsing. At the city gate, a constant stream of people come and go—sword cultivators flying on their swords, wandering cultivators riding spirit beasts, and ordinary merchants carrying loads on their shoulders, all contributing to the bustling atmosphere of this ancient city.
"Brother! Look at that! That person is flying while standing on a sword!"
Ling Xue pressed her face against the car window, her eyes wide open, her little face filled with excitement.
Ling Chen was also somewhat lost in thought.
Qingzhou City was completely different from the small border town where the Ling family lived. The air here was filled with rich spiritual energy, and every breath made one feel refreshed. Shops lined both sides of the street, selling all sorts of things he had never heard of before—elixirs, magical artifacts, talismans, spirit beast eggs, and even shops that specialized in buying materials from demon beasts.
"No wonder it's a city-level place," Ling Chen thought to himself.
According to Elder Mo's guidance, the spiritual energy concentration in Qingzhou City is at least three times that of the Ling family's area. One day of cultivation here is equivalent to three days of arduous training at the Ling family's residence.
"Let's find a place to stay first."
The coachman took them to an inn called "Yunlai Inn" in the west of the city. The inn wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. The innkeeper, a plump middle-aged man, saw their simple attire but didn't neglect them, greeting them with a smile: "Are you two here to participate in the sect selection?"
Ling Chen nodded: "Shopkeeper has a good eye."
"Hey, what's so hard to guess? Every year at this time, the whole city is teeming with young cultivators coming for the sect selections." The shopkeeper chattered on while registering the applicants. "But this year the competition is fierce. The three major sects of Qingzhou have all sent elders to oversee things, and it's said that even the Central Continent Immortal Sect has sent people to observe. What's your cultivation level, young man? Peak Body Tempering? You'll have to work harder then; there are already more than a dozen applicants at the Qi Gathering Realm this time."
Ling Chen felt a slight chill.
Qi Gathering Realm. The entire younger generation of the Ling family couldn't find a single cultivator at the Qi Gathering Realm, yet such geniuses were everywhere in the Qingzhou sect's selection process.
"Shopkeeper, who are the three major sects?"
"You don't know?" The shopkeeper looked surprised, then suddenly realized. "That's right, you're from a small place, aren't you? The three major sects of Qingzhou are Qingyun Sect, Luoxia Valley, and Iron Sword Sect. Qingyun Sect is the strongest, specializing in swordsmanship, with a Nascent Soul Realm elder in charge; Luoxia Valley excels in alchemy and weapon crafting, and is incredibly wealthy; Iron Sword Sect is the weakest but also the most united, and it's said that its disciples are all fearless. Which one do you want to join?"
Ling Chen thought for a moment: "I don't know anything about any of them, let's go and see for ourselves first."
The shopkeeper grinned: "Young man, you're very honest. But let me give you a piece of advice: don't be too ambitious. Getting into the Iron Sword Sect is already a stroke of good luck. As for the Azure Cloud Sect... heh, that's not something just anyone can dream of."
Ling Chen didn't say anything more. He paid the room fee and took Ling Xue upstairs.
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into the night.
Ling Chen sat cross-legged on the bed and began circulating the "Myriad Paths Heavenly Venerable Technique".
He had been consolidating his cultivation these past few days. Although his battle with the old man in black that night resulted in both of them being severely injured, it also gave him a deeper understanding of the Myriad Paths Heavenly Venerable Technique.
The truly extraordinary aspect of this technique lies not in the speed at which it absorbs spiritual energy, but in its "conversion."
Ordinary cultivators can only absorb spiritual energy that matches the attribute of their own spiritual root. A fire spiritual root can only absorb fire-attribute spiritual energy, and a water spiritual root can only absorb water-attribute spiritual energy. This attribute limitation determines the upper limit of a cultivator's potential.
The Myriad Paths Celestial Venerable Technique can transform all types of spiritual energy into the purest primordial power.
This means that he can simultaneously possess the explosive power of flames, the freezing power of ice, the destructive power of thunder, and the swiftness of a hurricane.
Of course, this is just theory.
"Elder Mo once said that the Myriad Dao Heavenly Venerable Technique has nine levels, corresponding to the nine seals of the Myriad Dao Returning to the Void Diagram." Ling Chen pondered to himself, "I have only just begun to understand it, and I haven't even mastered the first level yet. The second strike I unleashed that night was powerful, but it almost drained all my spiritual energy. If I cannot defeat the enemy in one strike, I will be the one who dies."
He needs a more sustainable fighting strategy with a trump card.
"The martial skill attached to the 'Myriad Paths Celestial Venerable Technique' is... the Nine Heaven-Splitting Slashes."
The Nine Heaven-Splitting Slashes is an unparalleled sword technique created by the Celestial Venerable. It consists of nine forms, each containing an ultimate understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. However, with his current cultivation level, he can only barely activate the first form.
"Not enough. Nine Heaven-Splitting Slashes alone are not enough."
As Ling Chen was pondering, the Myriad Dao Returning to Nothingness Diagram in his dantian suddenly trembled slightly.
Old Master Mo's voice echoed in his mind: "Boy, what are you thinking about?"
"Elder Mo?" Ling Chen was overjoyed. "You're awake?"
"I've been awake the whole time, but I've been too lazy to speak," Elder Mo's voice remained calm and composed. "Were you thinking about martial arts techniques just now?"
"Yes. The Nine Heaven-Splitting Slashes are powerful, but they consume too much energy. I'm afraid I won't have enough if I really encounter a strong enemy."
"Hmph, you do have some self-awareness." Old Mo's tone rarely carried a hint of approval. "The Nine Heaven-Splitting Slashes is the Heavenly Venerable's signature technique. Forcing it with your current cultivation level is like a child swinging a sledgehammer. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself."
Ling Chen smiled wryly: "Does Elder Mo have any martial arts techniques suitable for my current situation?"
A moment of silence.
"The first seal of the Myriad Paths Returning to Ruins Diagram has been broken. Now, immerse your divine sense into the diagram and see what you can discover."
Ling Chen did as instructed.
When his consciousness touched the gap in the first seal, a large amount of information flooded into his mind.
"Concealing Breath Technique - This technique can conceal one's aura and reduce the fluctuation of one's cultivation level by one major realm."
"The Eye of Insight - It can discern an opponent's cultivation level, the trajectory of their cultivation technique, and the weaknesses in their spiritual power."
"Shadow Step - a basic movement technique with extremely fast burst speed over short distances, suitable for surprise attacks and disengagement."
Ling Chen digested all this information, and a surge of excitement welled up in his heart.
None of these three techniques are direct offensive martial arts skills.
But each one was extremely practical.
The Concealing Breath Technique allows you to hide your strength and deliver a fatal blow to your enemy at a crucial moment. The Eye of Insight can see through your opponent's weaknesses, and its effect is doubled when combined with the Nine Heavenly Slashes. The Shadow Step is a powerful tool for survival and surprise attacks.
"These things left behind by the Celestial Venerable... it's as if they were prepared specifically for me."
"Nonsense," Elder Mo said irritably, "You are the reincarnation of the Celestial Venerable, of course this is prepared for yourself."
Ling Chen was speechless.
He hasn't fully accepted this fact yet.
Was the Celestial Venerable of his past life, the supreme ruler who governed all the heavens and myriad paths, really... himself?
"Don't overthink it." Elder Mo's voice suddenly turned serious. "The power of the Myriad Paths Returning to the Void Diagram is far more complex than you imagine. Devouring the origin of all things means you're walking a path where the entire world is your enemy. If outsiders discover your secret, all the powerful beings in the Three Realms will hunt you down."
"Keep a low profile until you truly mature. The three skills you've learned tonight are enough to handle the sect selection."
Ling Chen remained silent, then nodded emphatically.
"I see."
He immersed himself in cultivation and began to comprehend the three techniques.
Outside the window, the bright moon hangs high in the sky.
The night in Qingzhou City is like still waters flowing deep.
Countless undercurrents are quietly surging within this ancient city, and the young man who has just emerged from the borderlands is stepping step by step into the eye of a storm destined to sweep across the three realms.
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