Ji Qinglin had not expected the Crystal Arm of the Immortal Remains to still be able to move.
Startled, he instinctively pulled his hand back, only to discover that although the Crystal Arm had grabbed him, it had no weight at all and was easily lifted along with his movement.
Yet Ji Qinglin could still clearly sense a force within the Crystal Arm in his hand, as though it were guiding the crystal hand bones.
Seeing that there was no danger, Ji Qinglin simply stopped resisting and felt the power of the crystal hand bones. Sure enough, under their pull, his right arm began swaying before him as well, as if someone were holding his hand and leading him through tai chi.
Without hindering the autonomous movement of his arm, Ji Qinglin moved his feet and left arm along with it. As his body moved, the data waves in the Sea of Data that had constantly been rushing toward him now circled around from both sides, forming a massive vortex centered on him.
Even more miraculously, Ji Qinglin discovered that although the surroundings were engulfed by the vortex, the Sea of Data within nearly two meters beneath his feet was as still as a mirror. The data within had likewise been sorted into distinct categories; with a touch, he could swiftly absorb it into his body.
The waves and vortex outside, when they crashed against the two-meter platform beneath his feet, would likewise be absorbed.
Whoosh—
As Ji Qinglin pondered the meaning of this change, the Crystal Arm in his hand suddenly burst into flames and turned to ash in the blink of an eye.
This was the Immortal's instruction?
Ji Qinglin still did not understand the meaning behind the Immortal Bone transforming his Sea of Data into this state. So he simply sat cross-legged once more on that two-meter-square platform, intending to continue absorbing data with his previous method.
Yet the moment he sat down, the data streams around him swiftly surged into his body. Unlike the chaotic data he had previously received through his arms, this time it poured in from all over the outside of his body—and it was all pure data that had already been sorted.
It felt like he had previously been drinking cooled boiled water through a tiny straw, but was now chugging iced cola from a beer mug.
As Ji Qinglin absorbed the data with relish, he also understood where the Immortal Bone's guidance lay: the method of acquiring power.
By adjusting and optimizing the way he obtained data, he could absorb the surrounding power with the greatest possible efficiency.
Looking at the two-meter-wide, mirror-still expanse of data water by his feet, Ji Qinglin guessed that this might be what cultivators called an external Lesser Celestial Circuit.
He had heard people from the chamber of commerce say before that the key to crossing from the Foundation Establishment Realm into the Core Formation Realm was finding a stable external channel for obtaining power. They certainly did not have the patience of ancient cultivators, who absorbed the essence of sun and moon and practiced breathing techniques for centuries. Thus, many Qi Practitioners who wanted to reach this stage chose to directly install a second energy supply within their bodies, with backup power-source hearts being the most commonly used.
Before, he could only obtain data from the Qi Sea Cloud Disk as his source of power, which was neither stable nor efficient. But now, it seemed he had truly stepped across the threshold of the Core Formation Realm.
While the iron was hot, Ji Qinglin hungrily absorbed the Sea of Data, filling four of the ten little figures in the upper-left corner in one go.
Feeling that he had reached his body's limit, Ji Qinglin did not force matters like a tyrant forcing himself upon a bow. He withdrew from the Qi Sea Cloud Disk early.
The Immortal Bone in the drawer was still there. It seemed the revelation did not lie in the bone itself, but in the exchange within his inner landscape after touching it. What he had just learned should have been a Qi Circulation Method. If that was truly the case, then gathering the complete Immortal Remains to obtain an entire cultivation method was not impossible.
"Master! Dinner!"
"Coming."
Tsk. The next problem was how to teach this move to that little fool of a disciple. She did not have a Qi Sea Cloud Disk or an inner landscape. He did not know whether the virtual scenarios of Soul Refining would work. Hmm, speaking of which, it was about time she learned some Soul Refining techniques too.
Inside the Four Seas Trading Group building, one of the giants of Bangkok's Nanhua District, business elites in the conference room were discussing the next quarter's trade plans.
Above them was a tea room decorated in an elegant, antique style. Those who truly held decision-making power over the group's development were all seated there. Some were aged and gray, while others were in their prime, but no matter who they were, all of them were looking toward the seat of honor in the tea room, for that was the pinnacle of this company's power.
A woman in a tailored white suit sat upright in an old huanghuali round-backed armchair. Maple-leaf patterns were embroidered along the edge of her jacket. Her hands were clasped before the bridge of her nose, revealing only a pair of crimson eyes that carried considerable intimidation. Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke in a mature voice. "To be honest, I never intended to sit in this position. If my two elder brothers had not committed such outrageously unfilial acts against Father, I would probably still be living the carefree life of a wealthy young lady. But since this responsibility has fallen upon my shoulders, the Nangong Family has never had a habit of hiding from trouble or fearing it ever since our ancestors went south across the seas.
"I know there are quite a few family elders and industry seniors below who have objections to me. There are even certain shareholders who, before I successfully returned to the company and assumed my position, colluded with the forces in the company that my brothers had not taken away, intending to kill me on the road.
"I am not saying this to settle old scores. I am telling everyone here that those were matters from before I took office. I will not mention them again, investigate them again, or ask about them again. Let us treat it as though none of it ever happened. However, if anyone still wishes to do things unrelated to the company's business, then I will not be so easy to speak with.
"I know that, in terms of professional ability, I still cannot compare to Father. Therefore, during this period of growth, I will not interfere with the group's normal operations, nor will I redivide everyone's authority. However, major matters and decisions must still be reported to me for review and awareness. In addition, if there is an emergency and you cannot find me, you may contact Uncle Mo directly."
The elderly man seated diagonally behind her smiled and gave everyone a slight nod, but the pressure exuded by those hawkish eyes did not lessen in the slightest.
After finishing, the woman lifted the teacup before her with both hands and slowly gestured to either side. Everyone else followed suit and raised their cups.
"I offer everyone a toast. Four Seas Trade will be in your hands."
Everyone drained their cups. Some showed approval, some breathed a sigh of relief, and some wore suspicious expressions.
As everyone departed, only the woman in the seat of honor and the old man behind her remained in the tea room. The woman's delicate body suddenly went limp, and she collapsed into the old huanghuali round-backed armchair. Turning back lazily, she said, "Whew, keeping up that posture was exhausting, Uncle Mo. Was Dad like that all the time too?"
Uncle Mo poured NanGong Qian Feng another cup of tea and explained:
"Though the master is advanced in years, his energy is exceedingly vigorous."
"No way? Does that mean I have to keep working here until I'm as old as Dad before I can retire? This isn't the life I wanted!"
Uncle Mo comforted her. "It is not quite that exaggerated. Leave professional matters to professionals. When there are no major issues, you can simply be a hands-off shopkeeper."
NanGong Qian Feng breathed a sigh of relief at that, then suddenly recalled something and asked, "Uncle Mo, can you find that guy we ran into in New East District Old City last time?"
"That young man who saved you? Of course. Things have settled down now, and repaying kindness is only proper."
NanGong Qian Feng clenched both fists and lightly bit her silver teeth, as though she had once again seen that little thief who had taken liberties with her. She said fiercely, "That's right. Repay kindness!"
Ji Qinglin: Achoo! (The next chapter is where things start happening. To satisfy my dear readers' curiosity sooner, today's second chapter will be released at twelve.)
Before you continue