Dispersing Cultivation to Cleverly Grasp the True Essence, Langyan Step Breaks the Old Method

It was a reaction from the internal energy of Treading Waves Step.

It had an "appetite" as well, but beneath its instincts lay a more complex "desire"—the desire to "complete itself" and "become stronger."

Treading Waves Step and Lingyan Step were both movement arts, and there was a certain natural affinity between them.

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Duan had an idea.

The techniques for exerting force and the essence of Lingyan Step and Treading Waves Step surfaced in his mind simultaneously.

He began pacing around the courtyard, his figure at times as ethereal as drifting smoke and at times rising and falling like someone treading waves.

He tried incorporating Lingyan Step's movements into the framework of Treading Waves Step.

Under his deliberate guidance, the "Lingyan Step impurities" seemed to be drawn in, beginning to converge toward the internal energy of Treading Waves Step.

Chen Duan's figure suddenly accelerated. The tip of his foot lightly touched the wall, and his entire body rose upside down.

He moved across the vertical wall as if it were level ground, his feet crossing and his steps sliding.

He put the brand-new footwork he had deduced in his mind into practice.

An unprecedented movement art slowly took shape under his practice.

No one knew how much time had passed.

When the final trace of "Lingyan Step impurities" merged into the internal energy of Treading Waves Step, it was not swallowed and digested. Instead, it was like a drop of water joining a river, blending together perfectly.

Chen Duan could even clearly sense that traces of Lingyan Step's internal energy remained in the brand-new internal energy. They were simply no longer independent, having become part of the new system.

That "autonomy" he had lost earlier also emerged during the fusion in an entirely new form.

[You completed the fusion of Lingyan Step and Treading Waves Step, creating the new technique "Langyan Step." Potential +200]

[Lingyan Step (Perfection) + Treading Waves Step (Perfection) → Langyan Step (Perfection)]

[Potential: 14224 + 200 → 14424]

An understanding surged into his heart, followed by delight.

But before he could continue experimenting, a wave of fatigue swept over him, and at the same time, hunger signals came from his belly.

Only then did he realize that his qi and blood had been consumed considerably without him noticing.

Recalling the fusion process just now, he had indeed sensed some sort of essence slowly ebbing away.

At the time, however, his mind had been completely immersed in merging the techniques, and he had overlooked it.

After replenishing himself with a large amount of Blood Food, the drowsiness became impossible to resist, and Chen Duan immediately collapsed into sleep.

He slept all the way until noon the next day before waking.

After that deep sleep, his mind had regained its clarity.

His excitement had also cooled down.

He did not continue experimenting with technique fusion. Instead, he stared at the change in his potential value on the panel and fell into thought.

Dispersing Lingyan Step had cost 103 potential. Fusing and creating Langyan Step had granted him 200 potential, for a net increase of 97.

Those 103 points were precisely the potential value of Lingyan Step itself.

Potential could be considered part of Chen Duan's personal abilities and qualities.

In that case, the so-called cost of dispersing cultivation was this.

He suddenly thought of the description of breaking through the "limit" in Wood Element Art.

After failing to break through the "limit," a Martial Master's foundation would be damaged, making subsequent breakthroughs even more difficult.

Could it be that what was lost when one failed to break through the "limit" was also these "potential points"?

Chen Duan then recalled the sensations he had experienced while fusing the techniques.

Apart from the consumption of qi, blood, and mental energy, the most crucial requirement was a thorough understanding and familiarity with the techniques being fused.

Only then could one control their transformations and guide their fusion.

In more concrete terms, one probably had to achieve "Perfection" in a technique before attempting to fuse it with another.

However, the fusion of internal energy had merely served as an introduction. The successful fusion was an unexpected bonus; exploring the essence of internal energy was Chen Duan's original intention.

Through dispersing cultivation, he had observed that after losing the constraints of a technique, internal energy would degenerate into a lump of controllable but featureless "energy impurities."

It was as if it had returned to some more primitive state, one almost at the level of the "body's origin."

Yet after a successful fusion, it could once again acquire "individuality" and "vitality" within a new system.

The mechanism of this transformation was profoundly mysterious.

Chen Duan looked up at the sky and temporarily suppressed his urge to investigate further.

Technique fusion was, without a doubt, extremely time- and energy-consuming.

This had only been the fusion of First Level and Second Level true arts. If they were true arts of a higher level, how much more time and energy would they require?

Still, this discovery had already opened an entirely new door.

However, there were other pressing matters that needed planning.

Only ten days remained until the "Martial Alliance Meeting" that would determine the configuration of Qingzhou.

According to the information he possessed, this was an important turning point, and it was highly likely to be the signal that the ship known as Yuanxiang Sect was about to capsize.

Afterward, Chen Duan went to Yuanxiang Sect.

After receiving the Great Medicine for Wood Element Art, Chen Duan was just about to go to the Meditation Room to cultivate.

However, as soon as he entered the quiet room, before he could begin cultivating, Mo Zhen sent someone over.

He said there was an important matter to discuss and asked Chen Duan to come speak with him.

When Chen Duan entered the room, the disciple behind him carefully shut the door.

The light inside the hall was somewhat dim.

"Senior Brother Mo, what did you need me for... Oh? Why is Steward Qi here too?"

Mo Zhen's expression was unchanged. The outer-sect steward, Qi Baorui, was sitting beside him, worry clouding his brows.

Qi Baorui looked up at the sound of Chen Duan's voice, and a complicated glint flashed through his eyes when he saw him.

He had already learned from Mo Zhen what had happened in the Wood Courtyard.

In a daze, Qi Baorui remembered his old friend Qian Changchun's letter, telling him to look after Chen Duan as much as possible.

The Fifth Level of Fuhu Fist was a realm even Qian Changchun had failed to reach.

This young man's ability to surprise people truly came in layer after layer.

Mo Zhen dispensed with the pleasantries. "Junior Brother Chen, there is indeed something I need your help with. Steward Qi and I are both entangled in pressing duties and cannot get away for the moment."

"What is it? Please, Senior Brother Mo, go ahead."

"It concerns the Water Court. Senior Brother Qi, explain the details to Junior Brother Chen."

"Very well."

Qi Baorui took a deep breath, suppressing the tangled thoughts in his heart. He handed a dossier to Chen Duan and began giving him a brief account.

The situation was roughly this: recently, several cases of children disappearing had occurred one after another within the prefecture. After investigating, they seemed to be connected to the "Water Court."

The moment he heard "Water Court," the figure of Ji Canghai, whom he had seen that day, immediately surfaced in Chen Duan's mind.

"Since this is a request from Senior Brother Mo and Steward Qi, Chen Duan will make the trip."

His gaze met Mo Zhen's briefly in midair, and the two understood each other without words.

With Chen Duan's current Fifth Level strength, sending him to deal with something like this was truly using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It looked like a request, but in truth, it was a "favor" Mo Zhen was extending to Chen Duan.

It was an opportunity for Chen Duan to come into contact with the Water Court in a relatively "proper" manner.

Although Yuanxiang Sect was currently beset by storms and turbulent undercurrents, the sect's foundations remained intact. It was not truly a place where one could act recklessly.

If Chen Duan were allowed to run wild without restraint, who knew what he might blast out into the open?

Chen Duan himself did not care, but Mo Zhen cared very much.

After all, his ultimate purpose was for the sake of the sect.

Within the sect, a single tug could move the whole body. It was not something to disturb lightly.

But outside the sect, Chen Duan could give free rein to his abilities.

"Although this may be somewhat unnecessary to say..." Qi Baorui could not help speaking up from the side. "You must be especially careful. As for Little Bell, if the situation proves impossible, you need not force matters."

Mentioning the Water Court and the children's disappearances made him involuntarily think of Zhong Shou. An ominous cloud settled over his heart.

"Rest assured, Steward Qi."

Chen Duan accepted the dossier. "Chen will act within his capabilities."

He said no more. After giving Mo Zhen and Qi Baorui a slight nod, he turned and left.

Only Mo Zhen and Qi Baorui remained in the room once more, and the atmosphere became extremely stifling.

"Senior Brother Qi. With the Martial Alliance Meeting approaching, I need to enter secluded cultivation and quietly cultivate for the next few days, attempting to break through my bottleneck.

"I'll have to trouble you with the many mundane affairs."

"I understand."

"Go into seclusion without worry. I'll keep watch in your place."

Qi Baorui's martial arts strength was ordinary, but he had been in Yuanxiang Sect for so many years. When it came to handling the sect's internal and external affairs and keeping its logistical operations running, he was a rare and capable hand.

Most importantly, his loyalty to the sect was beyond question.

His ideals aligned perfectly with Mo Zhen's.

Mo Zhen gave him several more instructions about matters requiring attention. Qi Baorui committed each one to memory, then took his leave and hurried away.