Die Feng Sword Art

After a night's rest, Yuan had barely adapted to his suddenly increased strength. At the Earth Rank (Planet Rank), each step up in rank roughly doubled one's strength.

So an Earth Rank Second Step fighter could easily face two ordinary Earth Rank First Step fighters without being at a disadvantage, and the same pattern continued all the way to Earth Rank Ninth Step.

Dongyuan Planet was rich in Universe Energy, but the struggle for survival between its races was just as fierce. Most creatures that survived had reached at least the Earth Rank.

They could also generally pass through the energy accumulation stage with ease and reach Earth Rank Ninth Step. Then, limited by their talent, they would be stuck at the peak of Earth Rank Ninth Step.

Through the long night, Yuan set aside his negative feelings for the moment. He knew full well that, with his Earth Rank Third Step martial strength, Second Step Spirit Reader abilities, and lack of combat experience,

he could barely hold his own against an Earth Rank Fourth Step Desolate Beast. To survive in the wilds of Dongyuan Planet, where Flying Star Rank creatures were everywhere and Earth Rank Ninth Step beasts roamed the land,

the only thing he could rely on was the Light Artistic Conception he didn't yet know how to use!

The other thing was the mysterious Purple Crystal in his Consciousness Sea. He didn't know if it was dead, but he had to try to awaken it. That was the only way he could be a little safer.

After a night of trying, Yuan discovered that almost no kind of energy had any effect on the Purple Crystal. Only when the concentration of Spiritual Force was high could it barely absorb a wisp of Yuan's Spiritual Force mist.

After a night of deliberation, Yuan, who lacked even basic knowledge of cultivation, couldn't come up with any good ideas. Perhaps he could try to find some higher-grade energy for the Purple Crystal to absorb...

At dawn, Yuan stepped out of the cave for the first time and finally got a better look at his surroundings. He was deep in a large east-west canyon, on the cliff face of a not-too-steep slope.

Across from him and to either side were many man-made caves where people lived. Far below, at the bottom of the canyon, a river rushed ceaselessly from west to east.

Far to the east, the light from the Tuya Black Hole's accretion disk had begun to reach the higher parts of the canyon. All kinds of plants grew lushly across the cliff face, filling it with life...

The early-rising "Human Race" wore clothes much like those Shenghui and his wife had worn the day before. The elderly, women, and children wore animal hides, while the men and some of the women wore all kinds of crude armor.

Some were training or sparring, while others repaired tools. They chatted and laughed in a language Yuan couldn't understand. Others played with tamed Desolate Beasts. The whole place was thriving...

Yuan set out to find Shenghui. The people he met along the way clearly recognized the guest who had "fainted" into the village the day before. Now and then, someone greeted Yuan in the halting language of the Isis Race.

What? Outsiders were dangerous? That depended on their strength. If Yuan had any ill intent, the eager Earth Rank Ninth Step youths nearby would teach him a lesson in no time...

Following directions from the villagers, Yuan found Shenghui's home, with food that several friendly villagers had pressed on him still in his hands.

A small rise stood in front of Shenghui's cave, where Yuan's Action Mecha was parked. Shenghui and several young men of the "Human Race" were gathered around it, enthusiastically discussing something.

When Shenghui spotted Yuan from a distance, he greeted him happily. It seemed that getting the mecha had made them very happy.

After all, the Wenshui Stone they'd traded was valuable enough to buy ten mecha of the same type in an Isis Race city...

"Your mecha will be a huge help when we hunt Desolate Beasts in the future. It'll save us a lot of time and effort on the road," Shenghui said happily.

Only then did Yuan realize they had been discussing how many people the mecha could carry. Most thought it could hold a dozen or so, while one person had even bet it could carry twenty-five. They were getting ready to call people over and test it...

Yuan: "..."

As a matter of fact, bored people in the Isis Race had tried this long ago... Yuan had even watched a video about it. It had been quite a spectacle.

He simply gave them the answer. "The Action Mecha is about seven meters tall. At most, it should be able to carry thirty-seven adult men who are no taller than two meters."

"But the area around the mecha's Propellantless Thruster emits intense neutrino radiation, so normally, you should carry no more than thirty people..."

The man who had bet on twenty-five people was delighted. His estimate had been the closest, so he had won the bet...

Shenghui led Yuan into his home. Unlike the crude cave where Yuan was staying, Shenghui's cave was spacious and divided into many functional areas. It was very comfortable...

Sitting in a chair in the living room, Yuan asked about cultivation of Conception. Shenghui pondered for a moment, but instead began by explaining the origins of his "Human Race."

As it turned out, their ancestors had been crew members aboard an ancient starship. Legend had it that the starship was damaged, forcing these people, who called themselves the "Human Race," to remain on Dongyuan Planet.

To survive and obtain resources for cultivation, the "Starship Humans," who had some powerful fighters among them at the time, had maneuvered between the various races on Dongyuan Planet and reaped plenty of benefits.

They had also maintained a complicated relationship with the Isis Race, experiencing many heartrending tales of love and hate. There had even been a Dongyuan Planet version of "Romeo and Juliet"...

Sadly, those good times hadn't lasted. The "Starship Humans" had a small population to begin with, and after their powerful fighters either died of old age or fell in battle,

the "Starship Humans" gradually withdrew from the history of the racial struggles on Dongyuan Planet and became what Yuan saw today.

The "Starship Humans" had probably tried to become dependent on the Isis Race humans later on, but it seemed they had been turned away...

"These past events are certainly no secret to the Isis Race's leadership. So we do have a cultivation inheritance, although a lot was lost during the wars, and it no longer forms a complete system."

"Although the cultivation methods of the 'Starship Humans' absorbed a lot of experience from other races over time, they're still quite different from those of the Isis Race."

"We don't mind teaching you, but you must carefully consider the risks of learning an alien race's cultivation methods before you decide!"

Yuan listened with a solemn expression. A decision that affected his cultivation prospects and even his life really did require caution.

Yuan said gravely, "Then could you first tell me how your cultivation guide says to handle my situation? I'll use that as a reference."

"That would be less risky than blindly experimenting right now. The stronger I get, the better my chances of returning home, and Conception is currently my only hope of standing up to high-level Earth Rank opponents!"

Yuan told Shenghui about his experiences, leaving out the parts related to the Purple Crystal.

Only then did Shenghui understand how Yuan had comprehended Conception. Comprehending Conception at the Earth Rank was enough to make him a peerless genius.

After all, ordinary lifeforms didn't gain Conception until the Flying Star Rank (Star Rank), then gained a domain at the Universe Rank. Only after crossing the threshold of the Origin Law did they have even a sliver of hope of reaching the Domain Lord Rank.

In the Genius Battle that Luo Feng took part in in later generations, among the countless Star Rank lifeforms from the 1,008 Universe Countries, only a few dozen or a few hundred had crossed the threshold of the Origin Law...

Shenghui rummaged around and spent a long time looking things up on an old computer-like device.

Only then did he say to Yuan, "Ordinarily, a Planet Rank genius—oh, that is, what your Isis Race calls an Earth Rank genius—would start by training with a specific weapon, then progress through the basic, specialized, and mastery stages before comprehending Conception."

Yuan nodded. He knew something like this was the case, but unfortunately, he hadn't had a chance to read more detailed explanations or cultivation guides before being forced to leave.

Shenghui continued, "Why don't you choose a weapon to train with? See if you can quickly reach the mastery stage. That could make the Conception you've comprehended more solid, while also giving you some combat ability!"

Yuan's eyes lit up. That was a good idea! He'd barely learned anything about actual combat, so it hadn't occurred to him that this was the simplest and most effective method!

Shenghui concluded, "You can learn martial techniques, since you'll still have the chance to switch later. As for Spirit Reader cultivation methods, they involve the most complex and unpredictable aspects of the soul and consciousness. I don't think you should risk training in them. For now, just use them as an auxiliary means of attack."

Shenghui took Yuan to the weapons room in their village. It was filled with all kinds of weapons: swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, tridents, clubs, lances, staffs, whips, flails, hammers, claws, crutches, and meteor hammers.

A few curious onlookers crowded in through the doorway. Shenghui laughed and shooed them out, then said, "These are all for our Apprentice Rank juniors to practice with. Pick one and swing it around. See if any of them feel particularly right."

"If none of them feel right, I'll teach you a few simple martial techniques, and you can pick whichever one feels most comfortable."

Yuan did as he was told. Holding a real weapon made for killing, even if it was only a training weapon made from A-Grade Metal, stirred a strange feeling in him.

Maybe only true experts who wield power can live however they want? For the first time, Yuan felt a genuine desire to become strong!

Yuan tried out the weapons that looked strange but imposing and pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, none of them felt right when he swung them.

In the end, only three plain-looking weapons remained: a saber, a spear, and a sword. Yuan wasn't particularly satisfied with any of them, but he tried them one by one anyway.

When he finally took hold of the sword's hilt, he suddenly felt something different, as if the sword were an extension of his body, a part of himself.

This was the one! It didn't look imposing at all, but improving his combat strength and putting Conception to use in actual combat were what mattered most right now!

Shenghui was a little surprised. "It feels like part of your body? Congratulations. According to the cultivation knowledge passed down by our 'Starship Humans,' that means you have an exceptionally high compatibility with it!"

Yuan casually flourished the sword, handling it as if it were an extension of his arm. He immediately took a liking to the simple weapon. "It's called a 'sword'? It'll probably be my weapon as a martial artist for a long time to come!"

As Shenghui looked up related martial techniques, he led Yuan to the training ground. As expected, curiosity was human nature: nearly everyone who had stayed in the village had come to watch.

Shenghui said, "We don't have any sword techniques related to light. We do have one wind-attribute sword art that's a fairly good fit, and a basic sword art suitable for every attribute!"

"Which one would help me improve my strength the most right now?"

"Without a doubt, this wind-attribute sword art, Die Feng Sword Art!"

"I'll take it!" Yuan answered without hesitation.

Shenghui smiled. "All right. I'll find the original for you to read. If you manage to master it, I'll take responsibility for giving you a Tier 1 Origin Energy Weapon sword!"

"Isn't that too much? I don't have anything left to trade for it."

Shenghui waved a hand. "We don't have many higher-tier weapons, but we can still make Tier 1 Origin Energy Weapons. As long as you stay in our village, just help defend it and teach the Apprentice Rank kids in exchange."

"After all, our village hasn't produced a genius who comprehended Conception at the Earth Rank in many years!"

"Deal!"