Die Feng Sword Art

After a night of rest, Yuan had barely adapted to his surging strength. At the Earth Rank (Planet Rank) stage, every time one advances a tier, their strength roughly doubles.

Therefore, an Earth Rank Tier 2 can easily take on two ordinary Earth Rank Tier 1s without falling behind, and so on, up to Earth Rank Tier 9.

Dongyuan Planet is rich in cosmic energy, but the struggle for survival among its races is equally fierce; most surviving creatures have reached at least the Earth Rank.

Furthermore, they can generally pass the energy accumulation phase with ease to reach Earth Rank Tier 9, only to be limited by their innate talent, becoming stuck at the peak of Earth Rank Tier 9.

Throughout the long night, Yuan temporarily set aside his negative emotions. He knew clearly that with his strength as an Earth Rank Tier 3 martial artist and Tier 2 Spirit Reader, combined with a lack of practical combat experience, he could only barely fend off an Earth Rank Tier 4 Desolate Beast. To survive in the wild of Dongyuan Planet, where Flying Star Rank beasts are as common as dogs and Earth Rank Tier 9s are everywhere, the only thing he could rely on was his Light Artistic Conception, which he currently had no idea how to utilize!

Additionally, there was the mysterious Purple Crystal in his sea of consciousness. He didn't know if it was dead, but he had to try to awaken it so he could be a little safer.

After a night of experimentation, Yuan discovered that almost all energy had no effect on the Purple Crystal; only when his spiritual force concentration was high could it barely absorb a wisp of his spiritual force mist.

Pondering all night, Yuan, who lacked common knowledge of cultivation, had no good ideas. Perhaps he could try to find higher-level energy for the Purple Crystal to absorb...

At the first light of dawn, Yuan stepped out of the cave for the first time and finally saw the environment he was in: it was on the cliff wall deep within a canyon that ran east to west with a gentle slope.

Opposite him and to his sides were many caves artificially carved for habitation, while deep at the bottom of the canyon flowed a river rushing from west to east.

Far to the east, the light from the accretion disk of the Tuya black hole could already illuminate the higher parts of the canyon. The cliff walls were lush with various plants, full of vitality...

The early-rising "Human Race" wore clothing very similar to that of Shenghui and his wife yesterday; the elderly, women, and children wore animal skins, while the men and some women wore various types of crude armor.

Some were practicing combat, others were repairing tools, laughing and chatting in a language Yuan couldn't understand, and others were playing with tamed Desolate Beasts—a scene of prosperity...

Yuan walked out to find Shenghui. The people he met on the way were clearly no strangers to this guest who had entered the village "fainted" yesterday; occasionally, someone would greet Yuan in broken Isis Race language.

What? Outsiders are dangerous? That depends on their strength. If Yuan had any malicious intent, the Earth Rank Tier 9 youth nearby, who was itching for a fight, would teach him a lesson in minutes...

Guided by the villagers along the way, Yuan found Shenghui's residence, still clutching some food that enthusiastic villagers had stuffed into his hands.

In front of the cave where Shenghui lived, there was a small slope where Yuan's Action Mecha was parked. Shenghui and several "Human Race" youths were gathered around the mecha, discussing something heatedly.

Shenghui saw Yuan from afar and greeted him happily. It seemed that trading for this mecha was a very joyous event for them.

Even though the value of the Wenshui Stone was enough to buy ten similar mechas in an Isis Race city...

"Your mecha will be a great help for our future hunting of Desolate Beasts; it can greatly save the time and energy we spend on the road," Shenghui said happily.

Only then did Yuan realize they were discussing how many people this mecha could carry. Most were saying over a dozen, and some were even betting it could carry twenty-five, and were preparing to call people over to experiment...

Yuan: "..."

Actually, bored people in the Isis Race had done this long ago... Yuan had even seen the relevant videos; it was quite a spectacle.

He simply gave the answer directly: "The Action Mecha has a net height of about 7 meters, so the limit should be 37 adult men under two meters tall."

"However, since there is strong neutrino radiation near the mecha's Propellantless Thruster, it's best to carry at most 30 people normally..."

The person who bet on twenty-five was very happy, as his number was the closest, winning the bet...

Shenghui brought Yuan into his residence. Unlike the crudeness of the cave Yuan was temporarily staying in, Shenghui's cave was dug very spaciously, divided into many functional areas, and was very comfortable...

Yuan sat on a chair in the living room and asked his questions about Artistic Conception cultivation. Shenghui pondered for a moment, then instead began to talk about the origins of his group of "Human Race."

It turned out their ancestors were crew members from an ancient starship. Legend has it that the starship was damaged, and this group, who called themselves the "Human Race," had no choice but to stay on Dongyuan Planet.

For survival and cultivation resources, the "Starship Humans," who possessed certain powerhouses at the time, maneuvered between the various races on Dongyuan Planet and took full advantage of the situation.

Their relationship with the Isis Race on Dongyuan Planet was one of distance and closeness, with many moving stories of love and hate, and even a Dongyuan Planet version of "Romeo and Juliet"...

Unfortunately, good times didn't last. The "Starship Humans" had a low population base, and after their powerhouses either exhausted their lifespans or died in battle, the "Starship Humans" gradually withdrew from the historical stage of racial struggle on Dongyuan Planet and became what Yuan saw today.

It is estimated that the "Starship Humans" later thought about attaching themselves to the Isis Race humans, but unfortunately, they were likely rejected...

Shenghui: "These past events are definitely no strangers to the upper echelons of the Isis Race. So, we also have cultivation heritage, although much of it was lost in the wars and became unsystematic."

"And although the cultivation techniques of the 'Starship Humans' have absorbed the experience of many other races, the difference from the Isis Race is still quite large."

"We don't mind teaching you, but you must consider the risks of learning the techniques of another race carefully before making a decision!"

Yuan was solemn after hearing this. A decision concerning his cultivation future and even his life was indeed something to be cautious about.

Yuan said gravely: "Then you can first tell me how your cultivation guide suggests dealing with my current situation, so I can use it as a reference."

"This is still lower risk than my blind attempts. The stronger my strength, the greater the hope of returning home, and Artistic Conception is the only hope I have to contend with high-level Earth Rankers for now!"

Yuan recounted his experience to Shenghui, omitting the parts related to the Purple Crystal.

Shenghui was suddenly enlightened; so that was how he realized his Artistic Conception. Realizing an Artistic Conception at the Earth Rank could be called a peerless genius.

After all, normal life forms can only possess Artistic Conception at the Flying Star Rank (Star Rank), and only by possessing a Domain at the Universe Rank and stepping into the threshold of the Origin Laws can one have a glimmer of hope of stepping into the Domain Lord Rank.

In the genius battles that Luo Feng participated in later generations, among 1,008 cosmic nations and endless Star Rank life forms, only a few dozen or hundreds stepped into the threshold of the Origin Laws...

Shenghui flipped through an old machine similar to a computer for a long time.

Only then did he say to Yuan: "Normal Planet Rank—oh, that is what you Isis Race call Earth Rank—geniuses generally start by training with a specific weapon, and then progress from the basic, specialized, and perfection stages to realize Artistic Conception."

Yuan nodded. He also knew of similar claims, but unfortunately, he had been forced to leave before he could see more detailed explanations and cultivation guides.

Shenghui continued: "Why don't you also choose a weapon to practice with? See if you can quickly enter the perfection stage, thereby making the Artistic Conception you have realized solid, while also gaining a certain amount of practical combat ability!"

Yuan's eyes lit up; this was a great idea! He had barely learned any real combat techniques before, so he hadn't immediately thought of this simplest, yet most effective, method!

Shenghui concluded, "You can learn martial arts since you still have the chance to change them later. As for Spirit Reader techniques, they involve the most complex and unpredictable soul consciousness, so I think you shouldn't risk practicing them. For now, just use them as a supplementary attack method."

Shenghui brought Yuan to their village's weapon room, where a dazzling array of blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, hooks, and various other weapons were displayed.

A few onlookers crowded into the doorway. After Shenghui laughingly shooed them away, he said, "These are all for Apprentice Rank juniors to practice with. Pick one and swing it around to see if any of them feel particularly right."

"If none of them feel right, I'll teach you some simple martial arts, and you can choose one from the ones you find most comfortable."

Yuan followed his instructions. Holding a real lethal weapon—even if it was just a training weapon made of A-grade metal—a strange feeling sprouted within him.

Perhaps only the truly strong, those who master force, can live the life they want as they please? For the first time, a flicker of desire to become a powerhouse truly sprouted in Yuan's heart!

Yuan picked through the weapons that looked imposing and pleasing to the eye despite their strange shapes, but unfortunately, none of them felt right when he swung them.

In the end, only three plain and unadorned weapons remained: a saber, a spear, and a sword. Yuan wasn't very satisfied looking at them, but he continued to test them one by one.

It wasn't until he held the hilt of the sword that Yuan suddenly had a strange sensation, as if this sword were an extension of his own body, becoming a part of him.

This is the one! Although it didn't look imposing at all, the most important thing right now was to increase his combat power and apply his intent to actual combat!

Shenghui was somewhat surprised: "It became a part of your body? Congratulations, according to the cultivation knowledge passed down by our Starship Humans, this is a sign of extremely high compatibility!"

Yuan casually performed a sword flourish, feeling as if the blade were an extension of his arm. He instantly fell in love with this simple weapon: "Is it called a 'sword'? It should serve as my martial artist weapon for a long time to come!"

While searching for relevant martial arts, Shenghui brought Yuan to the training grounds. Watching the excitement was indeed human nature; almost everyone remaining in the village had come to watch.

Shenghui said, "We don't have any light-related sword arts. Here, we have one that is quite compatible, a wind-attribute sword art, and a basic sword art that applies to all attributes!"

"Which one will be most helpful for improving my current strength?"

"That would definitely be this wind-attribute sword art, the Die Feng Sword Art!"

"That's the one!" Yuan said without hesitation.

Shenghui laughed and said, "Alright, I'll go find the manual for you to read. If you can successfully master it, I'll take it upon myself to gift you a Tier 1 Origin Energy Weapon sword!"

"That wouldn't be right! I don't have anything left to trade with."

Shenghui waved his hand: "We have fewer high-tier weapons, but we can still craft Tier 1 Origin Energy Weapons. As long as you stay in our village, you can help guard the village and teach the Apprentice Rank juniors as an exchange."

"After all, it's been many years since our village produced a genius who could comprehend intent while still at the Apprentice Rank!"

"Deal!"

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; perhaps it just changed its name!