When the Wind Tightens, Run

"The centipede demon... is dead?!"

Inside the water manor, the Star-Backed Black Turtle, which had been controlling the Starlight Water Wall Formation and preparing to seize the chance to unleash the formation's killing move—Thousand Star Cold Light—while the Thousand-Legged Centipede ambushed the sword-bearing youth, was instantly struck dumb with shock.

Its pair of lantern-sized turtle eyes bulged wide, and its huge mouth fell open of its own accord, remaining that way for a long while.

Ten Thousand Reverence Ridge was not far from Longevity Pool, and the Thousand-Legged Centipede was practically a neighbor. Old Turtle knew it quite well. In terms of magical power and cultivation alone, it surpassed even Old Turtle and was already comparable to a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator.

On top of that, it had awakened its innate talent, possessed strange venom, and was covered head to toe in exceptionally tough armor. Ordinary magic artifacts could scarcely harm it.

If they truly fought, even ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators would be no match for it.

Yet that sword-bearing youth had clearly been sitting cross-legged and breathing in and out. How had the Thousand-Legged Centipede been directly slain by that streak of azure sword light?!

Old Turtle could not make heads or tails of it, and panic churned in its heart.

"Could it be... this boy is a disciple of some legendary great sect, bearing a supreme inheritance?"

The Star-Backed Black Turtle suddenly thought of a possibility, and its heart grew even more frantic. It knew perfectly well that if the other party truly had such a background, how could a wild mountain demon beast like it possibly afford to provoke him?

What should it do?

Old Turtle knew that with the Thousand-Legged Centipede dead, the other great demons would never dare come again. Even if they had already reached the pool's edge, the moment they sensed the centipede's corpse, they would likely flee in panic.

Most demon beasts were merely reckless, not truly stupid. Besides, demon beasts that had cultivated to the second rank were all the cream of the crop. There was no way they would throw away their lives by coming here to deliver themselves to death.

"Then there is only one road left."

The Star-Backed Black Turtle's enormous body headed out of the water manor. It traveled straight beyond the range of the Starlight Water Wall Formation and stopped more than a hundred zhang away from Ye Shaochen.

Then, incredibly, it curled up like a turtle at the bottom of the pool, looking entirely ready to be slaughtered.

[After two years of bitter cultivation, you were no longer far from the peak of Transcendent Mastery.

These long two years of cultivation had deepened your understanding of the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm. You vaguely felt that this Intent Realm could perhaps go a step further, yet did not know where to begin.]

[Three months later, you vaguely had an idea and began contemplating the changes of water day and night.

You discovered that merely controlling water was a lowly path. You began trying to integrate the "Subtle Ripple Intent Realm" into every circulation of magical power, attempting to find a more fundamental "momentum."]

[Four months later, you had gained nothing, but the Clear Ripple Water Control Art had already reached the peak of Transcendent Mastery.

You did not feel joyful, because you could not see the road ahead. It seemed this was the ultimate realm you could reach in this path.]

The cultivation information automatically stopped here. He Sheng hurriedly checked the relevant information within the water droplet.

[Clear Billows Water Control Art (Transcendent Mastery): 1000/1000]

(Total cultivation time: thirteen years, two months, fourteen days)

As for his remaining general cultivation time, he still had quite a bit left.

[Current total available cultivation time: five years, nine months, twenty-four days]

"The system automatically stopped. Perhaps it is reminding me that continuing to invest general cultivation time into it would not yield much benefit?"

The realm of Transcendent Mastery was already a height beyond the reach of ordinary people. Though his total cultivation time was only a little over thirteen years,

if converted into cultivating one shichen a day, it would be equivalent to cultivating for nearly one hundred and sixty years without missing a single day!

Few Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could reach this point. Now that He Sheng wanted to take another step forward, it was naturally harder than ascending to the heavens.

"But at least the system has not rejected it!"

He Sheng carefully examined the information for the Clear Ripple Water Control Art. The plus sign was still there, and he could continue investing general cultivation time.

All in!

He Sheng was utterly determined to become a mechanics monster.

In any case, he could turn back time, so he did not fear sunk costs.

[A year passed, and you still gained nothing. Yet with a heart as hard as iron, you wanted to carry forward what came before and open what came after in the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm.]

[Another half year passed. Because you had continuously contemplated the changes of water, an insight finally arose in your mind.

You believed that "water" was not a form. You attempted to strip away the outward appearance of "water" and understand its essence.

You were no longer controlling "water," but communicating with "water."]

[Another year passed. During this time, you collected all sorts of different "water"—river water, lake water, pond water, swamp water, water from low-lying hollows, and more. You contemplated their essences one by one and unexpectedly gained much.

You discovered that different waters possessed different essences. You called this essence affinity.

Communicating with "water" was, in truth, communicating with a certain affinity. Therefore, one first had to choose one rather than comprehend things in a disorderly jumble.

You chose to communicate with the affinity represented by "river water," because you discovered that the affinities represented by river water, lake water, and pond water were more or less the same. It should be a relatively common affinity, and one not too difficult to comprehend.]

[Eight months later, you finally made some gains. Using your understanding of river water's affinity to drive the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm, you vaguely touched upon the existence of some power of an extremely high order.]

[Half a year later, you failed to comprehend that high-order power. You faintly felt that you seemed to lack something. Without this one thing, a barrier always remained between you and that high-order power.

But it was not as though you gained nothing. You comprehended a method deeper than water control, called "The Dharma Follows the Heart, and Water Becomes True at the Stirring of Intent."]

[Three months later, you discovered that your understanding had not been wrong. You indeed lacked something necessary, preventing you from building a bridge of communication with that high-order power.

This was not a problem that "technique" could solve. Its source lay in the "method."

After thoroughly recognizing the essence of the problem, you changed direction and began studying how to use the method of "The Dharma Follows the Heart, and Water Becomes True at the Stirring of Intent" to open up a Transcendent Art of your own!]

[After only one month, based on the insights and understanding you had accumulated over the past several years, you successfully created a Transcendent Art. You named it "Water-Gathering Break."

The power of this Transcendent Art was comparable to an ordinary talisman treasure, and it even had the potential to go further. The key lay in whether you could perceive the existence of more minute traces of water.

This was another new road. It required the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm to advance further, and you eagerly continued exploring down this road.]

[Two months later, your Subtle Ripple Intent Realm had not undergone any obvious change, but you had already grasped the crux of the problem!

That was, you needed more powerful divine sense to support the further advancement of your Subtle Ripple Intent Realm, allowing you to perceive the existence of more minute traces of water. Through finer perception, you could in turn further improve your Subtle Ripple Intent Realm.

This was a cycle. The key point lay in divine sense.]

The system automatically stopped once more. This time, He Sheng did not insist.

He had more or less understood. After investing another four-plus years, it was indeed possible for the Clear Ripple Water Control Art to advance further and for the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm to rise another floor, but unfortunately, his hardware was insufficient.

"The road of communicating with water is clearly a cultivation art problem. It is practically telling me outright that the Clear Billows Water Origin Art is roadside trash and cannot touch high-order power.

As for improving the Subtle Ripple Intent Realm, that requires stronger divine sense to perceive the microscopic world. That is also a hardware requirement."

After more than four years, he had only comprehended a so-called Transcendent Art, and its power could not even be considered particularly strong.

From this, it could be seen that the cost-effectiveness of cultivating spells was quite poor. Especially when trying to create something from nothing and open up a new path, it was easy to invest enormous amounts of time without gaining anything worthwhile.

"According to Brother Piao's memories, talisman treasures are special talismans created by Core Formation cultivators at the cost of consuming the origin of their natal Dharma treasures.

Depending on the quality of the talisman treasure, their power generally reaches ten to twenty percent of the original Dharma treasure's power.

An ordinary talisman treasure generally possesses around fifteen percent of a Dharma treasure's power.

It is much stronger than a top-grade magic artifact, but still somewhat inferior to a fully refined Nascent Dharma Treasure."

For cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and below, talisman treasures were devastating killing weapons. But for Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators, especially Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivators, they were somewhat tasteless.

"In short, if this Water-Gathering Break cannot further increase its power, it is merely tasteless.

Still, I have not yet refined a Nascent Dharma Treasure, so Water-Gathering Break counts as a powerful method for now.

And the key to advancing it further lies in divine sense.

So I need to find a secret art that can strengthen divine sense and cultivate it..."

As He Sheng pondered, he suddenly sensed something. His mind immediately stirred, and an image perceived through divine sense surfaced in his mind: the Thousand-Legged Centipede being cleaved apart by that streak of azure sword light!

"That is the move!"

He Sheng recognized at once that the azure sword light which had slain the Thousand-Legged Centipede was exactly the same as the sword strike that had instantly killed Brother Piao earlier!

"It ignores magical power defenses again!

And this sword strike seems even stronger...

That is right!

This strike actually has the flying sword's true body within it."

He Sheng saw the key at a glance, and a chill ran through his heart.

"This flying sword is actually this sharp. Even a demon beast's tough body cannot withstand it.

A dignified second-rank great demon was slain with one sword strike. How the hell is anyone supposed to play this game?!"

He Sheng had originally harbored a few thoughts of his own. Once his cultivation reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, he had wondered whether he could join hands with the Star-Backed Black Turtle and exchange a few moves with the sword-bearing youth.

But seeing a great demon like the Thousand-Legged Centipede cut down with one strike, his heart instantly turned ice-cold.

"I cannot stay any longer. I do not want to take another sword strike later!"

He Sheng abruptly opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand, he drew the stone box Green Snake had placed at the cave entrance into his palm. Without even looking at it, he stuffed it into his storage bag and prepared to make a run for it.

However, just before entering the hidden waterway leading directly to the underground river, He Sheng hesitated slightly:

"This time, I have dragged the Star-Backed Black Turtle into this. Should I at least tell it something before leaving?"

With a thought, He Sheng extended his divine sense toward the main hall. Only then did he discover that the Star-Backed Black Turtle had actually left the water manor.

"What is this Old Turtle trying to do? Go up there and fight him head-on?"

Within He Sheng's astonished perception, the Star-Backed Black Turtle had indeed gone up—but it was not going to risk its life. Instead, it had sprawled and curled up like a turtle a hundred zhang away from the sword-bearing youth.

How could He Sheng fail to understand upon seeing this? The Star-Backed Black Turtle was not planning to fight head-on at all. It had clearly discovered that the other party was not on its level and was surrendering at six points!

"This Old Turtle... really has something to it."

Even the master of this place had given up resisting, so why would He Sheng worry about anything else? He immediately activated Subtle Ripple Water Escape and headed out through the hidden waterway.