Qi Condensation Shield

All of Jiang Che's efforts today had been for this random cultivation technique.

As everyone knew, the Douluo Continent was the floor tile of fantasy worlds. Tang San's Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Heaven Skill, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track could all shine brightly on the Douluo Continent.

Jiang Che figured that as long as he didn't get something that required him to castrate himself before practicing it, even an incomplete cultivation technique would improve his strength considerably.

With a thought, Jiang Che bought the [Random Incomplete Cultivation Technique] outright.

[Current remaining skill points: 155]

Jiang Che took the incomplete cultivation technique out of the System Storage.

"Vast Sea Qi Shield!"

The cultivation method for the Vast Sea Qi Shield flooded into Jiang Che's mind like a torrent.

"Fuck! I actually have to cultivate it myself? Can't I just learn it upon redemption, like an alchemy recipe?"

Despite his inward complaints, he rapidly browsed through the cultivation method for the Vast Sea Qi Shield in his mind.

Moreover, Jiang Che discovered that something that didn't exist on the Douluo Continent had suddenly appeared inside his body: true qi!

That was right. A tiny vortex of qi had appeared inside Jiang Che.

The complete Qi Condensation Shield cultivation technique had three levels, but only the first had fallen into Jiang Che's hands.

[Qi Condensation Shield (Iron Wall Astral Qi): requires enduring the heavy blows of a waterfall with the physical body every day while releasing true qi outward.]

Jiang Che rejoiced inwardly. If I can master this cultivation technique, I won't have to fear Tang San's hidden weapons. At least his current hidden weapons shouldn't be able to hurt me.

The water thundered. A silver ribbon crashed down from a hundred meters above, striking the black rocks at the bottom of the pool and shattering into white foam that filled the sky. A damp chill pervaded the area for a hundred zhang around.

Jiang Che stood beneath the waterfall.

"It really wasn't easy finding a waterfall on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest."

Jiang Che planted both feet on the rock worn smooth by the water and adjusted his stance according to the memories in his mind. His knees bent slightly, his center of gravity settled over his heels, and his hands slowly rose before his chest.

The first step was always the most wretched. Water bearing the weight of a thousand jun plunged onto his head, pounding his back painfully, as though his shoulder blades were about to be hammered straight into his chest.

Jiang Che gritted his teeth and mobilized the true qi inside him.

The moment the true qi seeped out, the waterfall smashed it apart.

The scattered qi surged back with cold, damp mist, choking him until a sweet taste rose in his throat.

On his first attempt, he was swept into the pool before the shield could even take shape.

Jiang Che climbed ashore, but he didn't rush to try again.

As he panted, Jiang Che stared at the turbulent curtain of water before him and suddenly recalled an insight from the cultivation technique: when qi scattered, the shield scattered; when qi condensed, mountains moved. The waterfall was scattered, its countless drops each fighting their own battle, yet momentum gathered them into an unstoppable torrent.

What if his true qi could be like this water-though a ragtag band, could it borrow that momentum and begin to spin?

With an idea in mind, Jiang Che stepped onto the wet rock again.

On his second attempt, Jiang Che deliberately slowed the rate at which he released his true qi.

Time passed, minute by minute, second by second.

A pale golden membrane unfurled above his head.

The instant the waterfall struck it, the membrane caved inward by half a foot, fine spiderweb cracks bursting along its edges, but it ultimately held.

Jiang Che's lips had just begun to curl upward when the shield shattered.

It had lasted three seconds. When his true qi ran out, the curtain of water closed again, slamming Jiang Che bodily into the pool.

Jiang Che had already lost count of how many times he had been slammed into the pool. His back burned, but there was light in his eyes.

And so he was swept into the pool, climbed back up, and repeated it over and over.

On the evening of the eighteenth day, he was swept to the bottom of the pool again. As he struggled to climb out, he discovered that his right arm trembled slightly when he raised it-not from exhaustion, but because a warm current of qi was traveling through his meridians.

Jiang Che froze for a moment, then lay back on the loose stones along the shore and laughed at the setting sun.

"I've finally found the doorway!"

That evening, a campfire flickered beside the pool, and a pig's leg gave off the aroma of meat as it roasted over the flames.

Over the past half month, whenever Jiang Che grew hungry, he would hunt a soul beast a few decades old nearby to replenish what his body had expended.

Moonlight turned the curtain of water into flowing silver silk. Jiang Che devoured the meat, grease dripping from the corners of his mouth.

At daybreak the next morning, when a ray of sunlight pierced the mist, Jiang Che walked into the waterfall once more.

This time, qi flowed from his palms, spinning without scattering.

A pale golden shield spread above his head. Though as thin as a cicada's wing, it did not budge.

Water droplets struck it, shattered, and slid off its edges, somehow conveying the seamless harmony of flowing water gliding over stone.

Jiang Che looked up at the distorted world beyond the shield's curtain of water and suddenly felt that amid the roar filling the mountain, he had a quiet little world of his own.

This time, Jiang Che stood there for a full minute.

When he stopped circulating his qi, his knees were weak, his face was as pale as paper, and his meridians felt hollow, as though they had been scooped empty. Yet the curve of his lips lingered for a long time.

The pool grew still. Only the remaining ripples spread in rings, lapping against Jiang Che's skin.

The first birdsong sounded in the distant mountains. The day's first rays of morning sunlight were cresting the waterfall, setting the entire curtain of water ablaze in gold and red.

After more than half a month, Jiang Che returned to Nuoding Academy.

"I'm hungry anyway. I'll get something good on the cafeteria's second floor."

Jiang Che had barely taken a few steps when a startled cry rang out. "Jiang Che, weren't you dead?"

Jiang Che looked toward the speaker. It was Wang Sheng.

He looked at Wang Sheng in bewilderment. "Who told you I was dead?"

Wang Sheng told him everything that had happened at Nuoding Academy during his half-month absence.

Essentially, after successfully obtaining his second soul ring, Tang San had declared that he would challenge Jiang Che. Later, Tang San had somehow learned that Jiang Che had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest and started spreading rumors everywhere that a soul beast had killed him.

Motherfucker! Jiang Che cursed inwardly. But his stomach was growling now. Getting food came first.

Who would have thought that he would run straight into Tang San the moment he set off for the cafeteria?

"Jiang Che, you're actually still alive?" Tang San sounded slightly surprised.

"Since you're still alive, you owe my teacher and Xiao Wu justice. Today, I'll get it for them."

"I don't have time to mess around with you right now. I need to eat!"

"Besides, I don't think I offended either of them, did I? Xiao Wu not only slandered me, she attacked first. As for your teacher, I only discussed some theoretical knowledge about martial souls with him."

Jiang Che was about to head for the cafeteria when Tang San blocked his path, leaving him no room to get around.

Tang San's tone grew stern, and a trace of anger flashed through his eyes. "Xiao Wu is a girl. You shouldn't have hit her. Grandmaster is your elder. You shouldn't have contradicted him."

Speechless, Jiang Che said, "Fine, fine. I apologize to both of them. Happy now?"

As Jiang Che spoke, he reached out to push Tang San aside.

Tang San choked on those words, unable to speak. He hadn't expected Jiang Che to give in so easily. This wasn't what he wanted to see. "I haven't accepted your apology."

No sooner had Tang San finished speaking than an enormous force pushed him aside, making him stagger and nearly fall.

How could he possibly be so strong? Tang San was alarmed. After a pause, he pressed a hand onto Jiang Che's shoulder to stop him from leaving.

"You won't accept an apology. What exactly do you want?" Jiang Che pushed Tang San's hand away, speechless.

"Simple." A confident smile appeared on Tang San's face, his eyes gleaming with certainty of victory.

"Fight me!"

Jiang Che looked at Tang San as though he were a fucking idiot.

"What's with that look?" Tang San demanded angrily.