Chapter 290: Chapter 199: The Path of Sincerity, Foreknowledge is Possible!
"Sleeping Immortal, Sleeping Immortal, rooted deeply in slumber, forgetting the years, all three lights sink and the nature becomes whole."
"Energy returns to the mysterious orifice, each breath follows nature."
The limit-breaking Dream Sleep Elixir and the perfected Crystal Meditation Method operated together.
Jiang Shu lay sleeping in a stone chamber, his proficiency increasing on the panel, his understanding of the Crystal Meditation Method growing ever deeper.
This too was the power of the panel. Once certified, eternally certified.
If it were not for the panel, he would need to join the Xia Country and consult various materials related to Spiritual Cultivation in Cosmic Relics to steadily improve his Crystal Meditation Method to its current level.
With a mind as clear as the blue sky, Jiang Shu had no distractions, and at this moment, he hardly knew where or when he was.
His breathing steadied, becoming more natural, like a bellows. Eventually, it became utterly silent, as if he were dead.
If someone observed closely, they would notice that although Jiang Shu was not breathing, the cells within his body were continuously wriggling, all his endocrine systems were perfectly balanced, and his already perfect body was moving towards further perfection.
Bones became tough, muscles firm, organs enhanced.
Cells throughout his body perfectly replaced the need for breath through the mouth and nose; the primordial power of heaven and earth was gradually absorbed and strengthened by the cells.
This was a realm of feigned death. It was the realm of Fetal Breathing!
Feigned death, Fetal Breathing, was not about not breathing, but about transforming the acquired breathing completely into innate breathing.
Strengthening cells, unlocking potential.
On the panel, the Crystal Meditation Method had already broken its limits.
Yet, Jiang Shu remained immersed in the realm of Fetal Breathing, as if he had returned to the amniotic fluid, reverting to the most natural fetal state.
The sensing of the primordial power of heaven and earth was comfortable and natural.
A quarter of an hour... An hour... Three hours...
Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, Jiang Shu gradually woke up from the great dream, experiencing sensations throughout his body like never before.
To break through the Void, to see the unperishable spirit is to dominate oneself, to prove the immortality within oneself by internal immortality.
This was already the physical limit in the Xia Country’s Martial Arts.
At this point, Jiang Shu could clearly perceive the shackles of his body, and the path ahead seemed blocked.
To explore further, he could only follow the Martial Arts of the Da Jing Dynasty: Body Refinement, Qi Refinement, and Spirit Cultivation, ultimately merging with the universe and igniting his Innate True Fire.
But now, stepping into Fetal Breathing, he was undoubtedly on a different path.
Spiritual Cultivation could also strengthen vitality.
Jiang Shu’s heart was serene, his Spirit hanging in suspension; whether moving or still, he was prescient.
The ultimate realm of Xia Country’s Martial Arts was to physically break the Void and see the unperishable spirit. Spiritually, the way of utmost sincerity could foresee events. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, yet sensing danger and avoiding it.
Similar to a deity, foreseeing imminent misfortune or fortune.
Such a realm could not be cultivated merely through Martial Arts; it was a cultivation of the Spirit, unrelated to the body.
So this is Fetal Breathing.
Feeling the changes in his body, Jiang Shu felt completely relaxed. The Meditation Realm is divided into minor, major, and constant Meditation. This Fetal Breathing may also be divided into various realms. My initial step into Fetal Breathing has already brought such a qualitative transformation. I wonder how powerful higher realms could be.
There must be higher levels of cultivation methods in the Cosmic Relics.
His gaze was vast, like the flow of a starry river.
Jiang Shu stood up and stretched, his Primordial Power condensing as he spontaneously performed a Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand.
Although his Spiritual Cultivation had reached Fetal Breathing, his combat skills had not spiked overnight. Just as practicing skills without practicing punches appears strong but is actually weak once facing a stronger opponent from the Detachment Realm, revealing one’s own weaknesses.
On the panel, the proficiency of the Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand rapidly increased.
In the realm of Fetal Breathing, Jiang Shu’s spiritual power was already comparable to an ordinary practitioner in the Detachment Realm.
Now practicing this quasi-Supreme Martial Arts was like a dimension-reducing strike. Every day, he made visible progress.
Entry-level, small success, Great Success.
BOOM!
Having recondensed the Storage Bag with his spiritual power, Jiang Shu withdrew the Extreme Netherworld Thunder Tablet, a Spirit Rank Treasure.
He shot out of the cave like a cannonball, transforming into a streak of light that sped toward Qianyuan City.
「It had been over a month.」
Qianyuan City was still the same as that day. The five great powers remained, and the death of the young master from the Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena had not brought any sense of dead silence to this chaotic city. Instead, because of Treasures like the Golden Ape Cushion appearing at the Black Alliance auction, even more Martial Artists were drawn in.
"I wonder when the next Black Alliance auction will be. It would be great if they could have another Treasure like the Golden Ape Cushion. I must buy it! I’ve been stuck in the Acupoint Passage Realm for fifteen whole years!"
"Buy it? You probably don’t even know what happened at that time. The death of the young master from the Tu Family was because of the Golden Ape Cushion! At that time, Luo Yu, a genius from the Dragon Tiger List of the Da Jing Dynasty, acquired this Treasure at the auction and was pursued by hundreds of Martial Artists. But Luo Yu had an accomplice ambushed in the forest, and the two of them together directly killed the young master from the Tu Family! Even the Old Ghost Blood Wolf seemed to have died there."
"A Treasure like the Golden Ape Cushion, you might have the money to buy it but not the life to keep it. I just hope they auction some beauties next time. That beauty from the Big Qing Dynasty last time was not bad, just a genius from the Little Dragon Tiger List. When will the Black Alliance bring back a genius from the Dragon Tiger List, now that would truly be impressive, I would sincerely respect that!"
"The Dragon Tiger List, you dare to dream about it. We’re just in the Acupoint Passage Realm, but compared to those geniuses from the Dragon Tiger List, it’s a completely different level of combat power. I wonder how they cultivate at such a young age. The grand battle of the hundred dynasties should be coming soon; I don’t know how many of those Dragon Tiger List geniuses will successfully advance to the Detachment Realm."
"Luo Yu will, for sure. In the future, he might even join a Sect, directly becoming a powerful Furnace Fire Realm cultivator. Ah, such a distance is too far from us..."
"Don’t say that. If Luo Yu really joins a Sect, the Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena won’t dare to continue one more day. After all, if a Furnace Fire Realm powerhouse were to descend upon Qianyuan City, one palm could probably wipe out the entire Tu Family."
"Too few can join Sects... In recent years, the talents from the Da Jing Dynasty have been declining with each generation. I suspect that someday those who emerged from our place might even be more impressive. Although the young master of the Tu Family died at Luo Yu’s hand, at that time Luo Yu had the Dragon Eagle Feathered Bow, a Treasure. Without it, who would have died was still uncertain."
"Treasures, ah, those attack-type Treasures, they are truly powerful. Not to mention Tu Ling, even if Tu Yuan went, he might have taken a big tumble if he was careless."
"Keep your voice down."
Jiang Shu walked down the street, and with his current Realm, he could clearly hear various Martial Artists conversing in corners. From these, he learned that Tu Ling’s father, Tu Yuan, had left Qianyuan City to kill those who betrayed the Tu Family, executing all of them. However, after pursuing them for a month and still failing to find Luo Yu and the mysterious middle-aged man he impersonated, Tu Yuan could only return to the city in frustration, offering a high reward for their heads.
Without lingering, Jiang Shu headed toward the Black Alliance, took out two Black Alliance cards, and handed them to the manager, saying, "How much is left in them?"
Due to the unique nature of Qianyuan City, Black Alliance cards are issued anonymously. The Black Alliance recognizes only the card, not the person.
After swiping the two Black Alliance cards separately on a gemstone, the manager, looking at the spiritual power emanating from Jiang Shu, respectfully said, "Senior, in this Black Alliance card, there are thirty-two thousand Essence Yuan Great Pills, and in the other one, there are twenty-five thousand, three hundred sixty Essence Yuan Great Pills."
"Take them all out."
"Ah... okay..."
Fifteen minutes later, over five thousand seven hundred bottles of Essence Yuan Great Pills were transferred out of the Elixir vault. After confirming the count, Jiang Shu waved his hand, capturing the Elixirs with his spiritual power, and all the Elixirs entered his Storage Bag.
In the inheritance left by Master Ming Lei, whether Divine Skills, Elixirs, or Spirit Rank Treasures, none were usable by him at the moment. The only thing he could use was the Storage Bag itself, which had a capacity of a hundred cubic meters.
"May I ask Senior if you are interested in joining our Black Alliance?"
Seeing Jiang Shu nod in satisfaction, the manager decided to strike while the iron was hot. He knew clearly that one had to be finely perceptive to hold a position like his. In the eyes of some fugitives, Qianyuan City is a vast land. Acupoint Passage Realm powerful figures are emerging like mushrooms after rain. But as a manager of the Black Alliance, he knew all too well that no matter how big Qianyuan City was, it was ultimately just a city. The Detachment Realm represents the ultimate combat power. If he could recruit a Detachment Realm powerhouse, the position of the Black Alliance as the leading power would undoubtedly be further solidified. He, as a manager, would also receive an extremely generous reward.
"I know, for a Detachment Realm powerhouse like you, Senior, many Treasures are just ordinary and unremarkable in your eyes," the manager continued. "But the strongest aspect of our Black Alliance is not the collection of Treasures, nor the control of information, but the connections with powerful figures across various Dynasties. After all, you also know, our first Alliance Hierarch was a Furnace Fire Realm powerhouse. Although it’s been many years since he returned, this also means that joining our Black Alliance offers a chance to reach beyond the Detachment Realm. Qianyuan City appears to be governed by five major powers, but in reality, the other four powers are constantly changing; only our Black Alliance stands firm."
As the manager continued to offer an earnest introduction, Jiang Shu seemed to sense something, executed the Concealing Steps, and disappeared into the crowd in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
"Senior, you see..."
Only the wind passed by the manager’s ears. Unable to help himself, he shook his head and swallowed the words he was about to speak. Just as he was preparing to leave the hall, a series of footsteps slowly sounded, followed by an oppressive spiritual power. This spiritual power was more overbearing than what Jiang Shu had just demonstrated. It directly forced the manager to the ground.
Kneeling, he slowly turned his head and saw the lord of Qianyuan City, the true master of the Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena, Tu Yuan, approaching step by step.
"As long as I am here, the Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena will forever be among the five major powers of Qianyuan City," Tu Yuan stated. "Considering the face of the Black Alliance, this time, I am only giving you a small lesson. Next time, think carefully before you speak. Also, within a quarter of an hour, I want all information on the Luo Family of the Da Jing Dynasty’s royal city."