Purple Mist Dao Master-Chapter 821 - 528: Sword Net

Cheng Fengxiao waved his hand and stopped pondering further. With the Green Bottle, he was confident in his future growth and had some expectations of surpassing Zhou Shun and even the Lishan Sect.

No point in thinking about answers he couldn't find now.

"Indeed."

Rather than overthinking, it was better to ask the person involved. No one would understand Zhou Shun's motivations and plans better than Zhou Shun himself.

The master and disciple spoke of the Green Bottle, talked about Zhou Shun, and then conversed on the 'Heavenly Calamity' of the Mountain and Sea Realm, culminating in a discussion of cultivation, specifically the Four Seas Unification Skill Cheng Fengxiao was practicing.

...

After entering the Lishan Sect and later the Jiujiang Institute, Cheng Fengxiao was taken care of by Zhou Shun and chose the Heavenly Secret Book Four Seas Unification Skill as his main cultivation technique.

The concept of this skill is 'Hundred Rivers Return to the Sea,' requiring cultivation from low to high, weak to strong, training in four interconnected inner strength techniques, completing one set called 'One Sea,' completing four sets totaling sixteen inner strength techniques called 'Four Seas,' ultimately achieving 'Four Seas Unification,' signifying the Innate Peak, with the potential of becoming a War God!

This is a treasure targeting the Sixth Grade.

The Four Seas Unification Skill is renowned within the Jiujiang Institute and the entire Lishan Sect, distinguished by the relatively high chance of achieving innateness upon completing the One Sea as instructed.

Its disadvantage, however, lies in the sudden increase in difficulty—tenfold, even a hundredfold—when attempting to cultivate the second system post-Dao innateness.

Many disciples and practitioners of the Four Seas Unification Skill in the Lishan Sect throughout the years achieved Dao innateness, termed the highest Heavenly ratio, but post-Dao cultivation speed ranks as lowest.

As slow as a tortoise crawl!

High probability of achieving Dao innateness!

Slow cultivation post-innateness!

This is innateness.

In fact, even before achieving innateness, drawbacks exist; early stage cultivation is slow and demands abundant resources, seeing many laboring for half a century, reaching seventy or eighty years of age, becoming elderly before achieving late life innateness.

Cheng Fengxiao chose the Four Seas Unification Skill cautiously.

Generally speaking—

Those with background lack no resources, yet don't opt for the Four Seas Unification Skill.

Those without background choose the Four Seas Unification Skill but face a dire need for resources.

This presents a paradox for the Four Seas Unification Skill that most requires resources.

After obtaining the Green Bottle, Cheng Fengxiao no longer lacked resources, solving the resource issue for cultivating the Four Seas Unification Skill. However, besides resources, the inherent ease of learning but difficulty in mastery of the Four Seas Unification Skill is a crucial reason for its tortoise-paced progress.

Cheng Fengxiao doesn't lack resources, but understanding the Four Seas Unification Skill remains challenging.

Luckily.

He still has Yan Chuan.

...

Your Four Seas Unification Skill has improved, Sixth Realm: Refining Fire → Seventh Realm: Transcendent.

...

Yan Chuan sits at home, yet the feedback arrives from the void.

This is a new development of Level Four Mutual Teaching and Learning. As the Projection Team spreads continuously, as more people watch Yan Chuan's Xingyi Boxing Thirty-Six Lessons, Yan Chuan somehow receives feedback.

Originally, Yan Chuan didn't take this seriously, but tied with the Heavenly Calamity and Heavenly Change in the Mountain and Sea Realm, the pulverization of both the Earth Gate and Heavenly Ladder meant Yan Chuan's most stable and significant martial arts lecture and feedback channel vanished.

Today.

For the first time, Yan Chuan didn't conduct two sessions of martial arts lectures totaling six hours in Heavenly Ladder City; today's 'feedback' was entirely derived from the Projection Team and through the Scattering Flower Lamp and Returning Light Divine Mirror.

Coincidentally.

Shortly after reuniting with Cheng Fengxiao, Yan Chuan's Four Seas Unification Skill accumulated enough feedback, smoothly advancing to the Seventh Realm, with such accomplishment that not only dare to attempt innateness but easily achieve Innate Second Rank and Third Rank.

Seventh Realm: Four Seas Unification Skill.

Level Four Mutual Teaching and Learning increases Cheng Fengxiao's comprehension efficiency by 125%, with Yan Chuan's guidance like resonant strikes of a bell, shattering Cheng Fengxiao's chaotic and dull mind, vehemently nurturing!

...

Boom!

The news of the rampaging Heavenly Calamity in the Mountain and Sea Realm shook the entire Great Yan!

A stone causing a thousand ripples!

Whether it's the recently concluded Second Cang Mountain Sword Discussion, or the innumerable Heavenly Prides who proved their Dao during the Sword Discussion, or Fu Yunzhan, the First Fast Sword, toppling the Purple Beard Sect with one sword, decapitating seven peak state figures, twenty-six top officials, slaying the tenth ranked in the Earthly List, First Sword Technique West of Three Mountains Yin Huaidao, and achieving innateness with clarity of thought at Purple Beard Mountain!

All these news turned insignificant.

The entire Great Yan, all heat and topics, attention and focus, from the fourth of July onwards, were entirely occupied by the Mountain and Sea Realm, dominated by the Heavenly Calamity.

July 5th.

July 6th.

July 7th.

The Heavenly Calamity continued into the fourth day.

...

"Master!"

"Master!"

"Can't hold on!"

"The array holds, the essence stones can't!"

Wan Jiu, one of the Three Divine Generals of Guangming City, appeared fatigued. From the fourth to today, the seventh, over four days, Guangming City relied on its array to withstand wave after wave of Heavenly Calamity, resisting both the Heavenly Fire and Earth Fire, even when the city's array was worn from the Heavenly Calamity a year and a half ago, it was still usable.

However, the array, mighty as it is, has a substantial essence stone consumption.

This array was originally set up to counter beast tides assaulting the city, Guangming City had barely used it once in ten years to handle solitary figures like Yan Chuan, it was too precious to activate.

To use Guangming City's array against Yan Chuan?

That's using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!

Too extravagant!

This array is truly for resisting fierce beast tides or a massive army's assault, for large-scale confrontations.

Great power.

Large consumption too.

However, the catastrophe a year and a half ago not only destroyed Tan Valley Royal City and annihilated all the strong ones, but also caused countless Essence Stones to evaporate.

The Essence Stone reserves in Guangming City were accumulated over a year and a half post-disaster.

But in just a year and a half, with delays in the rebuilding of mines, more than ten mines have successively restarted, yet the total extraction has only reached 900,000 jin. With the consumption of Innate Divine Generals and Postnatal Martial Artists in cultivation, the reserves are truly not much.

In the vast Guangming City, by the end of July, the inventory astonishingly amounted to only 120,000 jin of Essence Stones.

Yet with the full operation of Guangming City's formation, at least 20,000 jin of Essence Stones are consumed day and night.

Less than four days.

Guangming City has already 'burned' 80,000 jin of Essence Stones, and only 40,000 jin remain in inventory!

It is about to run out!

Wan Jiu dares not imagine what they will do when Guangming City runs out of Essence Stones in at most two days.

"This heavenly calamity!"

"When will it stop?"

Wan Jiu is exhausted and bewildered.

Duke Zhuyu is also tired; he is not a deity, and the inventory is just that, from where can he conjure Essence Stones?

There's no other choice!

Only the old tradition—

"Let every household in Guangming Army search, those who secretly hoard Essence Stones, execute entire families!"

Heavy-handed measures in chaotic times!

At this moment of life and death, who can afford to care about many things?

Furthermore—

"Tomorrow, if the heavenly calamity has not ended, abandon the outer formations and tightly guard the City Lord Mansion!"

Without the outer burden, by simplifying the formations, the remaining tens of thousands of jin of Essence Stones might allow the solitary City Lord Mansion to withstand the heavenly calamity for a longer time.

This is yet another old tradition of the authorities—

The populace can be abandoned!

...

"Four days!"

"Devastation everywhere!"

On the seventh day of July, Yan Chuan and several Innate individuals returned to Tan Valley Realm, where everywhere was charred, wildfires were raging, and the air was filled with choking smoke.

"The court sent news that the heavenly calamity in most areas of the Northern Continent has gradually ended, and the calamity in the Western Continent and Eastern Continent is also gradually retreating from north to south. At this rate, in just a few days, the calamity in the Southern Continent might also gradually subside." Tan Yunqing gathered the latest information about the heavenly calamity in Mo Yin Continent from the court.

The moment the heavenly calamity struck Mo Yin Continent, the 'Heavenly Ladder' shattered, making information transmission very inconvenient. The Four Continents and Four Oceans were almost cut off from communication, but the Star Gate connecting Great Yan to the Mountain and Sea Realm remained, still connecting the four continents of Mo Yin Continent, allowing for timely assimilation of all changes in Mo Yin Continent.

Information is wealth!

Utilizing a superlative perspective to analyze and assess the overall situation of Mo Yin Continent, it is possible to infer the approximate time for the heavenly calamity to recede from the four continents, various nations, and regions. From this, if Great Yan reacts swiftly, they can gain considerable benefits.

The court, with its manpower and strength, can seize greater advantages.

On Yan Chuan's side, though their power is small, they can still reap significant benefits solely in Tan Valley.

For instance—

"Seize this opportunity to capture the Seventeen Cities! Open the gates wide to welcome the populace! As long as we survive the last few days, the people's support will be with us, and Tan Valley Realm will be ours for the taking!"

Tan Valley Realm, painstakingly cultivated for a year, was anticipated to be devastated and abandoned in the heavenly calamity, but unexpectedly, the crisis has turned into an opportunity, swiftly sweeping through Tan Valley Realm, and granting a great opportunity to unite all the people of the realm!

"Go!"

"First stop, Guangming City!"

Yan Chuan waved his hand, amidst the roaring heavenly and earth fires, leading over ten Innate individuals from Tan Valley Realm in a grand march towards Guangming City.

...

"Master!"

"This is not good!"

"'Big Horn' Yan Chuan is leading thirteen Divine Generals and has come to attack, currently outside the city!"

"Master, listen—"

"'Big Horn' is using the big horn to challenge! The insults are unbearable! Master! Let us go out and confront him!"

"'Big Horn' starts circling the city, what's he doing?"

"Running faster and faster, in the blink of an eye it's one circle! And another circle! Dozens of circles! What's he doing?"

"Hiss! Sword Qi!"

...

Duke Zhuyu came to the city wall, seeing more than ten Divine Generals standing outside the city, with 'Big Horn' Yan Chuan constantly circling, running faster and faster. Initially, it wasn't clear, but after forty-nine circles—

Boom!

All around Guangming City, 686 footprints circled it 49 times. As Yan Chuan left the last footprint, all the footprints thundered simultaneously, linking together and erupting with 686 sword qi, grouped into small units of 7, large units of 98, with 7 smaller groups as one positive, 7 smaller groups as one odd, combining positive and odd, the sword qi fearsomely erupting together!

This is—

"Beidou Formation!"

...

"Arrayed with ninety-eight people, seven in a group, forming fourteen 'Heavenly Gang Beidou Formations', with every seven Beidou Formations forming one 'Big Beidou Formation', positive and odd interconnected, mutually generating and inhibiting, named 'Beidou Formation', its power is infinite."

"This is the 'Beidou Formation' created by the City Lord, originally intended to be taught in Tan Valley Army, using people to form the array. Unexpectedly, its first deployment was in Guangming City, yet it is the City Lord forming the array with sword qi!"

"686 sword qi!"

"7 groups combining positive and odd 'Beidou Formation'!"

"Guangming City!"

"The City Lord alone can take it!"

...