Chapter 425 - 422: Thousand-Mile Soul Lock Mastery
Chapter 425: Chapter 422: Thousand-Mile Soul Lock Mastery
"I underestimated the power of Sword Intent!"
Fang Han muttered to himself.
Reaching the Entry Level of the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique and comprehending the Wind Sword Intent was a qualitative leap for him.
The might of the Sword Intent far exceeded his initial estimates.
It wasn’t just a deeper resonance with and control over the Power of Heaven and Earth. It also carried a built-in Spiritual Shock that could stun an opponent’s mind in an instant, causing their reaction time to lag.
In a battle between experts, that momentary delay was the difference between life and death.
"But even so, I can’t let my guard down."
Fang Han collected his thoughts.
His ability to kill Yuan Zhan today was due not only to the power of his Sword Intent but also to Yuan Zhan’s underestimation of him.
Seeing that he was only in the Early Third Grade and so young, the man had inevitably looked down on him. That had given Fang Han the opening to take him by surprise and gravely wound him with his Sword Intent.
If he were to face another opponent at the Late Stage of Third Grade like Yuan Zhan, it wouldn’t be so easy if they were on guard against him.
"The Netherworld Pavilion definitely won’t let this go!"
Thinking of the Netherworld Pavilion’s likely reaction, Fang Han couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly.
He had seized the Netherworld Pavilion’s gold mine, effectively snatching their purse. There was no way they would let the matter rest.
Although he had already notified the Sect, the conflict between the Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion was escalating. Manpower was needed everywhere, and with resources stretched so thin, they might not be able to send reinforcements in time.
’If the Netherworld Pavilion sends an expert to retaliate... how should I handle it?’
Fang Han pondered for a moment, a plan forming in his mind.
He got up, walked out of the wooden hut, and summoned a disciple on duty, instructing him:
"I’m entering secluded Cultivation. No one is to disturb me."
"Yes, Senior Brother Fang."
The disciple bowed and replied.
Fang Han turned, returned to the wooden hut, and shut the door behind him.
He sat cross-legged on the bed. Instead of circulating the Cyan Profound Technique, he closed his eyes and began to operate a Top-grade Secret Technique called Thousand-Mile Soul Lock.
After his Spirit Smelling Technique had reached Perfection and could advance no further, he had gone to the Library Pavilion to exchange for Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, a Top-grade Scent Tracking Secret Technique.
With the Perfection of his Spirit Smelling Technique as a foundation, he had quickly cultivated Thousand-Mile Soul Lock to Minor Achievement, even without investing too much effort.
To avoid being caught unawares by an expert from the Netherworld Pavilion, he decided to focus all his efforts on improving Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, raising the Secret Technique to Mastery.
According to the manual, once Thousand-Mile Soul Lock reached Mastery, its Inner Qi consumption would be drastically reduced. Even if he kept it active at all times, it wouldn’t consume too much Inner Qi.
He would be able to keep it active constantly, preventing a powerful enemy from ambushing him without his knowledge.
「Deep within the Netherworld Pavilion, in the grand hall.」
The hall was dimly lit. Li Wushang stood before a window with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the heavy night. A darkness as black as ink filled his deep eyes.
Ever since Yin Wugou had been ambushed and killed, a fire had been smoldering in his heart.
"Vice Pavilion Master."
Footsteps sounded from behind him as Steward Liu Jin hurried in, bowing in salute. An unconcealable nervousness tinged his voice.
"An urgent report from Celestial Swan City."
Li Wushang turned around, took the letter sealed with wax, and broke it open.
As his eyes swept over the words on the letter, his expression instantly turned hideous.
"Yuan Zhan is dead?"
His voice was soft, so soft it was as if he were talking to himself.
But the irrepressible fury in it made the steward, who stood with his head bowed, shudder involuntarily.
"The one the Qingxuan Sect sent to reinforce Celestial Swan City was Fang Han."
Li Wushang continued reading, his deep-set eyes narrowing slightly.
"This boy has already broken through to the Third Grade. Yuan Zhan fought him, was defeated, and killed. The gold mine has also been seized by the Qingxuan Sect."
"Fang Han... Third Grade..."
Li Wushang repeated the two phrases under his breath. Each word was like a poisoned needle, stabbing viciously into his heart.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the churning emotions within him.
When he opened his eyes again, only an icy glint remained.
"Send out the order."
His voice returned to a flat tone, but beneath that calm lay a volcano on the verge of erupting.
"Gather..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
His gaze fell upon the letter, lingering on the words "Third Grade".
Yuan Zhan was at the Late Stage of Third Grade.
To kill Fang Han, who was capable of killing Yuan Zhan, would require at least a Second Grade Martial Artist to be absolutely certain of success.
’And as for a Second Grade Martial Artist...’
Li Wushang closed his eyes, and a list of the Pavilion’s Second-Grade Elders, along with their current assignments, quickly flashed through his mind.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a trace of undisguised gloom flashing within their dark depths.
Including Yin Wugou, the Pavilion originally had thirteen Second-Grade Elders.
After Yin Wugou’s death, twelve remained.
And all twelve of them were now dispatched to various locations, locked in standoffs and clashes with the Elders of the Qingxuan Sect.
Those Elders were completely tied down, unable to break away.
If he were to forcibly reassign one of them to Celestial Swan City, the operation they were responsible for would be left vulnerable, and the Qingxuan Sect would surely take advantage of the opening.
The losses then would not be limited to just one gold mine. After all, any operation important enough to have a Second-Grade Elder presiding over it was certainly more valuable than a gold mine.
"Damn it."
Li Wushang cursed under his breath.
Allowing the gold mine to be taken was, of course, impossible.
The annual profits from that gold mine were enormous, making it one of the Netherworld Pavilion’s most important sources of revenue.
To give it up would not only be a huge financial loss, but also an unbearable humiliation.
It had to be taken back!
’But the Second-Grade Elders can’t be spared...’
Li Wushang stood before the window with his hands clasped behind him, his brow furrowed as he stared into the heavy darkness outside.
A moment later, his gaze suddenly shifted.
A name surfaced in his mind.
Yuan Ye.
This man was Yuan Zhan’s clansman, with a Cultivation at the Late Stage of Third Grade. He had been stuck at this Realm for many years, unable to break through.
’If I grant Yuan Ye a High Grade Realm-Breaking Pill and help him break through to Second Grade...’
Li Wushang fell into thought, weighing the pros and cons.
A High Grade Realm-Breaking Pill was a precious Elixir capable of helping Upper Three Grades Martial Artists break through their bottlenecks. The Pavilion only had five in its inventory, each one priceless and not to be used lightly.
But if it could enable Yuan Ye to break through to Second Grade, be dispatched to Celestial Swan City to eliminate Fang Han, and recapture the gold mine—
The trade wouldn’t be a loss. Setting aside the profits from the gold mine, just eliminating a major threat like Fang Han would be worth the investment of a High Grade Realm-Breaking Pill.
"Liu Jin."
A look of decision flashed in Li Wushang’s eyes.
He turned, walked to his desk, and picked up a Token.
The Token was pitch-black. The front was engraved with the archaic character for "Nether," while the back featured the Netherworld Pavilion’s distinctive flame pattern. Its edges were inlaid with dark gold thread. It was his Vice Pavilion Master’s Token.
He handed the Token to the bowing Steward, his voice low but filled with an unquestionable authority.
"Take my Token, go to the treasury, and retrieve a High Grade Realm-Breaking Pill. Give it to Elder Yuan Ye."
He paused, then continued.
"Tell him to take this Elixir, break through to Second Grade, and then go to Celestial Swan City—to kill Fang Han and take back the gold mine."
"Yes!"
Liu Jin accepted the Token with both hands, bowed in acknowledgment, and then turned and strode quickly out of the hall.
His footsteps soon vanished down the corridor.
Li Wushang stood before the window with his hands behind his back, gazing into the heavy night, unmoving for a long time.
An icy light flickered in his deep eyes.
’Fang Han...’
’This time, I will eliminate you, no matter the cost.’
「North of Celestial Swan City, at the former Netherworld Pavilion gold mine.」
Inside a stone house, Fang Han sat cross-legged on a stone bed, his aura as still as water.
Outside, sunlight streamed through the cracks between the wooden planks, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.
After seizing the mine, he spent nearly all his time, aside from necessary meals and rest, on the Cultivation of Thousand-Mile Soul Lock.
He had already cultivated this Top-grade Scent Tracking Secret Technique to Minor Achievement.
Now, by investing a great deal of time into it, his progress was visible to the naked eye, improving rapidly each day.
BZZT—
Within his body, the Secret Technique’s method circulated slowly.
A mysterious aura flowed between his nasal passages and meridians. With each cycle, his sense of smell grew sharper and more profound.
His sixty-four-fold Secret Technique Talent Amplification was on full display at this moment.
All the key points of the Cultivation were crystal clear to him. Cultivating was like riding a high-speed train—incredibly fast.
He could feel himself getting closer and closer to the threshold.
One day.
Two days.
Three days.
「Several days later, at noon.」
Fang Han sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his eyes slightly closed and his nostrils twitching faintly.
Within his body, the Technique for Thousand-Mile Soul Lock circulated slowly. The mysterious aura flowed between his nasal passages and meridians, each cycle more complete and smoother than the last.
Suddenly—
HUM...
A soft hum, perceptible only to him, echoed from deep within his body.
The sound was extremely faint, almost undetectable, yet it seemed to have opened an invisible door.
In an instant, the auras of the surrounding world presented themselves to his perception with unprecedented clarity.
The auras of the disciples on duty at the mine were all clearly distinguishable—some were vigorous, some were stable, and one was approaching from the direction of the mine shaft.
Further away, he could sense the auras of birds and beasts in the forest, the dampness of the water in the streams, and the scent of smoke and life drifting on the wind from a distant city—
Everything was taken in by his senses, perfectly layered, unfolding in his mind like a slowly unrolling scroll.
But the most noticeable change was the consumption of his Inner Qi.
Previously, maintaining the operation of Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, while not consuming a huge amount of Inner Qi, still prevented him from keeping it active at all times.
Now, that feeling of consumption had been drastically reduced to the point of being almost unnoticeable. It was enough for him to maintain the Secret Technique all day long without worrying about his Inner Qi running out.
"Thousand-Mile Soul Lock has reached Mastery."
Fang Han opened his eyes, a flash of joy in their depths.
These changes had obviously occurred because the Secret Technique, Thousand-Mile Soul Lock, had reached the level of Mastery.
Not only had his Perception Ability grown stronger, but the drain on his Inner Qi had also sharply decreased.
From this day forward, he could keep the Secret Technique running all day. If any expert came to attack, he would be able to detect them in advance and prepare a response.
He gently exhaled a breath of turbid air and walked out of the stone room.
He strolled through the mine, inspecting it as he went. He was the guard, after all, so he had to do his duties.
"Senior Brother Fang!"
A rush of hurried footsteps was accompanied by the excited shout of a young disciple.
Fang Han looked up and saw a young man in a Qingxuan Sect Disciple’s Robe running toward him, an unconcealable excitement on his face.
The young disciple ran up to him, panting for breath but beaming with joy. As soon as he saw Fang Han, he cupped his hands in a salute and said:
"Senior Brother Fang, congratulations! Great news!"