Chapter 571 - 567: 512-Fold Root Bone Amplification
Chapter 571: Chapter 567: 512-Fold Root Bone Amplification
Fang Han gazed with satisfaction at the storehouse, now as empty as if a swarm of locusts had passed through.
His gaze swept over the walls and floor one last time. After confirming there were no valuables left inside, he stepped out of the storehouse.
However, just as he reached the entrance, a thought suddenly struck him.
’Could there be a hidden chamber somewhere in the manor?’
This manor was a secret stronghold for the Tiejiang Gang, a place of considerable importance to them.
The odds of a place like this having secret rooms or hidden compartments were high.
’I’ll give it a thorough search.’
The more Fang Han thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He immediately turned back, re-entered the storehouse, and began searching for any secret chambers or hidden compartments.
For the next several hours, Fang Han scoured the entire manor, exploring every nook and cranny, both inside and out.
His figure weaved through the pavilions and towers, the corridors and courtyards.
He tapped every seemingly flat wall with his knuckles, listening to the echoes to discern if they were hollow.
He bent down to meticulously examine the paving stones, searching for loose bricks or the seams of a hidden mechanism.
He overlooked nothing, not the crevices of the courtyard rockeries, the hollows in the ancient tree trunks, or even the walls of the dry well.
Yet, by the time the sun reached its zenith, he had found nothing. There were no hidden compartments or secret passages to be seen.
’Looks like there isn’t anything after all!’
Fang Han muttered with a touch of regret.
He had suspected this place was highly likely to have a secret chamber or hidden compartment, but a thorough search of the entire manor had revealed nothing.
Of course, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that a secret chamber was simply hidden too well for him to find.
’Time to go.’
Fang Han gave the manor one last look, then executed the Wind God Step and sped away, heading toward the Qingxuan Sect.
His cyan robe blurred into a streak of light, quickly leaving the manor far behind.
「By the time he returned to Qingxuan Mountain, it was evening.」
The disciples guarding the mountain gate saw Fang Han return and hastily bowed.
Fang Han gave a slight nod, continuing without breaking his stride up the mountain path toward the Sect Leader’s Hall at the summit.
Inside the Sect Leader’s Hall, Chen Tianyuan was seated at the head of the room. He held a scroll in his hand but wasn’t reading it, a persistent gloom etched between his brows.
"Disciple Fang Han pays his respects to the Sect Leader."
After being announced and given permission to enter, Fang Han stepped into the Sect Leader’s Hall, walked forward, and bowed.
"There’s no need for such formality."
Chen Tianyuan set the scroll aside, his eyes landing on Fang Han with clear expectation.
"Were you able to track down Yan Wuji?"
"Sect Leader, I followed the lingering traces of Yan Wuji’s aura for over a hundred li until I reached a hidden mountain cave."
"Yan Wuji must have treated his injuries inside. He also used some kind of extremely high-grade secret medicine to conceal his breath, and his aura vanished abruptly. I searched the surrounding area thoroughly but couldn’t find any further trace of him."
Fang Han said, shaking his head.
He omitted any mention of discovering the manor, the interrogation, or the fortune he had acquired, reporting only on his pursuit of Yan Wuji.
Chen Tianyuan listened quietly. The light of expectation in his normally wise and composed eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by a nearly inaudible sigh.
He leaned back in his chair, silent for a moment.
A Grandmaster who cultivated a Demon Skill was now lurking in the shadows. The threat weighed on his heart like a dark, heavy cloud.
"You did your best."
Chen Tianyuan said slowly. His voice remained placid, but it couldn’t conceal a trace of disappointment and gravity.
"As a Grandmaster, Yan Wuji’s Breath Concealment Ability is formidable. With the addition of a special medicine, it’s only natural that you couldn’t find him. You’ve had a long journey. Go back and get some rest."
"Yes. This disciple will take his leave."
Fang Han cupped his fists, said no more, and turned to leave the Sect Leader’s Hall.
The evening wind was cool, carrying the crisp, clean air of the mountains. He followed the familiar stone path toward Courtyard No. 35.
Back in his courtyard, he realized he hadn’t slept all night. However, given the strength of his current Cultivation, he felt no fatigue.
After leaving instructions not to be disturbed, Fang Han entered the Quiet Chamber and locked the door from the inside.
’Panel.’
With a thought, a translucent system panel quietly materialized before his eyes.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 256x (Ninth Level Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 256x (Ninth Level Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]
[Stepping Talent Amplification: 256x (Ninth Level Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]
[Secret Technique Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]
[Horizontal Training Talent Amplification: 256x (Ninth Level Amplification requires 10,000,000 gold)]
[Wealth: 11,210,000 gold]
’Letting this go to waste is the worst thing I could do!’
Fang Han’s eyes fixed on the "11,210,000 gold" line.
He now had enough wealth to activate a Ninth Level Amplification. Letting it sit idle would be a complete waste, so he decided to seize the opportunity for a tangible boost to one of his talents.
’Compared to the others, Root Bone Talent is the most important!’
Fang Han muttered to himself.
Root Bone Talent was directly linked to the advancement of his Cultivation, making it unequivocally the most important of all his talents.
With only enough wealth for a single Ninth Level Amplification, the choice of which talent to upgrade was obvious.
’Upgrade Root Bone Talent.’
Fang Han focused his mind on the "Ninth Level Amplification" option next to Root Bone Talent and selected it without hesitation.
[Wealth: 11,210,000 gold → 1,210,000 gold]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 256x → 512x]
The numbers for his wealth and Root Bone Talent on the panel instantly flickered and changed.
He, however, felt no physical change.
The panel’s amplification was a continuous buff, not a one-time alteration of his innate talent.
His body itself wouldn’t undergo any transformation.
The only way to perceive the difference was to cultivate.
’Time to test the effects.’
Fang Han retrieved a Jade Bottle from his Storage Ring, uncorked it, and tipped out an Earth Spirit Pill. The elixir was the size of a longan fruit and glowed with a soft luster. He popped it into his mouth.
The Elixir dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into a torrential yet gentle flood of Medicinal Power that surged through his limbs and into every corner of his body.
He immediately began circulating the Cyan Profound Technique.
WHOOSH—
The instant he activated the Heart Method, Fang Han’s mind trembled.
Something was different.
With the 512x Root Bone amplification, the cyan-gold Inner Qi in his meridians surged with an unprecedented smoothness and intensity.
With every Circulation of the Heavens, the efficiency at which he absorbed and refined the Medicinal Power had at least doubled!
The pure Medicinal Power of the Earth Spirit Pill was captured, devoured, and assimilated almost the instant it entered his meridians. The rapidly circulating Inner Qi of his Cyan Profound Technique seemed to possess a mysterious gravitational pull.
It transformed into his own pure, condensed Inner Qi, which then poured into the already substantially filled Tinggong Acupoint.
The growth of his Inner Qi was distinctly palpable.
The Tinggong Acupoint was filling with Inner Qi at a speed he could clearly perceive.
’At this rate...’
Fang Han maintained the circulation of his Cultivation Technique, making a mental assessment.
His Tinggong Acupoint had already been over ninety percent full and was on the verge of being completely filled. Now, with the 512x Root Bone Talent amplification, the growth rate of his Inner Qi had doubled.
The already short time required was now even shorter.
’Five days at most. I’ll definitely break through to the Middle Stage of Second Grade.’
Fang Han estimated that in five days at most, he would reach the bottleneck for the Middle Stage of Second Grade.
And with his current Root Bone Talent, a bottleneck like that was nothing—it wouldn’t pose an obstacle at all.
If his calculations were correct, he should be able to break through to the Middle Stage of Second Grade in no more than five days.
...
「Qingxuan Sect. The reception room in the Sect Leader’s Hall.」
Sandalwood smoldered quietly in a bronze censer. A thin ribbon of blue-green smoke rose straight up, only beginning to disperse and drift unpredictably about a foot in the air.
Besides the scent of sandalwood, the air was thick with a heavy, formless pressure.
Seven figures were seated around the room on pearwood chairs—the leaders of the Seven Sects.
At the head of the assembly sat Chen Tianyuan, his features scholarly and refined in his deep cyan robes.
His normally gentle eyes, however, were as still as water, his gaze fixed on the curling smoke before him, his thoughts unreadable.
To his left, Abbot Kudu of the Vajra Temple sat with his palms together and his eyes downcast.
His bony fingers slowly thumbed a string of dark brown prayer beads, producing a faint, rhythmic CLICK... CLICK... that was unnervingly clear in the silence.
Opposite them, Lei Pojun, the Sect Leader of the Overlord Blade Sect, sat ramrod straight, his broad, powerful frame making the chair seem small beneath him.
One of his hands rested on his knee, while the other unconsciously stroked the wide blade of the saber propped on the floor next to him. His brow was furrowed on his dark-complexioned face, and his muscles were faintly tensed.
Beside him was Xie Changkong, Sect Leader of the Lingyun Sword Sect. His moon-white robe was immaculate, and his posture appeared casual, but the slight pursing of his lips betrayed his inner gravity.
Shen Tinglan, the Tower Lord of Tingyu Building, sat by the window in simple, unadorned gray-blue robes. He stared out at the distant autumn mountains, his gaze calm, as if his mind had drifted elsewhere.
Hua Nishang, the Valley Master of Baihua Valley, was dressed in a simple, pale pink gown, her hair gathered in a loose bun. Her delicately arched brows were slightly furrowed, and the small pink flower in her hand, which she was unconsciously mangling, revealed her inner disquiet.
At the seat of lowest precedence sat Ling Wuyuan, Pavilion Master of the Netherworld Pavilion. He was alone, dressed in voluminous, ink-black robes that made him seem to merge with the shadows behind his chair.
His complexion was unnaturally pale, as if long deprived of sunlight. His deep, unfathomable eyes were half-lidded, and he radiated a gloomy air.
"The Tiejiang Gang has been destroyed," Xie Changkong’s voice broke the silence, clear and steady as it rang through the hall. "The wealth and Cultivation Techniques we acquired were divided equally among the Seven Sects. It was, by all accounts, a bountiful harvest."
"However, Grandmaster Yan Wuji’s escape is like a sharp sword hanging over all our heads, and we don’t know when it might fall. As long as that fiend is not eliminated, Qingyang County will never know peace."
"Sect Leader Xie is absolutely right." Lei Pojun interjected, his voice deep and rumbling like a drum.
"That old fiend cultivates a fast-acting, domineering Demon Skill. If he’s allowed to recover from his injuries... when he makes a comeback and starts assassinating us from the shadows, I fear none of us will ever know a moment’s peace."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Abbot Kudu stopped thumbing his prayer beads and lifted his eyes, his gaze a mixture of compassion and gravity.
"Demon Skills bring harm and endless calamity. Yan Wuji being on the loose is not just a threat to our Seven Sects, but a disaster for the countless souls of Qingyang County. Our most pressing task is to find his hiding place."
"Easier said than done."
Hua Nishang sighed softly as the ruined flower finally fell from her fingertips. Her gaze swept over everyone present.
"He is a Grandmaster, capable of concealing his aura and hiding his presence. Now that he’s in hiding, where are we supposed to find him in the vast expanse of Qingyang County, with its endless mountain ranges and countless towns and villages?"
The atmosphere in the room grew even more stagnant.