Chapter 223 - 222: Pain and Happiness
Chapter 223: Chapter 222: Pain and Happiness
[Cold Qi Body Forging Skill (Precious) learned]
[Based on the density of Cold Qi here, entry-level proficiency requires (0/15,000)]
[Cold Qi Body Forging Skill entry-level proficiency +1]
[Cold Qi Body Forging Skill entry-level proficiency +1]
[...]
"Just as I thought!"
He saw the notification on his panel indicating that gaining proficiency required fusing with Cold Qi—a situation he had never encountered before.
Wu Chen understood. It didn’t surprise him.
This was something he had considered even before mastering this Martial Art.
The Body Refining Skill of Hidden Wind Valley required one to fuse with the Cold Qi here to temper the body!
’Based on my understanding of Deep Red, I should be able to gain proficiency even in places without Cold Qi. It would just probably take several times longer.’
Wu Chen had a feeling that the notification only appeared this time because he was standing here in Hidden Wind Valley, a place where Cold Qi was present.
In any other place, Deep Red would have undoubtedly proceeded as usual, but without the presence of Cold Qi, the time required would likely have been staggering.
’But the time it’s taking now doesn’t seem very short either...’
He looked at the panel. Even with the Cold Qi, reaching the entry-level still required fifteen thousand proficiency points. He couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.
’By my calculations, will it take two to three days to master the entry-level of this Body Refining Skill here?’
’This Martial Art for forging the physique and refining the flesh really is a long, grinding process!’
Seeing that it would take three times longer than his usual Martial Arts, he knew it was a good thing—indirect proof of this Body Refining Skill’s power—but Wu Chen still felt a headache coming on.
Too slow!
It takes me three days to complete a journey that takes others sixty years? What’s the point of my cheat then?
’But what exactly is this Cold Qi?’
Curious, Wu Chen closed his eyes and looked inward, feeling the circulation of Qi throughout his body.
He saw countless wisps of Cold Qi drill through his pores, drawn in by his circulating Qi. The strands entered his body and ravaged it like wild beasts.
But before they could unleash their destructive power, the unified Qi of his five viscera sensed the foreign invasion and began to operate on its own. Like five ferocious little snakes, it started to devour and refine the Cold Qi.
The changes didn’t end there.
After being refined, the Cold Qi began to travel with the visceral Qi through the flesh, limbs, and bones of his physique, fusing with the sesame-seed-sized, sparkling origin Rhombic Crystals scattered throughout his body.
This fusion wasn’t instantaneous.
Perhaps due to the external stimulation, the light of these origin Rhombic Crystals flickered under the influence of the Cold Qi. After a few breaths, however, they grew even more brilliant.
’After this tempering and fusion, my origin has erupted with even greater life force!’
He slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of excitement in their depths. A realization dawned on him as he pondered:
’This Cold Qi must be a type of spiritual substance from the heavens and earth, but it’s the lowest, most inferior grade.’
’Because it’s so thin, its spiritual nature is mottled and full of impurities. If my physique wasn’t already solid enough, I’d have to spend years grinding away, slowly filtering out the vast amount of dross within the Cold Qi.’
’Even then, I’d end up looking like a piece of withered wood...’
Looking at the figure on the giant rock, Wu Chen shook his head.
Unlike with previous Martial Arts, this time there was a fusion process with the Cold Qi. He could feel a tingling, numbing sensation on the surface of his skin—the stimulation of the Cold Qi entering his physique. For him, it wasn’t hard to endure.
Besides, he possessed an abundant visceral Qi far exceeding that of an ordinary person, and the silvery origin Rhombic Crystals circulated continuously within him. This mottled Cold Qi couldn’t cause him any real harm.
’In that case, can I speed things up a bit?’
Wu Chen wasn’t satisfied with the current situation and had no intention of waiting two or three days for his proficiency to increase.
He suddenly had a thought. If his whole body could absorb the Cold Qi, wouldn’t it be even more convenient to use his mouth and nose, which were designed for breathing Qi in and out?
With that in mind, Wu Chen gathered all his strength and took a deep breath.
He gave the Cold Qi an epic-level lungful!
WHOOSH!—
The Cold Qi drilled into his throat, the delicate flesh feeling as if it were being sliced by a knife. After a few deep breaths, even Wu Chen couldn’t stop his tongue from trembling and the roots of his teeth from aching.
But!
[Entry-level proficiency +10]
[Entry-level proficiency +10]
Seeing his proficiency shoot up after each breath, Wu Chen’s eyes lit up.
"It’s working!"
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!—
Since it was effective, he immediately began to inhale and exhale frantically. His visceral Qi and origin also started operating at full power.
Naturally, Wu Chen didn’t care about the minor pain in his mouth and throat.
After all, watching his proficiency skyrocket was incredibly satisfying.
And so, Wu Chen continued to inhale and exhale, caught between pain and pleasure.
However, his actions left the Hidden Wind Valley Elder, who had been staring at him from the giant rock, completely dumbfounded.
"This... this madman... he’s an absolute madman!"
His teeth chattered. Unable to speak, he could only let his heaving chest convey his horror at the scene.
His murky old eyes, filled with terror, watched the young man in the distance frantically inhaling the Cold Qi through his mouth and nose. Just watching made his own mouth ache inexplicably. He swallowed hard a couple of times to calm his wildly beating heart.
As an Elder of Hidden Wind Valley, he had been practicing Cold Qi Body Forging for sixty years. He had always used his body to make contact with the Cold Qi, never daring to refine it with his mouth and nose.
He was terrified of injuring his five viscera and having his origin destroyed by the Cold Qi.
The potential gain wasn’t worth the risk.
But this young man, after just a single glance at the manual describing the Cold Qi Body Forging method, dared to breathe it in with his most fragile organs—his mouth and nose!
And he kept it up for a long moment, without the slightest pause!
There wasn’t even any pain on his face. On the contrary, he looked like he was getting a rush from it, unable to suppress a kind of excitement!
How could such a scene not shock him, a man who had spent sixty years in Hidden Wind Valley!
It was truly terrifying!
"Monster! A monster!"
The Hidden Wind Valley Elder’s chest heaved violently as a single word popped into his mind.
At that moment, his fear of Wu Chen reached its absolute peak.
He subconsciously tried to get up and leave, to return to the valley.
But the numbness in his limbs and his inability to summon his Qi Power reminded him that his limbs and throat had long since been sealed by the young man’s Powerful Qi.
It would take at least three days for the seals to break.
He couldn’t win a fight, and he couldn’t run away.
An immense despair washed over him, and the martial will he had cultivated for years began to invisibly dissolve.
He began to question the meaning of his sixty years of Martial Arts practice. A simple life with a wife, a child, and a warm bed would have been more comfortable.
STEP! STEP!—
The next moment, however, his thoughts were interrupted.
The sound of footsteps pacing back and forth not far in front of him caught his attention.
’This guy... can’t he take it anymore?’
The Hidden Wind Valley Elder lifted his withered, bark-like face and looked at the figure not far away.
He saw that the young man had stopped inhaling and was now pacing within a ten-zhang radius, as if searching for something.
’Just as I thought! Serves you right for being so arrogant, kid! It looks like the Cold Qi has damaged your five viscera!’
’So now you’re looking for a spot where the Cold Qi is weaker?!’
Seeing the young man’s searching movements, the Hidden Wind Valley Elder was both shocked and delighted. He guessed that Wu Chen must have suffered internal injuries from his arrogant actions just now.
He knew full well how terrifying the Cold Qi was, so it wasn’t hard to imagine it ravaging the young man’s insides.
"All is not lost!"
The Hidden Wind Valley Elder’s expression relaxed considerably.
The despair that had just been clouding his mind began to dissipate.
’In just three days, once the Powerful Qi sealing my body disappears, taking the life of this kid whose viscera have been damaged by Cold Qi will be as easy as flipping my hand!’
As he thought this, a joyful expression couldn’t help but appear on his face.
But in the next moment, his expression suddenly froze.
WHOOSH!—
A fierce gust of wind blew past him. It was the young man, striding right past him.
He headed straight for the peak of Hidden Wind Valley, where the cold wind howled.
This action plunged the old man, who was over sixty, into deep confusion.
"What... what in the world is he doing?!"