Chapter 16: Novice Momentum of Heaven and Earth
Back at the Cave Dwelling.
Fang Yuan took out the Cloud Qi Art cultivation technique and began studying it in detail.
To his delight, with the Completion Stage Mingqi Art as his foundation, he quickly grasped the contents of the Cloud Qi Art.
By his estimate, even if he cultivated on his own, he could advance the Cloud Qi Art to Minor Mastery in a short time — only one minor stage away from Major Mastery.
"No wonder the Luoyun Sect's introductory technique is the Mingqi Art. The gap in difficulty between a Yellow Grade, Lower Tier technique and a Yellow Grade, Supreme Tier one is enormous — many cultivators can't even reach Novice level with a supreme-tier technique."
"But with the Mingqi Art as a stepping stone, entering the Cloud Qi Art becomes easy. You can even reach a rough proficiency without much trouble. With a supreme-tier technique as your base, the quality of your Foundation Establishment is bound to be high."
"This is the depth of a great sect's heritage. Ordinary sects could never obtain a lineage like this so easily."
Once Fang Yuan had a thorough understanding of the technique, he pressed his finger against it.
"Decompose!"
A flash of light swept past, and before him appeared a Jade Slip and a glowing orb.
[Spirit Jade] + [Cloud Qi Art Experience Insight]
After absorbing the glowing orb, Fang Yuan gained the technique's content for the first six layers of Qi Refining.
This Jade Slip had been inscribed by a disciple only at the Mid Qi Refining Stage.
"What a shame. The level of comprehension in this technique is barely Novice — pretty poor."
Fang Yuan took out seven Cloud Qi Art cultivation journals and examined them one by one.
His understanding of cultivation techniques had grown considerably, and he quickly identified one exceptionally outstanding journal.
"Impressive. This cultivation experience is written with real originality — condensing Spiritual Power into the shape of clouds to align with the core of the Cloud Qi Art. What's more, the author didn't just conceive the idea; they also provided a method to practice it. The owner of this journal is no ordinary person!"
He pressed his finger against it and chose to decompose it.
The next moment.
That Jade Slip was decomposed by Fang Yuan as well.
Another glowing orb appeared, and Fang Yuan immediately absorbed and refined it.
Shortly after, a flood of experience and insight poured into his mind.
After a long while.
Fang Yuan opened his eyes, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "This is actually the insight from the Mystic Grade, Supreme Tier Profound Qi Art! The Qi Refining section has been comprehended to Completion Stage, and the Foundation Establishment section has reached Major Mastery!"
He hadn't expected such luck — he had obtained yet another Technique Insight at the Completion Stage of the Qi Refining Realm, with content extending all the way through Foundation Establishment Completion Stage. He had no idea which master had left it behind.
"As they say, it's good to rest in the shade of a great tree. The reason I keep obtaining so many high-quality insights is precisely because the Luoyun Sect's heritage runs so deep. In a small sect, if no predecessor had comprehended a technique to Completion Stage, there would be nothing for me to decompose into these insights."
The Luoyun Sect naturally had disciples with upper grade Spiritual Roots and supreme-tier Spiritual Roots — there might even be peerless geniuses with Heavenly Spirit Roots.
Though all of them resided at the main headquarters.
The technique texts of the branch could still be obtained from the main sect.
What Fang Yuan had just acquired was likely the cultivation insight of some genius who had reached Foundation Establishment.
Without hesitation, Fang Yuan sat cross-legged and began circulating the Cloud Qi Art.
The Spiritual Power within him rapidly transformed into the Cloud Qi Art's own Spiritual Power as it circulated.
In the process, his Spiritual Power shrank to one-fifth of its original volume — but its quality surged fivefold!
His overall strength had not diminished; it had grown.
He guided a flying sword, and the blade moved more than twice as fast as before, darting through the air above the room with lightning-quick turns — and yet it felt even easier to control.
"I'm now confident I could fight across cultivation levels on the Cloud Qi Art alone — I could take on an ordinary cultivator at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining!"
In theory, the quality of his Spiritual Power was now more than ten times that of an ordinary cultivator at the same stage — the difference between steel and mud.
"If I raise this quality of Spiritual Power all the way to Qi Refining Completion Stage, I should be able to hold my own against Foundation Establishment cultivators."
A surge of bold ambition rose in Fang Yuan's heart.
"Steady. Keep cultivating — don't get carried away!"
Fang Yuan calmed himself and turned his gaze inward to his Dantian. He could see that his Spiritual Power had once again thinned to a sparse layer.
Yet he noticed that the Spiritual Power had undergone a wondrous transformation.
Every strand of Spiritual Power had taken the form of wisps of cloud, and those cloud-like strands were autonomously absorbing Spiritual Energy from the surroundings to strengthen themselves.
The source of that Spiritual Energy was the residual medicinal power of the Qi-Nurturing Pills still lingering in his flesh and Meridians. That Spiritual Energy was drawn in by the cloud-like Spiritual Power, pulled into the Dantian, and absorbed — growing stronger with each passing moment.
His Spiritual Sense observed the changes in that Spiritual Power.
Faintly, Fang Yuan seemed to perceive the shifting, drifting nature of clouds.
"This is… some kind of Momentum?"
Fang Yuan's eyes went wide. He stirred his Spiritual Sense and drew out a single strand of Spiritual Power, releasing it to his fingertip.
That strand of Spiritual Power still resembled a wisp of cloud — and it was autonomously absorbing the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth to strengthen itself!
Fang Yuan went to the practice courtyard, formed a hand seal, and released a Flame Spitting Technique!
A tongue of flame shot from his fingertip and slammed into a block of black iron stone.
In the process, the flame transformed into a fire-cloud and began autonomously absorbing the fire-attribute Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, amplifying its own power.
When the flame crashed into the black iron stone, it blasted out a crater the size of a human head. Shards of stone flew in all directions, and the flame had even partially melted the black iron!
"That power!"
Fang Yuan drew in a sharp, hot breath!
The flame's power had increased more than tenfold!
While the primary reason was the surge in Spiritual Power quality, part of it was also that the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth had merged into the Technique — rather than relying solely on his own Spiritual Power!
"As expected — this is the Momentum of Heaven and Earth! The Cloud Qi Art at Completion Stage carries its own Cloud Momentum!"
"Wait, no — I have it backwards. It should be: only by comprehending Cloud Momentum can one bring the technique to Completion Stage!"
"I first reached the Cloud Qi Art at Completion Stage, then used the technique's powerful properties to work backwards and grasp a trace of the Cloud Momentum of Heaven and Earth!"
Fang Yuan suddenly understood.
The Momentum of Heaven and Earth was wondrous. He felt a faint connection forming between himself and Heaven and Earth.
He had become far more sensitive to the Spiritual Energy of the three elements — fire, wood, and metal — and he seemed to have gained some perception of water-attribute Spiritual Energy as well!
"Could it be…"
Fang Yuan was stunned. Although the Cloud Qi Art was an attribute-less technique that shifted according to one's Spiritual Root, clouds themselves are made of water!
Without hesitation, he attempted to absorb it on the spot.
The Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth surged toward him, far faster than before.
And sure enough, mixed within it was water-attribute Spiritual Energy!
Once the water Spiritual Energy entered his body, it began circulating through the Heavenly Cycle, gradually merging into the cloud-like Spiritual Power.
The already ethereal cloud-like Spiritual Power immediately seemed to receive some kind of supplement, becoming even more graceful and potent.
"This actually works! Don't I only have metal, wood, and fire Spiritual Roots?"
He hurried out of the Cave Dwelling and went to the Treasure Hall to borrow a spirit-testing jade from Xiaobao.
He returned to the Cave Dwelling and tested himself.
The Spiritual Root reading was perfectly clear — Mid-Grade Triple Spirit Root, with no Water Spirit Root.
Fang Yuan scratched his head. "Looks like I was overthinking it. But my sensitivity to and absorption efficiency of Spiritual Energy from Heaven and Earth really has improved significantly — is this the effect of the Momentum of Heaven and Earth? I feel like my Mid-Grade Spiritual Root is now performing on par with an upper grade Spiritual Root."
"Come to think of it, where exactly is the Spiritual Root located?"
He searched inward through every part of his body and could not find any trace of the Spiritual Root. He also had no idea whether there was any way to improve its quality.
"Since people have Spiritual Roots, they must be part of the human body. If they could be decomposed…"
Fang Yuan shook his head. He was not an evil person — he could never do such a thing to an innocent.
"Come to think of it, the Luoyun Sect has quite a few enemies, doesn't it? Where do the bodies of those enemies end up?" Fang Yuan fell into deep thought.