Chapter Thirty-Three: Swallowing the Vermilion Fruit

In a secluded corner of the small world, Chen Yi retrieved a jade box containing Vermilion Fruits from his spatial ring. Opening the box, he took out one of the fruits and swallowed it.

The fruit melted instantly in his mouth, sending a warm current flowing from his lips down to his dantian. From there, the energy spread through his meridians, steadily increasing his spiritual power and pushing his cultivation toward a higher realm.

Chen Yi had already been on the verge of breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refining. Now, with the immense power of the Vermilion Fruit, his advancement proceeded as if by natural progression.

Moreover, after breaking through to the eighth level, considerable energy from the fruit remained within his meridians. Chen Yi hoped to use this residual energy to breach the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Regrettably, once all the energy was consumed, his cultivation failed to make the desired leap to the ninth level.

Though disappointed, Chen Yi was not discouraged. He believed that deeper within this small world, there must exist treasures even more precious than the Vermilion Fruit; otherwise, Foundation Establishment cultivators would have no reason to venture here.

The Vermilion Fruit might be invaluable to Qi Refining cultivators for breaking through realms, but for those at the Foundation Establishment stage, it was merely a spiritual fruit for restoring magical power. Hence, treasures surpassing the Vermilion Fruit must surely lie further within.

After his breakthrough, Chen Yi felt refreshed in spirit and body, his entire being brimming with strength. Unable to restrain himself, he drew the Rainbow Sword and, standing on a patch of open ground, began to practice the Illusory Light Sword Technique.

Although he had not used the Illusory Light Sword Technique for some time since acquiring the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique, Chen Yi found no awkwardness as he wielded it now. The technique flowed from him as naturally as water down a stream.

As Chen Yi performed the Illusory Light Sword Technique, his speed was astonishing, sword shadows multiplying in a seamless, continuous flow. The sword’s radiance gleamed with a beauty all its own.

When he finished, he transitioned to the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique. The two styles, though entirely different, alternated in his hands without the slightest flaw, as if they belonged to a single, unified discipline.

Around him, the blue-violet sword energy surged, winds howled, clouds swirled, lightning flashed, and dazzling sword light followed wherever the Rainbow Sword’s edge pointed, striking a massive boulder at his side.

In an instant, the boulder was cleaved into several pieces. Overjoyed, Chen Yi realized he had finally found the point of fusion between the Illusory Light and Wind and Thunder Sword Techniques.

The Illusory Light Sword Technique had always been his favorite. He had once relied on its elusive qualities to defeat many formidable opponents. However, as his cultivation advanced, the technique struggled to keep pace.

Afterward, Chen Yi selected the more powerful Wind and Thunder Sword Technique from the library. Though its destructive power was immense, it lacked the elusive, unpredictable nature of the Illusory Light Sword Technique, which had allowed him to defeat stronger foes across realms.

Thus, he had long intended to merge the two techniques into a new sword art, combining the Illusory Light’s cunning with the Wind and Thunder’s raw force. Yet, he had never been able to find the point at which they could be fused, and so the idea remained unrealized.

Unexpectedly, after his recent breakthrough, in the midst of casual sword practice, he easily discovered the merging point between the two techniques. It seemed that his advancement had broadened his soul, enhanced his comprehension, and enabled him to grasp the fusion of Illusory Light and Wind and Thunder swordplay.

However, creating a new sword art that combined the strengths of both was no simple matter. The Illusory Light Sword Technique itself was Chen Yi’s improvement upon the Splitting Light Sword Technique.

To create a sword technique required consideration of myriad factors: the circulation of spiritual power, the transformation of blood, muscles, and bones, as well as the subtle coordination of strength, speed, angle, and the harmony of hands, feet, body, eyes, ears, and nose.

Thus, most cultivators in this world practiced techniques handed down from the Immortal Realm, with only a rare few created by peerless geniuses of extraordinary talent and cultivation.

Although Chen Yi lacked profound cultivation or unmatched talent, he possessed the Daoist classic, the Dao De Jing, from another world. While not a secret manual, its teachings pointed straight to the Great Dao. He could not fully comprehend its depths, only a fraction of its surface, yet even this superficial understanding gave him insights far beyond his peers, laying the foundation for his creation of new sword techniques.

Moreover, after merging the memories of two worlds, he possessed extraordinary intellect and insight, as well as a wealth of knowledge from both realms. With these abilities, Chen Yi had been able to refine the Splitting Light Sword Technique into the uncanny Illusory Light Sword Technique.

His powerful mind allowed him to generate countless ideas, process problems with speed and depth far exceeding ordinary people.

His exceptional comprehension helped him make subtle analyses of the Illusory Light and Wind and Thunder Sword Techniques, grasping their ingenious subtleties and incorporating these into his own understanding, providing the knowledge base for creating a new sword art.

His extensive knowledge enabled him to resolve many issues encountered during the deduction of the new technique, accelerating the process.

It was precisely these abilities that gave Chen Yi the confidence to create a powerful and enigmatic sword art by his own efforts.

He continued to practice the Illusory Light and Wind and Thunder Sword Techniques, pausing to ponder deeply whenever he encountered a problem, standing as motionless as a statue in contemplation.

Whenever inspiration struck, he would draw the Rainbow Sword and resume his practice. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, a problem that had long troubled Chen Yi suddenly unraveled. In an instant, a cascade of other issues lingering in his mind were resolved one after another, and enlightenment dawned upon him.

“Ha ha ha! I understand now! This is it! All that remains is to practice! At last, I’ve fully deduced the new sword technique!” The confusion vanished from Chen Yi’s face, his eyes clear and bright, and the Rainbow Sword silently appeared in his hand.

With a speed too swift for the naked eye to follow, he slashed the air, sending forth several arcs of Wind and Thunder sword energy. These sword strikes flickered in and out of sight, accompanied by the rumble and flash of storm, ever-changing and immensely powerful.

This was the Wind and Thunder Illusion Sword: a technique Chen Yi had spent three days deducing, employing his formidable intellect, keen insight, and vast knowledge to combine the uncanny nature of the Illusory Light Sword with the destructive power of the Wind and Thunder Sword.

The Wind and Thunder Illusion Sword confounded foes with illusionary swords, then struck with the force of wind and thunder. It possessed both the unpredictable subtlety of the Illusory Light Sword and the devastating might of the Wind and Thunder Sword. With his current strength and this mysterious, destructive new art, Chen Yi was now fully capable of contending with Foundation Establishment cultivators.