NOVPUB"Have you ever seen Lyu Fengxian?" Zuo Ci began to inquire, and Chen Xi nodded.
"Have you ever seen Dian Wei?" Zuo Ci asked again, and Chen Xi continued nodding.
"You’ve definitely seen Guan Yunchang, and Xiang Yu is roughly the combination of Lyu Bu’s inner Qi, Dian Wei’s body, and Guan Yunchang’s aura, with the three elevated and merged," said Zuo Ci with a bitter smile. That’s not human.
"How is that possible?" Chen Xi’s eyes nearly popped out. Is that still a person, with Lyu Bu’s inner Qi, Dian Wei’s body, and Guan Yu’s aura combined and then enhanced? Is that still human?
"The phrase ’strength to uproot mountains and spirit to overshadow the world’ isn’t just said in vain. He actually pulled up a mountain and threw it, crushing everything under it, be it cloud Qi or a legion attack," Zuo Ci said with a forced smile.
"If it hadn’t been for King Xiang getting cornered by Marquis Liu, Marquis of Huaiyin, and Marquis Wen Zhong, leading to a shattered faith and his suicide at Wu River, nobody could have possibly killed him. He was the superhuman who swallowed the first Divine Stone Core. Even if the power of the first Divine Stone was far less than the second, it was still much stronger than the fragment of the second," Zuo Ci said longingly.
"So, he’s a monster." Chen Xi said with a wry smile, not knowing what else to say, but then as if realizing something, "If I remember correctly, the process of refining inner Qi into one’s body is irreversible, which means once it is refined, it can’t be drawn out again, purely strengthening one’s body. How could King Xiang still have inner Qi?"
"Theoretically, you’re correct," Zuo Ci explained with a look that said, ’You’re underestimating Xiang Yu.’ "But since Xiang Yu swallowed the core of the first Divine Stone, it led to his constant production of inner Qi. As long as the speed at which he generates inner Qi is faster than the speed at which he refines it into his body, he still possesses inner Qi."
"Okay, I see. So did he reach an even higher level then?" Chen Xi’s interest surged. The combination of Lyu Bu, Dian Wei, and Guan Yu would definitely multiply the combat power several times over; it must exceed the limits of Inner Qi Manifestation.
"No, after all, there was no path ahead at that time. The entire Martial Arts system was pioneered by King Xiang. He himself established three major stages. As for what lies even higher, King Xiang himself didn’t know," Zuo Ci shook his head and said, "However, based on King Xiang’s combat ability, I could match an average person with Inner Qi Separation, but if I went up against King Xiang, probably not even fifteen of me would be his match."
"Hahaha." Chen Xi laughed without much else to say. He knew King Xiang was strong, but this level of strength was indeed a bit much.
"Divine Stones are rare things, but harmless to people. Anyone, human or beast, who gets a fragment of a Divine Stone would see their strength leap dramatically. However, as of now, even if the fragments of Divine Stones haven’t been dissipated, they’ve all been eaten by animals," Zuo Ci concluded at last.
"Oh, I see. So that means the Divine Stone Fragment that little white dog ate might already be one of the very few left?" Chen Xi said resignedly. He had wanted to collect a few pieces himself to swallow; maybe then he could also enter the battlefield and have a swing at people. After all, one fragment was equivalent to a person with Inner Qi Separation.
"It’s not that there are only a few fragments left. Actually, there are quite a lot of these Divine Stone fragments. The second Divine Stone was very large, and its core was not as small as the first one, being only the size of a knuckle. There was a core the size of a human head, but it was shattered by Heavenly Thunder," Zuo Ci said helplessly, thinking he should have gone with Nanhua to see the Divine Stone when he had the chance.
"A piece of the core would be enough to create an expert with Out-of-Body Inner Qi, but most of the core was turned to dust by Heavenly Thunder and then transformed into Life Essence, sweeping across the entire world," Zuo Ci recalled what Nanhua had once said. That Life Essence nearly wiped out Nanhua...
"Were the fragments also carried away by that Life Vitality that swept across the world?" Chen Xi asked curiously.
"Yes, but by now most of it should have been absorbed. Those who now have the strength of Out-of-Body Inner Qi, besides their talent, must also have had some fortune; otherwise, they couldn’t possibly possess such terrifying power," Zuo Ci sighed, almost saying outright that every one of those with Out-of-Body Inner Qi must have been struck by a falling Divine Stone Fragment.
"So that means there’s no way to look for it anymore?" Chen Xi sighed. He had wanted to organize a search team to properly scour his lands in hopes of finding one or even half of a fragment.
"If I could find it, I would have searched myself," Zuo Ci glanced at Chen Xi, "Marquis Chen, don’t be too insistent."
"Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb Left Immortal Master in his search for immortality any longer." Chen Xi said helplessly, realizing that some things indeed cannot be forced.
Zuo Ci didn’t mind Chen Xi’s tone; he was very clear about his own role, which was to ensure Chen Xi’s safety. Apart from that, he merely observed the mortal world with the detached attitude of an immortal.
Once Zuo Ci left, Chen Xi started to feel restless again. He left the study, found nobody in the courtyard, and as he continued on, he could hear the playful noises of Mi Zhen and her companions.
"Roll over..." Before Chen Xi even arrived, he heard their voices, and it seemed like they were in training.
"Lift the left paw." "Lift the right paw." "Roll over." "Jump!" "Bow!" The disordered commands reached Chen Xi’s ears.
[Is this training?] Chen Xi felt a great pressure and suddenly sympathized with the dog; being trained by such a group of people, it would’ve escaped by running into a wall if it still had any Inner Qi.
"Woof, woof, woof..." As soon as Chen Xi stepped out of the courtyard and into the main hall, the little white dog that had been rolling on the ground leapt up and barked loudly at Chen Xi. However, as Chen Xi approached, the dog’s barks grew softer until it finally crouched down with a "whimper," while occasionally backing away towards Mi Zhen.
"Hengheng, come here, he won’t hit you." Mi Zhen beckoned, and the little white dog decisively retreated, then leaped directly into Mi Zhen’s arms.
"This guy must be a cat," Chen Xi quipped, having never seen such an agile dog. Sealing its Inner Qi was definitely the right move, as its actions were defying all logic, "Aren’t you all training? Have you mastered it?"
"Hmph, show him," Mi Zhen said with a trace of pride, squatting down to put the dog on the ground.
"Even if you just drop it, it won’t be hurt. Despite its Inner Qi being sealed, it still possesses a body refined by Qi Refining to Gang, tougher than any rock." Chen Xi glanced at the little white dog now circling around Fan Jian’s feet, feeling satisfied that it had learned to please people so quickly.
Mi Zhen glared back, as she would never do such a thing, but explaining this to Chen Xi was completely pointless.
"Hengheng, roll over!" On cue, the little white dog rolled on the ground once, and Chen Xi was slightly surprised.
"Hengheng, jump." The dog, while still rolling, leapt into the air.
"Hengheng, lift the left paw, lift the right paw, stand up, bow." Mi Zhen commanded proudly, and the dog performed a full set of actions, leaving Chen Xi stunned.
"Alright, you guys can keep this dog, but don’t let it bite anyone. Being able to bark is enough," Chen Xi said indifferently, as if it didn’t matter to him at all. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
