488: Chapter 364_2 488: Chapter 364_2 Huang Lei’s sudden madness at first led the assembly to think he had gone crazy.
But observing the way his fingers moved, it seemed as if a sword was darting up and down.
His three companions did not call out to him but simply watched Huang Lei’s silhouette and the movement of his hands in silence.
Huang Lei had learned swordsmanship from other sects, which was different from the sword techniques of his three companions.
At first, they thought the moves that Huang Lei was practicing were from the swordsmanship he had learned previously.
As they watched, they felt that the sword techniques he performed with his fingers were far too sophisticated.
This was not a level of swordsmanship that Foundation Establishment Disciples from ordinary sects could learn; such skillful swordsmanship surely required a cultivation level above the Golden Core Stage to master.
Due to the limitations of their cultivation, they could not learn the most profound spells and cultivation techniques.
Then they followed Huang Lei’s gaze to the wall and became engrossed in cultivation themselves.
They had only looked at one wall and had not realized that the surrounding walls of the cave were inscribed with different sword techniques.
By the time they noticed, several days and nights had passed.
In these days and nights, they neither ate nor drank, completely obsessed with their cultivation.
Luckily, after several days and nights of dedicated effort, they made progress in a level of swordsmanship that was not meant for their Foundation Establishment Stage, learning the techniques after days and nights of hard work.
Mastering a superior form of swordsmanship wasn’t the same as being adept in its use.
The journey from learning to minor accomplishment, and then to major accomplishment, would require untold effort.
No matter how long it would take for them to achieve success, they believed that mastering this swordsmanship would definitely allow them to navigate the Cultivation World.
Just as Huang Lei achieved some success with several moves of the sword technique and began to restore his spiritual energy,
he noticed that his three brothers had also stopped alongside him.
When they looked at each other, they saw excitement in each other’s eyes.
“Ha ha, what an opportunity!” one of them exclaimed.
The others joined in the discussion, talking about the sword techniques they had perceived this time, and as they talked, they took out food from their storage bags, only now feeling hungry after days and nights of intense cultivation.
They hadn’t eaten for several days and couldn’t always subsist on dry rations, could they?
They took out everything needed for cooking, including pots and pans; as young masters who had learned to fend for themselves since joining their respective sects, they worked together to cook rice, prepare meat, brew tea, and drink wine.
“Huang Lei, shall we stay here a while?
Shall Ling Liu take turns keeping watch outside?” one asked as they were eating the cooked rice.
“We’ll take turns, half an hour each day to go outside and scout,” Huang Lei responded.
“But we need to be careful not to get discovered, and we’ll need to disguise ourselves accordingly.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing that while they were out on a mission, they should also seize the opportunity to cultivate.
Huang Lei and his companions cooperated and quickly prepared a meal.
After having not eaten for so long, they knew their own cooking was quite delectable, certainly better than Bigu Pills.
As they were savoring the delicious food, the brothers also felt like celebrating with a drink, unconcerned that they were outside.
“To Huang Lei, let us toast to our victory and to further progress.
And may our swordsmanship roam freely in the Cultivation World!” they cheered.
“Yes, we have gained much on this trip; here’s to our success!”
“Ha ha, those fellows from the other families may not be as formidable as us.
As long as we encounter more fortuitous opportunities, who needs to rely on finding them?”
Holding his wine cup, Huang Lei’s eyes glowed with ambition and aspiration.
His smile revealed much as he listened to his brothers speak.
Though he wanted to say something in return, he thought better of it; some things were better left unsaid.
They had learned swordsmanship, but there was no reason for arrogance: their cultivation was still not as high as others, and that alone was enough to keep their pride in check.
Huang Lei’s silence did not prevent his companions from chattering; now was a time for leisurely talk over food, for speaking more while drinking.
When it came to cultivation, how could they afford distraction?
Listening to his brothers express themselves freely, Huang Lei thought about how they had been disguised and following others for days, and now they were secluded in this cave, unable to meet outsiders!
As he drank a few more cups and squinted to size up the wall opposite him, his mind involuntarily conjured a phantom, a shadow practicing swordsmanship, each move different from what they had learned before!
While the group resumed their chatter, questioning why they all had entered the mist, they wondered if the fog was not natural, but possibly created by someone using a formation, or even a powerful figure using his spells to conceal it.
What kind of powerful being could use spells to hide such a vast area, making them unable to feel any spiritual energy from the fog at all?
They could sense a faint trace of spiritual energy from this mountain, previously assuming it was a mortal area where spiritual energy was scarce.
As they were talking, they realized that Huang Lei’s gaze was not on them but was dreamily staring at the wall, just as when he first discovered the swordsmanship.
Following Huang Lei’s gaze, they were all “whoosh” astonished, for they saw impressive swordsmanship techniques.
Their venture into this cave had turned out to be a treasure trove of a cave; what other surprises were awaiting them?
Huang Lei had already lost interest in those around him, waving his hands just as he had before, learning the swordsmanship from the wall.
Armed with the foundation from the previous technique, he learned much faster this time.
A day and a night passed before they mastered the potent sword techniques from the wall, achieving minor proficiency.
As they attained mastery of this potent swordsmanship, their abilities were roughly equal, and they nearly completed their mission simultaneously.
Enduring another day and night, and having not eaten any Bigu Pills, they cooked food again, determined not to lose themselves in cultivation as before, they resisted the urge to look at the other walls while eating.
After they had their fill again and quenched their thirst, they finally looked towards the other walls and discovered that they, too, contained sword techniques that could be learned.
From the collection of swordsmanship techniques, they learned a few moves from each wall, and though the cave was small, these techniques occupied them for seven or eight days.
Throughout those seven or eight days, they hadn’t looked outside or took turns scouting as they had mentioned before.
Only after they achieved minor proficiency in swordsmanship did they decide to knock and tap on every wall.
They didn’t know if the wall contained any mechanisms, possibly leading to another place.
When they tapped and knocked around randomly, they discovered a small button beneath one of the cave walls.
“Huang Lei, do you think this is the button for a mechanism?”
Huang Lei and his companions nodded suspiciously, wary that it could be a trap.
They didn’t immediately press the button upon finding it but chose to stay in the cave for several more days instead.
…
Jiang Tang used the light to bring the people he was waiting for to the entrance of the cave.
It was daytime in the thick fog, and although they couldn’t see very far, they could make out many fruit trees on the mountain.
There was a cave in front of them, as well as a waterfall.
Despite such beautiful scenery, why was there no spiritual energy?
Jiang Tang had summoned them here to make this place a base.
There was no shortage of fruit, but with no spiritual energy, how could they proceed with their plans?
As everyone pondered this, of course, some asked the question aloud.
Those beside Jiang Tang laughed upon hearing the question, having just been under the care of the multicolored radiance.
If these people had arrived a bit earlier, they would’ve been fortunate to discover that it wasn’t about the place being uninhabited, but that it possessed Immortal Qi.
Jiang Tang had lifted the seal, but he had not unblocked the many Spiritual Qi Acupoints sealed within the monkey’s body.
Once unsealed, if he hadn’t established a base here yet, there was a risk that some might come to seize it!
Jiang Tang didn’t consider himself the most formidable in the Cultivation World.
There were many capable individuals out there; always a higher mountain.
Many gifted people often remained unseen, their knowledge surpassing what he knew.
If others had sealed it using formations or other methods, he couldn’t resolve it promptly, and rash actions were out of the question.
“Don’t worry.
There will be resources here for you all.
This mountain has the richest resources, and I want to make it the focus of our base.
Later on, I will distribute some resources to you,” he assured them.
“Even though you can’t feel the spiritual energy here, as long as you develop this mountain and the surrounding several hundred miles properly, I will find a way to release the spiritual energy.”