Gula De Qianghua Jishu

chapter 27: Towards the 1,000,000 Li Mountains

The second morning, Qing Shui opened his eyes, a cheerful smile hanging on his lips.

Finally, Qing Shui managed to reach 48 cycles of circulation qi per activation of his Ancient Strengthening Technique, as if all of his pores were shivering with excitement.

Since 5 years ago, Qing Shui had been stuck in a bottleneck at the peak of the 3rd heavenly layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. For the past five years, he had not slackened at all. He still continued to practice his cultivation every day, and now he finally had something to show for all his efforts. Since five years ago, when he was at the peak of the 3rd heavenly layer, with each activation of the Ancient Strengthening Technique, Qing Shui would be able to circulate his Qi up to 36 times. He was currently, despite still being stuck at the peak of the 3rd layer, actually being able to grind his Qi over 48 times per activation!

Through trial and error, Qing Shui found that with each additional cycle of the Qi Circulation, the more his strength would increase. This was probably the only consolation for him since he was still unable to break through to the 4th heavenly layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. Who knows, just by increasing his body strength, maybe one day he could break through the bottleneck. low that possibility.

During these past five years, although Qing Shui had only managed to increase the number of circulation from 36 cycles to 48 cycles, he had to strive 100 times that of the others. With just this increase of 12 cycles of circulation, his strength instantly increased from being able to lift 10,000 jin to 13,000 jin, an increase in strength of around 30%! If he could cultivate to the point where he could circulate 108 cycles or more per activation, Qing Shui didn't even dare to imagine how tyrannical his strength would be… This way of circulating Qi came from the Ancient Strengthening Technique, it seemed to Qing Shui that there was no peak, or rather, there was no limit to the maximum number of cycles one could perform.

Unfortunately, he was unable to break through to the 4th heavenly layer of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. If he could do so, he would not have to painstakingly slowly increase the amount of cycle circulation. He would instantly receive an enormous increase in strength! After all, the 4th heavenly layer could be considered as the intermediate level of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. It was a completely different world when compared to before.

Jumping from her bed, Qing Shui proceeded to open her door, walking towards her backyard just as the sun rose. Ever since he could cultivate the Ancient Strengthening Technique, he had been the most diligent and dedicated cultivator in the entire Qing Clan.

Perhaps it was because of the Yin-Yang symbol within his sea of consciousness that was constantly nurturing his spirit and soul, but Qing Shui had incredible fortitude and mental strength when compared to the others. He currently only needs 2 hours of sleep per day. The rest of the time when Qing Shui woke up, almost everything was spent on cultivation!

Despite this, he was unable to release the trash label, why couldn't he break through? Although his actual strength right now could be considered to be at the peak of the Martial Soldier realm, this bit of strength was not even comparable to his farts in his eyes. Only with enough strength could he do what he wanted, and protect the things he wanted to protect.

Reincarnation – checked.

Talent – checked

Intelligence – checked

Coincidence Meeting – checked

But why was he still unable to break through!? What has he done to get this? Qing Shui smiled bitterly as he arrived at the spacious courtyard. His mind then floated to the various encounters he had experienced after he started cultivating the Ancient Strengthening Technique.

Solitary Quick Fist!

Qing Shui knew that the Solitary Rapid Fist technique was probably one of the more profound attacking techniques. His skill in executing the Solitary Rapid Fist had reached an extremely high level, almost reaching the point of perfection. It was all thanks to the battle of enlightenment he had before, if not for that, even if he had spent 10 years training this fist technique, he would still be far away from the world he was in right now! Qing Shui was very confident in the Solitary Rapid Fist, and his confidence was quite grounded. Otherwise, there would definitely be no way for Qing Yi to suffer losses in the debate with just the exchange of one move. Not to mention, he refrained from using his internal Qi.

Solitary Rapid Boxing is very deep. The underlying concept and essence behind the Solitary Rapid Fist was deepening the art of hidden weapon techniques. Both techniques share the same basic. To measure the level of depth was impossible to do accurately, as hidden weapon techniques usually allowed weaker practitioners to achieve victory over stronger ones.

After her reflection, Qing Shui knew that it was time to leave. He returned to his room and packed the [Continental Medical Annal], [10,000 Herbology Encyclopedia], [Herbal Combination Formula] and lastly, the [Basic Sword Techniques]. After that, he decided to write a letter and leave it on the table. The content of the letter was that she convinced Qing Yi, and that she would return before the end of the year. Asking him to say goodbye to the other elders on his behalf.

In the vicinity of the Qing Clan, other than the rivers to the east and south, the only other important land feature was a vast tract of fertile land suitable for agriculture. If one followed the eastern river, one would be able to reach the Hundred Miles City. Of course, that road will not be able to take you directly to the Hundred Miles City, as there are many villages and small towns located on the road to the Hundred Miles City.

The Qing Clan had absolute authority over a 100 Li radius, many small clans nearby made a living by farming or hunting under the protection of the Qing Clan.

Qing Shui left Qing Village and headed westward. The western part of Qing Village consisted of the mountains and Greenwood Forest. Further in front of him was the Greenwood forest where he met the Golden Direwolf. Qing Shui decided to continue climbing the western mountain range and traversed outside of them to reach the 1,000,000 Li Mountains. He chose this route to temper himself, and thus gain benefits for his cultivation.

The complaint lasted for about the time it took to burn the incense [1]. Qing Shui finally reached the bottom of the western mountain range! With the cursed backpack on his back, Qing Shui chose a path up the mountain after searching on the nearby land to search for 2 stone the size of a goose egg and equip it in his hand.

The nearby mountain area was filled with danger. A savage beast posed no threat to him, but if he were to encounter a ferocious or desolate wild beast, it would be a completely different matter. After all, he was in the wild, it would be safer if he was armed.

In this world of 9 provinces, animals can be categorized into 4 different levels. Wild Beasts, Vast Beasts, Silent Beasts, Demon Beasts. The one with the weakest attack power would be classified as a ferocious beast. A demonic beast was a beast that had formed a demon core within it. Their strength could be directly inferred from their age, the longer they lived, the more frightening their level of strength would be! It was said that even a Xiantian cultivator would not be able to win over a demonic beast of the same level! It seemed that the golden direwolf that Qing Shui had encountered earlier was only of the ferocious grade.

Qing Shui knew that cultivators who only chose to live a safe and stable life when compared to people treading a dangerous path, would be similar to eggs compared to rocks. Those who did not enter the battle would not be able to go far in the long run! That was precisely why Qing Shui decided to go to the 1,000,000 Li Mountains! He wanted to gain combat experience, and at the same time temper his state of mind and find an opportunity to break through!

It was only while in the wilderness that one even began to strive to gain an understanding of Heaven and Earth. To understand the meaning of life, by contemplating the spiritual meaning of the five elements in nature!

Every day, in addition to spending his time in cultivating the Ancient Strengthening Technique, Qing Shui would briefly study the contents of the 4 books he brought. Currently, the only book he fully mastered to understand its contents was the [Continental Medical Annal]. Qing Shui couldn't help but exclaim in wonder, the knowledge of the ancients was at least equivalent or could even be considered superior when compared to modern medicine in the previous world!

People say that an excellent martial arts practitioner would also be half a medical scholar as well. An excellent martial artist will have knowledge of medical arts related to injuries and wounds, and the meridians and acupoints of the human body. Qing Shui continued reading, and was not surprised to find that the facts recorded in the book were actually consistent with the information he opened with the Ancient Strengthening Technique.

—————

Only when Qing Shui arrived at the foot of the 1,000,000 Li Mountain Range did he really know the true meaning of the word “bare”. In his view, as far as the eye could see, the surrounding region was filled with majestic peaks and mountains, seemingly endless.

“Xuuuu” At this moment, a light breeze of the mountain started rising and blowing past Qing Shui. As it is summer now, mild mountain breezes are a welcome change to reduce the heat of the summer sun. Qing Shui started crossing the mountain path by executing the Ghost Steps! He wanted to cultivate it to the point where he could subconsciously execute each step with the minimum amount of force required.

A week had passed, in this period of time, Qing Shui had no idea exactly how far he had traveled. He only knew that he had climbed five mountains and killed over 300 wild and ferocious-class beasts. Out of these 300 beasts, there was a special battle with the Earth Giant Elephant that made him extremely excited.

Initially, Qing Shui was nervous about facing such an opponent. The Earth Giant Elephant has a body size of 5m tall and 15m long! How could he fight for the same reason? Clashing directly with it was pure madness! In terms of strength and body size, it was impossible for Qing Shui to be comparable to him, so Qing Shui had no choice but to temporarily retreat.

Even though the elephant was extremely large, and with the sturdy skin of the steel plates, there was no hindrance to its movement! With a speed never expected from that huge body, his muscles flowed together in perfect harmony as the elephant drove towards Qing Shui, the, it caused a tremor that shook the ground with every step it took.

Measuring his opponent and his own strength, Qing Shui knew that he currently did not have the strength to injure this ferocious beast. If he wanted to win, he had to use his wits! Advancing in the guise of retreating, using the Ghost Steps, Qing Shui led the Earth Giant Elephant through a series of wild dances before strategically luring him to a point near the cliff. Using his speed and agility, Qing Shui executed the Ghost Steps to avoid the deadly punch being unleashed. A moment later, he appeared behind the elephant and with his full explosive force, he threw his fist at one of its large hind legs, successfully pushing the elephant off a cliff.

“Kacha~” The sound of broken bones resounded as the elephant beast fell with a tragic cry filled with anger and misery!

After glancing at the gigantic corpse at the foot of the mountain, Qing Shui looked at his own hands foolishly, even though he had the strength of 13,000 jin, still needing all his strength to deliver a deadly blow. A smile appeared on his face as signs of savage victory filled his heart. So this is how it feels to be a wild lord. Using his own strength and intelligence, he had caused the Earth Giant Elephant to be destroyed beyond recognition!

This battle had made Qing Shui appreciate the Ancient Strengthening Technique even more. If he cultivated using normal methods, the strength obtained from them would pale in comparison to the Ancient Strengthening Technique, and his defeat is unquestionable. The Ancient Strengthening Technique was undoubtedly the strongest strengthening technique, and when cultivated to its peak, the refinement of its body would be comparable to even Gods and Demons!

Although he was satisfied with the victory, there was a more pressing matter before him. Qing Shui had run out of drinking water! He also did not find any water source or animal in the past 3 days.

“Sial, I'm in trouble. Without a source of water, there would naturally be no ferocious beasts nearby, no wonder I have not had another encounter during the past 3 days. ” Wetting his dry lips with his saliva, Qing Shui frowned. Suddenly, a huge shadow blocked the sunlight. “Hah?” Qing Shui tilted his head in surprise, and soon after, his expression drastically changed to the worst.

[1] about 15 minutes