Chapter 58

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Chapter 58: Stars of the Heavens

The courtyard on the outskirts of the city was similar in size to those within the city, and it was even quieter. The only drawbacks were the lack of nearby shops and the relatively weak spiritual energy.

It was precisely because of the thin spiritual energy that she had exchanged for one hundred upper-grade spirit stones, which she had set aside for her own cultivation.

Within a month, in the Eastern Region, one had to be under twenty years old, above the Xuan Wei realm but below the Dust Dispersal stage—that was the requirement to be listed on the Young Tiger List, one of the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings.

As for the Young Dragon List, it also required participants to be under twenty years old, but with a cultivation level above the Dust Dispersal stage. That was a height she could only dream of reaching, perhaps a height that Qin Chu Yi had achieved. But she wasn’t an Eastern Region prodigy—would she even make it?

It seemed her age no longer met the requirements either.

After letting her thoughts wander for a moment, Ming He refocused on herself. She was currently at the second level of the Xuan Wei realm, and the gap between her and the last-ranked participant on the Young Tiger List was significant. The hundredth place on the list was held by a disciple from the Gongsun Family, under twenty years old and at the fourth level of the Xuan Wei realm.

Her goal was to reach the top of the list, which, for her current self, was indeed a distant dream.

First, she needed to cultivate.

After tidying up the courtyard, she took out the one hundred upper-grade spirit stones and placed them beside her. Clutching one in her hand, she began absorbing its rich and pure spiritual energy.

The last time, before the Floating Cloud Ladder, she had made a decisive breakthrough to the second level of the Xuan Wei realm. That was the result of her accumulated efforts. From obtaining the Star Lock in the ancient cave dwelling, to battling foreign races in the Liu Yun Mountains, to fleeing for her life outside Ding Kang City, and attending the Baiyu Building auction, meeting Bai Mengjiao, traversing Woodman Lane, and climbing the Floating Cloud Ladder—her gains were too vast to put into words, and she would not stop at the second level of the Xuan Wei realm.

She still had much room for improvement.

As she circulated the spiritual energy within her body, Ming He began to plan her next steps in cultivation. The spiritual energy contained in upper-grade spirit stones was incomparable to that of middle-grade spirit stones, which explained the one-to-one-hundred exchange rate.

Five days later, Ming He opened her eyes, feeling the abundant spiritual energy within her. She was satisfied. She had reached the peak of the second level of the Xuan Wei realm, just a step away from the third level, and she still had one top-grade spirit stone left.

She brushed off the dust from the shattered upper-grade spirit stones and took the only top-grade spirit stone, crushing it to absorb its concentrated spiritual energy. Guiding that energy into her body, she merged it with her own power, breaking through the barrier to the third level of the Xuan Wei realm.

The third level of the Xuan Wei realm! She had broken through again!

Ming He estimated the time and felt there was still room for further advancement, but she was running low on spirit stones. The energy from middle-grade spirit stones was no longer sufficient to support her continued cultivation. She regretted not exchanging all her stones for upper-grade spirit stones.

Half in frustration and half in resignation, she stood up and left the courtyard. She took out her black long sword, a postnatal-grade weapon, and practiced the Liu Yun Sword Art, Flickering Light, Nebula Sword Art, and the Unsheathing Style. Then, she pulled out a bone book from her pocket.

It was the bone book given to her by Nineteen, containing the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique.

Since acquiring it from the ancient cave dwelling, she had been trying to turn to the second page but had not succeeded. So, she returned to practicing the first move, Yang Light, which was similar to Flickering Light but far more powerful in the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique.

There was also the incantation she had obtained from Bai Mengjiao—Star Power, Star Lock, Big Dipper—they were undoubtedly connected.

Ming He placed the Moonlight Stone, which she had bought at the auction, next to the summoned Star Lock. She skillfully wielded her sword, executing the Nebula Sword Art, using Liu Yun, Lonely Star, and Nebula.

At the moment she retracted the third move of the Nebula Sword Art, her gaze sharpened as she formed a sword flower, seamlessly connecting the two unrelated sword techniques with the first move of the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique. The entire courtyard was filled with sharp, menacing sword energy.

Shishu had told her that her current sword intent was at the first stage. She had also learned from her Master that swordsmanship consisted of five realms: Sword Energy, Sword Intent, Sword Will, Sword Domain, and Sword Spirit. Among them, Sword Intent was the third realm, a crucial transitional stage that connected the previous realms while paving the way for sword cultivators to forge their unique path in swordsmanship.

After reaching the ninth stage of sword intent, one would refine their Sword Domain. A sword cultivator within that domain would be invincible under heaven and earth, capable of defeating myriad laws with a single sword strike, shaking mountains and rivers.

Her sword intent had originated from the second move of the Nebula Sword Art, Lonely Star, meaning her first-stage sword intent was the Nebula Sword Intent, with eight stages remaining.

She aimed to cultivate her second-stage sword intent. The Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique had seven moves; could each one represent a stage?

Ming He adjusted her grip on the sword, preparing to strike anew. The sword danced from its sheath, the glow of a million stars embodying Flickering Light. What about Yang Light?

Yang Light was a star within the Big Dipper, also known as Breaking Army, symbolizing the brilliance of Flickering Light.

Brilliance.

As Ming He recited these two words, she recalled the moment in the ancient cave dwelling when the stars surrounded her, illuminating brightly, as if she had gained insight. She struck out with the sword, channeling her sword intent along with the sword intent of heaven and earth. The sword energy surged from the tip, cutting through the gently swaying branches and leaves of the towering trees on either side.

Green leaves fluttered in the air. Through that touch of green, Ming He faintly planted the initial seed of her sword path in her heart, blurry and vague, yet not fleeting or uncertain.

Second Stage Sword Intent!

Ming He exhaled deeply and flipped to the second page of the bone book. At the top, she saw the name of the sword technique, boldly inscribed in dark ink: the second move of the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique, Kai Yang.

“Crack!” The sound of stone breaking interrupted her thoughts. She glanced over and noticed the Moonlight Stone disintegrating into dust.

The Moonlight Stone, valued at a thousand middle-grade spirit stones, had been entirely "consumed" by the Star Lock while she was engrossed in her cultivation.

Ming He brushed the dust off the Star Lock, her heart aching as she observed that its form and size remained unchanged. That was a thousand middle-grade spirit stones! Although it wasn’t a significant amount for her now.

Even if she had thrown it into water, it would have at least made a splash; instead, the Star Lock showed no reaction at all.

She glared at the Star Lock, her eyes filled with resentment, when suddenly it trembled and flew up to nestle near her heart. Instantly, a burst of starlight enveloped her.

As the starlight faded, Ming He felt the techniques in her mind and the thrill of breaking through another minor realm. Did she need to actively seek the Star Lock for it to respond?

While stabilizing her cultivation at the Fourth Level of Xuan Wei Realm, she received the technique transmitted by the Star Lock. Its name was simple yet apt: the Star Technique, comprising nine levels. Cultivating it would transform her spiritual energy into Star Power.

As for the utility of Star Power, Bai Mengjiao served as a prime example.

Ming He reviewed the techniques she could still utilize: Breath Control Technique, Unsheathing Style, Liu Yun Sword Art, Nebula Sword Art, Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Technique, and Phantom Steps. Afterward, she sheathed her long sword; now, it was time to focus on mastering the new technique.

Her previous technique, the Liu Yun Technique from the Liu Yun Sect, was respectable but paled in comparison to the Star Technique bestowed by the Star Lock. Now at the Fourth Level of Xuan Wei Realm, even without a breakthrough in cultivation, her power would significantly increase upon switching techniques.

The Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings.

As she contemplated the gathering of prodigies from all corners in a month’s time, her heart swelled with fighting spirit. Her Master and Shishu deemed her a genius, but she knew better—she wasn’t a true genius.

She still fell short of Qin Chu Yi and the exceptional talents on the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings. Beyond Liu Yun in the Eastern Region, the world was vast and teeming with prodigies. In the grand scheme of the Tianwu Continent, her current strength was insignificant.

She aspired to grow stronger, to become the strongest, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the heavens above. Such was her lofty ambition.

In the realm of cultivation, in this vast world so different from her past life, she too would transform, becoming a better version of herself.

Ming He clenched her fist, brimming with lofty aspirations, and began cultivating the Star Technique imparted by the Star Lock. Above her small courtyard, the sun and moon alternated, bathing her in radiant sunlight and serene moonlight.

Star Technique. Ming He blinked, and though the Star Lock hadn’t revealed the technique’s origin, the sparse lines hinted at a connection with the stars.

The Star Technique must have been devised by a formidable cultivator who, observing the shifting and shining stars, gained profound insights, deeply intertwined with the heavens.

The stars of the heavens.

Ming He gazed up at the night sky, where a crescent moon hung high, casting a cool, solitary light. Nearby stars twinkled, echoing each other from afar, creating a mesmerizing and captivating starry expanse.

At this moment, her heart was calm and clear, closer to the heavens than ever before. For the first time, she beheld the beauty of this world, an overwhelming sense of peace and harmony.

As she looked up at the starry sky, Ming He suddenly wondered. What if the creator of the Star Technique, in their heart, sought not power or anything else, but protection?

To safeguard the beauty of the starry sky from harm, to preserve the eternal moments beneath the stars, to protect goodness, to protect… light?

“Boom!”

Ming He’s heart jolted as streams of moonlight and starlight surged toward her, enveloping her. It wasn’t the starlight of the Star Lock; it was the starlight from heaven and earth.

Unlike the radiant brilliance and dazzling pride in the ancient cave dwelling, this time she sat within the moonlight and starlight, feeling the gifts of heaven and earth to all living beings.

It was a quiet, gentle love, as if heaven and earth… were cleansing her?

Ming He stared blankly as the moonlight and starlight faded. She looked down, noticing the faint sheen on her skin and clearer textures. Peering into her meridians, she saw countless starlights. The Star Technique had been mastered to the beginner level; the first stage was complete.

And her cultivation… Fifth Level of Xuan Wei Realm!

Ming He doubted her senses. Yet, when she closed her eyes and opened them again to find the same result, she wondered, was this reasonable?

She felt a bit dazed and confirmed her thoughts once more. Then she remembered that just before she stood at the Floating Cloud Ladder in the Floating Cloud Sect, she was only at the Second Level of Xuan Wei Realm. In less than a month, she had broken through three levels. If this got out, her life would be in danger.

Even she found it hard to believe. She could only attribute her success to the Star Lock, which, according to Nineteen, was an ancient spiritual artifact and too significant to reveal.

So, she needed to hide her cultivation. How could she do that?

Ming He naturally thought of the Breath Control Technique. She had obtained this technique from the Bloodhand Butcher, who used it to conceal his aura and go unnoticed, but its true purpose was more than just that.

Closing the Acupoints and controlling her breath, Ming He activated the Breath Control Technique, carefully maneuvering her inner spiritual energy to find the right path. One by one, she tried to conceal her cultivation without changing her aura.

Fifth Level of Xuan Wei Realm.

Fourth Level of Xuan Wei Realm.

Third Level of Xuan Wei Realm.

She stabilized her cultivation at the Third Level of Xuan Wei Realm, then opened her eyes to look at the small sundial she used to measure time. Half a month had just passed, with another half month until the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings competition began.

Half a month.

Ming He pondered briefly, recalling an incantation she had learned from Bai Mengjiao: the God-Breaking Spike, a technique that could influence and control a cultivator’s mind, also a Soul Technique.

With Three Thousand Paths to choose from, she practiced Swordsmanship, while Nineteen focused on formation mastery. Beyond those, there were paths of knife, spear, pill, artifact… and soul mastery was among them. The God-Breaking Spike was a soul mastery technique.

As the name suggests, soul mastery targets the soul and is unrelated to cultivation. Even a commoner without any talent for cultivation could practice it, focusing solely on the soul.

However, if it were that simple, the proportion of commoners on this continent wouldn’t be so much higher than that of cultivators. Entering the path of soul mastery is even harder than the path of spiritual energy; it’s extremely rare.

Moreover, it flourished in ancient times but now is in decline.

Bai Mengjiao had given her only this one technique and didn’t elaborate, so Ming He didn’t know how Bai Mengjiao had acquired it. But the origin didn’t matter; it was enough that it could help her.

Ming He thought about the fierce competition where both sides were evenly matched. If she suddenly unleashed the God-Breaking Spike, even if it couldn’t defeat an enemy, it could momentarily distract them. And on the battlefield, a split second could mean life and death.

This technique was perfect as a trump card and a sneaky maneuver.

Ming He envisioned her imaginary opponent’s astonished expression and smiled brightly; she loved underhanded tricks.

The God-Breaking Spike means to sever the target’s spiritual consciousness, solidifying the unusable soul power of a cultivator into a spike and stabbing into their soul to influence or control their mind.

Naturally, in the beginning, it could only affect; only after mastering it could real control be attained, just like when Bai Mengjiao commanded her at the auction to use spirit stones to buy her.

But should it also relate to her being of the mermaid clan?

Ming He speculated about the peak power of the God-Breaking Spike. According to the Soul Technique’s description, it wouldn’t allow control over a cultivator’s mind for long.

Moreover, Soul Techniques are unrelated to cultivation, but the target for casting Soul Techniques is indeed linked to cultivation.

If her opponent was in the Wind Master realm or the Heavenly Origin realm, even if she mastered the God-Breaking Spike to perfection, its effectiveness might remain limited.

Cultivation stands as a formidable barrier; a vast gap becomes an insurmountable chasm between cultivators. The powerful ally remains strong against the heavens.

After thinking everything through, Ming He began trying to condense her soul power into a spike as described in the Soul Technique. Unfortunately, her talent for soul mastery seemed mediocre, and her first attempt ended in failure, as expected.

Soul power is different from spiritual energy; it was beyond her control. Also…

Ming He let out a wry smile as she stopped, stuffing a pill into her mouth. It hurt too much; she felt like her soul was being pricked by needles, leaving her unable to focus.

…

With seven days left until the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings battle, Ming He gathered her spiritual energy and opened her eyes, which revealed both sharpness and fatigue.

She stood up, stretched her body, and walked into the house to get a solid sleep. Then, gripping her black long sword, she stepped out of the courtyard and hung the stone key on the door, heading straight towards Dongfeng City.

The timing should be just right.

Ming He thought to herself, glancing casually over her shoulder at the shadow in the alley behind her. She tightened her grip on the sword and continued on her intended path.