Chapter 179: Chapter 111: Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber Perfection, Cao Feng’s Shock; The Same Three Words, ’Seven Stars Castle’, Chu Fan’s Terror

BOOM!

It was like a clap of spring thunder erupting in the courtyard.

A dazzling electric light suddenly erupted from the Long Saber, almost blinding to behold.

The Ninefold Blade Force stacked perfectly. A terrifying aura spread out with Chu Fan at its center, and the resulting shockwave pushed away the dust on the ground, forming a distinct circle.

The saber in his hand no longer seemed like ordinary iron, but a bolt of restrained lightning about to tear through the sky!

[Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber Experience Points +8]

[Skill: Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber (Perfection) Progress: (4/2500) (Trait: None)]

Finally...

Perfection!

A wave of enlightenment washed over him.

All the subtleties of this Sword Technique, the perfect control of the ninth layer of Blade Force, became completely clear in his mind.

Every strike he had ever made while practicing reappeared in his mind, its minor flaws and imperfections rapidly corrected...

Chu Fan slowly relaxed his stance. The lightning on the saber’s blade gradually faded, and the suffocating pressure in the courtyard dissipated along with it.

He gently caressed the cool blade, feeling the power still surging within him, and a smile touched his lips.

Immediately after...

He spun around abruptly. The Ninefold Blade Force fused in an instant as he slashed out into the empty air!

CRACKLE!

A flash of electricity sparked on the Long Saber!

The saber’s light, condensed from his Qi Blood, was so pure it was like an extension of the blade itself, impossible for the naked eye to distinguish from the real thing.

Unfortunately, the projected length of the Qi Blood saber aura was limited, reaching just over two meters at most. It was a far cry from Duan Tianhong’s Primordial Qi—which could leave the body, break through the void, and transform endlessly...

Chu Fan sheathed his saber.

After fusing the Ninefold Blade Force, the subsequent cultivation of the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber would actually be much easier.

Even though it required 2,500 Experience Points, he only needed to polish his Sword Techniques to soon achieve his first Breaking Limit.

’Now that both the Nine Blood Soul Blades and the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber have reached Perfection, what kind of powerful Traits will they gain when both Sword Techniques go through Breaking Limit?’

’Even the Firewood Splitting Saber Technique gained Traits like "Sword Heavy as a Mountain" and "Sword Swift as Lightning" after Breaking Limit...’

Chu Fan took a deep breath, walked into the house, and placed the saber on the table.

Then, he sat down at the table and took out the thin booklet from Master Cao.

Though the booklet was thin, it recorded the cultivation essentials of the Entering the Realm of Strength, and was far more detailed and profound than what was mentioned in the Twelve Forms Fist.

Everything from the experiences of senior experts to the details of medicinal baths and cultivation techniques was explained with perfect clarity.

Given his current unforgettable memory, the booklet’s contents were already imprinted on his mind.

Rereading it now was just a way to make every word and every Qi Flow Diagram even clearer in his mind, allowing him to carefully contemplate their deeper meanings.

"Incorporate and master, control down to the microscopic level..."

His fingertips traced the words on the page as understanding dawned on him.

The goal was to completely fuse the Qi Blood Power consolidated in the first four realms. The seventy-two strands of Qi Blood would no longer be scattered; they would converge into a "Qi Blood River" circulating within the body. A Martial Artist could then fully control the flow, intensity, and output of their Qi Blood, achieving a state where "Qi Blood moves with a thought." This would allow them to completely break free from the shackles of Qi Blood and lay the foundation for absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism to cultivate Primordial Qi.

The Entering the Realm of Strength was no longer about simply accumulating and circulating Qi Blood.

Instead, after condensing another thirty-six strands of Qi Blood, one had to completely fuse all seventy-two perfected strands in the body. This Refinement would create something more advanced, more obedient, and more powerful—Force.

It could be incomparably fierce and powerful, or it could be soft and penetrating.

Only by breaking through to the Entering the Realm of Strength could one be considered to have truly "mastered their Qi Blood"!

Chu Fan recalled the day he went to Cyan Wood Hall and saw Zhou Tianci striking a wooden post.

By now, his strength was sufficient to crush an Entering the Realm of Strength Zhou Tianci, yet his Qi Blood Power was still inferior to the other man’s. He also couldn’t achieve the same microscopic level of control that Zhou Tianci possessed.

After flipping through it for a while, Chu Fan closed the booklet, shut his eyes, and focused his mind.

His consciousness sank into his body, carefully observing the thirty-six strands of Qi Blood Power scattered throughout. They were like fish lurking in the streams of his meridians, lively and abundant.

The next step was to condense another thirty-six strands of Qi Blood. Then, using his mind as a guide, he would have to gradually draw these "fish" together and attempt an initial fusion.

This was a process that required patient, persistent effort; it could not be rushed and was also very dangerous.

The slightest mistake in fusing the Qi Blood could lead to a conflict between them, damaging his meridians.

The booklet stated that even those with superior talent needed dozens of days of hard work before success would come naturally.

Chu Fan was strong-willed, and with the Vajra Undying Body as his foundation, his physique was far superior to even experts who had undergone Mortal Transformation.

But this method of fusing Qi Blood primarily valued comprehension and control. A strong physique allowed for a greater margin of error, but it could not replace fine control.

With the same amount of Qi Blood Power, one more degree of microscopic control meant one more degree of might.

With the same Qi Blood Power and the same Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand, one more degree of microscopic control meant one more bit of Cold Qi could penetrate the target’s Protective Primordial Qi and Inner Armor!

’A journey begins with a single step.’

Chu Fan steeled his resolve and hesitated no longer.

With a slight flicker of his will, his consciousness, like an invisible thread, cautiously captured and guided the two nearest strands of Qi Blood.

At first, it was extremely awkward—

a bit too much intent, and the Qi Blood would grow restless and repel each other;

a bit too little, and they were difficult to guide.

Chu Fan remained calm and patient. Holding his breath and concentrating, he adjusted the strength and frequency of his will little by little, like a craftsman carving a beautiful piece of jade.

Time passed quietly, and the sun began to set.

After countless failures, the two strands of Qi Blood finally drew close under his delicate control. Their energies began to intertwine and weave together. Although they had not yet fully fused, they were no longer acting independently.

An aura, more solid and substantial than that of a single strand of Qi Blood, faintly emerged.

’Is this the embryonic form of fusion?’

Realization dawned on Chu Fan.

He didn’t greedily rush ahead to try a third strand. Instead, he repeatedly practiced guiding and preliminarily merging these two strands of Qi Blood until, with a mere thought, they would respond instantly and move as an extension of his will, their energies blending harmoniously.

Having done all this, he slowly withdrew his focus, opened his eyes, and let out a long breath of turbid air.

Merely guiding the initial fusion of two strands of Qi Blood had consumed a great deal of his mental energy, and beads of sweat had already formed on his temples.