NOVEL WEB Chapter 45 - Relentless Cultivation! Breakthrough! Gang Qi Realm!!
Chapter 45: Relentless Cultivation! Breakthrough! Gang Qi Realm!!
“The invincible Mountain Shifting Technique—who in this world could possibly stand against it?” Yang Yi’s heart swelled with pride and exhilaration. He did not doubt that once this technique was applied in combat, it would become an unparalleled weapon in his arsenal.
With another powerful stomp, he slammed his foot into the ground, causing the previously dug pit to deepen and widen under the explosive force. Then, without hesitation, he carried the corpses over and laid them in the pit before activating the Mountain Shifting Technique again to cover them, burying them properly. Exhaling deeply, Yang Yi finally felt a sense of relief settle in his chest.
“At long last, I’ve cleared all the passageways. Now, it’s time to rest well and prepare for the next step,” he murmured. “I must strive to break through to the Gang Qi Realm soon. Once I succeed, I can begin making plans for the Inner Palace.”
[Gang Qi Realm (罡气境, Gāng Qì Jìng) is a common cultivation stage in Chinese xianxia (immortal hero) and wuxia (martial arts) novels, often used to describe a powerful martial artist’s advancement beyond the basic stages of internal energy cultivation.]
As these thoughts formed, Yang Yi turned and walked out of the corridor. He didn’t believe infiltrating the Inner Palace would be too difficult; the real challenge would be entering the Emperor’s true tomb. Still, he wasn’t overly concerned—he had time on his side. He also knew that the imperial guards and tomb guardians within the Inner Palace would likely become his final source of bitter cultivation time. “Darling, you’re back!” Meng Jiangnu greeted him as soon as he stepped outside. “What happened in there? Was everything smooth?”
Both she and Qinglian had remained outside, anxiously awaiting him. From their position, they could only hear the echoes of violent rumblings from within, occasionally mixed with faint beastly roars. Naturally, this had left them worried. “Everything went very smoothly,” Yang Yi replied casually. “Everyone inside the passageway is dead.”
As he spoke, he briefly summarised the events that had unfolded, although he deliberately omitted any mention of the skills and techniques he had gained through corpse-looting. “To think that even in the face of death, there are still people who hold such great virtue,” Meng Jiangnu sighed softly after hearing about the Mountain Shifter. “Just like you, my darling.”
“Let’s head back for now. Once I’ve rested and successfully broken through, I’ll storm the Inner Palace,” Yang Yi said easily, as though entering the Inner Palace were no different from walking through his own front door. With that, he led the two women back to the first corridor. Upon returning to the familiar space, Yang Yi immediately summoned his water jar, removed his clothes, and stepped inside. Qinglian came over naturally to help wash him, her actions practiced and seamless.
That day, Yang Yi bathed five or six times, scrubbing away the fatigue and filth from the relentless slaughter. Only after eating a simple meal did he finally lie down and fall asleep. He had, after all, cleared four corridors in a single stretch, dug four deep pits by himself, and though his body possessed the Overlord Bone, even he couldn’t deny the drain on his stamina. Though his physical strength was nearly limitless, his mental and spiritual energy had been stretched thin. He hadn’t yet reached the point of being able to go without sleep. Meng Jiangnu and Qinglian understood this well, so they simply sat at his bedside, quietly watching over him.
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That night, Yang Yi slept soundly and deeply. When he finally opened his eyes, he felt lighter, as though every inch of his body had been cleansed. “System, display my attributes,” he commanded softly, retreating to a quiet corner.
Host: Yang Yi
Age: 20
Realm: Hua Jin Middle Stage (Internal Xiantian)
Soul Realm: Mortal
Talent and Bone Structure: Overlord Bone
Techniques: Ancient Breathing Method, Mohist Breathing Method, Common Breathing Method, Medical Breathing Method, Mountain Shifting Breathing Method
Skills: Mohist Mechanical Arts, Unmatched Halberd, Sword Drawing Technique, Ghost Gate Eighteen Needles, Basic Medical Skills, Mountain Shifting Technique, Mountain Shifting Art
Available Lifespan to Extract: 13,500 years
Remaining Bitter Cultivation Time: 489 years
Yang Yi’s eyes lit up like a burning flame when he saw the numbers. “Four hundred and eighty-nine years of bitter cultivation time!” he exclaimed inwardly, barely suppressing his excitement. He had practically struck gold—nearly five hundred years of cultivation time and thirteen thousand five hundred years of life force. That would be more than enough to break through to the Gang Qi Realm. Without hesitation, his gaze burned with determination. “System, extract four hundred years of bitter cultivation time!”
Ding!
[Host is now entering bitter cultivation mode.]
[Your strength rapidly increases, your body undergoes transformation, and your lifespan extends. Your resolve to walk the invincible path grows stronger.]
[Though you remain trapped in the corridor, your will does not waver. You continue your bitter cultivation relentlessly, sustaining yourself on the simplest of food as you refine your inner force.]
[After reaching the mid-stage of Hua Jin, your cultivation becomes significantly harder.]
[Due to the immense amount of Xiantian Qi already present in your body, it becomes even more difficult to generate new strands of energy.]
[Yet, you persist, unwavering. Bit by bit, more strands of Xiantian Qi are born within you, flowing through your meridians and nourishing your body.]
[At the one-hundred-year mark, you successfully break through to the late-stage of Hua Jin. Your body becomes flawless, and your lifespan increases by another five hundred years. Your twenty-eighth Overlord Bone has been successfully nurtured.]
[You press on, refining your dark energy with unrelenting focus, continuously generating more Xiantian Qi.]
[At the two-hundred-year mark, you ascend to the peak of Hua Jin. Your lifespan increases by another five hundred years, and your thirty-eighth Overlord Bone emerges.]
[Another one hundred years pass. You achieve Hua Jin Perfection, increasing your lifespan by five hundred more years. Your forty-eighth Overlord Bone is successfully cultivated.]
[At this point, your body overflows with Xiantian Qi. You attempt to condense this Qi into your dantian, forming an inner sea of energy.]
[However, after repeated attempts, you fail. Your Xiantian Qi is too abundant and powerful, and your dantian has yet to fully transform.]
[You are not discouraged. You continue cultivating diligently, tempering your Qi and guiding it gently, allowing it to nourish and reshape your dantian.]
[Finally, after ninety more years, one day your dantian begins to absorb the Xiantian Qi on its own. You rejoice—for this is the sign of a natural and inevitable breakthrough. Your dantian shines like the moon, burning as bright as the sun.]
[At this moment, you ascend to the Gang Qi Realm.]
[The Xiantian Qi within you flows like a great river into your dantian, forming an endless sea.]
[Your cultivation stabilises as you continuously refine and condense your energy. Your lifespan increases by another thousand years.]
[You successfully nurture your one hundred and eighth Overlord Bone.]
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When the system’s announcements finally ceased, Yang Yi slowly opened his eyes. A thunderous burst of energy erupted from his body, surging outward like a tidal wave.
Suddenly, the surrounding dust was swept away, and a barrier of Gang Qi formed around him with a radius of five metres. The corridor trembled under the sheer force of the tremendous pressure. “What the hell? I’ve just stepped into the Gang Qi Realm and already formed a five-metre barrier?” Yang Yi’s expression turned utterly dumbfounded.