NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Da Xu Technique Breakthrough, A Dark and Windy Night Perfect for Killing
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[Skill: Da Xu Technique (Skillful)]
[Progress: 195/200 points]
[Status: Cannot be improved]
[Note: A fine steed leaps, but cannot cover ten steps; a workhorse, though slow, can travel a hundred miles with persistence. Continuous practice has made you skillfully master the Da Xu Technique, mastering extremely fast speed. After this breakthrough, your understanding of the concept of 'emptiness' will become even clearer. When you use this martial art, you can traverse space, arrive without a trace, and leave without a clue, eluding capture.]
"The Da Xu Technique, after these days of cultivation, is just a little bit away. If all goes well, I'll be able to break through tonight."
Shen Qing murmured to himself, unintentionally revealing a slight smile.
Since Huang Fu Rou taught him the complete Da Xu Technique, his progress in this martial art had been increasingly smooth.
With the support of Spirit Essence, in just a few short days, this martial art had almost quietly reached the conditions for a breakthrough.
Shen Qing secretly calculated, "Once this martial art breaks through, I can try to kill that Xue Yan."
Today's incident happened suddenly, with Xue Yan coming here rashly, leaving behind what kind of backup plan, and under broad daylight, who knows how many people saw him coming to the Guardian Martial Department.
If he had acted in that moment and killed him, dying within the Guardian Martial Department, he would definitely not be able to escape blame.
In other words, as long as Third Young Master Xue dies somewhere else, unassociated with him, it would suffice.
Shen Qing quickly made a decision, delved into the cultivation room, took out a Jade Token, and immersed himself in cultivation without any distractions.
He activated the Da Xu Technique and continuously ran around the cultivation room, his figure transforming into streams of phantoms.
Time ticked away, the night deepened, and the moon hung high in the sky.
Shen Qing seemed to sense something, and suddenly stopped, standing in the middle of the cultivation room. A stream of ink-like text emerged before his eyes.
[Skill: Da Xu Technique (Skillful)]
[Progress: 201/200 points]
[Status: Can be improved]
Without hesitation, Shen Qing said, "Breakthrough!"
After a brief moment of stillness, a torrent of memories crazily surged into his mind, causing him to feel drowsy and in excruciating pain.
Prepared for this, Shen Qing relied on his strong Divine Sense to guard his mind and suppress the discomfort.
A moment later, he completely assimilated and absorbed the memories.
In the memories, Shen Qing repeatedly cultivated the Da Xu Technique, and after persistent and unrelenting training, the profundities of the Da Xu Technique finally became clear in his heart.
His comprehension and insight into the Da Xu Technique grew even more penetrating.
Suddenly, waves of Spiritual Power fluctuations surged in the cultivation room.
Shen Qing's heartbeat involuntarily quickened, all the pores on his body seemed to open at this moment, greedily absorbing the nature's spiritual energy wafting from the Jade Token.
With a deep and powerful roar, the strength inside Shen Qing's body seemed to find an outlet for release and exploded in an instant.
At this moment, his Spiritual Power meridians and his memories became completely aligned.
After adjusting for a while, Shen Qing took a long breath and exhaled a puff of turbid air. Explore more at empire
[Skill: Da Xu Technique (Small Success)]
[Progress: 1/300 points]
[Status: Cannot be improved]
[Note: As the Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent, through continuous cultivation, you have now reached the Small Success of the Da Xu Technique. Your understanding of the concept of 'emptiness' has deepened, and you are beginning to touch the realm of extreme speed. When you use this martial art, you can traverse space, mastering the 'Traceless' skill.]
Looking at the reminder that appeared before his eyes, Shen Qing revealed a knowing smile.
"Let's see, after breaking through to Small Success with this martial art from the Huangfu family, just what level I can reach."
Shen Qing stimulated his Spiritual Power and activated the Da Xu Technique.
With a slight sway of his figure, he disappeared in the cultivation room, leaving only a faint blue light flickering in the original spot, as if it were a trace of him crossing through the void.
When he reappeared, he was at the other end of the cultivation room, his figure almost blending into the air, achieving true instant displacement.
Crossing distances, traceless and without sound.
"This..."
Shen Qing looked at this scene, quite astonished.
With the reminders from the ink-text, he had some mental preparation for the changes in the Da Xu Technique, but when it actually happened, he still found it hard to believe.
He realized that the Da Xu Technique at the Small Success realm was subtly stepping out of the 'Martial' category, beginning to transform towards the tier of the 'Immortal'.
It was truly a martial art passed down from Ancient Times.
Shen Qing put aside his thoughts and did not continue to delve deeper.
He pushed open the door and looked up to see a bright moon, like a pearl, hanging against the ink-colored canvas of the sky.
Silver light scattered, covering the silent Yongzhou City in a layer of faint, cold blue-white.
"A dark moon and high winds make for a good night to kill."
Shen Qing's mouth curled up with a smirk not easily detected, "Third Young Master Xue, it's your bad luck to have crossed me."
He stepped out of the cultivation room and summoned Chen Guang to ascertain the whereabouts of Xue Yan and his people.
Then, he silently left the Guardian Martial Department Office and, reaching a deserted place, he took a deep breath as his Spiritual Energy surged wildly within him.
Suddenly, his figure became completely blurred in the night, disappearing from the spot, leaving only a faint silhouette perfectly blending with the surrounding shadows.
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In a room of an inn within Yongzhou City, candlelight flickered, casting mottled and disjointed shadows.
Xue Yan sat at the table, his figure elongated by the candlelight.
After the series of shocks he experienced today, his emotions were tumultuous and restless, like waves whipped up by a storm, impossible to calm.
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His fists clenched tightly, grinding his teeth in anger.
Images of Shen Qing's detestable condescension kept surfacing in his mind, igniting his fury.
With a fierce punch, he struck the table, instantly reducing it to splinters and shards.
Having vented the emotions in his heart, Xue Yan stood up and paced back and forth in the room.
Judging from Shen Qing's behavior and actions today, he was clearly a ruthless character who couldn't stand even a small slight – everything had to go his way.
Therefore, trying to pressure him with vague and distant threats was utterly ineffective, thwarting his careful plans.
This meant that his trip to Yongzhou was in vain, leaving him empty-handed with no way to explain himself to his father and the rest.
The precious opportunity to prove himself was slipping away, and he couldn't help but feel deeply resentful.
The best option would still be to find someone a bit stronger than Shen Qing and suppress him face-to-face.
Xue Yan immediately thought of Shi Wenbo, the imperial envoy who had come to Yongzhou.
Shi Wenbo had a close relationship with his family, Xue, and his cultivation was on par with Shen Qing, making him a natural ally.
However, the matter of the Spirit Essence was not so easily broached.
Xue Yan fell into deep thought, silently refining his words.
Just then, a knocking sound echoed at the door.
Xue Yan paused and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me," came Shi Wenbo's voice from the door. He continued, "Nephew, what was the commotion in your room just now? Did you run into some trouble?"
Xue Yan was momentarily stunned before he let out a wry smile.
He glanced at the shattered remains of the table and said, "It's nothing, I was just careless and damaged the furniture. Thank you for your concern, Sir."
"Alright, if there's anything you need, do not hesitate to tell me."
Xue Yan respectfully replied, "Thank you, Sir."
Listening to the retreating footsteps outside the room, Xue Yan felt a surge of confidence knowing that Shi Wenbo was looking out for him.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, "Shen Qing, you will pay for everything you've done to me today; no one from the Xue family shall endure such disgrace!"
Night deepened, the candlelight grew dim, but the flame of resolve within Xue Yan burned brighter, his eyes shimmering with determination.
Realizing the hour was late, Xue Yan, who had no habit of cultivating at night, made ready to retire and rest.
At that moment, a flicker disturbed the candlelight.
Xue Yan was taken aback, his skin prickling with alert.
But before he could react, an icy flash of light, swift and silent, streaked through the air.
In the blink of an eye, a silver-white mark was left on his neck.
Xue Yan's complexion changed dramatically; he had barely any time to respond before the icy flash vanished, leaving behind only a faint chill and a slight sting on his neck.
A great shock filled his heart as he realized a master was attempting a stealthy assassination!
Almost instinctively, Spiritual Power surged within Xue Yan, and Protective Gang Qi enveloped his body like armor, as he clutched at his neck frantically channeling Spiritual Power to heal the wound.
He had been cultivating since childhood in the lord's mansion, his body tempered daily with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Thus, his flesh was much more resilient than an average person's, and a wound of this severity was not fatal to him.
The Spiritual Power stimulated regeneration, and his skin began to show signs of healing.
"Think you can kill me that easily? Whoever you are, sneaking attacks like a coward, you must be weaker than I am, nothing but scum."
Xue Yan thought bitterly, his expression turning fierce.
"Shi Wenbo surely hasn't gone far; I should enlist his help to catch this villain, to ensure they die without a burial place."
Xue Yan opened his mouth intending to shout loudly.
However, as he marshaled all his strength to do so, he found his vocal cords seemingly severed by an invisible force; he could only produce a hoarse "he he," unable to speak a word.
Xue Yan's eyes widened.
His vocal cords had been cut.
An inexplicable fear spread through him like ice,
Xue Yan quickly looked around, trying to locate the hidden enemy.
But the room was only so big, open and empty — except for the flickering candlelight and his own shadow, there was no sign of a second person.
Uncertain and clueless, just as his doubts peaked, a resplendent golden seal, like a meteor from the horizon, crashed down with an irresistible, majestic pressure, engulfing his entire body.
Xue Yan felt an indescribable force slam down. His Protective Gang Qi, feeble before this power, was torn to shreds in an instant.
With a "boom!" Xue Yan's body, as if struck by a giant hammer, collapsed, dispersing into a mass of indistinct flesh, without a chance to fight back.
The room itself trembled under this force.
After a few moments, the candle still flickered, but the atmosphere in the room had become icy and silent.
Shi Wenbo, not far off, sensed the disturbance and shook his head silently, finding Xue Yan's nighttime activity a bit too much.
Hearing no response from Xue Yan, he thought nothing of it and did not consider checking in.
In a dim alley behind the inn, a shadow moved, revealing itself within.
As the shadow receded, Shen Qing emerged.
He looked back toward the inn with a satisfied smile.
Shen Qing hadn't expected the night to go so smoothly.
After his breakthrough in the Da Xu Technique, he had entered Xue Yan's room without alerting anyone and had swiftly ended Xue Yan's life, settling a vendetta.
This time, he had been extremely discreet; there would be no clues leading back to him.
Not lingering in the alley, Shen Qing continued to channel his Spiritual Power, activating the Da Xu Technique, and disappeared into the shadows of the alley.