Chapter Thirty-Three: Rapid Progress
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The Six Desires Heaven was the collection of heavens within the Realm of Desire.
Palaces, temples, and monasteries towered among the clouds. Four immense Heavenly King figures, emanating a deathly aura, slowly rose toward the sky, their bodies bent forward.
“Rumble…”
Though they still maintained their downward-looking posture, their heads were no longer pressed closely together. Their bodies had visibly straightened a little, as though they were being forced away from the delicious pastries atop the lotus platform.
“My soul-body has become even denser and more tangible.”
Chen Xuan quickly examined himself and was astonished to discover that this body of consciousness and spirit was already extremely close to his physical body. Earlier, he had been able to hear Yan Yushu’s heavy breathing clearly and feel the astonishing softness of her snow-white skin. It was already seven or eight parts similar to a living person.
“As long as Heart Fasting enters the ability of a Heaven’s Mandate bearer, it can be strengthened.”
Chen Xuan confirmed this conjecture in his heart, then immediately began studying celestial qi.
“Previously, I was restricted by my innate foundation and physique. Even though I had long since grasped the true essence of these arts, I still needed to spend an extremely long time cultivating them painstakingly.”
Chen Xuan reflected. He had discovered this serious problem the first time he practiced the Little White Ape Art.
A foundation capable of generating eight thousand pounds of strength severely limited the speed at which he could refine qi.
“But now, celestial qi has left my physical body together with the three thoughts of my consciousness and soul.”
“I’ll cultivate these arts with my soul-body!”
Chen Xuan was highly decisive. He immediately began experimenting. In his mind, he visualized the circulation diagram of the Little Green Deer Art and commanded the white qi to move along its prescribed route.
“Whoosh!”
A strand of white qi coursed through the faintly translucent meridians and every bone within his body. Golden-white sparks scattered like embers. Gradually, a glimmer of azure light flickered within it. It did not fade; instead, like a prairie fire, it rapidly spread, devouring, transforming, and evolving every strand of white radiance it touched.
“It really works!”
Chen Xuan could not help crying out. Even his usual composure deserted him for a moment, because after completing the circulation diagram just once, more than a tenth of the white qi had successfully transformed into azure qi.
The effect was astonishing. This meant that Chen Xuan would need at most ten practice sessions to master an entire art!
“I knew I was a genius with extraordinary comprehension!”
Excited, Chen Xuan clenched his fist and punched the air. Unable to wait, he commanded the white qi to begin its second circulation.
“Genius…”
A lingering voice suddenly sounded beside Chen Xuan’s ear. A warm, fragrant softness pressed toward him.
“Give it to me…”
Yan Yushu!
Chen Xuan froze at the sound, his elated expression immediately falling.
“You’re still not finished?”
His qi circulation had nearly been interrupted. In a foul mood, he turned and glared at Yan Yushu, whose face was flushed.
“Please…”
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Yan Yushu’s eyes were hazy. Her mind had probably been overwhelmed by the thoughts of the Six Desires Heaven, and she no longer knew what shameless words she was saying. She reached toward him with her slender, lotus-root-like hands, but Chen Xuan swiftly dodged and scolded her:
“You have no self-control. Yan Yushu, you have no future. You’re hopeless!”
This time, Chen Xuan did not strike her directly. After Yan Yushu’s soul-body had been dispersed earlier, the Six Desires Heaven had begun rapidly collapsing. He needed to remain here longer.
“I don’t want a future…”
Desire burned in Yan Yushu’s eyes as though flames were about to pour from them. She was extraordinarily difficult to deal with, employing every possible means to approach Chen Xuan.
“Shut up!”
Provoked into anger, Chen Xuan’s hand shot out like lightning and seized Yan Yushu’s arm. He hooked her lower leg with his foot and firmly pinned her to the ground.
“Behave yourself!”
Chen Xuan issued the warning with utmost severity. He pressed his knee against Yan Yushu’s back, forced both her delicate hands behind her, and used his other hand to grip her smooth, slender neck, preventing her from turning around to kiss him and subduing her completely.
At the same time, he concentrated fully on circulating celestial qi, unwilling to waste even a moment.
“Mmph…”
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, concealing most of Yan Yushu’s beautiful, flushed face. With her cheek pressed against the ground and suffering immense humiliation, a cherry-red blush spread rapidly from her face across her entire body. She looked as though she had been steamed.
“Wait…”
This time, Yan Yushu’s desire was not as violent as during its previous eruption. After being swiftly pinned down and subdued, she regained a trace of reason and shouted angrily:
“Who are you, anyway? Let go of me!”
The position was unbearably humiliating. She had never experienced anything like it and was so ashamed and furious that she could have died.
Chen Xuan briefly told her his name, but did not lessen the strength in his hands. His words were sharp.
“Yan Yushu, you’ve lost your mind!”
Yan Yushu had no choice but to soften her tone and plead, “I can control myself now. Fellow cultivator, please do not bring harm upon yourself…”
Chen Xuan interrupted her directly. “Who is bringing harm upon themselves? Yan Yushu, do not be so presumptuous.”
“Ah…”
At his words, Yan Yushu fell silent. She sorrowfully realized that although she had recovered a sliver of clarity, her body was still burning hot, as though it possessed thoughts of its own.
Pinned to the ground, her body twisted restlessly. One lower leg bent at the knee, and her jade-white foot struck Chen Xuan’s back. She was not using any force; it even seemed like a tickle, a kind of teasing.
“This… this isn’t me…”
Her voice carried the sound of tears. She felt that she had lost every shred of dignity.
“Hmph!”
Chen Xuan was already thoroughly annoyed and did not bother responding to Yan Yushu. He sensed that the Little Green Deer was about to emerge!
“Whoosh!”
The white qi circulated rapidly within his body. More and more azure radiance appeared, until the celestial qi completely changed from white to azure. A clear, ringing deer cry suddenly echoed through the air!
“Ahhh!”
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A several-meter-long phantom of an azure elk leaped from behind Chen Xuan. Its antlers resembled blue coral deep beneath the water, gorgeous and dazzling. An aura of life spread in every direction as it raised its head and let out a long cry.
“It’s done!”
Chen Xuan was so excited that he nearly jumped on the spot, but he quickly regained his composure. Without pause, he commanded this strand of azure qi to circulate according to the diagram for the Little Firebird Art, which he already knew as well as his own hand.
Mastering only one would not be enough!
He had to continue learning!
This was a third type of celestial qi, and the difficulty of cultivation had once again doubled. Yet to Chen Xuan now, it could hardly be considered a challenge.
Time flowed away like water.
“Chirp!”
A phantom of a scarlet firebird spread a pair of flaming wings nearly three meters long behind Chen Xuan. Its crest feathers were long and extraordinarily graceful.
The firebird danced through the air, blazing flames dripping from its brilliant plumage and setting the air and earth alight. It stretched out its neck and cried.
Another success!
“Mm!”
At the same time, a muffled groan that seemed to pour forth in one unstoppable rush came from beneath Chen Xuan.
Yan Yushu’s tense body slowly went limp, as though all the bones had been pulled from it. She became like soft mud, drained of every ounce of strength.
“Excellent!”
Chen Xuan was delirious with delight, his heart filled with overwhelming satisfaction.
Ordinary people needed several years merely to glimpse the threshold of these arts, yet he had spent only a little over half an hour mastering two in succession—and they were arts belonging to two entirely different branches of celestial qi!
Such speed was terrifying. If outsiders heard of it, they would not merely be frightened; they would be scared to death.
“This trip to the Six Desires Heaven was more than worthwhile. It saved me at least two months of painstaking cultivation!”
Chen Xuan thought this to himself. Then he looked down at Yan Yushu beneath his knee and murmured regretfully, “Why did it end so quickly? I wanted to continue refining the other arts…”
“…”
Yan Yushu lay facedown on the ground, her face buried deep within it. She was as silent and still as a snow-white fox that had died.
“…Get up.”
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