Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2046 Waste of natural resources

A terrifying power erupted, causing ripples to surge across the surface of the puppet's right arm, emitting a piercing creaking sound, as if it were about to shatter at any moment, but ultimately it managed to withstand the fatal blow.

Before Shi Zhou Shuo could strengthen his power, the puppet and Chen Fei's figures suddenly became blurred under the impact of this attack, and then disappeared like bubbles.

Almost simultaneously, a large number of array puppets and Chen Fei's figure suddenly appeared in all directions of the training ground.

In the blink of an eye, the number of them surged to over a hundred. Each one was lifelike, with identical aura, expression, and even the spiritual energy fluctuations flowing around them, making it impossible to distinguish which was real and which was fake.

These phantoms instantly occupied most of the training ground, and like a tidal wave, accompanied by deafening roars of array formations, they surged towards Shi Zhou Shuo in the center of the field from all directions, overwhelming him.

at the same time.

Above the martial arts arena, the sky suddenly darkened. Countless pitch-black stars, formed from the laws of destruction, trailing long fiery tails, crashed down on Shi Zhou Shuo like an apocalyptic meteor shower.

Phantoms and illusions, stars falling. The balance of power shifted in an instant.

At this moment, Shi Zhou Shuo's brows finally furrowed tightly.

His usually confident, all-seeing eyes, which could see through all laws, swept over the countless illusions, and for the first time revealed a trace of hesitation and solemnity.

With his ability to see through things using his Earthly Dao Foundation, he was unable to discern which of these figures was Chen Fei's true body for a moment.

Although there was a hint of seriousness in Shi Zhou Shuo's eyes, he still exuded the confidence of a prodigy and the cold arrogance of someone in control of everything.

"Hmph, a mere trick!" he sneered, his eyes suddenly sharpening.

Since we cannot accurately locate Chen Fei's true form using our ability to see through things, let's use righteous power to sweep away all illusions.

Shi Zhou Shuo suddenly raised his right hand, his five fingers spread wide, and slammed his palm down hard on the Crimson Flame Spirit Gourd floating above his head.

"Boom!"

A deep, resounding thud, like a giant hammer striking a drum, reverberated from inside the gourd.

The entire Crimson Flame Spirit Gourd trembled violently, and the flame cloud patterns on its surface instantly became dazzlingly bright, as if some terrifying power was being forcibly awakened within the gourd and then erupted with a roar.

Four distinctly different yet equally powerful roars, each imbued with the essence of heaven and earth, simultaneously erupted from the gourd's mouth.

The murky, yellowish current, representing the earth's heavy burden, carrying the force to crush all things, surged forward first, and wherever it passed, even the void seemed to become viscous and stagnant.

Following closely behind was the blazing flames of the Crimson Flame Spirit Gourd's origin, now almost pure white.

The third stream was the pitch-black Xuanming True Water, spreading silently, freezing the energy and space along its path, bringing a deathly stillness that annihilated all things.

The last force was an invisible and intangible yet incomparably sharp gale from the heavens, emitting a shrill whistle as it sliced ​​through everything, both tangible and intangible.

Earth, fire, water, and wind—the four elements—intertwined and evolved under Shi Zhoushuo's control and the integration of the Crimson Flame Spirit Gourd, a wondrous treasure, creating a chaotic and violent energy field in front of him.

Within this realm, space is distorted, and the earth, fire, water, and wind cycle through cycles of birth and death, exuding a chilling aura of destruction.

This is precisely the powerful killing move, Four Symbols Derivation and Annihilation, recorded in Shi Zhoushuo's Awakening of Insects Technique.

Using the fundamental power of the four elements of earth, fire, water, and wind, a chaotic spacetime on the verge of collapse was forcibly created. With absolute power and chaos, it crushed and devoured all attacks and enemies that were trapped within it.

Shi Zhou Shuo stared ahead and pushed his palms forward sharply.

That raging Four Symbols Extinction Domain, like an ancient ferocious beast awakening, carried an aura of crushing everything and crashed headlong into the front.

"Boom!"

The earth-shattering explosion resounded throughout the entire Cuiping Peak.

The pitch-black, destructive star crashed into the Four Symbols Domain, where it was slowed down by the earth's heaviness, burned by the fire's fury, frozen by the water's icy chill, and finally shattered into pieces by the wind's sharpness, turning into countless energy points.

Countless puppets and Chen Fei's phantoms shattered and dissipated the moment they came into contact with the chaotic Four Symbols Domain.

With this powerful move, Four Symbols Annihilation, Shi Zhoushuo managed to withstand Chen Fei's overwhelming offensive.

The two sides seem to have fallen into a stalemate again.

But the next moment, Shi Zhou Shuo's brows, which had relaxed slightly after successfully blocking the attack, involuntarily furrowed again.

The illusory image of the Heavenly Eye behind him frantically scanned and sensed every corner of the training ground, every energy fluctuation, and every lingering phantom aura...

No!

He still couldn't accurately pinpoint Chen Fei's location.

Those phantoms shattered by the Four Symbols Domain did not leave any unique soul imprints or energy cores that could be traced after they dissipated.

The entire training ground seemed to consist only of Shi Zhou Shuo, the only living being, and the omnipresent yet ethereal fluctuations of the array formation.

Chen Fei seemed to have completely merged into the space shrouded by his formation, becoming a part of the formation itself, leaving no trace.

A sense of unease began to grow in Shi Zhoushuo's heart.

He was confident he could search slowly, because the attack limit of the formation was there, and he could withstand it with the Four Symbols Annihilation.

However, if he cannot find his true identity, the duel will turn into a war of attrition, and for someone who took the initiative to challenge him and intended to win quickly and show off his power, a war of attrition is itself a defeat.

Outside the training ground, high in the sky.

Shi Pojun stood with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe swaying slightly in the aftershocks of the energy. His brows were also slightly furrowed at this moment.

As a powerful figure who had already entered the Tai Cang Realm for many years, his divine sense was incredibly strong. In his eyes, Chen Fei's true body, which was hidden among countless phantoms and array nodes and constantly shifting and changing its aura, actually had no secrets.

However, he was at the Tai Cang Realm, and for many at the fifteenth level, it was difficult to distinguish between the illusion and the real one.

This kid named Chen Fei is indeed exceptionally skilled in array formations; my initial assessment of him was too low.

The exquisite array of his formations and his control over the rhythm of the entire battle demonstrated a shrewdness and profundity far beyond his apparent cultivation level.

Shi Pojun's gaze swept over Shi Zhoushuo, who remained calm and composed in the arena. It was only thanks to Zhoushuo's Earthly Dao Foundation and his ability to see through things that the balance was maintained.

If it were any other ordinary disciple who went up, the Xuan Yuan Dao Foundation cultivator would undoubtedly have been defeated.

Even those Earthly Dao Foundation cultivators who only excel at brute force and lack adaptability would probably be in a state of chaos by now in the face of this array that alternates between reality and illusion and wears them down layer by layer.

Cao Feiyu stood beside Wei Zhongqian. Her expression, which had been slightly tense because of Shi Zhoushuo's use of the Four Symbols Annihilation Technique, had now completely calmed down, and even a faint smile of relief appeared on her lips.

Although Chen Fei's current mastery of formations is incomparable to that of Chu Xuanyu, who was once peerless and whose swordsmanship was chilling, Cao Feiyu felt that he was still capable of inheriting the legacy left by Chu Xuanyu.

Later, when Chen Fei broke through to the sixteenth level of the Tai Cang Realm, his mastery of formations deepened further. When he entered Tian Lin Mansion with them, having a formation master in the group was a huge benefit, whether for exploration, defense, or breaking restrictions.

Perhaps this is a kind of fate and a way of making amends.

"Senior Brother Wei, Junior Brother Chen's performance was quite good." Cao Feiyu transmitted her voice to Wei Zhongqian beside her, her tone filled with affirmation.

However, Wei Zhongqian did not immediately agree. His brows had been furrowed since the beginning, his gaze fixed on the blurry area where Chen Fei's true form was located in the martial arts arena.

Upon hearing Cao Feiyu's telepathic message, he slowly shook his head and replied telepathically, "The formation is good, even quite amazing, but..."

Wei Zhongqian paused, then said in a deep voice, "But there's a problem with Junior Brother Chen's main cultivation technique!"

"A problem?" Cao Feiyu was taken aback.

"The foundation is too weak."

Wei Zhongqian took a deep breath. "Carefully sense the slight fluctuation of primordial power that he exudes when he connects with the puppet through his mind."

Upon hearing this, Cao Feiyu immediately focused her mind and carefully tried to detect the subtle source of power hidden beneath the countless array lights.

A moment later, her expression changed slightly.

He could vaguely sense that the Yuan energy Chen Fei used to drive the puppets and maintain the operation of the formation was of low quality, and its flow gave people a feeling that its foundation was not solid enough.

"This……"

Cao Feiyu was somewhat puzzled. "I seemed to have had this vague feeling before in the Tianhai City barracks. At the time, I just thought that Chen Fei might have been injured in a major battle, which caused his breathing to be unstable."

"I used to think so too."

Wei Zhongqian said in a deep voice, "But after spending time with him and observing him yesterday, I found that he did not have any obvious injuries and his blood and energy were quite vigorous."

His gaze deepened: "If there are no injuries, yet the foundation of one's aura is so weak, it can only be due to the main cultivation technique being too weak."

Cao Feiyu thought for a moment, then smiled again and transmitted her voice, "Senior brother, don't worry. If your main cultivation technique is too weak, you can see if you can switch to a more suitable one. I dare not say that my Danchen Sect has a shortage of various high-level cultivation techniques."

She glanced at the battle in the arena and continued, "Moreover, while Yuan Qi techniques are important for array cultivators, they are not the decisive factor. What truly determines the upper limit of an array cultivator is their comprehension, deduction, and control over the Dao of arrays. Junior Brother Chen's talent in this area seems to be quite good."

After listening to Cao Feiyu's words, Wei Zhongqian pondered for a moment, and finally nodded slowly, which could be considered as agreeing with Cao Feiyu's opinion.

Most of the main cultivation techniques can indeed be changed, and the foundation can be strengthened again over time.

However, the innate understanding and control of formations is an extremely rare talent.

From this perspective, Chen Fei is indeed worth cultivating.

The stalemate continues inside the training ground.

Shi Zhou Shuo continuously activated the Crimson Flame Spirit Gourd, unleashing various powerful divine abilities. The four elements of earth, fire, water, and wind circulated endlessly, defeating and annihilating the stars, thunder, frost, giant trees, and other things that Chen Fei had created through the array.

His Insightful Eye never stopped operating, keeping a close watch on every change on the battlefield. From the complex array fluctuations and phantom shifts, he tried to capture the fleeting flaws and uncover Chen Fei's true form.

However, Shi Zhoushuo was never able to truly capture Chen Fei's true identity.

Whenever he was about to confirm, through his ability to see through things, that a certain array node was fluctuating abnormally and might be where his true body was hiding, Chen Fei's true body aura would instantly change position and disappear under the cover of other illusions or arrays.

This feeling is like fighting a shadow without a physical form, possessing immense power but having nowhere to exert force.

What alarmed Shi Zhoushuo even more was that, as time went on, a sense of crisis that made his scalp tingle was constantly taking shape and growing in his perception.

This intuition was so strong, so intense, that it felt like a sword was constantly approaching his forehead.

Shi Zhoushuo had no doubt about this.

This is because it is another important characteristic nurtured by his Earthly Dao Foundation: a sense of crisis. This characteristic allows him to generate extremely keen intuitive warnings when facing an impending deadly threat.

The last time I felt such a strong sense of crisis was during a sect mission when I faced a monster that was extremely well hidden and about to launch a fatal attack.

Shi Zhou Shuo's heart sank. The composure and arrogance that belonged to a prodigy on his face were now replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and vigilance.

Outside the training ground, high in the sky.

Shi Pojun stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Unlike Shi Zhou Shuo, who only vaguely sensed a deadly danger brewing, Shi Po Jun, as a powerful figure in the Tai Cang Realm, had no secrets about the power of the fifteenth rank.

The shattered energy stars, the dissipated phantom lights, and even the neutralized array runes of Chen Fei... their remaining subtle energy and fragments of rules did not completely dissipate into the world, but were subtly guided and quietly merged into the void surrounding the martial arts arena.

In Shi Pojun's perception, the entire training ground was being enveloped by a large net woven from various complex array rules, and this net was now slowly tightening its encirclement.

Once this net is completely closed and the power of the formation is fully activated, even if Shi Zhou Shuo has the ability to see through it, he will be in a very passive position in the face of this already formed trapping and killing formation, and may not even have a chance to break out of the formation.

The final result will likely be that they will be completely exhausted of their energy and mental strength, and suffer a humiliating defeat.

“Interesting…” Shi Pojun’s lips curled into a meaningful smile, but there was no appreciation in his eyes, only a hint of coldness.

Just as Shi Pojun was pondering how to intervene in a reasonable way,

"Senior Brother Shi!"

A faint, whispering voice pierced through the air and rang directly in his ear. It was from his trusted confidant, whom he had sent to Tianhai City and the surrounding area to gather detailed information about Chen Fei.

"Speak!" Shi Pojun replied telepathically, his expression unchanged.

"Senior brother, I have just verified through multiple channels and found some important information about Chen Fei."

The disciple's voice carried an undisguised excitement, "Before the battle in the Demon Lotus Realm, according to the records left by the Tianhai City barracks and the oral accounts of some participating soldiers, Chen Fei's cultivation level at that time was only the mid-stage of the fifteenth level."

"Hmm?" Shi Pojun raised an eyebrow slightly. Mid-stage of the fifteenth rank?

"After that great battle in the Demon Lotus Realm, he broke through to the late stage of the fifteenth rank."

The disciple continued, "Not long after leaving the Demon Lotus Realm, his cultivation broke through again, reaching the peak of the fifteenth level in one fell swoop."

Shi Pojun's gaze flickered slightly. For most fifteenth-level cultivators, each step from the mid-stage to the peak of the fifteenth level requires a long period of painstaking effort, resource accumulation, and the opportunity to comprehend the Dao.

Cultivation resources and spiritual materials are easy to obtain, after all, Chen Fei killed a large number of demonic cultivators in the Demon Lotus Realm, but how could his understanding of heaven and earth be so rapid!

"Have you found out the cause?" Shi Pojun asked telepathically, his voice carrying a scrutinizing tone.

"I found it!"

The disciple seemed to have been waiting for this question, his voice tinged with a smug smile. "According to information we obtained from a steward of the Merit Division in Tianhai City at great expense, Chen Fei changed his main cultivation technique to the Heavenly Origin Technique in order to quickly improve his cultivation level. Moreover, the conversion was extremely thorough, and his cultivation was very successful."

"Heavenly Origin Technique?"

The surprise in Shi Pojun's eyes instantly turned into a realization, followed by a deep mockery.

At this moment, he finally understood why he always felt that Chen Fei's aura was somewhat superficial when he was driving the formation.

It turns out it was because of the Heavenly Origin Technique.

"Heh..." Shi Pojun's cold smile widened involuntarily.

What short-sightedness and greed!

"Chen Fei had no idea how narrow the path would be to break through to the Tai Cang Realm using the Heavenly Origin Technique!"

The Heavenly Origin Technique is not a secret within a top-tier sect like the Dan Chen Sect.

It sacrifices potential and exploits one's foundation in exchange for rapid advancement in cultivation. This drawback is already evident at the fifteenth level and below, and it will only become more severe at the Tai Cang Realm.

This severity will directly affect the power of the formation, making it difficult even to succeed on the path of formation cultivation.

This is a classic example of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, a practice that destroys one's own future.

In the Dan Chen Sect, unless they are cultivators with truly mediocre talent who know they have no hope of achieving the Great Dao and only wish to barely improve their cultivation level in their lifetime in exchange for a higher status, almost no one would choose to cultivate the Heavenly Origin Technique.

Unexpectedly, Chen Fei, who seemed to have considerable skill in formations and was so highly regarded by Wei Zhongqian and Cao Feiyu, turned out to be a shortsighted person who had cultivated the Heavenly Origin Technique.

Giving him that sixteenth-rank spiritual material would be a terrible waste.

Shi Pojun's eyes flickered, and he made up his mind.

Just as Chen Fei's encirclement formation was about to be completed inside the training ground, and Shi Zhou Shuo's sense of crisis reached its peak.

"All right!"

A voice suddenly boomed like a thunderclap in spring, clearly reaching the ears of everyone inside and outside the training ground.

The next moment, Shi Pojun's figure appeared in the sky above the training ground.

His gaze swept over the slightly disheveled Shi Zhou Shuo below, and he said loudly:

"Let's end this competition here!"

Shi Pojun's words carried a special power, causing the array's light, which was about to close, to momentarily pause.

"As far as sparring is concerned, that should be enough. Everyone has seen the strength and methods of both sides."

"Shi Pojun".

A cold shout filled with anger rang out, and Cao Feiyu's figure appeared in the sky above the martial arts arena, facing Shi Pojun from afar.

Her beautiful eyes flashed with murderous intent as she stared at Shi Pojun, her voice icy: "Do you really think you can decide everything? This is the martial arts arena of my Cuiping Peak. The duel has not yet been decided, so what right do you have to stop it without my permission!"

Cao Feiyu made no attempt to hide her anger. Anyone present who had reached the sixteenth level of the Tai Cang Realm could see that Chen Feiyu was gradually gaining the upper hand, thanks to her higher level of cultivation.

The invisible array was about to close in, and Shi Zhou Shuo was clearly on the defensive. He only needed Chen Fei to complete the final step to win this duel. (End of Chapter)