110. Omen from the Heavens (Part 5)

Tong He watched Qi Fei’s shocked expression with a smile in his eyes. The impact this cave had on Qi Fei’s mind was truly immense, and it was only natural for Qi Fei to be shaken. Qi Fei was worried; as the saying goes, "An innocent man may be innocent, but his treasure proves his guilt." Having encountered such a miraculous opportunity, if word were to leak out, disaster would surely follow.

Qi Fei’s thoughts swirled, but he slowly steadied his emotions. Turning to look at Tong He, who remained as motionless as ever, he suddenly had the idea of utilizing these few days to practice this Profound-grade martial art. Given Qi Fei’s past talent for learning martial arts, even though this Profound-grade technique was incredibly profound, he could master it within a few days if he applied himself. Moreover, with the benefit of the Psychic Treasure Jade, these two days could be stretched even further. Once the thought took root, Qi Fei had no desire to delay. According to his assessment, of the three manuals, only "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" was a technique suitable for frequent use, while the others were of limited utility.

Naturally, he decided to master this one first before considering the others. Stowing the manuals away in the Psychic Treasure Jade, he held only the "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" manual and sat cross-legged on the ground to study it in detail. Having a foundation in the "Blade-Breaking Style," the techniques of "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" were not too difficult to grasp once he settled his mind. This technique was essentially an auxiliary method; it did not require a core attack of its own, allowing Qi Fei to strike freely while using the technique to amplify the power of his existing moves.

It was like a chef preparing a dish: the difference between the main ingredients and the seasonings. While seasonings like soy sauce or vinegar are fixed, they can be paired with countless main ingredients to create a myriad of delicacies. "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" was the same; one only needed to use this auxiliary method, while the choice of blade technique used alongside it could be entirely up to the practitioner. Initially, Qi Fei intended to experiment using basic strikes, but after pondering the core principles of the art, his heart raced with the idea of pairing it with his "Blade-Breaking Style." Both were simply forms of multiplicative force; whether it was a basic attack or the "Blade-Breaking Style," the technique merely served to multiply their power. Yes, "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" could be applied to any attack to increase its power exponentially.

Once Qi Fei understood this, he abandoned the idea of using basic attacks. It was like multiplying a base of two versus a base of five; while the multiplier remained the same, the difference in the base value led to vastly different results. If a basic attack had a power level of five, the "Blade-Breaking Style" would be at least twenty. Multiplying both by the same factor would lead to a final result that was truly terrifying!

Qi Fei’s mind raced; the difference was indeed like heaven and earth. Of course, because the power output differed between basic attacks and the "Blade-Breaking Style," the requirements for his physical constitution and weapon were vastly different. Qi Fei now had to consider the limits of his body and his weapon when using the "Blade-Breaking Style" combined with "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin." He had estimated internally that for a basic attack, he could likely increase the multiplier to the seventh stage.

Qi Fei was shocked! Wouldn't that mean his "Blade-Breaking Style" would effectively reach the power of his seventh-stage base attack? Of course, internal estimates were one thing, but he needed facts. After flipping through the manual and meditating for a long while, Qi Fei felt he had thoroughly understood the method. He stood up, drew a common long blade from the Psychic Treasure Jade, and prepared to test it.

"Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin," as the name implied, suggested a continuous flow like ten thousand blades returning to one; once the technique was unleashed, it could not be interrupted. A major drawback was that if the momentum continued unchecked, the force would increase indefinitely until it caused the user’s body to collapse or the weapon to shatter. Therefore, before beginning, one had to pre-determine the multiplier.

This was why Qi Fei had to calculate carefully before experimenting. If he had blindly attempted an eight or ten-stage multiplier, he might have been unable to stop the process, leading to his own demise. After all, Profound-grade martial arts were heaven-defying; if they could be used without restriction, anyone who obtained them could become invincible. The greater the power, the greater the constraints—this was a universal rule of martial arts.

With this constraint in mind, Qi Fei dared not experiment recklessly. After holding the blade and reassessing his body’s limits, he narrowed his eyes and slowly thrust the blade. This first strike was equivalent to his normal attack—powerful, but not astonishing.

However, when Qi Fei swung the second blade, a faint, continuous "hissing" sound filled the air. The rhythm was precise and the intervals consistent. If someone were watching, they would see that this second strike was not random; the simple thrust looked as if he were engaging someone in conversation and slowly pushing the blade toward them.

Yet, even with such a slow movement, the blade seemed to pierce the air, emitting a slight sonic boom. This second strike, if evaluated carefully, had already surpassed the peak of the first-rate level, touching the realm of those who had one foot in the Innate stage. "Hiss! Hiss!" A loud sound erupted. By the fourth strike, the blade was as fast as a flash of light, swift as lightning.

This change in speed was not because the blade's momentum had shifted, but because upon the third strike, Qi Fei felt his body grow heavy, as if he were submerged under several fathoms of water. His muscles and joints felt an inexplicable pressure.

Under this immense weight, Qi Fei could no longer maintain his slow, steady movements. He was forced to use the speed of his strikes to release the pressure. While he could have withstood the third strike if performed slowly, he knew there were more to come.

Even so, he noticed a qualitative change in this third strike. Given the keenness of his senses, he realized that after this strike, the surrounding energy seemed to solidify. Instead of creating a louder sonic boom due to the increased speed, it appeared to freeze everything around the blade, preventing any resistance to his momentum.

The speed of this strike reminded him of his "Blade-Breaking Style" and the concepts described in the "Eight-Armed Wind-Thunder Fist" manual. While it was not as fast as the former, nor as piercing as the latter, Qi Fei felt that if he were to face any of the elders of the Yin-Yang Sect, they might not be able to block this strike. It was no exaggeration to say this strike was equivalent to the power of a mid-to-high-level Innate expert! In just three strikes, Qi Fei had bridged the gap from a peak first-rate warrior to a mid-to-high-level Innate expert. The "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" was truly a heaven-defying art. Satisfied, he nodded slightly.

Suddenly, Qi Fei tensed his entire body and unleashed the fourth strike with the force of a gale! As he did, the pressure around him—previously negligible—began to surge. It felt as if he had been pulled from a shallow pool into the depths of a dark abyss. The sudden increase in pressure made his chest tighten, and breathing became difficult.

The difference in physical strain between the third and fourth strikes was massive! As he thrust the fourth blade, the light, agile weapon began to stir the surrounding energy, emitting a formidable aura that only heavy weaponry usually possessed. "This strike has reached the realm of 'treating the light as heavy,'" he mused. He felt the weight upon his body nearing his absolute limit.

It was as if he were capable of lifting fifteen thousand pounds, but this technique forced him to lift twelve or thirteen thousand. The load was nearing his threshold, but the power gained in return was immense. If the third strike solidified the surrounding energy to remove resistance, the fourth strike harnessed the airflow, much like wind filling a sail, causing the blade's power to exceed its own inherent potential. This strike gave Qi Fei a sudden realization: no wonder legends spoke of Innate experts causing mountains to crumble and ground to split; once one reaches a certain level, they can harness the power of heaven and earth itself.

This strike allowed Qi Fei—a mere peak first-rate warrior—to catch a glimpse of the profound, mysterious insights of the Innate realm. After the fourth strike, he had gained far more than just a fourfold increase in power.

Qi Fei shouted, "Hah!" As the momentum of the blade reached its end, he exhaled sharply, using the shout to forcefully repel some of the crushing pressure. This brief moment of relief allowed his sturdy body to adapt to the strain. He knew that the load of this technique did not increase incrementally, but exponentially. It was like an athlete failing to warm up before a match; sudden, intense exertion could lead to injury. Adapting his body to this pressure was the most urgent task.

Thankfully, his keen instincts served him well. Had he not adjusted, he might not have survived the fifth strike. With the fourth strike spent, he launched the fifth.

As this strike began, the wind howled like thunder. The surrounding energy was not only absorbed by the blade but also condensed into a brilliant, half-foot-long white blade-glow at the tip. As the glow appeared, Qi Fei felt the surrounding space being sliced apart. The blade vibrated with a powerful, hidden energy that seemed ready to strike through the void.

The sheer power of this strike exceeded his expectations! Stunned, Qi Fei gritted his teeth against the pressure that made his bones creak and his muscles tremble, determined to unleash this strike to test the terrifying extent of a fivefold increase in power.

However, when he actually thrust the blade, the expected awe-inspiring power disintegrated in an instant. The long blade he had taken from the Psychic Treasure Jade shattered into inch-long fragments before it had even traveled three feet.

"Ten Thousand Swords Returning to Origin" placed constraints on both the human body and the weapon's durability. Clearly, the quality of this standard weapon could not withstand a fivefold multiplier of his own strength. It was as the saying went: Innate experts either used no weapons or wielded legendary divine artifacts. One had to consider the limits of their weapon during both practice and combat, lest they lose their blade before defeating the enemy.

Qi Fei laughed at himself. "My own lack of foresight. How could a common weapon withstand such force?" Discarding the bare hilt, he pondered for a moment before retrieving the "Azure Cloud Blade" from the Psychic Treasure Jade. Re-engaging the technique, he quickly recreated the power of the fifth strike. As it launched, the blade-glow shimmered with a lethal, shimmering energy. Even though he was merely thrusting into the empty cave, a deep, wide pit appeared in the wall with a sharp "hiss."

Though the power was contained within the blade's momentum, the attack had achieved the effect of harming an invisible target. Looking at the pit, Qi Fei recalled the ultimate technique Tong He had demonstrated—the "Eight-Armed Wind-Thunder Fist"—which was similarly invisible until it struck its target. While his blade strike did not possess the long-range lethality Tong He had shown, the effect was remarkably similar.

After a brief moment of observation, Qi Fei steadied his focus and prepared to unleash the seventh strike. The cumulative power of the first five strikes was a fifteenfold backlash—enough to severely injure a powerhouse like Chu Qingyun. Having reached this point, even if he wanted to attempt the seventh strike, he dared not face the overwhelming backlash of fifteen times his own strength. Resisting the pressure of a seven-stage multiplier was, for now, the only correct choice.

"Hiss!"

The blade-glow struck! Unlike the previous strikes, which were accompanied by various sounds and displays of force, this one was eerily silent. It was as if the air around the blade, and the energy surrounding it, had been completely severed. The only difference was that the space at the tip of the blade seemed to be sliced open, giving Qi Fei the uncanny sensation that he could pierce through absolutely anything.