114. That Cubicle

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114. The Compartment

Qi Fei had never fully understood the true function of the Spiritual Summoning Treasure. When the Blood Shadow True Lord perished, there was no one left in the world who had complete knowledge of this artifact. What puzzled Qi Fei most was why the Blood Shadow True Lord had not revealed everything about the Spiritual Summoning Treasure to him at once, but instead allowed Qi Fei to gradually explore its mysteries now.

The Spiritual Summoning Treasure could now, like this spatial area, impose bindings. Yet, this place was not an area deliberately crafted by the original owner of the cave dwelling through some technique. Rather, it was a naturally formed special spot where an overlap called the Spiritual Summoning Treasure happened to occur.

Qi Fei did not understand what binding overlaps were, nor could he grasp how it worked, but such a naturally and spontaneously formed strange place genuinely filled him with admiration.

Tong He walked ahead, especially as Qi Fei noticed that as they moved deeper past the stone gate of the armory, the degree of binding intensified. By the time they reached the compartment, the binding was twelve times stronger than in a normal place. Qi Fei could only marvel at the wonders of nature. The world was vast and truly full of marvels. Of course, this was not the most shocking discovery for Qi Fei. When he transferred his primordial soul to the location of the Beast Mountain Range, he found that the map seemed almost alive, a three-dimensional image that captured all the trees and beasts within the mountain range.

Qi Fei could even see the precise positions of every beast in the range and observe their movements! He saw the dragon serpent and the eight-winged centipede still writhing in pain and distortion within the valley formed by the giant tree stump, just as when he had left. Through this virtual image, he could witness the animals' daily lives in the garden area. It was clear that what Tong He had shown was far more than a mere map.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Qi Fei asked Tong He, “Grandpa Tong He, what exactly is this stone tablet in the cave dwelling? How can it have such extraordinary powers?”

“I told you before, but you weren’t paying attention! This is the switch of the cave dwelling!” Tong He chuckled and continued, “This thing is like any ordinary magical tool. Once fully refined, it can be controlled through the mind. For example, this cave dwelling still has some restrictions for you, but for me, being inside it, I only need to move my thoughts slightly to control all the seals’ opening and closing.”

Tong He paused, chuckling as he shook his head, “Explaining this to you now might be beyond your understanding. I’m too lazy to explain it piece by piece. Wait until you reach a certain realm, then I will gradually tell you what you need to know.”

“All right.” Qi Fei nodded with some resignation, deciding not to press the matter further. He then recalled the other two pouches he had yet to examine and asked, “Grandpa Tong He, let’s continue with what we were discussing earlier. What exactly are the formation paper in the left pouch and the small boat model in the right pouch? You have to explain these carefully.”

Tong He whispered, “That’s good; we’re not in a rush. Let me take a look at those two pouches first.” After putting away the stone tablet, Tong He smiled faintly, first picking up the left pouch and examining its contents for quite a while before speaking slowly, “Boy, you have seen it too. Inside this pouch is indeed a formation, and it’s a very rare cultivation-type formation.”

Qi Fei, confused, asked, “A supportive formation?”

Tong He pondered, carefully choosing his words, “A supportive formation, as the name suggests, assists the user’s body significantly when activated. Some formations can enhance agility, others improve strength, and some heighten spiritual perception.”

“Of course, the degree of support and duration vary greatly depending on the formation’s grade.”

Qi Fei nodded, half understanding, then asked, “What aspect of the body does this formation support? What grade is it? How strong is the effect?”

Tong He did not answer directly but continued, “Formation grades are divided into upper, middle, and lower. Lower-grade formations typically offer one to two times enhancement lasting up to two hours. Middle-grade formations double that duration and effect. Upper-grade formations generally last twelve hours—an entire day—and the enhancement can range from several times up to tens of times, depending on the maker’s skill and cultivation level.”

“This is incredible! If a sect or clan mastered this formation, couldn’t they massively train cultivators? And boosting physical strength by twelve to fifteen times for twelve hours? Grandpa Tong, is this true?” Qi Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sheer magnitude of the claim. Yet, considering the original owner’s level and that Tong He had no reason to deceive him, Qi Fei believed this formation’s power was genuine.

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Because Qi Fei realized this formation could not be a falsehood, he suddenly felt his temples throb intensely, and he cried out loudly, “Heavens! If my physical strength could instantly increase by over tenfold, how powerful would the Glazed Halo Saber’s advanced techniques be in such a state?”

Merely imagining it overwhelmed Qi Fei. His lips trembled as he glanced at Tong He for confirmation. Receiving an affirmative nod, Qi Fei covered his mouth tightly and emitted a string of unintelligible sounds.

Once fully convinced of the formation’s effectiveness, Qi Fei was undeniably thrilled. After all, enhancing physical cultivation by over ten times could unleash the Glazed Halo Saber’s techniques beyond his wildest imagination. Previously, when he obtained several advanced martial techniques in the library, he regarded the Barbaric Qi Accumulation skill as a life-saving secret weapon. Although it harmed his body, it was a supreme technique capable of turning the tide of battle. He believed that a move that condensed lifespan and spiritual energy into one strike would dominate the world.

However, with this formation’s appearance, the Barbaric Qi Accumulation seemed to lose its aura instantly. Comparing the two, Qi Fei undoubtedly felt this formation was better suited as a life-saving skill. For one, it did not damage the body. Second, its attack power was likely comparable. Moreover, since the formation’s effect lasted twelve hours, its endurance in battle far surpassed the Barbaric Qi Accumulation. For Qi Fei, this formation’s value was so great that not even several advanced techniques could exchange for it.

His thoughts racing with excitement, Qi Fei finally calmed himself and asked Tong He, “Grandpa Tong He, once this formation is used, can it be used again later?”

“That’s obvious. This type of formation is a one-time consumable. Show me one that can be used repeatedly!” Tong He retorted sarcastically, tossing the formation paper to Qi Fei. “But at your current level, you can’t activate it. So if you want to keep it as a life-saving trick, you’d better advance to the Morphing Realm quickly!”

Qi Fei was stunned, “You need to reach the Morphing Realm to activate it?”

Tong He shot him a glare and calmly asked, “If you can’t use the energy of Heaven and Earth, do you think you can break the formation’s external seals and unleash its power?”

“Seals—I understand now.” Qi Fei nodded slightly, beginning to grasp the principle. He had been in this cave for some time, and though many things were new to him, seals were not unfamiliar. Watching Tong He break various seals, he had realized that until reaching the Morphing Realm, he wouldn’t be able to use or activate most things in this cave.

“Well, it seems as Tong He said, only by entering the Morphing Realm does one reach the threshold,” Qi Fei mused inwardly. Resolving to quickly reach that realm after finishing current tasks, he thought, “Otherwise, it’s like having a beautiful woman lying on your bed but being unable to rise and claim your manhood…”

Such feelings were both frustrating and maddening. Gathering his composure, Qi Fei calmed his heart and continued, “Good. I’ll store this formation in my space and wait until I can activate it. Now, Grandpa Tong He, take a look at that box on the right.”

Tong He nodded silently, took the box, and upon opening it, raised his eyebrows in delight, exclaiming, “A fine treasure! I never expected to find this here.”

Qi Fei, puzzled, asked, “What treasure?”

“A flying ship, a top-tier magical artifact!” Tong He praised repeatedly, then nostalgically added, “The flying ship is said to be an unparalleled treasure that can safely traverse spatial realms, crafted only by Earth Immortal-level masters. The materials needed are extremely rare; even such masters may spend millions of years gathering them, and still might not find everything. I never thought—here lies one…”

Tong He’s muttering left Qi Fei utterly confused, “Uh, flying ship? Earth Immortal? Grandpa Tong He, what are you talking about?”

Tong He did not explain the terms but continued mumbling to himself, “You wouldn’t understand. Even when I was at my peak, I spent two thousand years trying to collect materials for a flying ship to use after advancing, but I never managed to gather enough. As a grandmaster alchemist, I used all my resources and methods, yet failed. You should understand how precious this is.”

“You mean you spent everything to gather this for use after advancing?” Though unclear about the specifics, Qi Fei was shocked by the implications. More than the ship’s value, he was intrigued by the suggestion that beings beyond his current Human Immortal level existed—Earth Immortals and higher.

Human Immortal, Ghost Immortal, Earth Immortal... above these, could there be Golden Immortals? These thoughts circled in Qi Fei’s mind, but he said nothing. Knowing Tong He’s temperament, even if he asked, Tong He would likely refuse to explain. Tong He often said, “If you’re not at that level, don’t worry about those matters. Focus on your current realm and seize opportunities to break through—that’s what every cultivator should do.” Sometimes Qi Fei agreed with this wisdom, but other times he resented Tong He’s refusal to share higher knowledge.

After all, Qi Fei was still a young man, brimming with curiosity. Touching only the outlines of these mysteries only made him itch to understand fully. But Tong He always acted as if he wouldn’t reveal more. So Qi Fei could only ponder silently without speaking.

Fortunately, Qi Fei understood his youth and the need to act within his strength. With Tong He’s guidance, he would eventually reach a level where he could comprehend everything. After some thought, when Tong He solemnly handed him the small boat model to store safely in his space, Qi Fei proposed a period of intense training.

Tong He wholeheartedly agreed, not bothering with other matters, and led Qi Fei to the cave’s training chamber. “Boy, this is a naturally formed binding space from overlapping spatial zones. Given your current level, if you can enter the compartment and perform your current level of Wave-Breaking Saber technique, you should be able to break through the void by force and reach the Morphing Realm!”

“Enter the compartment and perform the Wave-Breaking Saber at this level...” Qi Fei murmured, then resolutely declared, “Very well. Let me see what’s so special about this binding space.” Without waiting for further explanation, he stepped toward the place where he had previously tested a long sword.

From the map, Qi Fei knew the stone chamber’s outermost binding was twelve times normal. His previous attempt with the long sword only reached one zhang (about three meters) beyond the stone gate before the sword deformed under the pressure. This suggested the binding space didn’t merely increase pressure by a few times; the bindings shifted constantly, squeezing anything foreign at all times.

Yet, this was only speculation; he needed to experience it firsthand.

Qi Fei did not plan to enter the chamber first and then try the Wave-Breaking Saber. Everything had to be gradual. Only upon reaching external power levels in the twofold pressure zone would he advance further, continuously practicing and adapting to break the barrier between himself and the Innate Realm, as Tong He described.

With these thoughts, Qi Fei’s steps never paused, and he directly entered the outermost part of the binding space.

“Hm?” The moment Qi Fei stepped into the binding zone, though the map said the outer layer was only twice normal pressure, he immediately felt as if he had plunged ten zhang underwater. The dense, pervasive pressure struck his body from all directions.

Initially uncomfortable due to the sudden change, he sighed softly. Fortunately, his body was strong enough that after a brief discomfort, he quickly adapted.

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