Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

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As the year-end approached, Yongzhou experienced its first snowfall of the winter.

The thick, goose-feather snowflakes drifted down gently.

Everywhere in sight was wrapped in silver white.

On the streets paved with bluestone, a layer of white snow had accumulated.

In such cold weather, if there was no pressing matter, most people in the city preferred to stay indoors all day rather than go out.

In the past, the bustling streets of the city now appeared much quieter.

The workload of various government officials in the county also decreased significantly.

In this way, Shen Qing found himself with a lot of free time after handling his official duties for the day.

With nothing else to tend to, he unsurprisingly dedicated all this time to cultivation, becoming even more diligent than before.

In the wild forests of Green Mountain, Shen Qing wore only a short garment as he stood firm between heaven and earth, practicing the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill.

Not knowing how much time had passed, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the emerging Water Ink Panel: "Almost there."

[Skill: Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill (Great Perfection/Nine Revolutions)]

[Progress: 802/800 points]

[Status: Can be upgraded]

[Note: The key to martial arts cultivation lies in continuously breaking through one's limits and defying conventions. After years of training, you have finally honed the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill to the utmost. A further breakthrough will grant you the 'Heaven defying Style,' capable of unleashing tenfold strength in an instant.]

Tenfold strength!

Shen Qing's heart quickened as he looked at the reminder on the panel, and he couldn't help but feel his throat dry.

Such power was truly astonishing.

He took a deep breath and chose to upgrade without hesitation. The information on the Water Ink Panel rapidly refreshed.

[Skill: Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill (Break Limit - Heaven defying Style)]

[Progress: 2/900 points]

Boom!

The moment the status changed on the Water Ink Panel,

Shen Qing felt a powerful force and a flood of memories pouring into his body.

Suddenly, all his pores seemed to open up, frantically absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

This spiritual energy surged through him like a river, merging with the original true qi in his dantian, forming an unprecedented force that kept climbing. Soon, a dragon's roar and a tiger's roar echoed within him.

Shen Qing even fell into an illusion as if the true qi flowing through his Qi Sea was no longer merely moving but circulating in a semi-gaseous, semi-liquid state within his meridians, with each cycle bringing indescribable comfort and strength.

"What is this??"

Shen Qing suddenly widened his eyes, clearly sensing that the quality of his true qi had reached a new height. His cultivation had undergone an unprecedented improvement.

At this rate, it seemed that he was only one step away from the Yu Luo Realm.
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Shen Qing resisted the physical and mental discomfort, striving to digest the sudden change.

After the time it took for a pot of tea, all the abnormalities on Shen Qing's body faded away, and he exhaled heavily.

At this moment, Shen Qing found that the true qi within him was surging, his skin slightly reddened, and despite the thin clothing, he felt no coldness at all.

The next moment, he focused his mind, pushing the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill to its peak. A sharp light burst from his eyes, and an overwhelming aura erupted from him, soaring into the sky.

Around him, the space seemed to warp with heat like flames, causing transparent distortions.

"There's no one around right now, just the right time to test how strong my power really is."

Shen Qing locked his gaze on a towering small mountain not far away, suddenly urging the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill to its extreme while softly lowing and stacking the Mountain Embrace Seal.

"Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, Heaven defying Style! Tenfold overlay, open for me!"

The true qi within Shen Qing surged like a dike-breaking river, gathering at his fist, and with one palm he struck!

The already potent Mountain Embrace Seal, enhanced by the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, had its power increased tenfold in an instant!

Accompanied by a thunderous boom, a blinding light erupted from his palm like a rising sun, illuminating half the sky.

Wherever it passed, the air was torn, and the space seemed to distort, with all obstructing trees and barriers disintegrated into dust by this palm.

When the light met the small mountain, there was no buffer or transition. The mountain's surface was immediately enveloped in golden light.

Then came an earsplitting collapse.

Stones flew, dust filled the sky, and half the small mountain collapsed with a crash, turning into a ruin.

Shen Qing stood in the void, looking at the scene he caused, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

Tenfold strength was so formidable that even with this one palm strike, it was enough to rival a martial master of the Yu Luo Realm, even contending with a martial master of the Dan Realm.

"Not bad, not bad." Shen Qing showed a few signs of satisfaction.

Just as Shen Qing was feeling pleased, an unprecedented sense of weakness suddenly washed over him; however, to his surprise, this weakness lasted only for a fleeting moment.

He seemed to have thought of something, looked down at his dantian, and found that the "nacelles" surrounding his dantian had all extinguished, becoming dim.

"This is the Six Paths Whale Swallowing Technique. In this case, I can use the Heaven defying Style of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill at most twice."

Shen Qing calculated inwardly: "That should be enough."

"Tomorrow is the year-end, and the Guardian Martial Department Office will issue the annual salary. I will receive a Wish Power Pearl. With this pearl, I should be able to break through to Yu Luo. I imagine that in the Yu Luo Realm, using the Heaven defying Style should handle most situations."

Shen Qing gradually gained confidence, smiled smugly.

He glanced at the sky, took down the cloak from his horse, draped it over his shoulders, and mounted the horse to return to the city.

After a while, three to five figures of varying builds gathered, standing in front of the collapsed small mountain.

The remnants of the aura Shen Qing had just unleashed still lingered over the crumbled peak.

All present felt a faint warmth from it as if it were springtime, each showing an unusual expression.

A man with a pair of large bull horns asked a charming woman, "Lady Bai, you were the first to arrive here. Did you see who collapsed this mountain?"

"No. As soon as I heard the commotion, I rushed over but saw nothing."

"The one here just now was at least a Yu Luo Realm expert from the Human Clan, possibly even Dan Realm. At this point, has someone important in the city discovered something?"

"I have a grasp of who's at this cultivation level in Yongzhou City. This aura feels so unfamiliar, I've never encountered it."

"Is it a martial master newly dispatched to Yongzhou from the Ji Family of the court?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's heart tightened.

A middle-aged man with two protruding teeth and shifty eyes stepped forward: "It shouldn't be. We have been very careful, and except for Lady Bai, none of us have left any trace in the city. No one would know."

"But in any case, to be cautious, we ought to inform the mountain lord."

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