“This.” I coughed awkwardly. “Truthfully, even now, I still don’t fully grasp what’s happening. When I practice, and the Dou Qi energy inside me erupts, I enter this wondrous state. Everything around me seems to slow down drastically—enemies, my own moves, everything. Is this what you meant by the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi?”
“I see.” Sui Yun looked puzzled, though a thought seemed to dawn on her. “It seems Your Highness has mastered a unique Dou Qi capable of instantaneous explosion! And simultaneously mastered an ultimate technique that fortifies the body to withstand the force of that explosion! Only by mastering both these supreme techniques is it possible to unleash the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi!”
“Dou Qi explosion.” A realization sparked in me, yet it remained elusive. Could it be that the instantaneous burst of Dou Qi is what triggers this peculiar state?
“When the energy of the Dou Qi accumulates to a certain degree, and due to its violent eruption, it cannot be released externally, it momentarily enhances the physical body. The nerves—both physical strength and reaction speed, even visual acuity—enter an extraordinary extreme state. Ancient legends suggest that under this marvelous condition, one can unleash terrifying power capable of reversing the heavens and earth. That is why this technique is also called the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi,” Sui Yun continued. “Of course, this all rests on one premise: Your Highness’s physical body must be able to withstand the force of this internal detonation; otherwise, the result is simply exploding into dust.”
“Extreme eruption of Dou Qi, yet unable to discharge it outwardly.” I suddenly understood this principle! Isn’t this precisely the qualitative leap produced by the accumulation of quantity in modern physics! And the extreme explosion of Dou Qi, unable to disperse, is confined to act upon the body! The most direct effect is the instantaneous strengthening of the physical form! It’s the Jiu Long Hu Ti! And the Kuang Shi Dou Qi and Lei Ting Dou Qi! Had Sui Yun not pointed this out, I never would have figured out what was actually happening!
Based on this theory, my supposed state of instant invincibility now has a reasonable explanation. Cultivating Jiu Long Hu Ti greatly strengthened my body, both the meridians and the physical form! The combined Dou Qi energies of the Kuang Shi Dou Qi, Lei Ting Dou Qi, and Jiu Long Hu Ti merge into an extremely unstable mass of Dou Qi energy! Like gunpowder, it explodes! But the force of the explosion is magnified countless times! Ultimately resulting in a terrifying burst of power!! However, because of the astonishing strength of the Jiu Long Hu Ti, this explosive force is firmly imprisoned within my body! The energy that cannot explode outwardly also cannot dissipate, so it can only act upon my own body! The result is that in that instant, my physique is hyper-strengthened! But this process is extremely brief, just like the split second a bomb detonates! The power eventually dissipates, and only then am I freed from that extreme state!
Even after figuring it out, I couldn't help but secretly break into a cold sweat! If I hadn't simultaneously cultivated Jiu Long Hu Ti, Kuang Shi Dou Qi, and Lei Ting Dou Qi—these three different energies! If I hadn't cultivated Jiu Long Hu Ti! Its robust protection ensured my body was strong enough to withstand that explosive force! I could never have entered this state of instantaneous invincibility! One could say that, besides sheer coincidence, I truly cannot find any other explanation for this! Without the protection of Jiu Long Hu Ti, the mere explosion resulting from the two different Dou Qi energies of Kuang Shi Dou Qi and Lei Ting Dou Qi would have been enough to blast me to smithereens! So this was the true secret behind instant invincibility!
“Thank you, Great Chief.” I said with emotion. “If you hadn't explained it, I truly wouldn’t have understood what was happening.” I continued, “As you said, I have indeed mastered both these ultimate techniques simultaneously.”
“Indeed,” Sui Yun replied, looking unsurprised, then relieved. “Your Highness’s strength is comparable to mine. How about we call this bout a draw?”
“........” Though I felt a lingering desire for more, I had obtained everything I needed! It seemed this so-called instant invincibility was not true invincibility; I simply hadn't encountered an expert of the same caliber yet! Now, with Sui Yun, we could fight evenly matched! And strictly speaking, I should be the one who lost! Keep in mind, I was wearing the Lei Ting Zhan Jia right now! During the duel, I even utilized the mysterious power residing within the Lei Ting Zhan Jia! Sui Yun, however, wore plain white clothes, relying on no external aid whatsoever! To be able to fight evenly against me—who could activate instant invincibility while wearing the Lei Ting Zhan Jia and utilizing its power—purely through physical strength! This level of cultivation simply exceeded my imagination! Is this the true power of the experts from the Snow Region Continent? In that moment, a feeling of powerless defeat washed over me!
In the past, I had always been brimming with confidence. Frankly, for a long time, I harbored a sense of soaring self-belief that I was invincible! On the Mafa Continent, there were almost no opponents who could match me! Although I was once defeated by the strongest, the Feng Tian War God Sheng Yan Zhen Yu! But even then, I stubbornly believed that Sheng Yan Zhen Yu only defeated me by relying on the power of the Feng Tian Mo Jia! If I had been wearing the Feng Tian Zhan Jia back then, I definitely could have defeated Sheng Yan Zhen Yu! That was my confidence!
Twenty-five years later, I expected that after the Heavenly Pass opened, the experts who trained there should be incredibly formidable! Yet, during the last rescue of Long Xin, I still killed another Feng Tian War God, a so-called expert from the Seventh Heaven Gate! I had previously learned that only the strongest experts on the continent at that time could wear the Feng Tian Mo Jia! He was already considered the strongest Feng Tian War God of the Moluo Cult! Yet I killed him easily! For a moment, I felt utterly disheartened! Is this all there is to the so-called strongest War Gods? Although somewhat arrogant, at that time, I truly felt the loneliness of having no worthy rival! Until now, meeting Sui Yun. There is always someone better beyond the mountains, someone stronger beyond the horizon. The ancient Chinese were absolutely right!
What shocked me even more was that Sui Yun wasn't even the strongest expert on the Snow Region Continent; Yue Che was stronger than her! It was hard to imagine what level of power Yue Che’s strength might reach!
“Great Chief, your ability is extraordinary,” I stated gravely. “Strictly speaking, I lost this bout, and I concede wholeheartedly.”
“.......” Sui Yun looked slightly stunned, seemingly not understanding my sentiment. “Where does Your Highness base this judgment?”
“Your Highness didn't lose,” Sai Si chimed in, approaching. “Besides Yue Che, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone crack the Great Chief’s Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi.”
“That’s right,” Sui Yun added, her expression serious. “Your Highness’s strength is counted among the few supreme experts across the continent. Why the discouragement?”
“I am ashamed,” I replied awkwardly. “The Great Chief wears plain white robes, relying solely on her own cultivation! I am wearing the Lei Ting Zhan Jia, along with a complete set of Lei Ting equipment, and wielding the Ba Zhe Zhi Ren in my hand. It can be said that in the recent duel, more than half of my strength came from the gear I wore—I borrowed external power!”
Though dispirited, I had to admit this fact. What was even harder for me to accept was that Sui Yun was a woman! And by appearance, she didn't look much older than Yin Shuang! This defeat truly struck me hard, very hard! Of course, deep down, I absolutely refuse to surrender just like that!
“External power.” Sai Si flashed a strange smile! But he said nothing, instead gazing at Sui Yun with a look laden with meaning!
“I admire Your Highness’s magnanimity, Commander!” Sui Yun exclaimed. “For an expert, admitting defeat is the hardest thing to say, yet Your Highness not only admits it but does so so frankly.”
“A loss is a loss, and a win is a win,” I continued. “But one day, I will defeat the Great Chief again using only my true strength.”
“True strength.” Sui Yun finally grasped my meaning, but a hint of shame also crossed her face. “It seems Your Highness has misunderstood something.”
“Misunderstood?” Now it was my turn to be perplexed.
“Great Chief, why don't you explain it to His Highness,” Sai Si chuckled, unable to hold back any longer.
“.......” What exactly was this guy trying to say!
“His Highness claims he only managed a draw because he relied on external power,” Sui Yun said with a light smile. “But does Your Highness truly believe I achieved a draw against you using only my innate ability?”
“Didn't you?” I was still confused!
“Certainly not,” Sui Yun stated firmly. “The theory behind the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi is no secret on our continent; many understand it, but very few manage to master it. Including you and me, there are fewer than ten experts at this level across the continent!”
“.......” I froze! Fewer than ten people, and yet she calls it ‘very few’! Heavens, what kind of place is this Snow Region Continent, housing so many monsters! If an expert of this caliber had appeared on the Mafa Continent twenty-five years ago, they could have swept through the four nations!
“Mastering the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi is not necessarily difficult, but it is far from easy! Because achieving the required level of physical enhancement and extreme power gain is impossible for the human body on its own! Therefore, anyone possessing the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi must be leveraging some form of external power!”
“External power?” I was startled. “Does that mean the Great Chief is the same!”
“Precisely.”
“How is that possible?” I instinctively stared at Sui Yun, scrutinizing her. Apart from that sword, which seemed somewhat peculiar, I couldn't discern anything strange about her.
“.......” Seemingly taken aback by my blatant staring, Sui Yun actually showed a rare flash of coyness.
Cough! Cough!!
Sai Si deliberately coughed, jolting me back to awareness of my own impropriety! I managed an awkward, dry laugh!
“The Marshal wouldn’t be able to see it,” Sui Yun said, though she was also slightly embarrassed. “The power I channel is not my innate strength, but rather derived from Spirit Orbs inherited from my ancestors, which allows me to possess the Dou Qi energy required to wield the Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi.”
“Inheritance, Spirit Orbs.” Though I didn't fully comprehend, I couldn't help but gasp in shock! Are her powers not her own? “What are these Spirit Orbs?”
“Your Mafa Continent’s four empires possess armor sets like the Tian Mo Zhan Jia, Lei Ting Zhan Jia, and Feng Tian Mo Jia, which grant power far exceeding the limits of the human body when worn,” Sui Yun explained. “And our Snow Region Continent has its own method of power inheritance! That is the Inherited Spirit Orb!”
“What exactly is an Inherited Spirit Orb?” I asked reflexively. “It can actually counter the power of the Lei Ting Zhan Jia and Feng Tian Mo Jia.”
“The Inherited Spirit Orb is a divine artifact left over from ancient times, which we also call the Spirit Gathering Orb.”
Wait! Spirit Gathering Orb! That name sounded familiar! Suddenly, I remembered! Isn't that the magical experience bead you could dig up in the Wolong Villa after accessing it in Legend of Mir!
“Wolong Villa!” I exclaimed.
“Wolong Villa?” Now it was Sui Yun’s turn to be greatly surprised. “How does Your Highness know that the Spirit Gathering Orb originates from the Wolong Villa?”
“.......” Sai Si looked even more suspicious and unsettled, trying to discern something from me!
“Nothing, I just heard someone mention it before,” I mumbled, unsure how to explain! I couldn't exactly tell them I was a transmigrator, could I!
“That’s quite something,” Sui Yun murmured, looking solemn! Sai Si, his brow tightly furrowed, seemed to be suppressing something heavy! Did I say something dangerous! “I only heard of the Spirit Gathering Orb, and that it came from the Wolong Villa treasure,” I quickly diverted the topic. “But I have no idea what its function is.”
“Is that so?” Sai Si’s expression grew grim; I could sense him struggling to contain something. “Commander, could Your Highness tell me who you heard this from?”
“This…” I paused awkwardly!
“Forget it, Sai Si!” Sui Yun commanded sternly. “Regardless of where His Highness heard it, the secret that the Spirit Gathering Orb comes from Wolong Villa must not be revealed. The consequences of exposure would be unimaginable.”
“.......” I nodded quickly!
“Actually, this isn't much of a secret, but the number of people who know the Spirit Gathering Orb originates from Wolong Villa, including you, is no more than ten.”
“Ah!” Have I stumbled upon another major secret!
“However, the usage of the Spirit Gathering Orb is known by everyone on our continent! In fact, the function of the Spirit Gathering Orb is to store Dou Qi energy. Through inheritance, the Dou Qi energy condensed by our ancestors can be poured into the orb. Upon death, the orb is passed down to the next generation, allowing the inheritor to gain the power left behind by their predecessors.”
“I see,” I finally understood! No wonder Sui Yun looked so young, yet her internal Dou Qi energy was so astonishing!
“While it sounds simple, the process involved is extremely complex, and not everyone can inherit a Spirit Orb,” Sui Yun stated.
“So, the Great Chief has inherited the power of a Spirit Orb.”
“Correct. What I inherited is the lineage-passing Spirit Orb of the Snow Field Tribe—specifically, the Blue Spirit Orb among the Seven-Colored Spirit Orbs.”
“But where is this Spirit Orb?” I scanned her up and down, failing to see anything resembling a bead. Of course, it could be kept close to her person, but I certainly didn't have the nerve to start stripping her clothes!
“You cannot see it.” Sai Si, seeing my eyes constantly scanning Sui Yun, seemed annoyed! He looked like he wanted to beat me up! Is this guy romantically involved with Sui Yun!
“Once the Spirit Orb has been successfully inherited, it is implanted within the body. Unless one dies, the Spirit Orb will not manifest externally,” Sui Yun explained.
“I see!” I felt awkward but quickly changed the subject. “These Seven-Colored Spirit Orbs—does that mean there are exactly seven Spirit Gathering Orbs, and they come in seven different colors?”
What struck me as coincidental was that these Seven-Colored Spirit Orbs seemed to share a mysterious connection with the seven Night Luminous Pearls! Both have seven colors, and both exist as a set of seven! And I possess one Night Luminous Pearl on my person! Even more coincidentally, my Night Luminous Pearl is also blue! I wonder what connection these two beads, both supposedly from Wolong Villa, might have!
Of course, Sui Yun couldn't read my mind and continued: “Your Highness is correct! The Seven-Colored Spirit Orbs are divided into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet! Hence they are also called the Seven-Colored Spirit Orbs!”
“What a coincidence, seven just like the Night Luminous Pearls,” I said this with deep implication, hoping to gauge any relationship between the Night Luminous Pearls and the Spirit Gathering Orbs! If they knew something, perhaps I could discern some strange reaction!
“I also find it incredible,” Sui Yun replied, equally curious. “Ancient texts mention the existence of seven Night Luminous Pearls, and that they are the most crucial items for awakening heroes! But I wonder what would happen if the Spirit Gathering Orbs and the Night Luminous Pearls were placed together!”
It seemed she didn't know anything else specific!
“We might have the chance to see in the future,” I replied. “By the way, how powerful is the accumulated energy within the Spirit Gathering Orb? I sensed you weren't using your full strength just now.”
“The power condensed by this Spirit Orb is an intensity of one thousand!” Sui Yun stated seriously.
“One thousand, intensity!” I was confused. “What is the concept? What unit is that?”
“Intensity is merely a conventional term used on this continent for a long time,” Sai Si explained. “It is a measurement standard based on the destructive power that Dou Qi can generate. A standard heavy armor has a defense rating of ten degrees; meaning, a strength of ten degrees of Dou Qi is enough to pierce that armor and cause damage to the body! A higher-grade War God Armor has twenty degrees! And War God Armor forged from specialized Black Gold or Black Iron has an intensity of one hundred! Its defensive power is roughly equivalent to the Tian Mo Zhan Jia on your Mafa Continent! This is the strongest defensive armor our Snow Region Continent can forge!” As for the Lei Ting Zhan Jia you wear, based on intelligence we have previously gathered! Its defensive strength is approximately three hundred degrees! If I explain it this way, Your Highness should understand now, right?”
“I see,” I felt a chill. “It seems that level of defense is like paper in the face of such former intensities.”
“Armor defense is just a standard,” Sui Yun said solemnly. “Moreover, no matter how strong the power, it must strike the opponent to have an effect. With Your Highness’s speed and skill, hitting you is not an easy task.”
“Since the Great Chief possesses the power of the Inherited Spirit Orb, what power does Yue Che rely on?” I finally asked the biggest question weighing on my mind!