Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 390: Bitter Water Peak

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

In just a moment, the cultivators of the Sunken Water Pavilion who had heard the commotion began to gather on the Zhongshan Peak. Their initial focus was entirely on the ghastly puppet, as its frenzied and chaotic presence was palpable even from a great distance.

Chen Fei left the ghastly puppet there for a reason—to quickly convince everyone of the situation. Otherwise, Chen Fei, an outsider, barging into the Sunken Water Pavilion and knocking out one of its elders would seem highly suspicious no matter how you looked at it. With the ghastly puppet standing there, many words need not be spoken.

Qu Yuexiu slowly regained consciousness, looked at the group of people, and her expression showed confusion. However, soon, fragments of memories flashed through Qu Yuexiu’s mind, and her complexion changed slightly.

“Elder Qu, have you remembered anything? Where are Elder Chen and Sect Master?” Chu Yushuang asked anxiously upon seeing Qu Yuexiu’s expression.

The situation in the Sunken Water Pavilion was extremely urgent at the moment. If they couldn’t get information from Qu Yuexiu, they would have to search separately for potential locations. However, this would be far less efficient. Moreover, if someone did find a location, they might be vulnerable to an ambush by the ghastly puppet.

Even Sect Master Ji Ruiqing, who was in the late stage of the Aperture tempering realm, had gone missing. If they encountered an unexpected situation, they might not be able to handle it. But if they didn’t split up to search, their efficiency would be even lower.

“They’re at Bitter Water Peak,” Qu Yuexiu urgently replied.

“Bitter Water Peak?”

Hearing this location, everyone was taken aback. Chen Fei, not being a member of the Sunken Water Pavilion, was naturally unaware of it, and the others were equally puzzled.

Earlier, when they heard what Chen Fei had said, the biggest possibility regarding the ghastly puppet was its intent to perform a blood sacrifice on the entire Sunken Water Pavilion, using the gained power to bolster Shang Wu City and plunge the world into chaos.

However, when Elder Chen Xiangyu returned, he didn’t kill any disciples, which seemed entirely different from a blood sacrifice. They had previously speculated on a few locations, all of which were secret places within the Sunken Water Pavilion.

Their earlier consideration of splitting up to search was based on heading in those directions.

What they had never expected was that they would find them at Bitter Water Peak.

The name “Bitter Water Peak” derived from the natural spring water on the mountain, which had a bitter and unpleasant taste that was hard to swallow. Additionally, the trees on Bitter Water Peak were sparse, perhaps due to the water source, and even the surviving trees appeared thin and malnourished, giving them an unsightly appearance.

Over time, the number of disciples on Bitter Water Peak dwindled, and eventually, everyone moved away from the peak, leaving it completely deserted.

The people of the Sunken Water Pavilion had considered renovating Bitter Water Peak since it was one of the sect’s peaks, and leaving it unused seemed like a waste. However, no matter how they tried to improve it, the mountain’s spring water remained extremely bitter, and they couldn’t identify the cause. Even when they attempted to guide spiritual energy into the peak using formations, it didn’t significantly improve the situation.

Eventually, even the people of the Sunken Water Pavilion gave up on Bitter Water Peak, and the sect’s disciples almost forgot about it, treating it as an unnamed mountain range.

The group swiftly moved toward Bitter Water Peak. Chen Fei glanced at the ghastly puppet, and three slashes of the Godslayer Sword flashed by, causing the ghastly puppet to emit a resentful scream before dissipating completely.

Outside the Sunken Water Pavilion, Chi Shuqing anxiously watched the location of the mountain gate. Just a moment ago, she had vaguely heard the sound of the bronze bell coming from the mountain gate, which was a signal that the sect was facing an emergency situation.

“I killed a ghastly puppet, and now everyone has gone to Bitter Water Peak,” Chen Fei’s main body turned to Chi Shuqing and briefly explained the situation.

“So, should we go in now?” Chi Shuqing let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the situation hadn’t reached its worst point yet. It was fortunate that they arrived quickly, and Chen Fei was there as well. Otherwise, it would have been challenging to identify who the ghastly puppet was.

As for Bitter Water Peak, no one could have expected it.

“Alright!” Chen Fei nodded after giving it some thought. The large-scale blood sacrifice by the ghastly puppet was still in preparation, so the danger of the Sunken Water Pavilion to Chen Fei was not that high.

If they encountered an extreme situation, Chen Fei was confident he could escape with Chi Shuqing.

After all, the strength of his main body had weakened somewhat, and if he were to engage in combat, he could easily be killed. By the time Chen Fei’s main body arrived, it might be too late.

Moreover, the strength of the clone was ultimately a little weak. If it really encountered a fight, it could easily be killed. By then, it would probably be too late for Chen Fei’s main body to rush over.

As Qu Qingsheng had thought, when one’s interests were closely linked to another’s, the destruction of Sunken Water Pavilion would bring no benefits to the Primordial Sword Sect or the entire surrounding Immortal Cloud City. Therefore, it was clear that they should try to save the Sunken Water Pavilion.

After all, they had gone through so much effort, and they couldn’t just give up at the last moment.

Upon hearing Chen Fei’s agreement, Chi Shuqing’s face lit up with joy. Chen Fei smiled faintly, took Chi Shuqing’s hand, and with a swift movement, they headed towards Bitter Water Peak.

Meanwhile, inside the Sunken Water Pavilion, the group had already arrived at Bitter Water Peak.

The bitter mountain spring water of Bitter Water Peak, which Chen Fei had not yet tasted, had an unusual quality. Just as they arrived, Chen Fei noticed that the spiritual energy around Bitter Water Peak felt somewhat sluggish compared to the normal spiritual energy found elsewhere. It instinctively repelled those who ventured near.

Although this type of spiritual energy could still be absorbed and used for cultivation, it made people feel uncomfortable.

Using his Star Gazing Art, Chen Fei observed the aura of the entire Bitter Water Peak, and in the next moment, his figure flashed towards a location halfway up the mountain.

As Chen Fei led the way, Chu Yushuang couldn’t help but be impressed. Dealing with a ghastly puppet was undoubtedly dangerous, but Chen Fei was still the fastest to act. This was not the Primordial Sword Sect but the Sunken Water Pavilion, and Chen Fei’s actions made people involuntarily have a good impression of him.

Not only Chu Yushuang, but the other elders of the Sunken Water Pavilion also felt the same way when they saw Chen Fei’s actions. Chen Fei had no idea about the emotions of the Sunken Water Pavilion elders following him; otherwise, he might have shaken his head and laughed.

This was just a clone. It was just that Chen Fei had perfected his “Soaring Heaven Technique” and his core soul energy had reached the late-stage of the aperture tempering realm. This made it impossible for anyone present to realize that this was merely a clone.

The key was that the clone had managed to subdue Qu Yuexiu.

Defeating a mid-stage aperture tempering realm cultivator with just a clone seemed almost unreal no matter how you looked at it.

Chen Fei had rushed ahead first because even if his clone were to be destroyed, it wouldn’t cause any real harm to him. The spiritual contamination from those ghastly puppets was usually something that ordinary aperture tempering realm cultivators couldn’t withstand, but Chen Fei was completely unaffected.

Unless the real Master Xi Lian appeared, then Chen Fei would indeed be unable to resist. However, at most, he would self-destruct the clone, which wouldn’t affect him in any significant way. Either Master Xi Lian would kill him with a remote spiritual attack, bypassing the clone and directly striking his true self, or Master Xi Lian would have already caused widespread casualties throughout this kingdom if he possessed such abilities.

As far as Chen Fei knew, there was a more advanced version of the Star Gazing Art within the enigmatic sect inside the Strange Heart Realm, that had such techniques. Unfortunately, Chen Fei hadn’t learned them.

With a swift motion, Chen Fei’s clone sliced through the air, emitting a piercing sound. In the blink of an eye, it had reached halfway up Bitter Water Peak. Chen Fei scanned the surroundings, then appeared before the mountainside and struck it with a palm.

Chen Fei’s clone couldn’t benefit from the protective power of the Suppressing Dragon Elephant technique because it wasn’t a real physical body. However, with his Zhongyuan Sword and Giant Spirit Sword both perfected, even without using their blades, Chen Fei’s every movement could unleash tremendous power, and his clone was no exception.

Boom!

The entire mountainside vibrated violently, countless rocks shattered, and an opening appeared in front of Chen Fei. However, behind the opening, there was a formidable array blocking Chen Fei’s path, seamlessly hidden behind the entrance and perfectly connected to the earth’s energy of Bitter Water Peak.

“Combine your strength to break the formation!” Chen Fei instructed as he saw Chu Yushuang and the others arrive. With the power of his clone alone, he couldn’t break the formation in a short amount of time.

“Boom!”

Among the nearly twenty Aperture tempering realm cultivators present, a few were even in the mid-stage of the realm. With this level of power, breaking the formation was a trivial task. With a single strike, the formation inside the cave entrance shattered.

“Master Chen, be careful!” Chu Yushuang couldn’t help but remind Chen Fei as he once again rushed inside. However, before she could finish her sentence, Chen Fei’s figure had already disappeared.

A few of the elders glanced at Chu Yushuang, a hint of amusement in their eyes. Chu Yushuang felt their gazes and blushed slightly, though no one made any teasing remarks.

At this moment, the most crucial task was to resolve the crisis in the Sunken Water Sect. Everything else could be dealt with later. If the Sunken Water Sect were to fall, everything would become meaningless for them.

Inside the cave, Chen Fei’s figure moved swiftly. There were many forks along the way, and for someone visiting this place for the first time, it was easy to take the wrong path. However, Chen Fei followed the guidance of his Star Gazing Art, descending steadily without any hesitation.

As he passed through, Chen Fei left markings along the way to help the others from the Sunken Water Sect catch up.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Chen Fei passed through a cave entrance, and a biting cold greeted him, causing the flow of inner energy in his clone to slow down slightly. However, he could also feel the surging elemental energy here, but it was extremely frigid, incompatible with his cultivation method. If he forcibly absorbed it, it would likely consume a significant amount of his energy to refine and assimilate it.

“Swoosh!”

The sharp sound of a blade cutting through the air rang out, and a cold light grazed Chen Fei’s neck as it passed by. Chen Fei’s right hand formed a sword-like gesture and pointed towards the intruder’s forehead.

“Kill!”

Chen Xiangyu shouted explosively, and a surge of sword intent shot out from his mind directly into Chen Fei’s consciousness.

Sensing Chen Xiangyu’s action, Chen Fei’s brow furrowed slightly. Did these ghastly puppets not communicate with each other? The same move, once again?

This kind of simultaneous mental attack, which felt like burning both jade and stone, was indeed an effective technique against other Aperture tempering realm cultivators. Whether it would harm the host being possessed, in this case, Chen Xiangyu’s own mental state, was not a concern for the ghastly puppets. Their logic was focused on eliminating their target as quickly as possible.

However, among these ghastly puppets, it was unclear whether they couldn’t coordinate with each other or simply lacked intelligence. They seemed to provide Chen Fei with convenient conditions by targeting his core soul energy output..