Chapter 4 - Nine Astra Skies (2/2)

When Ye Chen had woken up from that trance, he realized his Celestial Chi was already in the First Stage.

He started revolving the enigmatic Celestial Chi within his body and discovered that the speed in its circulation was drastically faster in comparison to what it was in the past; including when he was at the prime of his Sixth Stage.

Now, whenever he willed it, the Flying Dagger would automatically pour a wave of Celestial Chi into his body. As he thought back to the sight of the vast Celestial Chi ocean, Ye Chen wondered if he had a similar, albeit personal ocean of Chi lying within the dagger at his beck and call.

He absorbed the torrent of Celestial Chi in hunger and felt it expanding within his body, stronger and stronger.

Soon, Ye Chen could feel himself approaching the rank barrier separating the First and Second Stage. He may only have the actual prowess of a First Stage Fighter but with the unrestrained surge of Celestial Chi, the rank barrier crumbled before him.

‘I’ve advanced a stage – The Second Stage!’

When was the last time Ye Chen ever felt such joy in achieving a new stage? Even when he had broken through the Sixth Stage back then, his joy now could not be compared to before as he entered the Second Stage.

‘Destiny would always reward those who forge ahead with indomitable resolve.’ The proverb proved itself to be true after all! Ye Chen balled his hands into fists as the despair that plagued him for three years now has been displaced with a strong sense of conviction. He was no longer a crippled man!

Since his First Stage Advancement, Ye Chen started to consolidate his Celestial Chi again in preparation for another breakthrough.

It was then, a discourse, whispering about some form of technique gradually surfaced in Ye Chen’s mind.

It declared its name as ‘The Nine Astra Skies’– an enigmatic discourse on chi-cultivation techniques. It consisted of nine different chapters named after nine different elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, ice, wind, thunder and lightning. The materials listed in the entire discourse were complex yet, Ye Chen realized that every detail and content of Nine Astra Skies seemed to be carved right in his mind. Every single word was crystal clear.

‘The Nine Astra Skies – Striving through nine deaths, nine births, one transcends heavens.’

He was not sure what sort of state it would be like for anyone to ‘transcend heavens’ but he was even more puzzled by ‘nine deaths, nine births.’ It could not possibly mean that a person would have to die and be reborn eighteen times altogether in order to reach the highest level described by Nine Astra Skies, could it?

‘I mean, when people die, it is as if they have reached the end of a candle. How could anyone ever come back from death?’

This was not the only strange discovery Ye Chen had uncovered. Among the nine chi cultivation techniques described, there was a technique called The Thunder Emperor Discourse under the Thunder chapter, detailing methods and steps that were suspiciously similar to the Inner Thunder Clap Energy Cultivation technique that the Ye clan had always practiced. However, there were still some differences between the two as the Thunder Emperor Discourse was more substantial and advanced.

There were three grades within Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation and the apex level that was only known to his father, Ye Zhantian was rumored to be capable of elevating a fighter straight to the Tenth Stage if practiced. On the other hand, the Thunder Emperor Discourse was divided into six grades, with the very paragon of its practice awarding the cultivator to master the ability to control thunder and power that rivaled nature. Ye Chen could not even imagine how great that was going to be.

What he did know for sure was that after comparing the two techniques, it became apparent that the Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation was nothing but a watered-down version of the Thunder Emperor Discourse. It was so incomplete that it hardly encompassed one-tenth of the latter’s content.

What was the Flying Dagger’s connection with the House of Ye?

Every martial arts technique could be rated with nine tiers. The Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation technique was already considered an advanced technique that was on the third tier and above, occupying a position of prestige among all martial arts techniques practiced by factions within Donglin county. So what more of the highly advanced Thunder Emperor Discourse?

It was probably a bad idea to try and rate the Thunder Emperor Discourse, so Ye Chen abandoned that idea. Instead, he thought of following the discourse itself. This was because he had been a practitioner of the Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation over a long period of time and had thus accrued some Thunder-style technique basics. Secondly, this was a martial art more profound than the Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation.

Ye Chen found himself completely immersed in the mysteries brought by the First Grade of Thunder Emperor Discourse. He may possess a superficial understanding of the technique’s secrets but it was more than enough to charm the young man.

A joyful silence hung over the cabin until the sun peeked through the clouds.

Morning mist shrouded the surrounding of the wooden cabin and because it was situated in the farthest area, they were never many visitors around his part of the Ye Castle complex. As a result, a serene silence hung around under the backdrop of evergreen trees and a quiet creek racing under a small bridge. The surrounding was akin to a wild forest due to the lack of maintenance but within the wilderness was an exhibit of liveliness.

Ye Chen stepped out of his cabin and took a deep breath of fresh morning air. Since dawn, he felt that the world had taken on a new canvas, so much so that the scent of flowers was dewier. Most of all, he had felt a sense of tranquility which was never felt before.

After a night of studying the Thunder Emperor Discourse, Ye Chen found many flaws within the Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation and had since made some rectification in order to promote the speed of its practitioner’s cultivation by manyfolds. In fact, ever since he had known the dictums of Nine Astra Skies, Ye Chen realized that his overall innate understanding of martial arts increased.

The Flying Dagger’s supply of Celestial Chi never ceased which increasingly fortified Ye Chen’s personal Celestial Chi reservoir until he was once again, at the brink of surpassing the Second Stage.

Boom!

A loud peal rang from his dantian as the barrier crumbled instantly before his Celestial Chi.

‘I’m in the Third Stage now!’

An average person would take at least one or two years’ worth to advance from the First to the Third Stage. Yet, in a bewildering speed, Ye Chen had recovered so much Celestial Chi in just one night!

‘Should I tell Father about the Thunder Emperor Discourse?’ Ye Chen thought, ‘With its aid, Father would be able to improve his powers exponentially and shoot past the Eight or even Ninth Stage. Then, with Old Gramps with us, there would be two Ninth Stage powerhouses in the family. Our force would be very much different from the present. The House of Ye will finally be free of our perilous state.’

However, as the last three advanced grades of the Thunder Emperor Discourse may come as a shock, Ye Chen thought it best to only share the first three grades with his old man. He would, of course, have to come up with a lie for the origin of his newfound knowledge.

His father had been exhausting every resource the family had in order to gather enough Chi-amassing Pills for the nourishment of his meridians, which caused the family to be less influential and less powerful over time. Yet, his father had never complained once while most of his uncles had only love and care to offer their unfortunate nephew.

‘A deed as massive as this cannot possibly be sufficiently repaid just by sharing the Thunder Emperor Discourse.’

A cold glint of light shone in his eyes. ‘The ones that had put me through this ordeal will reap worse winds than they have sowed!’

Ye Chen inhaled and exhaled, calming the anger within him. Ever since he had achieved Pure Yang State, he found his senses sharpened, his mental reflexes nimbler; things he never possessed before.

After meditating for hours, he got up to get reacquainted with his family’s martial arts techniques such as Rumbling Thunder Burst and Roaring Thunder Fist.

Of all martial arts, Thunder-style techniques were the most lethal. For example, to perform Rumbling Thunder burst, the warrior would muster Thunder-style Celestial Chi to the center of their palms before hurling it at their opponent. When the palm met its target, Thunder-style energy would be blasted into their body, therefore amplifying the impact of a purely physical strike many times more. Meanwhile, to perform Roaring Thunder First, one must always strike fast and in full force, as if the goal is to render the opponent dead.

Ye Chen had already mastered the two techniques back when he was at his prime at the Sixth Stage. After years of disuse, he was a little rusty with them at the beginning but he mastered it soon enough.

Deep inside Ye Chen’s core, the realization that he was once again able to practice martial arts stirred up an amalgamation of indescribable sentimentalities.