169 The Rumbling Smoke Signal (1/2)

Pained, Wang Baole grimaced and left his cave abode.

It was dusk, so the sky in the horizon was awash with orange hues. It was approaching spring. Even though the location of Ethereal Dao College made it seem like spring all year round, during the actual spring season, the temperature outside still carried a hint of the coldness.

The humidity was also higher. The winds blowing into one's face went straight to the bones. It might not have seemed too cold initially, but one would start feeling the cold after an extended period outdoors.

To a cultivator, however, a little cold was something that could be disregarded.

Wang Baole was not bothered by the cold winds that preceded the approach of spring. He walked out of the cave abode area, toward the setting sun, and ended up in a corner with no one in sight. He prayed inwardly, raised his right hand in a wave, and saw, instead of the scabbard appearing, invisible strands of Sword Qi shooting out from his palm soundlessly.

The Sword Qi transformed into nine mosquitoes in midair!

The nine mosquitoes looked extremely realistic, their appearances no different from real mosquitoes. They possessed a certain mind of their own and started flying around Wang Baole.

They gave off a similar feeling. Wang Baole shivered as he heard the endless buzzing in his ears. He almost raised his hand and swatted them, but he held back his sudden urges, took a deep breath, and forced his agitated mind to calm down. Instead, he tried to control the mosquitoes.

As soon as the thought rose in Wang Baole's mind, the nine mosquitoes shook. They flew in front of Wang Baole instantly and lined up in one row, like soldiers, before him.

”Hmm?” Wang Baole's eyes brightened. Another thought formed. In an instant, the mosquitoes kept reorganizing themselves before him, forming all kinds of formations that were identical to what Wang Baole had thought up.

”They're so agile!” Wang Baole was slightly surprised and pleased. He had been too glum earlier and had not immediately realized how different the mosquitoes were. He suddenly felt the mosquitoes to be quite powerful.

What if I don't go for precise control and instead issued a command?

Upon thinking that, Wang Baole immediately tried doing it. He soon realized to his surprise that these mosquitoes seemed to possess a certain mind of their own and could likely carry out the orders that he issued.

Patrolling, for example, or guarding against enemies. After Wang Baole infused more Spirit Qi into the scabbard inside his body, he was surprised to find a huge transformation in his vision!

An ordinary person, when staring straight ahead without moving their eyes, would maybe have a field of vision of approximately forty-five degrees. This was something even being a cultivator could not change. The most he could do was to hone his five senses and acquire a vague sensing of his surroundings.

But now… Wang Baole discovered, much to his shock, that his field of vision had transformed from its original forty-five degrees to a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision!

”This… this…” Wang Baole's breathing halted. After detailed observations, he immediately realized the cause. He was borrowing the field of vision from the nine mosquitoes. Each mosquito was like a pair of eyes. In this manner, he was able to exceed the limits of his original vision!

This discovery sent Wang Baole shaking inside. He immediately realized very clearly that such a field of vision would prove to be of immense help to him. When facing an enemy, it would be as if he had grown eyes all around his head… making him even more agile and aware of his surroundings.

In addition, if someone attempted to ambush him, it would be difficult for them to do so without his discovery!

Excited, Wang Baole felt that he needed to study this ability more. He maneuvered the mosquitoes and shifted their lines of sight endlessly. He found out excitedly that it did not matter if it was one mosquito or all nine mosquitoes, they could all become his eyes. He was able to control them flawlessly.

This ability alone is worth the ten thousand Armament Sand! Wang Baole was beyond excited. He eagerly tried to manipulate the mosquitoes into flying further away into the distance.

Let's see how far they can fly…

The thought had just appeared in Wang Baole's mind before a wave of emotions stirred within him again. As the nine mosquitoes flew rapidly away, Wang Baole discovered his vision transforming instantly again!

It was like ten different images being layered together without affecting one another, sharing one another's vision. He could see almost half of the Dharmic Armament Pavilion!

Even though blind spots started appearing as the mosquitoes flew further and further away, such an experience was already unprecedented to Wang Baole. It was at that moment that a cacophony of noises suddenly appeared and exploded in Wang Baole's head!

He could hear countless voices!

”The Armament Disciple exam is too hard. I hope I can pass this time!”

”Senior Brother Zhou, can this Mystic Flame Metal of yours be cheaper? I need loads of it!”

”Fried potatoes, freshly made fried potatoes…”

”Have you heard? The Beast Tide this year is approaching. A primary stronghold near my hometown is already preparing for war!”