Chapter 170: You say Qin Shi's mindset isn't upright

Was all my painstaking "ascetic training" just for mining?

Qin Shi very much wanted to curse out Super Xiao He like that, but considering the Entropy Sea Bank's vast exchange list, those dazzlingly effective cultivation resources, and the purchasing power of Xu Kong Coins.

"He Lanchan went from miner to mine boss back then! Even the First Generation Ten Greats did that, so I'm not ashamed to mine!"

Qin Shi comforted himself, suddenly withdrawing from his inner landscape to more carefully perceive the process of his spiritual power's transformation.

The qi mist surging in his brain sea formed one milky-white vortex after another.

The illusory mind gradually condensed into substance, with wisp after wisp of overflowing energy shaking the atmosphere and stirring ripples.

"Manipulating objects seems easier now."

This was the obvious change Qin Shi first perceived.

He remembered that when he first began cultivating his mind, his spiritual power spread out with resistance.

Like a person swimming in water, full of resistance.

But now it was like a boat traveling down a river, someone rowing and steering, knowing how to go with the flow.

That resistance naturally became much smaller.

With a casual lift of his hand, his mind covered like a wave and suddenly shot out, fast as lightning!

Bang!

As if an invisible large hand tightly gripped the air, streams of airflow were compressed, then suddenly exploded.

Boom!

Like a heavy cannonball smashing into the cave, hard earth and stone were pulverized, immediately showing bowl-sized pits.

"The damage is probably about one-tenth of my fist's force; the advantage is greater attack range, and it's harder to guard against."

Qin Shi tested the performance of his spiritual power's transformation, his mind covering nearly a hundred meters.

This made his already keen senses even clearer; even with his eyes closed, he could catch the slightest movement tens of meters away.

If closer, limited to around twenty meters, he could even "see" ants crawling on dry cracked ground, their antennae tremors crystal clear.

"Once the Holy Embryo condenses, it can absorb dimensional energy; only then does it count as mind cultivation, entering the hall."

As the Xu Kong Meditation Method operated, although Qin Shi sat cross-legged motionless, within finer spatial structures, those wandering energy factors gathered like morning dew into droplets, slowly flowing toward him.

If he advanced another major realm, the substantive mental power of his spiritual transformation would only need a thought to cover and manipulate all objects within a hundred meters around him, then shatter them!

This destructive power far surpassed the Martial Path, enough for one person to face hundreds or thousands of firepower strikes!

"Sitting Forgetting is Third Senior Sister's realm. In ancient cultivation terms, it is 'Self and Object Both Forgotten,' a perfect level transcending one's own form."

"Their bodies merge with space, as if blessed by 'Heaven's Will'; with a thought, wind and clouds change, snow fills the universe, affecting climate and celestial phenomena!"

Qin Shi longed for it while pondering.

He was now between Entry into Samadhi and Holy Embryo, the former perfected, the latter not yet reached.

According to the Xu Kong Meditation Method, the Holy Embryo is a union of spirit and energy, like Yin-Yang Intercourse, Unity of Heaven and Man.

Entrusting the mysteries of the mind to the infinite dimensions derived from Netherworld Space, thereby wielding mighty and varied spell skills.

Condensing the Holy Embryo requires a suitable opportunity.

"The ways to condense the Holy Embryo are varied, and power differs. One must establish the Self Heart, light up mental power, turning it into spiritual radiance..."

Qin Shi contemplated the process; his conception of the "Holy Embryo" was still vague, lacking a concrete concept.

According to the Xu Kong Meditation Method, the Holy Embryo was called "Dan Ying" in ancient times.

Or a round, lumpy, golden pill containing terrifying energy capable of moving mountains and overturning seas;

Or returning to the innate, washing away turbid qi in the form of an infant, able to leave the flesh body, fly through the sky and burrow through the earth, roam the four seas.

Different forms determine different effects.

Later, some big shots chose not to follow the ancient ways, being unique, creating things like god-demon dharma forms, true dragons and phoenixes.

Just for the sake of being flashy!

Nowadays it's more convenient, with several fast-track paths.

For example, becoming a believer of a Divine Spirit Pillar, modeling the Holy Embryo after Their form;

Or using some object as a medium, taking it as a mental totem, slowly sketching it in the heart.

"It seems both the new generation's Martial Path and Spiritual Path hope to improve efficiency and speed things up."

Qin Shi began considering how to condense the Holy Embryo; the Xu Kong Meditation Method provided two ways: one, absorb over a thousand units of dimensional energy and forge it into Twelve Crystals, constantly polishing them to perfection; two, follow the ancient method, find a "Cave Heaven Blessed Land" rich in energy factors, and complete "Hundred-Day Holy Embryo Formation."

"My spiritual power has already surpassed the flesh vitality of a mortal body, so condensing the Holy Embryo isn't urgent; another day I'll ask Third Senior Sister for advice and reference her suggestions."

Immediately, he pondered spell slots, his eyes flickering, deep in thought:

"Every spell skill is a reflection and projection of the rules of Tian Di, even the supreme will. To master it, one must contain it, contain it with the mind, then operate it with mental power."

Every time Qin Shi's spiritual power transformed and his mind broke through, the Xu Kong Meditation Method imprinted in his inner landscape would give him much insight, glimpsing the true meaning of cultivation from it.

"He Lanchan's inheritance, if summarized, is probably a spatial-type Spiritual Path. The spell skills are extremely simple, just one move!"

Qin Shi spread his five fingers; the mental power of his spiritual transformation rotated forward and backward at high speed, like vortices attracting each other. Half a minute later, thin black cracks like noodles appeared in his palm.

His mind constantly shattered and condensed, condensed and shattered, making him frown tightly; this process inevitably brought pain, which he could only drive with strong will.

Another half minute passed, like a casting bar filling up, a black crack the size of a millstone arose and suddenly flew outward slashing!

Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss!

The extremely hard earth and stone of the cave were like soft rotten mud, easily cut, almost split in half!

Until reaching eighty meters away did it gradually disperse!

"Less than zero point two seconds! This speed, terrifyingly fast!"

Sweat beaded on Qin Shi's forehead, his face slightly pale; this move almost drained his spiritual power, and even his transformed Consciousness Sea couldn't withstand such consumption.

The only spell skill condensed by the Xu Kong Meditation Method is the legendary Dimensional Slash.

"He Lanchan said in the inheritance that this spell skill needs no comprehension; practice and use it more every day, and proficiency will naturally increase. When you can use it as smoothly as a basic attack, that counts as Great Achievement."

Qin Shi seemed to have a toothache, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He had only used it once, and his body was already drained; even if used as a basic attack, even a body that had broken the Three Great Limits would be sucked dry.

……

……

At the Temporary Command Base, Chen Ruofu and Fang Butang exchanged glances, both of their expressions complex.

In less than two hours, the number of death quotas surged again, and the number of withdrawals doubled.

Only one night had passed, and the participants in the Outer Area of the Top Hundred Competition had already suffered heavy casualties.

"Your Patrol Department's Xiao Qin is quite bloodthirsty."

Fang Butang sipped the tea in his enamel cup; though he couldn't see the battle scenes, he could guess roughly from the extinguishing light points and the alarms released by the electronic markers.

"Indeed quite fierce—traveling through the night, wiping out a squad, then taking down Wu Tao, who was nearly the strongest in the Outer Area, and eliminating the remaining few."

Chen Ruofu hadn't expected Qin Shi's combat power to be so terrifying; he had forcibly torn through the Ying Clan's encirclement, truly blasting open a path of life and death with his fists.

If Elder Zhang knew about this, he would surely be excited enough to slap his wheelchair.

The Old Martial Arts faction's favorite seedlings are exactly this type: solid foundations and ferocious martial fighters.

"Such a commotion, the rescue teams haven't rested all night; they must have alarmed those two Representatives. When they come over later, how should we put it?"

Fang Butang furrowed his brow, worried that the smell of gunpowder would be too strong later, leading to a shouting match that would be unseemly and unsightly.

"What's there to fear!"

Chen Ruofu instead became composed, straightening his back:

"What they say is, handle things according to the rules. The Top Hundred Competition is originally a competitive trial of chasing each other, not a cooperation of working together.

Since there is opposition, injuries are inevitable; Xiao Qin didn't cheat..."

Representative Zhou of the Center City Education Bureau had a gloomy expression and strode into the military tent set up with monitoring equipment:

"He didn't cheat! A high school student with a Qi Life Force of around eighty, beheading Wen Han, Lin Kang, Zheng Jun, and others! Which of these students isn't a prominent figure at Center City University? Minister Chen, please tell me, is it reasonable that they all lost to a mere high school student?"

Chen Ruofu didn't even look properly at the flustered Representative Zhou, merely saying lightly:

"Geniuses—if they cannot break common sense and defy public cognition, what is called a genius! He Lanchan grew from the garbage district to become one of the First Generation Ten Greats, standing shoulder to shoulder with Qi Wuxiang of the Haizhou Great Clan; the education resources and cultivation resources they received were not on the same level.

If judged by common sense, He Lanchan should never have appeared before Qi Wuxiang in his lifetime! Representative Zhou, you are not a genius, so it's normal that you don't understand."

The last sentence, spoken by Chen Ruofu in a bland tone, viciously stung Representative Zhou.

What does "you're not a genius, so it's normal you don't understand" mean?

I'm also a top graduate of a legitimate martial arts program!

"Representative Li, you say! Qin Shi maliciously harmed other participants for no reason, and his methods are cruel and vicious, often taking lives! This shows his Xinli!"

After getting angry, Representative Zhou didn't lose his head; he quickly calmed down and began to exercise the talent skills of a bureaucrat, slapping on big hats.

The participants slain by Qin Shi almost all came from Center City, and were top students from various universities.

Now they have all fallen in the Great Rift Valley, a loss of at least a billion!

Representative Li was a bit embarrassed, seemingly not knowing how to respond.

This hat was slapped on rather forcibly; as a Representative of the Martial Association, he really couldn't go along with it.

He could only cough twice and change the subject:

"Student Xiao Qin's practical combat is indeed top-notch; living up to his reputation as one who walks the Old Martial Arts' Limit Breaking Path."

Representative Zhou, however, refused to let up, continuing:

"The Old Martial Arts faction blindly worships combat power and uses any means to improve themselves, even touching Taboos for that end. He Lanchan... hmph, although one of the Ten Greats, he's hardly clean. Minister Chen, let's stick to the facts—how many death quota instances did Qin Shi alone contribute? I say his methods are ruthless and his killing intent too heavy; is there anything wrong with that?"

"And you also know that this kind of wanton slaughter, this Old Martial Arts faction that indulges desires, poses great harm. Once they encounter an insurmountable Heart Obstacle or fall into a Bottleneck, they often go down the wrong path."

Chen Ruofu lowered his eyelids, as if thinking, and did not directly oppose.

This made Representative Zhou even more energetic, his mouth like a machine gun:

"Minister Chen, you served as the top official in Tai'an for many years and experienced the stage when the Old Martial Arts faction was swept into the garbage heap. Every Old Martial Arts practitioner who attempts the Limit Breaking Path could be a potential criminal. The more talented the good seedling, the heavier their Bottleneck and Heart Obstacle."

"Qin Shi went on a killing spree tonight, his hands covered in blood; perhaps this is a sign of a Heart Obstacle!"

Representative Li remained silent; the so-called Heart Obstacle is when cultivation speed slows and one always finds it hard to make progress.

After failing to pass the Bottleneck period, the resulting mental distortion.

In the Ancient Era, when Old Martial Arts prevailed, soldiers who suddenly went mad and berserk often appeared in the army.

They didn't recognize their own kin, only wanted to kill, and caused enormous harm.

The Dongxia Empire later made changes, inserting the Spiritual Path of Dao cultivation into the army to serve as Accompanying Supervising Generals.

Then they regularly distributed calming pills, which finally slowed and curbed it.

"Representative Zhou is being somewhat alarmist; although Xiao Qin is from the Old Martial Arts faction and walks the Limit Breaking Path, his Xinli is very stable. How can you slap hats on him without any basis?"

Fang Butang glanced at Old Chen from the corner of his eye, wondering why Old Chen had suddenly gone silent.

"Qin Shi is just a high school student who has never received military training, yet he kills and beheads at every turn. Didn't you hear the survivors' accounts? Wen Han was beheaded, Lin Kang was slain, and even a spring-blossom girl like Zheng Jun couldn't escape the demon's clutches."

Representative Zhou had clearly prepared, having already obtained "testimonies" from several withdrawals.

Fang Butang fell silent; usually, even students who graduated from martial arts programs, upon stepping onto the military academy path and participating in the Seed Selection for War Teams, need to undergo a series of training to wear down the soft emotions of daily life and get used to a battlefield like a hell of flesh and blood.

Killing is easy; when anger rises, draw the blade and strike. But calmly disposing of a strong enemy and not treating life as a matter concerns psychological quality and one's own nature.

"Old Chen, say something!"

Fang Butang nudged Chen Ruofu with his arm; he didn't understand why Old Chen, usually sharp-tongued, was dropping the ball at a critical moment.

"Do I still need to say anything? Representative Zhou hasn't even seen Xiao Qin's face and has already convicted him; if you aren't a chief judge at the Imperial Capital Haizhou High Procuratorate, it's truly a waste of talent!"

Chen Ruofu finally raised his head; both Representatives and Fang Butang beside them saw that this top official of Tai'an had a smile on his face as if watching a good show.

"Representative Zhou, you just said Xiao Qin has excessive killing intent and an improper mind, and that he might fall into a Heart Obstacle when encountering a Bottleneck, right?"

"That's correct; I do have concerns in that regard."

Representative Zhou's heart gave a "thump" inside, wondering if Chen Ruofu had some trump card, but upon careful thought, this hat fit perfectly!

If a genius has solid ability, splash dirty water on his character; if his character is flawless, pick faults from ability, seniority, and other aspects!

"Since that's the case, then let the Four Pillars render judgment!"

Chen Ruofu looked as if he had finally waited for something, his smile growing richer.

He and the Netherworld Research Institute had suppressed the news that Qin Shi was chosen by the Four Great Divine Spirit Pillars, precisely for an occasion like today.

"I'd very much like to know, Center City, even the Governor's Mansion, what evaluation they'd make upon learning that Representative Zhou you verbally accused a Crowned Candidate who received the Four Gods' joint descent and was granted a Symbolic Emblem."

Representative Zhou's head buzzed, suspecting he had misheard.

Qin Shi, as a Martial Path practitioner, could actually make all Four Pillars of Dongxia look favorably on him?

Is this replicating He Lanchan!

Afterwards, Representative Zhou also recalled, this kid seems to truly be He Lanchan's generational descendant.

Could they be so alike!?

"Minister Chen, what did you say?"

The Martial Association's Representative Li asked in shock.

Regarding the matter of Qin Shi being regarded by Dongxia's Four Pillars and bestowed imprints, those in the know were not many.

Only the Nanhuang Dojo and the Netherworld Research Institute, which had proactively applied for transfer to Tai'an.

"Xiao Qin has deeply earned the recognition of Dongxia's Four Pillars, triggering a Grand Descent.

If the two representatives don't believe it, you can go to the Netherworld Research Institute to check the report."

Chen Ruofu's tone was light, and he added:

"A genius boy appreciated and commended by the Four Divine Spirit Pillars, in Representative Zhou's mouth becomes a potential criminal, a mentally twisted murderer; truly don't know whose eyesight is good, whose is bad."

Representative Zhou's face twitched, and only after a long while did he squeeze out that answer:

"The Four Pillars could not err; it's absolutely me who was blind, slandering Student Qin Shi. Here I make a formal apology to him for my misspoken words!"

(Chapter End)