[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-61":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Apocalypse, I Alone Severed Eternity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312443,4518,"Chapter 61: The Dragon-Subduing Cauldron and the Sword Art (Revised)","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>(PS: This chapter has been revised—expanded from 3,000 to 5,000 words. The previous version was inadequate, so I rewrote it entirely, altering the worldline as well.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A special primordial force arose from his abdomen and flowed through his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just that one bite, Fang Shi clearly felt a subtle change in his life form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A normal person might not notice, but his extraordinary perception would never mislead him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, what’s going on with this meat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For matters outside the sect, ask the Senior Brother—he had already learned this on the journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother was a gentle person, always happy to answer his junior brothers’ and sisters’ questions, never showing the slightest impatience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother said in surprise, “Your spiritual sense is impressive—you felt it after just a bite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t realize it until after I finished my meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi feigned confusion: “I feel my body has changed slightly—what exactly is happening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother said, “Don’t worry—it’s a good thing, and a benefit of the sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The food in the dining hall replenishes Qi and nourishes the primordial essence, refining the body and transforming the bones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as you eat enough for a month, you’ll almost certainly advance to Qi Refining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi suddenly understood—no wonder the Senior Brother had said everyone in the dining hall had entered within a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had been here longer than a month had already reached Qi Refining—this efficiency was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Blue Star, humans before the Second Impact—just one month after the apocalypse began—averaged only Level 2 or so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a tiny handful of top individuals reached Level 6 and entered the First Tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had endured countless life-or-death crises to achieve such results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Heaven’s Sword Sect could guarantee that every new disciple would enter the First Tier within a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All they needed to do was eat, sleep, and wait—success came naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this meat wasn’t from high-tier creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It came from First-Tier monsters hunted by Qi Refining disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was truly astonishing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, I’ve eaten monster meat in the mortal world—why wasn’t it this potent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother smiled proudly: “Naturally—how could mortal methods compare to immortal techniques?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These monster meats are cooked in the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron, infused with the power of the Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi asked again: “What is the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron? And what is the power of the Dao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother continued: “As the saying goes, food is the paramount need of the people—and cultivators are no exception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But cultivators eat better, more refined food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Better’ means the ingredients themselves—requiring rare heavenly treasures and earthly wonders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Refined’ means the preparation—requiring skilled personnel and specialized equipment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Dragon-Subduing Cauldron was forged precisely to help cultivators eat better and more refined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron’s primary purpose is refining pills and primordial energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meat dishes are merely byproducts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the power of the Dao—that’s a force only Golden Core cultivators can access. Even I don’t fully understand it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Senior Brother’s apologetic expression, Fang Shi quickly said, “That’s enough—thank you for explaining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dragon-Subduing Cauldron, the power of the Dao—Fang Shi’s horizons had been utterly expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Heaven’s Sword Sect was this powerful, then the Sword Art they distributed must be no ordinary thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t wait to return and cultivate, to see what wonders it held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating his fill, guided by the sect’s map, Fang Shi quickly found his quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house was spacious—not only did it come with a courtyard, it had three rooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three rooms were the bedroom, the sword practice room, and the storage room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arranging his belongings, Fang Shi went to the sword practice room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first took out the Sword Art and studied it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Art had six forms: thrust, slice, chop, press, lift, and twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sounded simple, even basic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the way power was generated defied all logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi mentally simulated it—and felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t this method drastically reduce its power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no amount of thinking was better than trying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he stood up and thrust a sword according to the Sword Art’s method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result was still unremarkable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No! Not unremarkable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The training ground’s cultivation efficiency bonus had taken effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s insight surged dramatically whenever he cultivated any skill or proficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 30x insight bonus allowed him to perceive the difference in this strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thrust actually delivered slightly more force than he had exerted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that slight increase came from within his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mysterious force had merged into his body as he struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amplifying the power of the thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he focused, Fang Shi immediately understood the source of this force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was primordial force—also called spiritual energy by the Heaven’s Sword Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn’t spiritual energy supposed to nourish all things, harmless to any living being?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi thought briefly and realized—the Sword Art didn’t directly use spiritual energy to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it indirectly used spiritual energy to temporarily enhance physical attributes, unleashing greater power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exquisitely refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t seem particularly outstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this just like the Sword Saint’s Qi-Enhanced Slash or the Monk’s Shocking Fist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both used internal Qi to amplify attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Art’s only distinction was that it didn’t require converting spiritual energy into another form before amplification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suppose once mastered, it’s just another combat proficiency.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It probably can’t synergize with Double Impact like other energies can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi felt a small disappointment—Double Impact was a unique power technique, and so was the Sword Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They conflicted—utterly incompatible, impossible to use together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having seen the Heaven’s Sword Sect’s wonders, he had high hopes—only to find this was all it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—I fell into a cognitive trap. I only think it’s mediocre because I already have Double Impact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In truth, gaining an additional amplification method after acquiring supernatural power is a massive boost for anyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just already have one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though disappointed, Fang Shi wouldn’t abandon cultivating the Sword Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Sword Art included not only six unique power techniques but also corresponding combat maneuvers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During cultivation, he easily gained the proficiencies: Longsword Weapon Focus I, Longsword Weapon Specialization I, Longsword Lethal Strike I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the Senior Brother had casually mentioned after dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever mastered the Sword Art first should come to him—he’d offer extra rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was intelligent himself, and with his 30x insight bonus, he was confident he’d win first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After prolonged training, your Fang Family Breathing Method III has improved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fang Family Breathing Method III → Fang Family Breathing Method IV.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“【Fang Family Breathing Method IV】: This is an advanced cultivation technique. Through prolonged practice, your physical recovery speed has increased. (Physical recovery speed +40%)”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By cultivating Fang Family Breathing Method IV, your attributes have been perfected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Strength has permanently increased: 16 → 17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Agility has permanently increased: 16 → 17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Constitution has permanently increased: 16 → 17.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just one day, Fang Shi’s breathing method had advanced to Level 4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was due not only to the 30x cultivation speed bonus but also to the Heaven’s Sword Sect’s abundant spiritual energy and the dining hall’s meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual energy need not be explained—Fang Shi had experienced training grounds in his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No place had spiritual energy as rich as the Heaven’s Sword Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even other worlds compared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the dining hall’s meals—the Senior Brother hadn’t lied. They truly transformed the body and bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond a transformation of life essence, his physical attributes were greatly enhanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had originally been puzzled—the Sword Art was purely a combat technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even breathing methods offered better improvement to physical attributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t these people at the Heavenly Sword Sect know the importance of base stats? Do they simply refuse to train?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course they know—and they’ve even planned your path forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eat in the cafeteria for a full month, and even if you were originally as weak as a newborn, your strength, constitution, and agility will steadily reach 18 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You only need to master the Sword Art and learn how to kill your enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Sword Art doesn’t seem that powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a day of cultivation, Fang Shi had already reached Great Completion with the first technique: Thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Great Completion Thrust was roughly twice the power of a normal strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nearly equivalent to the full version of Double Force, except it lacked its comprehensiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only advantage over Double Force was that wielding the Sword Art consumed no extra stamina and caused no bodily damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only consumed internal spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And spiritual energy—any living thing within a spiritual energy environment naturally contains some.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount depends on the average spiritual energy density of the surrounding environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more you consume, the more spiritual energy automatically flows in to replenish it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to worry at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an environment as rich in spiritual energy as the Heavenly Sword Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi could say that unless he exhausted his stamina, every strike would be one of the Six Sword Techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in a low-spiritual-energy environment, like on Blue Star, it was pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi suspected that in such an environment, even using one technique of the Sword Art would be a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! This isn’t right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His 30x insight kicked in again—Fang Shi felt that whenever he performed the Thrust, something always felt incomplete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it could go further, reach a higher realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also believed that the Heavenly Sword Sect had previously demonstrated such formidable power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could their most basic sect technique be nothing more than a flawed version of Double Force?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longsword drew again, and Fang Shi didn’t rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose immediately to practice swordplay—he had a glimmer of insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could grasp it, he would break through instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, this feeling is wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After practicing slightly, Fang Shi began swinging wildly, trying to solve the puzzle with a different approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like solving a complex math problem—there were ideas, there were thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t find the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every idea, every line of thought felt both right and wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had known nothing at all, it would’ve been fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this half-understood state was the most tormenting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fragmented thoughts mixed together, leaving him utterly lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down, calm down—start from the most basic point.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was the Heavenly Sword Sect’s original intent in distributing the Sword Art?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To have outer disciples master a powerful killing technique, then enter Qi Refining to hunt demonic beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, Senior Brother had said before that cultivation techniques aren’t free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sword Art clearly can’t be used forever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to the Common Sense Handbook, eventually you must exchange sect contributions for more advanced techniques.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But forcing outer disciples to hunt demonic beasts after only a month of sword practice? That’s absurd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if outer disciples’ base stats are decent after advancing to Qi Refining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about everything else—combat experience, for instance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if they encounter a stronger demonic beast? They’d be finished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, the Sword Art must have greater power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why these details weren’t recorded in the Sword Art itself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi believed it was the intention of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s higher-ups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already inquired—this sect recruits solely based on insight, not background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So his batch of new disciples came from all walks of life, rich and poor alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, after entry, they were given not a single teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were simply handed a Sword Art manual and told to cultivate on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that testing insight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Fang Shi’s memory, powerful cultivators in Chinese novels loved this kind of approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hardly surprising that the Heavenly Sword Sect’s cultivators did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The simplest idea is to further amplify spiritual energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See if you can maintain a stronger combat state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Great Completion, the Thrust’s power was twice that of a normal attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant maintaining double power at all times during combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, you could continue charging, breaking past the two-fold barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then the technique would lose its fluidity, full of openings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Easy for enemies to exploit and kill you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, double power was the optimal output limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything higher was unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Fang Shi needed to do now was break this optimal limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raise the Sword Art’s power to another level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an ordinary person, this might be impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with 30x insight, Fang Shi had already surpassed the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2.1 times…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2.2 times…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2.3 times…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, the Thrust’s power grew ever greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This only strengthened Fang Shi’s belief that he was on the right path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three days and nights of grueling cultivation, the Thrust’s power finally neared threefold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent tearing sound echoed—the training room rang like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longsword, moving at sixty meters per second, pierced through the training dummy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—BOOM—it exploded into countless fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was stunned, staring in disbelief at the longsword in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is just a Thrust—not a bomb. Penetration is normal, but this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This dummy’s durability isn’t that weak—why did it shatter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi rushed to inspect the debris and found scorch marks at the fracture points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t friction heat—friction heat wouldn’t leave such large burns, let alone cause an explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi recalled carefully—he seemed to have felt a concentration of spiritual energy at the sword’s tip just now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought nothing of it, since pure spiritual energy had no destructive power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was simple logic—if spiritual energy had destructive power,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then everything in a high-spiritual-energy environment would be damaged constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world would become a wasteland; no life could survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To inflict damage, spiritual energy must be converted into another form of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This could be called a universal law of the multiverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, only one possibility remained: the spiritual energy gathered at the sword’s tip had changed at some moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That change was the cause of the earlier explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also drastically increased the Thrust’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had his internal spiritual energy not been depleted, Fang Shi would’ve tried again immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only his spiritual energy weren't so depleted, Fang Shi would have tried again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right, his internal spiritual energy is indeed insufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi realized that as the piercing strike’s power increased, the required spiritual energy grew ever greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could not be restored instantly from the surrounding environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a gap between each technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a dragon-slaying art, it came with corresponding limitations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this did not dampen Fang Shi’s enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already considered that he now needed to consume his own spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, he might not need to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Refining, Qi Refining—how can you call it Qi Refining if you have no Qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering the First Stage, Qi Refining will surely have an energy source like other professions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, you could directly draw upon the energy source to amplify the body, just as the Sword Art enhances it with spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And your own body could still apply the Sword Art’s striking technique for double amplification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or for myself, I could substitute it with Double Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he had previously underestimated the Sword Art too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the supernatural power that emerged after surpassing triple power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crash!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another dummy exploded, shards scattering everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the sword-practice chamber, the floor was littered with fragments of dummies, like a massive junkyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fang Shi’s eyes glowed with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He confirmed it—truly confirmed—that the piercing strike could indeed transform spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Triple power seemed to be a threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once triple power was reached, spiritual energy would gather at the sword’s tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, within a short time, it would transform into fire-element power—or, more accurately, fire-type spiritual power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This granted the piercing strike flame damage, creating massive destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the supernatural power Fang Shi sought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed he would need to advance to a higher class before gaining it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after entering Jianwutang, he had acquired it so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this method of drawing upon external spiritual energy was affected by the environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strength of the flame damage depended on the ambient spiritual energy content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Fang Shi was already satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not believe Jianwutang, which had created such an advanced art, would have overlooked this issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There must be a solution—or perhaps one just as he had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also dependent on the energy source after Qi Refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. I’ve mastered it, and all the dummies in the room are destroyed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I’ll go ask Senior Brother and see if there’s any reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I can ask him these questions directly—it’s better than guessing on my own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knock, knock, knock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, are you in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard gate opened without wind—Senior Brother sat cross-legged in the yard, eyes closed, a long sword resting flat on his knees, doing nothing apparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fang Shi, why are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi bowed respectfully. “Senior Brother, I’ve hit a bottleneck with my Sword Art and need your guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…” Senior Brother kept his eyes shut, speaking lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak. If I know, I’ll answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi continued: “Senior Brother, while practicing the piercing strike, I noticed something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the piercing strike reaches about three times the power of a normal strike, fire-type spiritual energy erupts from the sword’s tip.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This greatly enhances the strike’s power—what is this phenomenon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Brother suddenly opened his eyes—within them flashed the gleam of a sword: “You’ve perfected the piercing strike?!”\u003C\u002Fp>",2940,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e3ea577eb261bcda1116080d74d856240db24f1addbbb937fb424114674a9710","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-62","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-60",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]