Chapter 437: Good beginnings! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
If it were any other Heavenly Jewel Master, perhaps this period of stagnation would be deadly, potentially putting them off this amazing skill. However, Zhou Weiqing would not. After all, his Immortal Deity Technique had a unique characteristic… as long as he kept using his Heavenly Energy, the energy whirlpools would continually draw in power, and his cultivation level would slowly increase automatically. As such, concentrating on the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts would actually only have a minor effect on his Heavenly Energy cultivation.
Furthermore, Zhou Weiqing had discovered as the month had passed and he had improved in the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts, there had been other benefits to his control of Heavenly Energy. Firstly, he had by now already broken through eighteen of his Death Acupuncture Points, and after this point, he was now able to individually control them, allowing each different Death Acupuncture Point to whirl at different speeds and with their unique changes.
Do not underestimate this seemingly simple ability. In actual combat, previously with Zhou Weiqing’s spiritual power and focus, he was only able to have the eighteen Death Acupuncture Points either strengthened or weakened at the same time. As a result, when he was attacked at any portion of the body, he still had to strengthen his defenses all around, and that would undoubtedly cause a wastage of Heavenly Energy. However, it was different now with the improved control, only requiring the particular Death Acupuncture Points at the area to increase their speeds.
Such fine grained control would allow him to greatly reduce the Heavenly Energy expenditure he had in actual combat.
Of course, this was only one of the benefits of the new improvement. Besides that, in Zhou Weiqing’s continuous training, he also realised it was actually improving the control of his own current Stored Skills.
Simply put, when he used a Skill, he was controlling how it was unleashed, and in doing so had to adjust the Heavenly Energy from within the structures of the Skill. Of course, the better one was able to manipulate and adjust the Heavenly Energy, the greater the changes the Skill could have. For example, using the Lightning Suffering Skill with its multiple paralysis effects, he could now control the four bolts of lightnings separately, their speed, density, even condensing them together, empowering them greatly.
As he continued with the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts training, Zhou Weiqing slowly understood what Long Shiya had spoke about previously. There were no such things as a truly useless Heavenly Skill… as long as one controlled Heavenly Energy in the right way, any Skill could unleash the power of a Heavenly God Tier.
The Skills that he currently Stored had proven this exact point when the Heavenly Energy was compressed. When he did that, the offensive power of those Skills increased substantially, yet without an actual increase of expenditure of Heavenly Energy.
Just as Zhou Weiqing was immersed in the experience of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts, Shangguan Fei’er’s voice suddenly came in from outside. “I’m coming in.”
In this entire month while Zhou Weiqing was in closed door cultivation, only she could actually come in directly to see him. She was very clear about Zhou Weiqing’s power, and knew that he wouldn’t get into trouble with cultivation deviation, unless his Solidified Dragon Spirit acted up again.
Zhou Weiqing kept the six Heavenly King Stage Cores in his hands and smiled faintly: “Fei’er! What’s up?” This entire month, he had barely had any contact with Fei’er at all indeed.
Ever since they had returned from the north, Zhou Weiqing had been training in his tent, and this time he had really left Shangguan Fei’er in the cold.
Originally, Shangguan Fei’er had not thought much about keeping her distance from Zhou Weiqing. However, after an entire month of barely speaking a few sentences with him, even she was starting to feel gloomy. The romance in a young girl’s heart, making her feel anxious and worried, and even the Little Demon Girl of the Heaven’s Expanse Palace was no exception.
“Can’t I look for you even if nothing is up?” Shangguan Fei’er said exasperatedly.
Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily and said: “Of course you can, why? Did you miss me?” His smile was wicked.
“Cheh, who misses you.” Shangguan Fei’er blushed as she said. “The Seventh Legion has sent someone to dispatch us back to the main northern encampment.”
“En?” Zhou Weiqing was caught by surprise. “Why?”
Shangguan Fei’er said: “Although it is still early, it will not be too long before the WanShou Empire started sending troops to start harrassing our borders again. We might not be afraid of them, but that Legion Commander Shen Ji of the Seventh Legion was worried that a large number of WanShou Empire troops might suddenly ambush us, and was worried that we might be in danger.”
Hearing her words, Zhou Weiqing instantly understood. Naturally, what worry would they have for him! It was clearly worry that Shangguan Fei’er might get hurt.
“Should we go or not?” Shangguan Fei’er asked again.
Zhou Weiqing thought for a bit, then said: “We’ll go, but not right at this moment.
“Why not?” Shangguan Fei’er asked curiously. She was puzzled why Zhou Weiqing would choose such a path.
Zhou Weiqing said: “If the WanShou Empire actually sends troops to harass the borders, isn’t that just a perfect opportunity for us to train our own troops? If the numbers are too huge, we can easily hide out as we have always done. There is no actual danger, and only benefit. As for going, that is because eventually when the WanShou Empire finally starts their real attack, it will also be time to test the results of all our Peerless Battalion training, and also to let our men get a taste of a real large battle. After all, I have never planned to stay here for long… This is not my home empire!”
Shangguan Fei’er said in shock: “You’re bringing the Peerless Battalion away?”
Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: “Yes, our real development cannot be here. I need to return back to my homeland. Here, my main purpose is to build up m y strength, and my actual development will only be in the Heavenly Bow Empire, and only then will have a chance to actually revive it.”
Shangguan Fei’er furrowed her brow and said: “But… the Fei Li Empire has no good will towards you either. If I were to return, wouldn’t you be facing enemies from all sides?”
A flash of pride flickered in Zhou Weiqing’s eyes and he said: “If we back down when running into difficulties, then our Peerless Battalion will never become strong. Do not worry, I know our limits, and it is not time to go back yet. Before I think we have sufficient power, I will not play around with our lives and be rash.”
Shangguan Fei’er saw the pride in his eyes, and she did not know why but her heart raced slightly at that moment. Standing up abruptly, she said: “Then… then I’ll go refuse them first.”
She quickly ran out of the tent, and as soon as she did so, she heaved a sigh of relief, feeling a slight heat on her face. She couldn’t help but ask herself: Fei’er ahh Fei’er, what’s wrong with you, don’t be one of those silly girls.
In the past where she had spent with Zhou Weiqing, he had always teased her and angered her, but she had not responded much as she could not pass that barrier in her heart, and she had always tried to dodge him as much as possible.
Yet, now that he had entered closed door cultivation for a whole month, and the two had not spoken at all, she ended up feeling despondent instead. As a result, she could only vent those feelings in combat while training those Peerless Battalion soldiers, to make herself feel better. When meeting Zhou Weiqing just now, she was shocked to find that she had the sudden urge to just jump into his arms.
Now that the Peerless Battalion had been in development for quite a period of time, there was a huge change to it.
With all the soldiers having proper food and nutrition, clothing and sleep, along with proper equipment… these ruffians who had already been waiting to die in this northern borderlands had undergone a massive reversal, as if infused with a new life. Especially Zhou Weiqing’s reward and punishment system, that had further motivated them and aroused their zeal and enthusiasm.
One month ago, when Zhou Weiqing and the others had just returned, it had coincided with another batch of ruffian soldiers who had just been sent to them, numbering less than three hundred.
These new ruffians had just been freshly punished, and they had not experienced all the pain and suffering of the current Peerless Battalion soldiers. As such, they were either arrogant, cunning or just sheer scoundrels.
Facing such a situation, Hua Feng, who had taken control of the whole camp in lieu of Zhou Weiqing, just gave a simple command. He split up all three hundred of the new ruffians, merging them with the original one thousand and two hundred soldiers, with four of the old birds taking care of one new ruffian according to their strengths, and giving them ‘special attentions’.
With the new ruffian soldiers facing the old hands, more so at a one versus four situation… well they were all intelligent fellows, and in a matter of a mere ten days, the Peerless Battalion had finally officially numbered a thousand five hundred men working together.
Of course, the reason why these new ruffian soldiers could integrate so quickly was also because of the reward and punishment system. The current pay of the Peerless Battalion was actually already higher than the main northern army, not to mention the access to Consolidating Equipment Scrolls and other benefits. More so, those with Heavenly Energy could possibly Awaken their Power Jewels, something they had never imagined possible. Even the most stubborn ruffian, under an onslaught of so many enticements, each of them became like docile little kittens under the guidance of the old ruffians.
At the same time, now that Shangguan Fei’er had sufficient Heavenly Core materials, she was able to start making the medicines, which came into great effect immediately. With herself as the main support, along with some of the other powerful Physical Jewel Masters, they were able to make use of the medicines to help some of those soldiers who already had some Heavenly Energy to Awaken their Power Jewels.
As for which of the soldiers to get such benefits first, that was a science in itself. Shangguan Fei’er was extremely intelligent, and she had been around Zhou Weiqing for several months by now, and had already been ‘contaminated’ by him. She told all the soldiers without Physical or Elemental Jewels that there was a severe limit to such a precious treasured medicine, and only the most hardworking soldiers who had the best results would be able to go through it and Awaken their Power Jewels.
After that, she only gave a quota of ten per day to undergo the procedure of having those high leveled Physical Jewel Masters help him Awaken his Power Jewels.
With that, it was as if those soldiers without Personal Jewels were suddenly under some sort of spell, injected with steroids, and each of them training as if their lives depended on it. They would not even stop training until they were unable to move a muscle… such zest and vigor, definitely a massive increase.
In truth, anyone who was not a Jewel Master would definitely be the same if they met with the same circumstance. After all, the difference in rank and status between a Jewel Master and an ordinary person was unbelievable, and one could say it was the dream ‘occupation’. With such a chance in front of them, who could resist, who would not pit their lives to do so?
Naturally, those Physical and Elemental Jewel Masters had a similar zest. They too were putting their lives on the lines in training, not wanting to get caught up. Of course, what drew them most was naturally the Consolidating Equipment Masters and Skill Storing Fees.