Chapter 146 – Attempt to [Spirit Raise]
Ye Qingyu had considered whether to attempt to [Spirit Raise] other types of attributes in his inner yuan. But ultimately, he chose to forgo doing this.
The price was too high, and it would take far too long. The costs outweighed the benefits.
As he thought of this, he slowly stood up. He left the prayer mat and came before the window.
Outside White Horse Tower, white snow was flying and cold winds were howling.
A dangerous area like Youyan Pass had years of accumulated snow. At least half the year was spent in the season of great snowstorms. Even in the entire Snow Country, one would be hard pressed to find a location that was colder than Youyan Pass. If he really wanted to cultivate ice inner yuan, then this was indisputably the most optimal location.
Ye Qingyu had once seen the procedure and techniques for the [Spirit Raise] in the libraries of White Deer Academy.
Such techniques could not be counted as a great secret for martial artists.
Ye Qingyu slowly extended his hand out as a thought occurred to him.
A snowflake landed on the center of his palm.
A minute cold feeling came at him.
With Ye Qingyu’s current level of strength, even if he exposed his entire body, he would not fear the cold. Once someone’s strength reached the Xiantian stage and once Spirit springs were excavated in the dantian world, then on some level you were immune to fire and water. When the snowflake landed on his hand, it very quickly began to melt.
“To want to [Spirit Raise] and control ice inner yuan, one must absorb the ice qi of Heaven and Earth into your body and fuse it with your inner yuan. Only after doing this and activating your inner yuan can you possess the power of ice. The power of ice is extremely vast. According to the legends of the far Ancient Ages, experts that have cultivated to the extreme in ice yuan qi are capable of great feats. With their ice qi striking out, they were able freeze all matter. There is nothing that they cannot destroy. Even time itself can be frozen!”
Ye Qingyu remembered the legends that he had read in books describing the acts of legendary experts.
It was said that in the Ancient Age, there was a legendary class expert of the Human Race that had absorbing the extreme cold power of Heaven and Earth into his body that became fundamentally invincible. He was able to freeze time and space, ruling an era.
Ye Qingyu had once thought that to rely on the pure power of ice to freeze space was far too ridiculous. Perhaps the only reason this was able to be done was because this legendary class expert had already comprehended the laws of ice.
But no matter what, imbuing his inner yuan with the ice attribute was absolutely the most optimal choice for him right now.
“Phew…”
He settled down his thoughts, slowly breathing in a mouthful of cold air.
Ye Qingyu decided he would attempt the process of [Spirit Raising] right now.
Twenty Spirit springs was the universally recognized starting point for someone to [Spirit Raise]. Right now, he was at the fifteen Spirit springs. If he attempted to do this early, then when he truly reached the twenty Spirit springs stage, he would have gained familiarity with this process. With this experience, he would be able to succeed in [Spirit Raising] in one fell swoop.
Ye Qingyu suspected, that those rumoured to have succeeded in [Spirit Raising] as soon as they reached twenty Spirit springs, had attempted it before. It was very possible that they had done a great deal of preparation beforehand so they could do it in one attempt.
All of the yuan qi in his body activated. Ye Qingyu entered into an extremely relaxed state.
Ye Qingyu controlled his body as he activated the nameless breathing technique. He allowed every pore on his skin to open, shutting off his mouth and nose. He only used the skin on his body to breath. Every pore on his body was in a state that the naked eye could not perceive, opening and closing. Inhaling and exhaling, he absorbed the cold qi of Heaven and Earth through his skin.
Spirit spring martial artists could already breathe without using their nose or mouth.
With the minute control they had over their body, every part of their skin and every muscle in their body could be used to exchange energy with Heaven and Earth. This was akin to a fetus-like state, but also differed to some extent.
Ye Qingyu’s consciousness enveloped everywhere around his body.
Ye Qingyu could clearly sense that under such a state, the cold qi of Heaven and Earth was entering into his body drop by drop through his pores at this moment.
Even with his current strength, he could very quickly sense tingles of coldness.
“Drawing cold qi into my body is the first step. I must wait until the cold qi has accumulated to the limits of what my body can bear. Then what I need to do afterwards is to use my inner yuan to carry this cold qi and make it travel around the meridians in my body, changing the nature of my body. I must be extremely careful in this process. I cannot expel the cold qi out but I also must not allow the cold qi to damage my body…”
Ye Qingyu’s mind recalled the different techniques contained in the various books. He continued with this process.
The books that he had browsed through in the library of White Dear Academy contained techniques on how to [Spirit Raise]. However, they were only the introductory techniques of how to [Spirit Raise]; they were basic and foundational techniques. Ye Qingyu believed that in some noble families with truly deep resources, perhaps there were even more profound techniques that specialized in [Spirit Raising] for different attributes. But there was a point that could not be disputed in the martial world: the path to greatness lay in simplicity. There were many times that the most basic and most commonly seen techniques where the strongest techniques without any flaw whatsoever.
Therefore, he decided to use the most common technique to [Spirit Raise].
He stayed in this prenatal-like state for a whole two hours.
Ye Qingyu slowly sensed that the cold qi in his body was about to reach a threshold. His body was as if it was frozen stiff, becoming somewhat dumb and hard. It was as if his entire body was about to turn into an ice sculpture.
This represented that he could proceed to the next stage.
He carefully and slowly used his inner yuan to carry this ice cold qi throughout his body. This cold qi travelled through his acupuncture points and meridians.
This process was extremely painful.
As if there were tens of thousands of needles piercing through his muscles and bones.
Cultivation was originally an extremely painful process.
Ye Qingyu bit his teeth, continuing to activate his inner yuan.
He knew that the early stages of [Spirit Raise] was such that you had to experience such a painful process. Any process that wanted to change the foundation of your body was like so. After his body had slowly adapted to the power of ice and snow, the pain would gradually disappear. Then there would be a comfortable feeling of the body uniting with the soul. After that, when his inner yuan became full and mellow, then he could completely control the power of snow, ice and frost.
Another two hours passed.
The surface of Ye Qingyu’s body already began to seep with cold sweat.
Cold sweat the size of yellow beans dripped down from his forehead.
The clothes on his body was like it were completely seeped in water. His garments were completely drenched.
Ye Qingyu’s first attempt had ended. The power of ice and frost, after travelling through his meridians and the blood vessels in his body, had nearly been completely expended in this process. If he activated his inner yuan to revolve around his body for several more days, he would not feel as much pain anymore.
Ye Qingyu’s palm spat out shreds of his inner yuan.
In the pale yuan qi light, there was a thin shred of cold qi that brought with it a minute coldness.
“My first attempt to [Spirit Raise], really succeeded.”
He was very excited.
That there was already coldness in his yuan qi was already a very good beginning.
If he continued to train, through the accumulation of days and months, there would soon be a day where he could completely control the power of frost and ice. At that time, along with the activation of his inner yuan, snow and ice was sure to follow. As his yuan qi struck out, everywhere it passed, everything would transform into ice. This was the true power of ice inner yuan.
Outside the window, the long night passed.
Under the dome of heaven, wind and snow had no end.
After a small rest, Ye Qingyu continued to train.
…… ……
In the next few days, Ye Qingyu used the time to his utmost to train.
Wen Wan also came to the White Horse Tower several times, but there was still no news regarding Ye Congyun.
Under Wen Wan’s advice, Ye Qingyu chose not to use the permission of the Pass Lord’s office and head towards the army camps to select new White Horse sword slaves. The turbulent winds and waves had not yet passed. Various factions were still paying attention to White Horse Tower. At this time, if he went to select people, there would definitely be some careful people who would arrange for spies to enter White Horse Tower.
Ye Qingyu’s footing was still unstable at Youyan Pass, it was hard to differentiate these spies from normal people.
Wen Wan’s proposal was for Ye Qingyu to select ten from the [Silver Armoured Soldiers] under his command. But after Ye Qingyu thought it over, he did not accept.
He estimated that he would remain in Youyan Pass for a very long time.
There were only ten places on the list of White Horse sword slaves. Every one of these positions was precious and valuable. Ye Qingyu needed to personally select who was able to become a White Horse sword slave. Apart from Bai Yuanxing, the other nine must be loyal and talented. Only then was there value in developing them. Perhaps later, they could become his left and right arm, aiding him and taking charge of a section.
As of right now, he would prefer to go without than go with the shoddy option.
Time passed by day by day.
The time of departure came closer and closer.
Apart from training, Ye Qingyu would also choose some suitable weapons left behind by the previous masters of White Horse Tower to train. It should prove to be of use on the battlefield. He would also go to the martial store of the army, selecting some books and topics regarding war, martial laws of the army, Youyan Pass army battle records, the maps of the Explosive Snow Glacier, the battle methods of the Demon Races and various books to read.
Know yourself and know the enemy. Then you will be victorious in a hundred battles.
Wen Wan would come to White Horse Tower at least once every day. He would very patiently answer the questions Ye Qingyu asked. He retold his experience of going out in battle and fighting against the army of the Demon Race. He passed down all his insights into such expeditions onto Ye Qingyu.
Martial artists with fifteen Spirit springs could absolutely be counted as an expert of experts within the school life of White Deer Academy, But swords and spears had no eyes in the battlefield. Even experts of the Spirit spring stage that had successfully [Spirit Raised] had a possibility of perishing. If his luck was poor, when the two armies met, Ye Qingyu’s life would be in danger.
Wen Wan was evidently worried for this Demon King Ye.
“I will apply to participate in this operation, so I can look after you.” Wen Wan, in these days, had always requested the commander of the Vanguard to allow him to accompany Ye Qingyu. Wen Wan hoped to participate in the [Gale Operation]. This way, he could take care of Ye Qingyu on the battlefield. But he had not received a reply as of yet.
Time passed in the days where the skies were covered in snow.
In the blink of an eye, there was only five days left till the day of departure.
According the previous arrangement, Ye Qingyu could open the jade piece at this moment.
According to the method passed on by Mister Liu, he unlocked the jade piece. His consciousness entered within. Very quickly, he was able obtain the information contained inside.
A great quantity of information and reports must be gathered before middle scale and large scale military operations could begin. There were large numbers of simulations and double checks that needed to done. Furthermore, it was essential for a meticulous and accurate plans of action to be drawn up. They needed to gather a vast amount of human power, financial power, intelligence, and materials, it was not a snap decision by the commander.
Within the military order jade piece, every arrangement inside was very detailed.
Of course, the information Ye Qingyu received from this military order jade piece was only a part of the whole equation. It was not complete— only a small number of high level decision makers like the generals had the right and power to know the contents of the entire plan. Military officers of the middle level and below would only receive part of the information of the entire operation from the jade piece.
As he finished with the military order jade piece, Ye Qingyu fell silent for a moment then begun to make his preparations.