7 Soul Manipulation

Zhong Yue went to the Valley of Remedy and retrieved his 10 monthly Feather Spirit Pellets. He then visited the manager of the upper house to move into his courtyard.

"This courtyard is divided into three parts. The back part of the courtyard is the place where you rest, the center is the hall for meetings, and it comes with a training room for cultivation. Lastly, the front part is the place where the servants stay."

The manager brought Zhong Yue to have a view of this courtyard and said with a smile, "Some of the kids from rich families usually brought their servants to serve them so they could have more time to spend on their cultivation. This is the token of the entire courtyard. Just place it in the notch over there, and it will trigger the totem pillar in the courtyard to form a barrier that blocks off any outsiders. To remove the barrier, simply take out the token from the notch. By the way, you should nourish the token with your soul and psyche so that it would acknowledge you as its owner. This would restrict others from being able to use it."

Zhong Yue was happy about this function of the token as it was quite convenient. Daily cultivation required great focus and a peaceful environment as things could quickly turn sour when cultivation is interrupted abruptly, possibly causing severe injury or even death.

With this token, the others would not be able to enter the courtyard without any permission, preventing the situation where someone was disturbed abruptly while in a crucial moment of cultivation.

Besides, one could safely place their valuables in the courtyard without any worry about their valuables getting stolen.

"May I ask… How do the upper house disciples usually cultivate?" asked Zhong Yue.

The manager laughed and said, "Every disciple that manages to get into the upper house will be reported to the Qi Practitioners of the Swords Gate. Then the Qi Practitioners will come down themselves and select their own disciples to teach them techniques and guide them in their cultivation. Usually, every Qi Practitioner will have 10 to 20 upper house disciples at any one time. This is because if one of their disciples were to become a Qi Practitioner, they would also share the honor as well. Don't worry too much, my junior martial brother. As long as you've passed the test of Cloudless Hall, you will be chosen by one of the Qi Practitioners in due time."

"I see…" said the relaxed Zhong Yue.

After the manager left, Zhong Yue immediately placed the token into the notch located on the door. The totem godly pillar vibrated strongly and let out a sound before forming a barrier that sealed the entire courtyard. Zhong Yue placed the basket on the ground and took out the weathered bronze lamp as well. The lights of the lamp appeared to be fading anytime soon, and Xin Huo remained asleep.

How long is Xin Huo going to be asleep?

Then, he took out a small and attractive-looking jade bottle. When he removed the stopper, a light and fragrant medicinal incense wafted out instantly. Lying at the bottom of the bottle were 10 pellets that were each the size of a soybean; these pellets were the Feather Spirit Pellets.

In the past, he had to risk his life and poured in immense amounts of effort to gather herbs in the mountains to concoct his own pellets. Not only that, the success rate of making his own pellets were not high either.

But now, 10 pellets were distributed to him after he became an upper house disciple. Moreover, he would be receiving 10 pellets a month! Zhong Yue considered this an incredible boon.

One Feather Spirit Pellet is capable of granting a normal person incredible speed and strength and would allow them to be able to survive without any food and water for almost half a month. Even for the Swords Gate's outer disciples, they could cultivate for two or three days without any rest on just one Feather Spirit Pellet!

Zhong Yue consumed one Feather Spirit Pellet and immediately, he could feel the intense medicinal essence turning into pure energy that gushed throughout his body. If his body were like a barren and dried land, then the medicinal efficacy of the Feather Spirit Pellet would be akin to currents of flowing water irrigating the soil. His muscles reverted to their formerly strong state, and he felt an intriguingly euphoric sensation as the medical efficacy continued to take effect.

Not long after, the now skinny Zhong Yue—due to the cultivation of the [Sui Sovereign Flame Order Palace Visualization Art] – had returned to his initially fit and muscular state.

He also felt that his psyche and soul being replenished by the pellet he consumed. All of these gave him a deep sense of satisfaction.

Feather Spirit Pellets are indeed amazing. They said those from the large tribes get to consume such pellets daily, no wonder they could improve so fast! I should take this chance to cultivate the [Sui Sovereign Flame Order Palace Visualization Art] right now and see if I can improve even further!

Zhong Yue started visualizing the [Sui Sovereign Flame Order Palace Visualization Art]; in his psyche ocean, the Sui Sovereign, Flame Order Palace, and Fire Tree appeared slowly. At the same time, his psyche was rapidly depleting, but due to the Feather Spirit Pellet he had consumed, the depleted psyche was also continuously regenerating.

Time passed without him knowing, and the medicinal efficacy of the Feather Spirit Pellet was soon entirely used up. He then consumed another pellet and continued cultivating. His psyche ocean was expanding, and his soul was getting stronger with each breath!

After another brief moment, the pellet's efficacy was depleted again, and Zhong Yue then consumed the third pellet.

As the pellets were being consumed one after another, he slowly lost himself in the wonder of cultivating the imaginary arts. It was the first time in his life that he felt so much excitement and hope instead of boredom during cultivation.

Eh? There are no more Feather Spirit Pellets?

Zhong Yue's cultivation halted as he had used up all the 10 Feather Spirit Pellets and he looked at the empty bottle in shock. Ordinary upper house disciples needed at least one month to be able to fully consume the 10 Feather Spirit Pellets, but he had unconsciously used up all 10 of them during his cultivation this time.

It has only been four days since I received the 10 pellets. To think that I used up all of them in four days…

Zhong Yue suddenly felt an extreme headache due to this quagmire; it seemed like cultivating the [Sui Sovereign Flame Order Palace Visualization Art] was akin to a massive black hole. Without the appropriate wealth to support it, he would not be able to continue his cultivation.

No wonder Xin Huo said I should eat only rare herbs and precious pellets, I will die of starvation if I only eat whole grains in the future.

Zhong Yue inhaled deeply, got up and walked out of the training room. He went to the backyard garden and slowly stretched his body and muscles. Upon feeling the immense strength in his body, he said in his heart, 10 Feather Spirit Pellets and four days of continuous cultivation… I wonder if I could perform soul manipulation.

He stimulated his psyche as his soul flew out of his body and instantly bound onto a stone pier that weighed approximately 110 kilos.

Hu——

The stone pier suddenly flew up and stopped in mid-air in front of Zhong Yue. His soul manipulated the stone, and as his soul flew upward, the stone followed as well. This was also one of the tricks used by the upper house disciples in combat. The stronger the soul, the heavier the items the soul could lift.

In theory, if the soul was strong enough, one could lift a mountain and fly it around, possibly even using it to eradicate a city!

However, this was ultimately just the theory of it.

Among the upper house disciples, one could be considered as good if they could lift up anything that was a thousand kilograms. Besides, manipulating heavy items and using them as a form of attack was one of the lousiest ways to fight. Usually, the upper house disciples would control powerful weapons and engrave various totem carvings on them. Therefore, as soon as one's soul manipulated the weapon, one could maneuver it with incredible mobility and at astonishing speeds!

Hu-hu-hu——

In the garden, the soul-manipulated stone swiftly flew up and down. Suddenly, Zhong Yue lost control of it, and it slammed into the ornamental rock mountain. Shockingly, the rock mountain was smashed in half, and one of those halves fell into the water!

Swords Gate have their own soul techniques to control weapons, they are all unique and have quintessences of their own. Unlike my cumbersome method that could easily lose control like just now, only by practicing such techniques will I be able to unleash its full potential.

He stood there and pondered for a moment and said, In order to obtain such techniques, I have to be taught by someone. The house manager said there will be Qi Practitioners coming to take in disciples, but why has no one come to me yet?

He didn't overthink the matter, and he activated the [Jiao Dragon Winding Body Totem Art]. As his psyche was spurred into action, a dragon claw formed and it eventually grew into an entire Jiao Dragon that coiled around Zhong Yue's body.

After that, a ferocious Jiao Dragon head slowly rose up from his back and stared cruelly ahead; its two front claws grabbed onto Zhong Yue's shoulders.

Instantly, he felt an immense strength surging into his arms.

The hind claw of the Jiao Dragon clung onto Zhong Yue's legs, making him feel the explosive force and speed of a dragon.

He visually measured his arms and legs in disbelief. The Jiao Dragon that winded around his body, arms and legs felt so real. The dragon's body even slithered around slowly, and the dragon whiskers hung down from the dragon's head that was hanging in front of Zhong Yue.

He felt like he was really being wound by a ferocious dragon and felt its power combining with his own!

"Cultivating the [Jiao Dragon Winding Body Totem Art] to such a level, perhaps I have reached the highest level of it already?" mumbled Zhong Yue.

"You still have a long way to go."

Suddenly, he heard Xin Huo's voice, and Zhong Yue immediately felt pleased. A flame floated out from the lamp placed in the training room. The flame then grew out small arms and legs and a red-haired head that was out of proportion – it was Xin Huo!

"Your [Jiao Dragon Winding Body Totem Art] is still weak. You have only the skin of the Jiao Dragon. You lack the innards or even the spirit of the Jiao Dragon."

Xin Huo jumped onto Zhong Yue and walked into the dragon's mouth and around all of the Jiao Dragon's body and said, "Look at this, your Jiao Dragon totem has only the skin. There are no muscles, veins or internal organs. With only what you have now, you could only unleash a little portion of the Jiao Dragon's true strength. Your totem would also not emit the aura of a Jiao Dragon, which is why you are still far from mastering this technique. To reach the absolute limit of this technique, you must capture a live Jiao Dragon. Then, you have to dissect it and research its muscles, veins, bones and the internal organ structures along with the spirituality of the Jiao Dragon."

Zhong Yue laughed and said, "If I could really capture a living Jiao Dragon, would I even still need to cultivate this technique?"

"Well, that's true."

Xin Huo gave it a thought and agreed, "However, if you are the pure-blood descendant of the Fuxi Celestial Race, just by emitting your aura you could make the Jiao Dragons bow before you for your research, not to mention capturing them ... Huh? The aura of the Fuxi Celestial Race... and there's so many of them! Go, go, go! Bring me out quickly!"

Zhong Yue dispersed his psyche, and Xin Huo quickly dived into his psyche ocean and said in a rush, "If I still can't find a pure-blood descendant to pass down the heritage of Xin Huo, I'm afraid that I will extinguish forever. There are so many people here. Maybe I could find a pure-blood descendant!"

Zhong Yue brought him out of the courtyard, and many upper house disciples could be seen going to the upper house's Knowledge Teaching Pavilion, maybe some Qi Practitioners came down to impart knowledge to the disciples.

Why is there still no one who came to teach me?, Zhong Yue could only feel even more depressed as he saw some of the outer disciples that had passed the test at the same time as him heading to the pavilion.

Xin Huo looked outside through the eyes of Zhong Yue and said, "Not a pure-blood, not a pure-blood, not a pure-blood… What happened to the Fuxi Celestial Race? There's not even a single pure-blood among these thousands of people, and they are even far worse than you! Let's go to that side; there appears to be quite a lot of people there; maybe I will find a pure-blood there!"

Zhong Yue also thought of going to the pavilion and asked the person in charge of the matter of no Qi Practitioner teaching him. When he got close to the pavilion, two rays of light flew across, and two totem pillars landed at the front and back of Zhong Yue!

As soon as the totem pillars landed, a pressured force suddenly impacted upon Zhong Yue, nailing him to the spot!

"Zhong Shan Clan, Zhong Yue? It seems like you've grown fatter, I almost couldn't recognize you."

An upper house disciple then walked forward, and after measuring Zhong Yue, he suddenly raised his leg and cruelly swung toward Zhong Yue's knees. He laughed and said, "Junior Martial Brother Zhong Yue, although we have yet to meet and there are no unhappy experiences between us, I am still doing this as you have mocked my teacher's face. You brought this upon yourself! By the way, my teacher's first name is Tian. For that, I would have to ask you to kneel outside of the pavilion for a couple of hours!"