10 Comprehending Elemental Qi

Three days has passed since then. Zhou Lin always attends the tournament to watch it. Wanting to learn more about the cultivators in there.

He just learned something with his Shadow Training. It seems like what he doesn't know can't be replicated by his simulations.

His Shadow Training can perfectly replicate their fighting style, personality, and even their way of speech. Though it seems like techniques he has no knowledge of won't be included.

As the tournament progresses, he saw some of the contestants showing off more esoteric abilities to defeat their foes. Those abilities weren't used by his simulated versions of them, and they only used it after he learned about them when he is doing another session of Shadow Training.

That's why he decided to watch these cultivators more so he can learn more about them. He is also trying to comprehend just how they are doing their fancy techniques through watching. His Divine Sense and Appraisal is helping him with that, and he thinks he is getting closer to a breakthrough.

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Once again he is using his Shadow Training to learn more about how they use their Qi and turn it into another. He is not fighting his simulations right now. He is just watching them do those techniques while he sits besides the tree.

He has been using this spot within this forest to train himself. He haven't seen any Demonic Beast yet, and it looks peaceful enough so he has decided to use this as his training ground.

Looking at the simulation of Zhu Lingli, he can see how she flows her internal Qi, and do something within her that seems to change the components of this Qi and turn it into Wind Qi. The Wind Qi will then turn into a tempestuous graze, which will cut through anything it meets.

He felt like he is missing something. Despite watching how she does that in repeat, he still can't understand what he is lacking.

'I want to also use some of those elemental attacks!' He thought to himself.

He might have the superior form of martial arts, but it still felt incomplete if he can't use other techniques that cultivators can use.

'I only vaguely recall what I did when that lightning hits me while I'm ascending to the next stage. I know that it have something to do with Qi Manipulation. I managed to purify the Heavenly Lightning Qi into pure Qi within my body so it won't damage my Dantian, so I think if I replicate that feeling I might be able to do something.'

'.... Wait a minute...!' His eyes widened as an epiphany hits him. 'What if I do it in reverse!'

He has been trying to replicate what he felt when he controlled the Heavenly Lightning Qi and purify it within his body. It's the only sensation he knows where he controlled an element foreign to his own internal Qi.

With this new idea, he wanted to try if he can actually release something else. Instead of trying to replicate the feeling, why not turn his internal Qi into something else?

He only needs to recall what happened before the Heavenly Lightning Qi was converted into pure Qi. After recalling that, he will do it in reverse. Meaning he will release the purified Qi within his body and try to form it into a Qi that he recalls within his memory.

Having thought of that, he quickly tried to do it. He sits on the ground in a crosslegged position, then begins controlling his internal Qi within him.

'It feels like this... I think...' He thought to himself as he felt the warm feeling of his Qi flowing through his center, and then slowly trying to turn it into another.

He tries to recall the feeling of the Heavenly Lightning Qi burning his body, and quickly trying to fry his nerves as it courses through his vein. Attacking his internal organs and almost causing him to die.

'... This is it!' His eyes lit up in excitement.

He got to the part where he has purified his Qi, and suddenly stops there. Then he controls his Qi so it was on that part, and then reverses the process.

He felt the Qi crackling within his body, and felt like it might go out of control if not for his masterful way of controlling his Qi. In a single instant, he felt his internal Qi turning foreign. It has the feeling of something sharp, fast, and burning. A strong and tyrannical strength that will instantly kill him if he loses his focus for a single instant.

This Qi is very foreign and it's unlike the profound energies he has been controlling within his body. The Pure Qi surrounding the world is calmer and have no purpose. They are only here floating on the air and giving life to everything in creation.

This Qi is more active. As if trying to find a way to move in one direction. Like an excitable child who can't be kept in a single place.

He has been used to controlling his Qi like giving way to the flow of a river. As he mastered Qi Manipulation, he can easily open and close the pathways within his sea of power.

That way of controlling can't be used on this excitable energy. Within his knowledge of Qi Manipulation, he quickly got to the conclusion that he must control it quick and fast like a lightning.

So he did that. Through his Thought Acceleration, Divine Sense, Qi Manipulation, and Supreme Martial Arts he manages to quickly flow through his veins and flow to his limbs.

Then he pointed his finger on a tree, and suddenly lightning shot out on the tip of his finger.

BAM!

The tree was instantly turned into cinders. The strength of the lightning he releases is too much. It is proportional to the amount of internal Qi he used, which is a lot for normal cultivators in this region.

"So strong!" He wheezes in surprise. A bead of sweat forming on the side of his head as he looks at his finger which is still releasing a bit of smoke.

[You learned an Ability, Lightning Control]

And as expected, he actually learned one of the elemental techniques. It's not even a technique, it's an ability!

He quickly looks at his status to check it out...

[Status]

Points: 36,529 (1/s) (+)

Physical Rank: Lower Stage Bone & Marrow Improvement (+)

Cultivation Rank: 1st Stage Nature Realm (+)

Spiritual Rank: Quarter Stage Silver Core (+)

[Technique]

(Grade 98) Divine Sense X

(Grade 98) Presence Concealment X

(Grade 99) Appraisal X

(Grade 99) Defensive Aura X

(Grade 99) Enhanced Strikes X

(Grade 99) Pitch Control X

(Grade 99) Sprint X

[Abilities]

(Rank 95) Lightning Control I (+)

(Rank 95) Lightning Resistance III (+)

(Rank 97) Supreme Martial Arts X

(Rank 99) Qi Manipulation X

(Rank 99) Shadow Training X

(Rank 100) Martial Arts X

(Rank 100) Mortal Bodybuilding X

(Rank 100) Thought Acceleration X

"A Rank 95 Ability!" He exclaimed in glee.

It is on the same rank as Lightning Resistance, which helps him on the second lightning tribulation greatly. That means controlling lightning is very strong.

Though it will be hard to upgrade due to it's higher rank. He is still optimistic because he have all the time in the world.

"Good! With this, I can become more stronger!" He nodded to himself.

So long as he gets more stronger, he won't have to fear anything in this world.

Just as he was thinking like that, he felt a malicious presence getting closer to him. There are a lot of it approaching him.

"What?" His eyes narrowed as he looks at the direction where the nearest malicious presence is approaching.

He didn't have to wait for long when he saw the visage of a beast. It's furs are standing proud as it looks down at him with an arrogant posture. It reddish eyes are glaring at him coldly as it stands on a slightly inclined rock, which coincidentally positioned where the moonlight shines. Making it look rather majestic.

"Demonic Beast!" He gasps at that. This is the first time he encounters a Demonic Beast.

The Demonic Beast in question is a large wolf. He don't know what it was called, but it looks very proud as it stands there.

He glances around him, seeing that many visage of wolves smaller than the one standing proudly in front of him are showing one by one. Some are still hiding on the bushes and shades of the trees, though he can easily sense them through his maxed level Divine Sense.

".... Tsk, I became complacent!" He felt like punching himself because of this.

He made sure that he is still using his Presence Concealment to conceal himself, and knows that it is still activated. The only way they managed to track him somehow is because they might be planning to ambush him for awhile now, or because of his first usage of Lightning Control.

'.... I'm sure it's the Lightning Control...' He immediately clings to that conclusion.

His Presence Concealment is perfect. No one can sense his Qi even if they are stronger than him. He already tried it on the festival and no one is looking at him thanks to this Technique. The only thing left is the Lightning Control, which uses a large amount of Qi.

It's not really large for him, but the strength of the Lightning Control is still terrifying that he is sure it is the reason how these Demonic Beast even managed to learn where he is.

".... Well, I've been planning to try how strong am I. It's a little early on my planned schedule, but this is a good thing too. The earlier I learned how I compare to the others, the better!" He muttered under his breathe before glaring coldly at the beasts. "Bring it on!"

Thus, his first real battle begins.