The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 65: Cultivate With Great Concentration

Cultivate With Great Concentration . . .

The big boss, his head bobbing like a pecking chicken, nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes, yes," he replied.

They all proceeded into the salesroom, the atmosphere still tinged with a sense of urgency.

During their walk, the man in black struck up a casual conversation. "Regarding the Cosmic Hades, what price was it sold for?" he inquired.

Guan Wan-Shan replied humbly, "It fetched 250 thousand."

"250 thousand?" The man in black was taken aback. An unusual smile spread across his face as he asked, "Gold?"

Guan Wan-Shan cleared his throat and clarified, "Ahem, not gold. Silver."

"Khoff Khak Khak Khak…" The man in black suddenly began coughing uncontrollably, his face reddening with each cough. After a fit of coughing, he burst into laughter.

Wan Zheng-Hao's large, round face turned a shade resembling a pig's liver, a clear sign of his embarrassment.

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" The man in black exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up and playfully raising it towards Wan Zheng-Hao's nose. "Selling the entire Land of Han-Yang wouldn't be enough to exchange for half of that Cosmic Hades, yet you sold it for just 250 thousand silver bars... Wan Zheng-Hao, in the entire universe, only you can absolutely claim the title of the super No.1 black sheep! You cannot decline to shoulder this title because you fully deserve it!"

Wan Zheng-Hao felt humiliated, and his face turned completely red. He was too ashamed to show his face and chose to lower his head.

However, the man in black didn't seem inclined to let the matter rest.

"Such thoughtless wastage is simply indescribable and monumental," the man in black shook his head in mock despair. "It's a squandering that could lead to chaos and darkness! Truly a high-class extravagance capable of blotting out the moon and stars!"

Unbeknownst to them, Guan Wan-Shan, who followed closely behind, overheard this exchange. His complexion turned ashen as he sank heavily onto a stone step.

"What did I just hear? Was it a hallucination? Did my ears betray me? Or am I caught in some bizarre dream?"

...

Cha-Eun Xiao had no inkling that the salesroom was lying in wait, ready to spring a massive trap at any moment. He had planned to return to the salesroom to collect his earnings once everything settled down. For now, he immersed himself in relentless cultivation, fully aware of the paramount importance of strengthening his abilities.

During his free moments, he voraciously consumed all manner of knowledge available to him.

As for the mysterious Space within his body, he used it with remarkable efficiency.

There was another compelling reason driving Cha-Eun Xiao to work diligently, a realization that had dawned on him in recent days. It was a matter so grave that he grappled with whether it bode well or ill for him.

This particular 'something' weighed heavily on his mind, making him reluctant to venture outside. It concerned the Sky Space and, more specifically, the newly-acquired Cosmic Hades within it. The Cosmic Hades possessed extraordinary power, radiating an ever-thickening frost qi that showed no signs of relenting. Its immense power had begun to disrupt the harmony among the nine Spaces within Cha-Eun Xiao.

These nine Spaces inherently maintained a delicate equilibrium, with each complementing the others, ensuring stability. Yet, if one Space were to become disproportionately powerful, surpassing the combined strength of the remaining eight, it would naturally disrupt this balance. Presently, the Sky Space, brimming with frost qi from the Cosmic Hades, was overpowering the other Spaces, causing their suppression.

Should this trend continue, where only the Sky Space remained potent and the others became helpless to restrain it, the equilibrium among the Spaces would crumble. The inevitable outcome would be the absorption of the other Spaces by the dominant Sky Space.

Cha-Eun Xiao was acutely aware that this was the last thing he desired. Faced with no alternative, he resolved to personally enter the Spaces and employ the blue gelid qi of the East-rising Purple qi as a makeshift bridge to channel the frost qi from the Cosmic Hades out into the world.

"No matter how formidable you are, you're merely the frost qi of the Cosmic Hades. I will expel you from my infinite Spaces into the outside world. There, you won't be able to wreak havoc on my Spaces any longer," he resolved.

It was a risky gambit, one fraught with uncertainty. The East-rising Purple qi was a profound martial art derived from the natural essence of heaven and earth. While immensely powerful, Cha-Eun Xiao was not yet of sufficient cultivation to guarantee his ability to withstand the Cosmic Hades' frost qi.

This formidable force had proven unbeatable, even for the combined might of the other eight Spaces. Additionally, during the transfer, it was Cha-Eun Xiao's own body that would bear the brunt of acting as the temporary conduit and bridge. Given his present physical condition, could he endure this strain?

However, Cha-Eun Xiao had no alternative. The situation was too dire, leaving him with no recourse but to take this perilous leap.

Initially, the process of drawing out the frost qi went smoothly, and to his astonishment, Cha-Eun Xiao soon discovered a surprising side effect. The East-rising Purple qi displayed remarkable resilience, remaining impervious to the potent frost qi. Moreover, as he drew out the frost qi and channeled it into his Jing and Mai, something incredible occurred.

Intriguingly, Cha-Eun Xiao noticed that his gelid qi exhibited signs of improvement—subtle yet undeniable. He was struck by the incredulity of the situation.

"Could such a fortuitous development truly be happening?" he marveled.

Intrigued, he continued to draw more frost qi to test this newfound observation, which triggered an unexpected reaction. Suddenly, the Spaces seemed to 'detect' this 'outlet' and began diverting the accumulated frost qi towards it.

Cha-Eun Xiao's initial intent had been to gradually release the pressure on the other eight Spaces by drawing away the frost qi. However, perhaps the other Spaces, exhausted from the Sky Space's relentless pressure, seized upon this new outlet and began directing the frost qi there without delay.

The experience proved excruciating for Cha-Eun Xiao. It was as if he had been plunged into a cave of ancient ice, his body nearly frozen into a living statue. Yet, amid this extreme cold, he was startled to realize that the East-rising Purple qi had become markedly more active.

Cha-Eun Xiao found that his Jing and Mai were operating automatically, responding to the Cosmic Hades' frost qi in a remarkable way. It was not just any reaction; it was an enhancement of his gelid qi cultivation on a massive scale.

This discovery filled him with boundless joy. He entered an intense cultivation mode, forsaking food and drink, and 'commandeered' the watchtower of the Cha Clan's residence as his temporary sanctuary.

The General's territory lacked tall trees, and the watchtower's top was the closest point to the sun. Therefore, Cha-Eun Xiao decided to make it his cultivation base. He instructed that he would temporarily occupy a sentry post on the watchtower.

Every day, he donned the attire of the guards and assumed his seat on the watchtower with legs crossed. During daylight hours, he absorbed the nourishing sunlight, and at night, he basked in the moonlight.

This rigorous routine allowed him to cultivate ceaselessly, without rest.

After a few days, the residents of Chen-Xing City began to notice that the summer had lost its usual scorching heat. Yin and Yang, two opposing yet complementary forces, were at play. When one force reached an extreme, it would trigger a shift, causing the other to rise.

Under the influence of the Cosmic Hades' frost qi and Cha-Eun Xiao's absorption of solar heat, the East-rising Purple qi's strength reached unprecedented levels. Frost qi from the Spaces surged into his Jing and Mai with a fervent momentum, while the Yang qi from the world followed suit with equal vigor.

Normally, cultivating the gelid qi required Cha-Eun Xiao to absorb Yang qi into his body and then use specific martial arts techniques to transform it. However, this was no longer necessary. He could now focus solely on absorbing Yang qi to offset the frost qi, resulting in rapid cultivation progress.

As the Yin qi saw a significant increase, the Yang qi advanced in tandem. The East-rising Purple qi ensured a harmonious balance between Yin and Yang, allowing for swift gelid qi improvement and continuous growth of Yang qi. The two forces remained perfectly synchronized.

Cha-Eun Xiao's intervention in the Spaces and subsequent actions had restored the balance within a day, rescuing them from impending disarray and rejuvenating the equilibrium. Extra gelid qi continued to flow through his Jing and Mai.

He experienced his body becoming like a progress bar, slowly filling up at a visible pace. Gradually, it reached the midpoint and then the end.

-BOOM!-

His body felt as though it had transformed into a nebula, weightless and comfortable. Another line within his Jing and Mai split wide open, revealing the second progress bar, representing the second level of the Grade of Diyuan. It too gradually filled up, reaching the middle and then the end.

-BOOM!-

Level 3!

Upon reaching the third level, the rate of improvement slowed down. Cha-Eun Xiao maintained an unwavering focus on his cultivation, prioritizing it above all else.

In the Cha Clan's residence, the steward observed Cha-Eun Xiao's diligence with satisfaction. He saw it as a positive sign.

"The young lord may not have excelled in wisdom or martial arts, but at least he recognizes the need for hard work now. That's a promising sign," he mused.

Although Cha-Eun Xiao might not pursue a career as a civil officer, his commitment to martial arts might lead to accomplishments in the future. The steward anticipated that the General would be delighted if he were to learn of Cha-Eun Xiao's dedication.

"Is the young lord's meal prepared? Bring him more nourishing food."

"He's already finished the last meal? Excellent."

"Have you delivered water to him?"

"Anyone who dares to be lazy should face severe punishment."

Meanwhile, for the residents of Chen-Xing City, this summer was unusually comfortable. Typically, the city would turn into an oppressive furnace during the hottest days of the year, but this year was different. It was neither hot nor cold—it was just perfect.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the excess heat had been transformed into energy by the East-rising Purple qi.

This cycle continued unabated for ten days, with Cha-Eun Xiao completely immersed in his cultivation.