Chapter 141: The Concept of Gang Qi

Chapter 141: The Concept of Gang Qi

At this moment, a curious voice resonated in Mu Feng's mind.

"Yue'er, you're awake," Mu Feng said joyfully.

"Mm," Xi Yue replied softly. "What is this place? Why is there the presence of Stellar Fallen Energy?"

"This is the Tianyun Tower within the Royal Tianyun Academy. What's this 'Stellar Fallen Energy' you mentioned?" Mu Feng asked, intrigued.

"Stellar Fallen Energy is the power of celestial stars. When it descends to earth and merges with the magnetic field, it becomes known as Stellar Fallen Energy. It can significantly aid a martial artist's cultivation. The fact that this place contains Stellar Fallen Energy means there's likely a Stellar Core Meteorite nearby—that's a rare treasure," Xi Yue explained.

"A Stellar Core Meteorite?" Mu Feng muttered, unfamiliar with the term.

"Brother Feng, why don't we train here?" Bai Ziyue suggested, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I don't think we can handle going any higher."

"Feng, let's stay on this floor," Yun Qingwan agreed. "The fifth floor is usually reserved for inner courtyard disciples."

Mu Feng nodded. "Alright, let's cultivate here."

The group moved to a spacious corner of the floor.

A Sudden Inquiry

"Young man, is that young lady your girlfriend, Yun Qingwan?" Xi Yue's voice suddenly echoed in Mu Feng's mind.

"Uh-huh," Mu Feng replied with a cheeky grin. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

But Xi Yue fell silent, refusing to respond.

"Women are so strange," Mu Feng muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

The four settled in their respective spots. Mu Feng sat cross-legged and retrieved a second-grade Blood Pill from his storage ring, swallowing it whole. He then began channeling his cultivation technique, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Strands of spiritual energy surged into his body, swiftly refined into Yuan energy, which was then stored in his energy cyclones. The Blood Pill he consumed further produced waves of Yuan energy, bolstering his reserves.

Mu Feng quickly noticed the difference. The cultivation speed here was significantly faster than outside. The so-called Stellar Fallen Energy permeated his body, accelerating the refinement process. Cultivating here for one hour was equivalent to two hours elsewhere, and the concentration of spiritual energy made one day's training as effective as three outside.

For martial artists, who constantly competed against time, the advantages of Tianyun Tower justified the cost of 100 academic credits per day.

A Chilling Duel

Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard of Tianyun Academy, in an elegant compound, Nan Ling was sparring with a young man. The sound of their intense blows echoed throughout the courtyard. Watching from the sidelines were Shangguan Qianzhi, his arm still in a sling, and several members of the North King's Club.

Nan Ling's body was surrounded by a white Gang Qi aura. He unleashed a powerful palm strike, forming a massive icy hand that roared through the air toward the young man in blue.

The icy hand carried an intense chill, its frigid wind causing frost to form on nearby surfaces. The young man's expression changed, and he quickly retaliated with a flame-imbued slash, summoning a blade of fire to counter the icy hand.

Hiss…

To his dismay, the icy hand shattered the flaming blade and struck him, sending him flying. Blood spurted from his mouth as one of the North King's Club members rushed forward to catch him.

Nan Ling, wiping the sweat from his brow, coldly glanced at Shangguan Qianzhi, who pleaded, "Your Highness, you must avenge me! Mu Feng crippled my arm."

Nan Ling's gaze turned icy as he snapped, "Shut up!"

Shangguan Qianzhi recoiled at the frosty glare, his heart filled with dread.

"Mu Feng…" Nan Ling muttered. "Ning Yuan, what's that brat up to now? Have you been keeping tabs on him?"

A sharp-eyed young man named Ning Yuan stepped forward. "That boy caused quite a stir recently. Yesterday, he clashed with some students from Tianfeng Nation and even defeated an inner courtyard senior named Chen Zhi. He's now training in Tianyun Tower—with Yun Qingwan accompanying him."

"Tianyun Tower? Where did they get the credits for that? And that brat… capable of defeating an inner courtyard senior?" Nan Ling's expression betrayed his surprise, while Shangguan Qianzhi looked utterly shocked.

Defeating an inner courtyard senior—someone who had reached the Condensed Qi Realm—was no small feat.

"I investigated further," Ning Yuan added. "The senior he defeated, Chen Zhi, had only recently advanced to the Condensed Qi Realm. He's not particularly skilled."

"Even so," Nan Ling growled, his killing intent flaring, "to overcome a Condensed Qi Realm opponent shows significant martial talent. No wonder my father views him as a threat and insists I eliminate him."

Nan Ling clenched his fists, his tone venomous. "Keep a close eye on him. Report to me immediately if he or any of the Mu family members accept an academy mission."

"Yes, Your Highness," Ning Yuan responded promptly.

"Mu Feng, coming to Tianyun Academy will prove to be the gravest mistake of your life. And Yun Qingwan, for daring to defy me, you will regret it for the rest of your days," Nan Ling hissed, his eyes gleaming with malice.

Progress in Tianyun Tower

Time flew by. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Mu Feng and his companions remained in Tianyun Tower, diligently training. Their earlier winnings from the Duel Hall provided enough credits to sustain their cultivation.

Within Mu Feng's body, his eighth energy cyclone brimmed with Yuan energy, while a faint shadow of a ninth cyclone began to emerge. He was just one step away from reaching the Great Heaven Stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, after which he could start condensing Yuan Power and refining Gang Qi.

The Condensed Qi Realm differed significantly from the Purple Mansion Realm in two ways. First, Yuan Power at this stage gained elemental attributes, determined by the Gang Qi infused during its refinement.

The human body was predisposed to five basic attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. A cultivator at the Condensed Qi Realm could either refine their innate elemental Gang Qi or fuse with natural Gang Qi from the environment, such as Lightning, Wind, Ice, or Earthfire Gang Qi.

However, fusing with natural Gang Qi carried substantial risks, often leading to severe backlash or even death. Thus, most cultivators opted to refine their inherent Gang Qi. The quality of the Gang Qi directly determined the strength of the resulting Yuan Power.

Out of Credits

After a month of rigorous training, Mu Feng found himself on the brink of completing his ninth cyclone. Yet, he lacked the necessary credits to remain in Tianyun Tower any longer.

As they descended from the tower, Bai Ziyue sighed, "Brother Feng, we need to figure out a way to earn more credits. Otherwise, we'll never be able to keep up."

Mu Feng nodded, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Then we'll find a way to earn them. Whatever it takes."