Chapter 27: Healing, Reviewing, and Parting Ways
In the small inn courtyard in Shiquan Town, the dim yellow light cast long, weary shadows of the three figures.
When Yu Yuanchen, Tang Chen, and Qian Daoliu returned, supporting each other, their disheveled appearance truly startled the innkeeper.
If not for their extraordinary aura and generous spending, the innkeeper would have almost mistaken them for desperate outlaws.
Returning to Yu Yuanchen's room, the three simultaneously relaxed.
Tang Chen slumped into a chair, baring his teeth and sucking in cold air.
Although the scorch marks and sword wounds on his body were not deep, they were numerous.
In particular, the internal injuries from forcefully resisting Qian Daoliu's "Holy Light Judgment" and Yu Yuanchen's "Thunder Pool Annihilation," as well as the injuries from being penetrated by the "Thunder Dragon Shattering Void" at the end, all required time to heal.
Qian Daoliu was in slightly better condition, but his Soul Power was exhausted, and his Spiritual Power was drained.
The spot at the base of his light wings where he was hit by Tang Chen's stone still ached faintly, and the Shanzhong acupuncture point on his chest, hit by Yu Yuanchen's elbow, felt congested, making his peerlessly handsome face look paler and weaker.
Yu Yuanchen was the one with the greatest consumption and the most "mixed" injuries among the three.
His Soul Power was completely dried up, and the stabbing pain caused by the over-expenditure of his Spiritual Power had not yet subsided.
The load on his Meridians from forcibly compressing and releasing the "Thunder Pool Annihilation," as well as the hidden injuries from hard-carrying the Domain backlash and multiple collisions, made him feel as if his Physical Body was falling apart; even lifting a finger felt difficult.
"Damn it... that was intense..." Tang Chen panted, pulling at his torn clothes to reveal the bruised skin beneath.
"Brother Qian, your Holy Light Judgment almost shifted my internal organs! And Brother Yuanchen, what was that Thunder Pool that popped out from the ground? Too insidious! It numbed me so much that my tongue still doesn't listen to me."
Qian Daoliu leaned elegantly against the back of the chair, maintaining his basic demeanor despite his disheveled state.
He smiled faintly upon hearing this: "Brother Tang's Clear Sky Formation is also quite ingenious. If not for that flying stone of yours, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state."
Qian Daoliu looked at Tang Chen with a faint gaze: "As for Brother Yuanchen's Thunder Pool... it is indeed impressive. Converting the power of a Domain in such a way is a stroke of Genius, and its power is truly terrifying."
He looked at Yu Yuanchen, his eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and inquiry.
Yu Yuanchen smiled reluctantly, his voice hoarse: "You two brothers flatter me; it was just a desperate Move. Brother Tang's strength is fierce and unparalleled. If not for the last moment... *cough cough*," he paused, glancing at Tang Chen, remembering that precise and ruthless stone throw, and couldn't help but laugh.
"If not for Brother Tang's quick wit, I would have been defeated by Brother Qian's sword. Brother Qian's Domain control and grasp of the battlefield have benefited me greatly."
The three looked at each other, remembering the dramatic ending, and couldn't help but laugh.
However, this laughter triggered their injuries, instantly turning into a chorus of gasps and wincing.
After the jokes, it was time for business.
Knowing their current state was extremely poor, the three dared not be negligent.
Forcing themselves to stay alert, they each took out their Medicinal Pill for healing and began to Cultivate.
Yu Yuanchen swallowed a "Dragon Blood Recovery Pill" secretly made by his Family.
A warm, gentle current immediately dissolved, nourishing his dried-up Meridians and damaged internal organs.
He carefully guided the faint trace of new Soul Power in his body, circulating it slowly, while using his Spiritual Power to look inward, repairing his Sea of Consciousness, which had become dim due to over-expenditure.
The purple-gold scale on his chest grew slightly warm, emitting a soft and pure Dragon Qi, which complemented the medicinal power, accelerating the recovery of his Qi and blood and the healing of his Physical Body.
He discovered that after this extreme battle, his slight control over the "Thunder God Power" seemed more handy.
Although the total amount had not increased, it flowed more smoothly, and its compatibility with his Soul Power and Qi and blood was higher.
Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu also swallowed their own secret medicines and began to heal.
For a time, the room fell silent, with only the long and powerful breathing of the three, and the faint energy fluctuations caused by the circulation of Soul Power.
This Cultivation lasted for a full day and night.
By noon the next day, the three woke up one after another from deep Cultivation.
Although it would still take time to fully recover, their surface injuries had basically stabilized, their Soul Power had recovered by 30-40%, at least they could Move without hindrance, and their complexions were much ruddier.
The inn waiter brought a sumptuous meal, and the three devoured it completely.
After filling their stomachs, their spirits were much more invigorated.
"Satisfying! Although we didn't determine a winner, this fight was truly satisfying!" Tang Chen slapped the table, his voice loud, clearly in a very good mood.
"It's been a long time since I fought like this! You two, you really didn't let me down!"
Qian Daoliu elegantly wiped the corners of his mouth and smiled: "It is an honor for me to fight with Brother Tang and Brother Yu. The gains from this battle far exceed several months of hard Cultivation."
He looked at Yu Yuanchen: "Especially Brother Yu's use of Soul skills and the development of the Domain, which opened my eyes. That piercing power of the 'Thunder Dragon Shattering Void' does not seem to be a simple Soul skills; it seems to have incorporated Spiritual will?"
Yu Yuanchen inwardly praised Qian Daoliu's sharp eyes and nodded in acknowledgment: "Brother Qian has Wisdom Eye. This Move was inspired by my fourth Soul skills. I tried to highly condense my Spiritual Power and integrate it into the thunder to achieve a defense-breaking effect. There are still many shortcomings."
"This is a self-created Soul skills?" Tang Chen's eyes widened, clicking his tongue in wonder.
"Amazing! I'm still figuring out how to make the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method smoother! Brother Yuanchen, you're only a Soul King and you're already creating your own Spirit Abilities? And such a tricky thing!"
Although he was straightforward by nature, he understood the difficulty and significance of self-created Spirit Abilities, and looked at Yu Yuanchen with more respect.
Qian Daoliu was also moved.
Self-created Spirit Abilities were often more compatible with the Soul Master themselves and had huge growth potential.
That Yu Yuanchen could create such a powerful Soul skills at the Soul King level, his talent and Comprehension Ability were indeed shocking.
The three simply used this battle as a lead to start exchanging their insights on Cultivation.
They set aside Sect biases and only discussed the Dao of martial arts and spirit principles.
Tang Chen shared his understanding of power control, how to transform the heaviness of the Clear Sky Hammer into unstoppable kinetic energy, how to contain the strongest burst within the simplest Move, and some mysteries of his "Clear Sky Formation"—that was a preliminary application of gravity and Soul Power fields.
Although it was not a complete Domain, it already had a prototype and could have miraculous effects at specific moments.
Qian Daoliu elaborated on some characteristics of the Angelic Domain, how to purify negative states and suppress opponents with holy aura, how to use the power of light for judgment and protection, and some unique insights he had on combining flying Spirit Abilities with melee sword skills.
His fighting style was elegant and efficient, full of wisdom and calculation.
Yu Yuanchen also frankly shared some of his insights on the "Thunder God Power," how he tried to initially integrate Spiritual Power into the power of thunder, and the two directions of developing the "Purple Lightning Domain"—control and burst—and also spoke about some application techniques and the Bottleneck he encountered.
The three were all the top Geniuses of their time.
Under the collision of thoughts, they often sparked amazing sparks.
Many points that they had been struggling to understand in their daily lives were suddenly clarified by the other party's words or interpretations from different perspectives.
They sometimes argued until their faces were red, sometimes fell into deep thought, and sometimes clapped and laughed.
This exchange was no less beneficial to the three than the previous hearty battle.
Time passed quickly in the heated discussion, and three more days passed in a flash.
The three's injuries were mostly healed, and their Soul Power had basically recovered.
That evening, the three gathered again in the courtyard, but the atmosphere was more solemn than before.
"Two brothers," Tang Chen spoke first, his voice as straightforward as ever, but with a hint of imperceptible emotion.
"This trip to the Savage Beast Hills, being able to get to know you two is my, Tang Chen's, luck! The fight was satisfying, and the chat was satisfying! However, all good things must come to an end. I have been away from home for a long time, and there are still some matters in the Sect that need to be dealt with. It's time to go back."
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, his golden eyes also showing a hint of melancholy, which then turned into a gentle smile: "Brother Tang is right. This experience has been very fruitful and requires time to settle. I also have duties in the Spirit Hall and cannot be away for long."
Yu Yuanchen understood in his heart that this unexpected encounter and fighting side-by-side would eventually come to an end.
He also gained a lot, not only in terms of strength improvement but, more importantly, he gained two close friends and opponents to whom he could entrust his back.
He arched his hands: "It is also Yuanchen's fortune to get to know and interact with you two brothers. There are also things to do in the Family, and I also need to continue my path of training."
The three looked at each other, everything unspoken.
Tang Chen suddenly grinned, his Battle Intent reignited: "It's too boring to just break up like this! How about we make a bet?"
Qian Daoliu raised an eyebrow: "What high opinion does Brother Tang have?"
"Five years!" Tang Chen stretched out his fan-like large hand, fingers spread.
"Let's set a period of five years! Five years later, no matter where we are, no matter what our cultivation level is, let's find a place and have a good fight! Let's see who has made the most progress in these five years! How about it?"
A flash of light appeared in Yu Yuanchen's eyes, and he responded without hesitation: "Good! The five-year agreement, I, Yu Yuanchen, will definitely attend!"
Qian Daoliu also smiled and nodded, his tone carrying unquestionable confidence: "How can I, Qian, be absent from such a grand event? Five years later, I will definitely learn from you two brothers' more brilliant Moves."
"Haha! Then it's settled!" Tang Chen was overjoyed and stretched out his fist.
Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu looked at each other and smiled, also stretching out their fists.
Three fists representing the Hidden Dragon, Clear Sky, and Angel collided heavily in the air!
The simple agreement carried the beliefs and friendship of the three young Prodigies.
The next morning, outside Shiquan Town, the three parted ways.
Tang Chen carried the restored Clear Sky Hammer, strode forward toward the northeast, his back heroic, his voice like a bell: "Two brothers, take care! See you in five years!"
Qian Daoliu spread his six wings, emitting holy radiance in the morning light.
He nodded slightly to Yu Yuanchen: "Brother Yu, take care. I look forward to seeing your thunder again in five years, with even greater power."
After speaking, his wings flapped, turning into a golden stream of light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.
Yu Yuanchen stood in place, watching the direction they left, feeling very emotional.
These few months of experience were more exciting than the previous ten years.
He tightened his ordinary gray sportswear, put on his bamboo hat, turned around, chose another direction, and stepped steadily, once again embarking on his own path of training.
Shiquan Town returned to its usual tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
But no one knew that here, three powerhouses who would stand at the Peak of the continent in the future had made a five-year agreement that would shake the era.
The Hidden Dragon continued to hide its traces, honing its claws; the Clear Sky returned to the Sect, tempering its edge; the Angel soared into the sky, spreading the Holy Light.
Their paths had intersected and were temporarily separated, only to burst out with more dazzling brilliance at some point in the future.
Yu Yuanchen's figure gradually went further and further, merging into the vast land.
His legend had only just begun.
And the wind and clouds of the continent were about to quietly change because of these three young men who parted ways, and the forces behind them.