Chapter Twenty-Five: The Hidden Dragon Roams the Spirit Realm

Joy surged through Lei Yan. The first formation of lightning had brought a tremendous advance in his strength. During the transformation, he clearly sensed the astonishing changes taking place within him. When he had undergone the Foundation Establishment Tribulation, the lightning had already awakened the Fire Origin within his Five-Element Origin. Now, after the Five-Element Origins had shifted position, a heaven-shaking change had taken place inside his body.

Brilliant light of five colors shone as though five suns had taken up residence within Lei Yan’s five viscera. The intertwined radiance gave rise to and restrained one another, unexpectedly forming something resembling a formation. A pitch-black vortex appeared outside his internal organs, and vast quantities of spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged toward it. The true essence within his body began spinning madly, like a turbine fed with gasoline. With every revolution, the light emitted by the Five-Element Origins grew a little brighter.

“Hiss… hiss…”

As his true essence increased, a hissing sound echoed through Lei Yan’s mind. The blue-light supernatural ability that had been unable to grow in his previous life suddenly began splitting apart—one became two, two became four… It continued dividing within his mind until it transformed into countless points of starlight, floating through his consciousness.

“So the blue light actually complements the five-colored radiance.”

Lei Yan clearly felt the blue light growing under the stimulation of the Five-Element Origin. His supernatural ability was no longer solitary; thousands upon thousands of blue lights had gathered within his mind. What delighted him even more was that his perception had become far clearer. Every flower and blade of grass throughout Yi City, the howling of the wind, even the refraction of sunlight—all were now astonishingly distinct and incredibly slow beneath his supernatural perception.

“Is this ever going to end?”

The portly innkeeper dragged his heavy body onto the second floor. Upon hearing the sound of the wall collapsing, he leaped up from beside the counter. Naturally, he was excited. Another collapsed wall meant more money in his pocket—an enormous amount of silver. Over the past two days, he had already earned more than he had made from running the inn for several decades.

By now, the second floor was crowded with people: the guests, the innkeeper, Ding Wei, and the others.

Lei Yan’s slightly narrowed eyes snapped open. Two sharp flashes of light vanished in an instant, and his fierce gaze made everyone who had just gathered beside the collapsed wall shudder from head to toe. Lei Yan threw back his head and laughed. His increased strength had given him even more confidence in going to Niu Family Village.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked gracefully to the innkeeper. With a casual wave, a thousand-tael banknote drifted down from the air into the man’s hands.

“A thousand taels? How generous!” exclaimed one of the guests, who had sharp eyes and noticed the denomination of the banknote.

“Tch. If I had money, I could spend it like that too,” another guest beside the innkeeper said disdainfully.

The moment he finished speaking, someone beside him dragged him away.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Didn’t you see that gentleman’s eyes just now? One glance was enough to make people tremble with fear.”

“Master, congratulations.” Ding Wei had also noticed that Lei Yan was different. The first time he had seen him, a trace of sorrow had still lingered between Lei Yan’s brows. Now that sorrow had vanished completely, replaced by confidence and an imposing authority.

“You noticed as well?” Lei Yan smiled. With his current strength, even a Golden Core cultivator no longer intimidated him.

“All of you, disperse. Disperse.” The innkeeper’s face was wreathed in smiles. “If you have money, you’re more than welcome to demolish the inn like this.”

Several guests cast contemptuous looks at him. Who would be bored enough to do such a thing? Probably only that lunatic.

Once everyone had left, the innkeeper immediately fawned, “Honored guest, I’ll have the attendant arrange another room for you at once.” Clutching the banknote, he scampered downstairs.

“Has the medicine been prepared?” Lei Yan asked Ding Wei.

“It will be ready shortly. Very shortly.” Ding Wei hurried toward his own room as he spoke.

No sooner had Ding Wei left than an attendant arrived and led Lei Yan to another room. It was directly beside Ding Wei’s, diagonally opposite Qing Ling’s. As soon as Lei Yan entered, he took out the Dragon-Controlling Formula.

His true essence had grown, his supernatural perception had strengthened once more, and he had crossed the threshold into the Way of Lightning. What he needed now was a profound fist technique. The Five-Element Fist merely contained the principles of the Five Elements; the deeper the fist technique, the greater the power of the Five-Element Fist’s attacks.

“The Dragon-Controlling Formula is a continuation of the Foundation Establishment cultivation method. So long as true essence flows without cease, it may be practiced. Yet the Dragon-Controlling Formula surpasses the martial techniques of the mortal world. Those who come after must comprehend it with care.”

When Lei Yan opened the first page, these words appeared before his eyes. They were precisely what revealed to him that this manual was a cultivation technique—and a profound fist art at that. They also explained why Ding Wei could not understand it. How could an ordinary martial artist know what Foundation Establishment or true essence meant?

Lei Yan turned to the second page. A line of large characters appeared:

“The Dragon-Controlling Formula consists of seven forms. The first form is the Wandering Divine Dragon.”

Beneath it was a line of smaller text:

“Turning and shifting are contained within a square inch; with a square inch, determine ten thousand miles.”

And then there was nothing else. The rest of the page was blank. Lei Yan turned another page, only to find the second form.

“This should be the general principle of the first form. But there’s nothing else. How is anyone supposed to practice it?”

Lei Yan could not help muttering to himself. From the meaning of the words alone, there was no way to understand the cultivation method.

He stared fixedly at the page, his brows drawing together. A faint fluctuation of energy seemed to ripple across the blank paper. He felt certain that something was wrong, but for a moment he could not determine what it was.

Then a flash of inspiration struck him. He immediately extended his supernatural perception toward the white page.

“Hum.”

Ripples spread outward from the page. A dazzling radiance burst forth, and the entire room filled with countless floating figures. Lei Yan’s perception grew hazy. He discovered that he could not see the figures clearly. Even with his greatly enhanced ability, he still could not make out their forms. The realization shocked him.

Gradually, the figures merged into one. Only then could Lei Yan see clearly.

It was an apparition: the phantom of an old man with hair and beard mottled white. His eyes gleamed with vitality, his complexion was ruddy, and his build was somewhat thin.

Then the old man did something so startling that Lei Yan nearly went mad. He slowly walked over, patted Lei Yan on the head, and said with a smile, “Boy, watch carefully.”

He stepped backward and recited, “Turning and shifting are contained within a square inch. Guide the true essence within your body until it causes the slightest tremor, then move your steps.”

Lei Yan had no time to be astonished. He immediately fixed his eyes upon the old man’s body. The old man trembled ever so slightly, then shifted one small step. His body trembled again, and his feet moved once more.

Every motion began with a faint tremor of the body, and every step followed a certain pattern. Lei Yan firmly committed the sequence of movements to memory. This was not the time to study it; he had to memorize it by force.

“With a square inch, determine ten thousand miles.”

Suddenly, the old man’s movements accelerated. The faint tremors could no longer be detected. All that remained was an elegant, drifting footwork, like a leisurely stroll through a courtyard. Step by step, his figure blurred.

Then the radiance suddenly contracted inward. The old man halted, stopping the instant he wished to stop. Slowly, he said, “When you reach the Great Ascension stage, you will truly be able to determine ten thousand miles from within a square inch…”

As he spoke, the radiance scattered, and he vanished without a trace.

“The Great Ascension stage? Could this old man already have ascended?”

Lei Yan was filled with doubt. At that moment, Ding Wei’s voice came from outside.

“Master, the medicine is ready.”

Lei Yan rose and put away the Dragon-Controlling Formula before slowly opening the door. Ding Wei stood outside holding a bowl of medicine.

Lei Yan took the bowl and said, “Ding Wei, I’d like to keep that manual for a few more days. If you need it, let me know.”

Ding Wei froze. Clearly, he had never expected Lei Yan to be interested in such a manual. In his mind, Lei Yan had already reached an unfathomable level. He could recite the few characters written in the manual from memory, and he had never imagined the book could be useful.

He smiled and said, “Master, if it’s useful to you, take it. That manual is completely useless to me anyway.”

Lei Yan made no unnecessary show of politeness and nodded.

“Very well. Once Ling’er awakens, I’ll unblock the meridians throughout your body.”

With that, he headed straight toward Qing Ling’s room.